Western Sydney Aerotropolis Stormwater

Sydney water is committed to delivering efficient and timely investment in the Aerotropolis precincts to support urban development. The information below outlines our approach to Stormwater Infrastructure Contribution Bonding for the remaining precincts (Bradfield, Badgerys Creek, Northern Gateway and Agri-business).

If you have planned development in these areas, we would welcome the opportunity to engage with you early to allow time to explore how the stormwater scheme can be optimised and integrated with your development to minimise costs and maximise developable land, whilst achieving the waterway health objectives.

Our innovative approach to managing stormwater in the Aerotropolis.

• To support liveable cities and healthy, resilient communities as Western Sydney grows, the New South Wales Government introduced new waterway health targets for the Wianamatta–South Creek catchment.
• Achieving these environmental, social and economic objectives required a new approach to planning growth to integrate water management early to protect sensitive waterways as development happens to prevent degradation, erosion and pollution.
• In 2022, Sydney Water was appointed by the New South Wales Government as the Regional Stormwater Authority for the Aerotropolis Initial Precincts. In this role we are delivering, managing and maintaining the regional stormwater network along with drinking water, wastewater and recycled water networks on behalf of the Government.
• This provides a once in a generation opportunity to rethink how we deliver essential infrastructure and services, integrating them with the natural landscape to create more sustainable, resilient and liveable places.

Delivering stormwater infrastructure as the region grows.

• Stormwater infrastructure requires significant investment and will be delivered gradually over the next 10-20 years in alignment with the predicted completion of the precincts to minimise and manage the impacts of development as it occurs in the Aerotropolis.
• To support development before the scheme designs and a registered Development Servicing Plan with IPART are finalised, Sydney Water will adopt a Stormwater Infrastructure Contribution Bond.
• This bonding amount acts as a ‘financial security’ and ensures all development across the Aerotropolis contribute to the cost of providing stormwater services and allows Sydney Water to progress Section 73 compliance certificates for development proceeding ahead of a registered Development Servicing Plan.
• A bonding rate of $1.019 million ($FY25) per developable hectare has been set, based on the efficiencies and learnings from IPART’s review of the Mamre Road scheme. This is 40 per cent less than initial estimates. This amount will increase each year in line with CPI.
• Sydney Water is working to further optimise the design and configuration for the scheme, while maintaining a focus on achieving the waterway health targets, and adopting lessons learnt from Mamre Road.
• The bonding amount may change as Sydney Water keeps working with developers and government to further optimise the scheme. Sydney Water will regularly review the bond amount and may update it to reflect future scheme costs.
• Once planning is complete, the draft Development Servicing Plan(s) and associated infrastructure charges will be publicly exhibited by Sydney Water in late 2025, before being registered with IPART.
• There may be one or more Development Servicing Plans registered for the Aerotropolis Initial Precincts based on the final scheme designs and configurations.

If there are any question, please email aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au.

The public exhibition period will run from Wednesday 8 January 2025 until Thursday 20 February 2025 and provides the community an opportunity to read the document, seek clarification and provide feedback directly to Sydney Water.

Please click here to access the documents.

Feedback on the document can be submitted via email to aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au no later than Thursday 20 February 2025.

Sydney Water will consider all written submissions as part of the process of the DSP being registered with IPART. We will not publish individual submissions however, we will provide a ‘what we heard’ summary report on our website and provide a copy of all submissions to our regulator, IPART when we submit the finalised DSP for registration. Sydney Water may also use information gathered (with identifying information removed) in development of future documents to inform other government agencies and/or IPART.

If you need any support on how to make a submission, please email the team at aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au.

The Mamre Road Integrated Stormwater Development Servicing Plan (DSP) exhibition period will start on Wednesday 8 January 2025 until Thursday 20 February 2025.

The public exhibition provides the community an opportunity to read the document, seek clarification and provide feedback directly to Sydney Water. The Mamre Road DSP was updated by Sydney Water to reflect findings from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) stormwater scheme efficiency review. After the exhibition period, Sydney Water will finalise the DSP, considering all stakeholder comments, and submit it to IPART for registration.

Further information will be posted when the exhibition period opens.

We hope you can join us to learn more about projects in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Mamre Road precinct.

NSW Government agencies, as well as Penrith and Liverpool Council, will be in attendance to provide information and answer questions about developments in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Mamre Road precincts.

Event Details

More information can be found here

We are pleased to announce that after extensive consultation, Sydney Water has now published the final Stormwater Developer Works Policy which applies to the Mamre Road and Aerotropolis Initial Precincts.

The policy provides the mechanism for developers to be reimbursed for stormwater works delivered on behalf of Sydney Water.

