Draft Community Infrastructure Strategy

Catchment 1

Northmead, Winston Hills, Wentworthville, Constitution Hill and surrounding areas

Key priorities
✅ Better community facilities
✅ Improved library services
✅ New indoor recreation opportunities
✅ Better walking and cycling connections to parks and facilities

Proposed actions
•    Redevelop Constitution Hill Library into a larger community hub and library.
•    Investigate opportunities to expand Greenleaf Park.
•    Deliver a new indoor recreation centre in Northmead or Winston Hills.
•    Investigate water play opportunities at Arthur Phillip Park.

What this means:
Existing facilities in this area are ageing and need investment. The Strategy focuses on improving the quality of community spaces and creating more opportunities for recreation and community connection.

Catchment 2

Carlingford, Telopea, North Rocks, Dundas Valley and Oatlands
 

Key priorities
✅ New community hubs
✅ Indoor recreation facilities
✅ Aquatic facilities
✅ Open space to support growing neighbourhoods
 

Proposed actions
•    Deliver a new community hub in Telopea.
•    Provide additional open space through redevelopment opportunities.
•    Deliver a new indoor recreation centre in Carlingford.
•    Deliver a new community space and sports oval in North Rocks.
 

What this means:
This catchment is expected to experience significant growth. Future planning focuses on ensuring parks, recreation facilities and community spaces keep pace with new homes and residents.

Catchment 3

Epping, Eastwood and Beecroft

Key priorities
✅ New community hub
✅ Improved public and civic spaces
✅ Long-term aquatic facility planning
✅ Additional community service spaces

Proposed actions
•    Deliver a new community hub in Epping.
•    Create new public gathering spaces.
•    Upgrade Epping Aquatic Centre while planning for a replacement facility.
•    Review future open space needs.

What this means:
As Epping continues to grow, the Strategy identifies the need for larger and more flexible community spaces and long-term recreation planning.

Catchment 4

Parramatta CBD, North Parramatta, Westmead, Granville and surrounding areas

Key priorities
✅ Community hubs
✅ Youth spaces
✅ Indoor recreation
✅ Additional open space

Proposed actions
•    Deliver a new community space in the Parramatta CBD.
•    Deliver a new indoor recreation and youth facility in Parramatta.
•    Provide a community hub in Camellia.
•    Expand and improve open space opportunities.
 

What this means: 

With this catchment expected to experience the highest growth, the Strategy focuses on creating community spaces, recreation facilities and open space to support a growing population.

Catchment 5

Ermington, Rydalmere, Melrose Park and Dundas

Key priorities
✅ Community facilities
✅ Recreation facilities
✅ Library services
✅ Park improvements

Proposed actions
•    Deliver a new community facility in Melrose Park.
•    Redevelop the River Road Ermington site.
•    Deliver a new indoor recreation centre in Ermington.
•    Progress key park upgrades and master plans.

What this means:
Growth in Melrose Park and surrounding areas will increase demand for community facilities, recreation opportunities and open space improvements.

Catchment 6

Wentworth Point, Sydney Olympic Park, Carter Street, Lidcombe and Newington

Key priorities
✅ New parks and open space
✅ Community facilities
✅ Indoor recreation
✅ Community service spaces

Proposed actions
•    Deliver a district park in Carter Street.
•    Advocate for Peninsula Park in Wentworth Point.
•    Advocate for a community hub in Sydney Olympic Park.
•    Deliver additional indoor recreation facilities.

What this means:

As this catchment continues to experience growth, the delivery of parks and community and recreation facilities will be key priorities.

Community infrastructure refers to our shared facilities and spaces, such as parks, playgrounds, libraries, and community hubs.  

Community infrastructure creates spaces for people to meet, connect and participate in activities. These spaces strengthen community connections and help meet the social and recreational needs of the community. 

