Kurnell Peninsula Planning Proposal

The Planning Proposal has the potential to facilitate the largest development in the Sutherland Shire since Menai in the 1980s and therefore warrants comprehensive and detailed assessment.

The Planning Proposal is seeking changes to planning controls to support:

• A mixed-use development with 4,300 new homes
• The dedication of more than 116 hectares as open space, which is more than 50% of the site. This open space includes 2km of beachfront, three district parks, and nine local parks.
• Some 7,000sq/m of commercial and retail space, tourism accommodation, community facilities, walking tracks and a surf lifesaving facility.
• Building heights from three to 12 storeys.

A Planning Proposal for this site was originally lodged with Sutherland Shire Council in January 2024. The Planning Proposal documents lodged with Council at this time are available at the bottom of this webpage.

In September 2024, the NSW Government announced that it would take over responsibility for the Planning Proposal from Council, given the proposal was deemed to be State significant and due to the “complexity of the issues to be resolved”.

In October 2024, Council considered a detailed report on the Planning Proposal.

The report noted that State and Federal agencies had a range of concerns about the proposal, including:

• Impacts on biodiversity and airport operations
• Odour and noise impacts on future residents from operations on adjacent land
• Inadequate provision to evacuate future residents in an emergency, given there is only one road in and out of the site
• The lack of frequent public transport, and available water infrastructure, to support the development.

The Planning Proposal is being considered under the State Assessed Rezoning Policy. The report from the State Significant Rezoning Evaluation Panel is available at this page.

Council did not exhibit the Planning proposal nor Council is the final decision-maker on this site – this is the responsibility of the NSW Government.

As such, queries on the current proposal, or the planning process, should be directed to either DPHI or Besmaw (also known as the Holt Estate) via the links available at the More Information section of this web page.

Nevertheless, given the significant size and scale of this proposal within the Sutherland Shire, we will be working closely with the NSW Government and the proponent to deliver good planning outcomes at this site.

At its Planning Committee meeting of 1 June 2026, and full Council meeting of 22 June 2026, Councillors considered a report on this proposal, including a draft submission and the results of a community survey commissioned by Council.

Council’s approved submission to the Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) advises that the proposal is not supported in its current form as it is considered that the proposal has not yet adequately demonstrated:

1. appropriate integration with strategic transport planning;
2. sufficient regional and local infrastructure capacity;
3. satisfactory flood and evacuation outcomes;
4. appropriate environmental protection measures;
5. long-term servicing and governance certainty; or
6. acceptable mitigation of broader cumulative impacts across the Kurnell Peninsula.

Council has historically met its housing targets; however, it is considered that any further growth must be supported by NSW Government investment in the transport, infrastructure and services needed to support existing and future residents.

Council considers the following matters essential to any future determination of the Kurnell proposal:

1. duplication of Captain Cook Drive to occur prior to, or concurrent with, early stages of development, prior to residential occupation;
2. consideration of reclassification of Captain Cook Drive as a State Road, having regard to its regional significance and role in servicing strategic employment lands and future development;
3. appropriate State Government funding and delivery mechanisms for regional transport infrastructure upgrades;
4. protection of Lot 2 North from inappropriate development outcomes;
5. strengthened environmental zoning and long-term protection mechanisms for ecological corridors and wetland areas;
6. further refinement of flood evacuation and emergency management arrangements; and
7. clarification of long-term infrastructure ownership, governance and maintenance responsibilities.

Council’s final submission can be found here.