The NSW State Land Use Plan (State Plan) is the NSW Government's first state-wide land use plan that provides the overarching land use planning vision for the growth of NSW over the next 20 years.
It establishes a clear framework for strategic land use planning by aligning State, region and local planning.
View the State Plan
The State Plan (PDF, 24.2 MB) guides land use planning in NSW over the next 20 years.
Technical appendices
The State Plan includes technical appendices as further policy guidance to support implementation.
The glossary provides definitions of common terms that are used in the State Land Use Plan and Region Plans.
The framework outlines the approach and requirements for making updates to plans between formal review cycles. It outlines the circumstances under which the Department may make changes to region plans, and how those changes would be made.
View Appendix B – Framework for Updates to Strategic Plans (PDF, 274 KB)
The Feasible Housing Capacity Policy establishes the approach for how the NSW Government and local councils will determine, maintain and measure the level of feasible housing capacity required to meet NSW’s housing needs. The policy requires that all local councils with a five-year housing target update their local strategic planning to provide at least 30 years of feasible capacity.
View Appendix C – Feasible Housing Capacity Policy (PDF, 2.8 MB)
The Statewide Employment Guidance provides a consistent framework to support strategic planning for jobs growth and land use provisions for industries across NSW. It establishes an evidence-based jobs target methodology and the eight broad industry categories. The guidance helps protect key employment areas, unlock opportunities and support long-term employment growth.
View Appendix D – Statewide Employment Guidance (PDF, 566 KB)
The NSW Centres Framework sets out the approach to planning centres across the state and provides a consistent basis for their identification and classification in region and local strategic planning. It identifies the four centre typologies used across NSW and how they are categorised, outlines the strategic role and intent of each centre type; and provides guidance to support planning decisions.
The Statewide Policy for Industrial Lands is a new framework that aims to plan, secure and manage the supply of industrial land across NSW by clearly categorising industrial land. The policy proposes a consistent approach for the management of industrial land and supports future job creation and economic growth in key industries important to our communities.
View Appendix F – Statewide Policy for Industrial Lands (PDF, 11.5 MB) or for more information on the policy, visit Employment Lands
NSW Strategic Planning Framework
The State Plan establishes a new strategic planning framework for NSW.
The framework comprises 3 core elements:
1. A simplified three-tier hierarchy
The State Plan establishes clear roles and responsibilities across a three-tier hierarchy of plans:
- State Land Use Plan
- Region plans
- Local plans.
2. Updated planning regions
The State Plan identifies updated planning regions to reduce duplication, reflect regional nuances and deliver consistent land use outcomes. The updated planning regions are:
- Sydney
- Central Coast and Lower Hunter
- Illawarra Shoalhaven
- Regional NSW.
3. A framework designed to adapt
State and region plans may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in land use, policy, population and infrastructure investment.
State land use planning priorities
The State Plan identifies 7 state land use planning priorities. Together they provide a shared direction for planning across NSW and guide State, region and local planning.
All state, region and local strategic plans must respond to these priorities. This helps align planning decisions with infrastructure investment, funding priorities and statutory planning pathways.
The 7 statewide priorities are:
Public exhibition
The State Land Use Plan and strategic planning framework were informed by public exhibition of the A New Approach to Strategic Planning: Discussion Paper, between 10 December 2025 and 27 February 2026.
Visit the NSW Planning Portal to view the exhibited documents and the submissions we received in response to the Discussion Paper. Read the Public exhibition outcomes report (PDF, 1.2 MB) to learn more about the feedback received and how it informed the final plan and associated reforms.
Frequently asked questions
Subscribe to receive updates
More information
If you have any questions about the discussion paper, email [email protected]