Appin - Greater Macarthur Growth Area » Wollondilly Shire Council

Appin growth area

Appin is located on the eastern fringe of the Wollondilly Shire, bordering Campbelltown LGA and forming an important connection between South West Sydney and the Illawarra. For decades it was a major wheat growing and dairy farming area, and is known for its heritage sandstone buildings and healthy koala population. Built on Dharawal Country, it is also the site of the Appin Massacre, where a group of Aboriginal men, women and children were killed by soldiers in 1816.

The Greater Macarthur Growth Area is a state-led strategic planning project that was rezoned and is being led by the NSW Government. The declaration as a growth area seeks to spur on investment in education, jobs, recreation and housing while conserving key koala habitats.

Wollondilly Shire Council sees development at Appin as a long-term prospect and will continue to advocate for Wilton as the priority growth area. Council’s position is that Appin should not be developed before Wilton or before 2036 at the earliest.

Any potential future development in Appin will require a major investment in transport and social infrastructure, footpaths, cycleways, public open spaces, access to jobs, education, health and better access to Wilton and Campbelltown.

Council’s position is that a binding infrastructure agreement needs to be in place before development proceeds. This agreement should cover :

developer-funded local infrastructure such as roads, parks, playing fields, stormwater and community facilities
developer-funded and NSW Government-funded state infrastructure including major roads, public transport, water and wastewater, schools and health facilities.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR?

Greater Macarthur was declared a growth area by the NSW Government on 6 December 2019. An amendment was made to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) (2006) to identify the Greater Macarthur Growth Area which incorporates Glenfield to Macarthur as urban renewal precincts and Appin as a land release precinct.

The State Government rezoned the Appin (Part) Precinct on 26 June 2023 and it came into effect on 15 December 2023. The new urban development zone is for a 1,378 ha site within the Appin Precinct and will provide for up to 12,900 new homes, including affordable housing. It will also feature regional open space and local centres.

A Development Application was lodged by Walker Corporation with Council on 31 July 2024. It is a concept development application for release areas 1, 3 and 4 for a total of 9,000+ dwellings across 972 hectares. It also includes a detailed application for the release of Stage 1 for 613 residential lots, 12 lots for open space, two lots for continued rural use at this stage and one lot for conservation, across 112 hectares of the site.

Council is still waiting on the following key documents before we can determine the Development Application (DA):

Precinct Structure Plan - a fine-grained masterplan for the site showing features like the location of local and neighbourhood centres and new public open space networks
Final Transport Management & Accessibility Plan
Development Control Plan
State Planning Agreement

Council also requires an adopted Contribution Plan or alternatively a local planning agreement that aligns with the Contribution Plans.

Council cannot determine the DA until the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) places these documents on public exhibition. They are needed to inform the development application, its preparation and the assessment.

Any development in Appin requires a binding infrastructure agreement to be in place to include public transport, schools, open space, community facilities and all the things a community needs to grow. They are needed to inform the development application, its preparation and the assessment.

cumberland plain conservation plan

The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP was finalised with NSW approval in place in August 2022 and Commonwealth approval in place in March 2024. It will support the delivery of housing, jobs and infrastructure while protecting important biodiversity, including threatened plants and animals.

Landholders and other stakeholders can see how their land might be affected by looking at the spatial viewer on the NSW Government website.

Greater Macarthur 2040

An interim plan for the greater macarthur growth area

The draft Greater Macarthur 2040: an interim plan for the Greater Macarthur Growth Area outlines the high level vision and principles for GM and includes a structure plan.

The Greater Macarthur 2040 Update brochure was provided by the Department of Planning and Environment in December 2021 which explains what has happened so far, indicative Koala corridors and Steps to finalise Greater Macarthur 2040.

View Interim Plan