A master plan is a document that guides future growth and change in a centre over the coming decades.

A master plan has an important role in determining the look, feel and function of a centre by covering things like building heights, design, land use zones, new open space, community facilities, sustainability infrastructure and heritage.

By setting a clear vision alongside a series of actions to implement the vision, a master plan can help improve the quality of development and creates better places. Once adopted, a master plan guides changes to the planning controls that apply to properties within a master plan area.

A master plan can also act as an important advocacy tool. A master plan shows the NSW Government that change is happening and gives them an opportunity to respond to this change by delivering new and upgraded community infrastructure.

Council is preparing master plans for our City’s key centres.

We recently completed master plans for our two largest centres, Bankstown and Campsie. These are Strategic Centres and are expected to receive the most growth. Council is now turning its attention to our local centres - Belmore, Lakemba, Canterbury, and one of our small village centres, Belfield.

Master plans for these centres are an essential part of managing change while preserving character. If we plan for these things now, with good urban design principles and a clear strategy for growth we can ensure that Canterbury continues to be a place with the right balance of community, business, growth and culture. Without a master plan, growth occurs in an uncoordinated way.

The aim of a master plan is to improve the quality of development, ensure local businesses have the conditions to thrive, and create places the community can be proud of. The Master Plan will provide Council with a strong strategic basis to reject ad-hoc proposals that do not align with Council’s planning controls.

The plan will improve the look and feel of the centre by:

• Raising the design standards of new buildings;
• Improving the quality of the public domain;
• Improving the way waste is managed and collected;
• Enhancing open spaces and increase tree canopy; and
• Celebrating heritage and character.

Feedback from early engagement activities will be used to understand what people like about the centre as well as some of the challenges facing the community and local businesses. Online tools like the interactive map and community survey give us insight into the local community’s aspirations for Canterbury, which can be reflected in the master plan.

Additional feedback will be sought from the community once the draft master plan has been prepared. Once it is ready, Council will exhibit the Master Plan, allowing the community to provide feedback and further refine the master plan.

No. The early engagement phase was focused on gathering ideas from the community to help develop the draft master plans alongside a range of technical studies. The next round of engagement will be seeking feedback on the draft Master Plans. The community will be notified in advance of each decision-making stage to invite feedback. See the timeline to see where we are at in the process.

The Master Plan will set the vision for the future of Canterbury, and is the first step in a longer planning process. Once the Master Plan is adopted, Council will then prepare a planning proposal to implement the master plan, this process will include opportunities for additional community consultation.

The timeline provides more detail on the next steps following the master plan.

Yes. The Canterbury Racecourse site is within the study area of the Local Centre Master Plan.

In 2020 Council, the Greater Cities Commission and the Department of Planning and Environment commenced the creation of a long-term vision for the future of Canterbury Racecourse should racing cease on the site, called the Canterbury Racecourse Planning Strategy.

The Canterbury Racecourse Planning Strategy will inform the development of the Canterbury Local Centre Master Plan.