The Minns Labor Government has released plans to unlock up to 13,000 new, well-located homes in Sydney's west, with a state led rezoning proposal for the Westmead South Precinct placed on exhibition today.
With the backing from Cumberland City Council, the proposal increases the number of homes previously identified under Council's 2024 masterplan from 7,000 to approximately 13,000.
Located near the Parramatta CBD and Westmead Hospital, the precinct will be serviced by the future Westmead Metro Station due to open in 2032, alongside existing heavy rail, light rail and bus services.
Designed to accommodate growth while maintaining the area's liveability, the rezoning builds on the Westmead 2036 Place Strategy by concentrating the most homes within a five-minute walk of the future Metro station.
It makes better use of opportunities close to major health, education and employment hubs, focusing future development in locations with existing and planned transport, jobs and services.
Key features of the proposal include:
- a mix of housing types and heights ranging from two to 38 storeys, with the highest buildings closest to the new Westmead Metro Station,
- between three and five per cent affordable homes in perpetuity,
- up to three hectares of additional public open space, including a new public plaza at the Oakes Centre and a park to park line between Sydney Smith Park and the Mays Hill Precinct,
- improved pedestrian and active transport networks, with Hawkesbury Road connecting the Oakes Centre, schools and communities,
- securing the site for a future new public primary school and community facilities to meet the needs of a growing population,
- opportunities for new shops, cafes, restaurants, and businesses in residential areas, and
- strengthening heritage protections by retaining all existing heritage items and providing additional heritage recognition for the Tooheys Palm Estate.
The Government has also begun the complex work of securing the former Sacred Heart Catholic School site and surrounding land for a future new public primary school, with timing to be guided by student demand and population growth in the area.
The Minns Labor Government's planning reforms have grown the pipeline of homes for NSW, with the highest number of homes under construction in the country; more than 80,000 homes, and thousands more in the pipeline.
This is part of the Government's plan to build a better NSW with more homes, jobs, parks and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and work in the communities they choose.
The proposal is now on public exhibition until 5pm, 16 September 2026 and members of the community are encouraged to have their say.
Drop-in sessions will be held at the Westmead Scout Hall (61A Good Street, Westmead) on Wednesday 2 September between 11am and 2pm and 3.30pm and 6.30pm.
For more information and to provide feedback during the public exhibition period, visit the Westmead South Precinct Rezoning on the NSW Planning Portal.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney, Prue Car said:
"Families in Western Sydney deserve communities that are planned properly. That means delivering homes alongside vital public infrastructure - schools, roads, public transport and open spaces - that people rely on daily.
"The Liberals and Nationals talked about housing and schools for Westmead but didn't deliver.
"The Minns Labor Government is not only unlocking more homes, we're planning for the families who will live in them. That's why we're delivering a major upgrade at Westmead Public School and doing the complex work of securing land for another school in the future."
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:
"This is what a Government that is serious about housing looks like. We are not tinkering around the edges, we are putting forward a proposal that almost doubles housing capacity in one of Sydney's best located precincts.
"The Westmead South Precinct has everything a community needs close by. Hospitals, jobs, schools and now a Metro station on the way. It makes sense to build more homes exactly where people want to live and work.
"This rezoning is a prime example of the Minns Labor Government taking action and making the hard calls that the previous NSW Liberal-National governments avoided. This proposal delivers homes, protects heritage, and creates new public space, all at once."
Member for Granville, Julia Finn said:
"Westmead is already home to one of the busiest health and education precincts in the state, and this rezoning ensures we have more homes in the area to support the growing working community.
"Local families want more housing choice close to jobs, schools and hospitals, and this plan delivers on that while protecting the heritage and green spaces that make this area special.
"We encourage all members of the community to have their say during the public exhibition to help shape the future of this precinct."
Cumberland City Council Mayor, Ola Hamed said:
"Westmead South is a strategic precinct for the Cumberland local government area. It supports specialised health and education services and needs a range of housing options close to local transport and other facilities.
"The NSW Government rezoning plans will help to progress the vision outlined in Council's masterplan for the area.
"I'm pleased to see that the proposal also includes plans for open space, land for a new school and the ability to provide for more community facilities to support the growing population.
"This is an important proposal for our local community and I encourage residents to have their say during the consultation period."
