Housing, jobs, environment get top priority as Greater Western Sydney Councils set agenda for 2022 — 2026
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 4 July 2022
Housing, jobs, environment get top priority as Greater Western Sydney Councils set agenda for 2022 — 2026
Mayors and Councillors representing Greater Western Sydney have met in a special Strategy Planning and Priorities Workshop to set the agenda for the next four years, focusing on greater consideration for the most vulnerable in the region, including aiming for:
- Better social and affordable housing outcomes for Greater Western Sydney
- Economic development and local job creation
- Comprehensive transport solutions
- Emissions reduction and energy efficiency
- Improved waste management and resource recovery
- Urban heat resilience and emergency management
- Increased financial resilience of councils, and
- To ensure new development includes provision for adequate social infrastructure, parks, and community spaces.
Representing more than 1,000,000 citizens of Blacktown City, Blue Mountains City, Cumberland City, Hawkesbury City, and Liverpool City, the Mayors and Councillors assembled at The Crowne Plaza convention centre in Windsor on Saturday, 18 June.
Convened by Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), the peak body for councils in Greater Western Sydney, the planning session was facilitated by author Les Robinson, a leading expert in sustainability, health promotion, road safety, natural resource management and emergency management.
The session included presentations by leading experts from Western Sydney University, Professor of Economic Geography, Professor Phillip O’Neill, and Dr Zelmarie Cantillon, an authority on cultural infrastructure.
WSROC President, Clr Barry Calvert, said:
“The Strategy Planning and Priorities Workshop was an exciting exchange of ideas and insights with fellow Councillors from across the Greater Western Sydney region and an opportunity to hear from subject matter experts on crucial issues for Western Sydney.
“The input from all Councillors was essential to ensure we, as a collective, are tackling the issues most critical for our region.
“A key outcome of the workshop was a determination to call on the major political parties to clarify their policies on both social housing and affordable housing.
“This is especially important for more vulnerable members of our communities, including those on low incomes, recently arrived migrants and refugees, single parents, and others.
“The constructive, bi-partisan and collegial nature of the workshop gave me great confidence that by working together, local government can make excellent headway with the many critical issues confronting our communities.”
For further information, contact WSROC at info@wsroc.com.au or by phoning (02) 9671 4333.
