‘Just build it’: Western Sydney fed up with SBS studio delay
Blacktown mayor Brad Bunting has called on SBS to stop dithering on its planned production facility in Western Sydney, which itself is a watered-down version of an original planned SBS move.
Speaking to Mumbrella on Tuesday morning, Bunting — who is also the president of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils — said the current up-in-the-air status of SBS’ westward push has been disappointing.
“ This is an easy decision to make — [a] multicultural community lives in Western Sydney,” Bunting said. “ It is a sensible thing to move to Western Sydney.
“I don’t understand why you even need a business case to say, ‘do we need to move there?’ We just need to get on with them working out where they wanna be; bringing in the different councils that can pitch their ideas of where they should be and get on with doing this hub.
“For us, it was disappointing that they’re not making a whole move, but that’s a federal government decision on what they need to do there.”
SBS denied the project was delayed, contradicting a report in The Australian. A project would go to competitive tender in coming months.
“As the Minister’s statement issued on 8 December 2024 makes clear, the $5.9 million funding is supporting the development of a detailed business case to the Government,” SBS said in written statement.
“This includes a process to identify a site in Western Sydney for the new SBS production hub, as well as detailed technical and property designs.”
NSW Nationals senator Ross Cadell raised the question of the business case during a Senate estimates last month. Margaret Lopez, assistant secretary of the Media Industry and Sustainability branch of the government’s communications department, said: “At this stage, what is being proposed is that SBS be developing a business case for establishing that new facility.
Lopez said the aim is for that to be delivered by the end of 2025.
According to Bunting, basic details should already have been finalised.
“[The] business case … should already be decided,” he said. “That’s what you’re going to do – just work out where you’re going to build it and get on with it.”
Despite disappointment with the ongoing saga, Bunting did clarify that the initial news of the push west was good news for the region.
“ We were encouraged by this announcement that they’re going to bring, at least, a studio hub out to Western Sydney,” Bunting said.
Councillor Brad Bunting. Credit: Facebook
“ I think the decision to move to Western Sydney is a sensible one. It’s one that they know they need to do. But obviously you need to go through the whole process of ‘is it feasible to be able to do that?’ We would still encourage the federal government to do that into the future,” the Councillor said.
For him, Australia is already living in a multicultural future – one where more than 29% of the country’s population was born overseas – and SBS’ western push will help it get with the times.
“This is where we are. I’m the mayor of Blacktown City. 188 different nationalities call Blacktown home. You don’t get more multicultural than that,” said Bunting.
“ When SBS was first set up, of course, Artarmon was a sensible place to go. But, they should move with the times now, and move to where the people are.”
He also confirmed that WSROC is “more than happy” to work with SBS on its western expansion.
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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