The planned four lane divided road between Lenore Road and Old Wallgrove Road Blacktown will unlock hundreds of hectares of new employment lands within the Western Sydney region.
Additionally it opens the way to the M7 and M4 motorways, perfect for big business relocating from expensive and overcrowded inner Sydney suburbs.
In late May I joined the Premier Barry O’Farrell and his Western Sydney elected MP’s to hear the announcement first hand – that construction contracts have been awarded.
The Chamber has been a key lobbyist in the campaign to see the link road delivered. They have been supported by Penrith City Council and the Penrith Business Alliance in keeping pressure on government to ensure this major infrastructure project was delivered.
We added to the usual rounds of meetings, letters, phone calls and emails to decision makers on both sides of the party floor, and helped generate regular media stories to keep the project high on the radar.
The Chamber also arranged numerous site visits for the then Opposition Leader and his Shadow Ministers. They visited a number of times over several months meeting with business operators to learn more and see for themselves the enormous potential waiting to be unearthed in this commercial area.
It became quickly obvious how such a commonsense approach to making things actually happen would open up Pandora’s Box.
The creation of job, jobs and more jobs topping the list of important wins this link will bring for all stakeholders is key to addressing so many other issues.
Businesses such as Bluescope Steel, RONDO, Corporate Express amongst many already located in the business park can now look to expand and properly grow their holdings.
Joining the Chamber on site with the Premier was General Manager Property for CSR Ltd Andrew MacKenzie, who has been involved with investment development of the business park for some years. He also serves on the Board of Penrith Business Alliance.
Major outcomes of the new road include:
•Reinforcement of the Western Sydney Employment Area as a significant employment hub.
•Reduction of transport costs for industry located in the Western Sydney Employment Area.
They are reliable, skilled and they want more time in their days to spend with families, not be stuck in moving car parks to the city.
*Jill Woods is CEO of the Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce.
