August Newsletter 2025

A Vision for Growth and Opportunity

We have four priorities to support South West Sydney’s growth:

• Enhanced rail connections, including the Leppington–Bradfield extension and future Macarthur Metro
• TAFE Centres of Excellence in Liverpool and Campbelltown
• A new Campbelltown Justice Precinct
• A dedicated roads fund to ease congestion and boost productivity

The South West Sydney Alliance unites Camden, Campbelltown, Liverpool and Wollondilly - four of Australia’s fastest-growing communities - to advocate for the infrastructure and investment needed to support one million future residents.

Watch the video here, featuring Mayors Ashleigh Cagney (Camden), Darcy Lound (Campbelltown), Ned Mannoun (Liverpool) and Matt Gould (Wollondilly). 

Bold plan for New Housing 

Business Western Sydney, Business Sydney and the Housing Now! Alliance have thrown their support behind new proposals to ensure Sydney’s east shares responsibility with the west for new housing development.  

The NSW Government’s plan to reopen Woollahra station and rezone the area for 10,000 new homes is a major step forward. Reviving this long-abandoned “ghost” station will create housing close to transport and jobs. Time to bring in the Ghostbusters! 

Just a few kilometres away, Victoria Barracks offers another rare opportunity. This 15-hectare site in the heart of Paddington could be transformed into housing and green space. It could also revive struggling Oxford Street. 

While we’re at it, Business Western Sydney renews its call for the Federal Government to release locked off Lancer Barracks in Parramatta for the community.  

These aren’t just planning ideas. They’re about breathing new life into old spaces, so more people can enjoy them.

A Chinatown in Parramatta 

For too long, the southern end of Parramatta’s CBD has been overlooked. I still remember when Tingha Palace was a fixture on Church Street before it moved to the Leagues Club - a reminder of the deep Chinese heritage in this part of town. 

Now, with major investment flowing into Parramatta South - including a five-star hotel - we have the chance to build on that legacy. A dedicated Chinatown precinct would boost local business, celebrate culture, and give people more reasons to stay late and eat well in the heart of the city. 

We’ve seen how Chinatown transformed Haymarket and how Burwood is thriving with its own cultural precinct. Parramatta has the same raw ingredients - heritage, hardworking businesses and a growing population. 

Pleasing to see the City of Parramatta is exploring this opportunity as part of the South Parramatta CBD masterplan.

Here’s a video I filmed recently at Parramatta’s legendary Sun Ming BBQ. 

Farewell and thank you lance

After more than five years of dedicated leadership, Lance Chia has concluded his tenure as Director of the Liverpool Innovation Precinct (LIP). Under Lance’s guidance, the Precinct evolved from a local initiative into a nationally and globally recognised centre of health, research and innovation. 

During his time at LIP, Lance played a pivotal role in fostering a thriving startup ecosystem, supporting over 150 startups through clinical trials, focus groups and medical technology collaborations. His vision brought significant investments, including the UNSW Founders Program. He has also forged vital partnerships with universities, TAFE and local manufacturers.  

Lance’s advocacy for a dedicated startup incubator in Liverpool has laid the groundwork for Western Sydney’s next generation of innovators to scale their ideas globally. 

Thank you Lance for your passion, persistence and tireless efforts. Liverpool’s destiny as Sydney’s next major CBD is starting to bear fruit. 

Skills Week Hits Western Sydney 

Skills are the foundation of progress. They build careers, power industries and shape the future of Western Sydney. 

At the NSW Launch of National Skills Week in Bradfield, I hosted a panel with Minister Steve Whan and industry leaders Ken Morrison and Murat Dizdar. The message was clear: we need to elevate skills education and match training to the jobs of tomorrow. 

Bradfield is fast becoming a hub for advanced manufacturing, packaging and semiconductors. But without skilled workers, the vision stalls. As Federal Minister Jason Clare said at our recent event, “TAFE is nation-building.” We need to back it and break the stigma around vocational pathways. 

Western Sydney’s future depends on empowering people with the right skills. Not just for jobs, but for pride, purpose and progress.

Tapping Western Sydney’s Tech Talent

Innovation doesn't just happen in the shadows of skyscrapers. It’s thriving right here in Parramatta, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Blacktown, and it's time we built the infrastructure to match. 

At our Western Sydney Innovators’ Talk earlier this year, we heard from Minister Anoulack Chanthivong, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Dr Andrew Charlton, inaugural Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder and a powerhouse panel of female entrepreneurs. The message was clear; Western Sydney has the talent, but we need to unlock it.  

Minister Chanthivong’s 2035 Innovation Blueprint lays the groundwork. Liverpool State MP Charishma Kaliyanda rightly foreshadowed more funding to support entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds - especially women - in the state budget. 

So why are our IT professionals still travelling into Sydney for work? 

Let’s build a Tech Talent Corridor from Parramatta to Blacktown, Liverpool and beyond, with government supported startup hubs and the infrastructure to support them. 

Berlin’s doing it. Tokyo’s doing it. Toronto’s doing it. 

It’s time for Western Sydney to do it too.

Standing Against Hate 

In late August, anti-immigration marches across Sydney and the country were deeply disturbing, not just because they spread fear and division, but because they deny the reality of who we are.

People are free to march. But the rest of us are free to say, proudly and clearly: you don’t represent us.

Business Western Sydney believes that Australia is a country built by people who came here for a better life and helped create something even better in return. Our region is shaped by extraordinary cultural diversity bursting with the flavours, stories and personalities of people from all over the world.

Parramatta, Liverpool, Bankstown and Penrith are thriving university cities where international students support the economy and enrich our communities.

Without migrants, Western Sydney would be unimaginable.

Team photo 

I’m incredibly lucky to work with a dynamic team. Together we’re driving new policy, boosting Western Sydney’s media presence, and delivering impactful events that strengthen the region’s voice and connections.

This team brings energy, creativity and commitment to everything we do, whether it’s advocating for housing reform, pushing for better rail connections to Bradfield, and making sure Western Sydney’s voice is heard loud and clear.