Bankstown is the heart of Canterbury Bankstown’s civic and commercial life. The Bankstown City Centre Master Plan aims to have more people living, working, studying, visiting and investing in our largest strategic centre.

Creating a liveable, vibrant, sustainable and accessible place that attracts jobs and investment is central to the Master Plan. Well planned growth will help reinforce Bankstown’s existing qualities. Our streets will be pedestrian friendly and lively in the day and night, contributing to a sense of safety, attractiveness and inclusiveness.

Higher density living and jobs growth will be well located around the future Metro Station, and close to amenities, services and infrastructure. The Master Plan is an innovative framework which will set Bankstown City Centre on a path of becoming a genuine health, academic, research and training precinct.

The Master Plan directly responds to a number of drivers for change, including:

• Jobs growth, which leverages off key government and institutional investments in transport, education and health.
• Housing affordability, by providing a range of housing types, and introducing mechanisms for the delivery of affordable housing.
• A growing population, with diverse needs in terms of housing types and access to infrastructure and services.
• Demand for sustainability and resilience, improving the environmental performance of the City Centre and managing the impacts of climate change.
• Directions set out how Council will implement the Master Plan in key areas including infrastructure, design, jobs growth, public places and spaces, transport, sustainability, heritage and culture, housing and governance.
• Moving better, by creating more people-focused streets and capitalising on Bankstown’s strong rail, future Metro and bus connectivity.

Bankstown City Centre Master Plan

The Structure of the Master Plan

The Urban Design Framework

We are required to undertake the following work to implement the Master Plan and enable the delivery of development under the new planning framework:

• Amendments to the existing Local Environmental Plan (under a Planning Proposal) - to implement the planning provisions into the statutory planning framework such as height of building limits, floor space ratios, land use zoning.
• Updates to the existing Development Control Plan - to provide development and design guidelines that support the Local Environmental Plan. This includes areas such as building setbacks, architectural materials, landscaping and deep soil requirements, parking, flood planning, solar access and overshadowing and privacy
• Update the Development Contributions Plan - to develop a local community infrastructure list with specifications on how this will be delivered through supporting financial or in-kind contributions and associated time frames. Local infrastructure includes works to improve new open space (such as new playgrounds, vegetation and furniture), new multi-purpose facilities, footpath upgrades, streetscape landscaping and cycling infrastructure (such as bicycle lanes).

The next stage is to lodge a Planning Proposal. A Planning Proposal is a document that explains the intended effect of a proposed Local Environmental Plan (LEP) or LEP amendment and sets out the justification for making that plan. Planning Proposals are usually prepared by local councils and reviewed and approved by State Government.

We will also liaise with landowners identified by the Local Planning Panel and in the Council resolution adopting the Bankstown City Centre Master Plan. For more information, see our Have Your Say page

The next steps are illustrated below.

Links

• Bankstown City Centre Master Plan [adopted]
• Minutes, Local Planning Panel Meeting 9 and 10 September 2021
  
• Ordinary Meeting of Council – 28 September 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge a Development Application based on the Master Plan?
No, whilst the Master Plan is an adopted policy of Council, it does not have any weight in assessing a development application. The current planning controls continue to apply until such a time that the Planning Proposal to implement the Master Plans is finalised.

Can I lodge my own Planning Proposal based on the Master Plan?
We discourage lodgement of site-specific Planning Proposals in the Bankstown City Centre that seek to implement the Planning Proposal, as we are pursuing a City Centre-wide Planning Proposal for its implementation.

When will all of this development occur?
The Master Plan provides a framework for growth and change over the next 15 years and beyond. It is likely that development will occur in a staged manner in the short, medium and long term.