Jobs Growth & Infrastructure in the Hills
As business continues to grow and boom in the Hills, finding affordable and adequately sized commercial space to house your team and run your operations can become a problem.
Planning and implementing the right infrastructure to support travelling to from and around the region can be problematic as well.
Many of the newer developments in the region suit businesses operating Urban Services and Retail -but not office-based teams of 10-25+ people (requiring 150-200sqm or more). This space has been sacrificed to residential units or small factory style developments. While the latter are great for trade or small manufacture/import export style operations, they’re not suitable for everyone.
Employees are increasingly looking to work for businesses that enable them to do less commuting and give them a local workplace in areas that allow them to live and enjoy services that meet the needs of both their families and lifestyles.
This is a challenge – not just for businesses trying to hire great employees – but also for the local and state government planning teams as they try to work together to get the right mix, at the right time.
As part of our recent Chairman’s Lunch and follow up process, we asked Hills Shire General Manager, Mike Edgar, for his thoughts on 2 big issues for our region: Jobs Growth and Infrastructure.
Question 1: When it comes to planning for jobs growth – and businesses being able to secure commercial office space big enough to grow and affordable to sustain – how is Council enabling solutions to this outside of Norwest Business Park?
Mike Edgar: Council has several precincts across the Shire that will support jobs growth and Norwest Business Park will be a main contributor.
Across those precincts, we have sought to provide encouragement in land use, lot sizes, and different locations to provide diversity of product.
So much of the affordability questions are outside the Council’s direct control, as the price for land and the costs of buildings are subject to so many market variables.
The supply pipeline is also outside the Council’s direct control, as the financing and delivery has so many variables.
What the Council can do is zone the land, provide relevant development standards that shape the development, and provide the infrastructure to incentivise investment.
You might also be pleased to know that the Council’s rate model is favourable to employment zones when compared to other Councils.
Traditionally, for us the big driver of jobs growth has been population growth. Over the past few years, we have seen employment zoned land developed after many decades of inactivity.
Some of this land has been zoned for employment uses since the mid-1990s. It has been our phenomenal growth in the housing sector that’s created the right environment for these sites to develop.
When you take a look at the tenants, they are very much occupied by businesses that support the needs of an urban population. You would expect this trend to continue, given the amount of housing still to arrive.
Council has worked very effectively and secured major State and Federal Government grants to help accelerate infrastructure.
These infrastructure projects are large and take some time to work – from design through to securing the approvals. In the coming years, I am expecting many projects, particularly roads projects, which will commence and start to unlock zoned land.
Given where these projects currently stand, we just might be on the cusp of seeing employment land uses open up.
The Council is starting to see applicant proposals move closer to construction approvals following the opening of the North West Metro.
Clearly, the pace of delivery is going to be highly depended on the economic cycle. We have to watch closely the impacts of inflation, supply chain interference, and interest rates in the coming months and years.
Question 2 : We’re seeing Precincts being developed, such as the new Meadowbank Jobs Precinct and the TechCentral Haymarket/Ultimo Precinct, with Councils leading the precinct planning for areas. What are your thoughts on these areas?
Mike Edgar: The quality of our residents’ lives has been front of mind for the Council over many years. We have always understood that the Shire is expected to do a great deal to provide opportunities for homes and jobs.
This has and will continue to change the Shire, as well as the life experiences our residents. The Council is focused on measuring quality of life and looking for ways to manage the growth to ensure The Hills Shire remains a great place to live, work, and play – even though it has, and will, change.
The Council is focused on allowing development growth where it makes sense.
We want to protect the low-density residential land that so many families call home. To do so, our precinct plans and changes to our planning controls have put the highest densities in areas of the highest amenities – close to public transport and services.
We are actively working on precinct planning to inform future development in Castle Hill, Norwest, and the Castle Hills trading zone.
The precinct planning work will not only identify opportunities and constraints, but will also identify improvements that can be made to our roads, public domain, open spaces, and community facilities to improve liveability.
The Council alone cannot achieve this. But by working in collaboration with the community, landowners, developers, and State and Federal agencies, we can.
New technology in the future will also play a role in supporting our liveability, as it has done in the past.
Other precincts in our Shire that have seen a lot of planning work by both the Council and NSW Government include Norwest, Bella Vista, Kellyville, and Rouse Hill. The planning of these areas will see new buildings and infrastructure to allow these precincts to develop over the coming decades.
So much of this planning has been focused on sustainability and liveability. The NSW Government’s investment in the new Rouse Hill Hospital will also present opportunities. The Western Sydney Airport will as well.
Question 3: Our local businesses are keen to understand how investment in infrastructure is being managed by Hills Council. Could you please talk to us about this topic – as well as the speed at which the development of business precincts such as Castle Hill, Norwest, and Rouse Hill are being rolled out?
Mike Edgar: You are right to ask the question about financing infrastructure. The Councils’ rates are unable to finance new infrastructure.
Effectively, the annual rate revenue the Council receives covers the cost of maintenance and renewal of existing assets. So much of our growth and infrastructure to support that growth will come from revenue sources outside of the Council, including State and Federal governments, developers, and landowners.
In a perfect world, we would all like to see the infrastructure precede development. Regrettably, the opportunity to do so is rare. It’s often the development that arrives that starts to generate the revenues through taxes and contributions, which allows the various levels of government to fund the identified infrastructure.
They key thing is – there is generally a great understanding of what is needed. It then takes time to gather the funding to deliver it. The Council works very hard to prepare local infrastructure plans – collecting the revenue, applying for grants, seeking approvals, and delivering the works as soon as we can.
Question 4: How is the Council supporting growth and job creation in the region in the short and long term? What is the Council’s role in achieving those job growth targets? How will we balance that with liveability?
Mike Edgar: In terms of supporting growth, the Hills Shire has had the benefit of some major infrastructure wins.
The North West Metro, delivered by the State Government, is a significant investment that can and should change the way we move in, out and within our Shire.
The upgrade to key roads and motorways is another win for our area.
Our Shire has fantastic schools and recreational facilities – and is a wonderful part of Sydney to live.
We attract investment by the private sector in significant projects such as schools, universities, private recreational facilities, entertainment venues, and shopping and medical support services that contribute to the enjoyment of our Shire.
By any quality-of-life measure, our community enjoys a high standard of living. We would expect that in the future such infrastructure wins, that contribute to our quality of life, will continue.
Stay up to date on planning in our region
Finding a way to keep informed and aware of the complex plans, policies, economic, and competitive environments your business operates in is important. It’s part of your role as a business leader or own to ensure you have a say in the policies and plans that could positively or negatively impact your ability to operate a successful enterprise.
Find more information about the Plans for the Hills region in our September 2022 Blog HERE.
The Chamber will continue to work closely with The Hills Shire Council to ensure the Hills is a place where there are opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive, and for our employees and business owners to enjoy living in. If this is an area of interest for you, you can become more involved in our programs by contacting [email protected]
Become a member of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber so you can be supported by other business owners, connect with referral sources, and explore opportunities for joint-ventures and collaborations: