Cultural Development Analysis - Penrith City Council - NSW ...

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 

ANALYSIS 

PENRITH CITY CENTRE AND 

ST MARYS TOWN CENTRE 

Prepared by Deborah Mills 

For 

Penrith City Council 

March 2005

Cultural Development Analysis – Penrith CBD and St Marys Town Centre 

CONTENTS 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................1 

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................3 

UNDERSTANDING ARTS, CULTURE AND CREATIVITY...................................................3 

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH........................................................................................3 

METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................................4 

KEY THEMES AND ISSUES ....................................................................................6 

1. LEADERSHIP ...................................................................................................6 

2. BALANCING CAPITAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT....................7 

3. QUALITY CITY AND TOWN CENTRE ENVIRONMENTS......................12 

4. WELLBEING AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT....................................15 

5. HERITAGE......................................................................................................18 

6. LOCAL CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ...............................................................19 

7. DEVELOPING A LEARNING CITY.............................................................23 

CULTURAL AUDIT .................................................................................................26 

PENRITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA ......................................................................26 

PENRITH CITY CENTRE .............................................................................................26 

ST MARYS TOWN CENTRE ........................................................................................27 

REGIONAL AND POLICY CONTEXT AND PARTNERSHIPS .......................28 

WSROC REGIONAL CULTURAL STRATEGY..............................................................28 

SUB REGIONAL COOPERATION...................................................................................29 

NSW MINISTRY FOR THE ARTS WESTERN SYDNEY STRATEGY................................29 

UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY ..........................................................................30 

APPENDIX 1: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF 

EARLIER STUDIES .................................................................................................32 

APPENDIX 2: CULTURAL AUDIT ......................................................................35 

APPENDIX 3: EXTRACT FROM WSROC REGIONAL CULTURAL 

STRATEGY................................................................................................................46 

APPENDIX 4: REFERENCES................................................................................50 

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Executive Summary 

This report documents the barriers and opportunities affecting the cultural 

vitality of Penrith’s City Centre and St Marys Town Centre and makes 

recommendations on how the urban design, economic development and 

access strategies for these areas can be informed and strengthened by 

cultural development strategies and approaches. 

This report by has been informed by consultation with key cultural 

organisations and stakeholders within the Penrith Local Government Area, the 

results of an audit of cultural resources within the Local Government Area, a 

review of government policy and local and international literature on cultural 

development and its role in urban development and renewal, a review of 

numerous Council research reports (see Appendix 4), consultation with the 

NSW Ministry for the Arts and discussion with neighbouring councils and 

WSROC staff. The other studies commissioned for Stage 1 of the Penrith’s 

City Centres Review have also been examined. 

There are seven key themes and issues which have been identified as a 

result of this research. They are: 

1. The need for Council to assume a leadership role in fostering cultural 

vitality. 

2. The need for Council to balance its investment in capital works and 

events with investment in cultural development programs, local artists 

and arts organisations. 

3. The need for Council to provide quality city and town centre 

environments. 

4. The need for Council to recognise and support cultural development as 

critical to the social wellbeing and health of individuals and 

communities. 

5. The need for Council to conserve, enhance and promote access to 

Penrith City’s environment and heritage. 

6. The need to invest in the development of local cultural industries. 

7. The need to facilitate the participation of Penrith City’s citizens in the 

knowledge economies through developing a learning city. 

In order to realise its vision of a cosmopolitan and mature city offering cultural 

lifestyles appropriate to that kind of city, Penrith City Council needs to 

undergo a paradigm shift in the way in which it thinks about its own role in 

cultural development and in the way it understands the relationship of cultural 

development to urban design, community wellbeing, economic development 

and environmental sustainability. 

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The cultural infrastructure of Penrith City is fragile, under-developed, 

unrecognised and isolated. Investment in buildings will go only some way 

towards improving this situation. What is needed is an investment in 

leadership, in professional development for local artists and arts organisations 

and in opportunities for the people of City to become actively engaged in their 

own creative development and expression. If Penrith City’s cultural 

development is to be sustainable, then it is important that a multi-faceted 

strategy be adopted; one which addresses leadership, professional 

development and active participation. Without this diversity and even 

handedness of approach, then cultural regeneration within the Penrith local 

government area will fail. 

Council needs to enhance the strategic focus of its investment in its cultural 

facilities, the Lewers Gallery, the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and 

it Library Service, securely linking the strategic planning for these major 

cultural institutions into the strategic priorities for the City and the Council. 

Penrith City Council needs to develop an awareness of the cultural 

implications of a number of its planning and policy decisions in order to 

minimise the negative impacts of some of these decisions on Penrith City’s 

fragile cultural economy. 

And finally, Council needs to balance its considerable achievement in 

strategic planning with a commitment to implementation. For over a decade, 

Council has commissioned research into cultural development and there is 

little evidence that the recommendations of that research have been 

resourced and implemented. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Understanding arts, culture and creativity 

Penrith City’s culture is more than the arts; it is about a lived experience of 

Penrith’s places and time. It focuses on what is special about Penrith City 

and its people and how its history can pre-figure its future. Everything about 

Penrith City is then a potential resource for the development and revitalisation 

of Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre. This includes: 

� Its artistic or archaeological history 

� Its Indigenous presence 

� Its landscape, topography, amenities and landmarks 

� The attractiveness and legibility of its public space 

� Local products and craft skills, manufacturing and services 

� Quality of retailing, leisure, sport and entertainment 

� The vigour of its sub cultures, including those of the young 

� Traditions of public social life, civic traditions, festival and rituals 

� Skills in the arts 

Creating a successful partnership between the arts, culture and urban 

regeneration requires moving beyond a traditional focus on high or low art, 

community art, and popular art. It means that Council’s planners will need to 

develop an appreciation that it is how residents experience their city – their 

sense of place, identity and personal safety – which is the vital ingredient in 

successful urban regeneration. The readability of the city – its signage, 

opportunities to interpret its history, relate to and experience its natural and 

built environment are crucial aspects of cultural planning, not just the arts. 

An integrated approach 

Both in Australia and overseas there have three main approaches to the use 

of culture in urban development and regeneration. They are: 

• Culture-led regeneration where the arts and/or the development of a 

major cultural facility is the catalyst; 

• Culture and regeneration – where the arts are seen as an add-on to 

urban development and/or regeneration; 

• Cultural regeneration. This approach integrates cultural development 

approach into all aspects of urban planning and redevelopment. This 

integrated approach ensures that the cultural component of 

development and regeneration is continuous, adaptable and less likely 

to fail than the culture-led or culture and regeneration approaches. 

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Contemporary best practice favours the cultural regeneration approach and 

this is enshrined in the Premier’s introduction to the NSW Ministry for the Arts 

Cultural Planning Guidelines for Local Government which proposes: 

‘…integrating cultural strategies more closely with council’s broader 

priorities and objectives. In this way, cultural amenities can be seen 

not as something remote or apart from everyday life but fundamental to 

people’s needs and the business of local government.’ (Hon Bob Carr, 

Premier of NSW) 

An overview of overseas and Australian experience in cultural regeneration 

and its implications for Penrith has been undertaken in recognition of 

Council’s desire to locate its practice within a global context (see Appendix 4 

for detailed list of sources). 

