Community to fight Macquarie Park rezoning plan
Published on 12 December 2023
City of Ryde is encouraging the community to help contribute to Council’s submission to a proposed State Government rezoning of the Macquarie Park Innovation District that has the potential to decimate employment in Sydney’s Global Economic Corridor.
Under the NSW Government proposal, not only will 68ha of land in the heart of the Macquarie Park Innovation District be rezoned from employment lands to residential, but more than 5,000 Build-to-Rent apartments are planned, which Minister for Planning Scully has told City of Ryde will replace at least 23,000 jobs and the broader innovation ecosystem.
City of Ryde Mayor Clr Sarkis Yedelian OAM said the State Government’s persistence to provide Build-to-Rent housing at any cost will be to the detriment of the tens of thousands of jobs that Macquarie Park provides for our national economy. Existing housing developments planned for Macquarie Park will already see at least another 50,000 new residents added to this precinct in the next 5-10 years.
“This will further burden already strained local infrastructure and further increase traffic congestion and pollution on already choked major roads,” he said.
“This destruction of employment spaces will create a massive legacy for future generations of workers that will be office-less across all of Sydney, especially Macquarie Park.”
City of Ryde CEO Wayne Rylands said the State Government proposal was short-sighted, did not factor the growing national importance of research and development-led enterprises, and would destroy the fabric of what has made the Macquarie Park Innovation District an Australian success-story for over 60 years.
“Our Council remains committed to ensuring that optimal planning outcomes are created to not just maintain but enhance Macquarie Park’s position as the country’s premier Innovation District,” he said.
“We don’t see why Build-to-Rent should be replacing enterprise and innovation when they could co-exist with thoughtful planning that considers not just short-term housing solutions but also the significant long-term benefits that innovation and quality employment brings to our country.”
Information on the planning proposal is available on the NSW Government’s planning portal.
The City of Ryde has been granted an extension to make a submission in February 2024. Residents and business owners can contact Council by emailing invest@ryde.nsw.gov.au and the City Economy team will be in touch.