Abstract: In 2006 the NSW Government announced plans outlining the future of land releases in the North West and South West Growth Centres of Sydney. The Growth Centres under the management of the Growth Centres Commission (GCC) is projected to provide a total of 180,000 homes over the next 30 years. As a result, Western Sydney’s population is projected to grow by an approximately 450,000- 500,000 people. The land designated to accommodate this growth has its own microclimate, has conservation areas of high ecological value, cultural landscapes which provide visual separation between urban areas, heritage properties and riparian corridors. These natural constraints combined with pressures on developers to achieve dwelling yield (12dwellings/hectacre) and employment yield (20jobs/hectacre) mean that allocating land for leisure and recreation purposes is seen as a luxury. Yet for residents open space, sport and recreation facilities underpin their quality of life and are core elements of liveability. This paper highlights the need for vertical and horizontal governance and coordination between state and local government bodies, across the whole Growth Centre to transcend local government boundaries and politics. There is a need to plan strategically for open space and recreation and not rely on incremental planning on a release area basis which has been the norm for most of Western Sydney.syd