The NSW Government's strategic direction for infrastructure in the state is embodied in a number of plans and strategies.
NSW 2021: A Plan to Make NSW Number One is the Government's overarching or 'whole of government' 10 year strategic plan.275 The plan, released in late 2011, sets out a range of objectives and targets across a broad range of public policy areas, including infrastructure issues. Progress reports are released periodically.
Integrated land use and infrastructure planning in NSW is shaped at a strategic level by:
■ the Government's metropolitan strategy for Sydney, A Plan for Growing Sydney, released in December 2014. The plan indicates that Sydney will require 664,000 new dwellings between 2011 and 2031.276
■ a series of regional plans based on new regional boundaries set by the NSW Government in June 2014. The regions include peri-urban areas such as the Central Coast, lower Hunter and Illawarra. These plans are in various stages of development.
The State Infrastructure Strategy released in 2012 and the State Infrastructure Strategy Update (SISU) released in 2014, both prepared by Infrastructure NSW, provide overarching advice to the NSW Government on infrastructure matters. The NSW Government's response to the SISU, Rebuilding NSW, outlines a plan to invest $20 billion, raised from leasing the state's electricity assets, in new infrastructure. Projects in Rebuilding NSW include upgrades to the road network and adding capacity to the rail network in Sydney, as well as spending on regional roads and water.
The Long Term Transport Master Plan,277 released in 2012, and associated subordinate strategic documents such as the NSW Freight and Ports Strategy, set out the state's long-term objectives and intentions in relation to transport.
Under the Water Management Act 2000, a range of water sharing plans have been and are being prepared to guide the use of water across the state. The Murray Darling Basin Plan, agreed with the Australian Government and other jurisdictions, sets a broader context for many of these catchment-specific plans.
The NSW Gas Plan, released in late 2014, sets out the Government's response to a number of recent scientific and policy enquiries. The plan aims to secure sustainable gas supply to the state through the development of local supplies (provided they are supported by rigorous environmental assessment) and/or the development of gas pipelines from other jurisdictions.
NSW is part of the National Electricity Market (NEM). The National Transmission Network Development Plan, released by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in December 2014, provides the medium to long-term planning framework for network infrastructure in the state.
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275. New South Wales Government (2011b)
276. New South Wales Government (2014). On the Australian Bureau of Statistics' medium level projections, Sydney's population will grow from 4.6 million persons in 2011 to 8.5 million persons in 2061. Conceivably, this increase could require between 1.5 and 2.0 million new dwellings over that period.
277. Transport for New South Wales (2012)