Future Urban Areas FAQs

New release areas

This page answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about growth, infrastructure and development in various planned precincts in the Liverpool Local Government Area.

Please visit our Land Acquisition page for more information and current land acquisition priorities.

If you have further queries, please contact Council by email: lcc@liverpool.nsw.gov.au or by phoning us on 1300 36 2170.


Land development / acquisition

The existing landowners choose when to develop their land. Council is responsible for the zoning of land and approval of applications to develop.

Development of these urban areas depend on the demand for new development, the availability of infrastructure (particularly sewerage) and the supply of land and dwellings within Sydney.

To find out the zoning of your land, search an address on Council’s ePlanning portal. You can also purchase a Section 10.7 Certificate (Planning Certificate) from Council, which will confirm the zoning status of the land, any planning proposals that may apply, and other information relating to planning matters.

Landowners will not be required to sell   or develop their land in accordance with the updated planning controls.

However, in some instances, land may be reserved for acquisition by Council or another public authority, to provide for a public purpose. This might include land to be acquired for roads or road widening, schools, parks, drainage etc.

Where acquisition is required, landowners will be compensated for the value of their land in accordance with the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.

The State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) 2006 nominates the relevant acquisition authority in Clause 5.1 (Relevant Acquisition Authority) of Appendix 8 (Liverpool Growth Centres Precinct Plan).

Land will generally be acquired by Council or the relevant Government agency when it is needed for that public purpose (e.g. when a road is being widened or a school is being built ).

A developer cannot acquire your land unless you are willing to sell to them. A developer may only construct infrastructure on, or otherwise modify, your land with your approval.

You may be eligible for early owner-initiated acquisition. To apply, you must be able to show that you would suffer hardship if the acquisition of your land is delayed. More information on hardship and the process involved is available on the NSW Government website via www.propertyacquisition.nsw.gov.au.

If an application is made for owner-initiated acquisition, Council will request additional information to prepare a report to Council to determine the application.


Rates

Council land rate changes each year are determined by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal and are pegged against the value of the land. Whilst rates are not pegged to the zone of the land, they may increase due to the land value increasing in association with the development potential of the land and the availability of infrastructure and services.


Developer contributions

Developer contributions (also known as infrastructure contributions) are key to helping councils and the NSW Government deliver local, regional and State infrastructure.

There are two types of developer contributions:

1. Local infrastructure contributions are charged by councils when new development occurs and may come in the form of a s7.11 (formerly known as Section 94) or a s7.12 (formerly known as Section 94a) contribution. A 7.11 contribution is commonly used where there is a demonstrated link between the development and the infrastructure to be funded and is usually charged per dwelling or per square metre. A Section 7.12 contribution is charged as a percentage of the estimated cost of the development.

Councils use these contributions to fund the delivery of infrastructure and services such as drainage infrastructure, libraries, local road upgrades, the acquisition and embellishment of parks and in some instances community facilities.

For more information, visit our page on Contributions Plans.

2. A Special Infrastructure Contribution (SIC) is levied by the NSW Government on new development within the Priority Growth Areas. The NSW government uses this to fund a range of infrastructure including State and regional roads, public transport infrastructure, pedestrian and cycling paths, health facilities, emergency services, schools and open space improvements. SICs also fund biodiversity offsets in Western Sydney.

Contributions can be made in the form of money, land dedicated free of cost, as works-in-kind by agreement from both parties or as a combination of these. These can also be made part of a Planning Agreement.

Planning agreements are a tool that allows planning authorities and developers to work together to deliver innovative infrastructure outcomes. Planning agreements can be negotiated at both the local and State government level. They are a legal agreement between a developer and a planning authority and are usually negotiated when a developer is submitting a development application or a planning proposal and can often include a developer contribution component.

A list of Council’s active and completed Planning Agreements can be found at this page.


Rezoning

A significant amount of land within the Liverpool LGA forms part of the South West Growth Area. Some of this land in suburbs like Austral, Leppington and Edmondson Park has already been rezoned and is available for redevelopment.

Land within other parts of the Growth Area, including Rossmore and Kemps Creek, will only be rezoned after the NSW Government has prepared and finalised a precinct plan for that area. It is likely that any rezoning will be done in stages across the Growth Area.

Any proposed rezoning of land would require a planning proposal to be lodged with Council.  Anyone wishing to rezone land should contact Council on 1300 36 2170 to discuss any proposals prior to lodgement. Council also requests that you seek the services of a planning consultant to provide advice and/or prepare any information required for an application.


Development assessment

Applications can be approved for development as long as it is consistent with the zoning and permissible uses of the land. As an example, alternations and additions to an existing dwelling can be approved.

However , if the property is identified for acquisition, the planning process generally restricts your ability to increase the capital investment value of your land, including the building of new structures. Council recommends you obtain independent planning advice or you may contact Council’s Planning Advisory team for general information on 1300 36 2170.

Liverpool City Council will assess and determine most forms of development applications, except major proposals which will be assessed and determined by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), or other relevant State or Federal Government agencies.

The Sydney Western City Planning Panel (SWCPP) will determine any development with a capital investment value more than $30 million or certain public and certain development with a capital investment value greater than $5 million (including Council related, lodged by or on behalf of the Crown, private infrastructure and community facilities).

The Liverpool Local Planning Panel (LLPP), may also determine applications for certain developments.


Timing of infrastructure

Every year, Council reviews and updates its priority works program. This forms part of the annual update to Council’s Operational Plan.

Click here to see what infrastructure will be delivered in your suburb this year.

Click here to see where all of the infrastructure is proposed to be delivered across the City.

Council recognises that many residents who have moved into new suburbs in recent years do not have an area of open space within walking distance to their home or cannot access parks due to inadequate footpaths.

There are several reasons why open space and parks have not been provided or upgraded within our Growth Areas. This includes fragmented development patterns, a need for natural surveillance on parks and restricted funding availability.

Council is currently prioritising the delivery of open space and parks within our growth areas. Additionally, Council is also investigating opportunities to provide temporary pop-up parks in those areas that are particularly distant from areas of open space.

While Council is responsible for assessing most development applications in commercial centres, most land in these centres is privately owned, and it is at the discretion of landowners and developers to provide new development for shops and other business activities. The Indicative Layout Plan (ILP) has been developed in consultation with community and large landowners in centres, but Council cannot provide timeframes for when shops and businesses will be built.

Usually, Council only provides some local collector roads (including footpaths and street furniture) and does so via its local contributions plans.

Larger roads like Cowpasture Road and Bringelly Road are delivered by the NSW government via Transport for NSW (formerly Roads and Maritime Services).

Many existing rural standard roads will be progressively upgraded over time. Typically, when a farm lot is developed, Council requires the developer to upgrade half of the rural road around the property as a condition of development consent. This ensures that, over time, the existing roads are upgraded to an urban standard as the area develops.

Council acknowledges this may result in new developments being connected by rural roads or disconnected footpath systems and is investigating ways to improve this outcome.

Sydney Water is constructing new water and wastewater infrastructure in the Austral, Leppington North and East Leppington precincts. In most cases, development in these areas cannot proceed until both major water and sewerage infrastructure have been provided in the area.

Sydney Water has a servicing plan for growth areas, which broadly outlines the staging of drinking water and sewage capacity upgrades within the precinct. Construction will occur in a staged manner. To find out where services are being constructed, developers and property owners are encouraged to view the Sydney Water Growth Servicing Plan.