Up to 100,000 jobs are expected to be created by 2056 in Sydney’s west after the NSW Government finalised plans for a high-skills employment hub surrounding the new international airport.

The New South Wales Government has released the final precinct plan for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

Set to form a new innovation and employment precinct, the Aerotropolis will leverage off the Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek when it opens in 2026.

It will act as the ‘beating heart’ of the Western Parkland City, which will connect with Greater Parramatta and the Harbour CDB (Sydney CBD) to realise the Greater Sydney Commission’s long-term vision of transforming Greater Sydney into a metropolis of three cities.

Under the final precinct plan, the Western Sydney Aerotropolis will consist of five precincts (see map at end).

These include:

  • Aerotropolis Core – a dense urban precinct around the Aerotropolis Metro Station (pictured at top – artist impression) which forms the hub of the Aerotropolis plan. It is expected to accommodate between 50,000 and 60,000 jobs focused around advanced manufacturing, research and development, professional services, creative industries and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused educational facilities, and will facilitate the emerging aerospace and defence industries. The precinct will also attract business incubator hubs and shared office workspaces. Finally, it will offer residential development within walking distance of the station and be defined by a new regional park system along Thompson’s Creek.
  • Badgerys Creek. This will support Western Sydney Airport operations and will cater for around 9,000 to 11,000 jobs in employment focused technology, advanced manufacturing and industrial uses. Affected by aircraft noise, this area will not be suitable for sensitive uses such as residential.
  • Wianamatta-South Creek Initial. This is the green hub of the plan and is located within the broader Wianamatta-South Creek Corridor. This will develop over time as an interconnected blue-green network that comprises privately owned land, parks, sporting fields, waterways and potential permanent water bodies, walking trails and community facilities. This will provide a green break between surrounding urban development.
  • A Northern Gateway precinct which will act as a major interface for the airport and a specialised centre linking the airport with the metropolitan cluster. It will be an easily accessible employment cluster focused on freight and logistics, warehousing, technology, commercial enterprise, offices, industry, creative industry, fresh food markets, education, civic, health, visitor accommodation, recreation and entertainment.
  • The Agribusiness Precinct on the western edge of the airport. This will offer access to the airport and enable development of an agribusiness hub which could include integrated logistics, air freight, integrated intensive production, food innovation, fresh product and value-added food – pharmaceuticals.

Around $1.1 billion worth of funds to go toward the project is expected to be recovered via a developer contribution.

Known as the Aerotropolis Special Infrastructure Contribution, this will be paid by private developers and will contribute toward roads, bus/rail/cycle paths, public/open space and biodiversity offsets along with facilities relating to health, schools/education, special purpose, justice, emergency and community/cultural uses.

Central riparian park within the specialised centre (Aerotropolis Core Precinct)

From the development industry’s viewpoint, an important change in the final precinct plan is the removal of a requirement for design competitions and architectural design review for construction of industrial type facilities such as factories, warehouses and distribution centres.

Under the original Aerotropolis SEPP, design competitions and design review were needed for any development which was either greater than 40 metres/12 storey in height or had a capital investment value of greater than $40 million.

Under these criteria, large industrial and warehouse type buildings had been captured in the design competition and review regime in any cases where their value exceeded $40 million.

This was the case notwithstanding questions about the value of architectural competitions for buildings of this nature. It was also the case notwithstanding the additional time and cost associated with design competition/review processes.

This matters as much of the construction in early stages of development will be in buildings of this type. This will include facilities for warehousing, distribution, logistics, cold storage and aviation freight.

Under the finalised plan, however, design competitions will only be needed for developments which are both greater than 40 metres/twelve stories in height and have a construction value which exceeds $30 million.

This will effectively limit the need for such competitions and reviews to larger multi-storey commercial towers.

Other changes respond to landowner concerns (refer finalisation report for a description of concerns raised and changes which have been enacted) which arose out of the original draft precinct plan.

Agribusiness precinct (artist impression)

Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts welcomed the final plan’s release.

“The final Precinct Plan will enable the development process to begin in the Aerotropolis, and kick start the benefits and opportunities that a new international airport will bring to Western Sydney,” Roberts said.

“The finalisation of the plan for the initial precincts lays the foundation for the transformation of 6,500 hectares of land, with new homes, jobs and open spaces, supported by the right infrastructure.”

Developer lobby groups welcomed the changes from the initial draft – especially the removal of the design competition/review requirement for industrial buildings.

Urban Taskforce of Australia CEO Tom Forrest said the removal of requirement for industrial buildings represents common sense.

Whilst acknowledging the importance of quality design, Forrest says these facilities will be located in separate precincts and will not be readily visible to residents, tourists or those out exercising.

“The inclusion of design requirements for these facilities would have slowed the process of approval down thus delaying the delivery of job creating opportunities for the people of Western Sydney,” Forrest said.

“The removal of these regulatory constraints is strongly supported by industry.”

Property Council of Australia Western Sydney Regional Director Ross Grove broadly agreed.

Grove welcomed the government’s recognition that architectural design competitions for ‘sheds and earthworks’ was planning overkill.

Moreover, he said the changes had addressed concerns in the draft and would enable developers to get on with master planning and fine-tuning their visions for key sites within the precinct.

Still, Grove says more needs to be done.

This includes stronger commitments to state road upgrades, certainty on costs and an ongoing discussion about water management.

“This is a definite win, but there is still more to do,” he said.

“There is still a long runway to creating the certainty industry needs to start planting shovels in the ground.

“The government is making progress toward these matters and we look forward to working with them going forward.”