Penrith Business
www.accessnews.com.au
Rowing championships come to Penrith ESTERN Sydney’s visitor economy is set for another boost, with the NSW Government securing the Australian Rowing Championships for 2022 and 2024. The Australian Rowing Championships will see the nation’s best rowers and the country’s largest annual rowing event return to Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith as part of the NSW Government’s continued investment in Western Sydney. Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Member for Penrith said the NSW Government is committed to building a world-class calendar of events as part of the recently announced Visitor Economy Strategy, which is set to rejuvenate NSW’s visitor tourism and events industry in the wake of COVID-19. “This is a win for the people of Western Sydney and I am thrilled Australia’s premier rowing regatta will remain at the home of adrenaline and outdoor adventure in Penrith by hosting the Australian Rowing Championships in 2022 and 2024.
The Australian Rowing Championships (previously known as the Sydney International Rowing Regatta when last held in Penrith) is the largest rowing event in Australia and the pinnacle of domestic competition. The event comprises of the Australian Open Rowing Championships, Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships and the King’s and Queen’s Cups Interstate Regatta, which brings competitors from across Australia, as well as internationally. The 2022 Australian Rowing Championships will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre from 21 – 27 March 2022, with the 2024 event also set to be held in March at the same venue. Athletes will compete in the 2024 Australian Rowing Championships to secure their position on the Australian Rowing Team in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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“Events such as the Australian Rowing Championships play a pivotal role in NSW’s Visitor Economy Strategy, which sees participants and spectators flock to Sydney,
injecting an economic boost into our city, furthermore, enhancing our city’s reputation as Australia’s premier sporting destination,” Mr Ayres said.
For more information on the Australian Rowing Championships and to plan your trip, go to www. Sydney.com
Council calls for much-needed evacuation route ENRITH City Council is calling on the Government to prioritise the Castlereagh Connection in the wake of the flood emergency in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. Once constructed, the 22km corridor would function as a much-needed evacuation route in the event of emergencies providing a swifter and safer route for the community. The flooding events which have devastated parts of Penrith and the Hawkesbury regions over the past week should be “a wake-up call”, prompting urgent funding from the State and Federal Governments ahead of future disasters. Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM said since the Castlereagh corridor was identified in 1951 it has sat dormant,
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despite the desperate need for improved infrastructure during times of crisis and various calls for action from Council and industry bodies. “This corridor, which is 90% Government-owned, has sat idle for over half a century while we continue to wait for action,” Cr McKeown said. “The flood crisis this week has wreaked havoc and surprisingly it is only a 1 in 20-year flood event for Penrith and a 1 in 50-year event for the Hawkesbury. We cannot sit and wait for a 1 in 100-year flood disaster that has the potential to reach and obliterate arterial roads – we need to act immediately,” she said. “As the SES continues to free our neighbours from flood waters in the
Hawkesbury, the government has a prime piece of untapped land which could have evacuated thousands of people had it been developed in time,” Cr McKeown said. “We know that the Castlereagh Connection would intersect with four of the current evacuation routes and provide much-needed relief during times of crisis, including floods and bushfires; connecting the corridor will help move up to 24,000 vehicles (particularly many of the highly flood-prone Richmond-Windsor SA3) to the M7 and keep residents out of harm’s way. “Infrastructure Australia identified this as a high priority project and just last month the Insurance Council of Australia acknowledged the Hawkesbury-Nepean
Valley’s flood risks and desperate need for alternative evacuation routes to be explored to mitigate safety risks – so why are we still waiting on Government funding?” “Our ask is simple: we need a commitment from the government to develop a business case for the project to determine the true benefit this will bring to our local communities,” she said. Penrith’s footprint continues to spread as new infrastructure and earmarked road and rail upgrades link the City to the Western Sydney Airport and the surrounding aerotropolis. Such a development boom spurs population growth and, with more people choosing to live in Penrith, it is critical that adequate safety measures are put in place.
Winner of redevelopment project announced ENRITH City Council has announced the winner of its design excellence competition to reinvigorate the former Council Chambers at 129-133 Henry Street, into a new commercial building set to revitalise the Penrith CBD. Global architecture firm, Woods Bagot, produced the winning design for the redevelopment, known as 131 Henry Street, following a rigorous Design Excellence Competition and assessment from the judging panel of independent industry experts. Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM said the winning design offered an innovative architectural solution that responded to the competition brief, and future urban character of the Penrith CBD. “We are thrilled to start working with award-winning architects Woods Bagot to deliver a highly advanced workplace at 131 Henry Street, which will feature a sustainable design, and activated public and retail spaces for the community,” Cr McKeown said. “The redevelopment of 131 Henry Street will set the benchmark for future city developments and be the catalyst for the revitalisation of the Penrith CBD, alongside Council’s investment in a new City Park and transformation of Soper Place. As a key city within Western Sydney, Penrith will be the first to connect to the new Nancy-Bird International Airport at Badgerys Creek and surrounding aerotropolis by metro rail from day one of operations.
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Artist impression of the completed project.
“Penrith is well positioned to become a new commercial centre for growth and innovation, with a number of other projects in the pipeline including commercial space at Soper Place, a new City Park and the $24M upgrade of Regatta Park.” The proposed design, featuring approximately 8,000 sqm of flexible commercial space, ground floor retail, on-site parking
and a building façade that activates both street frontages, incorporates best practice principles of environmentally sustainable design and is targeting a minimum of 5 Star Green Star rating in line with Council’s ‘Cooling the City Strategy’. Woods Bagot principal Jason Fraser said the scheme for 131 Henry Street was uniquely focused on both community and
workplace to create a building that benefits the public whilst delivering a workplace of the future. Building on the wellness and sustainability tenets of the development, the key to its longevity is to design the building with flexibility, capable of adapting to changing user needs. “Reinforcing its place in civic life by providing a multitude of public uses, green space will flow through the site and connect it with the future City park, creating a heart to the civic and education precinct,” Fraser said. Well-positioned in the heart of Penrith’s CBD, this commercial building will offer future occupants the ease and convenience of retail, restaurants and major public transport links on their doorstep, while also being adjacent to the future City Park. 131 Henry Street was the former home of Council from 1958 until the relocation of Council in 1993 to its current premises. The history of the site will be celebrated through a robust heritage interpretation strategy which includes the reuse of building elements and high-quality public domain features. The winning design will undergo further design development and refinement with the development application to be lodged by the end of 2021. For more information on 131 Henry Street visit https://www.yoursaypenrith.com.au/131henrystreet
WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS APRIL 2021
