New City Deal for Western Sydney

New City Deal for Western SydneyPlans by both major parties to drive economic growth through the construction of Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek has been hailed as “good news” for the people of Western Sydney.On Monday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a new ‘City Deal’ for Western Sydney as the centerpiece of the Coalition’s Smart Cities Plan.In what Mr Turnbull called the “single largest planning, investment and delivery partnership in the history of this nation”, a new airport will be constructed, creating 39,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. An estimated 178,000 new homes and 200,000 jobs would also be required to support the additional 1.4 million people living and working directly around the airport.Using the UK-tested City Deal model to leverage private sector finance, the Coalition would also draw on a new $100 million Sustainable Cities Investment Fund and the $ million competitive Smart Cities and Suburbs program, both also announced on Monday.The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the announcement, with NSW executive director Jane Fitzgerald saying “this is a good day” for Western Sydney.”We have long argued for UK-style City Deals because they can be a powerful framework to drive economic development in our cities,” Fitzgerald says, adding that working with all tiers of government will mean the region “has a coherent, strategic plan for economic growth”.NSW Premier Mike Baird says the development of the Western Sydney Airport is the “most significant economic development initiative in the country”, and one which will transform the region. Currently 30 per cent of workers in Western Sydney must commute outside the region for work.Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has announced Labor’s commitment to invest $400 million to build a rail link that would service the proposed new airport at Badgerys Creek.Promising to “build the infrastructure Australia needs, delivering jobs and easing congestion”, Shorten says the funding would ensure development of the rail link aligned with the airport’s construction, set for completion by the middle of next decade.Fitzgerald is pleased that both parties have put forward “complementary visions” to drive economic growth in Western Sydney.”Both political parties recognise that building a second airport in Sydney offers an opportunity to make Western Sydney the economic hub of Sydney,” she concludes.