Coming Soon To Parramatta...

In late February, the Parramatta business community gathered for the 21st Annual State of the City (SOTC) Address hosted by the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce. The theme for this year was “We are the Headquarters – Parramatta’s Evolution into a Global City” discussing the important areas of investment, sustainability and liveability.

The City of Parramatta was a proud sponsor of this year’s State of the City Address. Since 2002, the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce has presented The State of the City Address Parramatta and many of the speakers acknowledged the changes that have occurred during those 21 years. This event has provided a platform for thought leadership that has helped shape the City's outcomes.

Speakers included the Deputy Lord Mayor of Parramatta Sameer Pandey, Minister for Western Sydney David Elliott MP and representatives of businesses and business groups in Parramatta.

Some key takeaway highlights included:

Changes since 2002

The key themes of investment, sustainability and liveability were the focus for each speaker, and many talked about the transformational changes that have occurred in the past 20 years.

Many changes have occurred in the Parramatta LGA over that time and Parramatta is the fastest-growing LGA in Greater Sydney. When the first SOTC address took place in 2002 there were just 148,086 people living in Parramatta in 48,604 households. In the 2021 Census, this had increased to 256,729 people living in 106,649 households, representing a population increase of 73 per cent.

In a similar period, the total office space in Parramatta has increased from around 600,000 square metres in January 2005, to approaching one million according to recent figures released by real estate company JLL.

Parramatta must thrive not just survive

In his address Parramatta’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Sameer Pandey spoke about the generational change occurring in Parramatta but said there is much work to be done. His key message was that Parramatta needs to thrive, not just survive.

“Parramatta is the second largest economy in NSW, the fifth largest in Australia and provides 200,000 jobs across health, education, professional services and administration. Our aim is to provide 100,000 new jobs, and 100,000 new dwellings by 2036.

“We have many challenges and opportunities, and the need to get the balance right with social, cultural and transport infrastructure. We also need to provide access to child care, access to education and local employment for our youth, and more. If families prosper and businesses thrive our city benefits.

“The transformation of Parramatta is an inspiring example of how a city can reinvent itself in the 21st century. Parramatta has become a city that is both modern and connected, whilst embracing its rich heritage and history. I’m excited about what we can achieve with your support,” said Councillor Pandey.

Parramatta is the capital of Western Sydney

Minister for Western Sydney, David Elliott MP, in his last official speech before the NSW Government enters caretaker mode in the lead-up to the state election, said Parramatta was experiencing generational reform.

He spoke of his strong ties to Parramatta where he has studied, lived and worked. “When I was a boy there was no University, no Light Rail, no ferry, and no vibrancy in Parramatta.

“Now people come to Parramatta for rooftop bars that overlook the city, and cuisine from right around the world on Church Street, and because it’s a desirable place to work, then you’re happy to hang around after work,” he said.

He talked about the future benefits that Parramatta will enjoy when the Metro is complete. In his electorate of Baulkham Hills, the Metro has had a multiplier effect, and the Metro in Parramatta which will take just 22 minutes to the Sydney CBD will have similar benefits.

“Church Street outdoor dining has led a dining renaissance in the City, and the ability to attract quality restaurants and cafes has increased tenfold. This is making Parramatta the true capital of Western Sydney,” said Minister Elliott.

We need to add culture

David Borger, Executive Director of Business Western Sydney said that developments like Parramatta Square have helped attract big companies to move to Parramatta. The infrastructure is booming, but it needs to be followed by cultural institutions and the ‘great things in life’.

“The Powerhouse Museum (in Parramatta) is under construction and is the single largest cultural investment in NSW after the Opera House, and the largest museum in NSW, so I think that’s fantastic.

“The Riverside Theatre was built in 1988 to celebrate our Bicentenary, but it’s not big enough anymore and we want to be able to see big Broadway-style musicals, and we’ve secured the funding to build a new theatre in Parramatta,” said Borger.

He also said that the Parramatta Light Rail will be a city shaper and have a major impact on the Parramatta North precinct bringing opportunity for investment to the City.

WestInvest funding

The WestInvest funding program is important to Parramatta, and the Deputy Lord Mayor mentioned some key projects including the Riverside Theatre, bike paths, and parklands that will benefit.