The Community Infrastructure Strategy (CIS) outlines Council’s long-term direction for community infrastructure provision to meet the needs of the population over the next 20 years.  The CIS assesses current and future community infrastructure demand, focusing on the asset types that Council has primary responsibility for or chooses to play a role in delivering.  

It includes chapters addressing the future need for libraries, community spaces, Scout and Guide halls, community service spaces, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), aquatic facilities, indoor recreation, and open space.

Council’s current CIS was endorsed in 2020 and is now over six years old. Therefore, an update is required to ensure that our plans for community infrastructure are based on up-to-date information. 
 

There are significant and exciting opportunities that come with growth, and well-managed growth leads to positive outcomes for the community. 

When growth is adequately supported by community infrastructure, it can significantly improve people’s access to the essential services and infrastructure they require to live well and reach their full potential. Ensuring quality community infrastructure is provided in our neighbourhoods can also strengthen people’s sense of community and belonging.

The purpose of this Strategy is to clearly identify what is required to address our current and future communities’ infrastructure needs.
 

This draft CIS focuses on community infrastructure over which Council has primary responsibility or has chosen to play a role in delivering. This includes:

•    Community spaces (including Girl Guide and Scout halls)
•    Libraries
•    Community service spaces
•    Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
•    Open space
•    Community gardens
•    Aquatic facilities
•    Indoor recreation.

While it provides a high-level needs analysis, strategic directions, and actions for future open space provision, it does not provide detail on the day-to-day use and embellishment of individual open spaces in our LGA. This detail is captured within Council’s Sportsground Strategy & Action Plan (2022), and the forthcoming draft Open Space & Recreation Strategy (2026).
 

The draft CIS 2026-2046 was developed through an iterative process, building upon the strengths of the CIS 2020. This process of developing the draft Strategy included the following steps, which together underpin the community infrastructure recommendations:

1. Internal stakeholder engagement: As the primary users of the Strategy, we consulted with Council staff to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the previous Strategy.
2. Audit of existing assets: We conducted an audit of our existing and planned community infrastructure, considering their location, size, condition, quality, and utilisation.
3. Demographic analysis: We reviewed the latest demographic trends and population forecasts to determine the locations where high growth is occurring.
4. Research: A review of research and trends in community infrastructure planning and delivery, including benchmarks for provision.
5. Community engagement: We conducted community engagement through a variety of channels to understand current community perceptions of our community infrastructure network – what they like, what could be improved, and what they would like to see in the future. This included Community Ward Workshops (March – May 2025) and an online survey (July – August 2025).  
6. External stakeholder engagement: We consulted with a number of external stakeholders to gain insights on the day-to-day operation and utilisation of community infrastructure, such as sporting associations and Scout groups.
7. Community infrastructure needs analysis: Analysing the above inputs, we identified current and future community infrastructure needs for each catchment. 

While the draft CIS identifies infrastructure need (and in some cases, potential sites for delivery), it is only the first step in the planning process. Before new infrastructure can be delivered, Council must identify an appropriate site and funding mechanism. Council must also consider the full lifecycle costs of delivering, operating and maintaining community infrastructure. 

Many of the projects identified within the CIS will be included in Council's Contributions Plans, which allows Council to collect monetary contributions from developers. This money then contributes toward funding for delivery of that infrastructure.

More information on planning and delivery is included in Part 1: Introduction (pages 14-15) and Part 5: Conclusion (pages 225-226). 

Council's contribution plans

For the purposes of the community infrastructure needs analysis, the City of Parramatta has been divided into six catchments. The draft CIS includes Part 4 Summary by Catchment, which provides an overview of the catchment area, community infrastructure priorities, and actions. 

The list of suburbs in each catchment is included in the table below. Please see page reference number to find your local area in Part 4 Summary by Catchment.   

*Indicates that part of the suburb is located within City of Parramatta LGA, not the entire suburb.

Council officers will review feedback and make appropriate changes in response. Following this, a report to Council will provide details on the outcomes of public exhibition and a copy of the final draft CIS to seek endorsement. This is expected to be reported in early 2027.