The peak body representing councils in Western Sydney is calling on federal politicians to deliver a fairer deal for the region.
“With the federal election on the horizon, Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils is calling on federal politicians to work more closely with local councils to address key issues facing Western Sydney,” said WSROC president Brad Bunting.
Greater Western Sydney stretches 8,982km and comprises 14 local government areas and 14 federal electorates. The region is experiencing significant population growth. By 2036, more than half of Sydney’s population will live west of Parramatta, and Greater Western Sydney’s population is set to increase from 2.4 million today to 4.1 million by 2041.
“To tackle the pressures arising out of such rapid growth, WSROC members have identified 10 priorities that the next federal government must address,” said Bunting.
Top of the list: sustainable funding for local government. “For too long local government funding has fallen short of what’s needed to deliver essential services. This is a challenge across Australia, but in Western Sydney rapid population growth makes the situation even more urgent,” said Bunting – who is also Mayor of Blacktown City.
Councils are having to compete with each other for government grants to pay for basic necessities like road repairs, says WSROC. “There is an urgent need to review funding arrangements for councils including federal assistance grants and more,” said Bunting.
Reform should include not only an increase to overall funding, but improvements to long-term funding certainty – allowing councils to plan strategically to get the best return on investment for their communities, says WSROC.
While WSROC has welcomed recent investments in the North-West Metro and Parramatta Light Rail, these projects only scratch the surface of public transport deficits, says the peak.
Western Sydney’s rapid growth has been accelerated by federal-state partnerships such as the Western Sydney International Airport and National Housing Accord. For this reason, “Western Sydney councils are seeking a federal-state partnership to deliver the transport investment needed,” Bunting said.
There is an urgent need to review funding arrangements
Critical skills and labour shortages at the local level are also impacting Western Sydney communities, putting a brake on local economic development and service delivery by councils, says the WSROC.
Where councils are not able to attract and retain appropriately skilled workers, they struggle to deliver the range and level of services required by their communities, including place-based implementation of government policies such as disaster recovery and local housing targets.
“We hope to engage with the next federal government to find better ways to help councils attract, train and maintain staff in areas of skills shortage,” said Bunting.
WSROC member councils – which include Blacktown City, Blue Mountains City, Cumberland City, Hawkesbury City, Liverpool City, Fairfield City , Penrith City, and City of Parramatta – are also calling on the federal government to introduce regulatory reform to support heat resilience across Western Sydney. “These reforms are essential for addressing both cost-of-living and meeting our 2050 emissions targets,” said Bunting.
As well, WSROC wants the next federal government to legislate clear mandates to ensure Australian packaging is easily recycled and reused; to restrict the importation of PFAS products; and develop safer disposal methods for other hazardous wastes. “These changes would go a long way in reducing waste to landfill downstream,” said Bunting.
The above are just some of the issues identified by WSROC members as “critical for consideration” by the next Australian government and “will inform advocacy through both political and professional forums”, said Bunting.
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