Energy Projects Claim $34bn of NSW Fast-Track Pipeline
The first round of projects assigned to the NSW Government’s Investment Delivery Authority pathway have been revealed, with energy infrastructure proposals dominating the list.
About 99 per cent of the pipeline by value, or almost $34 billion of the $34.4-billion total, is made up of the 14 energy generation, storage and precinct applications.
Hotels represent just 1 per cent, or $482 million, of value on the list, with proponent Paro Planning securing access for a project in the City of Sydney, and Vuez Eco Resort for a hotel proposal at Jindabyne.
Paro Planning is progressing a 123-key hotel at 7-13 and 15 Randle Street, Surry Hills, on behalf of Robert and Geula Burke.
Plans were first approved in 2019, but have shifted after a 2023 fire destroyed much of a heritage-listed 1912 hat factory on that site.
The IDA was established in October 2025, with the government promising to expedite up to 30 projects and $50 billion of value through the new pathway.
Energy, data centre and technology projects require a minimum $1-billion estimated development cost to be eligible for selection, while hotels require a minimum $200 million.
An announcement of data centre and technology projects selected for the IDA will follow, according to the government.
Tourism minister Steve Kamper said that a strong visitor economy “depends on having the right infrastructure in the right places, from quality accommodation to the services that support growing visitor demand”.
“The major hotel projects endorsed through the Investment Delivery Authority have the potential to strengthen NSW’s visitor economy, support local jobs and deliver lasting benefits for communities,” Kamper said.
The NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 calls for an additional 40,000 hotel rooms, targeting growth of the tourism sector to $91 billion. From January 2019 to May 2025, the sector added just 2270 keys in Sydney.
Among the energy projects placed on the IDA pathway, the majority are related to renewable generation or energy storage.
A clean energy precinct at the Port of Newcastle (pictured at top) and an AGL-proposed Hunter Energy Hub to replace the Liddell and Bayswater coal power plants, were among those announced. Solar, wind, battery and pumped hydro projects in regional NSW and Sydney were also on the list.
A collection of LNG pipelines proposed by Santos in the Narrabri Shire, the sole fossil fuel project on the list, has been stuck in the planning system since 2013. On its inclusion in the IDA pathway, the proposal was described by Lock the Gate spokesperson Margaret Fleck as “the most controversial project in the history of NSW’s planning system”.
Modelled after the Housing Delivery Authority, the IDA pathway secures access to a concierge service, an assessments team from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and a multi-agency Investment Taskforce working out of the Premier’s Department.
However, approval is not guaranteed, with projects selected for the pathway still needing to progress through merit-based assessments. Foreign Investment Review Board clearance will also be applicable for some projects.
