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Western Sydney: A view of the Parramatta CBD from the air. Picture: Supplied. Source: The Sunday Telegraph
SYDNEY’S western suburbs needs a ten-fold increase in land zoned for employment or the area faces a future of 210,000 job losses and $84 billion wiped from the economy.
A new report by influential planning body Regional Development Australia Sydney warns that the west is set for a boom in population growth without enough jobs.
Analysis reveals that Sydney’s natural job growth would leave hundreds of thousands of people without work, failing to meet the NSW Government’s own employment targets.
The Employment Lands Policy report calls for 8000ha of employment land to be zoned and serviced “rapidly”, as well as up to five new business and technology parks for white collar jobs in the west.
By 2050, the greater west will contain 4 million of Sydney’s 7 million population – and if nothing is done by 2035, the report forecasts employment losses of 13.5 per cent, and gross regional product losses of 13.9 per cent.
Current policies mean there is “no shift in employment opportunities to areas where population growth is planned”, the report said.
It calls for 8000ha to be released over five years as “an economic priority”.
RDA acting chairman Roy Medich called on the government to acquire all necessary corridors now for future inter-modal freight terminals and major roads, warning that failure to take action will send costs of development and acquisition soaring.
“It’s the third largest economy in Australia and it has been neglected. And you don’t get infrastructure unless you get growth,” Mr Medich said.
Development on land that is already released is being held back by lack of public sector investment in infrastructure, ignorance of corridor planning and an ill-defined freight strategy and transport links, the report said.
Just 900ha of undeveloped, zoned and serviced employment land is available – enough for three years.
That is half the government’s own target of five to seven years’ supply.
In 1991, a government report warned that employment lands in the west and an efficient transport network were vital for the future.
“Had they adopted that plan in the early 1990s we wouldn’t have the debacle we have today with shortages of residential land and shortages of employment lands,” Mr Medich said.