Draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026

playground

Council has developed a draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026 and we’re seeking your feedback. The draft Plan outlines the contributions which developers will need to pay alongside approval for their projects, and how Council will spend them.

Over the next 15 years, Sutherland Shire is predicted to gain nearly 20,000 more residents and over 10,000 new dwellings. These contributions help Council to deliver local infrastructure to support our growing and changing community.

Council’s current contributions framework is no longer fit-for-purpose. It requires updating to align to where actual housing growth is occurring, capture contributions resulting from major NSW Government housing reforms and reflect the infrastructure our community will need in the future.

View the Plan

What’s changing

The proposed Plan allows:

  • A more consistent and simplified contribution system. Currently, developers pay different contribution amounts depending on where they build housing. The draft plan introduces a single Shire‑wide rate so that all new dwellings make the same, reasonable contribution to local infrastructure. Secondary dwellings (granny flats) and certain types of social and affordable housing remain exempt.
  • More funding for local projects. A consistent approach means Council expects to raise an extra $3.2 million each year for community infrastructure such as upgraded parks, improved road and pathway networks and enhanced town centre streetscapes.
  • More capacity to deliver major community projects. Instead of separate funding pools for our eight major town centres, all contributions will go into one Shire‑wide fund. This gives Council a greater ability to deliver regionally significant infrastructure, such as upgrades to community facilities and leisure centres.
  • New concessions for housing vulnerable residents. Additional forms of not‑for‑profit housing will be exempt, such as group homes and disability accommodation, making it easier to build new homes for the most vulnerable members of our community.
  • An updated works schedule connecting infrastructure projects with forecasted growth. The Plan includes a refreshed 15‑year works schedule funded by development contributions. It now has new projects from draft Place Plans, better cost‑sharing between existing and new development, and in progress, completed, alternatively funded or superseded items removed.

For more information about how the changes would be implemented, read the Strategy for Finalisation of Old Development Contributions Plans. You can also find more detail about the proposed changes in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Have your say

We are seeking feedback from our community on the draft Plan until 20 April 2026:

  • Online by submitting your feedback below
  • Email: urbanfutures@ssc.nsw.gov.au
  • In-person or by phone: Contact the Urban Futures team on 9710 0800 to discuss or arrange a time to meet.
  • Writing to 'Urban Futures', Sutherland Shire Council, Locked Bag 17, Sutherland NSW 1499.

Next steps

Following community consultation, Council will carefully review and consider all feedback received when finalising the Plan. It is expected the final Plan will be reported to Council for adoption in mid-2026. We will keep interested members of the community updated.

Council has developed a draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026 and we’re seeking your feedback. The draft Plan outlines the contributions which developers will need to pay alongside approval for their projects, and how Council will spend them.

Over the next 15 years, Sutherland Shire is predicted to gain nearly 20,000 more residents and over 10,000 new dwellings. These contributions help Council to deliver local infrastructure to support our growing and changing community.

Council’s current contributions framework is no longer fit-for-purpose. It requires updating to align to where actual housing growth is occurring, capture contributions resulting from major NSW Government housing reforms and reflect the infrastructure our community will need in the future.

View the Plan

What’s changing

The proposed Plan allows:

  • A more consistent and simplified contribution system. Currently, developers pay different contribution amounts depending on where they build housing. The draft plan introduces a single Shire‑wide rate so that all new dwellings make the same, reasonable contribution to local infrastructure. Secondary dwellings (granny flats) and certain types of social and affordable housing remain exempt.
  • More funding for local projects. A consistent approach means Council expects to raise an extra $3.2 million each year for community infrastructure such as upgraded parks, improved road and pathway networks and enhanced town centre streetscapes.
  • More capacity to deliver major community projects. Instead of separate funding pools for our eight major town centres, all contributions will go into one Shire‑wide fund. This gives Council a greater ability to deliver regionally significant infrastructure, such as upgrades to community facilities and leisure centres.
  • New concessions for housing vulnerable residents. Additional forms of not‑for‑profit housing will be exempt, such as group homes and disability accommodation, making it easier to build new homes for the most vulnerable members of our community.
  • An updated works schedule connecting infrastructure projects with forecasted growth. The Plan includes a refreshed 15‑year works schedule funded by development contributions. It now has new projects from draft Place Plans, better cost‑sharing between existing and new development, and in progress, completed, alternatively funded or superseded items removed.

For more information about how the changes would be implemented, read the Strategy for Finalisation of Old Development Contributions Plans. You can also find more detail about the proposed changes in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Have your say

We are seeking feedback from our community on the draft Plan until 20 April 2026:

  • Online by submitting your feedback below
  • Email: urbanfutures@ssc.nsw.gov.au
  • In-person or by phone: Contact the Urban Futures team on 9710 0800 to discuss or arrange a time to meet.
  • Writing to 'Urban Futures', Sutherland Shire Council, Locked Bag 17, Sutherland NSW 1499.

Next steps

Following community consultation, Council will carefully review and consider all feedback received when finalising the Plan. It is expected the final Plan will be reported to Council for adoption in mid-2026. We will keep interested members of the community updated.

  • Update: Draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan

    Thank you for your feedback on the draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026.

    During the consultation period we received 513 visits to the Join the Conversation website page, 9 online survey submissions and 3 email submissions. Of the survey participants, 6 were happy or very happy with the Plan, 1 was neutral and 2 were unhappy or very unhappy.

    Most submissions supported the intent of the draft Plan and the move to a Shire-wide contributions framework. Comments focused on equity, prioritisation and alignment with growth, with requests for:

    • more even distribution of infrastructure funding across Sutherland Shire
    • greater clarity for how projects and suburbs are prioritised
    • better alignment between development growth, strategic plans and the works schedule, so that key projects are eligible for funding
    • greater focus on traffic, parking, public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, particularly in higher density areas
    • more funding for open space, sporting facilities and community infrastructure to meet demand from population growth
    • expanding exemptions to better support affordable housing
    • including stormwater, resilience, emergency access and hazard mitigation in the scope of eligible infrastructure.

    Council Officers are reviewing all feedback as we finalise the Plan, which will be reported to the June 2026 Council Meeting for consideration and adoption.

    Thank you for your feedback on the draft Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026.

    During the consultation period we received 513 visits to the Join the Conversation website page, 9 online survey submissions and 3 email submissions. Of the survey participants, 6 were happy or very happy with the Plan, 1 was neutral and 2 were unhappy or very unhappy.

    Most submissions supported the intent of the draft Plan and the move to a Shire-wide contributions framework. Comments focused on equity, prioritisation and alignment with growth, with requests for:

    • more even distribution of infrastructure funding across Sutherland Shire
    • greater clarity for how projects and suburbs are prioritised
    • better alignment between development growth, strategic plans and the works schedule, so that key projects are eligible for funding
    • greater focus on traffic, parking, public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, particularly in higher density areas
    • more funding for open space, sporting facilities and community infrastructure to meet demand from population growth
    • expanding exemptions to better support affordable housing
    • including stormwater, resilience, emergency access and hazard mitigation in the scope of eligible infrastructure.

    Council Officers are reviewing all feedback as we finalise the Plan, which will be reported to the June 2026 Council Meeting for consideration and adoption.

Page last updated: 11 May 2026, 03:35 PM