FAQs

A Growth Management Strategy is a key strategic land-use planning document that guides Council in identifying how and where projected population and employment growth are to be accommodated over a period of time. It provides a coordinated approach to managing change, ensuring new housing, jobs, services and infrastructure are delivered in the right places at the right time.

The Strategy plays an important role in shaping the long-term vision. It helps Council plan for sustainable development that balances growth and environmental protection. By analysing data trends, land, transport networks and infrastructure needs, the Strategy ensures that future growth supports the needs and wants of the community, fostering a liveable, connected and resilient region.

The Lithgow City Council Growth Management Strategy is a long-term planning framework that will guide how the Lithgow Local Government Area (LGA) grows and develops over the next 20 years. It aims to ensure that population and employment growth are well managed, environmentally sustainable and aligned with the community’s vision for a thriving, liveable and resilient community. 

The Strategy will look at how land across the LGA is currently used and how it can best support future residential, commercial, industrial, rural and environmental needs. It will also consider important factors such as infrastructure and servicing requirements, economic development opportunities, transport and access, environmental protection and community wellbeing. 

Community input is central to developing the Strategy. Through involved consultation, residents, businesses and stakeholders will help shape an agreed vision for the future of Lithgow, identifying what makes the region special and what is needed to support growth while maintaining its unique character and environmental features. 

The final Growth Management Strategy will include a clear vision, objectives and practical actions to guide decision making. It will be informed by detailed technical studies considering the future population, housing needs, economy, the role of rural lands, infrastructure and transport, as well as the outcomes of community and stakeholder engagement. 

Overall, the Strategy will provide Council with a coordinated approach to plan for sustainable growth, protect valuable environmental and rural areas, strengthen the local economy, and support the needs of the community now and into the future.

This project will guide how the Lithgow region grows and develops into the future. Guiding growth that is sustainable, coordinated and informed by the community. Council will also need to plan for population and economic change while protecting the environment, rural lands and local character. This Strategy will help guide Council to do this in the right way throughout the Lithgow region. 

The Strategy will provide this comprehensive understanding of what community want, combined with technical knowledge of housing needs, infrastructure, transport connections and environmental constraints. This will support Council to deliver essential services, foster employment opportunities and increase housing choice for community members within the LGA. 

The Strategy will provide a clear framework to align local planning with State and regional policies, helping Council make informed decisions about land use, investment and infrastructure priorities.

Studies that will be delivered to support the Growth Management Strategy include

• Local Housing Strategy – identifying the sorts of homes we need and where they should go  
• Employment Lands Strategy – outlining the employment land needs and the infrastructure required to enable them
• Rural Lands Strategy – clarifying the desired future character of our rural lands and resolving conflicts between our productive agricultural areas and other land uses
• Local Environmental Planning Review Report – identifying the land use changes implement the outcomes of the strategies 
• Infrastructure Capacity and Prioritisation Plan – outlining the infrastructure requirements to enable housing, jobs and movement in the LGA. 

The Growth Management Strategy (GMS) supports the goals set out in Council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) – our shared vision for the Lithgow area into the future.

While the CSP outlines what the community wants for the future – things like protecting our natural environment, creating more local jobs, and improving liveability –  the GMS helps guide how and where growth should happen.

In practical terms, the GMS provides the planning framework to manage population change, land use, housing, and infrastructure in line with the community’s long-term priorities. It turns the strategic goals in the CSP into spatial and policy directions that can shape day-to-day decisions about development, investment, and land use.

This Growth Management Strategy will help by identifying where and when development should occur to optimise investment in infrastructure, reduce servicing costs and create certainty for business and industry. By coordinating land release, protecting employment land and supporting diverse housing options, it will foster sustainable job creation and private investment. This will provide Council, developers and investors a shared roadmap for growth, reducing risk, improving efficiency and providing a framework to support a more resilient, competitive local economy within the wider regional planning framework.

This Strategy will help with prioritising maintenance and upgrading of roads and infrastructure by coordinating where and when development occurs with available servicing capacity. It will identify priority growth areas, ensuring that Council and state investment in roads, water and community facilities is efficiently targeted. This Strategy will prevent overloading existing networks, support more timely upgrades and providing opportunities to reduce long-term maintenance costs. It acts as an evidence base for advocating state funding and contributions from developers, ensuring infrastructure supports economic growth and keeps pace with population changes.

It’s about getting the balance right. The Strategy aims to manage population and economic growth in a sustainable way, ensuring that development is well located, supported by infrastructure and consistent with the community’s vision for the future. The Strategy will help protect the environment and rural landscapes, strengthen local economies and improve liveability across the region. The Strategy will also help protect Lithgow’s farming base with flexibility for landholders to diversify, innovate, upskill and build resilient rural businesses into the future.

This Strategy will identify and map environmental constraints, such as bushland, waterways, biodiversity corridors, and scenic landscapes, so these can be protected through zoning, buffers and planning controls. By concentrating development in appropriate, serviced locations, the GMS reduces habitat fragmentation, pollution and land clearing. It also aligns land-use decisions with state conservation strategies, ensuring that growth supports biodiversity, water quality and ecological resilience while maintaining the natural assets that underpin community wellbeing and long-term environmental sustainability.

The Growth Management Strategy will have a positive and lasting impact on the community by shaping how Lithgow LGA grows and develops into the future. It will help ensure that housing, jobs, transport, and services are planned in the right locations to meet the needs of current and future residents.

The Growth Management Strategy itself is not a rezoning process, though it will help guide where future rezoning might be considered. Its main purpose is to look at how land, infrastructure, environment and communities can best support sustainable growth over time. The Strategy will identify which areas are most suitable for different types of development, such as housing, employment or rural uses as well as which areas should be protected for their environmental, agricultural or heritage value. 

Any future rezoning of land would happen separately through a formal planning process that includes further detailed assessment and public consultation. In this way, the Growth Management Strategy provides the evidence and direction that inform rezoning decisions, ensuring they are well-planned, transparent and in the best interests of the community.

During February 2026, Council will make available a form allowing landowners to identify candidate areas for consideration of a land use change. This will be assessed against a clear criteria that will be published alongside this form. Council will not accept submissions made outside of this window.

Water catchments and environmental considerations are an important part of the Growth Management Strategy. The Strategy will consider the location of water catchments, rivers, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas to ensure that future development does not harm water quality, biodiversity or ecosystem health.

Once the Growth Management Strategy has been drafted, it will be shared with the community, stakeholders and relevant agencies for consultation. During this period, residents and stakeholders can provide feedback on the proposed vision, objectives and strategies for managing growth within the Lithgow region. 

All feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered by Council. The Strategy will then be updated to reflect community priorities, local knowledge and practical considerations. The final Strategy will include a summary of the feedback received and explain how it has shaped the Growth Management Strategy.

If you have any questions, ideas, or need more information, you can contact Mecone, the lead consultant, through the following.
Phone: (02) 6354 9999 or 1300 661 303. Email: gms@lithgow.nsw.gov.au