Vertical Internal Integration

Whilst the GSRP’s objectives and strategies focus on the broader regional context, referring to all three cities, it is evident that the district plan further elaborates on planning priorities and actions consistent to the regional plan within specific planned precincts and growth areas. It is also important to note that both the GSRP and the Central City District Plan assist planning on a local level, advising local environmental plans and community strategic plans as seen in Figure 2. This is evident in Parramatta’s Community Strategic Plan of 2038 where the Greater Parramatta region is referred to as a key growth region (Parramatta City Council, 2013). Correlating to the ‘wellconnected city’ set out in the regional and district plan, the Community Strategic Plan has set out more specific strategies to benefit local communities, focussing on the Regional Light Rail network passing through Parramatta, Local and Regional Ring Roads converging on Parramatta and the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan which is to improve pedestrian and cycling links.

Overall, the GSRP can be viewed as a document that frames and informs district and local plans by setting out the vision, objectives and strategies and actions. The Central City Plan focuses on planning priorities and actions per specific relevant to the local government area of Blacktown, Cumberland, Parramatta and The Hills which are built upon the regional plan. The local government is required to analyse both plans to create local strategic planning statements, planning proposals, local environmental plans and when assessing new planning proposals. The aforementioned regional, district and local plans are all designed in regards to economic, social and environmental matters where there is a vertical integration of the three government tiers.

The document aims to transform the Greater Sydney region by focusing on the development of the Metropolitan of three cities: The Western Parkland City, the Central River City, and the Eastern Harbour City with the help of 10 directions. Each of these has been developed based on the existing shortcomings - to overcome it, and the current strengths - to further grow on for development. Internal Integration within the plan comprises analysing the vision of these three cities with the 10 directions for delivering and monitoring the plan. These 10 directions have been categorised into 4 major themes for the development of the region - Infrastructure and Collaboration, Livability, Productivity and Sustainability which are the basis for development for the local government. Each district plan contains visions and objects for these themes to further develop on.

Figure 4: Visions under each theme, for all the three cities, as per GSRP