Sydney Councils Team for ‘30-Minute City’ Masterplan

Two Sydney councils have teamed up to launch a major precinct masterplan for Leppington Town Centre with the aim of developing a “30-minute city”. 

The Liverpool and Camden councils have collaborated on the ambitious masterplan for the town centre, which aims to deliver 10,500 homes by 2041.

The precinct is now under assessment with the NSW Department for Planning and Environment. 

The 440ha site within the South West Growth Area of Sydney spans the two local government authorities but has “been slow to develop to date”. 

This was due to fragmented land ownership and a perceived “lack of a lead developer to establish a town centre”, reports by the councils said.

The Leppington Town Centre Review Planning Proposal was endorsed by Liverpool Council in October before being discussed at Camden in November ahead of being filed with the department this year.

Leppington is largely an employment-zoned area, focusing on business and industrial parks, with pockets of medium-density residential.

The rezoning masterplan will turn it into a highly integrated mixed-use Strategic Centre Core, according to the councils, helping to facilitate the growth of residential living and the provision of cultural and recreational facilities. 

In addition to the residential component, 156,000sq m of retail space, and 142,000sq m of commercial, health, community and education floor space are included in the plans.

The area’s employment focus will be retained with 160,000sq m of commercial and industrial enterprise floor space included in the masterplan. 

The councils want to adopt a “density pyramid” approach with the highest densities, of up to 28-stroreys, concentrated around the core at Leppington Station. 

Medium to high densities are allocated for the 800m walking catchment at the periphery, and medium densities towards the edges.

▲ Camden and Liverpool Councils are centring the town around a plaza in a “density pyramid” approach.

There are already developments on the way in the area, including a two-stage subdivision which will create 235 residential lots between Camden Valley Way, George Road and Hulls Road. 

A five-tower project by Salvo Property Group was announced for the area last year and a greenfield sale in Leppington North will create further development next to the new town centre.

The councils want Leppington to become a new strategic centre “growing into a regionally significant transit-oriented centre providing major civic, cultural, recreational, retail and business service functions”. 

As part of the Western Parkland City area, it will complement the Aerotropolis, another precinct plan which was under assessment at the end of last year anchored by the growth of Western Sydney Airport and nvestment in road and train networks in the area.

Leppington Town Centre should capitalise on the development of the Aerotropolis Precinct, the councils said, increasing its role in provisioning residential and employment, to “support the concept of a 30-minute city”. 

“Leppington Town Centre will be a people and lifestyle-focused place, transit-oriented and highly convenient with major shopping, cultural and recreation facilities,” according to the councils. 

“It will have multiple education and health facilities as well as convenient industrial and urban services space on its fringe to meet the needs of its local community.” 

Public exhibition of the project will launch in April and the report is to befinalising by November 2023.