Australian Govlink Vol 1 2014 | Page 11

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROFILE What is your vision for the future of the region? My vision is for Parramatta to cement its place as a modern, dynamic metropolis at the heart of Australia’s only global city and most important and strategic economic region. We want to build on our success in attracting new investment and jobs to the city. Already 120,000 people work in Parramatta and this will grow by more than 50,000 in the next two decades as more major employers choose Parramatta as a cost-effective alternative to the Sydney CBD. We will continue modernising public domain spaces in the CBD, with work to finish later this year on a major redevelopment of our iconic Church St Mall, to be renamed Centenary Square. While economic growth and new jobs are vital, our vision for Parramatta as a “city for the people” is equally important. In recent years, 5,000 new residential apartments have been built, and this trend