Corridor Projects

By 2056, more than 12 million people will call NSW home. Within Sydney alone, almost 4 million people will reside west of Parramatta over the 40 years. To meet the needs of current and future communities, transport links are needed to ensure residents can access jobs, services, entertainment and cultural facilities closer to home.

In June 2020 the NSW Government confirmed the final corridors for the North South Rail Line, South West Rail Link Extension and the Western Sydney Freight Line.

Read the media release.

View confirmed Corridor Projects
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What is a transport link?

A transport link is a strip of land used for transport infrastructure. These links are paths for any option of travel including road and rail, for use by buses, cars, trucks, passenger trains, freight trains, bikes and pedestrians.

What is Corridor Preservation

Corridor preservation is the process of reserving land for future transport links.

The corridor preservation process identifies and secures land needed for future infrastructure, such as roads and rail lines, before competing development comes along in a way that would prevent the land from being available for future transport infrastructure.

Corridor preservation is important when planning for the needs of growing communities and industries, to accommodate commuters, workers, businesses and industries who all rely on different types of transport modes. Planning the necessary future transport links now ensures that as NSW grows, communities will have access to transport.

Why is this important?

Planning future transport links is critical to achieve the NSW Government’s vision of a 30 minute city.

By 2056, the Western Parkland City will be home to over 1.5 million people. Combined with the new Western Sydney International (Nancy‑Bird Walton) Airport and new surrounding business area (also known as the Aerotropolis), effective transport links are essential to connect residents to jobs and allow the new city to be connected to the rest of the state, and with the new airport, the world.

Ensuring we have land protected now means residents and businesses in the Western Parkland City, and across Greater Sydney, will have access to a road and rail transport link that can connect them quickly to growing employment areas and communities including the new airport and Aerotropolis.

Image credit: Michael Leslie / Shutterstock.com

The Corridor Protection Process

1
Identify transport corridors
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TfNSW and DPIE identify infrastructure corridors needed in growth areas
2
NSW government makes the decision to protect corridors
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The government decides on short or long term corridor protection
3
The corridor protection process starts
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TfNSW produces a Strategic Justification Report for corridor protection with DPIE
4
Development of initial corridor options
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TfNSW commissions a draft Strategic Environmental Assessment report outlining corridor options
5
Consultation on corridor options
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TfNSW starts the stakeholder and community engagement process
6
Inclusion of corridor option in planning documents
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TfNSW develops a corridor option based on feedback for inclusion in the SEA and SEPP
7
Public exhibition of the corridor plan
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TfNSW exhibits the corridor option for stakeholder and community feedback
8
Development of final corridor option
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TfNSW develops a final preferred option from consultation results as well as Strategic Environmental Assessment
9
Lodging the Strategic Environmental Assessment
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TfNSW lodges the document with DPIE for review
10
Approval of recommended corridor
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DPIE reviews and recommends the final corridor option to the NSW Minister of Planning and Public Spaces
11
Start of corridor gazettal
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The NSW Minister of Planning and Public Spaces rezones land within the corridor alignment to ensure any land usage remains compatible with future transport infrastructure


What is gazettal?

‘Gazettal’ occurs when a piece of legislation appears in the NSW Government Gazette, which is the official record of all NSW Government legislation. Gazettal means that the use of land in this area has the force of law.

While Transport for NSW does not own the land, ‘gazettal’ gives Transport for NSW say over what private landowners can do with it, up until any future transport projects are constructed on that land.


Corridor Protection Process Key:

TfNSW – Transport for NSW

DPIE – Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

SEA – Strategic Environmental Assessment report

SEPP – State Environmental Planning Policy