A consortium of four major landowners, known as the Rosehill-Camellia Landowners Alliance (RCLA), is urging the NSW State Government to join forces in creating a groundbreaking $25 billion Masterplan. This initiative aims to develop a new community over a 90-hectare site in Western Sydney. Slated for completion by 2050, the ambitious project is poised to introduce a diverse array of features, including a new ferry wharf, light rail, and Metro stations at the Rosehill Racecourse and Camellia Town Centre locations.
Central to the RCLA’s vision is the creation of a Town Centre, which will serve as the core of approximately 45,000 urgently needed new homes. These will span a range of housing types, including affordable options, and will be complemented by retail, education, and commercial spaces, in addition to community facilities, public green areas, and fresh infrastructure. The RCLA’s members constitute Wentworth Properties, Billbergia, Abacus, and the Australian Turf Club.
Intriguingly, the plan includes the proposal of a 350-metre-long beach and the opening up of an extra 1.5 kilometres of waterfront along the Parramatta River. The development is also expected to stimulate a three-minute economic super-hub in Western Sydney, considerably easing commutes between Westmead, Parramatta, and Camellia with the new Metro service. Emphasizing walkability, the envisioned community will grant hassle-free pedestrian access to the new Metro Station, Parramatta Light Rail stops, and the newly proposed ferry wharf.
Camellia, which has experienced a steady employment decline since the 1970s, is set to be revitalized through this project. Rick Graf, Development Director of Billbergia, reflected on the historical significance of the opportunity, stating, “This is a once-in-a-century opportunity to plan strategically for an entire ‘city-within-a-city’, while also unlocking access to the riverfront โ activating, remediating, and beautifying what is now a former industrial wasteland.” He emphasized the transformative potential of the project for Parramatta, envisioning it as a future global city counterpart to Sydney.
Highlighting the scope of the project, Graf added, “For scale, the combined site is four times larger than Barangaroo and will accommodate 100,000 people, generating over 15,000 jobs. It will be the largest development in the history of the Central River City and is a total game-changer for Western Sydney.” The development is also expected to coincide with major transportation investments, like the Parramatta Light Rail and the Metro West, providing a framework for a plan that addresses the site’s strategic importance over the forthcoming 50 years.
The call to action for a new Masterplan encompasses not only the NSW State Government but also aims to involve local council and harness international best practices to maximize value creation for government and economic stakeholders alike. “The new Masterplan needs to be a highest-level collaboration between government and the private sector investors, and must have the best international expertise to crystallise the broader vision,” concluded Graf, outlining the forward-thinking approach to the project’s planning and execution stages.