Opinion: Western Sydney needs elevated recognition
The following opinion piece by Professor Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships and Executive Director, Centre for Western Sydney, was first published on The Daily Telegraph.
Imagine a sporting clash where a coach relegates the team’s fastest, most agile, and creative player to the bench, ignoring the side’s best asset. Before long, fans and the media would demand that coach’s sacking.
This is the position Western Sydney is in. Its population is younger, more culturally diverse, and growing faster than anywhere else in Australia. Its residents are gaining qualifications more rapidly than the national average. And, since 2016, its economy has been accelerating faster than the rest of Sydney.
Despite its obvious strengths, Western Sydney is relegated to the bench when it comes to investment.
The region has the greatest concentration of small-to-medium enterprises in the country, yet Western Sydney businesses received just $3.4 million of $200 million in post-COVID federal economic recovery funding. In contrast, organisations in eastern Sydney received $49.7 million.
The unfair playing field has consequences. The average person in Western Sydney receives $20,000 less income per annum than residents across the rest of Sydney.
We won’t let these challenges define us, but we need to be fast if we are not simply to catchup but excel. That’s why, with local businesses, community members and leaders, Western Sydney University has developed ‘Unlimited Potential’, an economic plan for the West.
‘Unlimited Potential’ sets out six ‘leaps’ to get Western Sydney out in front, on the national and international stage.
Leap 1 proposes the creation of a 30-year Western Sydney Infrastructure Funding Compact. This will ensure decisions on the region’s vital transport connections, industry precincts, utilities, health and education infrastructure are based on evidence and prioritised to areas that will deliver the greatest productivity and wellbeing gains.
Leap 2 recommends the establishment of a Western Sydney Infrastructure Advisory Council to take the politics out of infrastructure spending. Made up of public sector, local government, industry and community representatives, this body would assist in determining priority infrastructure initiatives to deliver maximum community benefit and economic impact.
Leap 3 designates Western Sydney as an Economic Acceleration Zone to drive technological innovation, digital skills, and productivity. The region’s current and future technology-based precincts will be rallying points for industry attraction and skills uplift programs aligned to signature policy and investment frameworks like AUKUS pillar 2, the National Reconstruction Fund and Future Made in Australia.
Leap 4 proposes state and federal government industry packages to strengthen Western Sydney’s capability links into international supply chains. This would enable the technological upscaling of the region’s businesses in targeted areas. It would also promote and concierge multinational investment in the advanced manufacturing, semiconducting and quantum computing industries.
Leap 5 would provide Western Sydney its fair share of creative industries funding. The region has 10 per cent of Australia’s population but received just 3.4 per cent of national arts funding between 2015 and 2022. Under ‘Unlimited Potential’, Western Sydney would receive 10 per cent of federal government annual spending on the arts and creative industries, and 33 per cent of NSW government spending.
Leap 6 sets accountability benchmarks for investment in Western Sydney. The University will measure progress on the six ‘leaps’ detailed in ‘Unlimited Potential’, via a twice-yearly set of indices examining the following criteria: jobs, value, income, productivity, professions, qualifications, participation and creativity. We will report on these indicators and hold the state and federal governments, and ourselves to account.
‘Unlimited Potential’ isn’t the first economic plan for Western Sydney. A region formerly known as a place of deficit has been subject to all manner of strategies designed to fix, reshape or carve-up Sydney’s west.
This plan is different. It doesn’t ask Western Sydney to change. It doesn’t demand the region to be something it is not. Instead, it maps a clear path to enable Western Sydney to reach its ‘Unlimited Potential’. It does this not to set Sydney’s west apart from other regions, but to bring it to the fore of the national interest.
ENDS
7 November 2024
Latest News
ABC RN transcript: Vice-Chancellor Professor George Williams discusses higher education sector, student support, and the impact of AI
The following is a transcript of an interview that aired on ABC Radio National Saturday Extra between presenter, Nick Bryant and Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO.
Western Sydney University are the number one Australian solar car team at the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge
Western Sydney Solar Car team has crossed the finish line placing preliminarily sixth in the world overall, and the number one Australian team in the world’s most prestigious solar car challenge.
Western Sydney University Statement on Cyber Incidents
Western Sydney University has issued an update to its community following confirmation that previously stolen personal information was published online, including on the dark web.