Britain, Western Europe and Australia can now show many examples of the 

successful use of cultural initiatives in urban regeneration. They have shown 

a number of important benefits; 

• Enhancing social cohesion across cultural and religious divides 

(Belfast, Bradford, Nottingham and Leicester, Fairfield); 

• Improving local image (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, 

Newcastle Australia) 

• Reducing offending behaviour (Bolton City Challenge, Melbourne, 

Tamworth, Burnie) 

• Promoting interest in the local environment (Blue Mountains, 

Melbourne, Murray River Valley) 

• Building private and public sector partnerships (Hay-on-Wye – world’s 

largest centre for second-hand books, Marrickville Council’s cultural 

precinct project); 

• Exploring visions for the future – Christo in Berlin, for example, creating 

work which has challenged residents’ ideas of their cities. In Bradford’s 

Little Germany and elsewhere festivals have been organised as a way 

of drawing attention to the possibility of change and helping people 

imagine what the future might be. 

Methodology 

This report by has been informed by consultation with key cultural 

organisations and stakeholders within the Penrith Local Government Area, the 

results of an audit of cultural resources within the Local Government Area, a 

review of government policy and local and international literature on cultural 

development and its role in urban development and renewal, a review of 

numerous Council research reports (see Appendix 4), consultation with the 

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NSW Ministry for the Arts and discussion with neighbouring councils and 

WSROC staff. 

The report contains an analysis of the cultural resources within Penrith Local 

Government Area and the barriers and opportunities affecting cultural 

development. This analysis was informed by WSROC’s report Greater 

Western Sydney Regional Cultural Strategy: Authoring Contemporary 

Australia (see Appendix 3) and a cultural audit commissioned for this report 

(see Appendix 2). 

The other studies commissioned for Stage 1 of the Penrith’s City Centres 

Review have been examined, namely: 

• Urban design – Government Architect’s Office 

• Access and transport – Sinclair Knight Merz 

• Economic development issues – Hill PDA 

• Council’s Social Profile to inform the Review and 

• Village Well’s community consultation for both Penrith City Centre and 

St Marys in order to establish a shared vision for each area. 

A cultural development perspective is proposed which integrates cultural 

development strategies into planning for urban design, economic 

development and access. 

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KEY THEMES AND ISSUES 

Appendix 1 provides a detailed summary of a review of the findings and 

recommendations of earlier studies relating to culture and cultural 

development in the Penrith Local Government Area. In summary, the issues 

and themes documented there reflect many of those emerging from more 

recent consultations and studies which are discussed in more detail below. 

The consultations conducted by Village Well also illuminated a consistent 

range of issues and themes. 

Where appropriate, the findings from the review of national and international 

best practice in cultural regeneration are included to illustrate some of the 

themes and issues, in keeping with Council’s stated intent to set the 

benchmark for Penrith City’s performance against international examples. 

The main themes and issues identified are: 

1. LEADERSHIP 

There is a need for Council to assume a leadership role in fostering 

Penrith City’s cultural vitality. 

Best Practice Principles 

National and International experience tells us that the identification and 

involvement of an individual, an organisation or a group as a champion of 

culture in regeneration is critical to success. 

Actions for Council 

Council needs to develop its own leadership role for cultural regeneration and 

seek out champions in other organisations to partner it in this role. This should 

involve: 

� Identifying a champion of culture within Council’s Senior 

management; 

� Developing a shared vision for cultural development with key 

stakeholders in government and the community; 

� Identifying individuals and organisations which can partner Council 

in the cultural regeneration of Penrith City Centre and St Marys 

Town Centre; 

� Ensuring that these individuals and organisations are part of the 

stakeholders who are continuously involved in the City Centres 

Project; 

� Ensuring better integration and coordination between Council’s 

own cultural development initiatives; 

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� Facilitating the development of local cultural resources, 

including artists and cultural organisations; 

� Supporting the participation of Penrith City’s residents in the 

widest range of cultural activities, and 

� Establishing and implementing policies which take account of 

the cultural impact of many of Council’s planning decisions. 

Council’s cultural development policies, organisational and staffing 

arrangements need to support this leadership role. Specialist cultural staff 

need to be employed with the status within the organisation and the skills to 

support Council’s leadership role and to provide strategic direction and 

coordination to Council’s diverse cultural activities. 

In addition Council needs to locate the strategies for cultural regeneration 

adopted for the Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre within an 

overall three year strategic framework or plan for cultural development in 

which accountabilities for delivery are clearly identified. This strategic 

framework or plan could form the basis of an approach to the NSW Ministry 

for the Arts for support for many of the recommended strategies. This kind of 

approach which locates Council’s actions within an overall strategic context is 

much more likely to be viewed favourably by the Ministry than applications for 

individual projects. 

Council’s role in cultural planning, service delivery and facilitation of cultural 

development opportunities should be supported by mutually beneficial 

partnerships with community and commercial cultural organisations and a 

sound knowledge of the region’s cultural resources and gaps. 

2. BALANCING CAPITAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 

There is a need for Council to balance its investment in capital works 

and events with investment in cultural development programs, local 

artists and arts organisations 


Nationally and internationally the earlier emphasis on capital projects is losing 

favour –cultural development programs are gaining priority. 

Compared to high profile capital projects, community based and participatory 

cultural activity has several key strengths: 

� Cultural activity is relatively cheap and very cost effective; 

� It can be developed quickly in response to local needs and ideas; 

� It is flexible and can change as required; 

� It offers a potentially high return for a very low risk; 

� It can have an impact out of all proportion to its cost. 

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There may be a need to upgrade existing and develop new facilities, but the 

purpose of cultural regeneration is not to support the building industry. Being 

a consumer of the cultural products of others is enriching, but it is overvalued 

when compared to the benefits of active participation in creative activity. 

Mayfield in Newcastle typifies the social and structural changes taking place 

in that city. Adjacent to the recently closed BHP, the suburb has a low- socioeconomic 

base and suffers from the perception of an undesirable place to be. 

It has relatively low-cost housing stock, and a number of boarding house style 

accommodation catering for people with intellectual disabilities and mental 

health issues. 

With the BHP closure and low-cost housing stock Mayfield also began a 

phase of rapid gentrification. As a consequence there was increasing 

community anxiety about the changes taking place in their neighbourhood. A 

Social Plan for the area was developed with the community and 

recommended some cultural development initiatives. The program which was 

developed with the local community included: 

• An oral history project in partnership with the University’s 

communication students who undertook the interviews with people 

identified as “Mayfield treasures” through the consultations – the Uni 

also developed and maintained a web-site for the duration of the 

project; 

• The establishment of a community choir of people with intellectual 

disabilities and mental health issues who wrote a song-scape about 

their experience living in Mayfield; 

• An Aboriginal performance piece that told the indigenous history of the 

area; 

• A visual arts program with local school children that made a series of 

large scale puppets telling the local stories and urban myths of the area 

– including the story of May after whom the suburb was named; 

• The final Celebratory Event was a twilight picnic on Saturday night held 

in a park notorious for anti-social activities. The picnic was the 

culmination of the culmination of the project and premier of the works 

developed over the year. 

This extensive cultural program provided opportunities for the diverse 

components of the Mayfield community to come together and formulate their 

own cultural development activities to begin the process to re-define a new 

sense of identity, foster integration and interaction as well as celebrate the 

unique spirit and identity of Mayfield – ‘soul, guts, spirit’! 

Shop top Housing and Live Sites, Newcastle City. As the population 

growth of Newcastle moved out of the city centre and retail become focussed 

in the large shopping malls on the City’s periphery, Newcastle CBD began to 

die. A range of strategies to encourage residents to move back into the inner 

city have been developed, including the Shop Top Housing Policy, and these 

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are proving successful. Paradoxically, their very success has place more 

pressure on the Council to ensure a safe inner city environment. 

The decline in retail and other activity had emptied the City of life and serious 

safety issues became associated with the closing down of the City after 5pm. 

