It’s good to see that Campbelltown Council will show its “activist’’ side once the next federal election is called.
For decades the area has failed to get the attention it deserves when state and federal government infrastructure funding is handed out.
One of the main reasons that’s been the case is that Campbelltown, just like Liverpool, Camden and Wollondilly, is seen by those that make such decisions as part of “Western Sydney’’.
And because most of the activism on behalf of Western Sydney is done by powerful lobby groups based in Parramatta, most of the government investment has gone to Parramatta.
That’s billions of dollars we’re talking about, and I wish I could say our little neck of the woods here in outer South Western Sydney got the crumbs, but I can’t.
That’s because we got no crumbs; we got nothing, zilch, zero.
The fat cats on million dollar salaries who divvy up these investments couldn’t find Campbelltown or Liverpool with a GPS.
So, when Parramatta gets its billions, it’s seen as billions for all of Western Sydney, including us.
Which clearly it is not, and why we are lacking in even basic infrastructure, from on and off ramps to the Hume Highway to decent train services.
It’s a long list and I won’t bore you with it, but that’s where Campbelltown Council has gone and made a priority list it will use to highlight how neglected we have been.
In my view council should go further and lead the way to establishing a brand new home grown lobby group made up of our biggest movers and shakers.
Such a body would be able to thump the table and demand our fair share out here in the south west.
Until now we have been asking politely for a piece of the infrastructure funding pie and have been ignored.
Well, the time has come to stand up and fight for our residents, most of whom travel for hours every week to get to work because we don’t have enough local jobs here.
Remember, nobody else is going to help us, it’s all up to us and nobody else.
This has been the situation with Campbelltown and even Camden for the past 50 years – getting only the left overs from both Federal and State governments while Parramatta thrives. If a decent lobby group cannot be formed from both council areas to put forward good ideas then nothing will change. I guarantee it. Now that so much in the way of government departments has been moved to Parramatta the job to get notice for the Macarthur area, mainly Campbelltown, will be lost. Strong voices need to be heard and, maybe, with the new Airport so close, they will become apparent enabling notice to be taken in the Macarthur area at last. I wish any new lobby group well in their quest against what seems like a lost cause. Crystal gazing may not be the answer!
Could not agree more- a working alliance of Campbelltown, Camden, Wollondilly & Liverpool Councils strongly agitating significant, unified political pressure on the State & even Federal Governments is long overdue – there are a lot of votes in these LGAs. The currentroad & train so-called ‘infrastructure’ is disgraceful & has long been inadequate for the current population, let alone ongoing major low-density urbanization of Appin, Wilton and Bringelly and high-density residential accommodation in particularly Liverpool (Coronation project at Bridges Rd) and Campbelltown.
The routing of the train link from Western Sydney Airport through St Marys is evidence of the disregard in which Sydney’s South West is held- would have been significantly more beneficial to extend through Leppington, providing an already established population with superior transport links and a more direct route to Kingsford Smith Airport for connecting flights.
Any initiatves achieved will be 6-12 years away based upon the government’s inability to make decisions, leaving the South Western region as a ‘second rate’ locality in the long term..
Tony Looby FAPI
If/when we get our share, I’ll believe it til we see it.