The draft Sydney Plan, new Approach to Strategic Planning Discussion Paper and Statewide Policy for Industrial Lands map out a clear and bright future for Sydney and NSW.
The Draft Sydney Plan once finalised will replace the outdated Greater Sydney Region Plan providing new comprehensive guidance for Sydney’s growth over the next two decades further cementing the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebalance Sydney’s long-term housing growth.
It delivers clear direction on how and where new jobs and homes should be located to make living in the city more affordable while driving the growth of Australia’s largest economy.
Key proposed changes include:
- Better aligning infrastructure to planned growth for both infill and greenfield development.
- Increasing the supply of well-located jobs, by delivering more guidance to councils on employment categories that suit their area.
- Protecting and enhancing the natural environment by bringing contemporary environmental management approaches into the planning process early and delivering more urban greening.
- Making affordable housing contribution scheme’s mandatory for all councils, so every part of Sydney is doing their part to create a more affordable city.
The Draft Sydney Plan is the first of four region plans which will set out the strategic planning directions for all of NSW helping to better enable the Minns Labor Government’s nation leading reforms for a more consistent, coordinated and fit for purpose planning system.
This draft plan underpins our major policy reforms in housing, affordable housing, industrial lands, vibrancy, infrastructure delivery and resilience.
A New Approach to Strategic Planning: Discussion Paper proposes a new simplified, three-tiered framework for strategic plans, aiming to put an end to what is currently an overly complex and often duplicative system.
The new framework would include:
- A State Land Use Plan to set clear statewide priorities.
- Regional plans to guide growth and infrastructure.
- Local Strategic Planning Statements (LSPS) to lead local implementation.
The proposed changes will give councils, agencies, and industry across NSW greater certainty moving forward so their effort can be better directed towards work that will have the biggest benefit.
The Statewide Policy for Industrial lands will improve how we plan, secure and manage industrial land across NSW.
It will categorise industrial land as either state, regionally or locally significant, improving how we coordinate, process and manage industrial lands to support job creation and economic growth in key industries.
This policy supports the implementation of the Industrial Lands Action Plan, released earlier this year to boost industrial land supply across the state.
We are seeking feedback on each of these documents until Friday, 27 February 2026.
