Addendum Agenda of Ordinary Meeting

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Ordinary Meeting

26 February 2020

City Economy and Growth Report

EGROW 07

Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package

Strategic Direction	Generating Opportunity Create an attractive environment for investment
File Ref	039303.2020
Report By	Cameron Jewell - Strategic Planner
Approved By	Tim Moore - Director, City Economy and Growth / Deputy CEO

Executive Summary

The planning package for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis is currently on public exhibition until 28 February 2020. The package comprises the draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan (WSAP), State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) Discussion Paper, and draft Stage 1 Development Control Plan (DCP).

A submission on the planning package has been prepared, comprising a summary of recommendations, detailed recommendations with rationale, and an attachment summarising community concerns raised during both the Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group.

The submission is divided into the following themes:

· Effectively managing airport noise impacts;

· Delivering a high-quality urban form;

· Achieving social and economic sustainability;

· Ensuring sustainable land transport;

· Achieving environmental sustainability;

· Protecting agricultural industries; and

· Appropriate delivery and governance

The submission makes the following major recommendations:

· Further controls should be in place to reduce noise impacts for noise-sensitive land uses near, but outside of, the 20 ANEC contour.

· Further support for agriculture, namely allowing extensive agriculture and intensive plant agriculture to be permitted with consent in order to provide more flexibility for landowners during the long-term transition of the Aerotropolis.

· Community expectation that land to be rezoned to the new Environment and Recreation Zone for public purpose should be acquired by the State Government. Acquisition is necessary in order to meet the vision of the Western Parkland City, which includes accessible green spines. Clarity regarding acquisition plans for the Environment and Recreation zoned land and timeframes should be provided to landowners for certainty.

· If acquisition is not being pursued across the entire Environment and Recreation zone, the extent of the zone is recommended to be reduced to allow landowners increased utilisation of land while managing flood risk.

· Indicative timeframes for the rezoning of non-initial precincts should be included to provide certainty to landowners, namely the Dwyer Road, Kemps Creek and Rossmore precincts.

· Affordable housing targets should be set at at-least 10 per cent of residential floor area on privately owned land, and higher on government-owned land, reflecting the increase in land value from rezoning, and achieving the Western City District Plan target.

· The full extent and alignment of Council’s Fifteenth Avenue Smart Transit (FAST) Corridor should be shown in the WSAP.

· Further controls related to sustainable transport and mobility should be included in the plans, including mode share targets.

· Including a carbon neutrality target in the WSAP.

· Further consideration of sustainability in development controls is required in order to meet circular economy aspirations.

· Further clarity to be included in the Aerotropolis Plan on the role of Council staff and Councillors in the preparation or amendment of DCPs.

· Ensure alignment between the WSAP and Council’s LSPS regarding future land uses in Luddenham Village.

The submission includes an attachment summarising community concerns raised during both the Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group, including:

· Land zoned for Environment and Recreation purposes should be acquired for public open space.

· Timeframes should be provided for any land acquisition.

· Landholders in the Kemps Creek Precinct and the Dwyer Road precincts request their land to be included as initial precincts. The Dwyer Road Precinct Group, known as the Southern Gateway Precinct, has provided a submission to Council seeking Council support for its submission relating to their Precinct being a non-initial precinct and the wish for it to be an initial precinct.

Council’s submission supports the first two major community recommendations (relating to acquisition), however it is not recommended that Council supports the Dwyer Road or Kemps Creek precincts being included as initial precincts. It is considered that prioritising Dwyer Road and/or Kemps Creek could result in the deferral of other precincts in the Aerotropolis, as it would otherwise risk the opening up of too many development fronts across the Aerotropolis, leading to zoning not aligning with the provision of infrastructure in an orderly and efficient manner. Instead, it is recommended that the WSAP include indicative timeframes for the zoning of non-initial precincts in order to provide certainty to landowners.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council endorse the submission on the Aerotropolis Planning Package and forward the submission to the Western Sydney Planning Partnership for consideration.

REPORT

Introduction

The NSW Government has placed on public exhibition the Aerotropolis Planning Package which is a suite of documents relating to the future development of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. The Aerotropolis is an 11,200-hectare site that includes a large proportion of the Liverpool Local Government Area (LGA) west of Kemps Creek, surrounding the site of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (the Airport). A submission has been prepared for Council endorsement on the Package, which must be submitted to the Western Sydney Planning Partnership by 28 February 2020.

