It should worry us that a leading edge company almost left the Macarthur region because it could not find suitable premises for its growing business operations.
Luckily for the region, Icon Visual Marketing, which employs almost 50 people in high tech jobs, persisted and eventually found its current premises in Frost Road, Campbelltown, near Grace Records.
Along the way, the company said there was no shortage of warehouses in the region, which reinforced the perception that we are basically a blue collar area.
Which we’re clearly not, but our councils obviously have not moved with the times.
We are still awash with warehousing, when what we badly need more of is commercial office space.
Icon was one that didn’t leave, but you can’t help thinking how many high tech jobs we’ve lost because of the lack of action on the part of our councils.
All councils are about to return to action this month and it is hoped that they will be a little more strategic in 2018 than they were in previous years.
Of course they all talk about how strategic they are, but sadly it’s mostly talk.
A lot of talk.
Some of their critic say they are just talk but I won’t go that far.
Not just yet.
There are some massive issues to be decided in 2018, especially urban development of greenfield land sites between Campbelltown and Wollondilly.
If we were talking about high tech business parks you wouldn’t get too much of an argument around here.
That is part of the mix but mostly it’s about new residential.
Our councils need to remember that a lot of local residents are not keen on more housing and their views should be considered.
The reality of course is that councils will be doing the bidding of the state government, which wants our region to make a big contribution in this area.
While it will be almost impossible to stop all development, councils need to fight for open space and bush corridors wherever they can.
But most of all we hope that they stop talking strategy and instead implement one.
Making a start on a business park – or two – should be at the top of any strategic priority list in 2018.
