Vibrant commercial centres

2025 Statement - Where we will be

Two vibrant CBDs - Blacktown and Mount Druitt - are the heart of our City. Both CBDs are regional centres featuring extensive offices, commercial and retail services, residential development, restaurants, excellent public transport and commuter carparking. The centres are dynamic during business hours as well as after hours and feature attractive and friendly spaces and places where people feel safe. The CBDs are clean, attractive, modern, people friendly and cosmopolitan, with new buildings that relate positively to the public domain and are environmentally sustainable.

Blacktown CBD has contributed greatly to the City achieving the status of a Regional City. Blacktown Centre is focussed on the Blacktown Transport Interchange, and is characterised by modern high-rise developments as well as formal and informal open spaces. The northern and southern precincts of the CBD are linked to allow for pedestrian movement and easy access. The area around Warrick Lane is a vibrant, people-friendly precinct with a successful mix of retail, residential development, commercial and government offices.

At the heart of the revitalised CBD is the Civic Centre, which is surrounded by a visually appealing, multi-functional space.

Mount Druitt has been revitalised with new housing stock on the outskirts of the centre. Catering for the diverse retail and commercial needs of the community, Mount Druitt also offers a range of community and recreational services that utilise the surrounding open space and leisure facilities. Upgrades to the urban environment have ensured that Mount Druitt is a welcoming and exciting place to shop, work and live in.

Elsewhere throughout the City there are thriving, well-designed and safe local centres that are linked by efficient public transport services.

These centres are economically viable and well used by the local community. Key commercial centres are vibrant hubs of entertainment and cultural activity that reflect the diverse cultures and heritage of Blacktown City. Neighbourhood centres provide quality shopping precincts with a variety of specialty shops including restaurants and cafes. All centres have safe and affordable carparking.

focus areas

• Achieve Regional City status by applying a whole-of-government approach and attract major government departments and commercial offices to locate in the Blacktown CBD.
  
  
• Implement planning strategies to describe the desired future development, and to foster partnerships with government, land owners and the private sector.
  
  
• Work with the State Government to provide commuter carparking within CBDs and other town centres along the railway line.
  
  
• Provide a sustainable balance between the demands of parking within CBDs and the need to control traffic congestion and produce pedestrian friendly environments.
  
  
• Engage business and property owners in maintaining and improving the appearance of their premises and in establishing a sense of ownership of, and pride in, the surrounding public domain areas.
  
  
• Encourage the urban landscape to become a 'living art gallery' by providing and promoting public art, visual arts and street theatre.
  
  
• Investigate options for showcasing environmentally sustainable development on Council-owned land and in partnership with the private sector.
  
  
• Work with the NSW Police to develop planning guidelines that facilitate active street frontages, encourage quality urban design and employ the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to ensure that the public domain is safe, friendly and attractive.