The Package comprises the draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan (WSAP) (Attachment 1), the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Discussion Paper on the Proposed State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP Discussion Paper) (Attachment 2), and the draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Development Control Plan 2019 (Stage 1 DCP) (Attachment 3).

The WSAP is the overarching strategic document applying to the Aerotropolis. It provides a vision for the Aerotropolis and outlines the objectives and principles to shape the development of the Aerotropolis. The SEPP Discussion Paper outlines the NSW Government’s proposed State Environmental Planning Policy for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, which, once complete, will rezone land and include objectives and development standards that future development must comply with. The Stage 1 DCP will guide precinct planning and master planning in order to achieve the vision for the Aerotropolis.

The suite of documents has been developed by the Western Sydney Planning Partnership (Planning Partnership), a body established as part of the Western Sydney City Deal to enable local councils and the NSW Government to better collaborate on major planning projects across Western Sydney.

While Council is a member of the Planning Partnership, and has been actively involved in the development of the Aerotropolis Planning Package, it is considered necessary to provide a Council submission on the Package in order to formally state Council’s position on a range of issues relating to development of the Aerotropolis, and to make clear the range of community views that have been expressed to Council through the Rural District Forum and the Rural Reference Group.

Changes from Stage 1 LUIIP to WSAP

The draft WSAP is an update to the Stage 1 Western Sydney Aerotropolis Land Use and Infrastructure Implementation Plan (LUIIP), which was released in August 2018.

The major updates from the LUIIP to the draft WSAP relevant to the Liverpool LGA include:

· The Wianamatta-South Creek Precinct has largely been reduced from the probable maximum flood (PMF) level to the 1 in 100 chance flood level. Land no longer in this precinct has been included in the relevant adjoining precinct.

· The extent of land zoned Mixed Flexible Employment & Urban Land in the Aerotropolis Precinct has been reduced to ensure a precautionary approach to residential development in close proximity to the Western Sydney Airport, while improving access to the amenity of creek lines.

· Badgerys Creek and the Agribusiness Precinct are now initial precincts, meaning they will be rezoned sooner than initially expected – now estimated to be by mid-2020.

· The boundary of the Agribusiness zone has been amended to remove 748 hectares of land in the south to create the Dwyer Road precinct. The Dwyer Road precinct is now a non-initial precinct in the draft WSAP.

· The Kemps Creek precinct now excludes land to the east of Kemps Creek beyond the boundary of Wianamatta-South Creek to provide a clearly defined boundary for the Aerotropolis. Planning for this area will now be progressed by Council through the LEP.

· Further detail of road and rail infrastructure has been provided.

· Further elaboration of precinct considerations, strategic outcomes and implementation strategies has been provided.

Detail of submission

Council’s submission on the Planning Package comprises a summary of recommendations (Attachment 4), detailed recommendations with rationale (Attachment 5), and an attachment summarising community concerns raised during both the Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group (Attachment 6). The Dwyer Road Precinct Group, known as the Southern Gateway Precinct, has provided a submission to Council outlining why they believe Council should support its submission including having their Precinct as an initial precinct. (Attachment 7).

The submission recommendations are divided into the following themes:

· Effectively managing airport noise impacts;

· Delivering a high-quality urban form;

· Achieving social and economic sustainability;

· Ensuring sustainable land transport;

· Achieving environmental sustainability;

· Protecting agricultural industries; and

· Appropriate delivery and governance.

The submission makes the following key recommendations:

· Further controls should be in place to reduce noise impacts for noise-sensitive land uses near, but outside of, the 20 ANEC contour.

· Indicative timeframes for the rezoning of non-initial precincts should be included to provide certainty to landowners, namely the Dwyer Road, Kemps Creek and Rossmore precincts.

· The full extent and alignment of Council’s Fifteenth Avenue Smart Transit (FAST) Corridor should be shown in the WSAP.

· Further controls related to sustainable transport and mobility should be included in the plans, including mode share targets.

· A commitment to a carbon neutrality target.

· Further consideration of sustainability in development controls is required in order to meet circular economy aspirations.

· Further clarity to be included in the Aerotropolis Plan on the role of Council staff and Councillors in the preparation or amendment of DCPs.

· Ensure alignment between the WSAP and Council’s LSPS regarding future land uses in Luddenham Village

The submission includes an attachment summarising community concerns raised during both the Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group, including:

· Land zoned for Environment and Recreation purposes should be acquired for public open space.

