Advocacy Campaigns

Business Western Sydney joined with a host of organisations, including health and education providers, to form the Liverpool Innovation Precinct partnership. We strongly advocated for the need to expand Liverpool Hospital to attract more knowledge jobs and private investment to South-West Sydney. The campaign was an overwhleming success with the NSW Government committing $740 million to upgrade the hospital in the 2018/19 State Budget.

Our efforts were also recognised by the Public Relations Institute of Australia as the Advocacy & Public Affairs Campaign of the year for 2018.

As one of the founding members of the Westmead Alliance, a partnership of councils, hospitals, research institutions and universities, Business Western Sydney initiated and commissioned the Westmead Innovation District report. The report made the case for the potential for the precinct to generate 50,000 additional jobs by 2036 and became the foundation document to guide and drive the development of the precinct. Increasing the profile of the precinct in the media and the activities of Business Western Sydney and Westmead Alliance partners has resulted in increased government attention and funding. Westmead was recently designated a Priority Precinct and a Westmead Cluster Champion was appointed to drive jobs and private investment in the precinct.

Bringing together leading business and community organisations, Business Western Sydney profiled the strong support that existed in the region for the relocation of the Museum of Contemporary Arts and Sciences (MAAS) to Parramatta.

The campaign was part of a bigger campaign to address underinvestment in Arts funding across Western Sydney that included commissioning a report Building Western Sydney’s Cultural Arts Economy. The Museum is expected to be a catalyst for the growth of the knowledge economy of Western Sydney over the next three decades by supporting research and learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. In late July 2017 the NSW Government made the decision to move the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta and together with the City of Parramatta to increase investment to grow the cultural arts economy of western Sydney. Riverside Theatre was also allocated $100 million for its redevelopment.

Business Western Sydney, in partnership with the Committee for Sydney, released a report that revealed Sydney Metro West would result in the creation of thousands of jobs and would be a transformative transport project for the entire city. We have been been a vocal advocate for the acceleration of the Sydney Metro West project and worked closely with the Metro team at Transport for NSW on finalising the business case so that the NSW Government could announce the final route and stations.

The report examined scenarios focusing on travel times between Parramatta CBD and Sydney CBD of 15, 20 and 25 minutes. It found that under every scenario there was an increase in new jobs created across a route between Sydney CBD and Parramatta CBD. However, it found that there would be a greater increase in jobs uplift in the west if the journey took less than 20 minutes. Under the 15-minute scenario, an additional 70,000 jobs would be created in Westmead, an additional 66,000 under then 20-minute model and 61,000 under the 25-minute route. In Sydney Olympic Park, an additional 75,000 jobs would be created under the 15-minute model, 69,000 under the 20-minute model and 57,000 under the 25-minute model. In Parramatta, 45,000 additional jobs would be created under the 15-minute model, 39,000 under the 20-minute model and 32,000 under the 25-minute model. 

Business Western Sydney identified the route from Westmead to Strathfield, via Parramatta CBD, as essential to transforming the region. The 8 kilometre stretch between Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park was recognised as a valuable corridor with light rail linking four hospitals, two universities and two stadiums, as well as servicing the growing residential and business population. Together with stakeholders in the precinct, Business Western Sydney advocated for the route, which was influential in the NSW Government announcing it as the preferred route.

Business Western Sydney continues to work with stakeholders to ensure the government keeps its commitment to the Parramatta Light Rail. Stage two of the project has been announced with the route leading to Sydney Olympic Park.

The NSW Farmers’ Association, in partnership with Business Western Sydney, called for the creation of a fresh food precinct within the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. A report for NSW Farmers (Think Big, Think Fresh) prepared by KPMG launched at Business Western Sydney’s Western Sydney Airport conference – Creating Australia’s Best Airport City, on 1 November 2017. The report revealed that a fresh food precinct, which had the potential to create 12,000, jobs, would supercharge agricultural exports using the new airport as the country’s most effective gateway. On 4 March 2018, the Western Sydney City Deal was announced and it included a feasibility study into the establishment of an agri-business precinct.

In March 2018, the NSW Government announced that an underground station at Westmead would be included as part of the proposed Sydney Metro West project. When the project was first announced in 2016, the metro line was to finish at Parramatta. Business Western Sydney loudly advocated for the line to be extended to Westmead.

The Western Sydney City Deal was announced in early March 2018 by the state and federal governments, in partnership with eight Western Sydney councils. Among the plan was the establishment of the Western Sydney Development Authority.  Business Western Sydney had long called for the creation of an independent authority to cut through the three tiers of government to ensure a coordinated approach is taken in delivering the aerotropolis. The Western Sydney City Deal resulted with a development authority, WSA Co, set up, with an initially focusing on the Commonwealth land within the aerotropolis to commence delivery of 200,000 jobs over 20 years.

Business Western Sydney pushed for Boxing Day trading hours in Western Sydney to align with trading hours in the Sydney CBD. For two years the region participated in a Boxing Day trading trial and in August 2017, the NSW Government announced it would move to legislate to allow Boxing Day trade to continue in Western Sydney and across the state. This decision resulted in Western Sydney shoppers enjoy the Boxing Day sales and increased economic activity.