Work on billions of dollars in major road infrastructure to support Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek will be fast-tracked to begin this year.

After Tony Abbott’s promise of a $3.5 billion roads upgrade package for Western Sydney last month, both the NSW and federal governments want the projects to become operational “as quickly as possible”.

NSW roads minister Duncan Gay and federal assistant minister for infrastructure and regional development Jamie Briggs announced planning on the $1.25 billion East-West Airport Motorway, to link the new airport with the M7 Motorway, will start later this year.

It will include the construction of the $500 million first stage of transforming Bringelly Road from two to four lanes, between King Street at Rossmore and Camden Valley Way at Horningsea Park.

WSBC is pleased to collaborate with business networking groups in Northwest Sydney to assist businesses to plan their engagement activities effectively. The result is a calendar of upcoming events where businesses can find opportunities to connect and engage with other organisations as well as stay up to date with the latest news, trends and development in Western Sydney.

To download the calendar of events, please click here.

Submit your preliminary Expressions of Interest for the South Korean business mission.

Bankstown City Council, in partnership with its counterpart at Canterbury and with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, is investigating the feasibility of a business mission to South Korea for a five-day period during October 2014.   

The key objective of the proposed mission is to deepen and expand trade and investment relations between local and South Korean businesses by:

• identifying export opportunities;
• providing information on opportunities for direct investment and joint ventures;
• building technical collaboration between local and South Korean businesses, through shared R&D projects, licensing agreements and technology transfer;
• sharing insights into product and process innovation;
• identifying the latest available technologies;
• sharing intelligence on new market opportunities;
• establishing a basis for joint bidding for projects; and
• promoting Bankstown-Canterbury as a place to visit, invest and do business.

The proposed outlay by each local participant is expected to be approximately $2,000 plus airfares, accommodation and hospitality. This will cover the costs of:

• a detailed business matching exercise for each participant;
• a pre-departure briefing featuring experts from Austrade and the South Korean Consulate in Sydney;
• a major business briefing/networking function in Seoul; and
• ground transport in South Korea.

These costs are likely to be eligible for partial reimbursement under Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants Scheme.

The timing of this initiative is regarded as ideal. South Korea is already  Australia’s fourth-largest export market, and the two countries have just concluded a Free Trade Agreement which is expected to generate a range of new opportunities.  Manufacturing accounts for more than 40% of South Korea’s GDP, which augurs well for potential collaboration with an economy such as Bankstown’s, which also features a strong manufacturing sector.

If interested, please contact Paul Judge, ph. 9707 9261 or email paul.judge@bankstown.nsw.gov.au  and we will be in touch with you to discuss this exciting opportunity in more detail.

MP Stuart Ayres has been sworn in as Police and Emergency Services Minister at Government House this morning.

Mr Ayres is looking forward to adding Police and Emergency Services to his existing responsibilities as Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister Assisting the Premier on Western Sydney.

“The NSW Police Force is doing a remarkable job,” Mr Ayres said.

“Police numbers are at record highs.  This Government has committed to boost the authorised strength of the NSW Police Force with 550 additional positions being brought online since December 2011.

“NSW Liberal & Nationals Government has introduced new powers for the police to crack down on gun crime.  In the past year, officers have taken over 10,000 guns, including over 700 handguns, off the street.

“The members of the NSW Police Force are some of the best in the country. They are on the front line, serving and protecting our community every day and I look forward to working alongside them.”

Mr Ayres is also pleased to be working with Emergency Services.

“Those who serve in Fire and Rescue NSW, as well as NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service and other volunteer agencies are some of the most respected members of our community. 

“I’d like to particularly acknowledge the outstanding efforts of our emergency service agencies during last October’s bushfires in the Blue Mountains.

“We’ll continue to ensure the NSW Police Force and Emergency Service agencies have the powers and the resources they need to keep the state of NSW safe,” Mr Ayres concluded.

Source.

Premier Mike Baird has said work is under way to investigate how to establish a Greater Sydney Authority in a bid to end decades of chaotic decision-making.

Daily Telegraph deputy editor Ben English presenting the Fair Go Action Plan to NSW Premier Mike Baird / Picture: Jane Dempster Source: News Limited

“It is clear we have so many moving parts across the city that we need to ensure our co-ordination is right,’’ he told The Daily Telegraph.

Leading Sydney business and planning experts have backed The Telegraph’s Fair Go for the West campaign’s call to set up a London-style planning authority to co-ordinate decision-making among Sydney’s 43 local councils and different statutory authorities.

