April 2025 | Media Releases
Blacktown locals have their say in the city centre's $2.5b transformation
Blacktown residents say they want local job opportunities within a walkable 30-minute radius, more cafes and restaurants, and improved nightlife as part of a new $2.5 billion city centre transformation by Walker Corporation.
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The Daily Telegraph
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The insights have been revealed in one of the biggest community surveys ever undertaken in the city, which is home to more than 435,000 people across 54 suburbs.
More than 2,700 Blacktown residents and visitors aged 12 to 85 provided feedback in an online survey, with hundreds more attending a series of popup information sessions hosted by Walker and Blacktown City Council.
78% of respondents endorsed Blacktown City Council working with Walker to deliver the Blacktown Quarter revitalisation, listing jobs, green public spaces, improved safety, better transport connectivity, day-to-night dining and environmentally sustainable design as the most important inclusions for the final masterplan.
Over 85% of people want to see the city activated at night, with more restaurants and dining, parking and accessibility, events and entertainment, and the ability to feel safe.
Resident and local business owner Yasmin Dost echoed thousands of comments from fellow locals who are ready to see Blacktown become Western Sydney’s next world-class city centre.
“I’ve lived in Blacktown my whole life, and it’s a great place but there’s not enough to do here, we have to travel out to other places to have fun. Blacktown has so much to offer but we’re overdue for an upgrade getting those modern elements you see in the best cities. So, we’re really excited to see these changes start happening.”
Yasmin Dost - Blacktown resident and business owner
L to R: Michelle and Yasmin Dost at Apollo cafe in Blacktown
Blacktown City Council Mayor Brad Bunting welcomed the community’s enthusiasm for a revitalisation which embraces the city’s diversity and character.
“The people of Blacktown are deeply invested in this transformation. This is about building a city that reflects who we are, creating thousands of new jobs, keeping opportunities local and making Blacktown a place where people want to live, work and spend time,” Mayor Bunting said.
Walker Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer David Gallant said his team are using the survey results to help shape the next planning stages.
“Blacktown residents want more green spaces, great dining and entertainment experiences and world-class infrastructure in a city centre designed for the future that prioritises sustainability, safety and connectivity,” Mr Gallant said.
“We’re very grateful to everyone who contributed because this is Blacktown’s future city centre and their feedback will help shape an incredible urban transformation, future generations will be proud of.”
The Walker team pictured in Blacktown surveying residents and visitors
Walker Group Executive of Development Jessica Jordan, who is leading the project team putting together the masterplan for Blacktown Quarter, said the development will deliver more than 1,000 construction jobs over five years and permanently add more than 4,500 jobs and over $1 billion annually to the city’s local economy
“We are taking all our learnings from Walker’s Parramatta Square transformation which has been an incredible success and applying them to our collaborations with Blacktown City Council and adjoining landowners to ensure we create an iconic city centre together,” Mrs Jordan said
“Over 90% of people we surveyed believe sustainable design and environmental considerations must be factored into the Blacktown Quarter masterplan through the application of Green Star buildings, eco-friendly architecture and improved public transport connectivity. We are excited to work with local and state governments to be able to deliver a great outcome for the community.”
Blacktown is NSW’s largest city by population, with a community representing over 180 birthplaces. With more than half its residents under 35, the city is primed for a dynamic, future-focused transformation.
Of the 2700 people surveyed, 91% live in the LGA and 94% frequently visit the city centre.
Walker’s late founder Lang Walker AO saw Blacktown’s central location in Western Sydney as a catalyst for a major transformation of the existing CBD while bringing thousands of professional, education and healthcare opportunities to the region.
The $3.2 billion Parramatta Square, Western Sydney University Bankstown CBD Campus, the Lang Walker AO Medical Research Building in Macarthur and the $15 Billion Appin masterplanned community are some of Walker’s other transformational projects driving Western Sydney’s evolution.
