Introduction

Now is the time to rediscover the future of Sydney with a global economic arc that stretches south of Port Botany and Sydney Airport, with a focus on the Southern Aerotropolis; with 'River Rail' as its defining city-shaping infrastructure.

'River Rail' - the right project at the right time

'River Rail' is a project that supports sustainable growth and better connections between strategic collaboration/ innovation areas across Sydney.

It is a project that is being promoted by Georges River Council but will benefit the whole of Greater Sydney, particularly centres and communities on the route and the rail lines it interchanges with.

It is a project that will:

− Connect strategic centres and collaboration areas providing radial connections, relieving pressure on the

CBDs;

− Relieve congestion Freeing up roads for essential users, build in resilience now and into the future;

− Reinforce and spread the benefits of a range of existing investment including SouthWest Metro, investment in centres, education and health projects;

− Support collaboration and open-up education and employment opportunities to a wider catchment;

− This project can and should be brought forward as there is significant momentum along the route already and latent demand;

− We call for a rethink and refresh of infrastructure investment priorities in the Southern Aerotropolis including the prioritisation of the 'River Rail' project connecting Kogarah to Parramatta via Bankstown.

This rail link would connect the important strategic opportunities and the centres of Kogarah, Hurstville, Miranda, Sutherland and Bankstown to the Eastern Harbour City and Parramatta and the Central River City, and drive high value job growth both in the south and along the route of the new rail. This would enhance Sydney as a global '30-minute city' and deliver prosperity to the south, Greater Sydney and the entire NSW, as we move to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metropolitan strategies over the past 20 years envisioned the growth of Greater Sydney with a northerly and east-west focus. These strategies identified a northern economic arc from Sydney Airport, through the Sydney CBD, North Sydney, Chatswood, St Leonards, Macquarie Park and to Norwest Business Park. These locations have developed as major employment and activity centres, and have been the focus of significant investment in infrastructure.

Parramatta CBD is now firmly established as Sydney’s second CBD at the centre of the metropolis, with further growth planned throughout the Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP). With the movement of NSW Government jobs to Parramatta, it could match the government’s job footprint in the Harbour CBD in 2022. It is increasingly attracting journeys from across Sydney for work, study, health, recreation, arts and culture. The vision and long-term plans for the Western Aerotropolis around the future airport at Badgerys Creek has ensured future job growth and economic prosperity in Western Sydney.

The NSW Government has recently increased focus on the area south of Sydney Airport, through the Collaboration Areas including Randwick, Kogarah and ANSTO and investment in health infrastructure, such as the $700 million master plan for the St George Hospital. Yet, there remains more opportunity for job growth, south of Sydney Airport. This area of Greater Sydney, which includes the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bayside, Canterbury Bankstown, Georges River and Sutherland, contains seven established strategic centres, including Green Square/Mascot, Hurstville, Kogarah, Miranda, Sutherland, Campsie and Bankstown. It is also home to the ANSTO innovation precinct, health and education precincts and the Bankstown Airport-Milperra industrial area. This creates an unparalleled, yet relatively untapped, opportunity to grow prosperity for Greater Sydney and NSW, leveraging the potential of these centres; the available employment lands; the proximity to Sydney Airport, Bankstown Airport and Port Botany; the transport connections (both for the movement of workers and goods); and the unrivalled liveability of the south.

The Western Aerotropolis is a long-term aspiration for the future of Greater Sydney and will require $100 billion of investment to become a reality.¹

Better utilisation of investment in the existing infrastructure south of Sydney Airport and Port Botany can generate economic growth and jobs now and into the future. This opportunity would be further enhanced by investment in city-shaping infrastructure such as 'River Rail' (Kogarah to Paramatta rail link) to connect the south to the Central River City, including Parramatta, and at a much lower investment cost per job than the estimated $400,000 for the first phase of the Western Aerotropolis.² It is estimated that the investment in the 'River Rail' alone, at a cost of $10.5 billion, could generate up to 100,000 additional jobs within 45 minutes of the new stations.³

This report highlights the unique opportunity that the south represents, as the Southern Aerotropolis, to overhaul the future of Greater Sydney with a specific focus on the Georges River Local Government Area. This not only about jobs, it is also about great places and liveability where the inherent amenity will make the Southern Aerotropolis a place where people will choose to live and work.

Georges River sits at the centre of this untapped, and almost undiscovered, region of Greater Sydney with significant opportunities to drive economic growth and prosperity, close to existing public transport, homes, employment, schools, services and health facilities. There are two strategic centres within the Georges River area; the vibrant and energetic Hurstville and the growing and smart health and education precinct of Kogarah. In addition, there are a number of larger scale employment/urban services precincts, in particular, Kingsgrove and Peakhurst, that have the ability to evolve over time into critical, advanced manufacturing centres, centres of creative excellence and business parks serving the population and industries south of Sydney Airport. There are locations such as Riverwood that, with the right investment, can become the benchmark for ‘Living Precincts’, lively mixed-use suburbs that are residential hubs of sustainable development, culture and opportunities with existing infrastructure and connections less than 20 minutes from the Sydney CBD.

As we seek to build a better, stronger and more resilient community, economy and environment post COVID-19, the Southern Aerotropolis provides the opportunity to grow jobs now, improve liveability and enhance sustainability by leveraging the existing infrastructure and assets of the south.

Image: One Hurstville Plaza – A-grade opportunity in the heat of Hurstville

¹ Greater Sydney Commission, Making the Western Parkland City: Initial Place-based Infrastructure Compact (PIC) Area Draft PIC Report, p.13 ² Making the Western Parkland City, p.14 ³ 'River Rail' Kogarah to Parramatta Rail Link p. 26