Independent Community Commissioner

About the Independent Community Commissioner

Professor Roberta Ryan is the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and for Orchard Hills.

Roberta is an expert in strategic planning. She helps the government and the community to resolve sensitive matters related to land use, transport, infrastructure, housing, greening, recreation, and open space.

As the Independent Community Commissioner, Roberta works closely with the communities in the Aerotropolis and Orchard Hills to help them understand the planning process and what any proposed changes may mean. She also helps to raise any issues and concerns with government during the process, and tries to get those issues addressed.

Orchard Hills

The NSW Government appointed Roberta as the Independent Community Commissioner for Orchard Hills in October 2022.

Community survey

Roberta asked the Orchard Hills community to complete a short survey to help her to provide the best support for the community. The survey is now closed. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Your responses are being combined and will be shared on this web page shortly.

Contact with the Community Commissioner

If you would like to be placed on a mail and/or email list to receive information from the Community Commissioner about the future of Orchard Hills, please provide your name and your residential address and/or email address to kate@aerocc.com.au

If you need to contact Roberta, please be in touch with Kate Robinson from the Community Commissioner’s office by email at kate@aerocc.com.au or phone 0408 115 467.

Discussion paper for community feedback

The Department of Planning and Environment has released a discussion paper to hear from the community about the future of Orchard Hills.

View the discussion paper

Please provide your feedback by Friday 16 December 2022.

Your feedback on the discussion paper and through the Community Commissioner’s survey will inform the draft Orchard Hills Precinct Plan, which will be available for public comment in 2023.

Orchard Hills Community Consultative Committee

Community Consultative Committees (CCC) are an important engagement forum for the community and other key stakeholders in the planning and development of an area. A CCC is not a decision-making body.

The CCC community representatives provide advice to state, federal and local government on impacts and ways government can support and collaborate with the community during planning and development. These representatives have established strong networks in their community, and are able to reflect the views of the wider community, and also have the ability to feedback information.

An Orchard Hills CCC is being established. It will be chaired by the Independent Community Commissioner. Commencing in 2023, the CCC will initially meet quarterly, then more often as required.

To discuss being involved in this community committee to represent the views of your neighbours and community during the planning process please contact Kate Robinson by email at kate@aerocc.com.au or phone 0408 115 467.

Western Sydney Aerotropolis

Roberta was appointed the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis by the Hon. Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, in May 2021. Her role was to assess the issues and concerns of landowners impacted by the governments’ plans and to make recommendations on the optimal way forward. Her role was extended by Minister Stokes and Minister Ayres in December 2021 to oversee her recommendations.

Report: A fair and equitable way forward

Following consultation with more than 100 landowners, the Commissioner delivered her report and recommendations on a fair and equitable way forward for landowners in the Aerotropolis to the Minister for Planning in August 2021. Read Roberta’s Western Sydney Aerotropolis report  (PDF, 373 KB) and Western Sydney Aerotropolis report overview (PDF, 186 KB).

The NSW Government’s response to the Commissioner’s recommendations was released in October 2021 and was the NSW Government’s detailed response to the Independent Community Commissioner’s recommendations. Read the Responding to the Issues (PDF, 11.9 MB) report.

Roberta’s recommendations and submissions from the community and others helped to form the final planning package which was released by the Minister for Planning on 25 March 2022. Read the final planning package.

Western Sydney Aerotropolis Community Consultative Committee

A key recommendation by Roberta was to establish a Western Sydney Aerotropolis Community Consultative Committee (CCC).

The Aerotropolis CCC built on the work of the Community Liaison Group to provide an engagement forum for the community and other key stakeholders in the planning and development of the Aerotropolis.

The CCC is not a decision-making body. It provides an advisory and consultative role for small landowner representatives, local councils, the Western Parkland City Authority, the Commonwealth, and state agencies.

Members – who are largely small landowners from the Western Sydney Aerotropolis – provide advice to state, federal and local government on impacts and ways governments can support and collaborate with the community during the planning and development of the Aerotropolis.

The CCC is chaired by the Independent Community Commissioner. It meets monthly, or more often as required.

Nominations to join the CCC were called in August 2021, and the following members were appointed to represent community views across the Aerotropolis:

Minutes for each CCC meeting are available:

• CCC – 4 October 2022 (PDF, 2.7 MB)
• CCC – 7 September 2022 (PDF, 1.5 MB)
• CCC – 2 August 2022 (PDF, 205 KB)
• CCC – 5 July 2022 (PDF, 3.9 MB)
• CCC – 7 June 2022 (PDF, 2.9 MB)
• CCC – 3 May 2022 (PDF, 2.3 MB)
• CCC – 5 April 2022 (PDF, 251 KB)
• CCC – 1 March 2022 (PDF, 209 KB)
• CCC – 1 February 2022 (PDF, 185 KB)
• CCC – 8 November 2021 (PDF, 220 KB)
• CCC – 25 October 2021 (PDF, 207 KB)
• CCC – 5 October 2021 (PDF, 206 KB).

Landowner counselling service

A free, confidential telephone counselling service is available to all Aerotropolis landowners.

AccessEAP is an Australian owned and not-for-profit organisation that will provide landowners with general counselling, financial, and other specialist services over the phone.

If you would like to access this service, please phone 1800 818 728 and advise the operator you are looking for counselling offered for the Aerotropolis landowners or mention the Independent Community Commissioner.

Aerotropolis Precinct Manager

Wendy Carlson is the Aerotropolis Precinct Manager for the Western Parkland City Authority. Wendy works closely with the Independent Community Commissioner and with construction delivery partners, local councils and government agencies working across the Aerotropolis.

The role of the Precinct Manager is to ensure that community and stakeholder questions and feedback are dealt with sensitively and in a timely and coordinated manner. While it will usually be the construction place managers you hear from regarding local work impacts, Wendy can provide another channel to ensure the community’s concerns and questions are heard and answered regarding the Authority and ongoing projects within the Aerotropolis.

The Aerotropolis Precinct Manager has the following responsibilities:

• Work with the Independent Community Commissioner on developing and maintaining strong community stakeholder relationships.
• Act as an information concierge for community stakeholders unsure of where to find information.
• Coordinate communication across NSW Government agencies.
• Liaise closely with the following existing Australian, NSW and local government agency place managers:
  • Western Sydney Airport
  • Department of Planning
  • Transport for NSW
  • Greater Cities Commission
  • Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport
  • Liverpool City Council
  • Sydney Water
  • Penrith City Council.

You can contact Wendy Carlson by phone on 0436 690 283 or email precinctmanager@wpca.sydney