Planning proposals in Westmead precinct must match the Westmead Place Strategy.
Applies to: Land subject to the Westmead Place Strategy in the City of Parramatta and Cumberland LGAs (Westmead and Parramatta North precincts)When preparing a planning proposal for land covered by the Westmead Place Strategy, the planning proposal authority must ensure it is consistent with that Strategy. The Strategy is the one approved by the Minister and published by the Department. This supports the Central City District Plan and Greater Sydney Region Plan.
This direction is a ministerial planning direction that ties rezoning and other planning proposals in the Westmead and Parramatta North precincts to a specific strategic document — the Westmead Place Strategy, which has been approved by the Minister for Planning and published by the Department. In plain terms, when a council or other planning proposal authority wants to change the planning controls (for example, land use zones, height or density) on land covered by the strategy, the proposed change must line up with what that strategy sets out.
The direction exists so that development in these precincts follows a coordinated 'place-based' vision rather than being decided piecemeal, and so that the outcomes support the higher-level plans for Greater Sydney (the Central City District Plan and the Greater Sydney Region Plan). The land it covers is precisely defined by a map sheet (LAP_001) on the Department's website, so whether a parcel is caught is a mapping question.
The practical consequence of inconsistency is that a planning proposal that does not accord with the Westmead Place Strategy cannot proceed as of right — it can only go ahead if the planning proposal authority persuades the Secretary (or nominee) that the inconsistent provisions are only of minor significance. This is a gatekeeping mechanism at the plan-making (rezoning) stage, not the development-application stage.
Planning proposal authorities (typically City of Parramatta Council and Cumberland Council, or another authority preparing a planning proposal) for land within the Westmead Place Strategy area.
It is triggered when a planning proposal authority prepares a planning proposal for land subject to the Westmead Place Strategy in the City of Parramatta and Cumberland LGAs, as shown on Map Sheet LAP_001.
A planning proposal may be inconsistent only if the planning proposal authority satisfies the Secretary (or their nominee) that the inconsistent provisions are of minor significance.
Links to the Westmead Place Strategy (approved and published by the Minister/Department), the Central City District Plan and the Greater Sydney Region Plan. The text also references 'Direction 1.18' in the operative clause heading and Map Sheet LAP_001.
A planning proposal authority must ensure that a planning proposal is consistent with the Westmead Place Strategy as approved by the Minister for Planning and published by the Department of Planning and Environment.
The proposal should actively support the consistent delivery of objectives in the Central City District Plan and the Greater Sydney Region Plan.
The direction applies only to land shown on Map Sheet LAP_001 Westmead Place Strategy Ministerial Direction published on the Department's website, so the covered area must be checked against that map.
This direction does not apply to Kiama. It is confined to land subject to the Westmead Place Strategy within the City of Parramatta and Cumberland local government areas (the Westmead and Parramatta North precincts), which are in Western/Central Sydney. Kiama is on the Illawarra/South Coast and is not within the mapped area, so Kiama planning proposals and DAs are unaffected by this item.
1.19 Implementation of the Westmead Place Strategy Objectives The objectives of this direction are to: (a) facilitate development within the Westmead and Parramatta North precincts that is consistent with the Westmead Place Strategy, and (b) actively support the consistent delivery of objectives in the Central City District Plan and Greater Sydney Region Plan. Application This direction applies when a planning proposal authority prepares a planning proposal for land subject to the Westmead Place Strategy in the City of Parramatta Council and Cumberland Council local government areas as shown on Map Sheet LAP_001 Westmead Place Strategy Ministerial Direction published on the Department of Planning and Environment website. Direction 1.18 (1) A planning proposal authority must ensure that a planning proposal is consistent with the Westmead Place Strategy, approved by the Minister for Planning and published on the Department of Planning and Environment. Consistency A planning proposal may be inconsistent with the terms of this direction only if the planning proposal authority can satisfy the Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment (or their nominee), that: (a) the provisions of the planning proposal that are inconsistent are of minor significance. Note: Map Sheet LAP_001 Westmead Place Strategy Ministerial Direction is available on the Department of Planning and Environment website. Date commenced: 21 October 2022
Reproduced from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (planning.nsw.gov.au), © State of New South Wales, under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Text extraction may introduce minor formatting artefacts — rely on the official source for anything decision-critical.
This is an unofficial reproduction provided for convenience. It is not the official version of the legislation. For the official, in-force version, see legislation.nsw.gov.au.