The NSW state government has announced yet another round of land release in Sydney’s outer suburbs, contributing to the perpetuation of urban sprawl that is blighting the city.

Since 2005, around 40,000 lots have been released in growth centres with nearly 20,000 lots already rezoned.

Farm and rural land will be carved up in this next phase of land release in growth centres in Sydney’s south west and north west.

“We are in the very early stages of planning for new housing and employment land in the growth centres,” Keneally said.

Box Hill, Box Hill Industrial and Schofields precincts in the north west, and North Leppington and Austral precincts in the south west are slated for land release.

Around 1,400ha of land in the Hills Shire and Blacktown areas is earmarked for new dwellings, along with 200ha of employment land.

Liverpool and Camden councils will be approached about the release of 1,700ha of land for new houses.

The development industry is welcoming the move.

“We are already planning sufficient land supplies in the south west growth centre to meet housing needs in the area for the next 25 years,” Keneally said.

“The government is focusing on delivering land to meet demand in the south west growth centres, and delivering infrastructure to support that such as the South West Rail Line.

“We have allocated $804 million this year for stage 1 of the South West Rail Line.”

Keneally said given the focus on providing homes close to infrastructure and jobs, investigations will cease into a proposed housing release in Macarthur South, 25 kilometres south of Campbelltown.

Macarthur South, if allowed to fully develop, would have seen up to 62,000 houses built in an area of about 17,000 hectares. The area is about the same size as the south west growth centre.

Gemma Battenbough

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