The policy has been informed by two exhibition periods and we would like to thank everyone who provided us with valuable feedback during this consultation. Additional issues raised during the recent exhibition are summarised in the Addendum to the Outcomes Report. This should be read in conjunction with the Outcomes Report for a comprehensive overview of consultation outcomes

Sydney Water will continue to work on efficiencies in the developer works process and are committed to regular updates of the policy to incorporate any efficiencies where practical and appropriate.

For any questions on the policy content or application, please email aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au.

Following public consultation commencing in late 2023 and concluding on 11 January 2024 Sydney Water has further refined the draft Stormwater Developer Works Policy for the Mamre Road and Aerotropolis Initial Precincts. The Policy stipulates how developers will be reimbursed for the design and construction of regional stormwater infrastructure on behalf of Sydney Water in these precincts.

We know that the details of the policy have the potential to influence the approach to development in these areas. In order to ensure all relevant feedback is captured, we have provided a copy of the Final Draft of the policy and Appendix A (Inclusions & Exclusions). We will accept concise and material comments from stakeholders for a period of two weeks commencing on 16 September.

Written responses should be sent to aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au and will be accepted until close of business 30 September 2024. We will review these responses and make appropriate updates before finalising the policy by late October 2024.

Please note:

Sydney Water is finalising the NSW Government approval process for funding of the Mamre Road Stormwater Scheme and is currently in the process of scheme planning and optimisation for the Aerotropolis Initial Precincts.

Once Development Servicing Plans have been registered with IPART for these areas, Sydney Water can enter into commercial agreements with developers and landowners for the funding of developer delivered stormwater infrastructure. Consequently, any expenditure by a developer / landowner on stormwater infrastructure prior to finalisation of this approval process remains at their own risk. Until then, Sydney Water will not take ownership of, nor reimburse costs associated with stormwater infrastructure or servicing. Where works are proposed in advance of this, Sydney Water is open to discussing arrangements to enable future reimbursement in accordance with the Policy. This may be in the form of a Letter of Intent, as noted in the Policy.

IPART is currently undertaking an independent efficiency review of the Mamre Road Stormwater Scheme. The findings of this review may influence the future content of this policy.

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Update on Final Draft Stormwater Developer Works Policy

The consultation period is now closed. We would like to thank all participants for their involvement and appreciate the valuable contributions made during this process.

Next Steps:

We will consider the relevant matters raised in the feedback received in the finalisation of the Stormwater Developer Works Policy.

As we move forward, we encourage all stakeholders to continue engaging with us throughout the process. We value your input and look forward to working together. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at aerostormwater@sydneywater.com.au.

*DISCLAIMER* 

In late 2023, Sydney Water launched a public consultation on the draft Stormwater Developer Works Policy, seeking feedback from the development industry. The consultation ran over eight weeks, and included and online survey and a Developer Briefing Session.

We thank the industry for taking the time to provide submissions on the Policy.

This Engagement Outcomes Report provides an overview of the feedback shared during the consultation process and actions to be taken by Sydney Water. This feedback is being used to inform the finalisation of the Policy.

Please note: Sydney Water is nearing finalisation of the NSW Government approval process for funding of the Mamre Road Stormwater scheme. Once approval is granted and the Development Services Plan has been registered with IPART, Sydney Water can enter into commercial agreements with developers and landowners for the funding of developer delivered stormwater infrastructure. Consequently, any expenditure by a developer / landowner on stormwater infrastructure prior to finalisation of this approval process remains at their own risk. Until then, Sydney Water will not take ownership of, nor reimburse costs associated with unapproved stormwater infrastructure or servicing.

Sydney Water have reviewed and updated the Mamre Road Precinct Integrated Stormwater Scheme (the scheme plan). Minor changes have been made to:

1) Including the non-potable water network and associated assets

2) Improving the efficiency of the basins by ensuring the optimal asset depths and layouts

3) Maximising RE1 land within the precinct by reducing Sydney Water asset footprints on RE1 land

4) Reducing the Development Service Plan (DSP) costs by reducing severance risk on key land parcels

The updated Scheme Plan can be viewed on the Sydney Water website https://www.sydneywater.com.au/plumbing-building-developing/developing/land-development/aerotropolis-stormwater-development-requirements.html and in the related documents section of this page.

We are pleased to announce Sydney Water, together with the Aerotropolis Independent Community Commissioner Roberta Ryan, is hosting a community drop-in session between 10:00am to 1:00pm on 4 May 2024 at Bringelly Community Centre.

NSW Government agencies, as well as Penrith and Liverpool council, will be in attendance to provide information and answer questions about developments in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Mamre Road precincts.

Please refer to the attached invitation flyer for further details and a list of agencies attending.

We look forward to seeing you there.