“We have started some work looking at this undefined I certainly support that approach,’’ he said.

Mr Baird made the comments after being presented with the Fair Go for The West Action Plan, which incorporates ideas put forward by our readers. The plan outlines initiatives that need to be undertaken to help Western Sydney to continue to develop into a place where families and businesses thrive.

Mr Baird said he was “looking forward to working through” the plan to consider what initiatives could be implemented by his government.

“The campaign has been full of energy and really reflecting the concerns and needs of Western Sydney,’’ he said. “I am excited by some of the ideas.’’

The setting up of a Greater Sydney Authority, based in Parramatta and reporting to the Premier, is one of the key initiatives in the action plan.

Other initiatives include:

• MOVING key government departments of Planning & Infrastructure, RMS and Transport NSW to new Western Sydney headquarters such as Liverpool and Penrith;
• OBTAINING $20 million investment for a feasibility study into the proposed $1.9 billion Parramatta Light Rail project;
• REDUCING stamp duty fees for first home buyers; and
• DEVELOPING Parramatta River Theatre into a 1400-seat top-class venue.

Since the campaign was launched, several initiatives have already been adopted or are now under consideration, including a commitment by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to build a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek.

Key powerbrokers, including company director Rod McGeoch, Westfield co-chief executive Steven Lowy, NSW infrastructure chief Graham Bradley and Committee for Sydney leaders Lucy Turnbull and Tim Williams, believe Sydney will struggle to deliver critical housing and transport infrastructure unless a Greater Sydney Authority with overarching powers is set up.

The push for a Greater Sydney Authority comes as former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett called on Mr Baird to sack all NSW councillors after the next state election and redraw boundaries to create bigger, financially stronger councils.

Source: The Daily Telegraphy by John Lehmann. Original article.

An extra $2 billion in federal funding will be injected into fast-tracking Sydney’s Westconnex motorway project as part of an unprecedented ­infrastructure package in next week’s budget.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt Prime Minister Tony Abbott has approved a $2 billion loan to the NSW Government to bring forward the motorway’s stage 2 construction start date to as early as the beginning of next year.

The low-interest loan, the first of its kind to fund infrastructure, would be leveraged against the tolls charged when the road opens.

It will bring total federal funding for the 33km project to $3.5 billion and expedite completion by two years to 2019 by allowing work to begin on the M4 and M5 at the same time.

Stage one involves extending the M4 from Strathfield, where it ends now, to a stage 3 tunnel link to the airport. Stage two, with the funds from the loan, will widen the M5 East to two, four-lane expressways between King Georges Rd, Beverly Hills, and Bexley Rd, with a new 6km tunnel from St Peters to join the widened M5 East surface and a double, three-lane expressway to St Peters and Sydney Airport.

It will fund duplication of the M5 East twin tunnels used by 100,000 motorists a day.

When completed, the Westconnex will cut travel times between Parramatta and Sydney Airport by up to 40 minutes.

It will also:

• Halve bus travel times between the inner west and CBD;
  
• Generate 10,000 jobs;
  
• Bypass 52 sets of lights;
  
• Remove 3000 trucks a day from Parramatta Rd and;
  
• Deliver more than $20 billion in economic benefits.
  

Mr Abbott said yesterday: “Everything in this Budget is about building a stronger economy so there are a whole range of changes.

“Infrastructure is what enables us to get to work, to get home and the more time we spend stuck in traffic jams, the less time we are productively at work or the less time we’re spending with our families.”

The loan will begin to be drawn down between July 1 next year and December 31, 2018. It will be repaid at a lower interest rate closer to the government bond rate.

Christelle Van Schellebeeck, 20, drives to work from Rooty Hill to Haberfield on the M4 and Parramatta Rd.

She said she would be happy to see the upgrade fast-tracked. “It would mean less petrol and it would be faster to get to work,” she said.

Source: The Daily Telegraphy exclusive by Simon Denson. Original article. 

In support of this great initiative, WSBC has assisted Platinum Partner NewsLocal and The Daily Telegraph by announcing this great opportunity to all its manufacturing members through WSBC’s social media platforms.

As a result, half a dozen manufacturing organisations have been put forward. It’s not too late to submit an application and WSBC encourages all its members to participate in submission or nomination.

Champions Of The West is a celebration of all that is great in Western Sydney.

It is an opportunity to recognise the west is full of talent, ingenuity, creativity and determination.

Champions Of The West comprises a grants competition for 12 awards, each boasting a $10,000 prize for individuals, groups and businesses.

