I’m delighted to says there are fantastic signs of progress for the much-needed infrastructure and access improvements around Sydney Olympic Peninsula.

In the recent 2018/19 budget the Berejiklian government committed to a $3.0 billion reservation from Restart NSW for Sydney Metro West, the next underground metro railway between the Sydney CBD, Sydney Olympic Park and Greater Parramatta. The NSW Government will invest an initial $28.1 million to fast-track the planning and the final business case for this much anticipated project. The leader of the State Opposition, Luke Foley has also promised Labor will prioritise the Metro West project if elected to government in 2019, describing Metro West as “the most needed transport improvement for Sydney”.

In addition, last week, the NSW Government announced a new set of priorities for the Greater Sydney Commission. The Commission will have a central role in coordinating key growth areas across the city including the emerging Western Parkland City anchored by the new Airport and Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis, and the creation of an economic powerhouse in the Central City’s Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP) area.

The largest July event in Olympic Park is the Hill Song conference. An estimated 28,000 people will attend each of the four days of the conference from July 10-13 across Sydney Showground and Qudos Bank Arena. Hot on the heels of this significant event is The Man Cave Experience over the weekend of July 14 and 15. The Man Cave Expo has all the latest suppliers of everything ‘Man Cave’ related under one roof at Sydney Showground

July also sees two of the world’s biggest musical stars making their only Sydney appearances. First up is Kendrick Lamar (July 24-25). Lamar is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our time, having won twelve Grammy Awards and the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for music, becoming the first non-classical or jazz artist to collect this prize. For something completely different, Celine Dion (July 27-28) plays the Qudos Bank Arena. One of the most immediately recognised, widely respected and successful performers in pop music history, Celine Dion has sold almost 250 million albums during her over 30-year career, earning five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards and seven American Music Awards.

Last month I mentioned the first POP! conference co-presented by the Business Association and The Sydney Business Chamber, Western Sydney. The conference focused on the Parramatta to Olympic Park corridor (the ‘POP’ in GPOP), highlighting the great opportunities across the Olympic Peninsula that will roll out of the State Government’s multi-billion investment in light rail and metro rail. The conference was so successful that we have decided to make it an annual event. A date for the next one early next year will be advised in due course. For a video wrap-up of the day visit https://youtu.be/jJq82ctt92s.

Wishing you all the very best for the 2018-2019 financial year.

Warm regards,

Allison Taylor

CEO

Sydney Olympic Park Business Association Inc.