Campbelltown Council’s vision for the future
CAMPBELLTOWN Council will today unveil its plans for a revived CBD and health and education precinct, positioning the area as the southern gateway to Sydney — with and estimated 800,000 people to live in the Macarthur region within 25 years.
Macarthur
Don't miss out on the headlines from Macarthur. Followed categories will be added to My News.
CAMPBELLTOWN Council will today unveil its plans for a revived CBD and world class health and education precinct, with a goal of becoming ‘Australia’s greenest city’.
At its Re-Imagining Campbelltown Forum at NSW Parliament House, council will outline its vision for the region’s future — anchored by a health and education precinct — to government and business leaders.
Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic said the draft strategy leverages the growth and investment opportunities provided by the recently announced Western Sydney City Deal.
The strategy prepared by Deloitte, estimates 800,000 people will call the Macarthur region home within 25 years.
The first stage focuses on building up Campbelltown’s CBD to stop two thirds of the local workforce having to leave the area for work.
Over 35,000 people would live in the CBD while the precinct will provide over 50,000 jobs and 16,000 homes.
The strategy outlines plans to ‘green’ rooftops, provide a variety of housing and business development opportunities and encourage retrofitted buildings powered by sustainable energy with the final goal of a carbon neutral CBD.
Cr Brticevic said making Campbelltown ‘Australia’s greenest city’ would be central to future planning.
“The creation of green spaces and inspirational places that showcase local arts and culture, will be at the forefront of our planning decisions, not an afterthought,” Cr Brticevic said.
“We want to build Australia’s greenest and most sustainable city, a place that is attractive for young professionals, that fosters innovation and encourages industry collaboration. The good news is that we have the structures in place to make it a reality.”
“With our massive spike in population, in addition to Australia’s biggest infrastructure project — the Western Sydney Airport — a stone’s throw away, there is a great opportunity to reshape our city and capitalise on the public and private sector interest that is happening across the region.”
By 2022, council plans to have opened the much anticipated Sports and Health Centre of Excellence, the Campbelltown Research Facility and a health industry business park as part of Western Sydney’s biggest health and education precinct.
Building on existing infrastructure such as Campbelltown Hospital, the Macarthur Clinical School and the Western Sydney University School of Medicine; council hopes the precinct will become a hub for advanced manufacturing in emerging health sciences.
The Health and Education Precinct Strategic Vision outlines the expansion of major children’s health services and paediatrics, community health education services, medical science and an expanded focus on Aboriginal health research.
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes will launch the precinct plan today.
“By assembling a critical mass of co-located research, teaching and clinical services, the
Campbelltown health and education precinct can establish itself as one of Australia’s leading
innovation districts,” Mr Stokes said.
“Education and health is no longer just about service delivery, they are important urban and economic drivers, particularly in the Macarthur region, where there is a strong agglomeration of health and education providers.”
Cr Brticevic said health and education already accounts for almost 30 per cent of jobs in Campbelltown.
“Health and education is at the centre of our growth story and by building on our existing partnerships with Campbelltown Hospital, Western Sydney University, TAFE NSW and other industry leaders, we have an opportunity to develop a nationally recognised centre of research, medicine and health,” Cr Brticevic said.
“In addition to the generation of more concentrated smart jobs, the health and education precinct will provide an environment that has the potential to act as a catalyst to attract industry and employment opportunities that ensure we can continue to develop and retain the next generation of local leaders.”