NSW Councils are tasked to meet the local infrastructure needs of current and future residents, workers and visitors. Meeting this need requires consideration of strategic planning objectives and priorities, the spatial distribution of growth, funding mechanisms as well as leveraging efficiencies from existing infrastructure through various models of delivery. The requirement to update local environmental plans and local strategic
planning statements in line with planning priorities and actions offers an opportunity to understand infrastructure demand and establish suitable plans, policies and internal practices to satisfy them.  In developing their Local Strategic Planning Statement, the City of Sydney engaged Mecone and CRED Consulting to undertake a baseline infrastructure assessment of Council’s infrastructure.

The Project Team’s tasks included:

• Reviewing Council’s, State and local government approaches to infrastructure planning and delivery;
• Engaging State infrastructure agencies including CreateNSW, TAFE NSW, NSW Office of Sport and local health districts regarding their requirements and strategic plans;
• Reviewing NSW infrastructure funding and contribution models;
• Working with Council to develop appropriate infrastructure benchmarks and developing a population scenario benchmarking and forecasting tool;
• Delivering a report outlining current infrastructure capacity and forecasting of infrastructure demand and challenges and opportunities to meet expected demand;
• Developing a comprehensive Council Infrastructure Database; and
• Developing the Infrastructure Assessment Framework – a holistic approach to planning for infrastructure including capacity analysis, leveraging partnerships and new models of delivery.