Pyrmont will become Sydney's next "economic and jobs hub" according to the NSW government, under plans likely to smooth the path for high-rise development after a proposed Star casino tower was controversially opposed by government bureaucrats.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said new planning controls to be developed by the government would see Pyrmont and the precinct west of Sydney Harbour become the "gateway to the CBD".

The NSW government has announced an overhaul of the precinct west of Sydney Harbour.

The government would also accelerate investigations into building a Metro station to support the area's growth, she said.

It comes after the NSW Department of Planning refused to support The Star's plan for a $500 million Ritz-Carlton hotel and 204 residential apartments in July, warning the 66-storey building proposed would have "unacceptable visual impacts due to its scale".