Parra News May 21 2024

LOCAL NEWS
Parramatta has 2050 vision
A vision for Parramatta in 2050 includes seeing the Roxy Theatre
reopen as a live music venue.
‘Parramatta 2050’ reveals a vision to turn Parramatta into the home
of festivals, sports and entertainment. Photo: Jason Nichol.
Pierre Esber said ‘Parramatta 2050’ is unlike
anything Council has ever done before.
ELLIE BUSBY
From becoming a festival
city to delivering Australia’s
first Aboriginal university,
Parramatta’s bold new vision for
2050 promises to put the city on the
global stage.
City of Parramatta has revealed
the first look at its draft long-term
strategic vision for the city in a
report titled ‘Parramatta 2050’.
Lord Mayor Pierre Esber said it’s
unlike anything Council has ever
done before.
“It charts a course for Parramatta’s
transformation designed to survive
successive Councils and State and
Federal Governments and has
the potential to be this Chamber’s
single biggest legacy to our community,”
he said.
“Some will question why it’s
important to our community to
have a presence on the world stage.
“It’s important because it brings
a world of opportunity to our
doorstep and ensures our kids and
grandkids grow up knowing that in
Parramatta, anything is possible.”
As part of its vision, City of
Parramatta has revealed six “game
changers” that intend to elevate
Parramatta’s status to a global city.
It includes becoming the most
globally-connected university
city in the nation and establishing
Parramatta as western Sydney’s
jobs engine, creating at least 150,000
new jobs by 2050.
By delivering Broadway-level
experiences through its cultural
institutions and reopening the
much-loved Roxy Theatre as a live
music venue, Parramatta aims to
become the “epicentre of creativity”.
It also seeks to lay down the
foundational framework for Dharug
People and Council to become
world leaders in First Nations and
Local Government collaboration.
As part of this partnership, Council
said it will focus on delivering critical
pieces of First Nations cultural
infrastructure within Parramatta,
including an aspiration to become
home to Australia’s first Aboriginal
university.
It’s a vision that’s been welcomed
by Dharug elder Aunty Ross Fogg.
“This is an exciting opportunity
for Dharug people and Parramatta
Council, as outlined in the 2050
vision, to move forward and towards
true reconciliation and demonstrate
how a progressive Council could set
a high standard for other Councils
to follow,” she said.
A plan for Parramatta to become
the home of festivals, sports and
entertainment also takes centre
stage in the report. It includes developing
new venues for large-scale
festivals and curating a dynamic
cultural calendar, which will see
events happening 365 days a year
across five districts.
Sydney Fringe Festival CEO and
Festival Director Kerri Glasscock
said she is supportive of the vision.
“There is an immense opportunity
here to leverage Parramatta’s key
assets, including the Parramatta
River, the historic buildings and its
parklands for events and festivals,”
she said.
“Parramatta is simply waiting to
be the festival capital of NSW.”
Council said it will also advocate
for the development of state-ofthe-art
infrastructure, including
exploring opportunities for a
multipurpose indoor arena catering
to esports and other indoor sports,
and hosting river-based sports
like rowing and swimming in the
Parramatta River.
To achieve this vision of
Parramatta in 2050, Council said
securing transport infrastructure
like a metro connection from
Westmead to the new airport and
an additional Metro West station
within Camellia-Rosehill and stop
at Silverwater is imperative.
The report will now go on public
exhibition for 60 days, with members
of the community encouraged to
provide their feedback.
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