SCCA backs Sydney growth plan

 

Plan, idea, The NSW Government’s metropolitan planning strategy, A Plan for Growing Sydney, has been welcomed by the Shopping Centre of Council of Australia (SCCA), with the  group noting that it “strongly reaffirms the role that centres and retail will play in supporting productivity, liveability, and sustainability”.

The plan is backed by the NSW Government’s four year $61 billion infrastructure strategy and includes 59 specific actions. One of the key actions is establishing Parramatta as a major CBD, alongside the Sydney CBD, for jobs as well as shopping and entertainment.

Minister for Planning, Pru Goward, said the plan aims to reinvigorate key Sydney suburbs with more choice of homes linked to improved public transport and access to services such as retail.

“Sydneysiders love the outdoors and they want to live in exciting communities – where what they need to make their lives more convenient is right on their doorstep,” Goward said.

“This is our plan to create these kinds of places – with more parks and strong local centres that have the shops and services people need to make their lives easier.”

Angus Nardi, executive director of the SCCA, said the SCCA was excited by the opportunity the shopping centre sector has in helping to deliver the plan and shape and facilitate Sydney’s sustainable growth.

“We welcome the proposed investment in strategic centres which are recognised as Sydney’s ‘largest and most important hubs for business and employment’, and priority locations for employment, retail, housing, services, and mixed uses,” Nardi said.

“We also welcome the plan’s principle to locate jobs in the 30-40 largest centres to provide the ‘greatest benefits to the city’s overall productivity’. Shopping centres are critical for successful centres, providing an important retail and employment function, as well as important community gathering places.

“Translating broader growth objectives to the local level has always been the challenge, so it’s refreshing to see delivery and implementation acknowledged as an up front issue, including the proposed Greater Sydney Commission and the recognition of the private sector”.

“We have some great implementation ideas and can get the right people around the table to help the Government spearhead the delivery of new and even greater centres across Sydney,” Nardi said.

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