What is the Greater Sydney Area?
The Greater Sydney Area is a poorly-defined term, with different council areas included depending on which Government agency you ask. As a rule of thumb, the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury are inside the boundaries of the Greater Sydney Area, but the Central Coast and Wollongong are not.
The Greater Sydney Area is a term regularly used in Australia, often in relation to air pollution warnings or Covid restrictions. It’s a slightly awkward phrase, but that’s largely because the boundaries of Sydney are somewhat hazy. The Greater Sydney Area incorporates the obviously urban areas of the New South Wales capital, plus a few bits around the edges.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
Greater Sydney Area definitions
What doesn’t help is that different government agencies have different definitions of the Greater Sydney Area. The Australian Bureau of Statistics includes the Central Coast in its Greater Capital City Statistical Area. The Greater Sydney Commission, a New South Wales Government agency responsible for strategic planning, does not include the Central Coast. It also largely ignores the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions.
Covid restrictions have often muddied the waters somewhat. Wollongong and the City of Shellharbour have been lumped in too.
Greater Sydney local council areas
But if we’re going to stick with one definition of the Greater Sydney Area, the maps provided by the Greater Sydney Commission are probably the most useful. This includes all the local council areas commonly regarded as being in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. But it also adds on the Wollondilly, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury council areas.
Perhaps the easiest way of looking at the boundaries of the Greater Sydney Area is focusing on which regions are outside the boundaries. If you do a circle round from north to south, the following regions border the Greater Sydney Area, but aren’t a part of it:
Council areas bordering the Greater Sydney Area
- Central Coast
- City of Cessnock
- Singleton Shire
- City of Lithgow
- Oberon Council
- Upper Lachlan Shire
- Wingecarribee Shire
- City of Wollongong
But you’re better off taking these boundaries with a pinch of salt. Next time the NSW Government announces something to do with the Greater Sydney Area, other council areas may be lumped in or taken out.
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