And long may this competition flourish between the major political parties as the transformation of the region gathers pace.
This is the view expressed in the Committee for Sydney’s latest issues paper, “Adding to the Dividend, Ending the Divide”, prepared in association with SGS Economic Planning, Arup and Western Sydney University.
The document said the renewed and healthy competition between the main political parties aimed to show they have the best commitment to Western Sydney’s future and the policies and program of infrastructure that the area needs to thrive.
The Parramatta-based Greater Sydney Commission had noted and “taken up in earnest” the decisive which shift had occurred in awareness of the opportunities and challenges of Western Sydney over the last three to four years, the document said
The issues paper nominated the Badgerys Creek airport as a game-change in the perception of the region.
“Perhaps most practically, the announcement of the location of Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek has already changed the profile of the region for investors and offers a major catalyst for the development of new industries and innovation related sectors in Western Sydney “ the document said
“The commitment to create a new cultural precinct in Parramatta with the relocated Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences at its heart, also reflects the shift in policy and public investment towards the West
“Very importantly, the private sector has begun to respond with significant new commercial office investment [particularly] developments in Parramatta and the developing of new capacity in the area by some global companies.”
However, on a negative note, the document highlighted the jobs gap between western and eastern Sydney as a significant problem.
“Despite advances, particularly in the growth in the number and proportion of Western Sydney residents with university degrees and the growth in financial and insurance services in Parramatta, large concentrations of jobs in high value adding professional services sectors are not emerging at sufficient pace to match the growing number of tertiary qualified Western Sydney residents “
The document said while research showed that Parramatta’s GDP grew faster in the last few years than that of the Sydney CBD and of North Sydney, eastern Sydney dominated in high value jobs which was expected to persist for some time ahead.
The gap in incomes reflected this situation.
The average income of Sydney was clearly divided between the eastern half of Sydney, where the income was much higher, and the western half, where the average income was well below the Australian average
