Greater Western Sydney
Western
Sydney
Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney (UWS) defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas (LGA). These are Auburn Council, Camden Council, City of Campbelltown, City of Bankstown, City of Blacktown, City of Blue Mountains, City of Fairfield, City of Hawkesbury, City of Holroyd, City of Liverpool, City of Parramatta, City of Penrith, The Hills Shire, and Wollondilly Shire.[1][2]
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[edit] Sub-regions
GWS Councils agree on the broad definition of Greater Western Sydney but divide the region based on their Regional Organisations of Councils. The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) includes Auburn Council, City of Bankstown, City of Blacktown, City of Blue Mountains, City of Fairfield, City of Hawkesbury, City of Holroyd, City of Liverpool, City of Parramatta and City of Penrith.[3] The Macarthur Regional Organisation of Councils (MACROC) includes Camden Council, City of Campbelltown and Wollondilly Shire.[4]
The New South Wales Department of Planning's Metropolitan Strategy[5] divides Greater Western Sydney into three sub-regions:
- North-West: City of Blacktown, City of Blue Mountains, City of Hawkesbury, The Hills Shire and City of Penrith.
- South-West: Camden Council, City of Campbelltown, City of Liverpool and Wollondilly Shire.
- West Central: Auburn Council, City of Bankstown, City of Fairfield, City of Holroyd and City of Parramatta.
[edit] Geography and Population
Greater Western Sydney had a population of 1.9 million at the 2006 Census[6] which on its own would make it Australia's third most populous Region, and the third largest marketplace in Australia after Sydney and Melbourne. The region stretches over nearly 9,000 square kilometres of residential, industrial and rural land. At its easternmost point, Greater Western Sydney is only 30 minutes away from Sydney's central business district (CBD) by car and is within easy reach of international freight and transport terminals.
The annual temperatures in Greater Western Sydney average a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 12 degrees. They are slightly warmer than Sydney CBD.
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Parramatta Town Hall
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Showground Hall at Sydney Olympic Park
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Bicentennial Park at Sydney Olympic Park
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Appian Way, Bankstown
[edit] Landmarks
Major tourist attractions in Western Sydney include the Blue Mountains and Sydney Olympic Park. Western Sydney Parklands, a major urban parkland stretching through many local government areas in Western Sydney, also contains many attractions such as, Wonderland Sydney (1985–2004), Westfield Penrith, Eastern Creek Raceway, Westfield Parramatta, Westfield Liverpool, Blacktown Olympic Park, Westpoint Blacktown, Channel Nine's Entertainment Studios and Fairfield City Farm. Parramatta has also become a major centre in Sydney, often being referred to as the second CBD of Sydney.
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Liverpool railway station
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The Crescent Park, Fairfield
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Presbyterian Church Wentworthville
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Auburn Gallipoli Mosque
[edit] Government
The 14 local government areas which comprise the Greater West together generate more than $85 billion in Gross Regional Product a year, making its economy the third largest in Australia behind the Sydney CBD and Melbourne.
[edit] Advocacy
The following organisations are directly involved in economic and other advocacy for this region:
- The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Council (www.wsroc.com.au)
- WESTIR (www.westir.org.au)
- The Wianamatta Institute (www.wianamattainstitute.org)
- The Western Sydney Conservation Alliance (www.wsca.org.au)
[edit] Major education facilities
- University of Western Sydney
- Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
- University of Sydney Cumberland Campus
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Western Sydney demographic profile
- NSW Government's Office of Western Sydney
- Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC)
- Macarthur Regional Organisation of Councils (MACROC)
