Walker Corporation have revealed plans for a major new employment hub in the Macarthur region, a 400 hectare business and innovation park set to be the largest in Greater Sydney.
The new $1.9 billion Macarthur Business Park will create job opportunities for over 10,000 professional and skilled jobs, becoming a major economic catalyst for the Wollondilly, Campbelltown and Macarthur region, attracting new talent and investment to the area.
Identified as an employment centre by the NSW State Government in 2018, the technology and innovation precinct will capitalise on its prime location between Sydney CBD, Wollongong, Canberra and Western Sydney Airport. The proposal will leverage nearby transport infrastructure to service one of the country’s fastest growing populations, with up to 22,000 new homes projected for the neighbouring Appin and North Appin precincts over the next decade.
Walker managing director and chief executive officer David Gallant said the Macarthur Business Park will allow young professionals and future generations to build fulfilling careers locally, contributing to a more dynamic and resilient community.
“We are prioritising infrastructure alongside housing and the Macarthur Business Park will create new opportunities for residents of the Greater Macarthur to live and work locally, reducing their time commuting so they can have more time at home with their families,” Mr Gallant said.
“Our plans for Macarthur Business Park support the growth of key health, education, manufacturing, information technology, legal and business services, logistics, hospitality and retail sectors to create a dynamic and resilient local economy.”
Member for Campbelltown and Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney Greg Warren welcomed the announcement, saying he will continue to work with all levels of government and stakeholders to secure the jobs and investment that our community needs and deserves.
“Four hundred hectares creating 10,000 professional jobs will have an enormous benefit to our local community and our region,’’ Mr Warren said.
“I’ve always believed that working together achieves the best outcomes, and this is an example of that.
“When we see the influx of people that are coming to our region, right now and into the future, innovations and commitments like this are exactly what we need.”
Campbelltown Council Mayor George Greiss said the employment hub would be a huge investment in the people of Macarthur.
“This is a great outcome for our region as so many of our residents now travel over an hour and a half both ways to get to work each day,’’ he said.
“I’m a huge advocate for supporting our region with a greater diversity of local jobs as we continue to grow.”
Macarthur Business Park will boost connectivity for the region with the first stage plans activating the delivery of a new interchange off the Hume Motorway linking the new Business Park with the future East-West connector road linking to Appin Road and through to the Illawarra region.
The Macarthur Business Park will have direct access to the planned Outer Sydney Orbital which will provide future connectivity to the Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis.
The Macarthur Business Park will strengthen the existing business economy while attracting significant investment and innovation to the region by providing premium commercial office spaces, large-format retail and hospitality centres, supermarkets, a tavern, health care and child care services.
Large Format Retail Association chief executive officer Philippa Kelly supported plans to deliver a major new employment hub at the Macarthur Business Park.
“Large Format Retail is a strong employment generator, and we know when we create jobs and stimulate local economies, the community’s productivity and quality of life improves significantly,” Ms Kelly said.
“There is a strong demand for suitably located large format retail in NSW, so this is a great step by Walker to ensure its future communities have access to the essentials close to home while creating opportunities for skills development and training in the Macarthur region.”
Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan also welcomed the announcement, saying infrastructure and new transportation links will be key to supporting the region’s transformation to a major commercial centre.
“Macarthur Business Park will help connect the region to key strategic centres, reinforcing the need for infrastructure projects like the Maldon-Dombarton railway linking Wollondilly to the Illawarra and future Western Sydney Airport,” Mrs Hannan said.
“I’m really passionate about ensuring our community has access to jobs and infrastructure as new housing is delivered in Wollondilly, and the Macarthur Business Park will be the impetus for a lot of this infrastructure.”
To keep locals and visitors informed about infrastructure plans for Future Appin neighbourhoods and the Macarthur Business Park, Walker recently opened the Appin Planning and Discovery Centre, investing over $1 million to restore the dilapidated Appin Inn into a community information centre with interactive technology.
I always love the way the politicians and over quoting real estate agents are able to pontificate about something like the “worlds biggest dream park” etc without telling anybody where it actually is.
I agree with the above comment. It would be good if we had a link or some diagram. Where will the interchange for the Hume hwy be located?