A long-awaited multi-billion dollar plan to transform western Sydney as it faces a future of explosive population growth has been inked by three levels of government.
The Western Sydney City Deal was officially unveiled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and eight local councils at the Werrington Park Corporate Centre on Sunday morning.
Glossy brochures, slick videos and promotional posters greeted a large audience of public officials and media with Mr Turnbull saying the deal would bring "historic change for the better for western Sydney".
Western Sydney, with a present population of about two million people, is expected to add another million people by the early 2030s, a scoping study released with the plan reveals.
Transport woes plague the region, due to a lack of connectivity on train lines and congested roads, the report's researchers found.
About 300,000 of the region's residents are forced to commute outside western Sydney for work.
Mr Turnbull said the deal marks a change in policy with a government commitment to install infrastructure to meet growing population demands in an attempt to brace for upcoming demographic trends.
The as-yet-to-be built Western Sydney Airport is at the heart of the plan, Mr Turnbull said, adding it would by the catalyst for 200,000 jobs.
Federal and NSW governments have committed to the North-South rail link from St Marys to Badgerys Creek via the new airport.
They committed to having the line connected by the time the airport opens.
The deal will also deliver a research and manufacturing hub known as the aerotropolis, an investment attraction office to drum up business interest in the region, a more efficient planning regime, a $150 million liveability program to deliver community facilities, education facilities for the aerotropolis and embedded digital technology in the city.
