‘Three Cities’ Scrapped as Sydney Planning Overhauled
The guiding development strategy for Sydney is to be overhauled, with the Minns government releasing the draft of a new jobs and housing-focused planning vision for the NSW capital.
The Sydney Plan proposes to realign infrastructure to serve infill and greenfield development areas, and guide councils on employment categories suitable for their local government areas.
It would also increase urban greening and move environmental management into planning processes earlier, as well as introducing mandatory affordable housing contribution schemes to all councils.
Premier Chris Minns said that the strategic planning overhaul builds on his government’s reforms “to rebalance growth and reshape the planning system so it is fit for purpose and ready to meet today’s challenges”.
The strategy will replace the “Three Cities” vision established by the Greater Sydney Commission in 2018, and will be followed by another three regional plans to cover the entirety of the state.
A “Six Cities” strategic planning framework was also briefly legislated by the Perrottet government, but dropped by the incoming Minns government in 2023.
Industry groups have welcomed the change. Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest describing the Three Cities approach as “no more than a strategic planner’s wish list—a fanciful handbrake on Sydney’s growth”.
“The old Region Plan is way out of date and has been holding NSW back … Today’s draft plan is a welcome step in the modernisation of the state’s planning system,” Forrest said.
Alongside the draft Sydney Plan, the government is also exhibiting two draft papers cementing and unifying the approach to planning across the state.
A New Approach to Strategic Planning: Discussion Paper puts forward a three-tiered framework, with the intent of simplifying the current system.
The three-tiered framework would include a State Land Use Plan to set priorities for councils, agencies and industries. Regional plans, and Local Strategic Planning Statements would sit under it.
The third draft paper, a Statewide Policy for Industrial Lands, would support the Industrial Lands Action Plan released earlier this year, with the intention of boosting supply.
Property Council of Australia NSW executive director Anita Hugo said that the proposed reforms “can form the backbone of a modern system that is easier to navigate and more responsive to housing and employment needs”.
“The test now is faster, better decisions. Industry will be looking for this new framework to translate into more seamless planning, clearer rules at assessment and less duplication between agencies and councils,” Hugo said.
Planning Institute of Australia NSW president Sue Weatherley said that her organisation would be looking for collaboration in delivering the reforms.
“This plan will influence Sydney’s growth for the next 20 years. Given its significance, it is critical that it is co-designed with the partners who plan and deliver that growth,” Weatherley said.
“PIA wants to see the next phase of strategic planning undertaken in a genuinely collaborative way so it reflects shared priorities and real commitments.”
The draft plans are open for comment until February 27.
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