A planning proposal is a document that explains the intended effect of a proposed Local Environmental Plan (LEP) amendment and sets out the justification for making that plan. A Planning Proposal has been prepared to amend planning controls to facilitate the vision for the endorsed Bankstown Master Plan, and seeks to include Bankstown as part of Council’s draft Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme.

Bankstown City Centre Master Plan was adopted at the 28 September 2021 Council Meeting. In accordance with the resolution, Council has since prepared and submitted the planning proposal to the Department of Planning and Environment on 31 March 2022 requesting the Department issue a Gateway determination.

A copy of the planning proposal and a copy of the Site-specific Review Joint Panel Report that was prepared in response to the advice received by the Canterbury Bankstown Local Planning Panel can both be accessed via this page.

The planning proposal will be publicly exhibited by Council subject to the requirements of a Gateway determination issued by the Department of Planning and Environment.

A master plan is a long-term plan that provides a road map to guide future growth and change in our centres over the coming decades.

Master plans have an important role in determining the look, feel and function of the urban environment. It guides and covers things like building heights, design, land use zones, new open space and protecting heritage protections. The Bankstown City Centre Master Plan will guide new planning controls that apply to properties in the centre catchment master planning area.

The master plan provides the opportunity to co-locate genuine job-generating development with housing, services, utilities and social infrastructure to support a growing community in Bankstown. The master plan will develop planning controls to improve the quality and sustainability of the Centre and create a great place for people to live, work and visit.

The draft Bankstown City Centre Master Plan covers the area mapped below

To see if any changes are proposed to a specific property please view the maps contained in the draft master plan. If you have further questions about a specific property, please request to speak to a member of the team.

Council has a housing target for the whole of the CBCity Local Government Area that will ensure that our growing community have great places to call home. Based on analysis of current trends in Canterbury-Bankstown the Housing Strategy, a housing target of 50,000 has been set across the whole LGA to 2036. This demand must be met in a planned, controlled way.

The draft master plan provides a proactive approach to planning, helping to prevent ad-hoc development.

The draft Bankstown City Centre Master Plan plans for 12,500 additional homes in the Bankstown City Centre.

These new homes will be supported with good transport services, community facilities, open space and infrastructure. The master plan also establishes actions to ensure diverse, affordable housing types for all households, tenures and demographics.

As the largest centre in CBCity, Bankstown plays an important economic role in the local economy and in greater Sydney. New investments like the Western Sydney University campus and regional hospital in the centre means more workers will be coming to Bankstown. The master plan seeks to grow the number of jobs in the centre from 11,000 to 25,000.

If we plan for ‘Business as Usual’, traffic congestion will increase in our centres. The draft master plan is focused on making the centre more attractive for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport and allow residents, workers and student to be less reliant on cars.

There are multiple ways that this will be achieved:

• Locating new development near train stations to help reduce the need for residents and workers to use cars;
• Reducing the number of car parks required in new buildings;
• Slowing the speed limit in the CBD to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety;
• Advocating for improved public transport services and road upgrades where necessary; and
• Complete Streets Bankstown, adopted in 2019, provides a public domain plan to improve pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and amenity

A range of traffic and transport improves are proposed as part of the draft master plan. Council will also advocate to and work with Transport for NSW for improved transport outcomes.

The draft master plan seeks to deliver new open space and improvements to existing spaces.

The aim of this master plan is to improve the quality of development in Bankstown and create a place that the community can be proud of.

The plan will improve the look and feel of the centre in many ways including (but not limited to):

• Raising the design standards of new buildings;
• Improving the quality of the public domain;
• Improve the way waste is managed and collected;
• Provide new open spaces and improvements to existing spaces; and
• Celebrating heritage and character.

High quality community and cultural infrastructure including libraries, creative and cultural facilities, community centres and recreational facilities will be provided through upgrades to existing infrastructure and provision of new infrastructure to enhance the quality of life and experience in the centre as the City grows.

Council is taking an innovative approach to new development. New buildings in the Bankstown centre will be required to meet a range of sustainability initiatives. These include installing solar panels, using only electricity instead of gas to power new buildings, providing electric vehicle charging facilities in new buildings and exceeding current energy and water consumption reduction targets.

In addition, new buildings in the Bankstown Centre that exceed certain sustainability benchmarks may be eligible for additional floor space and height (see Direction 7 of the draft Bankstown Master Plan).

The draft master plan will be on exhibition until 14 May 2021. There are many ways that you can have your say on the draft plan. Please use the interactive map or make a formal submission to share your feedback.