20-year Mac Park plan reviewed

Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District (Connect MPID) has welcomed a 20-year strategic plan released by the New South Wales government.

The draft Macquarie Park Place Strategy sets a framework for more jobs, more homes and more retail, and aims to transform our area into a leading innovation district.

Coordinated by the Greater Sydney Commission and created by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, the draft Place Strategy also lists the infrastructure required to keep Macquarie Park moving.

Connect MPID worked with our members to explore the Strategy together, as General Manager Mark Ames explains:

"Macquarie Park has already grown significantly, and as an economic powerhouse and priority precinct it will continue to grow. That's why we welcome a coordinated plan and this important conversation about our area's future.

In workshops and conversations, our members were clear: they see Macquarie Park as a critical employment centre, with huge capacity to innovate and evolve, but the right infrastructure and planning frameworks must be in place to support that."

In a comprehensive and coordinated submission, Connect MPID outlined strengths in the draft Strategy, and identified opportunities to go further.

Connect MPID welcomed the aim to turn Macquarie Park into an innovation district with more residential, retail, and amenity, but questioned growth forecasts and if enough was being done to connect the innovation community and support planned population increases.

Consultation closed on 10 August 2021, with the plan due to be confirmed later this year.