OUR PLACE IN GREATER SYDNEY AND BEYOND

Your vision | Your future 2032 has been prepared encompassing State and Regional strategies and priorities, ensuring it aligns with these broader contexts.

Where Hornsby Shire sits

Hornsby Shire is located on the northern edge of metropolitan Sydney. The northern areas of the Shire are dominated by National Park and rural land uses, while urban development is focused at the southern end and along the Newcastle Railway / Freeway corridor.

The Shire has two major centres, at Hornsby and a secondary centre at Pennant Hills. There are also many suburbs, villages, islands and river communities. Most residential areas are established suburbs, except for Castle Hill, Cherrybrook and Dural, which have developed in more recent decades (Source: profile.id).

Our Shire is bound by Wisemans Ferry and the Hawkesbury River to the North; Cowan Creek and Brooklyn to the East; the M2 Motorway and parts of Ku-ring-gai Council area; North Epping, City of Ryde and City of Parramatta Council areas to the South; and the Hills Shire to the West.

Our natural environment is one of the hallmarks of Hornsby Shire. We are known as the ‘Bushland Shire’, not only for our abundant bushland but for the biodiversity in flora and fauna, waterways and rural areas. Hornsby Shire’s natural environment plays a vital role, not only for the Hornsby community but also for the region and Greater Sydney.

Beyond Greater Sydney

At the State level, in 2019 the NSW Premier set 14 new Priorities to tackle tough community challenges and lift the quality of life for all citizens. The NSW Government’s key policy priorities are:

� a strong economy � highest quality education � well connected communities with quality local environments

� putting the customer at the centre of everything we do � breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

Greater Sydney Commission, North District Plan

The Greater Sydney Commission is a NSW Government agency appointed to lead metropolitan planning for the Greater Sydney Region. The North District Plan, which encompasses Hornsby Shire, is one of five District Plans developed (released 2018) which together map a 20-year vision for Greater Sydney. A plan to manage growth, it aims to enhance the liveability, productivity and sustainability of Sydney into the future and sets out planning priorities and actions for councils to respond to and address in their planning policies.

Planning Priorities from the North District Plan relevant to Hornsby Shire are:

Infrastructure and Collaboration

N1 Planning for a city supported by infrastructure N2 Working through collaboration

Liveable

N3 Providing services and social infrastructure to meet people’s changing needs N4 Fostering healthy, creative, culturally rich and socially connected communities

N5 Providing housing supply, choice and affordability with access to jobs, services and public transport N6 Creating and renewing great places and local centres, and respecting the District’s heritage

Productive

N8 Eastern Economic corridor is better connected and more competitive N9 Growing and investing in health and education precincts N10 Growing investment, business opportunities and jobs in strategic centre N11 Retaining and managing industrial and urban services land

N12 Delivering integrated land use and transport planning and a 30-minute city N13 Supporting growth of targeted industry sectors N14 Leveraging inter-regional transport connections

Sustainable

N15 Protecting and improving the health and enjoyment of the District’s waterways N16 Protecting and enhancing bushland and biodiversity N17 Protecting and enhancing scenic and cultural landscapes N18 Better managing rural areas N19 Increasing urban tree canopy cover and delivering

Green Grid connections

N20 Delivering high quality open space N21 Reducing carbon emissions and managing energy, water and waste efficiently N22 Adapting to the impacts of urban and natural hazards and climate change.

Resilient Sydney – A Strategy for City Resilience 2018

Resilient Sydney is a strategy for all of metropolitan Sydney to build more resilient communities, which has been developed with all of Sydney’s metropolitan councils and contributors from the NSW Government, business and community organisations. A five-year strategy, it sets the direction we must take to strengthen our ability to survive, adapt and thrive in the face of increasing global uncertainty and local shocks and stresses and calls for business, government, academia, communities and individuals to lead and work as one city. As an active member of the Resilient Cities program and a contributor to the development of ‘Resilient Sydney’, Council is well positioned to develop Hornsby-specific strategies and actions.

Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) 10-Point Plan

NSROC is comprised of eight councils in the northern part of Sydney which have voluntarily come together to address regional issues, work co-operatively for the benefit of the region, and advocate on agreed regional positions and priorities. The eight member councils are Hornsby Shire, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney, City of Ryde and Willoughby City.

The 10-Point Plan (November 2018) highlights the key areas where partnership with other levels of government has the potential to provide innovative, efficient and effective ways to deliver positive outcomes for our shared constituents. In particular, this Plan supports the aim of NSROC Councils to improve liveability in the Northern Sydney region.

The 10-Points are:

1. A flexible rating system 2. Flexibility in rate pegging to assist infrastructure funding reform 3. Liveability with appropriate social infrastructure 4. Waste management for a better environment 5. Responsive planning and development 6. A flexible procurement process 7. Roads and traffic improvement 8. Leadership in electric vehicles, on-demand public transport and self-driving automated vehicles 9. Better consultation and engagement process between NSW Government and NSROC

10. Stronger engagement and consultation on legislation and regulation.