A WESTERN Sydney industrial wasteland will become Sydney’s newest suburb, with the state government and Parramatta Council set to partner on a plan to make the Camellia peninsula a residential hub.

ALICIA WOOD STATE POLITICAL REPORTER

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Parramatta council will consider a proposal on Monday night to begin community consultation on the types of new homes to be built, following the release of the government’s metropolitan strategy on Sunday which officially elevated Parramatta to the same status as Sydney CBD.

Part of the revitalisation of Parramatta will include 6000 new homes in North Parramatta and 2000 new jobs, and the potential to use heritage buildings for community, cultural or commercial purposes.

Planning minister Pru Goward said the upgrade of Camellia was long overdue, given its proximity to Parramatta.

“The Camellia Peninsula has enormous potential, already having the popular Rosehill Gardens Racecourse within the precinct. Parramatta City Council realises this and now we are embarking on a new partnership that will build on the work already underway,” Ms Goward said.

“We have a chance to build a wonderful new community at Camellia undefined with a thriving commercial centre, close to new homes, expanded employment and improved transport.”

Ms Goward said the partnership with Council would be the first step in creating a “cosmopolitan” district on the peninsula.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Parramatta had the highest number of housing approvals of any council in Western Sydney in the last three months undefined with more than 930 houses approved.

Parramatta is also set to be the location of the first “green grid” pilot, where parklands and open spaces are linked by cycleways and walking tracks.

The metropolitan strategy released by Ms Goward yesterday also identifies 28 “strategic centres”, including Blacktown, Liverpool, Sydney Olympic Park and Hornsby, where the state government will partner with councils to remove blockages to creating thriving shopping strips and street malls.

Campbelltown has been upgraded to a “strategic centre” in the plan, meaning the government will investigate how to boost new jobs and housing in the area.

Opposition planning spokesman Luke Foley said that while he supported growth in Western Sydney, the government was unfairly insulating the North Shore from increased population undefined with Western Sydney expected to grown by 907,000 people by 2031, while the North Shore will only see an extra 133,000 people.

“Our city’s population strategies and planning instruments are being used by the Liberals to run a protection racket to limit population growth in their North Shore heartland,” Mr Foley said.