When I stepped back from Council, I did so with clarity and optimism — not just about where our cities were headed, but about the role planning could play in shaping our future. For over two decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of planning, politics, and community, as a mayor, consultant, and researcher. I’ve seen the power of good planning to create liveable, inclusive, future-ready places. I’ve also seen how easily it can be derailed by short-term thinking — and how costly that can be for clients, communities, and councils alike. Greiss Planning exists to bring clarity, rigour, and steady leadership to the approvals process, so good projects can move forward with confidence.
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At a Glance
• Young people offering practical ideas to shape Campbelltown’s future
• Proposal for a virtual Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre grounded in Dharawal heritage
• Renewed focus on Macarthur within the broader Western Parkland City framework
• Strengthened regional advocacy through collaboration across Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly
Listening to the Next Generation
I was recently invited to visit a local school to speak with students about how young people can influence outcomes for their city. What struck me was not simply their enthusiasm, but the substance of their ideas. They spoke about improving infrastructure and the appearance of buildings, about housing affordability and employment pathways, and about establishing an Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre to celebrate heritage and attract visitors.
These were not abstract aspirations. They reflected a practical understanding that liveability, opportunity and identity are intertwined. I am reminded that young people often see possibilities unencumbered by habit. Their perspective can refresh our own.
As a result of that visit, I have asked the General Manager to initiate two projects: the establishment of an online Campbelltown Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre, and the launch of the Your City, Your Future ideas competition for high school students.
An Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre
Campbelltown stands on the custodial lands of the Dharawal people. The Minerva and Jingga Pools, the Bull Cave and significant meeting places speak to a long and continuing connection to land. We are also home to one of the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in New South Wales.
Council already supports this heritage through our Arts Centre programming and collections, NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week activities, our Yarning Circle, recognition programs, our Reconciliation Action Plan and the Aboriginal Interpretation Strategy titled Our Voice, Our Place. These initiatives are meaningful, yet they are dispersed.
A virtual Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre would provide a central platform to bring together history, culture and contemporary connection. It would serve as an educational resource, a celebration of heritage and a gateway to cultural tourism. Importantly, it must be developed in partnership with our local Aboriginal community and peak organisations, ensuring that voice and authority remain with those whose story it tells.
I have also written to the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians and the NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs seeking their support to expand this initiative and strengthen our ongoing programs.
In reflecting on this proposal, I see it as more than a digital project. It is an affirmation that revitalisation must be grounded in truth and respect.
Your City, Your Future
The second initiative, Your City, Your Future, invites high school students to think boldly about Campbelltown’s trajectory. We will recognise leading submissions and provide an opportunity for classes to collaborate and enter as groups. The intention is not merely to award certificates, but to cultivate civic habit.
If the response is strong, I hope to embed this competition within our broader Community Engagement Strategy. When young people see their ideas acknowledged and discussed, they begin to understand that local government is not distant. It is participatory.
This highlighted how our young people’s passion, creativity and ability to think outside the box could influence positive change in our city by providing a different perspective.
Those words remain with me. The health of our city will depend on whether we continue to create space for such perspective.
Our Region Within the Western Parkland City
The broader context in which Campbelltown operates has shifted considerably over the past decade. The establishment of the Greater Sydney Commission in 2015, now the Greater Cities Commission, introduced a coordinated metropolitan vision. The Western Parkland City, encompassing eight local government areas, is projected to accommodate significant population growth, reinforced by the Western Sydney City Deal and the development of the new airport.
High level strategic planning has advanced substantially. The frameworks are in place. The ambitions are articulated.
Yet within that metropolitan vision sits Macarthur, comprising Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly. Between 2016 and 2021, Macarthur’s population grew by 21 per cent. Dwellings increased by 24 per cent. Further growth is forecast at scale. These figures are not abstract. They represent families, new suburbs, expanded transport demand and increased pressure on services.
At present, around 63 per cent of Campbelltown workers commute outside our city each day. While remote work has altered patterns slightly, the structural imbalance between housing growth and local employment remains. If we are to maintain liveability and reduce transport strain, a stronger commitment to local job creation is essential.
A Regional Voice for Macarthur
Macarthur’s identity cannot be diluted within the broader Western Sydney narrative. We shoulder a substantial share of population growth. It is reasonable that we also secure proportionate investment in social infrastructure, transport, health, education and employment precincts.
I have written to the Mayors and General Managers of Camden and Wollondilly to convene discussions on coordinated advocacy. When neighbouring councils speak with clarity and unity, our influence is amplified. Collaboration across Macarthur is not parochial. It is strategic.
Growth is welcome. It brings opportunity, diversity and economic activity. But it must be matched by infrastructure and services that sustain quality of life and protect our natural environment.
Advocacy and Collective Momentum
Our Strategic Advocacy Group has now convened its first meeting, providing valuable insights to strengthen our approach. Advocacy is most effective when it is informed, consistent and grounded in data. It is not about volume. It is about coherence.
As we advance youth engagement initiatives, cultural recognition projects and regional collaboration, we reinforce a simple principle. Cities thrive when identity, opportunity and governance move in step.
Reflection
This Minute connects three themes that may at first seem distinct: youth voice, Aboriginal heritage and regional advocacy. Yet they are unified by a common purpose. They each speak to belonging and influence. If we listen to our young people, honour our First Nations heritage, and assert Macarthur’s place within the wider metropolitan vision, we strengthen both identity and opportunity. In doing so, we ensure that Campbelltown’s future is not merely planned for, but shaped by those who call it home.
Read the original Mayoral Minute here: 9. Our City, Our Region, Our Future.