City of Parramatta calls for Camellia planning to charge ahead

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer has called on the NSW Government to commit to a Metro West station at Camellia and push ahead with longstanding plans to transform the riverside suburb into a thriving jobs hub and residential precinct.

“The City of Parramatta is experiencing an unprecedented boom and Council has been working closely with key stakeholders, including the NSW Government, to plan for this massive growth,” Cr Dwyer said.

“Camellia is a key part of the City’s story. Its location on the Parramatta River and near the Parramatta CBD makes it an obvious precinct for jobs, housing and transport – including a new Metro West station.

“The NSW Government shouldn’t be abandoning plans for Camellia’s revitalisation when Sydney’s economy is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis and needs investment in city-shaping projects.”

Cr Dwyer said he strongly opposes the Greater Sydney Commission’s (GSC) recommendation to retain underused Camellia’s current zoning rather than redeveloping it. 

The NSW Government is currently considering the draft Greater Parramatta and Olympic Peninsula Place-based Infrastructure Compact (PIC) Pilot, its strategy for the region’s growth and infrastructure development released by the GSC late last year.

As Council outlined in its submission to the GSC, excluding the industrial area from broader land use changes:

ignores the years of collaborative strategic and master-planning work done by Council and the NSW Government, such as the Camellia Town Centre Master Plan 2018, and the GSC’s own District Plan; fails to support the investment being made in a Parramatta Light Rail stop in Camellia; ignores the precinct’s strategic positioning close to the Parramatta CBD; and fails to address the precinct’s current underutilisation.

“Construction is already under way on Stage 1 of the Parramatta Light Rail, with a stop at Camellia-Rosehill to make the precinct more accessible for future residents and workers,” Cr Dwyer said.

“If anything, we should be accelerating the timeframe for Camellia’s transformation and reviewing the plans rather than scrapping them altogether.”

City of Parramatta Council continues to advocate for a Metro West station to be provided at Camellia – or, at the very least, provision for a future station.

“It would be a missed opportunity if Camellia was left off the critical Metro West network,” Cr Dwyer said.

“Parramatta is at the centre of global Sydney and needs to be well-connected. A Metro station at Camellia will not only benefit our City but Sydney as a whole – now and for decades to come.”

Cr Dwyer said Council stands with other key groups in advocating for Camellia’s transformation.

“I urge the NSW Government to not support the Greater Sydney Commission’s recommendation on Camellia,” Cr Dwyer said.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with the NSW Government to ensure we get the best outcome for all involved, and to see Camellia transformed into a productive, connected, sustainable, and liveable precinct.”