This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
AN unused site on the doorstep of Sydney’s second CBD Parramatta which has been locked in bureaucratic limbo for more than 10 years will finally be put to good use.
The Rydalmere site was identified by the Minns Government’s land audit, prompting government agencies to end the bureaucratic back and forth and unlock the site for the future delivery of housing.
The Rydalmere site includes a former residential care facility for people with profound disability which has been earmarked for divestment since 2008 and the former Macquarie Boys High School which closed in 2009.
The government plans to rezone the 19.4-hectare site on the corners of Victoria Road, James Ruse Drive and Kissing Point Road at Rydalmere, as part the $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW program to deliver 30,000 homes across the state.
Pending approval, the proposed rezoning will deliver a diverse range of housing, open space, including accessible bushland reserve alongside Vineyard Creek, commercial and retail space, and a new internal road network.
Property & Development NSW will undertake an expressions of interest campaign to secure a development partner to deliver approximately 2,300 homes from 2028, contingent on planning and regulatory approvals. The EOI campaign will conclude on Friday 14 February 2025.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the government has made housing the number one priority.
“The Rydalmere site has been sitting vacant and unused for more than a decade. We will deliver a new integrated residential precinct to help address the housing crisis while delivering important social infrastructure and services for this growing region,” he added.
PDNSW executive director commercial Stace Fishwick said the agency will now work to identify a development partner to realise the government’s vision for this important site that will ensure many more people have a new place to call home in a quality environment.
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis welcomed the decision and said the Rydalmere site has been in mothballs for far too long.
“Now we can realise its full potential to provide a variety of housing that suits the needs of future generations.
“We will look to accelerate urban renewal and the provision of housing choice, including Silver Standard accessible homes within the Greater Parramatta area.” Davis said.
