The Hills Shire Council wants candidates at the next state and federal elections to commit to a set of infrastructure and policy priorities aimed at improving daily life across Sydney’s North West.
Top of the list is a full upgrade of Windsor and Old Windsor Road. The route is a major arterial running through the heart of the North-West Growth Centre, and drivers on it currently crawl through the morning peak at an average of about 20km/h.
Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne says the NSW Government has asked The Hills Shire and neighbouring Blacktown to take on the state’s highest housing targets. In her view, that puts the onus on governments to deliver an infrastructure budget that matches the growth they have demanded.
“The priorities we’ve identified are what we think will have the greatest benefit in the face of the unprecedented population growth the Hills and surrounding LGAs are experiencing,” Mayor Byrne said.
“We’re doing our part for the housing crisis, and more homes were approved in the Hills than any other NSW LGA in the 2024/25 financial year. But the Hills has been one of the fastest-growing LGAs for three decades and the state and federal governments need to do their part for The Hills.
“The lack of supporting infrastructure from the state and federal governments risks a quality-of-life catastrophe for The Hills Shire. Overcrowded schools, horribly congested roads and a future where kids will be turned away from sport due to a lack of fields and facilities.”
Outlined in Council’s Fairer Hills Future document, the advocacy priorities are:
Infrastructure Priorities
1. Fund a major upgrade of Old Windsor Road between Celebration Drive and Windsor Road and a major upgrade of Windsor Road from Boundary Road to Showground Road
2. Secure the Outer Sydney Orbital (M9) corridor, including the section of the corridor from Richmond Road to the Central Coast
3. Extend the Sydney Metro from Tallawong to St Marys or at least Schofields
4. Secure public transport options from Box Hill to Rouse Hill
5. Identify, fund and build schools in the Hills, prioritising schools within the Castle Hill Showground precinct and Box Hill
Policy Priorities
6. For the NSW Government to respect existing strategic planning frameworks and return planning powers back to councils
7. State and federal governments to fund essential infrastructure in growth areas
8. Expand essential infrastructure list to include libraries, community centres and indoor recreation facilities
9. The Federal Government to develop a National Settlement Strategy
10. Biocertify Western Sydney for faster housing approvals and completions
“We’re not asking for anything non-essential, just the basics that every Government should be funding with this level of housing growth.
“These projects won’t just benefit The Hills, but communities stretching as far north as the Central Coast and as far south as the Illawarra.
“Our residents would be familiar with some of our priorities from our Fight for a Fairer Hills Future campaign last year, including our calls to upgrade Windsor and Old Windsor roads, more schools in the Hills and essential infrastructure funding for growth areas like Box Hill.
“Some of our advocacy priorities aren’t within the Hills, but they are part of the bigger picture to alleviate pain points for our residents, like the Outer Sydney Orbital which would redirect traffic from Windsor Road.
“We know these asks won’t happen overnight, but this document gives us direction when meeting with state and federal representatives and clearly demonstrates to them that the Hills and wider Sydney cannot continue to take on rapid population growth without the infrastructure and policies in place to support it.”
Beyond Council’s top 10 priorities, the Fairer Hills Future campaign also advocates for other infrastructure and policy solutions in the Hills, including reinstating on-demand bus services to Metro stations, state and federal funding for active recreation such as sport fields, additional emergency services for the Hills, and more.
To read Fairer Hills Future, visit www.thehills.nsw.gov.au and search for ‘Fairer Hills Future’.
