Media Release
Thursday 13 March 2025
The Canterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) welcomes the Federal Government’s $1 billion investment in new Metro corridors for Western Sydney but strongly condemns the continued neglect of Canterbury-Bankstown – Australia’s second-largest Local Government Area.
Despite this significant funding announcement, Bankstown remains without direct access to the new Western Sydney International Airport, together with the booming economy that comes with the Aerotropolis.
The Western Sydney Aerotropolis will set to become a thriving economic hub, leveraging its proximity to the new airport. By 2031, the airport is expected to support almost 28,000 direct and indirect jobs, while the surrounding Aerotropolis will contribute more than 200,000 new jobs across the region.
Yet, Bankstown’s residents and businesses are being locked out of this once-in-a-generation opportunity. Without direct access, they are denied the opportunity to fully participate in the high skilled job market that will define the region’s future.
Many businesses in Canterbury-Bankstown operate in aerospace and defence, manufacturing, healthcare, freight and logistics, agribusiness, education and research industries – industries that align perfectly with the Aerotropolis. However, the absence of vital transport links means that they will struggle to connect with these emerging opportunities.
CBCC CEO, Wally Mehanna, acknowledged the Government’s infrastructure commitment but called out both sides of pol itics for their repeated failure to connect Bankstown to the transport links that drive economic growth.
“This is a glaring omission. Canterbury-Bankstown is home to over 400,000 people and thousands of businesses, yet we are consistently sidelined when it comes to critical transport infrastructure,” Mr. Mehanna said.
“Every major investment in Western Sydney should be about connecting people to opportunities. By leaving Bankstown out, governments are cutting off one of Sydney’s most dynamic and diverse regions from the economic future of the West.”
“The West is booming, but Bankstown is being left behind,” Mr. Mehanna said. “We call on the Federal Government and the Opposition to correct this oversight and commit to real transport solutions for Canterbury-Bankstown.”
The CBCC urges all levels of government to prioritise Bankstown in future infrastructure planning and ensure that its residents and businesses are fully connected to Sydney’s growing economic powerhouse.
ENQUIRIES
Wally Mehanna
Mobile: 0416 012 747
Email: ceo@cbchamber.org.au
