Bradfield City Centre will be Australia’s first new city in over 100 years, extending from Western Sydney’s new aviation hub, Nancy Bird Walton Airport.
We already know that Western Sydney is the key to the city’s ambitious future plans, with big dollars being thrown at Parramatta. Now the region will welcome this ambitious aerotropolis, which from renders looks like it was heavily inspired by Manhattan’s concrete jungle.
Although Nancy Bird Walton Airport is set to open in late 2026, Bradfield City should take a bit longer to come to fruition. The official Master Plan was only approved this week, green lighting a 114-hectare mixed-use city centre with more than 2 million square metres of Gross Floor Space for commercial and retail operators.
Bradfield City will feature a 2 hectare New York City-style Central Park along with 10,000 new homes—at least 10% being affordable housing—and its own major events space built nearby Thompsons Creek for concerts and community events.
The Master Plan, drafted by the Bradfield Development Authority, also reveals a naturally integrated swimming area using Moore Gully and 36 hectares of public open space with a particular focus on green living and eco-conscious technologies. 80% of rooftops will feature either gardens or bi-solar systems designed to address urban heat and climate concerns, while also working to maximise energy efficiency and control temperatures.
“The Master Plan is fundamental to driving a true legacy project at Bradfield City Centre,” explained Bradfield Development Authority CEO, Ken Morrison.
“This 114-hectare site will become a vibrant, 24/7 global city, driving advancements in industry and act as a central gathering place for arts, culture and entertainment for Western Sydney’s diverse communities to enjoy and benefit from”.
Once complete, Bradfield will be a highly walkable parkland city with only a light industrial footprint and a focus towards commercial and residential builds. The NSW Government has already committed $1 billion to the project with billions more coming from private investment.
The first land release, for a 4.8 hectare Superlot, has already gone through the open market process. As per the state government, the offer has already attracted significant local and international interest.
Job generation will be another major focus for Bradfield, with a vision for industries of the future—advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, quantum—to play a big role in the city’s rapid development.
“The Bradfield Development Authority is laser focused on building this city in partnership with the private sector, starting with Superlot 1 well underway, and fully leveraging Bradfield’s proximity to the new 24/7 airport”, said Bradfield Development Authority Chair Jennifer Westacott AO.
“This will ensure local people and industries are connected with global opportunities, and visitors are welcomed to enjoy all that this new city and extraordinary”.
The NSW Government has not yet confirmed a completion date for Bradfield City.
