June Newsletter 2026

Budget Backs Growth

During NSW Budget Week, I welcomed strong commitments to Western Sydney infrastructure. 

In health, the headline announcement was a $910 million commitment to the new Rouse Hill Hospital, alongside $2 billion for Bankstown Hospital, $630 million for the Fairfield Hospital redevelopment and further funding for Blacktown, Mount Druitt and Liverpool Hospitals. These projects help meet the demands of one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions. New hospitals and health hubs will be needed, particularly in South West Sydney, in coming years. 

In education, the Budget also delivers new and upgraded schools across Austral, Menangle Park, Oran Park North, Spring Farm, Bella Vista, Cherrybrook and Marsden Park South.  

Several projects will include co-located early learning centres, helping address childcare shortages and improve workforce participation. 

Earlier this year, Business Western Sydney published  What Western Sydney Can Be : Building Tomorrow’s Education System which identified strong population and school-age growth across the region, particularly in Macarthur and the Hills.

These NSW Government Budget investments look well-targeted given the findings of our report. 

One Shot, One Metro 

“If you had one shot, one opportunity...” 

You don’t often hear Eminem quoted in a Budget Reply speech, but Kellie Sloane used it to put her focus on something Business Western Sydney has long championed: the need to keep building the city’s Metro network. 

Transport infrastructure sits at the centre of everything we care about – housing supply, jobs, and access to schools and hospitals. That’s why it was encouraging to see the NSW Opposition Leader support a South West Sydney Metro, funded by a refreshed Western Sydney City Deal. 

The original Deal, struck in 2018 by the Turnbull and Berejiklian governments, helped deliver the first stage of the Metro from St Marys to Bradfield. The State Opposition says there is now an opportunity to build on that foundation and progress the next stages of the network. 

Or course, the Government is advancing key business cases, including the St Marys–Tallawong extension and South West rail. It’s good this work be done properly, but equally important that both sides of politics keep pushing towards an outcome. 

On the small business front, the Opposition’s proposal for payroll tax reform and a renewed Business Connect-style advisory program are practical measures that would help businesses grow, hire and invest. 

WSU Business School Turns 50 

It was a pleasure to deliver the keynote at Western Sydney University Business School’s 50th Anniversary Gala, marking half a century of impact across our region. 

Over that time, the School has produced more than 70,000 graduates and built a growing global footprint, with campuses in Vietnam and Indonesia, and India soon to come. 

As I reflected on the night, there is no better place to base a business school than Parramatta, Australia’s most exciting emerging CBD, at the heart of a region that is rising. Universities don’t just educate individuals - they help build cities. 

Western Sydney University understood decades ago that higher education shouldn’t be confined to the traditional city centre. By bringing campuses to Parramatta, Liverpool, Bankstown, Campbelltown and Penrith, it helped pioneer the suburban university model and open pathways to opportunity. 

Today, students are learning in one of Australia’s fastest-growing economies, connected to industry, government and innovation.  

Congratulations to Western Sydney University Business School and its Dean, Professor Hind Benyaba, on 50 years of impact. Most importantly, to all the graduates whose achievements are the real measure of success. 

Budget cuts toll costs

Business Western Sydney has welcomed the NSW Government’s one‑year reduction in the weekly toll cap to $50. It’s a practical step that will make a real difference for families. 

Our region is home to some of Australia’s longest commuters. Too many families have little choice but to rely on cars because public transport simply doesn’t reach where they live or work. In many cases, households have three or four cars. Tolls are part of the daily cost of getting to work and getting the kids where they need to be. 

Reducing the cap will provide immediate relief. But as I also said, we need to tackle the underlying issue. The long-term win for Western Sydney is investing in the next generation of Metro, rail and bus connections so people have genuine transport choices. 

Buses Can Do More 

At a Bus Industry Forum hosted by the Transport Workers Union at Western Sydney University in Liverpool, industry, government and community stakeholders explored how buses can better connect growing centres and ease congestion. 

It was a pleasure to take part in the panel discussion on the role of buses in the transport mix. 

Cities like Manchester are progressively bringing buses under public control to create a single integrated system. Bogotá in Colombia shows what’s possible when dedicated busways deliver high-capacity, metro-like services. 

With Western Sydney International Airport soon to open and rapid growth across Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown, demand for strong bus connections will only increase. 

The NSW Budget’s $6.5 billion commitment over 10 years to electrify the bus fleet and upgrade depots is a major step forward, alongside new routes linking key centres to the airport. 

Buses remain the fastest, most flexible way to improve connectivity and access to jobs, education and services across Western Sydney. 

CLEARY BOARDROOM LUNCH

At a recent Business Western Sydney Boardroom Lunch, Sydney Water Managing Director Darren Cleary said Western Sydney’s growth will only be delivered if essential infrastructure keeps pace with development. 

Cleary pointed to housing, airports, data centres, manufacturing and employment precincts as all being dependent on early delivery of water, power, transport and telecommunications infrastructure. 

The discussion focused on housing delivery pressures, and the need for better coordination between government, utilities and industry to align infrastructure with development timelines. 

