NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully calls on private sector to “step up” investment into Bradfield City Centre

As one city begins plans to build Sydney’s third major city, Planning Minister Paul Scully has issued a call to arms for developers and businesses to invest in the site.

NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has called on Australian and international companies to “step up” and invest in Sydney’s Aerotroplis and Bradfield City Centre, with less than 1000 days until Western Sydney International Airport opens.

Speaking to attendees at Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s Airport City Summit, which marked 10 years since Badgerys Creek was named as the site for Sydney’s second airport, the minister rejected criticisms that development was moving too slowly.

“I believe that this is a real opportunity to have, not only the full potential of the airport realised, but the opportunity in and for the Aerotropolis more broadly,” he told the crowd of industry and community leaders and academics.

“The jobs, investment and housing at stake here, are staggering.

“The private sector domestically and internationally will also need to step up, to invest in the next generation of workers (and) to see the vision (former prime minister Paul) Keating had here some 30 years ago realised.”

NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully called on developers to ‘step up’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

This comments come as the state government released a 4.8 hectare ‘Superlot’ plot in Bradfield City Centre on Thursday, calling on developers to come forward for proposals.

The site is expected house 1000 new homes, plus commercial capacity for childcare, hotel, retail, medical facilities and public spaces.

Mr Scully described the development as “essentially the newest government TOD,” describing the Transport Orientated Development housing reforms which will enable higher and denser homes to be built near major transport hubs.

All together, the 114 hectare Bradfield City masterplan is expected to deliver more than 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs.

An artist’s render of Bradfield City Centre, which is slated to become a major city centre. Picture: Supplied/ NSW Government

Once open in late 2026, the Western Sydney International Airport is expected to cater to up to 10 million passengers a year, and inject up to $5.8bn a year into Australia’s economy by 2063.

WSLD chief executive Adam Leto said there was a lot of interest in the private sector in development in the Aerotropolis, but believed commercial operations wanted more details around timelines for major roads such as the Mamre Rd Stage 2 upgrade, the proposed Elizabeth Drive upgrade, and Fifteenth Ave Transit Corridor.

“The federal budget coming up in May, and the state budget coming up in June – these will be things that people will have their eyes on,” he said.

“That will provide a little more clarity in terms of what the government’s prioritisation is and how much money is in the pot.

“At the heart of it, what industry wants is certainty over what’s being delivered and when it’s going to be delivered.”

Bradfield City Centre Picture: Supplied/ NSW Government

However, Mr Leto said progress is being made, citing the Western Parkland City Authority’s Bradfield City Masterplan which will be publicly released in the middle of this year.

Western Parkland City Authority chair Jennifer Westacott also said the airport would offer a “lucrative” opportunities for Australia to expand into new industries like advanced manufacturing, advanced packaging of semiconductor devices, and aviation-related industries.

Ms Westacott said if Australia doubled its current share in the global supply chain for domestic manufacturing, its stake would be worth nearly $200bn.

She also flagged Western Sydney and the Bradfield City Centre could become a “critical base” for the semiconductor industry here in Australia.

“These industries have huge economic multipliers and we should just go hard at them as a country and we should go really hard at them for Western Sydney,” she said.

Originally published as NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully calls on private sector to “step up” investment into Bradfield City Centre