Summary

A draft Five Dock Precinct Masterplan and Planning Proposal has been prepared and is progressing to the next stage of the planning process, with the documents to be submitted to the NSW State Government for consideration and a Gateway Determination.

The draft plan sets a long term vision for the Five Dock Precinct, responding to the future Five Dock Metro Station and the NSW Government’s commitment to increasing housing supply across Sydney. It provides a coordinated framework to guide growth over the next 20 years while strengthening Five Dock Town Centre as a vibrant local centre.

The Planning Proposal gives effect to the Masterplan through proposed amendments to the Canada Bay Local Environmental Plan, including updated zoning, building heights, development controls and affordable housing provisions.

Subject to State Government approval, the Planning Proposal will be placed on public exhibition in mid to late 2026, providing the community with an opportunity to review the plans and have their say.

Background

The NSW Government announced Sydney Metro West in 2016, including a new station in Five Dock. Construction commenced in 2020, and first services are expected in 2032. Alongside this investment, the NSW Government has established a clear expectation that land use change, particularly housing density, will occur around new mass transit stations.

Council commenced community engagement in 2020 following which a Local Planning Study was prepared and adopted in 2023.

This Planning Proposal for the Five Dock Precinct builds on the Five Dock Local Planning Study (adopted in May 2023) and is guided by the recently prepared Five Dock Precinct Masterplan and supporting technical assessments. Together, these documents set out a long-term vision for how the area will grow and change, particularly in response to the new Five Dock Metro station.

The key objectives of the Masterplan are to:

• Investigate appropriate residential densities, heights and land uses for the Precinct, aligned with mass transit accessibility.

• Reinforce and expand the town centre with a high level of activation that supports the ongoing commercial and transit-oriented role of the centre, including a night-time economy.

• Deliver high quality urban design and public domain with a high level of precinct amenity and accessibility for residents.

• Identify accompanying public benefit, such as improved connections, new through-site links, high quality streetscapes and new, expanded and well located public open spaces, to inform development incentives and funding mechanisms.

Next Steps

The Planning Proposal will be sent to NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure who will review the proposal before providing approval (Gateway Determination) for the proposal to be placed on public exhibition. At that time the community will have an opportunity to review the plans and have their say.

The image below illustrates the boundaries of the Five Dock precinct.