After almost a decade, City of Parramatta councillors have finally given the CBD Planning Proposal (PP) their support.
Much to the relief of many councillors, the hotly debated CBD PP has received the go-ahead from Parramatta Council. The plan could see a huge change in Parramatta’s skyline, with residential towers allowed to reach up to 69 storeys and commercial buildings up 52 storeys.
Although the CBD PP was officially approved by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in May, several last-minute key policy changes were made to the final version that the council originally endorsed last year. These policy changes equate to an estimated loss of 15,280 jobs and 3,440 dwellings.
Due to these changes, the council voted to defer its response to the government in the July 11 meeting, postponing its decision instead to July 25.
Speaking at the latest council meeting, Cr Georgina Valjak described the process to get support from councillors for the CBD PP as being like “groundhog day”.
“The recommendation ensures the best possible outcome and the way forward for this great city,” she said.
“For community groups, please be assured that this recommendation supports the opportunity for further review.”
The council recommendation includes restoring office and commercial floor space, ensuring activation of Parramatta River and providing a planning framework for north of the Parramatta River.
Cr Kellie Darley and Cr Michelle Garrard both backed Cr Valjak, speaking in favour of the CBD PP.
“There’s a number of reasons why this CBD PP should be supported,” Cr Garrard said emphatically.
“If we want to be part of the big boys and if we want to compete with Sydney then we’ve got to start acting like an a-grade council.”
However, Cr Phil Bradley, Cr Patricia Prociv, Cr Cameron Maclean and Lord Mayor Donna Davis all opposed the motion.
Cr Bradley voiced his concerns over the CBD PP and said that it will leave the majority of the city in shadows in the winter.
“I accept that there are elements of this council recommendation that improve on the excessive over development agreed by the previous conservative council, but it is a retreat on what I believe is a sensible and well argued DPE decision in its finalisation report of April,” Cr Bradley said.
“It is distressing that vested interests with significant administrative resources, lobbying access and behind closed doors influence, whose dominant goals are to pursue unlimited development and profit making, seek to have well considered decisions overturned when it doesn’t suit them.”
Cr Prociv also spoke against it and said the CBD PP did not provide “certainty.”
“It was really unclear what led the Department of Planning to back flip on its own report,” she said.
“I cannot support a document, which is full of ‘coulds, woulds and mights’.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.