In addition to encouraging a range of businesses to operate after hours, the 

Council has also commenced, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce 

and Honeysuckle Development Corporation, a program of activities to 

animate the city after dark. 

The Live Sites program offers a range of performances and events which not 

only encourage people to come into the city, but also encourage those who 

live there to come out and enjoy the activities. The Live Sites program is also 

significant in the way that it emphasises the importance of encouraging 

opportunities for local artists (rather than relying on importing talent), its 

connection to audience development programs for the City’s cultural 

institutions and its emphasis on illuminating – sometimes literally, but also 

symbolically - the significance of the City’s public domain. 

Parramatta Council has also developed a sophisticated approach to cultural 

development, recognising that culture, commerce and employment are central 

to the long-term development of Parramatta City (see their Arts and Cultural 

Plan 2000 – 2005). As a Primary Centre in the Greater Sydney Region they 

are adopting a multi faceted strategy which includes developing a critical 

mass for their creative community through investing in their cultural flagships, 

including arts studios and venues in commercial developments, supporting 

public performance opportunities for local artists and encouraging the 

relocation of performing arts companies into the city. 


Penrith City Council’s investment in capital works needs to be balanced by a 

commitment to facilitating the development of local artists and arts 

organisations and to supporting strategies for program and audience 

development over several years. The audience development and 

programming initiatives developed by the Gallery need to be staffed to a level 

commensurate with a regional gallery of its stature. These audience 

development strategies should also be applied to other Council cultural 

institutions. The investment in events needs to be refocused in order to 

support the development of local artists. 

The Business Plan developed for the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre 

(JSPAC) identified the need to position the JSPAC as a multi art form 

performing arts centre and as a lively meeting place for Penrith City and 

Greater Western Sydney. It also flagged the need to establish a more 

proactive programming function, including initiation of a wider range of events, 

festivals, community and education projects. The potential to increase 

community use of the Centre through greater flexibility in hiring arrangements, 

subsidising access for local community based arts and cultural groups and 

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developing partnership arrangements with UWS, with other Western Sydney 

cultural venues and with key cultural producers was also highlighted. 

There is a need to create a cultural hub within the Penrith City Centre for new 

and emerging artists, to enhance the cosmopolitan feel of the City and as an 

anchor to attract other cultural industries into the CBD. 

The need for additional cinemas in the Penrith Local Government Area has 

been recognised by at least one enterprise; Penrith Panthers. In order to fully 

exploit the benefits of such a development on the City’s night time economy 

and contribute to the revitalisation of the CBD or St Marys Town Centre, then 

this facility should be located within a strip shopping centre. 

In their present form the plans for the cultural precinct in Mamre Road include 

providing accommodation for Penrith City’s amateur arts organisations and 

while this is an important objective and should continue to be a core aim of 

the precinct’s development, incorporating a broader range of functions will do 

more to address the cultural development needs identified as part of this 

review. 

The development of the proposed cultural precinct in Mamre Road presents 

Council with a golden opportunity to create a critical mass for local cultural 

development, develop a centre to support new and emerging artists, establish 

a support base for cultural development projects within the City, provide much 

needed accommodation for Penrith City’s amateur arts organisations and, in 

time, develop an incubator for creative enterprise. 

There are many case studies which show how community arts centres, after 

they have been established, quickly come under the control of a limited 

number of user-groups. These case studies demonstrate that these usergroups 

can exclude new and emerging groups from using the centre and that, 

as the members of these founder-groups age, increasingly fewer people come 

to use the centre. Council needs to broaden the scope of the current project 

to incorporate a broader range of functions, expand the range of artists and 

organisations involved in the planning for the precinct, and establish a strong 

leadership role in the centre’s management and programming. 

Council also needs to revise its strategies for developer contributions to 

infrastructure to include public art and facilities such as artist’s studios and 

venues in commercial developments. 

The implications for Penrith City Centre CBD are to: 

� Implement the strategies in the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts 

Centre’s (JSPAC) Business Plan to position JSPAC as a multi art 

form performing arts centre and as a lively meeting place for Penrith 

City and Greater Western Sydney. 

� Establish a program of free public events in the CBD in partnership 

with the appropriate peak business organisation and the Penrith 

Plaza which will act as a drawcard and encourage residents and 

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visitors to the city to understand and relate to public spaces in a 

different way. 

� Facilitate opportunities to interpret and display Penrith City’s rich 

Indigenous and European Cultural heritage through professionally 

curated exhibitions and performances in collaboration with local 

community development and cultural organisations. 

� Ensure that these collaborative projects provide support to local 

artists and arts organisations and offer opportunities for professional 

development. 

� Appoint an Arts Development Officer for the Penrith City Centre. The 

role of this person will be to develop a centre for support for the new 

and emerging artists graduating from Penrith City’s High Schools and 

the UWS; helping them to develop their professional practice. The 

centre can also act as a support base for cultural development 

projects within the City and, in time, develop as an incubator for 

creative enterprise. 

In St Marys Town Centre there is a need to: 

� Appoint a Cultural Precinct Development Officer for St Marys. Their 

role will be to facilitate the development of a cultural precinct with a 

range of strategies which support and develop established and 

emerging artists and arts organisations, use public art to 

contribute to and strengthen St Marys’ unique sense of place and 

develop opportunities for exhibitions and performances in 

collaboration with local community development and cultural 

organisations; 

� This Cultural Precinct Officer to establish and guide a vision for 

the cultural precinct and ensure that the capital works 

associated with the Mamre Road buildings are consistent with this 

overall vision and establish resources and support for both 

established and new and emerging artists and arts organisations and 

that Council has a strong role in management and programming for 

the precinct; 

� Facilitate the establishment of an ‘art house’ cinema in St Marys. 

� Ensure that these collaborative projects provide support to local 

artists and arts organisations and offer opportunities for 

professional development. 

� Establish a program of public events in the St Marys Town Centre 

in partnership with the local peak business organisation which will act 

as a drawcard and encourage residents and visitors to St Marys to 

understand and relate to public spaces in a different way. 

� Facilitate opportunities to interpret and display St Marys rich 

Indigenous and European Cultural heritage through professionally 

curated exhibitions and performances in collaboration with local 

community development and cultural organisations. 

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3. QUALITY CITY AND TOWN CENTRE ENVIRONMENTS 

The poor quality of Penrith City’s public domain is a recurring theme in 

many Council reports going back more than a decade and a dominant 

theme in the numerous consultations undertaken for the City Centres 

Review. 


National and international best practice advocates the critical role of the arts 

in creating an inclusive, distinctive and vibrant public domain. 

‘It is impossible to imagine a healthy community that does not create 

varied and ample opportunities for its citizens to meet and interact in 

both formal and informal settings.’ (VicHealth, 2004) 

The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) has recently 

published an evaluation of their Art and Environment Scheme (VicHealth, 

2004). This scheme aims to increase the capacity of councils to enhance 

public spaces by improving their accessibility and utilisation through 

employing artists as members of the design team and through community 

participation in the design process. 

Their study cites research which demonstrates that several design features in 

the public domain play a role in strengthening a sense of community, social 

inclusion and belonging including the amount and type of vegetation; 

interesting, meandering pathways; quiet areas for sitting and reading; 

recreational amenities; adequate information and signage and perceived level 

of safety. 

The research indicated that the following factors are critical to the 

establishment of successful public domains: 

� Engaging city officials and community members early in the planning 

stages; 

� Accommodating their ideas; 

� Collaboration between urban planners, community groups and nonprofit 

organisations to implement new urban design features that 

support social interactions and community stewardship; 

� Fostering social cohesion through the creation of an artistic public 

gathering place. 

