About one million day-trippers visit Sutherland Shire each year, but less than 400,000 stay a night.
This was revealed in the Greater Sydney Commission’s draft South District Plan, which identified tourism as a potential major source of job growth in the shire.
“Our planning can build on this base to grow the tourism offer and supply short-term visitor accommodation that could convert many of the day visitors to overnight stays,” the document said.
The draft plan is a 20-year vision for the Georges River, Canterbury-Bankstown and Sutherland Shire council areas.
It said the number of tourists visiting the shire was growing every year, with year-on-year growth of about five per cent, or just over 42,000 new visitors every year in the five years to 2015.
This number of overnight visitors was growing by about 15 per cent each year.
The shire’s attractions were said to range from surf beaches and foreshore walks to the waterways, national parks, cycleways, sporting facilities, restaurants and cafes.
The draft report pinpointed ANSTO at Lucas Heights as another major area for jobs growth.
It dealt a blow to efforts to expand housing development on the Kurnell peninsula.
“The Kurnell Peninsula contains major industry including the water desalination plant, and is directly affected by the operation of the main southern flight path at Sydney Airport,” the document said.
”It also has an important economic role as it is the only land in Greater Sydney where flights are permitted during the night curfew period.
“Furthermore sand mining areas on the peninsula are transitioning and no residential development should occur if it constrains the operations of Sydney Airport.”
The draft plan said local environmental plans “must exclude new residential development on sites that have the potential to interfere with the operation of the Airport”.
South District Commissioner Morris Iemma said a major difference between the draft plan and previous documents was this was the first to make a strategic attempt to pull all the elements of land use and infrastructure planning together.
”The second major break with previous plans is that this one has some teeth,” he said.
“It is not just a guide, but sets out what councils must be doing.”
Mr Iemma said the draft plan provided a clear direction for planning on the Kurnell peninsula.
He said, while there had been advances in noise abatement technology, “at the moment there is nothing that would allow comfort to large scale development”.
“Until there is further evidence around that, it will be quarantined from development,” he said.
Mr Iemma said good planning could build on the shire’s existing tourism base to grow what was on offer and supply short-term visitor accommodation.
”One of the key things from consultation with the council and others is there is a real opportunity to drive tourism, including overnight visitors because of the unique natural beauty and attractions of the shire,” he said.
Mr Iemma said another strong message during consultation was the shire’s “green canopy” needed to be retained.
”In providing for population and job growth we can’t lose that characteristic,” he said.
“We are not going to do anything that would damage that.”
Further information on the draft plan and to make a submission: www.greater.sydney
