Designed to accommodate growth while maintaining the area's liveability, the rezoning builds on the Westmead 2036 Place Strategy by concentrating the most homes within a five-minute walk of the future Metro station.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said, "The Westmead South Precinct has everything a community needs close by. Hospitals, jobs, schools and now a Metro station on the way. It makes sense to build more homes exactly where people want to live and work. It makes better use of opportunities close to major health, education and employment hubs, focusing future development in locations with existing and planned transport, jobs and services."

The proposed site currently is primarily a low-to-medium density residential neighbourhood and commercial hub. It proposes a mid to high-density mixed precinct with 2.9ha of public open space and the transformation of Hawkesbury Road into a pedestrian spine.

KEY FEATURES OF THE PROPOSAL INCLUDE:

• a mix of housing types and heights ranging from two to 38 storeys, with the highest buildings closest to the new Westmead Metro Station
• between three and five per cent affordable homes in perpetuity
• up to three hectares of additional public open space, including a new public plaza at the Oakes Centre and a park to park line between Sydney Smith Park and the Mays Hill Precinct
• improved pedestrian and active transport networks, with Hawkesbury Road connecting the Oakes Centre, schools and communities
• securing the site for a future new public primary school and community facilities to meet the needs of a growing population
• opportunities for new shops, cafes, restaurants, and businesses in residential areas
• strengthening heritage protections by retaining all existing heritage items and providing additional heritage recognition for the Tooheys Palm Estate

“Families in Western Sydney deserve communities that are planned properly. That means delivering homes alongside vital public infrastructure – schools, roads, public transport and open spaces – that people rely on daily,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney, Prue Car.

The proposal would amend the Cumberland Local Environment Plan 2021 to allow building heights from 2 to 38 storeys (128m), an almost four-fold increase on the existing eight storey (26m) limit. The tallest buildings would rise over the proposed Sydney Metro West’s yet-to-be-built Westmead Metro Station. The new 24km underground train line is expected to complete in 2032 and would terminate at Westmead, linking Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.