Two of the Commission’s first tasks are to prepare draft District Plans for exhibition before the end of 2016 and review the initial regional plan -  A Plan for Growing Sydney before the end of 2017. So that all of these plans work together, we aim to finalise the District Plans and updated Regional Plan concurrently.

In preparing the draft District Plans consideration must be given to A Plan for Growing Sydney as well as a range of matters including priorities identified by the Minister for Planning and other relevant plans and infrastructure strategies.

These include:

• Premier’s and State Priorities (September 2015) which include creating jobs, encourage business investment and increasing housing supply
• Ministerial Statement of Priorities (January 2016) which includes requirements for strategic planning of Parramatta, Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown
• Updates to the State Infrastructure Plans • Western Sydney City Deal (see page 6).

Combined, these matters have generated a major shift in strategic planning for Greater Sydney, and have created a longer term, transformational focus on the regional significance of central and western Sydney.  As such, Towards our Greater Sydney 2056, with its strategy for a metropolis of three cities (see map page 6) is set to provide a framework that can better underpin strategic planning for a more productive, liveable and sustainable city.

The exhibition of the draft Towards our Greater Sydney 2056 foreshadows the comprehensive review of the regional plan in 2017 and is an essential companion to the exhibition of the draft District Plans.