Minister for Planning Pru Goward announced the community will be asked to provide comment and feedback on proposed plans to reinvent one of Sydney’s most infamously congested road corridors.
Ms Goward said that from tomorrow the community will be able to see the draft Parramatta Road Urban Renewal Strategy, which includes proposals on how critically important land will be used and on transport options for the corridor.
“The NSW Government is committed to considered, sensible revitalisation of this corridor, which has been an eyesore in our global city for too long,” Ms Goward said.
“The 20-year urban transformation of Parramatta Road will help create up to 50,000 jobs and 50,000 new homes.
“I encourage everyone to play a part in shaping the future of these neighbourhoods by taking a look at the draft strategy from tomorrow, and giving us feedback.”
The project is called New Parramatta Road, and is made possible by the Government’s commitment to the WestConnex project. The Government is focused on improving supply of homes near jobs, and near public transport and other infrastructure.
Ms Goward said Sydney needs to be ready for the future and the Parramatta Road corridor has the potential to be a truly exciting gateway to the west.
“Successive governments have done nothing to fix the blight that is Parramatta Road. Thanks to the NSW Government’s commitment to the WestConnex project, we now have the opportunity to take action on this important strategic corridor,” Ms Goward said.
WestConnex will change traffic volumes on the road and provide an alternative route for trucks and heavy vehicles, which in turn will enable the improvement of public transport and bring new life to under-used and dilapidated areas of the corridor.
The Parramatta Road corridor extends from Sydney’s CBD to Parramatta across ten local government areas. The long term urban transformation program will better connect these communities.
It will increase the quantity and diversity of housing, provide more transport choices, grow the number of job opportunities in Western Sydney and make neighbourhoods in the corridor better places to live.
More detailed transport planning is also underway to support the strategy and will be completed in 2015.
“Community feedback will be used to develop a detailed proposal, which will be released for another round of public feedback next year,” Ms Goward said.
The draft strategy was developed following interactive workshops with councils, members of the community and technical specialists, major studies of the corridor, briefings to local MPs and more than 150 meetings with councils and other stakeholders.
