The 20-year vision for Penrith’s future economic growth

The vision for Penrith New West’s employment lands has been revealed, with the release of Council’s draft Employment Lands Strategy (ELS).

With over 4,000 hectares of existing and potential employment land in the city, Penrith City has a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a leading generator of Greater Sydney’s future productivity. The draft ELS provides a strategic approach to manage the City’s employment land and economic growth over the next two decades.

The strategy concentrates on how to strengthen three employment corridors within the City: East-West, North-South and Western ‘Scenic’ corridor. When combined, these corridors create Penrith’s economic triangle.
The East-West Corridor stretches from St Marys along the main road and rail corridors to Penrith and Emu Plains. The strategy proposes to safeguard capacity for employment in the Penrith and St Marys CBDs to ensure long term viability. Enhancing amenity in existing employment lands across this corridor, particularly transport accessibility, is another recommendation in the ELS.

The North-South Corridor begins in St Marys and stretches south via the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line towards the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. Characterised as the New Enterprise corridor, the ELS recommends the identification of suitable lands to attract and grow new businesses in the emerging circular economy. There are also opportunities to build on the existing strengths and businesses in this corridor including advanced manufacturing and freight and logistics to support the Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis.

The Western Corridor encompasses the area from the Western Sydney Airport in the south, along the Nepean River to Penrith Lakes in the north. The preservation of this scenic corridor will enhance Penrith’s unique natural, scenic and cultural landscapes. This provides potential tourism and leisure opportunities as well as suiting rural enterprises and agribusiness.

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM said this new strategic framework recognises and responds to the challenges and opportunities facing Penrith with place-based priorities and actions.

“Penrith is located in one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and with this growth comes an opportunity to create and renew great places across the City,” Cr McKeown said.

The directions and actions as set out in the draft ELS seek to maximise the economic opportunities to provide a reliable pipeline of serviced land for a range of businesses. The strategy would also see improved amenity and connectivity in the city’s key centres and employment precincts, along with a rise in the number and diversity of local jobs.

The draft ELS builds on recent government plans and investments for Penrith City and sets key directions and actions for retaining, managing and planning the city’s employment lands in line with the vision of a connected, healthy, innovative and balanced city as set out in Penrith’s Local Strategic Planning Statement.

The draft Employment Lands Strategy is on public exhibition from now until 3 August 2021. View these documents and provide feedback at yoursaypenrith.com.au/employmentlands

Image: Penrith's economic triangle (source: draft Employment Lands Strategy)