A recent community survey in Blacktown has revealed that residents want more job opportunities within a 30-minute walkable radius, more cafes and restaurants, and improved nightlife as part of the planned $2.5 billion city centre transformation.
The insights have been revealed in one of the biggest community surveys ever undertaken in the city, which is home to more than 435,000 people across 54 suburbs.
More than 2,700 Blacktown residents and visitors aged 12 to 85 provided feedback in an online survey, with hundreds more attending a series of popup information sessions hosted by Walker Corporation and Blacktown City Council.
78 per cent of respondents endorsed Blacktown City Council working with Walker to deliver the Blacktown Quarter revitalisation, listing jobs, green public spaces, improved safety, better transport connectivity, day-to-night dining and environmentally sustainable design as the most important inclusions for the final masterplan.
Over 85 per cent of people want to see the city activated at night, with more restaurants and dining, parking and accessibility, events and entertainment, and the ability to feel safe.
Resident and local business owner Yasmin Dost echoed thousands of comments from fellow locals who are ready to see Blacktown become Western Sydney’s next world-class city centre.
Blacktown City Council Mayor, Brad Bunting, welcomed the community’s enthusiasm for a revitalisation which embraces the city’s diversity and character.
“The people of Blacktown are deeply invested in this transformation. This is about building a city that reflects who we are, creating thousands of new jobs, keeping opportunities local and making Blacktown a place where people want to live, work and spend time,” Mayor Bunting said.
Walker Managing Director and CEO, David Gallant, said that his team are using the survey results to help shape the next planning stages.
“Blacktown residents want more green spaces, great dining and entertainment experiences and world-class infrastructure in a city centre designed for the future that prioritises sustainability, safety and connectivity,” Gallant said.
“We’re very grateful to everyone who contributed because this is Blacktown’s future city centre, and their feedback will help shape an incredible urban transformation future generations will be proud of.”
Walker Group Executive of Development, Jessica Jordan, who is leading the project team putting together the masterplan for Blacktown Quarter, said that the development will deliver more than 1,000 construction jobs over five years and permanently add more than 4,500 jobs and over $1 billion annually to the city’s local economy.
“We are taking all our learnings from Walker’s Parramatta Square transformation which has been an incredible success and applying them to our collaborations with Blacktown City Council and adjoining landowners to ensure we create an iconic city centre together,” Jordan said
“Over 90 per cent of people we surveyed believe sustainable design and environmental considerations must be factored into the Blacktown Quarter masterplan through the application of Green Star buildings, eco-friendly architecture and improved public transport connectivity. We are excited to work with local and state governments to be able to deliver a great outcome for the community.”
Blacktown is New South Wales’s largest city by population, with a community representing over 180 birthplaces. With more than half its residents under 35, the city is primed for a dynamic, future-focused transformation.
Of the 2,700 people surveyed, 91 per cent live in the LGA and 94 per cent frequently visit the city centre.
Walker’s late founder, Lang Walker, saw Blacktown’s central location in Western Sydney as a catalyst for a major transformation of the existing CBD while bringing thousands of professional, education and healthcare opportunities to the region.
