A masterplan is a document that guides future growth and change in a centre over the coming decades.

A masterplan has an important role in determining the look, feel and function of a centre by covering things like building heights, design, land use zones, new open space, community facilities, transport, sustainability infrastructure and heritage.

By setting a clear vision alongside a series of actions to implement the vision, a masterplan can help improve the quality of development and creates better places. Once adopted, a masterplan guides changes to the planning controls that apply to properties within a masterplan area.

A masterplan can also act as an important advocacy tool. A masterplan shows the NSW Government that change is happening and gives them an opportunity to respond to this change by delivering new and upgraded infrastructure.

In 2020, The City of Ryde completed its Planning Ryde Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS). The strategic document set a vision for Eastwood to be:

• A centre with a ‘sense of place’ drawn from its cultural diversity and traditional built form character
• A compact mixed-use centre with east and convenient access to bus and train services
• A centre with diverse housing opportunities
• An important local shopping centre with a high level of expenditure and employment and a range of community services and amenities

The LSPS sets an objective to deliver a masterplan in Eastwood by 2025 to achieve the above vision. This is an opportunity for Council to enhance liveability, boost productivity, improve design excellence and encourage sustainable development in Eastwood.

Feedback from early engagement activities will be used to understand what people like about the centre as well as some of the challenges facing the community and local businesses. Online tools like the interactive map and community survey give us insight into the local community’s aspirations for Eastwood, which can be reflected in the masterplan.

Additional feedback will be sought from the community once the draft masterplan has been prepared. Once it is ready, Council will exhibit the masterplan, allowing the community to provide feedback and further refine the masterplan.

No. The early engagement phase is focused on gathering ideas from the community to help develop the draft masterplans alongside a range of technical studies. The next round of engagement will be seeking feedback on the draft Masterplan. The community will be notified in advance of each decision-making stage to invite feedback.

The masterplan will set the vision for the future of Eastwood, and this is our first step in a longer planning process. Once the masterplan is adopted, the City of Ryde will then prepare a planning proposal, undertake amendments to the development control plan, contributions plan and capital works program to implement the masterplan. This process will include opportunities for additional community consultation.