GOAL
St Marys Town Centre is undergoing an exciting transformation over the next 20 years. In 2023, Penrith City Council commissioned JOC Consulting to prepare a Place Plan that ensures the Town Centre continues to transform into a vibrant and welcoming space. The Place Plan complements the St Marys Town Centre Structure Plan (adopted by Council in 2022) and supports the St Marys Master Plan (underway), identifying community and businesses priorities for next 5-10 years.
A crucial goal of the Place Plan is to help maintain community cohesiveness while the town centre undergoes significant redevelopment over the next 10 years, as the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Metro West line are finalised.
SOLUTION
In collaboration with Council, JOC designed the St Marys Town Centre Place Plan to be community-led – capturing the values, vision, desires, ideas and actions shared by the community that make St Marys the special place it is. From May to June 2023, JOC facilitated a comprehensive program of community and stakeholder consultation including pop-ups, intercept surveys, online surveys, door knocks, interviews, and workshops. Engagement leveraged the cultural diversity of St Marys and designed activities accordingly to ensure the Place Plan captures the true essence of the place.
OUTCOME
The St Mary Town Centre Place Plan was successfully adopted by the Penrith City Council in June 2024. This also contributed to the success of attaining $400K funding from the NSW government as part of the Community Improvement District (CID) Pilot Program to support actions and opportunities outlined in the Place Plan.
The co-operative delivery method was crucial in building community cohesion and highlighting the importance of community involvement and action within the context of the town centre redevelopment.