Publisher's Guest
Clr. Paul Garrard was elected to the position of Parramatta Lord Mayor in September 2009. He loves his city, knows everyone and everything happening in the same. Paul is the longest-serving councillor of the Parramatta City Council. It's his fifth term as the Lord Mayor during his 35 years on Council.
DG: How do you envisage the role of Parramatta as a social and commercial hub in NSW?
PG: Socially, we need to ensure that our city continues to capitalise on its reputation as one of the leading entertainment capitals in Sydney. Parramatta has shown that it has matured a lot in the last 20 years and, with our Riverside Theatres, we are a key player in the arts in Western Sydney.
Commercially, Parramatta is the third biggest legal precinct and one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. I'd like to see Parramatta continue to be a leader of business in Western Sydney and with our strong economy and thriving legal business sector, we're well positioned to achieve that.
DG: Can the Parramatta Business Community expect any financial support from the State Government to develop infrastructure in Parramatta and what are the plans?
PG: I have been disappointed with the State Government's role in recent times, particularly its transport initiatives. Parramatta will need to provide for 20,000 additional dwellings and 30,000 extra jobs by 2030. The State Government's existing travel infrastructure will simply not support this increase. The State Government should be pushing for Parramatta to be a place of employment, a destination city, otherwise people are just going to go to Sydney. The State Government is not doing enough and has not planned sufficiently for the future.
There are many plans for the future of Parramatta, it has been studied to death. But the State Government has not acted on many of them. I see the West Metro as important in order for Parramatta to serve the needs of the planned growth. If you have to get here from Five Dock; Homebush Bay, or anywhere on the harbour peninsulas, there is no way of getting here except by driving - it is vital that we have an integrated transport plan with infrastructure in place. But, unfortunately, nothing has been announced by the State Government.
DG: What new steps does Parramatta City Council plan to take to improve relationships with the business community?
PG: Our responsibility to the business community extends not just to Parramatta, but to the whole of Western Sydney. Parramatta City Council needs to continue to bring stakeholders from diverse backgrounds together to explore business opportunities. The economic development in Parramatta needs to broaden its base - I am keen to have our organisation cross fertilise with other departments in order to work together, not in isolation. By doing that, we could start attracting opportunities we might have otherwise missed.
The Federal Government has devoted $500,000 to Parramatta to develop a Tourism Strategy. I feel one of the weaknesses in Western Sydney tourism to date is its lack of coordination. The Blue Mountains has a Tourism Authority, the Hunter and Illawarra each have one, but Western Sydney doesn't. Tourism needs to be coordinated across the local government areas and be marketed as a collective.
DG: Do you see any ways to improve the situation with homeless people in Parramatta which has an influence on the success and performance of the businesses operating in the region?
PG: We need to do something different with regards to homelessness. I think everyone is aware of its importance, but the approach is probably not structured as well as it could be. It needs to be more consistent. I would like a Trust established in Parramatta to look after the homeless.
The important thing is that plenty of people and organisations have shown that they're willing to assist to deal with this matter. I also believe that businesses should also lend a hand and it would be ideal if Council could develop closer business partnerships.
We need to work with the care providers to get a better understanding of the issues, what is required to secure government funding, and the provision of more effective services and facilities. Homeless people are often aligned with mental health issues and they need proper assistance and care.
DG: Paul, you are one of the longest serving councillors of the Parramatta City Council and one of the biggest supporters of Parramatta amongst the people I know - you know your city inside out. What would you like to complete in your city being the Lord Mayor for the fifth time?
PG: I am trying to establish Parramatta as being a smart city. I have a vision of Parramatta being a wireless city and trying to attract people to Parramatta for a reason that they cannot get anywhere else. Being a smart city - having a broadband rollout in Parramatta would be ideal - would capture the imagination. In the first four months of being Lord Mayor, I have turned our libraries into wireless ports.
I'd also like to introduce a smart card in Parramatta, which could be used in shops, restaurants, etc, and would enable the smaller retailers to compete with the larger department stores.
What we have done in libraries shows what we can do. If I can have a smart card pilot program established in Parramatta - as part of the $43M Federal Government program, if I can establish Parramatta in that position, I would be very pleased. We would be a high tech city for future development. While Norwest is laying pipes for carrying water, I want Parramatta to lay pipes for information. That's what the future is about.
The other matter is the issue of having a popularly elected Lord Mayor. Parramatta City Council has a Residents Panel which is comprised of about 2000 people. In a recent survey, 64% said they would support a popularly elected Lord Mayor.
I am encouraging public debate on this issue. The time has come - Parramatta needs to have some certainty about its political leadership over the term of the Council. Parramatta City Council cannot continue to have a dilution of political support with back room deals, and I think the community and the business community want some certainty.
Parramatta Lord Mayor, Clr. Paul Garrard
with Dmitry Greku, Publisher/Editor, GWP Magazines.
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