Western Sydney Lakes is located 3km north of Penrith CBD adjacent to the Nepean River and bordering Penrith's Great River Walk. 

Western Sydney Lakes has a rich history. For thousands of years, the Nepean River was an important place for the Darug people. It was later used as a European settlement, and in more modern times for agriculture and quarrying, as a venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, a community meeting space, and a sporting venue for rowing, kayaking, and regattas.

The Castlereagh site was previously a quarry operated by Boral, Holcim, and Hanson that supported Sydney’s housing and infrastructure projects for generations. Over the last 36 years, the site has undergone extensive rehabilitation and is now unrecognisable due to extensive work to regenerate the landscape and rehabilitate ecosystems and biodiversity. The most notable feature of the site includes a series of lakes which together form a ‘recreational lake system’ that are 20% larger than Lake Burley Griffin in the ACT. 

The composition of such an abundance of freshwater and beaches against the backdrop of the World Heritage Blue Mountains is unmistakably striking and memorable. 

One of the recreational lakes is being opened as Penrith Beach for this summer as a trial.

It is owned by the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation Pty Ltd, a joint venture company owned by Boral Limited (40%), Holcim Australia (40%) and Hanson Australia (20%) and governed by a Board comprising representatives from the Shareholders and an independent chairman.

Western Sydney Lakes is a manmade system of waterways located on the eastern banks of the Nepean River at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The remediated precinct is nestled between the Penrith CBD and the Nepean River.

The Site is within the Penrith LGA and is approximately 3km north-west of the Penrith Central Business District (CBD), 15km north of the proposed Western Sydney International Airport, 32km east of the Parramatta CBD and 60km northwest from the Sydney CBD.

Set over 2,000 hectares, it is around five times the size of Sydney’s Centennial Parklands.

The combination of such abundant open space and lake beaches against the backdrop of the World Heritage Blue Mountains is unmistakably striking and memorable. The Western Sydney Lakes site presents a unique opportunity to be a regionally significant asset and a point of difference for the Western Parkland City. It is unlike anything in Australia.

It is a site that can bring about transformational change and the shareholders remain enthusiastic about the site’s future prospects and the amenity it will bring to Western Sydney.

The Covid-19 pandemic underlined the importance of accessible, and viable, public green and blue spaces for local communities. It also highlighted the disparity in access between residents in the West, compared to those in other parts of the city. Unlocking the potential of Western Sydney Lakes represents an opportunity to address that inequity.

Western Sydney Lakes recently submitted a proposal to NSW Government, to enable the development of an initial 80HA site in the broader consolidated urban footprint of 330HA with the aim of creating a new, world-class waterfront precinct.

The focus of this proposal is centred around the creation of a vibrant tourism and leisure precinct with a host of retail, food and beverage and public spaces linked to the water. A key feature of the plan includes the establishment of a lakeside pavilion and public beach, providing Western Sydney with its own iconic swimming and entertainment destination.

The creation of the public “lake” beach, providing locals and those all over Sydney, with access to a swimming site like no other in Sydney, is something we are quite proud of, and can up and running as soon as 2025-26 summer.

There is also a great opportunity to create the ‘Bay Run of the West’ including loops around the 2 main recreational lakes (one 11km loop (Lake A) and one 5.7km loop (Lake B, associated with the Lakehouse pavilion proposal) and the completion of the Great River Walk -  Western Sydney’s own version of the famed Inner West walking track, and these plans include the development of new walking and cycling trails which feature glimpses of the Mountains, panoramic views of the Nepean River, as well as Western Sydney Lakes’ stunning waterways.

The proposed development plans provide an opportunity to improve public and private transport connections to Penrith and other centres and build on the Great River Walk to create active and passive transport links (walking, cycling, running and so on).

Set over 29 hectares, a new production precinct for film and television is earmarked for the south western corner of the site. The project includes sound stages, filming tanks, construction and design facilities, as well as a film school.

The location for filming of he Mad Max: Fury Road blockbuster, the Lakeside Film Studios will be used for international and Australian productions.

The Penrith/Emu Plains floodplain is a wide floodplain located near the Nepean River. The river banks are high so smaller floods remain mostly within the banks of the Nepean River. A significant amount of money has been invested in flooding infrastructure to mitigate the risks on-site at Western Sydney Lakes, reduce flood impacts in the surrounding area and provide further evacuation time to downstream communities.

Due to this investment, and in addition to its engineered landform, the Western Sydney Lakes site was unaffected, during the recent major flood events in Sydney, in 2021, and 2022.

The overall vision is for Western Sydney Lakes is to serve the recreational needs of Western Sydney and to be a signature, and iconic visitor destination boosting the tourism economy of Western Sydney. 

There are no plans for residential development at Western Sydney Lakes. 

As the population of Greater Western Sydney, and Penrith, grows, a wider range of services and activities will be required to reaffirm Penrith’s role as a destination for workers, students and visitors. As a result, the company’s full attention is on the delivery of commercial assets, tourism projects and exciting new water-based activities which will create many local jobs and provide much needed open space for Western Sydney communities.

The proposed uses for Western Sydney Lakes are consistent, and respond to many of the State Government’s economic, visitor and environmental strategic objectives.

The focus for Western Sydney Lakes is to continue with the planning and delivery of this first phase of activity. Plans for the rest of the site have not been considered, but it is expected that future land-use will support the site’s leisure, recreation and entertainment offering.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment endorsed the Western Sydney Lakes Water Management Plan (WMP) to ensure the quality and quantity of water for the 723 ha of lakes and the planned 332 ha of wetlands and smaller water bodies at Western Sydney Lakes. It will also guide future best practice management of the Western Sydney Lakes Scheme.

Proposed plans for the future of Western Sydney Lakes have been submitted to the NSW Government in accordance with Government regulations. As part of this process, these plans will be placed on public exhibition. Penrith Lakes welcome the opportunity to engage with community on its vision for the new destination, Western Sydney Lakes,

Western Sydney Lakes will serve the recreational needs of Western Sydney, and beyond. Set across 2000 hectares, 330 hectares have been earmarked for redevelopment. Phase One, which includes the Southbank precinct and the Production studio will create a tourism and recreation hub that not only services Western Sydney, but increases employment and investment opportunities for businesses.

To transform Western Sydney Lakes (formerly Penrith Lakes) into a significant, recreational space and tourism hub in Western Sydney, supported and enhanced by sustainable mixed use urban development.