Western Sydney is entering a period of major expansion. The challenge is ensuring the infrastructure required to support it is delivered at the right time. 

Inner Chief  

Recently I joined Greg Layton on The Inner Chief podcast to talk about leadership, advocacy and getting big things done. 

It was a great opportunity to reflect on the lessons that have shaped my career so far - backing ideas early, having the confidence to speak up, and building strong relationships across stakeholders to unlock outcomes. 

We also spoke about the importance of moving major projects forward when the window to act is open. That urgency is especially relevant in Western Sydney, where the pace of change demands both momentum and collaboration. 

A key focus was the opportunity ahead to deliver the infrastructure, housing and innovation precincts that will shape the region’s future. 

It was a thoughtful conversation about how policy, partnerships and persistence come together to drive long-term change. Check it out.

ParraMatta's great Run

Parramatta made history last month, hosting its first Half Marathon and the first running event to finish inside CommBank Stadium. 

More than 8,000 runners took on the 21.1km closed-road course. It was fantastic to see so many different parts of Parramatta on display, from the parklands to the river and our growing CBD. A great showcase of the city and hopefully the first of many to come. 

It was a cracking winter morning as I crossed the line with a great group from our community. 

Well done to Business Western Sydney’s Reshmi Lal, Jaime Horton and Alan Mascarenhas for getting it done, and thanks to Katherine Morgan for backing us along the course. I was also incredibly proud of my daughter Grace, who smashed it with a time of 1 hour 43 minutes. 

Credit to the team at Cadence180, led by CEO Alex Treglown and the volunteers who kept everyone moving when it got tough.  

Six months of training and proud to tick this one off. Parramatta has all the ingredients to make this one of Australia’s great runs. 

Penrith Unpacks Budget 

Business Western Sydney was pleased to support the recent Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce NSW Budget brunch, bringing together business and government leaders to discuss the economic outlook and opportunities ahead for Penrith and the wider Western Sydney region. 

The Chamber’s Stacy Rendell hosted a thoughtful discussion featuring NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, Penrith City Council General Manager Andrew Moore, Beau Chaperon from Grant Thornton and Marcus Petrovic from Mackay Goodwin. Our very own Nick Ryan moderated the panel on behalf of the organisation. 

The conversation examined the Budget’s impact on business confidence, tax reform, productivity, housing supply, private investment, workforce challenges and the infrastructure needed to support Western Sydney’s continued growth. 

A key theme throughout the morning was the importance of creating the conditions for businesses to invest, innovate and create jobs. 

Thank you to the Penrith Valley Chamber for hosting another outstanding event. 

Socceroos Light Up Parra 

The Socceroos may now be out of the World Cup, but Parramatta has been a fantastic place to watch the tournament come alive. 

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and I visited Parramatta Square during the game against Paraguay, and it showed what this city can be at its best. 

Thousands gathered around the big screens - families, young fans and workers on lunch break. The energy in the Square was outstanding. Nervous moments, big cheers, and shared pride all played out in the heart of the city. 

Parramatta Square has become one of those rare public spaces where people genuinely come together. You see the diversity of Western Sydney, but more importantly you see a community sharing a moment. 

We’ve seen similar scenes across the region, from Blacktown Football Park to Cathy Freeman Park and mania across Bankstown, Fairfield, Auburn and Liverpool. Western Sydney remains one of Australia’s great football heartlands. 

Congratulations to our Socceroos, a young team who will only get better. Onwards to 2030! 

Open Mike Showcases West 

Open Mike Night in Canley Vale showcased a community that defied stereotypes, and I saw firsthand the energy, attitude and vibrancy of South West Sydney. 

The event brought together community leaders, creatives and policy voices to celebrate a precinct that was both authentic and economically significant. I joined a panel alongside Lisa Havilah, Melissa Musgrave, Tony Le Nguyen and Kevin Lam, in discussion with 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael “Mike” Rodrigues. 

Together, we explored how Western Sydney’s cultural identity is reshaping Sydney’s broader narrative, particularly through initiatives that support safe and inclusive nightlife. 

As a Purple Flag accredited precinct and part of a Special Entertainment Precinct with Canley Heights, this neighbourhood and its businesses are demonstrating real leadership. 

With support from Little Asia, Bar 53 and Fairfield City Council, the evening reinforced the importance of backing local communities to unlock economic and cultural outcomes. 

The Waterway Opportunity

Finally, here's an out of the box idea. 

Sydney's waterways could become one of the city's most underutilised transport assets. 

A new generation of electric hydrofoils being proposed by Water Roads offers the potential to rethink how people move across Greater Sydney and particularly Western Sydney. Unlike traditional ferries, hydrofoils rise above the water, dramatically reducing wake and minimising impacts on seawalls, foreshore environments and sensitive ecosystems. 

The technology is clean, quiet and fast, but its greatest advantage may be its ability to support a high-frequency water transport network. 

For decades, transport discussions have focused almost exclusively on roads and rail. Yet Sydney already possesses a vast network of waterways connecting key employment centres and residential communities. 

Hydrofoils may not replace trains or buses, but they could become an important part of a more integrated transport network.