An additional grant of $10,000 will be awarded to the ‘Champion of Champions’ winner, encouraging people to get behind their peers who are nominated finalists.

What kind of ideas are we looking for? Anything that will be of benefit to the community and requires a grant to help the project come to life, such as:

• Community – facility upgrades, infrastructure, new works or equipment;
  
• Environment – restoration and protection, volunteer program funding;
  
• Indigenous – arts, up-skilling, scholarships;
  
• Sport – equipment, uniforms, training, health improvements;
  
• Small business – new products or services;
  
• Education – primary, secondary, day care, special needs, TAFE;
  
• Arts – skills development, new work, residencies;
  
• Employment – training, job placement, social entrepreneurship;
  
• Young Achiever – scholarships, workshops;
  
• Health – aged care, clinical funding, training;
  
• Tourism – attractions, historical/cultural sites, interpretive programs; and
  
• Manufacturing/Innovation – training/development, new products or services.
  

Who can apply for a grant? Anyone that lives or works in Western Sydney as determined by the Council boundaries referenced in the Champions Of The West Guidelines. Applicants under the age of 18 must obtain prior permission of their legal parent or guardian.

Can I refer an organisation or business? You can make a referral on behalf of an organisation or business. Please complete the form below to the best of your knowledge and we will contact the nominated business or organisation if we require further information.

Applications can be submitted between Sunday 13 April 2014 and Sunday 11 May 2014.

More than 100 of Western Sydney’s best and brightest young people will help shape a vision for Parramatta’s future at the inaugural Parramatta Young Leaders Forum at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) on Friday 23 May. 

Lord Mayor Cr John Chedid said the forum, hosted jointly by Council and UWS, would allow young leaders aged 17 to 24 to make their voices heard on issues such as technology, lifestyle, innovation and government.

Participants, who have been chosen from local high schools, universities and employers, would hear speakers including Federal Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison and head of the Kokoda Track Foundation Dr Genevieve Nelson. MC will be Channel 10 news presenter Natarsha Belling. 

“I have organised this forum because I strongly believe all levels of government should listen more closely to our young people and consider their views when making decisions that will affect their future,” Cr Chedid said.

“We need to involve our future generation of leaders in our long-term decision-making to ensure Parramatta is a true City of the 21st Century.

“Young people traditionally don’t get involved in consultation initiatives so this is a great opportunity for Councillors and local business leaders to listen to their ideas and, where appropriate, work towards putting them into practice.

“Feedback from the forum will be included in a detailed report to be presented to Council for consideration.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Glover says the University of Western Sydney is pleased to host the Young Leaders Forum at its Parramatta campus. 

"As one of the world's best young universities, UWS is proud to play a role in developing the leaders of the future,” he said.

“We are delighted to partner with Parramatta City Council on this initiative, which seeks to give a voice to the younger generation, and harness their passion and enthusiasm to make a difference to the communities in which they live.” 

Participants will discuss the following topics with local business leaders in workshops:  

• Inspiring careers and future leaders
  
• Liveability and lifestyle
  
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
  
• The future of technology
  
• Government and media
  

In addition to Minister Morrison and Dr Nelson, two inspirational young people will address the forum: Paralympic athlete and 2012 NSW Young Athlete with a Disability Kristy Pond, and social entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author Sacha Krjatian.     

Hermina Liscevic, a 2013 HSC student at Catherine McAuley Catholic secondary school in Westmead who won the John McClymont Award for History, ranked first in the State for Croatian and won the Premier’s Award for all-round excellence, will also speak at the forum.        

Following the forum, there will be a civic reception where participants will network with Councillors and local business leaders and discuss their ideas in a more informal way.

Cr Chedid said he was delighted the University of Western Sydney was partnering with Council to run the forum.

“Through our Memorandum of Understanding with the university, we are working to boost higher education services in our region so local students can study where they live.

“In Parramatta, we are creating a city of the future based on high-end technology and the jobs of the future.

“We also have a strategic alliance with the University of New England which has a campus in our CBD, and are developing   the Westmead biomedical precinct, Rydalmere UWS business innovation park and Camellia eco-industrial precinct.

“These are becoming centres of excellence that will attract high-end university graduates and the jobs of the future.

“We have a vision for the future where our region’s best and brightest students can go on to tertiary education and then highly qualified jobs right here in our city.” 

Parramatta Young Leaders Forum

Where: University of Western Sydney, Parramatta South Campus, cnr James Ruse Drive and Victoria Rd, Parramatta.

When: 11am to 5pm: Friday 23 May

Media are welcome to attend the keynote addresses at the forum