Independent Community Commissioner

This page is managed separately to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure website.

About the Independent Community Commissioner

Professor Roberta Ryan is the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and for Orchard Hills.

Roberta is an expert in strategic planning. She helps the government and the community to resolve sensitive matters related to land use, transport, infrastructure, housing, greening, recreation, and open space.

As the Independent Community Commissioner, Roberta works closely with the communities in the Aerotropolis and Orchard Hills to help them understand the planning process and what any proposed changes may mean. She also helps to raise any issues and concerns with government during the process, and tries to get those issues addressed.

Orchard Hills

The NSW Government appointed Roberta as the Independent Community Commissioner for Orchard Hills in October 2022.

Contact with the Community Commissioner

If you would like to be placed on a mail and/or email list to receive information from the Community Commissioner about the future of Orchard Hills, please provide your name and your residential address and/or email address to [email protected].

If you need to contact Roberta, please be in touch with Kate Robinson from the Community Commissioner’s office by email at [email protected] or phone 0408 115 467.

Discussion paper for community feedback

The Department of Planning and Environment released a discussion paper in November 2022 to hear from the community about the future of Orchard Hills. Submissions are now closed.

The community’s feedback on the discussion paper and through the Community Commissioner’s survey will inform the draft Orchard Hills Precinct Plan, which will be available for public comment in 2023.

Orchard Hills Community Consultative Committee

Community Consultative Committees (CCC) are an important engagement forum for the community and other key stakeholders in the planning and development of an area.

A CCC is not a decision-making body. The CCC community representatives provide advice to state, federal and local government on impacts and ways government can support and collaborate with the community during planning and development. These representatives have established strong networks in their community, and are able to reflect the views of the wider community, and also have the ability to feedback information.

The CCC is chaired by the Independent Community Commissioner.

Nominations to join the Orchard Hills CCC were called in November 2022, and the following members were appointed to represent community views across Orchard Hills:

Community	Member	Email
Area B	Con Paphatzis	[email protected]
Area B	Christine Vella	[email protected]
Area C	Don Feltis	[email protected]
Area C	Tony Napoli	[email protected]
Area C	Felicity Grima	[email protected]
Area D	Bree Wilson	[email protected]
Area D	Diane Azzopardi	[email protected]
Area D	Ed Zussa	[email protected]
Areas E and F	Ajmair Chauhan	[email protected]
Area F	Deborah Cutajar	[email protected]

The Terms of Reference (PDF, 140 KB) and minutes for each CCC meeting are available:

Western Sydney Aerotropolis

Roberta was appointed the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis by the NSW Government in May 2021. Her role was to assess the issues and concerns of landowners impacted by the governments’ plans and to make recommendations on the optimal way forward. Her role was extended in December 2021 to oversee her recommendations.

Report: A fair and equitable way forward

Following consultation with more than 100 landowners, the Commissioner delivered her report and recommendations on a fair and equitable way forward for landowners in the Aerotropolis in August 2021. Read Roberta’s Western Sydney Aerotropolis report (PDF, 373 KB) and Western Sydney Aerotropolis report overview (PDF, 186 KB).

The NSW Government’s response to the Commissioner’s recommendations was released in October 2021 and was the NSW Government’s detailed response to the Independent Community Commissioner’s recommendations. Read the Responding to the Issues report (PDF, 11.9 MB).

Roberta’s recommendations and submissions from the community and others helped to form the final planning package which was released on 25 March 2022.

Western Sydney Aerotropolis Community Consultative Committee

A key recommendation by Roberta was to establish a Western Sydney Aerotropolis Community Consultative Committee (CCC).

The Aerotropolis CCC built on the work of the Community Liaison Group to provide an engagement forum for the community and other key stakeholders in the planning and development of the Aerotropolis.

The CCC is not a decision-making body. It provides an advisory and consultative role for small landowner representatives, local councils, the Western Parkland City Authority, the Commonwealth, and state agencies.

Members – who are largely small landowners from the Western Sydney Aerotropolis – provide advice to state, federal and local government on impacts and ways governments can support and collaborate with the community during the planning and development of the Aerotropolis.

The CCC is chaired by the Independent Community Commissioner. It meets monthly, or more often as required.

Nominations to join the CCC were called in August 2021, and the following members were appointed to represent community views across the Aerotropolis:

Community	Members	Email
Aerotropolis Core	Joe Herceg Paul Taglioli	[email protected] [email protected]
Badgerys Creek	Diana Vukovic	[email protected]
Wianamatta-South Creek	Sam Aloi Ross Murphy	[email protected] [email protected]
Agribusiness	Paul Buhac Wayne Wilmington	[email protected] [email protected]
Northern Gateway	Sascha Vukmirica	[email protected]
Dwyer Road	Helen Anderson	[email protected]
Rossmore	Gabriella Condello	[email protected]

Minutes for each CCC meeting are available: