Mayoral Column – Local government comes to Penrith

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Penrith was buzzing with activity earlier this week as the 2025 Local Government NSW Annual Conference came to our City for the first time.

Council was proud to be the destination partner for this huge event, with an estimated economic benefit to Penrith of well over $1 million. From 23 to 25 November, we hosted over 1,000 delegates including mayors, councillors, executives, town planners and other local government representatives at Penrith’s Western Sydney Convention Centre.

It was great to welcome NSW Premier Chris Minns to Penrith to speak at this important event.

This annual conference presents a fantastic opportunity for councils from across the state to discuss important issues impacting local government and our communities – and how we can address them by working together.

Our peers were especially interested in learning from Penrith as a vibrant and evolving City that is at the heart of one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions.

In my welcome to delegates, I highlighted Council and the community’s shared vision for a prosperous future. I talked about how we are maximising opportunities that catalytic projects like the new airport and the metro station at St Marys will bring.

This sparked discussion about the challenges all councils are facing – things like delivering infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, increasing financial pressures and the need for more housing, jobs and better connectivity for communities.

We were proud to showcase the natural beauty of Penrith and what we already love about our world-class City. Delegates stayed at quality accommodation including Mercure Penrith, Astina Suites, Pullman Sydney Penrith, Nepean Shores, Littlemore Suites and Quality Inn.

We encouraged everyone to see the Nepean River, try cafes and restaurants in our city centres, explore our arts and culture scene and experience one of our many adventure attractions – whether at this visit or the next.

Council thanks Local Government NSW for bringing this successful conference to our City. We look forward to hosting more major events in the future.

Cr Todd Carney

Mayor of Penrith

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Wednesday, 26 November 2025.