WESTINVEST: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Rebecca Todesco, Journalist, Council Magazine Western Sydney is home to one of the most diverse and fastest growing populations in Australia, so it is critical that infrastructure in these areas can keep up with this growth. To combat the demand of a booming population, the New South Wales Government has introduced the $5 billion WestInvest Program, with the intention of funding transformational infrastructure projects to boost community amenity and liveability.

Western Sydney is known as a vibrant and diverse part of Australia, and according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2021 census, it has the highest proportion of overseas-born population in Australia – with the 2021 results indicating more than 61 per cent of the population is born overseas.

Western Sydney University (WSU) also welcomes a stream of international students, with one-third of WSU’s students coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and one-fifth of students born overseas.

As this diverse area grows, the New South Wales Government has introduced the WestInvest Program; a suite of projects aimed at helping the fastest growing council areas in Western Sydney to flourish and prepare for the future.

The funding for WestInvest is sourced from the New South Wales Generations (Community Services and Facilities) Fund, which was established under the NSW Generation Fund Act 2018.

The $5 billion WestInvest Program funding is as follows: ∞ $3 billion for New South Wales

Government agencies to deliver transformational projects of benefit to local communities ∞ $2 billion for Community

Project Grants: ∞ Local Government Allocation: approximately $400 million directly allocated to 15 eligible local councils in Western Sydney

– between $20 million and $35 million, depending on population ∞ Competitive Round: approximately $1.6 billion in a competitive community grants program

WestInvest projects will be drawn from proposal applications from New South Wales Government agencies, local government and community organisations.

Proposals must prove the project will significantly improve community liveability and projects will be selected based on their potential to make Western Sydney a better place to live, play, work, raise a family and connect with nature – both now and for years to come.

SERVING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS: THE ELIGIBLE AREAS

Approximately $400 million has been allocated to improving the liveability of communities and supporting economic recovery in 15 eligible Local Government Areas (LGA) in the Western Sydney area.

The eligible LGAs are: ∞ Blacktown ∞ Blue Mountains ∞ Burwood ∞ Camden ∞ Campbelltown ∞ Canterbury-Bankstown ∞ Cumberland ∞ Fairfield ∞ Hawkesbury ∞ Liverpool ∞ Parramatta ∞ Penrith ∞ Strathfield ∞ The Hills ∞ Wollondilly

These LGAs have been determined to be among New South Wales’ fastest growing council areas and are experiencing significant population growth. The WestInvest Program will support this growth by funding local projects that support community amenity and liveability within these areas.

Individually, the 15 eligible councils can apply for between $21 million and $35 million – consisting of a base allocation plus $38 per head of population based on ABS 2020 data.

There is no cap on the amount of funding that can be applied for, as long as the project meets the criteria, and the minimum amount that can be applied for is $250,000.

In order to be considered eligible, applications are assessed to ensure they meet at least one of the following criteria: ∞ Liveability – how the project will enhance and boost liveability for the community ∞ Value for money – the project’s costeffectiveness and how it will benefit the community ∞ Transformational – how the project’s liveability outcomes will endure over time, augment community benefits with other initiatives and capitalise on a time-limited opportunity

WESTINVEST: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

∞ Deliverability – the applicant’s capacity and expertise to deliver the project, adhering to budget and timeframes, and has/can acquire necessary consents and approvals ∞ Viability – proof the owner of the infrastructure can manage and maintain it

Councils are also eligible to apply for funding through the competitive round of the WestInvest Community Project Grants, which has separate guidelines to assist applicants.

WORKING TOWARDS A MORE LIVEABLE COMMUNITY: THE PROJECTS

WestInvest is set to deliver transformational infrastructure projects, focusing on the following six areas: ∞ Quality green and open spaces: encouraging active lifestyles, restoring biodiversity and improving the community’s overall access to the environment through the increase of parks and open spaces, healthier natural environments and cleaner natural waterways with improved recreational access ∞ Community infrastructure: improving access to quality sport, recreation and other community facilities that unite people and enable a diverse range of activities ∞ School modernisation: providing students with infrastructure that prepares them for an increasingly digital world, including state-of-theart, accessible education facilities that can adapt to evolving learning standards and student needs ∞ Arts and cultural facilities: introducing a broader range of arts and culture venues that reflect

Western Sydney’s diversity, and encourages inclusive and regular community participation ∞ High street activation: boosting the vibrancy of precincts to increase

foot traffic for businesses, as well as targeted improvements to public amenities and allowing easier access (within walking distance) to essential goods and services ∞ Local traffic programs: designing local streets that are comfortable, accessible and safe places for people with diverse use needs, including walking, wheeling and cycling

FROM THEN TO NOW: THE PROGRAM TIMELINE

The WestInvest Program was launched at the beginning of 2022, upon which New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, along with New South Wales Treasurer, Matt Kean, and Minister for Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, called for residents of Western Sydney to nominate ideas for communityenhancing projects ahead of the official WestInvest Program launch.

From 23 February to 31 March 2022 the ‘Have Your Say’ survey on the New South Wales Government website remained open and residents were invited to submit their ideas – with the aim of collecting ideas and feedback from Western Sydney residents on the infrastructure projects they thought would improve the local communities.

More than 5,400 people submitted surveys and around 11,336 ideas were generated; everything from indoor sports facilities, tree planting and swimming pools to multicultural food precincts, boat ramps and playgrounds.

Throughout the month, feedback and ideas from residents were analysed using the WestInvest Program Guidelines.

Although not all of the ideas and suggestions met the WestInvest Guidelines, they provided a valuable insight into the projects important to local residents – information which can be collated and shared with relevant local councils and New South Wales Government agencies for future planning.

Following the execution of funding deeds, works kicked off from mid-2022, with the program and expenditure’s projected end date the end of 2026. However, despite this end date, projects requiring a longer delivery timeframe will also be considered.

MEETING SELECTION CRITERIA: THE PROPOSAL CHALLENGES SO FAR

As a result of the strict criteria for proposal applications, there are certain instances where projects will be ineligible for WestInvest funding, including services for the day-to-day delivery of essential local government services already receiving funding, and projects whose primary purpose is to deliver a private or commercial benefit.

Another challenge councils can face is in the acquisition of land permits and approval. For example, if the council does not own the land on which the proposed infrastructure will be built, it must demonstrate that it has, or is in the process of obtaining, the necessary consent from the landowner.

Some councils have already benefited from WestInvest Program funding, including $21 million to Wollondilly Shire Council for nine transformational projects, and $24 million to CanterburyBankstown for new community facilities, parks and priority pedestrian links for residents.

Additionally, Penrith City Council has proposed 37 projects, valued at $397 million combined, to realise the City’s long-term vision, including an indoor multi-sports stadium, a city park, entertainment precinct, and a rowing and paddle sports precinct.

It is expected that more councils will submit project proposals in the future as LGAs work to deliver transformational liveability improvements for the people and communities of Western Sydney.