The City of Parramatta has secured $170 million in funding to deliver multiple key projects. Council was successful in applying for 12 grants as part of the competitive round of the NSW Government’s WestInvest program, covering projects across Parramatta, North Parramatta, Westmead, Granville, Lidcombe, Silverwater, Epping and Carlingford.

The projects, which Council put forward in response to community feedback, include multiple cycle and pedestrian links across the local government area, much-needed upgrades to community facilities and town centres, and improvements to parks and open spaces.
 

Westmead story

Liza Noonan, Executive Director for the Westmead and Macquarie Park Innovation Districts reflected on the significant public sector investment in Westmead that now needs more investment from the private sector.

“Westmead is a centre for research excellence with biotech innovation with everything from novel vaccine development to planning and researching treatments for ovarian cancer. We need to look at how to help commercialise that research and build a new biotech industry that will not just benefit Western Sydney but the whole of Australia,” said Noonan.

She also spoke about the Westmead Innovation district being able to bring people together to solve problems. “We can help challenge businesses and researchers to work together to bring research excellence to Western Sydney.

“We can also work with neighbouring precincts like North Parramatta to provide more community space for the people who live in Westmead,” added Noonan.

Layer what’s on offer

Acting CEO, City of Parramatta, Bryan Hynes reflected on the excellent development that is taking place in Parramatta with Parramatta Square almost complete, and Civic Link under development, but he said “we now need to add other elements to layer what's on offer”.

He described the Civic Link as a city-shaping project with its 20-metre-wide green spine, which will be complemented by other key projects like the new Parramatta Aquatic Centre and infrastructure.

He also spoke about the need to put other elements like housing, culture, and tourism, in place so we can layer the story and deliver on what’s been promised. “We’ve set the building blocks and now need to share the story,” said Hynes.

Find out more about the unprecedented positive transformation happening in Parramatta, the economic powerhouse at the centre of global Sydney: www.atparramatta.com/business 

Contact us if you would like to receive more information about investment opportunities in Parramatta: economicdevelopment@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au  

The Parramatta Legal & Justice Coalition, which is advocating for an expanded legal and justice precinct in Parramatta, was pleased to welcome the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW to the recent Law Term opening event.

Chief Justice Andrew Bell and several other CBD-based judges and legal dignitaries attended the event held at 4 Parramatta Square, followed by the traditional Red Mass (a Mass celebrated annually for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation) held at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta, on Monday, 6 February 2023.

Parramatta & District Law Society President and Chair of the Parramatta Legal & Justice Coalition Stephen McAuley believes it is the first time the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has attended the opening of Parramatta’s Law Term.

“It is often attended by Judges of various courts including the Supreme Court, but we’re particularly grateful that this year the Chief Justice agreed to attend. It represents an acknowledgement that Parramatta has significantly grown and is significantly more important in terms of volume of demand for access to the legal system in and around Parramatta,” said McAuley.

Parramatta solicitor and member of the Coalition Michael Shephard said that the Chief Justice visit is symbolic and “I’m hoping it’s a first step. A lot of dignitaries are coming and it will add gravitas to the situation and we hope he’ll have a look around Parramatta and see how it has grown in the past five to ten years.”

Shepard & Shepard Solicitors has a long history in Parramatta. First established in 1908 by Michael Shepard’s grandfather, it is Parramatta’s oldest continuous family-operated law firm.

“Parramatta is geographically the centre of Sydney, and the justice precinct is a fitting place for the Supreme Court. Having the permanent sitting of a couple of judges in areas like probate would be great, and that would be a starting point,” said Michael Shepard.

Stephen McAuley also takes this view and says that the current situation allows for some sittings of the Supreme Court, but it would be preferable to have a permanent presence to allow more matters to be heard.

“At the moment it’s mainly criminal matters that are dealt with by the Supreme Court at Parramatta. But we think there’s a demand for not just criminal matters, but civil matters with disputes in relation to property, deceased estates, businesses, contracts, personal injury, so there is a demand for an expansion of the Supreme Court presence,” said McAuley. 

“It’s not for the convenience of solicitors that we’re advocating, it’s for the convenience of ordinary people who unfortunately are caught up in the legal system, not perhaps by their own choosing. We want to help mums and dads, small business owners, and bigger businesses, who have matters in court. They might be based in Penrith, they might be based in north west Sydney, or Parramatta and it makes sense from a time point of view, and a cost point of view to have their matters dealt with at Parramatta, rather than the Sydney CBD.

