The NSW government is planning for 7,600 new homes in Sydney’s Macquarie Park as part of its 20-year strategy that is now on public exhibition.

In June, 2021 as part of its budget announcement, the state government committed AU$20 million towards rezoning 12 strategic, major precincts in Sydney, including Macquarie Park.

While the draft place strategy does not seek to rezone land, it will guide councils, state agencies and the private sector on land use to ensure investment and infrastructure is aligned with the growth anticipated by the state government.

Minister for planning and public spaces Rob Stokes said future development would help Macquarie Park transition from a successful suburban business park to a vibrant commercial and residential center.

“Our discussions with the community and businesses have shaped this proposal to create a world-class precinct that will become an economic and employment powerhouse in Sydney,” Stokes said.

“We’ve worked closely with the Greater Sydney Commission and City of Ryde Council to deliver a dynamic vision for the future of Macquarie Park through to 2041 and beyond.”

Under its strategy, the state government plans to deliver seven new residential neighborhoods as well as 14 hectares of new parks, squares, plazas, cycleways and linear parks plus 2.7 hectares of enhanced open space.

The entire 350 hectares being considered for development includes land between Macquarie Centre and Ivanhoe Estate to Lachlan’s Line and Riverside Corporate Park. It is bound by Epping Road, Delhi Road, M2 Motorway and Vimiera Road and sits next to the Lane Cove National Park.

The seven neighborhood areas, alongside the already-rezoned areas of Herring Road Precinct and North Ryde Station Precinct, will be known as North Park, Waterloo Park, Shrimptons Quarter, Macquarie Living Station, Porters Creek, Wicks Road South and North Ryde Riverside.

New commercial and retail floor space will be added to the existing 894,000 square meters and 140,000 square meters of space respectively that is currently available in Macquarie Park.

The state government has forecast that the additional floor space will create upwards of 20,000 new jobs in the region during the next 20 years.

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