Project Sydney: 100 Sydneysiders to help decide city’s future

JUST over 100 people will be selected at random to form a panel that will help decide the future of Sydney. Lucy Turnbull says the “citizens panel” will give feedback on big picture proposals.

The new panel will be made up of 20 people from each of the five districts of Sydney.

LUCY Turnbull says Sydney is far from “full” but carefully considered infrastructure and community consultation are key to making the city flourish.

Her Greater Sydney Commission advised the state government last month to halt building at Ryde and Canterbury Bankstown to stave off a wider community backlash against overdevelopment.

Lucy Turnbull says Sydney is far from full.

The commission told Planning Minister Anthony Roberts to suspend rules making it easier for homeowners and developers to convert large blocks into medium-density homes, to take pressure off the creaking transport network.

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And declaring the need for a “continuous conversation” with the community, the commission is convening a “citizens panel” of more than 100 Sydneysiders to give feedback on big picture proposals for their city.

“We need to make sure that growth is well planned so that people understand their quality of life will not be diminished by the creation of housing,” Mrs Turnbull told The Daily Telegraph yesterday­.

Referring to tensions that had arisen in Ryde over development, Mrs Turnbull said plans released by the Greater Sydney Commission in recent years underscored the need for transport and other facilities to keep pace with housing­.

100 random Sydneysiders will help decide the city’s future. Picture: Christian Gilles

“To actually make sure that we do what we said in our plan is absolutely critical, which is to plan a city supported by infrastructure,” she said.

“I think the push back by the local MP Victor Dominello and council not to apply the missing middle housing code is a reflection of that.”

However, Mrs Turnbull insisted that despite the intense backlash in pockets of the city, Sydney is far from “full”.

“Sydney has been growing since 1788,” she said, adding that the commission needed to make sure that investment delivered “liveability, great open space and job opportunity”.

It will give the proposed citizens panel of 115 randomly selected Sydneysiders “a better understanding of the plans for transport and infrastructure and land use and ask them what we should place the greatest emphasis on”.

“There needs to be a continuing conversation across the whole of Sydney about what people think is important for them, their families and  their communities over the next 20 and 40 years,” she said.

The new panel will be made up of 20 people from each of the five districts of Sydney — north, south, east, west and the centre.

There will also be five people each from the three key areas of liveability, productivity and sustainability.

People who want to join the panel will be able to nominate themselves but a large proportion will be selected at random to ensure all ages and walks of life are represented.

“The overall picture for Sydney between now and 2036 is to have 817000 new jobs.

“We would hope there would be a lot more jobs in the western city and the central city so that people don’t have to travel so far for work and can live in a 30- minute city,” Mrs Turnbull said.