Two regional events stand out above all others in the past month or two.
Camden’s decision to establish an economic taskforce was one.
The other was the announcement that WSA Co – the Western Sydney Airport company set up by the Federal Government – would have its headquarters in Scott Street, Liverpool.
In Campbelltown meantime, the elected representatives were expressing outrage that the State Government had stripped more planning powers off councils across NSW.
As much as the outrage was justified, the rest of it was an exercise in futility.
A lot of energy was expanded on preparing press releases and meetings with other councils.
Everyone else around the region basically got on with it.
On the economic taskforce, Camden Council ought to be congratulated for having the foresight to go down that path.
It has already appointed prominent businesswoman and lawyer Adriana Coutts chairperson of the taskforce and no doubt some other local big hitters are being lined up.
Campbelltown must follow suit.
It’s not so much inertia that’s the problem at Campbelltown as trying to do too much at the same time.
A taskforce will set priorities which will mean doing one thing at a time.
Result: things finally getting done, which is far from the case right now.
The sport centre of excellence is going ahead, but as important as that is, a business park should be the number one item on any strategic approach in Campbelltown.
Some councillors won’t like the idea of following in the footsteps of Camden but they will have to swallow their pride and get on with it.
But just as some of them indulge on a little Camden bashing, there’s also been quite open criticism of Liverpool, some of it bordering on being offensive.
But Liverpool is having the last laugh now that it’s snared the WSA Co to add to several university campuses.
Campbelltown needs to smarten up its game or the other two regional giants will gallop ahead and leave it a long way behind.