· Timeframes should be provided for any land acquisition.

· Landholders in the Kemps Creek Precinct and the Dwyer Road precincts request their land to be included as initial precincts.

It is considered that prioritising Dwyer Road and/or Kemps Creek could result in the deferral of other precincts in the Aerotropolis, as it would otherwise risk the opening up of too many development fronts across the Aerotropolis, leading to zoning not aligning with the provision of infrastructure in an orderly and efficient manner. Instead, it is recommended that the WSAP include indicative timeframes for the zoning of non-initial precincts in order to provide certainty to landowners.

One of the reasons put forward in the Dwyer Road submission is that the 20-25 ANEC contours impact the precinct and therefore residents residing in this precinct will be exposed to aircraft noise. It is important to note that the ANEC contours in this location relate primarily to the second (southern) runway. The Western Sydney Airport Plan does not anticipate the second runway will be needed until at least 2050. By this time, it is likely that future iterations of the WSAP will be undertaken and decisions made on rezoning of the remaining precincts.

Consultation

In preparation of the submission, consultation has been undertaken with internal departments of Council including Planning & Transport Strategy, City Economy, City Design & Public Domain, City Environment, Infrastructure Delivery and Technical Support.

Council has established the Rural Reference Group to hear directly from key representatives of Precincts in the Aerotropolis and has also run several rural forums specifically on the Aerotropolis. These forums have allowed Council to understand the key concerns of the community and to facilitate discussions between landowners and the Western Sydney Planning Partnership who are responsible for preparing the WSAP. The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces is ultimately responsible for decisions on the WSAP and the planning package.

Next steps

The Western Sydney Planning Partnership will consider all submissions received. A final WSAP and planning package will then be presented to the Minister for a decision. The WSAP states that it is anticipated that the WSAP, SEPP and DCP will be finalised mid-2020.

Draft Precinct Plans will be developed for the initial precincts and the WSAP states that these plans are anticipated to be on exhibition in mid-2020 with adoption of initial precinct plans by late 2020, subject to confirmation of Metro station locations.

Conclusion

It is recommended that Council endorse the submission to be provided to the Western Sydney Planning Partnership by 28 February 2020.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Utilise the Western Sydney City Deal Agreement to create Jobs for the Future. Utilise the Western Sydney City Deal agreement to provide opportunities for residents in the LGA to enhance skills and education. Facilitate economic development. Facilitate the development of new tourism based on local attractions.
Environment	Utilise the Western Sydney City Deal agreement to enhance liveability and environment of the LGA. Utilise the Western Sydney City Deal agreement to facilitate Planning and Housing in the LGA. Manage air, water, noise and chemical pollution. Retain viable opportunities for local food production while managing land use to meet urban growth. Enhance the environmental performance of buildings and homes. Protect, enhance and maintain areas of endangered ecological communities and high quality bushland as part of an attractive mix of land uses. Promote an integrated and user friendly public transport service. Support the delivery of a range of transport options.
Social	Utilise the Western Sydney City Deal agreement to provide connectivity across the LGA through infrastructure and social initiatives. Preserve and maintain heritage, both landscape and cultural as urban development takes place. Regulate for a mix of housing types that responds to different population groups such as young families and older people.
Civic Leadership	Implementation and Governance of the Western Sydney City Deal agreement. Undertake communication practices with the community and stakeholders across a range of media. Encourage the community to engage in Council initiatives and actions. Actively advocate for federal and state government support, funding and services.
Legislative	Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979

ATTACHMENTS

1. Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan

2. Western Sydney Aerotropolis SEPP Discussion Paper

3. Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Stage 1 DCP

4. Council submission - Summary of Recommendations

5. Council submission - Detailed recommendations with rationale

6. Council submission - Summary of community concerns raised at Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group

7. Dwyer Road Precinct submission to Council

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 1	Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan

PDF Creator

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 3	Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Stage 1 DCP

PDF Creator

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 2	Western Sydney Aerotropolis SEPP Discussion Paper

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 4	Council submission - Summary of Recommendations

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 5	Council submission - Detailed recommendations with rationale

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 6	Council submission - Summary of community concerns raised at Rural District Forum and Rural Reference Group

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EGROW 07	Endorsement of submission on Draft Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan and Aerotropolis Planning Package
Attachment 7	Dwyer Road Precinct submission to Council