The VicHealth study found that the Art and Environment Scheme made a 

significant contribution to social connectedness in the communities where it 

was trialled. This was due to the symbolic aspect of the artworks themselves 

which created a sense of identity for diverse communities, but was also due to 

the processes used in the development of the works, namely community 

involvement in conception, refinement and, in some cases, the manufacture of 

the works. In addition, the scheme has had an impact on the processes of 

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local government and the participatory processes which were used as part of 

the scheme are now being applied more generally across the work of councils 

in strategic, environmental and public health planning. 

Parramatta Council is developing the City’s self esteem and identity through 

public art which is responsive to sites, issues and/or communities, art included 

in street furniture, the development of a cultural precinct, art plans a condition 

of consent for development on sites with a public interface, encouraging 

training opportunities for local artists, identifying market niches which are 

relevant to Parramatta, the development of public and corporate spaces in 

Parramatta that reflect and strengthen the culture of Parramatta rather than 

installation of generic, international spaces and establishing studios for the 

international exchange of artists. 

Newcastle Urban Strategy – focuses on the development of their suburbs as 

village nodes and looks at ways public art, placemaking and other cultural 

development activities reflect the unique identity of their different suburbs. 

Newcastle is encouraging developers to contribute 1% of their development 

over $1million towards public art and placemaking. Newcastle is also 

developing a specific levy for public art. Their projections indicate that they 

could collect about $1million over a 10 year period. Marrickville Council has 

recently also amended its Section 94 Plan to include a levy for public art. 

Newcastle looks at ways the distinct identities of their major open spaces can 

be reflected in their design, suites of furniture and playscapes. Brisbane City 

Council, Melbourne City Council and Marrickville Council are all 

implementing similar polices. 

Newcastle, Marrickville and Parramatta Councils have all developed public 

art strategies. Prior to their development, these Councils’ methods for 

commissioning works of public art and placemaking works was dependent 

upon the availability of funding for specific capital works which resulted in an 

ad hoc approach to the installation of public art and placemaking works of art. 

As a consequence these councils have developed Public Art Plans which 

highlight sites of historical, social, cultural and aesthetic significance and 

recommend appropriate public art and placemaking works of art for those 

locations rather than a piecemeal approach. 

Parramatta City’s Cultural Frameworks program assists their 

Neighbourhood Centre Improvement Program to revitalise neighbourhood 

shopping centres. They do this by developing a Place Based Project which 

identifies a number of actions to address environmental, social, cultural and 

economic issues identified by local residents and stakeholders. The 

Frameworks are being developed through employing specialist cultural 

planners who work closely with Council’s Place Managers and City Outcomes 

project staff. Cultural frameworks are being finalised for Telopea and Guilford 

and being developed for Epping, Granville and Harris Park. 

Cabramatta Common is an urban regeneration project in Fairfield looking at 

ways in which an existing car park in central Cabramatta can be converted 

into a common area making it a better place for residents, business, 

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community groups and visitors. Council aims to make a place where people 

can congregate and enjoy a large pedestrian civic space; a welcoming, 

spacious public square providing opportunities to sit, stroll, play, and meet 

people, enjoy community performance and provide greater amenity and 

connectivity within Cabramatta 

The community was consulted to include all interested stakeholders. Specific 

groups addressed included business groups, children and youth, the elderly, 

council officers and other government agencies. The diverse cultural mix of 

residents was also addressed. 

The Cabramatta Common was developed through a multi-disciplinary team of 

artists, architects, urban designers, economists and cultural planners. The 

design for the space has been informed by the values, traditions and symbols 

of the diverse communities living in the area. 

‘The universal finding is that whenever quality is provided people come. 

Access to other people, to possibilities for experience and recreation 

among others are in high demand, and these opportunities have 

important roles for upholding or strengthening the overall policies for 

friendly, humane, open, democratic and safe societies.’ (Jan Gehl, 

2005) 


‘In Penrith we spend our lives moving from one inward looking fortress 

of solitude to another; from the Penrith Plaza to the Tax Office, to the 

Civic Centre and to Panthers.’ (Participant in Penrith City Centre 

cultural consultation workshop, February, 2005) 

Penrith City Council needs to advocate the highest standards of design and 

sustainability in architecture, urban design, open space and conservation in 

order to contribute to and maintain the character and quality of the existing 

city and town scape. To these ends Council needs to develop a suite of 

policies which: 

� Promote and support the development and maintenance of a well 

designed, sustainable public domain which contributes to the 

cultural vitality of the City and St Marys; 

� Promote the contribution of artists and public art to the quality of 

the environment; 

� Engage the creative energies of the people of Penrith City in the 

design of their public domain; 

� Develop strategies and tools to support the development of a 

distinctive, unique and inclusive public domain such as a Public 

Domain Strategy, Public Art Plans, Section 94 provisions, DCPs and 

developer charges/negotiated agreements to ensure that 

contributions are being collected for cultural facility development, 

placemaking and public art; 

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� Establish milestones, performance standards and monitoring 

mechanisms ensure that these policies and strategies are 

implemented. 

4. WELLBEING AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 

There is a need for Council to recognise and support cultural 

development as critical to the social wellbeing and health of individuals 

and communities 


Nationally and internationally there is a shift in emphasis in regenerative 

strategies towards seeing local people as the principal asset through which 

renewal can be achieved and recognising the powerful impact that cultural 

development processes can have on individual and community wellbeing. 

The following case studies are extracts from Art and Wellbeing by Deborah 

Mills and Paul Brown: 

In 1999 the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) developed 

its Mental Health Promotion Plan 1999 – 2002, a key element of which was 

the use of community cultural development processes to improve individual 

and community wellbeing. VicHealth’s evaluation of this scheme found 

community cultural development to be an effective intervention for promoting 

health and enhancing the ability of participants to function on broader political, 

social and environmental levels. The evaluation identified specific mental 

health benefits such as: 

� Developing positive relationships. 

� Gaining public recognition and acknowledgment and increased self 

esteem. 

� Connecting families. 

� Connecting diverse communities. 

� Increased sense of belonging to the wider community and of having 

people who care. 

� Enhancing skills. 

� Working against discrimination and violence. 

� Pathways to employment were created. 

Since its inception in 1997, The Torch Project has evolved and developed an 

extensive program of community cultural development work in regional and 

metropolitan Victoria. Embracing the key themes of history, culture, identity 

and belonging, it blends powerful art with community mobilisation; it 

empowers communities to act on difficult issues that often end up in the “too 

hard basket”. It has been supported by more than two hundred Indigenous, 

Page 15


government, church, educational, business and community organisations, 

demonstrating the widespread support for such work. 

Auspiced by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, The Torch Project contributes 

directly to the Brotherhood’s vision of an Australia free of poverty. Through 

The Torch Project, the Brotherhood has an ability to empower communities to 

act on Indigenous issues, multicultural themes and to work towards 

sustainable change. 

Themes covered in the various projects have included public education; the 

use and abuse of power at domestic, organisational and political levels; 

Indigenous issues (a strong theme) and Reconciliation; domestic violence; 

multiculturalism; substance abuse; and a multiple of other issues. 

The Centre for Popular Education, at University of Technology Sydney, has 

assessed the impact of The Torch and its community strengthening projects 

(Flowers and McEwen, 2003). The evaluation, based on observations, 

research workshops and key informants interviews, explored the value of The 

Torch as community cultural development, as theatre, and as a means of 

strengthening communities. Evaluation findings included: 

� High levels of engagement amongst participants characterise 

projects run by The Torch. The program is very successful at 

engaging groups who experience social disadvantage. 

