North Appin (part) Precinct State Assessed Planning Proposal
The North Appin State Assessed Planning Proposal (SAPP) was lodged with the department in August 2023. It seeks to deliver up to 3,000 new homes, protection of environmental conservation land and land dedicated to koala corridors.
What’s happening now
The North Appin SAPP was issued a Gateway Determination by the department on Monday 6 May 2024, subject to several conditions that must be met prior to public exhibition. If approved, the proposal will deliver:
- 3,000 new homes while also providing a local centre, a school site and a series of interconnected green spaces.
- Improved accessibility to local services and the future Greater Macarthur transit corridor.
- 56 ha of land secured for environmental conservation, including securing part of a koala corridor to enable the safe passage of koalas from the Nepean corridor to the Georges River corridor alongside Ousedale Creek.
We will now work with the proponent to ensure that all Gateway conditions are met prior to public exhibition. These conditions include the preparation of a draft Development Control Plan (DCP) and a draft State Planning Agreement (SPA).
The draft DCP will be co-developed by the proponent and the department to provide detailed planning and design guidelines to support the planning controls implemented for the site. Both the current and future community will benefit from the development of a site-specific DCP, which will:
- establish a clear urban structure that promotes a safe and inclusive neighbourhood and encourages active transport options such as walking and cycling
- improve accessibility to local services and the future Greater Macarthur transit corridor
- ensure a variety of public open space is provided in accessible areas for the community
- provide appropriate planning controls to enable optimal residential density, dwelling types and setbacks within the precinct
- protect existing tree canopy and encourage additional future tree planting in both the public domain and private land within the precinct.
Both plans are anticipated to be publicly exhibited alongside the proposal in late 2024.
Frequently asked questions
The Gateway Determination process allows us to review a planning proposal before it proceeds to public exhibition, ensuring the efficient use of resources and that technical information related to the planning proposal is sufficient.
If approved at the Gateway Determination stage, the proposal can then proceed to consultation with the community and other government agencies which is the next step in the rezoning process.
A Gateway Determination may also set out a number of requirements that must be met before the proposal is exhibited for public comment. The Gateway Determination and our assessment report for this proposal are both available on the NSW Planning Portal.
As the assessing authority for this proposal, we are responsible for ensuring that any Gateway conditions are adequately addressed prior to public exhibition.
The public exhibition package will include:
- the planning proposal
- the draft Development Control Plan
- the draft State Voluntary Planning Agreement, a legal agreement between the developer and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces that will detail proposed infrastructure to be delivered
- the draft Precinct Structure Plan (PSP)
- supporting technical studies and investigations submitted alongside the proposal.
Exhibition of a complete package will ensure that the community and other government agencies will be able to review and provide feedback on the proposed rezoning and proposed infrastructure to be delivered at the same time.
A Gateway condition has been included to ensure that the proposal cannot be determined until the SPA and PSP are fully resolved.
A requirement of a Gateway Determination is that the proposal be placed on public exhibition within 6 months of the Gateway Determination being issued. We will now work with the proponent to meet these timeframes. If more time is required to prepare the exhibition package, an amendment may be made to the Gateway Determination to enable this.
When the proposal is placed on public exhibition, updates will be made to this page and exhibition material will be included on the NSW Planning Portal. Adjoining landowners and agencies will also be notified once the proposal is available for public comment, where it will be available for a minimum of 28 days.
A draft SPA will be available for comment as part of the public exhibition package that will provide further information on the type and timing of proposed infrastructure to be delivered alongside this proposal.
The proponent is also negotiating a local planning agreement with Wollondilly Council which will also be exhibited in the future if an agreement is reached.
In March 2024, Sydney Water advised the department that no short to medium term (next 5–10 years) servicing of North Appin can be accommodated via the Glenfield wastewater system. Long term servicing (10+ years) for this development will be provided via a potential future Upper Nepean Water Filtration Plant connection expected in 2031/32.
The department is working closely with Sydney Water and council to resolve these matters, with the Gateway Determination requiring Sydney Water to be consulted prior to public exhibition on the proposal’s intended timing and delivery of wastewater servicing through Sydney Water’s network. Should Sydney Water confirm they are subsequently unable to service the development the proponent can consider a private system under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006.
The proposal will not be determined until planning controls and infrastructure plans for this site are finalised, ensuring that no development can begin until infrastructure agreements are in place to support possible future development.
On 2 November 2022, the former Minister for Planning and Homes announced the North Appin (Part) Precinct Planning Proposal would proceed through the State Assessed Planning Proposal (SAPP) pathway alongside the Appin (Part) Precinct and Gilead (Stage 2) Precinct Planning Proposals.
This pathway allows us to assess a planning proposal that carries state or regional environmental planning significance. More information on State Assessed Planning Proposals can be found at Rezoning Pathways Program.