SYDNEY, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The state government of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday revealed a blueprint for Sydney to accommodate an extra 1.3 million residents by 2046.
Under the 20-year Sydney Plan, most of the city's new housing supply will be built in the eastern suburbs, while western Sydney will drive economic growth.
According to the plan, Greater Sydney will need at least 800,000 new homes and 950,000 more jobs as its population grows from 5.3 million to 6.6 million by 2046.
"For too long, housing supply and jobs growth have not kept pace with Sydney's population, leaving communities without homes, transport, and services they need," the plan said.
It sets out that areas in eastern Sydney already serviced by transport routes will take on the majority of housing growth in the short and long-term, while the number of jobs in western Sydney will increase by 59 percent from 475,000 in 2026 to 755,000 in 2046.
NSW's Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said in a statement that the plan provides a clear roadmap for where homes, jobs and infrastructure should be built over the next 20 years.
"It recognizes that different parts of Sydney have different strengths, supporting more housing in well-serviced areas while driving the next wave of economic growth in western Sydney," he said.
The final blueprint was developed by the state government with more than 2,000 submissions from planning professionals, councils and members of the public. ■