Inner West ‘excluded’ from $5 billion NSW Government WestInvest program, says Mayor
Image: Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has accused the Inner West of being "excluded" from the $5b program. Photo: Visit Sydney Australia.
By PATRICK MCKENZIE
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has accused NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet of “excluding” Inner West Council from applying for funds from a $5 billion community enhancement fund.
On Thursday, the NSW government announced the WestInvest program to help fund and deliver new projects that will “enhance communities and create jobs throughout Western Sydney”.
Fifteen local government areas west of the CBD will be eligible for support from the scheme, which is due to launch at the end of March.
“West and southwest Sydney are already incredible places to live, and this program will secure a brighter future for families and residents by helping build new and improved facilities,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We want people to love living locally, and this investment will deliver improved facilities, more open spaces, convenient services, and stimulate the economy.”
Cr Byrne was quick to respond, calling WestInvest “the biggest pork barrel scheme yet”.
Inner West Council is ineligible for support from the fund, while the nearby Burwood, Strathfield and Canterbury-Bankstown areas will be eligible for support from the program.
Cr Byrne’s accusations of the program come after a recent Auditor General report that found the administration of the NSW government’s Stronger Communities fund “lacked integrity”.
The report revealed that funds in the program had been overwhelmingly allocated to councils located within coalition-held state seats.
“WestConnex construction has smashed the Inner West community for almost a decade … for Dominic Perrottet to now cold-heartedly exclude the one community that has borne the brunt of the WestConnex project from compensation is a real slap in the face,” Cr Byrne said.
“It’s time this government learnt that public money is not the plaything of the Liberal and National parties.”
The NSW government finalised the $11.1 billion sale of its 49 per cent stake in the WestConnex tunnel scheme in September 2021 to Australian-owned consortium Sydney Transport Partners.
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