The Metropolitan Strategy covers a geographic area of over 10,000 square kilometres, made up of 43 local government areas including two on the Central Coast. It is too large and complex to resolve all the planning aims and directions down to a detailed local level through one Metropolitan Strategy.
Subregional planning is proposed as an intermediate step in translating the Metropolitan Strategy into strategies for each grouping of local government areas and the many communities of Sydney.
The metropolitan area of Sydney has been arranged into ten subregions that combine local government areas with similar issues and challenges when it comes to planning for growth and managing change. These subregions also relate to particular transport routes, natural features, and patterns of employment and retail activity that are important factors in the way people move around and use their area.
Local government has established Regional Organisations of Councils (ROCs) to coordinate planning and purchasing, promote the economic development of their areas and represent the interests of their councils. The ROCs will continue to perform these roles. Subregional strategies will provide:
- a vision for the future role of the subregion;
- clarity on the future roles of centres;
- staging and prioritisation of renewal;
- a framework for potential agreements between local governments concerning:
- coordinated planning
- funding and development contributions
- local transport
- open space networks
- biodiversity
- a framework for prioritisation of State infrastructure;
- housing targets (amount, distribution, and mix); and
- employment capacity targets for local planning (amount, distribution, and mix).
We are planning for an additional 500,000 jobs to 2031. This consists of the actual estimate of around 450,000 jobs, plus an allowance of 10 per cent, or 50,000 jobs. Including the additional 50,000 jobs in the subregional planning process will ensure there is an excess of zoned employment land and commercial areas provided for the market.
Subregional strategies will be informed by existing and planned infrastructure, and will identify priorities for future infrastructure to support urban growth. The amount and timing of infrastructure will be aligned with redevelopment to ensure the efficient allocation of resources.
Subregional planning will provide opportunities to investigate regional value capture mechanisms or development contributions. These funding mechanisms need to be considered in a subregional context, to ensure they do not simply push development to areas where there are no equivalent development charges.
It is important that redevelopment is not haphazard. Local councils will use subregional planning to develop strategies for towns, villages and neighbourhood centres. The identification and staging of renewal areas will be discussed and determined as part of the subregional planning process.
Structure plans for the North West and South West growth centres have been exhibited and provide the ground rules for planning in these centres. The Growth Centres Commission has been established to coordinate the land release in the centres and the $7.8 billion infrastructure investment. More detail on subregional planning can be found in the Governance and Implementation Strategy.
TABLE 1: GROUPINGS OF COUNCILS - 2031 PLANNING TARGETS
| Subregion | Local Government Area | New Dwellings | Employment Capacity Targets* |
| Sydney City | Sydney City | 55,000 | 58,000 New Jobs |
| Inner North | Lane Cove, North Sydney, Ryde, Willoughby, Hunters Hill, Mosman | 30,000 | 54,000 New Jobs |
| Inner West | Ashfield, Burwood, Canada Bay, Leichhardt, Strathfield | 30,000 | 10,000 New Jobs |
| South | Kogarah, Hurstville, Canterbury, Rockdale, Sutherland, Marrickville | 35,000 | 21,000 New Jobs |
| East | Botany Bay, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra | 20,000 | 17,500 New Jobs |
| North East | Pittwater, Warringah, Manly | 17,300** | 16,000 New Jobs |
| North | Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai | 21,000** | 8,000 New Jobs |
| North West | Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Penrith | 60,000 existing areas 60,000***NW growth centre 20,000 other greenfield |
99,000 New Jobs |
| West Central | Auburn, Bankstown, Fairfield, Holroyd, Parramatta | 95,500 | 35,000 New Jobs |
| South West | Wollondilly, Camden, Campbelltown, Liverpool | 40,000 existing areas 100,000 SW growth centre 15,000 other greenfield |
80,000 New Jobs |
| Central Coast | Gosford, Wyong | 35,000 existing areas 21,000 greenfield areas |
55,000 New Jobs |
* new jobs from 2004
** includes a small amount of greenfield development
*** includes dwellings that will be built after 2031
These targets are subject to periodic review in line with regular Metropolitan Strategy reviews.
FIGURE 4 GROUPINGS OF SUBREGIONS
