Council backs “modern” CBD design

BLACKTOWN City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale has welcomed a giant leap for Blacktown City in a shared vision that will transform Blacktown City.

Council has announced the signing of an historic agreement between Blacktown City Council and Walker Corporation.

Mayor Bleasdale said: “The future of the Blacktown CBD is now secure. This is our next significant step in the transformation of the City that will shape this region for generations to come.

“This is a key step for Council, and a giant leap for the community of Blacktown City.

“The CBD development by Walker Corporation will deliver over 1,000 construction jobs over five years in Blacktown city centre.

“It will permanently add 4,500 jobs in Blacktown the CBD – this is an enormous increase from the 10,000 jobs which are currently there.

The project will generate $920M economic value every year to the City, providing a huge boost the CBD businesses and the economy of the City which is currently $22.35 billion per annum, Mayor Bleasdale said,

“The need for this is clear, Blacktown City is home to a population of more than 400,000 people, and our

Council is planning to support one of the largest and fastest growing cities in Australia. We have laid the plans for projects that will support our growth and provide vital employment opportunities in Blacktown City.

“Walker Corporation has a vision which fits perfectly in the strategic plan Council has, to build the modern Blacktown City.

“We want to see the talent and energy of Blacktown residents given access to world class infrastructure and quality jobs in the heart of the community in which they live.

“Council welcomes the experienced Walker Corporation investment into our CBD. We are confident that working together for the people and businesses of our City, we can deliver a CBD masterplan that underpins the building of a robust local economy.”

Walker Corporation’s investment into the Blacktown CBD will meet a range of objectives set by Council.

“Our residents will benefit from high value jobs generated in the CBD. Local businesses will flourish with expanded workforces, and the changes in the CBD will be a catalyst for expansion and development of new business opportunities in the City. 2

"Through careful design planning, our Council has and built strong partnerships with organisations like Walker Corporation and the Australian Catholic University.

“With those strong partnerships, Council will be a significant partner in landmark projects across the City, generating the future our City’s residents deserve,” Mayor Bleasdale said.