Plans to redevelop Westfield Penrith with two high-rise towers and a 152-room hotel have encountered opposition from disaster management agencies due to significant flood risk concerns. The Westfield mall owner, Scentre Group, argues that the proposed development would generate over $184 million in annual economic output for the local area and create more than 2,000 new jobs.

The redevelopment is timed to coincide with the opening of the nearby Western Sydney Airport. Developers describe Penrith as a growing regional city undergoing rapid transformation and position the proposal as aligned with the Penrith City Council’s vision of establishing the Central Business District (CBD) as a commercial and tourist hub. According to the proposal, Westfield Penrith occupies a substantial portion of the city’s economic core, presenting an opportunity for a significant development that would reinforce Penrith’s role as a metropolitan centre.

Despite these potential benefits, the New South Wales (NSW) Reconstruction Authority has expressed strong concerns regarding flood evacuation capacity associated with the site. The authority, joined by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), has requested more detailed flood modelling and a comprehensive strategy to manage potential flooding risks.

The Reconstruction Authority highlighted that the development site falls within the probable maximum flood zone. Given that local flood events in the area can persist for several days, evacuation rather than sheltering in place would be necessary for residents and visitors. The authority also noted that Penrith’s existing CBD evacuation system is already nearing or exceeding its maximum capacity, raising additional challenges for emergency response in the event of a flood.

Scentre Group has yet to publicly address the flood risk concerns or provide further details on how the potential evacuation and safety challenges would be managed as part of the development. The debate underscores the tensions between economic development aspirations in rapidly growing regional centers and the realities of disaster preparedness and resilience planning. The final decision on the proposal will involve considerations from both council planning authorities and disaster management agencies.