Blacktown Council calls for funding equality in western Sydney: Arts, transport and university

Western Sydney leaders have called to put a stop to the funding inequality they say the west has endured for the last 50 years, with one council set to push the issue at a national conference.

Western Sydney leaders have called to put a stop to the funding inequality they say the west has endured for the last 50 years, with one council set to push the issue at a national conference.

Blacktown Council will advocate at the upcoming Australian Local Government Conference for the region to receive its fair share of federal funding.

The council says, despite western Sydney being home to 11 per cent of Australia’s population, the region receives less than one per cent of the federal government’s budget for arts and culture.

Council will also advocate for a fairer spread of medical research facilities and university campuses claiming the vast majority of these institutions are located in Sydney’s east.

Blacktown Labor Mayor Tony Bleasdale said “enough is enough” and urged the state and federal governments to provide equal funding and support for western Sydney residents.

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“Blacktown faces significant challenges due to ongoing funding inequity from successive state and federal governments over more than 50 years,” he said.

“Western Sydney is home to half of Sydney’s population, and therefore deserves half of Sydney’s capital and operating expenditure from the Commonwealth and the state.

“For too long, residents in western Sydney have been neglected while a grossly disproportionate amount of funding has centred on the CBD and eastern suburbs of Sydney.”

“This persistent problem only serves to widen the gap between Sydney’s haves and have-nots.

“It is about time Blacktown City got a fair slice of the pie.”

Western Sydney Shadow Minister Greg Warren said there was one standard for the west and a different one for the rest.

Western Sydney Shadow Minister Greg Warren.

“Sydney’s east get public transport and the rest in the west get tolls.” he said.

When asked by NewsLocal about the concentration of university campuses in eastern Sydney, acting Education Minister Stuart Robert said the government was committed to providing “record school funding” which included western Sydney.

Stuart Robert says the government was committed to providing “record school funding”. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“Overall, the government is providing over $45 million in growth funding for campuses in high-growth metropolitan areas in 2022,” he said.

“As part of the Morrison Government’s Job-ready Graduates higher education funding reforms, the government is providing significant additional funding for new student places.”

Most of Sydney’s universities and higher education institutions are east of Strathfield including; ACU (North Sydney and Strathfield), Macquarie University, Sydney University, UNSW, UTS, with only ACU Blacktown, University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University with campuses in western Sydney.

Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government had provided $200 million of funding to medical researchers in western Sydney including $32 million to Western Sydney University and $29 million to the Children’s Medical Research Institute.

Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture: Martin Ollman

“The Morrison Government has invested record funding in medical research, delivering breakthrough advances in treatments and cures and creating more jobs in our world class medical and biotechnology sector,” he said.

“The majority of funding in medical research made to researchers across the country is through a competitive grant process. We encourage any researchers, including those in western Sydney, to check the MRFF and NHMRC websites and apply for grants in their field.”

Blacktown Council will table its motion at the Australian Local Government Conference in June.