Canterbury Bankstown a driving force in the future of Sydney
CANTERBURY Bankstown is a thriving and dynamic city with more than 361,000 residents, making it the largest local government area by population in NSW.
CANTERBURY Bankstown is a thriving and dynamic city with more than 361,000 residents, making it the largest local government area by population in NSW.
The city is uniquely positioned in the geographic “middle” of Sydney, with close access to the Sydney CBD as well as the future potential to grow off the back of the new Western Sydney Airport and Parramatta.
We are, on any measure, a driving force in the future of Sydney, and a key part of its economic and social success.
We are already home to the second-largest number of businesses in Sydney — more than 32,000 — and have the fifth-largest concentration of jobs in NSW — 114,000. As the eighth-largest economy in NSW, Canterbury Bankstown is on the cusp of even more exciting opportunities.
The pipeline of city-shaping development includes:
● Western Sydney University proposing to build a 7000-student vertical campus in Bankstown’s CBD.
● The possibility of new health facilities at both Bankstown and Canterbury.
● Major commercial, retail and residential redevelopments across Bankstown CBD and other centres.
Most of these elements will be greatly enhanced by a major improvement and rethink of the Metro between Sydenham and Bankstown.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a fully integrated transport and city-building project, that will leave a positive legacy.
As mayor I will continue to promote the importance of transport connections, including fast-tracking the design and investigation of the Bankstown to Parramatta link.
Our strength lies in our community, accommodating one of the most diverse populations in Australia, with 120 spoken languages and 44 per cent of people having been born overseas.
While building infrastructure is critical to support future growth, creating, attracting and retaining the jobs of the future is even more important.
That is why a priority is the development of capabilities, skills and knowledge in our community. This great melting pot also brings with it creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
A smart and innovative community aligns with my vision for ensuring Canterbury Bankstown becomes a Smart City. The use of wi-fi, big data, 5G, autonomous vehicles and the internet of Things, will all be helpful ways our city will be able to face the challenges ahead.
It will be a place where we will use technological infrastructure, community engagement and connectivity, to evolve our city and make real improvements. Council is continuing its ambitious program of projects and services to meet the aspirations of the community.
The future of Canterbury-Bankstown is an exciting one. We are business-friendly, smart, cosmopolitan, well-connected, have a vibrant cultural scene and highly liveable neighbourhoods, surrounded by natural waterways and bushland.
This is our vision to be thriving, dynamic and real!
■ Khal Asfour is the mayor of Canterbury Bankstown
‘So much blood’: Driver’s fatal alleged accelerator error
Family and friends have paid tribute to a man who died in a southwest Sydney driveway after his mate allegedly hit the accelerator instead of the brakes and ran him over.
The ‘holy grail’ of church property portfolios revealed
Towering skyscrapers, hundreds of homes, thousands of commercial buildings and expansive farmland – the holy grail of property portfolios of major churches can be revealed. See the list of property sales in your suburb.