Westerly winds of change

The winds of change have turned and they’re heading out west. The UWS Werrington South campus will soon house the first stage of Werrington Park, a long-term strategy to develop a large business park focused on the Werrington North campus and part of the planned Penrith Health and Education Precinct. As announced on Wednesday 25 July by The Honourable Tony Bourke, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Australian Government will provide $13.5 million toward the $29.5 million project.

The Commonwealth Government’s Suburban Jobs Program aims to develop new sustainable employment opportunities in outer suburban regions. UWS’s successful submission to the Suburban Jobs Fund will see the development of the Werrington Park Corporate Centre, which will be a catalyst for new employment opportunities in western Sydney and seed the longer-term planning and development of the Werrington North campus for the future.

Werrington Park Corporate Centre will accommodate up to 400 workers and is another way the University can have a positive impact on the lives of many Greater Western Sydney residents, removing the need for long commutes to work outside the region and relieving the related strains on finances, health, family relationships and workplace productivity. It is anticipated that around 6000 jobs will be generated over the next 20 years. The Werrington South and Kingswood campuses will primarily remain as academic and research campuses.

Peter Eeles, Director of Campus Development, says Werrington Park Corporate Centre will house commercial tenants with a focus on creating skilled jobs in industries such as digital media and communication arts, intelligent civil engineering (Civionics), eHealth services and healthcare information and allied services. Importantly, the centre will attract new professional and creative employees to the region and provide job opportunities for UWS graduates.

“The aim is to create an energetic and creative environment to deliver long-term skilled employment opportunities to residents of western Sydney,” says Peter.

This exciting project is led by UWS in a consortium with Penrith City Council and the Penrith Business Alliance and is a further catalyst for the planning and development of the Penrith Health and Education Precinct, which stretches from UWS and TAFE in the east to Nepean Hospital medical precinct in the west.

The Penrith Business Alliance will move into the Werrington Park Corporate Centre as a foundation tenant and will run a business incubator and serviced offices. The facility will provide companies with cost-effective office space and allow for a telecommuting workspace.

And the plans don’t stop here. “As part of the UWS Making the Difference Strategy, the Campus Development Unit’s remit is to leverage UWS land assets to support UWS’s role in western Sydney and to provide vital future income streams to support core teaching and research initiatives,” says Peter.

Construction work on the Werrington Park Corporate Centre is proposed to begin early 2013 and finish early 2015.