Western Sydney has seen an explosion in development over the past two decades.
The skylines of suburbs like Liverpool, where I grew up, have been completely transformed by towers and turned into bustling, sometimes disorientating, satellite cities.
It has all been about growing as fast as possible, accommodating a population boom.
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But after shouldering waves of immigration, expansion and sprawl, some parts of the west are looking a little muddled and lost.
Have we lost our sense of place? Or are we in the process of defining it?
Parramatta is a great example of this. It has a proud heritage but it has transformed into Sydney’s second CBD out of necessity.
And when the former Liberal government first announced that the famous Powerhouse at Ultimo would be moving there, even I, a proud westie, thought it was a punishment, and they were completely mad.
There was a fight to save the city Powerhouse, a fight that was won.
I was the first to reveal we would end up with two museums, a complete farce back then.
The museum at Parramatta costing almost a billion dollars to build.
Then of course, who could forget, the epic fight to save Willow Grove, the Parramatta heritage treasure eventually dismembered, and dismantled piece by piece.
The destruction of Willow Grove is a heartbreak some locals haven’t recovered from.
We also picked apart the site’s suitability and reported on its issues with flooding. It was all extravagant, expensive and kind of ridiculous. The plans, a product of pre-COVID optimism.
But, it happened.
Today I stood at the top of the new Lendlease structure. Its architectural exoskeleton of many Xs is almost complete.
The strongest crane in the world brought in to build the unique structure.
Its vast exhibition spaces are breathtaking, inspiring creativity.
It’s the biggest arts and cultural project since they built the Opera House more than 50 years ago. And while that legacy is hard to match, I genuinely felt it was an appropriate comparison.
Western Sydney is giving it a good go.
Minister for Lands Steve Kamper put it well today: “This is about saying Western Sydney is here, here we are!”
It’s a statement. And it’s the statement Western Sydney has been yearning for, to bring soul in what can be, a concrete labrinth.
Diverse artists, performers and exhibitors are lining up to start curating and reflecting who we are.
It’s exactly what the west needs, an opera house.
Places to be proud of.