Council asks candidates what they’re doing for Penrith

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

One month out from the State election, Council is calling on the major political parties to show they’re committed to a better Penrith.

Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler OAM said Council has listened to the community and met with most of the Labor and Liberal candidates for the Penrith, Londonderry and Mulgoa electorates about a range of issues including better State roads, improved access to the M4 at Mulgoa and The Northern Roads, more express train services, increased parking and better sport and recreation facilities.

"As a regional City, Penrith is an important hub for 500,000 people who come here to learn, work, shop and use other services such as seeing health professionals," Cr Fowler said.

"Much of the essential infrastructure to support a growing region is the responsibility of the State Government. Penrith has taken on a large share of housing and servicing Sydney's growing population which has placed pressure on State Government roads and infrastructure. Now it's time to address this backlog.

"We're one month from the election and together with the community we're asking candidates 'what are you doing for Penrith?" Cr Fowler said.

There are 16 key projects outlined in Council's Building a Better Penrith advocacy document, sent to candidates of the major parties for the March state election. Key projects are:

Regional Cities Fund

Western Sydney is growing at twice the national average and as a regional City, the cost of providing facilities and services is significantly beyond our own resources. 

As a Regional City, Penrith has a strong case for a significant slice of the Rebuilding NSW (poles and wires) funding. It would be a smart investment by the State Government to create a Regional Cities fund of $100m each for Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown.

These funds would be directed at regional city developments, in Penrith's case a decked car park to free up key large development sites currently being used for at-grade parking in the City centre, programs to stimulate economic development and jobs, or cultural facilities.

Road & rail infrastructure

Traffic congestion is an ongoing concern for residents and infrastructure to be delivered ahead of Sydney's second airport should be prioritised for existing hot spots including The Northern Road, Mulgoa Road and access and exits to the M4.

Express train services both ways between the lower Blue Mountains and Parramatta would enable people to get to key employment centres more easily and improve productivity. More parking at train stations would enable more people to commute to work, reduce road congestion and free up City centre parking.

Penrith Lakes

The State Government's released the Draft Vision for Penrith Lakes in December, describing it as Western Sydney's equal to Barangaroo. Council is calling for more areas to be opened up for public recreation sooner and Government funding for a flood evacuation route and bridge works to allow urban development to start.

Our River

The Nepean River and its banks are one of Penrith's favourite places. The State Government has started work on an iconic pedestrian bridge across the Nepean River, which will draw more and more people to this already popular area. To celebrate the beauty of the river and share the spread of amenities along its banks, Council is calling for help to deliver on the Our River Masterplan which was developed with the community. Council has a vision for an accessible playground, water's edge amphitheatre, cafes, public art, new paths and recreational facilities in the first stage.

Job creation

The State Government's Metro Strategy reaffirms the importance of the Broader Western Sydney Employment Area in meeting Western Sydney jobs targets. There are already plans to establish the Sydney Science Park at Luddenham with an offer of 10,000 jobs and 10,000 students. Council is calling on the State Government to invest in construction of collector roads and utilities such as water and gas to encourage more developers into BWSEA sooner.

Health and wellbeing

Our resident's health and wellbeing is important and Council has identified new and improved recreational opportunities as a key priority including a major athletics precinct at Blair Oval and improved sporting fields at The Kingsway.

By reducing commuting times and traffic congestion our residents will also have more time to be involved in the organised sport and activities which our City is known for.

Stadium

We'd like the State Government to commit to Penrith as the location for a new Outer Western Sydney stadium. Penrith Stadium's prime location aligns with the State Government's stadia strategy to deliver business, retail and entertainment opportunities, and goes beyond that with the potential for substantial CBD living in apartments in this precinct.

Culture and social investment

Research has identified a significant shortfall in government funding for culture and the arts in Western Sydney. While 30% of the state's population lives in Western Sydney, the region receives only 5.5% of State arts funding. "We have great facilities and want to make them more accessible, more relevant," Cr Fowler said.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Tuesday, 3 March 2015.