[+] Western Sydney Works to Shake Off Poor Cousin Tag

Parramatta may be growing at a rapid pace but it is still the poorer cousin to the NSW capital’s premier CBD. Missing the money, arts and infrastructure required, western Sydney must attract more investment to create the bustling and well-connected CBD it aspires to be, promoters say. “Western Sydney’s voice has never been strong enough,” Trevor Oldfield, former president of the Chamber Alliance of Western Sydney, says. “The fact is the rapid growth of western Sydney as a preferred destination to live has resulted in poor infrastructure. Moving around western Sydney is a nightmare.” The alliance is represented by 14 chambers across western Sydney. Its aim is to be a united voice for issues pertaining to western Sydney, particularly those that affect small to medium enterprises, to address the need for further education and to ensure western Sydney—as the largest growth area in NSW—receives the support from all levels of government. “Outside Blacktown there isn’t much happening as far as art and sport are concerned,” Oldfield says. ▲ Prominent western Sydney residents say their part of the state is too often overlooked or ignored. “The inter-connectivity within greater western Sydney needs to be vastly improved.” A leaked $2-billion proposal to redevelop the Sydney CBD and eastern suburbs into a cultural and arts precinct, with a 24/7 hospitality sector, commercial office towers and affordable housing has put a cat among the pigeons. Prominent western Sydney locals claim that they are last when it comes to NSW government spending priorities. Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger says more investment is needed to create more central workplace hubs to allow people to work in the area that they live, not travel to the CBD or beyond. “In the west we have high levels of tertiary-educated graduates,” Borger says. “We have the brain power living in our postcodes, yet for too many of them they must travel to the other side of Sydney for work. It makes sense for businesses to have a presence in the places where their workforce lives. “As the new airport and the aerotropolis comes to fruition, we need to see a clear plan to get public transport access from across western Sydney to the airport.” But Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest says they are putting the horse before the cart. ▲ A render of the Parramatta Powerhouse museum designed by Japanese-French practice Moreau Kusunoki and local architect Genton. “Sometimes there is a desire from well-meaning public servants to deliver the full suite of infrastructure services, including public art and cultural institutions, up front,” Forrest says. “This is simply not practical or affordable. “It is important not to confuse infrastructure investment in long-established built-up urban areas with that required for greenfield areas in outer Sydney. The base infrastructure needed in greenfield areas include water supply, storm-water drainage and sewerage, key classified roads, public transport and electricity. “Social infrastructure includes schools, hospitals, police facilities— typically paid for by the state government with the support of infrastructure contributions from the developers. Local infrastructure, provided by councils, is funded through developer levies and is maintained using council rates from the landowners.” The development of Powerhouse Parramatta is being touted as a game-changer for the area, which will be the largest cultural infrastructure project in NSW since the Sydney Opera House. “The investment in Powerhouse Parramatta is a game-changing public investment in arts and investment within the region and is set to be complemented by a new Parramatta Riverside Theatre,” Property Council Western Sydney regional director Ross Grove says. “These investments are in the order of $2 billion and represent a rapid transformation in state arts and culture funding in the region.” ▲ A render of the proposed Parkland City. There is also the Western Parkland City Authority, which is a commitment within the Western Sydney City Deal, setting the foundation for the Parkland City to become a fully realised 21st century city. The $150-million commitment and 20-year partnership between the Commonwealth, NSW government and the eight local councils in the Western Parkland City will deliver transformative change to shape the region to become an epicentre for liveability in Sydney. The new Federal government’s first Budget allocated $1.4 billion for vital land transport infrastructure projects in NSW to improve safety and reduce travel times. There is $400 million for the new Richmond Bridge and traffic improvements between North Richmond and Richmond with an additional $100 million thrown in from the NSW government; $220 million (split 50:50 between the Commonwealth and NSW governments) allocated to upgrading Epping Bridge; $127 million in funding for the Dunheved Road upgrade in Penrith and $75 million committed to improving and expanding the Northwest growth corridor among other projects. “In order to meet the future housing and employment needs of the region, the state government needs to invest in targeted transport and utilities packages that unlock the capacity of our key growth areas,” Grove says. “These are generally mid-sized, nine-figure projects that are critical to unlocking large parts of the region’s growth. The federal government’s recent $300-million western Sydney roads package is a great start for unlocking key parts of our residential growth areas, and we encourage both state and federal government to commit to a timetable toward the delivery of a state roads package for the western Sydney Aerotropolis.” Grove believes that the western Sydney Aerotropolis has been the focus of significant infrastructure investment already and it’s the intermediate roads that are required to start delivering the industrial land that is in such critical short supply. ▲ A render of a street in the western Sydney aerotropolis. “Our national supply chain is struggling to cope with the current shortage of industrial land, with vacancy rates in Sydney at 0.3 per cent or below,” he says. “Our industrial members are already missing out on opportunities to host interested tenants because there isn’t enough properly serviced industrial land able to be cater to the demand—if we don’t address this soon the city will suffer from weaker productivity and gaps in our regional employment offering.” With infrastructure at the forefront of planning and construction for the NSW and Commonwealth governments, it is only a matter of time before other main towns in the western Sydney take on more prominence in terms of business development and central offices for government departments and SMEs. “As cities develop, grow and mature, the population grows, and the amenity for those centres follows,” Forrest says. “In the mid-1980s, you would not have thought of Parramatta as the centre for government administration with its own justice precinct and the home of the arts, with museums, theatres and a thriving food scene. “Similar transitions are taking place in Liverpool, Penrith and Campbelltown. With population growth comes improved public transport, improved education and health services. “Solid up-front strategic planning ensures that public open space is preserved to accommodate the growth. “But it is important to adjust expectations of infrastructure delivery to match the maturity of the development area.” You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

Construction
Louis White
Tue 08 Nov 22

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