WPCA Community Newsletter - May 2023 - Western Parkland City Authority

Bradfield City Centre takes shape

One of Australia’s most ambitious and exciting projects is coming to life with construction underway on the first building in Bradfield City Centre. As the first major city centre to be built in Australia since Canberra, this is a huge and exciting milestone for the Western Parkland City.

WPCA Bradfield City Centre excavation

Image: Bradfield City Centre construction site

Being delivered by the Western Parkland City Authority (WPCA), the state-of-the-art, multi-purpose building will house a Bradfield viewing centre. This will be a place where the community can visit and watch the city being built in real time.

In line with WPCA’s vision for Bradfield to be Australia’s greenest, most connected and technologically advanced city, the building will be a leader in green design, construction and operation and will have Designing with Country at its heart.

Taylor Construction is delivering the building, with 150 jobs being created during construction and 60 jobs once it’s up and running.

The building will include a 360-degree rooftop platform to view the city as it comes to life, plus exhibition and event space.

The building has been designed for a circular economy, with a modular construction that can allow for easy disassembly at the end of its life, significantly reducing construction and demolition waste.

Rammed earth walls, using compacted soil in place of concrete, will feature in the building to ensure a sustainable and weather-resistant structure.

To be constructed over the next 12-months, the building will also include the first stage of a dedicated space for research and industry to work together.

The Advanced Manufacturing and Research Facility (AMRF) will be the first of its kind in Australia and will help support the development of Western Sydney’s advanced manufacturing sector. The full-scale AMRF will be housed in Building Two.

Site establishment work is complete, with piling now underway. Work on the building structure above ground will follow with construction scheduled to be finished by early 2024.

Work is taking place during standard construction hours Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, and Saturday 8am to 1pm.

WPCA Bradfield City Centre piling

Image: Bradfield City Centre construction site

Building Two on the way

Bradfield City Centre’s second building is on its way with an architect chosen to design what will be the full-scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF).

The building will provide business, engineers and researchers access to some of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in the world to test, scale up and commercialise new manufacturing methods, right in the heart of Western Sydney.

The AMRF will be filled with technology that can do everything from 3D printing with powdered titanium, to cutting and milling high-precision objects for industries such as Formula One and Aerospace.

Construction is expected to begin in mid 2025 with the building scheduled to open in late 2026, in line with the opening of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and when Sydney Metro –Western Sydney Airport is due to start services.

The construction of the AMRF will support more than 250 jobs during construction with the facility progressively employing around 200 staff once fully operational.

WPCA Bradfield City Centre construction

Image: Bradfield City Centre construction site

Bradfield City Centre

At five times the size of Barangaroo or 69 Sydney Cricket Grounds, Bradfield City Centre is one of the biggest urban developments ever undertaken in Australia.

Built on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International airport, Bradfield City Centre will support around 17,600 highly skilled jobs and help deliver 200,000 jobs across the broader region.

Bradfield City Centre offers two million square metres of gross floor space and will be serviced by the new Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line that will link the city to the new airport and St Marys.

Australia’s newest city will aim to be net zero by 2030, and have around 36 hectares of parklands, open space and playgrounds for Western Sydney’s diverse communities.

Shared Street Final Render

Image: Artist’s impression of Bradfield City Centre

Who is the WPCA?

The Western Parkland City Authority is the NSW Government agency in charge of shaping the Western Parkland City area as one of Australia’s social, economic and environmental powerhouses.

Did you know?

The Western Parkland City includes eight LGAs:

Blue Mountains
Camden
Campbelltown
Fairfield
Hawkesbury
Liverpool
Penrith
Wollondilly

It’s one of the most economically important regions in the country and the fastest growing. By 2036, its population will reach 1.4 million — three times that of Canberra. It’s home to one of the most multicultural and diverse communities in the world.

Bradfield City Centre joins Sydney WorldPride

Sydney and the world recently celebrated the 2023 WorldPride festival and Bradfield City Centre made its mark with a first-of-its-kind installation.

Pride Parkland is the first installation to be commissioned for the new city.

Measuring a huge 80x50 metres and made from 209 individual triangles, the piece was designed by Western Sydney-born arts and cultural specialist Adam Lowe and art studio Amigo & Amigo. The design takes the shapes and colours of our LGBTQIA+ history and reflects the flows of water and creeks around the site.

worldpride instal aerial view v2

Image: Pride Parkland installation in Bradfield City Centre

Shaping our new city

A two-hectare park will become the beating heart of the new Bradfield City Centre, with mature shade trees to help manage the heat.

Central Park will set the tone for Bradfield’s open spaces as a park that celebrates Country and includes areas of activity for all ages, from play to relaxation and quiet reflection.

The park will be the main gathering space in the city and is situated on the doorstep of Sydney Metro’s new Aerotropolis Station.

Central Park is the first step in establishing Bradfield as a truly green city and forms part of the 36-hectares of green space which will be outlined in the Bradfield City Centre Master Plan.

The master plan will set the blueprint for the entire city — including where the roads, buildings, public spaces and other infrastructure will be located.

The Bradfield City Centre Master Plan is being drafted and will then be exhibited for community feedback – and we’ll make sure to keep you posted on how you can have your say!

230413 WPCA Bradfield City Centre shaping our city aerial

Image: Bradfield City Centre construction site

Upskilling Western Sydney workers for the jobs of the future

Since early 2022, WPCA has been trialling a pilot of the New Education and Training Model (NETM). Designed to rapidly upskill Western Sydney’s workforce for the jobs of the future, the NETM provides short, targeted and free training courses of about 40 hours each (micro-credentials). 300 students have participated in the pilot so far, and the program is helping meet the demands of a continuously changing industrial environment.

The Western Parkland City Authority is working with the education and training sectors to make sure people across Greater Western Sydney have access to world class facilities and innovative research opportunities.

To enrol or for more information, have a look at our course catalogue.

Duncan Reynolds from Western Sydney has completed one of the NETM courses and shares his experience.

Can you tell us about your background?

I am a Research and Development Manager at Sewer Vent Shaft Design, Fabrication & Installation (SVSR), a business based in Liverpool. SVSR provides bespoke, high quality manufacturing solutions and regularly works on some of Australia’s most critical water infrastructure.

Which NETM micro-credential did you complete?

I undertook the very first NETM micro-credential to be offered – the Essentials of Metal Additive Manufacturing in early 2022.

How have you benefited from completing the Essentials of Metal Additive Manufacturing micro-credential?

Since completing the micro-credential, I’ve been able to apply the training directly to my work. It has helped me tremendously as a foundation in conversations with universities, graduate engineers and many others. The course has also opened doors for our business we otherwise would not have been aware of. As a result of this micro-credential, SVSR is currently investigating new opportunities in additive manufacturing.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to enrol into a NETM micro-credential?

Take time out of your busy day to upskill. With industry and customer expectations changing so rapidly, we all need to find time to learn new ways to work smarter.

230405 WPCA Bradfield City Centre digger

Image: Bradfield City Centre construction site

Working with other projects

There are a number of major infrastructure projects underway in Greater Western Sydney and we are coordinating how we communicate with the local community to ensure residents and businesses understand who is carrying out the work and who to contact with any enquiries or concerns.

If you have any questions or need to contact a particular project, use the reference below for the right project contact details.

project map bradfield city centre