Two-thirds of Sydneysiders will be able to commute between their jobs, homes and key services within 30 minutes, but they may have to wait 40 years to do so, under new long-term strategies that will divide Sydney into three interconnected cities.

The NSW government claimed a "historic", "first time" collaboration between its planning and infrastructure auspices as it released two 40-year strategies to transform Sydney into a tripartite metropolis with eastern, central, and western cities by 2056.

The three are a western parkland city, west of the M7, a central river city around greater Parramatta, and an eastern harbour city.

Flanked by the government's Transport and Planning ministers, Greater Sydney Commissioner Lucy Turnbull on Sunday formally handed the government the commission's new strategy – the Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan 2017 – for achieving the three, 30-minute cities.