Blacktown’s International Centre of Training Excellence new images
Residents have been given a glimpse of western Sydney’s planned sports institute as Blacktown Council reveals one of its biggest ever budgets.
Blacktown
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New images can be revealed of a state-of-the-art sports institute in western Sydney as early works on the groundbreaking development get underway.
It comes as Blacktown Council handed down plans for its third-largest budget last week, with financial losses from COVID-19 not as high as first thought.
The $656 million budget will carry on the council’s delivery of its “transformational projects”, aimed at preparing the city for a population boom.
Construction has begun on the $100 million International Centre of Training Excellence at Rooty Hill, which is billed to be a world-class facility for sports education, medicine and rehabilitation, catering for community sports groups to elite athletes.
The centre, which constitutes a mammoth investment from council over several years, is set to open late next year.
One of Blacktown Council’s other key infrastructure projects, the Warrick Lane redevelopment and car park, valued at $80 million, is also nearing completion, council has announced.
The council’s $30 million revolutionary ‘no-kill’ animal rehoming centre in Glendenning is expected to start constriction later this year.
Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale said he was pleased the city would not suffer the originally predicted economic impacts of the pandemic.
“Just as many of our residents and businesses were affected by the restrictions and hardships imposed by the COVID pandemic, council also had to make adjustments, maximise savings, cut non-essential expenses and operate in an environment with a reduced revenue stream,” Cr Bleasdale said.
“Council staff commenced work on the 2021/22 budget during 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 financial and social restrictions.
“At the time, the cost to council of the COVID-19 pandemic was estimated to be $24 million over an 18-month period, however due to astute planning and responsible financial management, at this stage, the actual losses have not been as high as forecast.”
Cr Bleasdale said the figure might be adjusted over time due to the ongoing virus situation.
Blacktown City said a key focus of the budget was preparing the region for its forecast population boom, with the 569,000 residents expected to live in the area by 2036.
Cr Bleasdale said the council would continue to pursue the sale of its Flushcombe Rd site to pave the way for the development of the mammoth $1 billion Blacktown Brain and Spinal Institute – the brainchild of acclaimed neurosurgeon Charlie Teo.
Works on an agreed masterplan for a hub at Riverstone town centre also remained in council’s sights, with the population of the suburb set to grow by 30,000 over the next three decades.
Residents in the city’s north-west suburbs were big winners in the latest budget, with $20.3 million allocated for new roadworks in the growing areas of Riverstone, Schofields, Rouse Hill and Marsden Park.
$12.6 million will be invested in new open space in Riverstone and Schofields while $1.5 million will be spent on the construction of Riverstone Parade, from Victoria St to Otago St.
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