The Western Sydney City Deal originally announced in June 2016 was signed on Sunday 4 March 2018. It is touted to lay the foundations for the creation of a thriving Western City of 1.5 million residents within 20 years.
It was a momentous occasion when eight mayors from Western Sydney finally signed off on their City Deal this week. Alongside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian were the Mayors of Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Penrith and Wollondilly Councils.
The City Deal will deliver a north-south rail link to the Badgery’s Creek Airport, 200,000 new jobs, an agribusiness precinct, an Aerospace Institute and funding for liveability projects throughout the eight local government areas.
A joint statement from the Mayors noted, “For the first time ever, Federal, State and Local governments are working together to concentrate their focus on meeting the needs of the people of Western Sydney.”
In his speech at the City Deal launch, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recognized the work of the Greater Sydney Commission in helping to bring the deal together.
He noted that Western Sydney is home to diverse communities who were undergoing enormous change and that the aim was to ‘preserve the unique character of each community’.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian described the agreement as ‘the culmination of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide jobs’.
Wollondilly Mayor, Judith Hannan, said “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity where eight Mayors are working together on a regional level for a long term commitment to the people of Western Sydney, our communities.”
Penrith Mayor, John Thain, said, “There is no doubt that the Western City will be the powerhouse of the state and a key player on the world stage. It’s an exciting time to live in Penrith; the heart of this new Western City.”
Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill, said, “Importantly the Western Sydney City Deal recognises the [Blue Mountains] Council’s ongoing opposition to Western Sydney Airport.
“We know that the second airport is not in the best interests of the Western Sydney community. As we look to the future of the Western Sydney region, I wanted future generations to know that Blue Mountains City Council stood up for its principles and for its community, and that the City Deal document reflected this.”
Mayor of Campbelltown, George Brticevic said the City Deal announcement was a red-letter day, however the big issue for Campbelltown was jobs.
“In particular, Council is looking forward to working with all levels of government to create an Indigenous Small Business Opportunity Hub in Campbelltown, and to accessing the resources of the Federal and State Governments through early, active participation in the Western Sydney Investment Attraction Office, to bring more jobs to our city.”
An Implementation Plan for the Western Sydney City Deal is still to be released.
