North-East Planning Investigation Area

The North-East Planning Investigation Area (NEPIA) is located at the north-eastern fringe of the Parramatta City Centre between the anticipated high-rise corridor along Church Street to the west, and the low-scale Heritage Conservation Area along Sorrell Street to the east. It includes the properties between Isabella Street and Ross Street, Parramatta as shown in Figure 1. 
 

February 2025 Update

The public exhibition of the Planning Proposal and draft DCP for the NEPIA concluded on 19 December 2024. The submissions received have been considered by Council officers, and the outcome of the public exhibition process was considered by the Parramatta Local Planning Panel on 18 February 2025. The Local Planning Panel provided advice in support of the Council officer recommendations that Council finalise the NEPIA Planning Proposal and DCP amendments.    A copy of the Local Planning Panel Minutes and the Local Planning Panel Business Paper can be viewed online.

Council officers are currently preparing a report to the Planning, Transport and Environment Committee Meeting scheduled for March 2025. (see Next Steps below). 
 

Background

Council undertook a review of the planning controls in the Parramatta CBD as part of the Parramatta CBD Planning Framework Review that began in 2015. This Council led project included a review not only of the existing Parramatta CBD, but also fringe areas known as ‘Planning Investigation Areas’ (PIAs).

A draft North-East Planning Investigation Area (NEPIA) Planning Strategy was consulted with the community in 2021 that proposed ideas for how the area could redevelop in the future. As Council’s priority was to finalise the new planning controls for the Parramatta CBD, further work on the NEPIA was paused to commit resources to other elements of the CBD Review which was completed in December 2022.

Council in November 2023 committed to recommencing the NEPIA planning controls.

Shortly after in December 2023, as part of a separate planning process, the State Government announced new planning controls to come into effect in July 2024 along the light rail corridor on Church Street via the State Environmental Planning Policy (Church Street North) 2023. The State Government’s changes allow residential development up to 29 storeys high creating up to 1800 new dwellings.

In May 2024 Council endorsed the Planning Proposal and draft DCP controls currently on exhibition which considers: 

• the previous community feedback received to the NEPIA Planning Strategy;
   
• the anticipated development along the Parramatta Light Rail Corridor from the Church Street North SEPP;
   
• and the heritage character of the surrounding area.  

Council exhibited the Planning Proposal and draft Development Control Plan (DCP) for NEPIA between 7 November to 19 December 2024. Visit Participate Parramatta for the proposed changes and the supporting exhibition material. 

Next Steps

The advice of the Local Planning Panel will be reported to the Planning, Transport, and Environment Committee in March 2025; and then reported to Council in April 2025 to finalise the Planning Proposal and draft DCP for the NEPIA. Should Council adopt to finalise the Planning Proposal and draft DCP, Council will use its plan making delegations to finalise the amendment to the Parramatta LEP 2023.  

Get in touch

If you would like to discuss any part of the North-East Planning Investigation Area or need further information, get in touch with our Land Use Planning team on  02 9806 5050