The NSW Government has released Stage 1 of the Camellia redevelopment – to turn industrial wastelands into a vibrant riverfront precinct with 10,000 homes. A new town centre will be created in the north-western corner of the Camellia Precinct.
It provides a coordinated approach to the need to unlock much needed housing lands close to major employment centres as part of the Plan for Growing Sydney. It is estimated that Sydney will grow by one million people over the next 10 years. We must plan for the future growth of Sydney.
The 350 hectare Camellia Precinct is ideally located 2km from Parramatta’s CBD. The precinct will be a major component of the economic corridor comprising Westmead Biomedical Precinct, Parramatta CBD, Silverwater and Sydney Olympic Park.
Since 2011, two external factors have provided the impetus for change. The first is Shell’s decision to cease its refinery operations in 2012 with Viva Energy transitioning the site from refinery to distribution, freeing up more land for alternative use.
The second was a decision by Remondis in 2013 to withdraw their proposal to build a waste plant that would have processed up to 150,000 tonnes of garbage a year. Had this plant gone ahead it would have committed the land use to heavy industrial for the next 20 years.
These factors as well as Camellia’s strategic proximity to Parramatta’s CBD have contributed to the push to rezone the area. This recognises Camellia’s housing and employment potential. It is an opportunity to address the decline in jobs in heavy industry that dominated the Camellia Precinct in the 20th Century. Only 3,000 people currently work in the area, that’s less than 10 people per hectare.
We need to plan for 21st Century jobs in cleaner high-tech and innovation sectors.
We now have the opportunity to get the planning right to build suburbs where people want to live and work. Early planning of Camellia allows us to get the right infrastructure, transport solutions, and community and recreation facilities in place.
Arterial roads and intersections need to be upgraded and connected with new bridges proposed to link Camellia to Silverwater and Camellia to Rydalmere.
Rydalmere as a high-tech jobs centre will become increasing important. Already Western Sydney University’s largest campus with around 16,000 students is located in Rydalmere and Parramatta City Council has designated the area a future technology hub.
Rosehill Gardens will be an integral player in Camellia’s redevelopment. The Australian Turf Club is planning a $1 billion expansion of Rosehill Gardens to deliver a new sports and leisure precinct along James Ruse Drive.
A revitalised Camellia riverfront promenade will provide the public access to the Parramatta River. Opening up the foreshore will allow pedestrians and cyclists to get to work in Parramatta without going on a road.
High-frequency and accessible public transport is essential for a redevelopment of this scale. I have consistently advocated for the Carlingford Line with light-rail – this would enable the new town centre in Camellia to be directly connected to Parramatta’s CBD. The NSW Government is currently evaluating the best light-rail route for Parramatta.
The Camellia Precinct is yet another demonstration that the NSW Government is committed to delivering a strong Global Sydney – one that’s resilient and sustainable with a competitive edge, choice of homes and lifestyles and well-connected communities.
The Camellia Precinct will be a vibrant new waterfront suburb, strategically close to major jobs centres and leisure facilities – providing a convenient and exciting lifestyle.
Camellia moves one step closer to realising its true potential with the recent release of the ‘Land Use and Infrastructure Strategy’ for public comment. The strategy is on exhibition and residents and landowners are being invited to provide their feedback to inform the rezoning proposal.
For more information visit planning.nsw.gov.au.