“The perceptions of Parramatta have changed and are changing. I think there’s a need for people to come out to Parramatta and see for themselves. For people that haven’t been to Parramatta for a while they’d be surprised about the amount of economic activity that is going on, which flows into a need for a judicial presence at the highest level,” added McAuley.

In 2019, the City of Parramatta’s Legal & Justice Report recommended that given Parramatta is home to the second-largest legal and justice precinct in Greater Sydney, relocating the Supreme Court in Parramatta would make justice more accessible. 

“[Parramatta] is already a prominent centre in the State’s judicial system, but a range of factors have anchored the overwhelming majority of legal services activity in the Sydney CBD. This geographic distribution should not persist in the future, at least not to the degree that it holds today. As the population continues to move west, equitable access to justice services becomes a critical consideration. Parramatta is a prime location for this investment,” the report concluded.

The Parramatta Legal & Justice Coalition was formed in 2021 to advocate and promote an expanded legal and justice precinct in Parramatta to transform the CBD into one of Australia’s key legal hubs. The City of Parramatta prepared a Legal Advocacy brochure to ensure the legal services meet the needs of our growing community: 

“More than two million people call Western Sydney home. Over the next 20 years, that’s set to rise by another one million. In that time, Parramatta’s population is forecast to double from 287,289 in 2022 to 487,731 in 2041. As Sydney’s population growth continues to move west, equitable access to justice services becomes critical to the region’s liveability and prosperity.” 

Alison Cui who is a Partner with Parramatta firm Hammond Nguyen Turnbull, represents the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce on the Coalition and says that the current justice precinct has just about everything except the Supreme Court. 

“The Parramatta community is very different from the Sydney CBD community. There’s a different sort of clientele. You’ve got more families running businesses, you’ve got a larger immigrant population, and the client's needs are different. As those clients grow bigger the community needs change and there’s more need to have the Supreme Court in Parramatta to cover matters that other courts can’t handle. It is a need that has grown over the past few years and we can see a need for it in the future,” said Cui.

Coalition members include representatives from the City of Parramatta Council, top law firms, universities, and business groups including the University of New England Law School; law firms Coleman Greig Lawyers, Lachlan Macquarie Chambers, Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, Frank Law, and Shephard & Shephard Solicitors; the Parramatta & District Law Society; and business groups Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, Business Western Sydney, and Property Council of Australia.  

“It’s important that we have a common goal in Parramatta. The Coalition is not just a group of lawyers, all the members want the same thing which shows it’s a great idea,” added Cui.

Parramatta is already the second-largest legal centre in NSW and its courts hear 25,000 cases per year. Over the next 20 years, it is expected that court matters heard in Parramatta will increase by 30 per cent.

Currently, even though Parramatta is the second-largest legal centre in NSW, it makes up only five per cent of Greater Sydney’s legal jobs. Through the City’s expansion plans, it hopes to attract more barristers, solicitors, judges and judicial officers to the area.

It is estimated that an expanded Parramatta Legal and Justice Precinct could attract 2,200 more jobs by 2036 with further investment while attracting more than $350 million a year to the local economy.

Find out more:

Download the Legal and Justice Report (2019) and the Legal Advocacy Brochure 

For more information contact economicdevelopment@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au 

The annual Boomtown Summit held late last year, highlighted the importance of rail infrastructure in the growth of Western Sydney and specifically Parramatta. The Summit held at Sydney Olympic Park and run by the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue (WSLD), shone a light on different modes of rail transport.

In its seventh year, the Summit brought together leaders and experts in government, development, construction, design, planning, transport, housing, services, energy and sustainability. Guest speakers included the Premier of NSW Dominic Perrottet, Lord Mayor Councillor Donna Davis, Christopher Brown, Sir David Higgins, Geoff Roberts AM, The Hon Natalie Ward MLC, and many others in the property & infrastructure space.

Rail transport, which is playing a major role in the development of Parramatta, was discussed by multiple speakers at the event, including the potential high-speed rail, the currently under-construction Metro West, and the soon-to-open Parramatta Light Rail.

