Willowtree Planning has been working on behalf of a number of institutional land owners and developers in respect of the Industrial Lands ‘Retain and Manage’ Policy Review.
Our engagement has been to strive for expanded and higher/better uses on existing sites which are under-utilised.
Some of the key acknowledgments from the Review are:
• The value of, and need to secure, industrial capacity to ensure there is sufficient land and allowable floor area, of the right types, to meet the state’s industrial needs now and in the future.
• The importance of supporting economic resilience and future business investment, especially at a time when there is increased demand for industrial lands.
• There are circumstances where some industrial land could transition to alternative uses, including other types of employment, office and medical/ health services, mixed uses and in some cases, could allow for some types of residential use.
• Encroachment from competing uses can be detrimental to industrial lands and that some safeguarding is necessary to ensure that the productivity and economic functionality of Greater Sydney is not compromised.
The Review confirmed the need to develop draft Guiding Principles and, possibly, a categorisation of industrial lands to provide a greater framework for the ‘Retain and Manage’ Policy.
Please reach out if you would like to discuss this ever evolving matter.