Sydney is Australia’s premier global city and a key driver of the national economy, hosting the Australian Stock Exchange, the national headquarters for over 80 per cent of foreign and domestic banks and over 60 per cent of Asia Pacific regional headquarters of multinational companies. Sydney therefore performs a critical role on behalf of the nation as a globally competitive location for investment, jobs and skilled workers.

In the last five years, Sydney has raised its share of national GDP from 24% to 24.9% per cent, despite the growth of the mining states. Its spatial structure as a ‘city of cities’ is a key factor in its national and global success as its unique natural setting, high quality environment and mild climate.

This Metropolitan Plan aims to strengthen those characteristics to improve Sydney’s productivity and enable it to grow efficiently and sustainably.

The city of cities approach regards Sydney as comprising five cities:

• the harbour cities of Sydney CBD and North Sydney – recognised as key elements of Global Sydney
• Parramatta, Sydney’s premier Regional City and second CBD, and
• Liverpool and Penrith, the Regional Cities of Western Sydney

These collectively provide a compact, multi-centred and connected city structure that reduces the time people and businesses spend travelling to access work, services, markets or regional facilities. This promotes productivity and better infrastructure utilisation, reduces car use, energy use and emissions, and supports a more active lifestyle.

This Metropolitan Plan recognises the contribution of the entire ‘Global Sydney Region’ including all its centres, employment lands and resources in building the productivity and status of the city region. It aims to strengthen Sydney’s city of cities structure by:

• Promoting the regional cities to underpin sustainable growth across Sydney
• Achieving a compact, connected, multi-centred and increasingly networked city structure
• Containing the urban footprint and achieving a balance between greenfields growth and renewal in existing urban areas
• Supporting, protecting and enhancing nationally and internationally significant infrastructure in the metropolitan area
• Identifying and planning for infrastructure to support Global Sydney
• Constantly strengthening Sydney’s capacity to attract and retain global businesses and investment
• Strengthening Sydney’s role as a hub for NSW, Australia and South East Asia through better communications and transport connections
• Strengthening Sydney’s position as a contemporary global tourism destination
• Ensuring Sydney continues to support major events in iconic locations and remains competitive in the global event and convention market
• Planning and coordinating delivery of infrastructure to meet metropolitan housing and employment growth targets

Click here to read the full Strategic Direction (PDF - 9MB)