� The Torch successfully fosters high levels of social capital. 

� This rides on high levels of trust within and between community 

groups involved with the project. 

� Participants feel strong and secure about their identity and culture; 

they are proud of their histories. 

� As a strong indication of community strengthening, individuals and 

groups have been motivated to produce their own activities. 

� Leadership development has occurred as a consequence of the 

program. 

� Community assessment of the artistic quality of the work is high; 

performances have inspired widespread acclaim. 

� There have been high levels of achievement with skills development 

and the gaining of new insights and knowledge about social issues 

and community challenges. 


Penrith City Council needs to employ cultural development tools and 

processes in its efforts to improve and maintain the wellbeing of individuals 

and communities in the City. Council’s role in planning new release areas 

and managing redevelopment can also be enhanced by cultural development 

processes. 

Page 16


Whilst Penrith City’s cultural infrastructure, including cultural organisations, 

resources and facilities is uneven and, in some cases, fragile, Penrith City’s 

community development infrastructure is reportedly quite strong. Therefore a 

strategy which builds on these strengths, facilitating opportunities for cultural 

expression and participation by Penrith City’s residents while at the same time 

fostering the development of Penrith City’s arts and cultural infrastructure is 

recommended. These strategies could include harnessing the skills of 

regional artists to work in partnership with local community development 

organisations. Council needs to approach CCDNSW, a Western Sydney 

cultural development organisation, with a request for assistance in providing 

skills training for local artists and community development workers. 

In addition an examination of Penrith City’s network of neighbourhood centres 

and public halls needs to be undertaken to identify opportunities for 

adapting/converting some of these facilities for use for cultural development 

and expression. The development of flexible, affordable and accessible multipurpose 

studio, rehearsal, exhibition, performance and workshop spaces will 

do a great deal to help support and develop Penrith City’s artists and arts 

organisations, provide pathways for professional development for local artists 

leaving school and graduating from UWS and support the creative expression 

of Penrith City’s residents. 

Penrith City Council needs to: 

� Involve people in renewal. Unless projects involve and win the 

support of local people, they cannot be sustained. Develop genuine 

partnerships and collaborations with local arts, cultural and other 

community groups to ensure input into the design and refurbishment 

process. 

� Continue the involvement and ‘ownership’ of all stakeholders in the 

project (management, governance, delivery and evaluation) and 

acknowledgement of their contribution. 

� Initiate cultural development activities and projects which give local 

people a voice and enable them to express their sense of identity and 

connection to their area. 

� Facilitate access to professional development and training for 

local artists and community development workers in community cultural 

development processes and projects. 

� Identify opportunities for adapting/converting neighbourhood centres 

and public halls for use as flexible, affordable and accessible multi 

purpose studio, rehearsal, exhibition, performance and workshop 

spaces. 

Page 17


5. HERITAGE 

There is a need for Council to conserve, enhance and promote access to 

Penrith City’s environment and heritage. 


A city’s natural and cultural heritage is now recognised as a key factor in 

establishing identity and distinctiveness and hence nurturing cultural capital 

and as a basis for cultural tourism; in creating an ambience which is not 

imitative but draws on the unique nature of a place and its people. 

Cultural heritage can be physical – the Victorian buildings in High Street, the 

Duration cottages in St Marys; intangible – traditions and stories – the 

Reunions in St Marys’ Victoria Park, the skills of local residents; old – Mamre 

House, or very recent – the impact of the recently arrived Sudanese 

community. It can involve the imaginative re-use of old buildings, for example 

Lewers Gallery, Casula Powerhouse or the interpretation of natural 

environments so that they are seen and understood in a different way. For 

example, The Warali Wali Project (originally known as the Prospect Creek 

Aboriginal History Trial Project) involved the planning, design and installation 

of a series of interpretative artworks and markers along the Prospect Creek 

Cycle way. Artworks explore the significance of the creek and its environs to 

the local Aboriginal people and are being developed by artists of Aboriginal 

heritage. The interpretative artworks and markers will be sited and developed 

in conjunction with planned ‘stop and rest’ recreation and feature areas along 

the cycle way, as well as bush regeneration works and construction of the 

remainder of the cycle way. 

The Rediscovery, Convict Lumberyard Interpretive Artwork is a large 

sculpture which celebrates the discovery of the Convict Lumberyard in 

Newcastle and depicts the wealth of artefacts uncovered at the site. This 

work is not only a drawcard for local residents and visitors alike, but has 

illuminated an important part of Newcastle’s industrial heritage in a way which 

is accessible to all. 

With the increasing emphasis on tourism development has emerged 

awareness of the need to create a sustainable product which enhances rather 

than diminishes local quality of life. Where cultural investment has created 

major tourist attractions, they have sometimes excluded local people on 

economic or social grounds. Similarly, many culturally led projects are often 

imitative and do not coincide with local needs, assets and aspirations. It is the 

local audience that provides the bedrock of a successful initiative. 


Penrith City has a wealth of Indigenous, European cultural and natural 

heritage. While the Council has supported the documentation of some of this 

heritage through its website and the Library Service, more needs to be done 

Page 18


to make this heritage more accessible and intelligible. The Western Sydney 

Heritage Review conducted by the NSW Heritage Office identifies that the 

range of heritage in the region is not well understood. The primary focus of 

most heritage lists has been the architectural and historical value of built 

colonial heritage. Heritage listings do not reflect the diversity of cultural 

values, with particular gaps in Indigenous, migrant (especially post WWII), 

20 th century industrial and moveable heritage, and in documenting the 

expansion of housing estates and subdivisions. The need to preserve and 

better document moveable heritage in Greater Western Sydney has been 

identified by both the Western Sydney Heritage Review and the Migration 

Heritage Centre. 

Council needs to address these issues through: 

� Interpretations of heritage, such as an updated heritage trail, 

interpretive signage and public art works; and 

� Display and interpretation in professionally curated heritage 

exhibitions and performances in a CBD site which would 

complement the excellent work being carried out by the Lewers 

Gallery. 

� These initiatives to enhance physical and intellectual access to 

Penrith City’s environment and heritage should be developed in 

partnership with local heritage and historical organisations, 

Museums and Galleries NSW, the NSW Ministry for the Arts and 

the NSW Heritage Office. 

� In addition, a more strategic approach to heritage needs to be 

adopted by Council, one which moves beyond a listing of heritage 

sites to one which sees Penrith City’s heritage promoted as a 

strategic competitive advantage in the City’s attempt to market and 

promote itself; 

� Advocate leadership from State Government and others in the 

restoration and management of heritage assets in the City e.g. 

Railway stations, schools, to show that they care about the assets 

they own. 

6. LOCAL CREATIVE INDUSTRIES 

There is a need to invest in the development of local creative industries. 


There is a growing awareness of the importance of creative industries, their 

contribution to an area’s economy and efforts by local government to 

encourage their development. These creative industries are defined as: 

advertising, architecture, the art and antiques market, crafts, design, designer 

fashion, film and video, interactive leisure software, music, the performing 

arts, publishing, software and computer games, television and radio. 

Page 19


The work of Richard Florida (2002) is influencing the thinking of many 

decision makers in relation to the development of our cities. Florida claims 

that the capacity of a city to participate in the development of the new 

knowledge economies depends on their ability to attract capital and that this 

depends on their ability to attract and retain workers with the necessary skills. 

