Dialogue Celebrates 10 Years of “Westie” Advocacy
The Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue has celebrated a decade of leadership and partnership with a gala dinner featuring NSW Premier Chris Minns, who recognised the Dialogue for establishing an important Western Sydney voice.
Bringing together more than 300 of the region’s leading political, business, community, health and education luminaries, the event was fittingly held at Accor Stadium, where former premier Mike Baird officially launched the Dialogue during the 2015 State Election.
The organisation’s patrons, partners, collaborators and supporters marked 10 years of defining leadership, campaigning and policy positioning, while also looking ahead to the next decade of city-shaping, led by Dialogue founder and Chair Christopher Brown AM and CEO Adam Leto.
Reflecting on 10 years of the Dialogue, Chair Christopher Brown said the not-for-profit organisation was born out of frustration.
“It made my blood boil to see the clear division between the well-heeled East and the overlooked West, when money was flowing freely to the glittering harbour but sputtering out when it hit Parramatta Road,” Mr Brown said.
“Perhaps naively, as a proud Westie, I was determined to move the dial and push for the investment, infrastructure, services and political respect the region deserved.
“We had to harness the collective power of a region of two million people, build strategic partnerships and present hard data that showed the potential of this economic market and the power of its voters.
“Any success the Dialogue has enjoyed in growing our region’s political clout, securing infrastructure projects and repositioning the west from ‘Sydney’s problem to Australia’s solution’ has been a direct result of the collaboration we have enjoyed with governments, businesses, media and community institutions since inception.
“While so much has been achieved, we are certainly not saying ‘job done’. All of us at the Dialogue are still hungry, and we have an ambitious wish list of projects, policy initiatives and community priorities we’ll be agitating for over the next decade.”
CEO Adam Leto said he was struck by the evolution of Greater Western Sydney as he reflected on his time with the regional think-tank.
“Growing up in Fairfield, I always felt we needed to hide our identity and communities. But over the past decade, there’s been a real shift. Today, there’s a palpable sense of connection and pride in who we are and where we’ve come from,” he said
“It’s been an honour, a challenge and a joy to have been part of the evolution of an incredibly rich and powerful region.
“Today we can look at the economic, social and infrastructure transformation of Greater Western Sydney, driven by projects like the Metro, light rail, Powerhouse and Parramatta Square and look ahead to a new era that will be defined by Western Sydney Airport, Bradfield and the Aerotropolis.
“Importantly, we need to boost our manufacturing capacity so that the nation can benefit from a ‘future made in Western Sydney’.
“This region is ready to become the nation’s home of innovation for technology, education and health, and a place where its contribution to arts, culture, tourism and cuisine is celebrated. We’re just getting started as a global destination.”