What progress has Western Sydney made towards its Shaping Future Cities targets?

Deloitte, in partnership with business and government leaders, has released an update on how far Western Sydney has progressed since an economic blueprint for the region was launched in 2015.

The Shaping Future Cities: Designing Western Sydney Report Card highlights that “significant progress” has been made towards the main target of creating 200,000 new jobs by 2020. So far, more than 65,000 roles have been made.

Stuart Ayres, Minister for Western Sydney, commented: “Western Sydney is experiencing unparalleled employment growth with projects like the Western Sydney airport a major catalyst for business confidence, physically and virtually clustering aerospace, defence and related industries to fuel innovation and build on Western Sydney’s reputation as a leading innovation and economic powerhouse.”

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Deloitte Office Managing Partner and Report Card co-author Danny Rezek said that investment is now being made in the infrastructure needed to make Western Sydney an attractive place for young people to live and work.

For example, the proposed north-south rail link along the Western Sydney Growth Corridor will connect the region to the new Western Sydney airport. This move is projected to create 100,000 new jobs, reduce travel time between west and east from 90 to 30 minutes and generate an additional $44.7bn economic output between 2024 and 2040.

Rezek added: “Perhaps the most exciting outcome to date, truly recognising the value of the region, is the Federal Government’s Western Sydney City Deal.

“This a fantastic outcome for the region, bringing together all three levels of government to focus on infrastructure investments, employment programs, housing affordability and improved environmental outcomes. It speaks directly to the aims of Shaping Future Cities to invest in and realise the potential of Western Sydney.”

The report card also highlights progress which has been made in areas including health, education, smart city implementation, cultural investment, tourism and skills shortage planning.