He argues that these new, so called, ‘creative classes’ are vital to a city’s 

capacity to innovate and thus develop economically. It is important to note in 

this context, that Florida is not using the term creative in a narrow, arts related 

sense, although his term does not exclude artists per se. By the term he 

means those whose labor adds value through creative processes and, 

according to his definition, this includes a broad range of skills, including 

management and engineering, for example. Florida argues that cities will 

need to demonstrate those qualities which these ‘creative classes’ find 

attractive in order to attract and retain them as residents and workers and in 

order to attract the capital needed to develop the new knowledge economy 

industries. These qualities include diverse communities which welcome 

unconventional people – same sex households, immigrants, artists and freethinking 

“bohemians”. 

The authors of a report commissioned by the Melbourne West Area 

Consultative Committee (MWACC) and prepared by the National Institute of 

Economic and Industry Research last year have developed and applied a 

‘creativity index’ to the western region. In developing this index a wide range 

of factors have been taken into account including: qualifications, country of 

origin and family structure; bohemian occupations; number of patents; and 

high tech output. They conclude that for those areas with relatively high 

creativity scores a major contributing factor is the rich multicultural history of 

these areas. 

In England the City of Manchester is: 

� Assisting business development for its media, creative and sports 

industries; 

� Promoting Manchester as a location for creative industries to 

generate new business opportunities and attract investors; 

� Encouraging access to employment in the creative industries 

through training. 

Closer to home, Brisbane City Council has: 

� Identified a number of industry-cluster precincts where Council is 

partnering other agencies in the development of creative industry 

hubs and incubators; 

� Partnered the Retail Association of Queensland to develop the 

‘Subtropical Fashion Awards’ 

� Developed a world-wide subtropical fashion network of forums, trade 

shows etc; 

Page 20


� Encouraged the development of a fashion design precinct, 

concentrating related design, manufacturing and marketing 

businesses within a walkable area. 

Newcastle’s Cultural and Economic Development Strategy includes 

working with the Newcastle Region Art Gallery to mount the Laman Street Art 

Bazaar which showcases the wares of local visual arts and crafts people and 

develops local arts industry networks. The bazaar is also helping to establish 

the feasibility of using local crafts to create a retail income stream for the 

gallery. 

Newcastle’s Tourism Development Plan – Newcastle’s identity is reflected 

in publicity and promotion and the use of local actors and artists in the 

development of promotional material. 

Fairfield: Creating a Learning City. In its recently developed Cultural Plan 

one option being explored is the establishment of an accredited Creative 

Industry Training Centre to provide access to opportunities for training and 

employment in the creative industries, including multi media arts. 

Marrickville Council is supporting joint marketing initiatives between local 

commercial, community based and subsidised performing arts organisations 

and developing a cultural precinct. 

These approaches recognise the importance of cultural industries as a sector 

of the economy and look beyond the supply side of the arts into strategies for 

supporting the whole process of art making including training of artists, 

manufacture, marketing and distribution. They also recognise that to reach 

their full potential, artists need access to flexible, affordable, local and 

accessible multi-purpose arts spaces for studio and rehearsal space and 

space for small scale exhibitions, performances and workshops. The Western 

Sydney Arts Strategy has recognised the importance of these organisations 

and has supported the establishment of these centres in Liverpool (Casula 

Powerhouse), Blacktown (Blacktown Arts Centre) and Bankstown where a 

number of smaller professional arts organisations have been co-located, 

forming and embryonic ‘cultural hub’ (Lally, 2004). 

In Western Sydney the number of residents employed in selected cultural 

occupations grew 23% between 1996 and 2001. Overall, this was an 

improvement in Western Sydney proportions relative to Sydney as a whole. 

Western Sydney is now home to nearly 20% of the State’s actors and dancers 

(Lally, 2004). 

An initiative with potentially significant impact on Penrith City’s cultural identity 

and opportunity for creative self expression and promotion lies in the granting 

of a new television licence to a partnership involving the University of Western 

Sydney. The station will broadcast from the Werrington South campus and 

has a broadcast range similar to that of SBS. UWS will be developing a range 

of education and training programs to support this initiative drawing on the 

skills of their communication, design, media, fine arts, dance, performing arts 

Page 21


and music students. Of critical importance here is the reliance of the 

television station on locally developed broadcast material. Not only does this 

present an opportunity for local stories to be told, but for local artists to be 

engaged in the development of this material. 

Metro TV, a registered training organisation providing training in film and 

video production is interested in locating a branch of its operations in the St 

Marys area. This organisation would provide an employment pathway for 

Penrith City residents interested in working in this sector but without access to 

an undergraduate degree at UWS. The location of Metro TV in the St Marys 

area could contribute a great deal to the cultural vitality of that area and to the 

wider Penrith City community, act as an ‘arts hub’ and potential arts incubator. 

In addition, there is the planning being undertaken now for the development of 

the Werrington Enterprise Living and Learning project which will create a 

creative industries hub on the South Werrington campus over the next 20 – 30 

years. 


Council needs to recognise that the fastest growth industries in Australia are 

the creative industries and provide more active support to initiatives designed 

to nurture these industries in Penrith City. Opportunities to support cultural 

industry networks and clusters should be identified and supported. These 

networks could be used to strengthen the after hours activity in the Penrith 

City Centre, establishing High Street as a restaurant, café and cultural 

precinct for the CBD and creating a cultural precinct in St Marys – not just 

accommodation for Penrith City’s amateur arts organisations. Council’s 

investment in events and cultural facilities should be supported by strategies 

which identify, nurture, train and develop local artists and cultural enterprises 

to feature in these events. 

Equally important will be the availability of affordable spaces for artists to live 

and work in the City. With the process of redevelopment and revitalisation of 

the CBD and St Marys Town Centre, gentrification and rising property prices 

and rents are inevitable. Council needs to plan now in order to ensure that a 

sufficient supply of affordable space is retained in the CBD and St Marys 

Town Centre if the cultural vitality of these centres is to be assured into the 

future. 

Council needs to: 

� Create and support initiatives in training, skills development 

and local employment which encourage and build on the 

creative talents of Penrith City’s citizens including facilitating 

access to marketing, curatorial assistance and support to local 

artists and arts organisations; 

� Ensure that its investment in events supports and develops 

local artists and cultural enterprises; 

Page 22


� Identify and support those local cultural industries which could 

benefit from development through the formation of industry clusters, 

product development, retail outlets and/or joint marketing initiatives; 

� Develop partnerships with UWS and other higher education 

institutions to involve students and new graduates from their 

creative arts faculties in projects and activities to enliven the CBD 

and St Marys Town Centre, particularly after hours; 

� Encourage the development of embryonic ‘arts hubs’ in the form 

of arts centres in the Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town 

Centre, thereby providing access to venues for workshops, 

performances and exhibitions which are affordable. 

� Support opportunities for Penrith City’s citizens to tell their own 

stories through supporting the new television station enterprise 

and by inviting Metro TV to become part of the cultural precinct 

development in St Marys. 

7. DEVELOPING A LEARNING CITY 

There is a need to facilitate the participation of Penrith City’s citizens in 

the knowledge economies through developing a learning city 


Ensuring that their citizens are able to participate in the knowledge economy 

is increasingly recognised by cities who wish to retain their competitiveness in 

today’s global economy. 

Access to information technology, particularly through a city’s libraries, is 

recognised as a key equity issue for communities as the growing economic 

implications of the information revolution and the pivotal role it will play in the 

success of local cultural and other industries is better understood. 

There is a wealth of literature which demonstrates that libraries can and do 

offer pathways to: 

� Universal access to the Internet 

� Literacy and adult learning 

� Points of engagement for hard to reach groups with local and 

central government services 

� Community and civic values by providing welcoming, neutral civic 

places. 

