Parramatta: The Future Home of SBS

Parramatta is establishing itself as a media hub with the ABC relocating here last year and The Sydney Morning Herald setting up a Parramatta bureau earlier this year. Here’s your opportunity to bring one of Australia’s most trusted media organisations to our city’s rapidly growing media and telecommunications hub – and further improve SBS participation in Western Sydney communities.

As the economic powerhouse of Western Sydney, Parramatta is the region’s “premier cultural hub that links Eastern and Western Sydney” (Unleashing Creativity, Centre for Western Sydney). SBS will bring significant value-added benefits to Parramatta’s GRP and job growth by creating opportunities for skilled production roles in Western Sydney’s increasingly qualified and culturally diverse workforce. It will also serve as a catalyst for business growth across both media and service industries for workers and visitors.

Parramatta contains the highest concentration of organisations engaged in cultural production and creative services in Western Sydney (excluding the Blue Mountains), with 71 cultural businesses and 92 creative services organisations identified in 2023¹. SBS will be able to engage or partner with this pipeline of local businesses and suppliers – further strengthening the creative sector in Parramatta and benefiting all of Western Sydney.

Partnering with SBS to host its new Western Sydney production hub is more than just a tenancy – it’s an exciting opportunity to transform the cultural and economic landscape of Western Sydney. The presence of a national broadcaster can act as a powerful anchor institution that stimulates urban renewal, cultural vibrancy, and sustained economic momentum. From attracting allied industries to increasing foot traffic, and from driving demand to uplifting surrounding property and development, your property could be the catalyst for a burgeoning cultural and economic transformation.

Parramatta CBD is the region’s strongest commercial centre and the second-largest in Australia, anchoring a dynamic $31 billion local economy (source: Economic profile | Parramatta 2016 | economy.id)

Parramatta is strategically positioned at Sydney’s geographic and population centre. Most Western Sydney LGAs are within 30 minutes by road or public transport. By 2032, Parramatta will be the most connected destination in Greater Sydney outside the CBD, with light rail, trains, buses, ferries, and Metro West.

With a growing media sector, bolstered by the ABC and The Sydney Morning Herald bureau, SBS can unlock strategic advantages unique to Parramatta. There are clear synergies with ABC production and broadcasting, offering the potential for economies of scale, increased productivity, reduced operating costs, and better taxpayer value over time. Co-location enhances growth and local procurement opportunities.

Parramatta is Western Sydney’s job engine, home to a culturally diverse and highly skilled workforce. The CBD hosts over 6,000 businesses and employs over 50,000 workers – a figure that continues to grow. Parramatta has the highest number of creative industry employees in any Western Sydney LGA.

Parramatta’s five universities provide opportunities for collaboration and engagement. More than 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students study across disciplines including media, business, social science, creative industries, law, and finance.

A new production hub in Parramatta would place SBS at the heart of the multicultural and multilingual communities it serves – directly connecting SBS with the people and stories behind its programming.

Parramatta’s community is incredibly diverse, with 53% of residents born overseas and 56% speaking a language other than English at home, compared to Greater Sydney’s 38% and 37%, respectively (profile.id).

Parramatta offers outstanding amenities for staff and talent — from diverse dining options, cafes, and bars to excellent retail and a vibrant year-round culture and events calendar.

Parramatta is one of the largest night-time hubs in NSW and holds the internationally recognised Purple Flag accreditation for safe, diverse, and well-managed nightlife.

Opening in 2026, the $900 million Powerhouse Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences will offer exciting content partnerships. Programs like Vitocco Kitchen and the Powerhouse Food series present unique opportunities for SBS to engage with stories that reflect multicultural Australia.

The redevelopment of Riverside Theatres is one of the most exciting cultural development projects to be undertaken in NSW in years. The revitalised venue will include:

• A 1,500-seat Broadway-style lyric theatre
• A refurbished 700-seat Riverside Playhouse
• A new 325-seat black-box drama theatre
• A state-of-the-art 100-seat digital studio and cinema
• Enhanced public spaces