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Back to the Future for a Manufacturing Powerhouse
Contrary to popular belief, we do still make things in Australia – in fact in Western Sydney we’ve been doing it for decades.
Even after years of national erosion, manufacturing remains one of the region’s largest industries and a core employer. Western Sydney is at the centre of where things are made, stored and moved…but its full potential remains untapped.
The Dialogue recently launched Re-Tooling a Manufacturing Powerhouse: A Future Made in Greater Western Sydney – aimed at shining a light on the region’s manufacturing muscle, while also identifying some of the barriers holding back local businesses.
The foundations to supercharge the region’s manufacturing renaissance are already in place. Western Sydney has all the ingredients for success.
More than 80,000 people are already employed in the sector. With a renewed commitment to buying local, the removal of policy barriers to create space for growth, improved freight and connectivity and a focus on career pathways, we can unleash a new era of Made in the West and make our mark as a manufacturing powerhouse.
As the Dialogue’s CEO Adam Leto told The Daily Telegraph: “With our world-class training system, we shouldn’t need to look overseas for skilled workers, but we do need to do more to open these opportunities up for Australians. We have the talent.”
Federal Budget 2026: What to expect for Western Sydney?
Next Tuesday – May 12 – the Federal Government will hand down its Federal Budget.
With an ongoing war in the Middle East and a spiralling cost-of-living crisis, this will be one of our most consequential federal budgets.
Next week the Dialogue will share its analysis and what it means for our region.
One thing we already know is that the Government is set to make major cuts to the NDIS.
And the debate around the National Disability Insurance Agency and the sustainability of the NDIS is an important one. Reform is urgently needed to make the NDIS work for the future.
But some emerging narratives have unfairly singled out Greater Western Sydney.
Recent reporting has focused on four LGAs: City of Canterbury Bankstown, Blacktown City Council, Cumberland Council and Liverpool City Council as problem areas.
That framing ignores a far more important reality: these communities are home to a disproportionate share of the state’s population of those with disability.
We should be careful not to confuse concentration with causation.
If we make fixing this system about pitting postcodes against each other, we’ll miss the bigger story and risk critical support for those who need it.
The NDIS must be fixed, but that won’t be done by stigmatising whole communities.
Data Centre Inquiry
As we explored last month at the region’s first-ever TechWest Infrastructure Forum, GWS is set to welcome billions of dollars of data centre investment over the coming years.
The Dialogue lodged its submission to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry on Data Centres, with three public hearings scheduled for May, where it outlined the strategic opportunities that were on offer, while also detailing the importance of proponents working with universities and TAFE NSW to deliver new skills, knowledge and long-term employment pathways.
The Dialogue also argued projects that could demonstrate clear, social and local benefits, as well as those that minimised energy and water impacts for communities, should also be prioritised.
Parramatta Live gets the green light
Last month, approval was granted for the major $350 million transformation of the Parramatta Leagues Club.
The Parramatta Live Masterplan will deliver a new clubhouse, hotel, entertainment precinct and dedicated Youth Hub — creating 1,369 construction jobs and shaping a true 24/7 destination for the City of Parramatta and the wider Western Sydney community.
Stage 1 construction is set to begin in early 2027.
Dialogue Done Differently: Kiersten Fishburn
This month we were also excited to launch our latest episode in our Dialogue Done Differently series.
Kiersten Fishburn has one of the toughest jobs in NSW, but how does she switch off?
As Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, she’s not just managing policy, she’s helping bring the vision for Western Sydney’s future to life.
But beyond the briefings and big decisions, Kiersten is also someone who loves reading and playing the drums — a reminder that even the people shaping our cities have passions that keep them grounded.
In the latest edition of Dialogue Done Differently, we go beyond the title to explore what drives her, what brings her joy, and what makes her tick.
Because the future of our region is shaped not just by policy, but by people.
For the full transcript of Kiersten’s interview and for the audio version, click here
Inside the room: How to build better government relationships
We had a fantastic evening at Riverside Parramatta for our latest GWS Corporate Affairs Roundtable.
With the conversation moderated by Dialogue CEO Adam Leto, guests went behind the scenes with experienced government relations and comms professionals Clare Masters, Alexandra Gilmour and Rheuben Freelander, to explore and discuss the most effective ways to build effective government and stakeholder strategies.
A big thank you to all those who joined, along with our panellists, for sharing their expertise.
Special shout-out to event partner Riverside Parramatta and the team at City of Parramatta for hosting us.
What’s Next: Airport City Summit
With the opening of the Western Sydney International Airport now just months away, the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue is pleased to invite you to the third Airport City Summit to be held on Friday, 3 July at The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm.
We are honoured to announce that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Summit.
As the region prepares for take-off, the 2026 Summit will host Federal, State and Local Government leaders alongside the nation’s key industry stakeholders. Together, we will examine the infrastructure, investment and policies that will ensure Greater Western Sydney can fully leverage this once-in-a-generation, city-shaping project.
📅Friday, 3 July 2026
📍The William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm
⏱️8.30am – 1.30pm
Partner News
BE SYDNEY | Western Sydney Meeting Fund
Business Events Sydney has launched its fantastic Western Sydney Meeting Fund this month.
Designed to attract more national events to the region, the fund offers $50 per registered attendee (excl. GST) to help offset event costs, with support available up to $50,000 per event.
Eligible LGAs include Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith, The Hills Shire and Wollondilly.
For more information and eligibility details, visit the Business Events Sydney website.
Public Education Foundation | Proudly Public Awards
It’s one of the most rewarding and important programs the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue supports.
The Public Education Foundation’s Proudly Public Awards was held earlier this month, recognising the impact of public education in NSW.
The evening was a powerful reminder of the work of the Foundation, which has now awarded more than 4,000 scholarships and delivered over $12 million in support to students across NSW.
The Dialogue is proud to support this initiative – backing young people to succeed, often against the odds. This year, we were honoured to award five scholarships to Western Sydney students in their senior years.
Through this partnership, we’ve now supported more than 40 students from socially and financially disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their potential.