We know that sixty per cent of Australians over 15 use libraries and that, in 

general, public libraries have a high access and equity rating for women, the 

aged, young people, NESB, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. A recent 

study by UTS shows that libraries function to enhance social interaction and 

Page 23


trust and that they foster a sense of equity within the community in which they 

are placed, which in turn contributes to social capital. 

These characteristics make libraries an ideal focus for harnessing community 

input into cultural regeneration, as well as offering Council a pathway to hard 

to reach communities for other planning processes. 

Fairfield’s cultural plan sets a direction for cultural development that is 

linked to a variety of other council plans including urban planning, economic 

development and education and training. As part of the plan, Fairfield Council 

has determined to become a learning city – a city which can successfully 

compete in the new knowledge based economy through the existence of a 

flexible, creative and innovative workforce. This will entail broadening the 

capacity of Fairfield’s libraries as learning centres – building on the great work 

they are doing in this area. 


The under-representation of knowledge intensive businesses and 

employment is cited in Council’s current Strategic Plan. The Plan contains a 

number of initiatives aimed at broadening the range of locally available 

employment opportunities and strengthening the City’s economic base. The 

Council needs to recognise the connection between these objectives and its 

commitment to continuous learning through the provision of a public library 

service. 

Council needs to recognise its role in creating a learning city, one which can 

adapt to new market challenges and opportunities. This, in turn, involves 

removing the barriers to Penrith City’s citizen’s access to and participation in 

these ongoing learning opportunities through the public library service. An 

analysis of the Libraries performance in relation to library services of a similar 

size and maturity indicates that these barriers include: 

� The curtailed opening hours of three of Penrith City Library’s four 

branches; 

� The relatively low staff numbers compared to libraries serving 

similar populations; 

� The need for Council to increase its book vote in order to ensure 

that the collection is up to date and relevant; 

� The limited and difficult access to material in languages other 

than English. 

The Library is about to embark on the development of its strategic plan. It is 

important that this plan includes an analysis of the barriers to access, 

particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The strategic 

plan should include strategies to overcome these barriers. 

Opportunities provided by the Library Service include exploiting the significant 

investment Council has made in ensuring public access to the Internet; an 

Page 24


investment that rates the Library third highest in internet usage amongst 

public libraries. Another strength to be highlighted in the strategic plan is the 

Library’s excellent local history collection and Research Room. 

Council also needs to recognise the important role played by its libraries as 

neutral, safe, civic meeting places and, harness this role to assist them in their 

plans to revitalise the Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre. 

Council needs to: 

� Continue to develop its partnerships between the Penrith City 

Library Service and higher learning institutions; 

� Reposition Penrith City Library Service as the focus for the 

community’s participation in the knowledge economies. This 

entails developing a strategic plan for Penrith City’s library service 

which will support this expansion, improve the relevance and scope of 

the collection, provide continued support for public access to 

information technology and address barriers to access; 

� Utilise the Central and St Marys Libraries as foci for harnessing 

community input into cultural regeneration. 

Page 25


CULTURAL AUDIT 

Appendix 2 provides a detailed description of the arts and cultural 

development resources in the Penrith City Centre and St Marys communities. 

Penrith Local Government Area 

The cultural audit reveals that Penrith Local Government Area has 135 

cultural businesses and 68 artists. The bulk of these businesses are 

concentrated in the Penrith City Centre area which has 66, with St Marys 

(including St Marys North) having the next highest concentration with 17. 

Details of this information are available on the Council data base. Specific 

details are provided in Appendix 2 on those organisations for which more 

information was available. 

Individual artists are again concentrated in the Penrith postcode area, with 55 

artists of the Local Government Area’s total of 68 identified as living in that 

area. As in other areas of Western Sydney, the presence of professional 

artists is not apparent and it is likely that, due to the lack of local infrastructure 

and support that they look elsewhere for this support and employment, 

possibly in the inner Sydney area and elsewhere in the Western Region. 

Professional non-profit cultural organisations are few in number and the 

amateur and professional/amateur organisations would appear to be 

dependant on the energy and commitment of a few dedicated volunteers. 

The levels of support available to these local organisations would again 

appear to be minimal, although in many cases Council provides access to 

accommodation at minimal or no cost. 

The level of support for arts activity within Penrith City’s schools is significant, 

with a large number of schools devoting resources to music, theatre and the 

visual arts. There would appear to be few stepping stones for secondary or 

tertiary arts students to enable them to develop their work and employment in 

the arts and remain in Penrith City. 

Penrith City Centre 

The Penrith postcode area has a diversity of restaurants spanning Asian 

(including Indian), and European cuisines. It contains 66 cultural businesses, 

with music, craft and dance suppliers the most numerous. Nine clubs and 

pubs feature live entertainment. There are nine bookshops, five newspapers 

and eleven community cultural organisations, two commercial galleries, the 

Museum of Fire and Museum of Printing, two recording studios and six digital 

media businesses. There are also three theatre companies: Railway Street, 

Penrith Musical Comedy and the Henry Lawson Theatre. The Joan 

Sutherland Performing Arts Centre is also located in the Penrith CBD. There 

are eleven community based cultural organisations including six craft, one 

visual arts, one photography, one heritage and two music organisations. 

Page 26


St Marys Town Centre 

St Marys and North St Marys postcode areas have a diversity of restaurants 

including Indian, Thai, three Chinese restaurants and a Theatre Restaurant. 

St Marys has 15 cultural businesses with dance, craft and music the most 

strongly represented. Most of St Marys seven pubs have live entertainment 

and the area includes the Westside Players Theatre Company. There are five 

community based cultural organisations, two craft, two music and one 

heritage and the St Marys Arts and Crafts Centre. 

Page 27


REGIONAL AND POLICY CONTEXT AND 

PARTNERSHIPS 

WSROC Regional Cultural Strategy 

WSROC has completed a Draft Regional Cultural Strategy which it is currently 

discussing with member Councils. The strategy proposes six strategic 

directions as the focus and a guide for future initiatives to respond to the 

cultural vision. These strategies are consistent with those proposed for 

Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre. Appendix 3 provides a more 

detailed extract of the Draft Strategies objectives, principles and strategies. 

The latter can be summarised as follows: 

1. Achieve planning outcomes that originate from community 

values –Over the next 15 years, another 258,000 homes, new roads 

and other physical infrastructure will be built in Greater Western 

Sydney to accommodate 510,000 more people. Failure to account for 

the cultural trends that influence people’s lives can result in urban 

development that diminishes social capital. 

2. Arrive at distinctive and creative places. Well-connected, 

appealing places, which proclaim the unique history and character of 

the local area and offer people a range of social and recreational 

opportunities, contribute to our wellbeing. Key to this strategy is 

establishing a network of cultural facilities that support people to 

produce, contemplate and be delighted by arts and culture. 

Furthermore, public art can enhance the enjoyment and meaning of the 

built environment. These facilities should be included in the 

masterplans for both new and established areas. 

3. Tell the region’s diverse cultural stories. This strategy aims to 

bring forth the diverse stories, heritage and practices that shape our 

regional identities to promote a deeper understanding of Greater 

Western Sydney people and places. By engaging with art we can tell 

our own stories, portray our own sense of ourselves and directly 

communicate the diverse Greater Western Sydney values, 

achievements and ambitions to the rest of the world. 

4. Cultivate a creative regional spirit. This strategy aims to promote 

cultural participation across a range of sectors such as education and 

health, and strengthen the sense of a creative regional community 

whilst building audiences for cultural activity. 

