Can you provide a recap on Central Living District (CLD) idea?
CBD (Central Business District) is an old fashion administration and retail centre for major towns. This concept would not be suitable Blacktown and given the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, we should concentrate on how future generations will live, play, educate and work. We need to plan tomorrow’s city today.
The Central Living District (CLD) brings together ideas such as town square which in Blacktown can be designed to hold up to 10,000 people for community festivals and market events; surrounded by commercial, services, restaurants, and entertainment.
Blacktown CLD can draw on our strengths, the strong multicultural community that love festivals and link it into a central living district with businesses, housing and entertainment that will attract thousands of people into Blacktown 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Other important elements in designing a CLD is to ensure we pay tribute to Dharug and Aboriginal heritage; design with the highest environmental and greening standards; public safety including the relocation of civic centre, courthouse and police station to the town square; movement including pedestrian safe areas with plenty of parking to support events and retail.
What proposals have been considered over the years?
During my term as mayor, we had the opportunity to begin the revitalisation of Blacktown. The concept and design were undertaken for redevelopment of Warwick Lane precinct and a multi-disciplinary campus for Australian Catholic University.
During 2015 we took on SBS program Struggle Street, which gave an unfair representation of life in Mount Druitt. At the time, I called for SBS and ABC to be relocated to Blacktown. We have over 188 cultures and 1 in 12 people in Sydney live in Blacktown City.
Why are people locating to Parramatta, Liverpool or Penrith when the economic and people power is here in Blacktown?
In 2015, it was difficult for TV news agencies to complete a story before 3pm and get back to studios to package it up for the 6pm news.
At the time, I called on Council to explore how to build a shared space for media and other film production editing organisations to undertake work in Blacktown with improved communication lines back to their studios.
Blacktown City has many film producers and production editing for films, miniseries or documentaries. Much of this is undertaken in people’s homes and there have been calls for a shared office space for creative minds to gather to collaborate and even support each other during difficult periods.
The former Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, Federal Member for Greenway, called on SBS explore the feasibility to establish a hub in Western Sydney.
The expression of interest commenced in December 2024 and Council ought to be advocating and working with a syndicate to ensure Blacktown to be the front runner for any proposal.
The Catholic Church also approached Council with a view of building a gothic style cathedral in the area. The obvious challenge was gathering the expertise in the modern era to build a gothic style building and costs incurred.
Regardless, town squares often have a significant religious building located in it that attracts tourism and supports religious cultural events.
How could Blacktown Town Square be different?
For our town to thrive we need have attractions that make us different from other centres like Penrith, Parramatta, Liverpool, Fairfield etc.
Town Square could hold annual calendar festivals include religious festivals like Holi, Diwali, Ramadan, Christmas, Vesak or the various national Independence Day celebrations. Have a reason and you can celebrate in Blacktown.
The Town Square can hold many international events such as the World’s Strongest Man; outdoor competitions from boardgames (like an attempt at Guinness World Records for backgammon games) to various athletic field events such pole vaulting.
We could have temporary ice-skating rinks or stages that allows for 24/7 music as emerging bands can practice their sets any time of the day or night.
We could look at quirky ideas such as the world’s largest carillon. Currently, Daejeon South Korea has 77 bells or Palace of Mafra, Portugal, has 120 bells spread across two towers. What a fabulous tourist attraction for the centre of Blacktown having midday musical bells for significant cultural feast days or festival events.
Where is the masterplan up to?
Council passed a unanimous resolution in October 2024 calling for myself as Parliament Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces to negotiate between State Government, Planning NSW and Council to develop funding strategies and support to reimagine Blacktown CBD.
Council leaders have so far failed to support this initiative and believe that by outsourcing planning to Walker Corporation that they will provide the new vision to Blacktown.
Walker Corporation had some basic community consultation and given their reputation; they will provide a nice plan for Blacktown.
I believe it is disconcerting that backroom planning is happening without bringing people along the journey. I believe in people being at the centre of planning. We need to develop a city through the eyes of people who live here for their future generations.
It is proposed that historical buildings like Bowman Hall and Art Centre be demolished.
A nice new CBD will be proposed but have we lost the opportunity to create a great central living district propelling Blacktown to become a major tourist attraction and festival capital of Sydney.