Many were also quick to point out the catalysing impact of infrastructure and how it improves the lives of those who use it. Chief Commissioner of the Greater Cities Commission, Geoff Roberts said, “It’s about the impact on the people, the jobs, the housing, the connectivity, that that creates. That’s the contribution that an organisation like [the Greater Cities Commission] can participate in, in collaboration [with others].”

In the Commission’s Greater Sydney Regional Plan (GSRP) released in 2018, it recognised that the “Central River City will grow substantially capitalising on its location close to the geographic centre of Greater Sydney. Unprecedented public and private investment is contributing to new transport and other infrastructure leading to a major transformation of the Central River City.”

High-speed rail can be part of Parramatta’s future

In his address at The Summit about the potential of high-speed rail in Sydney, Sir David Higgins, Chair of Gatwick Airport spoke about high-speed rail being more viable for trips of around two hours, and that the capital cost of building it is never recovered. He did however say that high-speed rail can make money once it is operational, and it made sense for shorter trips like those from the Central Coast or Newcastle, to Sydney to be viable.

In a Sydney Morning Herald article earlier this year, Parramatta was singled out as being a potential major hub for dedicated fast rail lines connecting Sydney to Newcastle, Wollongong and the state’s west as part of long-term plans to boost public transport links.

Geoff Roberts, the Chief Commissioner of the Greater Cities Commission said he looked forward to working with the Federal Government on the Gosford to the Central River City alignment saying that we need to make projects like this work for human beings as well as being engineeringly efficient. 

High-speed rail may be a means of connecting Parramatta with other cities as part of the Six Cities vision which includes Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle City, Central Coast City, Illawarra-Shoalhaven City, Western Parkland City, Central River City, and Eastern Harbour City and aims to accelerate the economic growth of the region.  
 

The Metro as an enabler of opportunity

As part of the panel discussing “Rail as an enabler of opportunity”, Peter Regan, Chief Executive, Sydney Metro said his organisation is starting to move from one that is focused on building, to operating rail systems and with this comes a great responsibility on creating locales, rather than just connecting them.

“The vision is for us to focus on the place outcomes, so it’s not just connecting places but creating great places. There is a huge opportunity here, right along Metro West but also Parramatta, the CBD and everything in between. The focus for us is on creating an incredibly positive experience, not just on the trains, but the precincts we can enable and activate,” he said.

Dr Liz Develin, CEO of Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) described the Sydney Metro West as a game-changer for development activity in Sydney Olympic Park.

“Sydney Olympic Park is a relatively quiet place when there are not huge events on and all the master-planning that has been done over all the years has waited for the big transport infrastructure piece, and the development industry to get serious because they were waiting for the transport.

“We’ve got grand plans with the Metro coming and finally this place will be able to see its vision of both being an amazing events precinct, but somewhere people live,” she said.
 

Parramatta Light Rail

Deputy Secretary, Infrastructure and Place, Transport for NSW, Camilla Drover as part of a panel ‘looking beyond the megaprojects’ spoke about “Putting communities at the centre and then building infrastructure and connectivity around that.

“The Parramatta Light Rail recently received the highest rating ever from the Sustainability Council for the green-track, so great visual outcome, great amenity, but great greenhouse outcome for Parramatta,” she added. 

Camilla Drover also spoke about the legacy of skills training on the project.

“We’re seeing about 70 per cent of our workforce in Western Sydney coming from Western Sydney and that’s really important. We’re also seeing lots of learning workers, so Parramatta Light Rail, for example, 20 per cent of the workforce is under 25, that’s leaving that wonderful legacy of skills training and development,” she added. 
 

Sydney's Central River City

Sitting in the geographical heart of Greater Sydney is Parramatta, a City representing a cross-section of economic activity, cultural diversity and stirring opportunity. The backbone of this great City is its accessible transport infrastructure, connecting Parramatta to five major transport hubs across the region.

Parramatta is within a 30-minute reach of more than two million people across Sydney. The recently upgraded Parramatta Transport Interchange links train and bus connections under one roof, and with the future Parramatta Light Rail and Metro West only a short walk away, commuters can expect a seamless travel experience. 

With ongoing infrastructure planned this year and beyond, transport development will be the critical link that continues to connect Parramatta to the Greater Sydney region, achieving our 30-minute City vision for years to come.