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Thornton, a large greenfield development in Penrith, is positioned next to the train station and has a mix of high, medium and low-density housing.

Sydney is full of poorly designed new suburbs. This is how two got it right

Urban sprawl isn’t new to Sydney – but planning new suburbs properly is rare.

  • Anthony Segaert, Ellie Busby and Mostafa Rachwani

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In Austral, promised parks and playgrounds have not been delivered, despite locals calling for more green space.

The Sydney suburb with 15,841 residents where children play on the roads

In Sydney’s growth suburbs, councils struggle to provide parks, libraries and pools – and there’s a good reason why.

  • Ellie Busby and Mostafa Rachwani
Manwell had a bike accident and was in hospital for 14 hours at Campbeltown Hospital.

‘The health system will kill me before the cancer does’

Manwell Cini’s excruciating wait in a Sydney emergency department underscores what happens when new hospitals and hospital beds lag population growth.

  • Mostafa Rachwani
Raj and Aman Mangat with their youngest daughter Iskara and dog Simba in Box Hill.

From 119 students to 1445 in five years: The Sydney suburb that exploded before schools arrived

The Mangat family bought into a suburb promised four public schools. That didn’t happen.

  • Ellie Busby
Premier Chris Minns, centre, is frustrated at the amount of community consultation needed on public infrastructure

‘Insane’ community consultation rules holding back needed Sydney infrastructure, premier says

Chris Minns argued it was “insane” some works would require environmental reviews and community consultation before proceeding when “everyone knows we need this”.  

  • Michael McGowan
Stranded Sydney.

Stranded Sydney

While parts of Sydney have taken thousands of new homes, the roads, transport, schools, hospitals and leisure space people need are sorely missing.

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Raj Raman and his wife Rathiga Thiagarjan and adult son Rajmallan Thiagarajan outside their Riverstone house.

The Rajs bought into the Australian dream. It came with a nightmare

Sydney’s fringe suburbs are at breaking point, with traffic and roads the first tests of residents’ patience each day.

  • Anthony Segaert