A proposed hi-tech water recycling plant, which will help sustain the Western Parkland City's main waterway and create a more liveable city, has been declared critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) by the NSW Government.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said if approved, the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre at Kemps Creek will secure a water system for more than 1.5 million people expected to call Western Sydney's new city home.
"The proposed development will pump millions of megalitres of clean water into the City's main waterway - Wianamatta-South Creek - providing a cost-effective water supply for thousands of new homes and businesses," Mr Stokes said.
"By replenishing the City's central waterway, which is at the centre of all new development, the project will help to bring down Western Sydney's high temperatures."
The project supports the vision for the Western Parkland City, to create quality places for the community and keep water resources in the catchment to support greening and reduce heat island effects.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said the water recycling facility would be the Government's largest investment in water resilience in Western Sydney in more than a decade.
"We are looking to the future when it comes to the way we and can use water more sustainably, moving from single-use to multi-reuse," Mrs Pavey said.
"The facility would use renewable energy to harness industry-leading water recycling technology, making this a significant investment into green infrastructure."
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said if approved, the new plant would be operational by mid-2025.
"The project would help deliver $10 billion in social and economic benefits in Western Sydney, through jobs and investment," Mr Ayres said.
"In the long term, well over 1.5 million people will live and work in the new Western Parkland City. Significant investments like this will help support the entire area and bring a greater diversity of jobs closer to where people live in the west.
The proposal is for the construction and operation of an advanced water recycling plant at Kemps Creek and includes 21km of pipeline for the transportation of treated water to the Nepean River at Wallacia and Warragamba River at Warragamba, and 24km of pipeline for the transportation of brine to the sewerage reticulation system at Lansdowne.
A CSSI declaration does not change the assessment process, with Sydney Water required to respond to issues raised in the recent exhibition period of the Environmental Impact Statement before a final determination is made on the project.
