AGY-5205 | Growth Centres Commission

Full description

The Growth Centres Commission was constituted on 1 July 2005 as a development corporation under the Growth Centres (Development Corporations) Act 1974 (Act No.49, 1974) by the Growth Centres Commission Order 2005. (1) Development corporations were responsible for 'promoting, co-ordinating, managing and securing the orderly and economic development of the growth centre in respect of which it was constituted.' The Commission was governed by a Chief Executive. (2) The Growth Centres Commission was a successor to the Sydney West Airport Development Corporation. (3)

The principal functions of the Commission were: preparing plans for the funding and development of regional infrastructure; controlling Precinct Plans for each precinct (or part of a precinct where anomalies exist in the boundaries) within the North West and South West Growth Centres; recommending to the Minister for Planning new precincts for staged land release; administration - including collection, holding and management - of the new Special Infrastructure Contributions to pay for regional infrastructure; implementing regional infrastructure in consultation with state agencies to support new development; and negotiating with government, landowners and developers to ensure development is facilitated in a sustainable and timely way. (4)

The Growth Centres were defined areas in Sydney's North West and South West. In December 2004, the NSW Government announced the new land release plan for the South West and North West Growth Centres as a key plank of the Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney. The Growth Centres would accommodate 30 to 40 percent of Sydney's long term housing growth. (5) Three Council areas had suburbs in the North West Growth Centre - Baulkham Hills, Blacktown and Hawkesbury. The North West Growth Centre, comprised of sixteen precincts, was approximately 10,000 hectares and would contain about 66,000 new homes. (6) Three Council areas had suburbs in the South West Growth Centre - Liverpool, Camden and Campbelltown. The South West Growth Centre, comprised of eighteen precincts, was approximately 17,000 hectares and had capacity for around 115,000 new homes. (7)

Under the State Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget Measures) Act 2008 (Act No.122, 2008), the Growth Centres Commission was dissolved on 10 December 2008. The assets, rights and liabilities of the Growth Centre Commission were transferred to the relevant corporation. The areas of land comprising the North West and South West Growth Centres were changed to be listed as Community Infrastructure Trust Fund areas. (8)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette, No.81, 1 July 2005, pp.3397-3398.
2. Growth Centres Development Corporations Act, 1974 (Act No. 49, 1974), s.71.
3. Growth Centres Development Commission Order 2005 (2005 No 322) cl.5; NSW Government Gazette No.81, 1 July 2005, p.3397.
4. Growth Centres Commission website, http://www.gcc.nsw.gov.au/the-commission.aspx (accessed 9 February 2007).
5. Ibid.
6. Growth Centres Commission website http://www.gcc.nsw.gov.au/the-growth-centres/north-west-growth-centre.aspx (accessed 9 February 2007).
7. Growth Centres Commission website http://www.gcc.nsw.gov.au/the-growth-centres/south-west-growth-centre.aspx (accessed 9 February 2007).
8. State Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget Measures) Act 2008 (Act No.122, 2008), Sch.11.