Future Western Sydney has transformed the region into an economic powerhouse

Eight years ago The Daily Telegraph demanded a Fair Go For The West, and it altered Sydney forever. But there’s still more to come.

It began eight years ago with The Daily Telegraph demanding a Fair Go For The West and has altered Sydney forever.

“It changed the narrative, Western Sydney has gone from Sydney’s problem to Australia’s solution,” Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chairman Christopher Brown said.

The campaign began with a call to finally give Sydney its badly needed second airport and bloomed from there with connectivity that has brought Sydney’s Eastern Harbour, Central River and Western Parkland cities closer together.

“It has helped establish Parramatta as the second CBD of Sydney with Parramatta Square and the new CommBank stadium,” Mr Brown said.

“We have worked on the spine with WestConnex and new rail lines. But there is still more to come including the Parramatta Light Rail,” he said.

Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue Chairman Christopher Brown said The Daily Telegraph changed the face of Western Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

Western Sydney Minister David Elliott said the newspaper’s first call to arms, which has now grown to become the current Future Western Sydney campaign, identified Western Sydney as an economic and cultural powerhouse.

It is the nation’s third largest economy and has produced some of the nation’s leading artists, thinkers and entrepreneurs.

That focus has helped propel projects including WestConnex, which will put 33km of motorway under Sydney, and Australia’s biggest transport project, Sydney Metro which will add 113km of new rail by 2030, into life.

“In the past Western Sydney was simply seen as the birthplace of sporting giants but it now boasts high quality universities, an international airport with a world leading connected city next door, business parks and of course a population with a can do attitude,” he said.

Minister for Western Sydney David Elliott has more planned for the west. Picture: Richard Dobson

On Thursday, March 2 the ongoing campaign to maintain the momentum in Western Sydney culminates in the Future Western Sydney event at Rosehill Gardens.

It will see Premier Dominic Perrottet and Labor leader Chris Minns each outline their vision to win votes in the multicultural and crucial Western Sydney seats.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said the ongoing campaigning for the people of Western Sydney had “turned the debate around”.

“Western Sydney had been ignored for generations until there was a focus on getting Government involved and The Daily Telegraph spearheaded that push,” Mr Borger said.

“It is important to recognise that the people of Western Sydney did not need to be saved,” he said.

“We just need a fair shake of the sauce bottle.”