WSBC is proud to share an article featuring QuickStep from our WSBC Gold Member Bankstown City Council after connecting them with The Daily Telegraph. WSBC has endeavoured to connect a number of manufacturing organisations to our Platinum Media Partner resulting in numerous nominations for Champions of the West and promotion for our Western Sydney businesses.

Article published in the Daily Telegraph by Bruce McDougall.

Nominated in the Innovation and Manufacturing category of The Telegraph’s Champions of the West awards program, sponsored by AGL, Quickstep Technology has grown rapidly since landing a long-term agreement with US aerospace giant Northrop Grumman to supply Joint Strike Fighter components.

In just 18 months this Western Sydney company has put Bankstown on the world aviation map, providing state-of-the-art components for the likes of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The advanced composites firm, which relocated to Bankstown from Western Australia in 2012, is also supplying highly specialised wing flaps for C130J Hercules military transport aircraft.

The company is also at the centre of cutting-edge developments in the global automotive industry.

Chief executive Philippe Odouard said the operation that started with 30 staff in a small Perth factory now employed 120 and was expected to grow to 150 by the end of the year.

“We found very good premises at Bankstown that could do the job undefined and there is more support in Sydney for maintaining our facilities and for servicing.

“We manufacture carbon fibre parts for the Joint Strike Fighter and export them to the US for Northrop Grumman,” he said.

Mr Odouard said Quickstep was “ramping up” its work at the speed necessary to handle the volume of work.

The Bankstown facility has won lavish praise from Northrop Grumman, indicating its skilled workforce and resources offered the opportunity for yet more large-scale aerospace manufacturing contracts.

“It’s the most advanced technology for carbon fibre in the world. The US was looking for people who could do that work,” Mr Odouard said.

Quickstep expects work on the Joint Strike Fighter will generate up to $700 million over 20 years and the C130J Hercules aircraft $75m to $100m over five years.

More than 3000 F-35s will be produced by 2036 making it the biggest aircraft production outside the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

The advanced composites produced by Quickstep are high strength fibres such as carbon fibre embedded with performance resins.

These materials are used extensively in the aerospace and defence industries and increasingly in high performance and electric-powered cars.

The North Connex project will link the M1 (F3) with the M2 and take at least 5,000 trucks a day off Pennant Hills Road. The construction will consist of twin tunnels, nine kilometres in length bypassing 21 sets of traffic lights. The more efficient movement of freight will deliver major benefits to the Australian and NSW economies, linking Newcastle and the Central Coast, Western and South Western Sydney and Melbourne by one continuous motorway. 

Liberal Holroyd councillor Ross Grove has praised the federal budget as a ‘‘$6.4 billion infrastructure bonanza for western Sydney’’, while Labor’s Greg Cummings is concerned it will not do enough to create employment.

In an emailed statement to the Sun, Cr Grove welcomed what he called the federal government’s ‘‘visionary approach’’ that he said would see western Sydney ‘‘take its rightful place as the centre of growth in Australia’’.

‘‘This was not an easy budget for the new government, but they have kept their eye on the ball when it comes to unlocking the potential of western Sydney,’’ Cr Grove said.

‘‘For all the negatives, if we’re getting the funds to build infrastructure that connects western Sydney to the rest of the world, we’re doing okay when it comes to the feds.’’

Cr Grove said the Abbott government should be applauded for allocating $2.9 billion towards roads to connect to the airport site at Badgerys Creek, and for putting $77.8 million over four years towards the establishment of a dedicated western Sydney infrastructure unit to progress the airport.

He says the government also deserves credit for ‘‘putting their money where their mouth is” and backing Stage 2 of the WestConnex project with $1.5 billion and a $2 billion concessional loan.

But Labor’s Greg Cummings told the Sun he was concerned about budget changes to Medicare and a lack of focus on jobs creation.

‘‘I’m concerned with the charge now for Medicare, that will affect our local residents. I don’t mind the infrastructure, but what we really need is jobs and I don’t see how in the long-term this is going to generate jobs,’’ Cr Cummings said.

‘‘Thirty per cent of school leavers in the western suburbs don’t complete their HSC.’’

Cr Cummings said a tightening of Newstart eligibility would have flow-on effects for families.

‘‘All it’s going to do is force them to stay home longer with mum and dad. Unless there can be some incentives for jobs creation for school leavers, we’re going to have a lost generation stuck in no man’s land. For the great country we have got, I think we could be doing a lot more.”

An organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, Cr Cummings said he visited two manufacturing companies yesterday that were offering workers voluntary redundancies. One, a company that manufactures meters for reading electricity consumption, will cease manufacturing next year.

‘‘That’s the biggest issue I see for Australia. Where are the semi-skilled and unskilled going to get work? They can’t all work in the retail and service industries.

‘‘If all we’re going to do is import goods and not manufacture ourselves, what do you get? A large shed and a couple of forklift drivers? We need jobs.’’

Source: The Sun by Vanessa Watson. Original article.

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.