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. 
 

November 2024 Update

The City of Parramatta Council (Council) is exhibiting a Planning Proposal and draft Development Control Plan (DCP) for NEPIA. New height and built form controls could deliver an additional 515 homes for our community. The proposed new controls respond to the heritage character of the surrounding area, and the anticipated development along the Parramatta Light Rail corridor on Church Street.  

The community can have their say on the proposed changes from 7 November to 19 December 2024.

Visit Participate Parramatta for more information on the proposed changes and how to make a submission. 
 

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.  

Visit Participate Parramatta for more background on the project and for FAQs on the proposed changes and how to make a submission. 

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