2020 In Review
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2020: Our momentus year in review DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HAT a year it has been for Western Sydney – a year of tragedy, sadness, great courage and ultimately triumph. Pandemic, bushfires, retail collapses, shutdowns and mass testing – Covid-19 was to change our lives forever. But through it all, we stood tall and faced each challenge with great community strength and resilience. It all started with the dreadful fires of summer which surrounded Western Sydney over Christmas-New Year, but little did we know, that was just the start!
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JANUARY
THE first reports of the mysterious new disease called ‘Coronavirus’ filtered through from China where it originated in either a secret lab or a local market in Wuhan. Back in Western Sydney, life was charging ahead as usual. A RANDOM report card on the progress of Sydney’s start-up city underlined the momentum of Western Parkland City’s progress as an emerging 21st century city. Major earthworks of the $5.3bn Western Sydney Airport were to start in 2020 signaling a significant step closer to the realisation of Western Parkland City, an emerging entity on a north-south axis extending some 50 kms from the Hawkesbury to Campbelltown and beyond. Similar to start-up businesses which aim to solve problems, the city was destined to provide the lifestyle and employment opportunities for a projected population of well over 1.5 million people by 2056, within 30 minutes of home. A $322M twin-towers apartment complex in Parramatta was expected to be the tallest outside any of Australia’s capital cities. The project known as 189 George Street, on the corner of George and Charles in the CBD, had one tower of 211m or 66 floors and the other of 186m or 57 floors, containing 983 apartments in total. THE design for the relocated Powerhouse Museum was selected with Moreau Kusunoki as Lead Design Architect and Genton as Local Design Architect chosen to establish the first major museum to be based in Western Sydney.
FEBRUARY BLACKTOWN will become the centre of world-wide medical attention with universally renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo to head a $1B state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the CBD. It will be Australia’s first world class Brain and Spinal Institute and will provide a major economic benefit to Western Sydney and Blacktown City. Blacktown Brain and Spinal Institute (BBSI) is the Group behind the world class faciility located in the Blacktown City centre, strategically located between the
Westmead, Blacktown and Nepean medical precincts. Dr Teo has announced plans to build and operate the five-star institute “that doesn’t feel like a hospital.” “I want a place that feels pleasant, almost like a vacation.”
MEANWHILE, another $95M investment boosted Western Sydney at the “forefront” of defence technology and advanced manufacturing. The Department of Defence appointed Watpac Limited, a national construction and property development company, as head contractor to deliver the Naval Guided Weapons Maintenance Facilities Project at Defence Establishment Orchard Hills. JOB vacancies in Western Sydney had at least 3000 listings in the first round of Jobs Fair held at Penrith. At the opening of the Fair, the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business Michaelia Cash said: “The Morrison Government is aware that we and employers need to create and improve jobs in every local area like Penrith.”
A TEAM of medical experts from Western Sydney Local Heath District were playing a major role in bushfire disaster recovery programs. The heroic clinicians ventured into bushfire affected towns to provide medical assistance. CITY of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer welcomed the commencement of major works on the Parramatta Light Rail project following an official sod turning at Rydalmere. “It is great to see this critical infrastructure project moving one step closer to becoming a reality with the initial phases of construction underway,” Cr Dwyer said.
Dr Charlie Teo.
transform Sydney’s economic and employment profile.
MARCH THE COVID-19 pandemic started to become a major story in March but hadn’t affected business in the West at this stage. Most of action was in downtown Sydney as the Ruby Princess debacle erupted. OPPORTUNITIES for Western Sydney businesses at the new Aerotropolis were the theme of a major event at Parramatta in March. The event was organized by CEDA – the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority and was held at the Novotel. Western City and Aerotropolis Authority Chief Executive Sam Sangster and key industry leaders profiled industry opportunities in Sydney’s West. The Western City Aerotropolis was depicted as a once-in-a generation opportunity to
WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS DECEMBER 2020
THE NSW Small Business Commission joined the growing number of Government workplaces relocating to Parramatta as the number of small businesses in Western Sydney continued to rise. Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope said the NSW Government wanted to support the growth of thousands of additional jobs in Parramatta. PENRITH City Council’s Soper Place development set the pattern for others to follow, Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler said. “At Soper Place you will be able to park on site, go to work, have a great meal, chill out in the roof top bar, sit under a tree, play with the kids in the park or even have a game of basketball,” Cr Fowler said.
QUICKSTEP, a composite manufacturer based at Bankstown Airport, was providing 10 new parts bringing to 45 the number of components it already produced for the 35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.
LIKE it or lump it, climate change would need to be included in future planning of major Australian businesses, especially since “the great fire” of summer. A new survey showed Australian company executives were becoming increasingly Continued on page 24
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