Liverpool on track to be Sydney’s third CBD

29 October 2018

A senior economist says Liverpool’s future as Sydney’s third CBD is looking bright, using an important indicator.

“When the cabbies are telling you the key messages, you know someone is listening,” PwC Chief Economist Jeremy Thorpe told the State of the Cities conference on Thursday.

Mr Thorpe told the Sydney Business Chamber event audience his cab driver spent the trip from Liverpool Railway Station to The William Inglis Hotel talking up Liverpool’s growth.

Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller urged conference guests delegates to work together to make the most of the opportunities arising in Liverpool.

“State of the Cities is a great chance for key Western Sydney businesses and institutional leaders to come together to workshop ideas on further improving our city,” Mayor Waller said.

“Even having an event like this is so important, not just to map out our future, but in committing to our future.”

The event focused on the next steps for Liverpool as it evolves into Sydney’s third CBD.

Liverpool City Council Deputy CEO and Director of Planning and Growth Tim Moore floated a new idea to connect Western Sydney Airport to Sydney’s rail network sooner, through the rapid transit corridor.

“If we have the transit corridor through Fifteenth Avenue and Hoxton Park Road connecting Western Sydney Airport to Liverpool, let’s look at extending it to Holsworthy Railway Station,” he said.

“That would be a quick fix before the Leppington extension is built.”

Mr Thorpe spoke about the importance of making sure Liverpool was a great place to live, work and play, balancing the attraction of key industries for job creation, like professional services with things like health care, schools, and cultural offerings.

“You need to have an eye to all of those metrics,” he said.

“I see there is a focus on this at Liverpool Council, but there needs to be a continuing focus.”

Commercial Sales and Leasing Director for real estate company Knight Frank, Wally Scales spoke to the need to ensure that the Liverpool CBD did not directly compete with the Aerotropolis, but the two should complement each other.