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The Melrose Park Precinct is approximately 55 hectares in size, and is divided into Northern and Southern Growth Precincts. The maps below demarcate the Melrose Park Precinct, with Hope Street delineating the Melrose Park North Precinct from the Melrose Park South Precinct.
Planning for the redevelopment of this precinct commenced in 2016 and has involved consultation between Council, landowners, applicants and various State agencies.
Reason for change
(Back to top)Land use needs in Sydney have changed significantly over the years with many existing industrial areas are no longer considered suitable or viable for continued industrial operations. Melrose Park is one area that has experienced a decline in recent years due to the restructuring of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, which is progressively relocating its operations off-shore or to larger industrial parks.
These companies were located within large purpose-built warehouses that are difficult to adapt for other uses. This combined with other factors such as distance from major arterial transport corridors and the close proximity to residential areas means that the precinct is no longer considered suitable for industrial uses and therefore presents a good opportunity for urban renewal.
Planning Background
(Back to top)Employment Lands Strategy
Land use needs in Sydney have changed significantly over the years with many existing industrial areas no longer considered suitable for continued industrial operations. The Parramatta Employment Lands Strategy 2016 (reviewed in 2020) found Melrose Park had experienced a decline due to the restructuring of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, which is progressively relocating its operations offshore or to larger industrial parks.
The large purpose-built warehouses that occupied Melrose Park were difficult to adapt for other uses. This combined with other factors such as distance from major arterial transport corridors and the close proximity to residential areas rendered the precinct unsuitable for continuing industrial uses. As such the precinct was designated for urban renewal by Council.
Structure Plans
The Melrose Park Structure Plans guide the precinct’s urban renewal, ensuring a coordinated approach to redevelopment by Council, landowners, and State agencies. The Structure Plans provide an overview of where density and supporting infrastructure should be located. Unlike a Planning Proposal, the Structure Plans do not rezone land or change any planning controls such as building heights and floor space ratios.
Transport Management & Accessibility Plan
The development in Melrose Park precinct is underpinned by a Transport Management and Accessibility Plan (TMAP). The TMAP has been endorsed by TfNSW and is required to be used as a supporting technical document for all Planning Proposals within the precinct, in addition to the standard site-specific traffic and transport impact assessments that are submitted with Planning Proposal applications.
The TMAP identifies that the Precinct (North and South) can accommodate up to 11,000 dwellings providing the required infrastructure is delivered as included in the Implementation Plan.
The Implementation Plan specifies when the new infrastructure is required to be delivered/in place relative to the number of dwellings in the precinct. These are known as trigger points. The key trigger point is the bridge to Wentworth Point. Without the bridge, the number of dwellings that can be delivered across the entire precinct (north and south) is limited to 6,700. Should a bridge be constructed then the maximum 11,000 dwellings can be supported. This is providing all the other required infrastructure is also delivered.
The required infrastructure will be funded through a combination of Local and State Planning Agreements between developers and Council (Local Planning Agreement), developers and the State Government (State Planning Agreement), and development contributions. Local Planning Agreements typically include infrastructure that will directly service the needs of the Melrose Park residents, such as open space and community centres, whereas the State Planning Agreements typically include contributions to the infrastructure that will be utilised on a broader regional scale, such as upgrades to major roads and schools.
Planning Proposals
(Back to top)Redevelopment of the Northern Precinct is more advanced than the Southern Precinct, due to landowner arrangements. Approximately 85% of the land in the Northern Precinct, is owned by the developers Sekisui (the landholding was formerly owned by Payce) & Deicorp. The major landowner in the Southern Precinct is Holdmark, who own just under 50% of the land.
To enable redevelopment to occur a Planning Proposal is required to amend the Parramatta Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2023. Section 8.2.6 of the Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 applies to rezoned land in the Melrose Park precinct.
Melrose Park North
Melrose Park North Planning Proposal (RZ/1/2016)
Land at 8 Wharf Road (Wharf Road site), 38-42, 44 & 44A Wharf Road and 27-29 Hughes Avenue, Melrose Park (Deicorp & Sekisui site) and 15-19 Hughes Avenue and 655 Victoria Road, Ermington (Ermington Gospel Trust site) has been rezoned for urban development.
The rezoning will facilitate a total of 5,500 dwellings. Most of the new dwellings (5000) will be delivered on the Sekisui (formerly owned by Payce) and Deicorp sites. The new planning controls for the Sekisui and Deicorp sites came into effect on 10 November 2023.
The Planning Agreement includes:
- Land dedication for public open space and its embellishment.
- Social and community benefits including affordable rental housing, smart cities, Ermington Community Hub and a shuttle bus service; and
- Road infrastructure benefits.
The Development contributions will be paid in accordance with the City of Parramatta Council Section 94A Development Contributions Plan (Amendment No. 5) 2017.
Council officers are currently negotiating Planning Agreements for the remaining two sites within the Planning Proposal area at 8 Wharf Road and 15-19 Hughes Avenue & 655 Victoria Road.
Tomola Planning Proposal (RZ/1/2021)
In June - July 2024 the City of Parramatta publicly exhibited a Planning Proposal for land at 19 Hope Street, Melrose Park and 69-77 Hughes Avenue, Ermington, also known as the Tomola site. The Planning Proposal seeks to amend the controls in Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 (PLEP 2023) to facilitate a future mixed-use development and public open space.
The Planning Proposal aligns with Council’s adopted Melrose Park Structure Plan that establishes a guide for the future land uses and built form to be established in the Precinct.
A draft Planning Agreement has also been negotiated with the landowner to provide the requisite supporting infrastructure. The draft Planning Agreement is worth approximately $3.4M and proposes the following:
- The provision of two (2) 2-bedroom affordable housing units with a total of two allocated parking bays, dedicated to Council in perpetuity.
- Landscaping, embellishment and dedication to Council of new public open space with a total area of 2,673m2
Melrose Park South
Holdmark Planning Proposal (RZ/1/2020)
Land at 112 Wharf Road and 30 & 32 Waratah Street, Melrose Park (East site) and 82 Hughes Avenue, Ermington (West Site) has been rezoned for urban development.
The rezoning will facilitate a total of 1,925 total dwellings (835 units on the East site, 1090 units on the West site).
The Planning Agreement includes:
- Affordable rental housing (24 units with a minimum of 34 bedrooms) dedicated to Council in perpetuity ($16,169,411).
- Dedication of land at no cost to Council and embellishment of land to be used as public open space ($21,077,414).
The Development contributions will be paid in accordance with the City of Parramatta Council Section 94A Development Contributions Plan (Amendment No. 5) 2017.
