For a place that technically doesn’t exist yet, Bradfield City is already having a pretty big moment. Gradually coming to life on the doorstep of Sydney’s new international airport, the first new city to be built in Australia in 100 years is shifting from bold promise to bricks-and-mortar reality, with the NSW Government announcing a new, $1 billion development agreement.
The deal will see the development company Plenary transform Bradfield’s very first ‘Superlot’ – a 5.7-hectare patch of land sitting next to the city’s first building, it’s NYC-style Central Park and the new Metro station – into a fully fledged mixed-use precinct.
At the heart of the plan are 1,400 new homes, with at least ten per cent locked in as affordable housing. A quarter of the site will be dedicated to commercial and community uses, including advanced industries, a hotel, essential services like childcare and health facilities, a university campus, and a 1,500-square-metre food and beverage venue overlooking the city’s Central Park.
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According to the NSW Government, this deal will form the foundational layer of Bradfield City. Development is set to roll out in stages, generating thousands of construction jobs and injecting serious momentum into Western Sydney’s economy. Over the next five years, Stage One will focus on the essentials that make a city actually feel like a city: lively public spaces, childcare, affordable housing, higher education and dynamic commercial hubs.
By 2026, Plenary will kick off the process of securing a university partner and a major commercial anchor tenant, while lodging State Significant Development Applications for the food-and-beverage venue and a broader concept plan covering housing, commercial spaces and a hotel on the site’s northern edge. According to the NSW Government, planning assessments for the major elements will be fast-tracked as State Significant Developments – with government ministers pitching Bradfield as a vital piece of Sydney’s growth.
Planning Minister Paul Scully says the development is set to build on the momentum of the opening of the city’s first building, which he believes is “already establishing Bradfield as a hub for innovation with customers across Sydney.”
Acting Western Sydney Minister Courtney Houssos describes the city as a globally connected, round-the-clock destination designed to support new industries and jobs for decades to come. And the numbers back it up: once complete, Bradfield City is set to deliver 10,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs, anchoring Western Sydney’s future in a position where transport, education and industry collide.
For now, Bradfield remains a work in progress – but this agreement gives a guaranteed boost to Sydney’s new city. You can learn more over here.
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