5. Realise the regions creative potential – by assisting our artists to 

fulfil their creative potential and pursue opportunities in viable sectors; 

encouraging cultural entrepreneurs to start up businesses; 

strengthening regional marketing networks and resources; and 

harnessing unique cultural tourism opportunities. 

Page 28


6. Secure equitable cultural investments in Greater Western 

Sydney – with commitments by State and Federal Governments to, 

firstly, address historical imbalances and backlogs in cultural 

infrastructure provision, and secondly, meet the new demands of 

growth and expansion of the metropolitan population. Policy 

responses must be appropriate to the cultures of Greater Western 

Sydney and should therefore be developed in partnership with local 

government, cultural organisations and communities. Priorities include 

addressing the social and cultural impacts of urban development, 

consolidation of the region’s flagship cultural institutions and planning 

for their expansion and emergence of new organisations, as well as 

disseminating the stories of the region. 

Sub regional cooperation 

Discussions with Cultural Development Officers from Blacktown and Blue 

Mountains Councils indicate that there are a number of complementary 

interests between all three councils which could form the basis of joint 

initiatives. For example, performing artists and organisations based in the 

Blue Mountains would benefit from subsidised access to a venue of the 

calibre of the JSPAC, and Penrith City audiences would benefit from 

programming in that venue which showcased local and regional artists. 

Blacktown Council’s Arts Centre is mounting touring exhibitions incorporating 

the work of local artists which could be well received in St Marys and Penrith 

City Centre. They are also developing a network of smaller performance 

venues in their halls and public buildings and developing a program featuring 

a range of musical performance genres. The recommended development of 

an arts centre in the St Marys Town Centre would complement this initiative 

very well. 

NSW Ministry for the Arts Western Sydney Strategy 

The New South Wales Government launched its Strategy for the Arts in 

Western Sydney in November 1999. In 2004 the Ministry commissioned an 

evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of the Strategy. 

The Strategy’s goals are to encourage local arts and cultural activity, increase 

participation in arts activity by the community, develop the potential of artists, 

nurture the arts industry and encourage cultural development at a regional 

level. 

With the fastest growing population in the state, by 2019 the region will be 

home to an additional half a million people, an increase of around 30%. 

WSROC’s Regional Strategy acknowledges that arts and cultural 

infrastructure in the region is under-developed, and addressing these 

historical backlogs while keeping pace with this growth provides all levels of 

government with a significant challenge. 

Page 29


The Ministry has yet to consider the findings of the evaluation. However, it is 

likely that future investment in the region will place less of an emphasis on 

funding capital works and more of an emphasis on: 

� Achieving sustainable growth for regional and sub-regional arts 

organisations through the introduction of triennial funding; 

� Professional and artistic development for artists, especially emerging 

and disadvantaged artists; 

� Creative industries development; 

� Support for the development of flexible, affordable and accessible 

multi purpose studio, rehearsal, exhibition, performance and 

workshop spaces; 

� Advise councils on best practice in the development and 

redevelopment of public space through public art; 

� Support for Indigenous arts development; 

� Addressing the inconsistent rates of development in particular art 

forms, particularly music and literature through, amongst other 

things, establishing specialist animaters in these art forms. 

Penrith City Council needs to quickly position itself to take advantage of this 

Strategy’s possible new direction. Many of the likely future directions for the 

Strategy are consistent with the developments recommended in this review. 

The development of a strategic cultural framework, costed over three years 

and based on the findings of this cultural review would place Penrith City 

Council is a strong position to attract the resources it needs to realise its 

vision for the City as a regional cultural hub and for St Marys as a culturally 

vital town centre. 

University of Western Sydney 

There are a wealth of opportunities for partnering this University and 

harnessing their expertise to assist in the cultural regeneration of Penrith City 

Centre and St Marys Town Centre. Some of these opportunities Council 

already recognises through its involvement with the Werrington Enterprise 

Living and Learning project. Other opportunities have been mentioned in the 

body of this report and include: 

� Utilising the skills of creative arts students performance and 

animation of the City’s public spaces and places; 

� Exploring ways in which the Council could support the development 

of a local television station; 

� Extending the Council’s utilisation of the University’s Academic 

Service Learning schemes and student placement programs to 

include students from the creative arts faculty; 

� Exploring the possibilities for community based arts groups to gain 

access to the University’s superb performing arts venues which 

Page 30


Deborah Mills 

March 2005 

include a 300 seat theatre, a 150 seat black box performance space 

and a rehearsal space. 

Page 31


APPENDIX 1: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS OF EARLIER STUDIES 

1. The Penrith Community Arts And Cultural Development 

Review – Praxis Research February 1993 

Major Findings: 

� Link cultural development with other Council strategies 

� Link cultural development functions within Council 

Major Recommendations: 

� Integrate cultural development strategies into Council’s major polices and 

plans 

� Develop an Arts and Cultural Policy – Community Development and 

Recreation and Cultural Services 

� Community Services Department pilot a training program for community 

organisations and workers to promote a cultural development approach to 

their work. 

� Clarify Council’s role in provision of accommodation – Community 

Services Department 

� Involve users and community in design of public facilities – Planning and 

Maintenance and Construction Directorates 

� Train Council officers in the following sections: Community Development, 

Promotions, Tourism, Parks and Reserves, Recreation, Urban Design and 

Planning to better understand cultural development and how it applies to 

their areas 

� Appoint a Cultural Resources Planner to integrate cultural development 

across Council functions 

� Use the Civic Precinct as a demonstration project for greater community, 

commercial and Council collaboration in the design of civic space 

2. Glenmore Park Cultural Plan March 1994 

The Focus of the Study 

� Cultural Resources in Penrith City – how are they managed/how can they 

better respond to the needs of a rapidly developing area/what 

opportunities are there for improving cultural participation rates amongst 

residents (of Glenmore Park)? 

� Community Cultural Development – how can Council encourage 

community cultural expression in new release areas/what strategies are 

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needed to facilitate ongoing community involvement in cultural planning in 

Glenmore Park? 

� Planning and Design of Local Environments – quality of the public domain 

– what factors are central to amenity/how can residents play an active part 

in planning and managing community environments? 

� Cultural Diversity – what opportunities are there to embed cultural diversity 

into mainstream planning frameworks/what opportunities are there to 

support CULD and Aboriginal cultures in new release areas? 

� Integrated Planning in New Release Areas – what part should cultural 

planning play/how can good teamwork between departments be 

facilitated? 

Key Recommendations 

� Manage and coordinate cultural development initiatives in Glenmore Park 

� Ensure ongoing participation by local community in cultural planning 

� Encourage recognition, appreciation and engagement of culturally diverse 

communities, young people, women 

� Establish community design teams to enhance cultural amenity and 

involve residents in planning and design of local environments 

� Facilitate productive cross-divisional work between departments in Penrith 

City Council 

� Expand the markets for public cultural facilities in Penrith City to make 

them more accessible, relevant, visible and viable 

� Establish networks between the cultural sectors in Penrith City 

� Foster greater awareness of the key role of cultural resources in the 

production of local image, local innovation and local development 

3. Plans Report March 2004 

Focus of the Study 

� To evaluate previous planning of recreational, cultural and other urban 

services and facilities and establish new plans and strategies informed by 

community needs and aspirations 

Cultural facilities were narrowly defined in this study in anticipation of the 

development of the cultural planning framework. The review of previous 

reports included in the Study Report omits mention of Glenmore Park, 

Western Sydney Arts Strategy (MFA), Praxis Report, and the strategic plan 

for the Lewers Gallery. 

Key Issues 

The PLANS Report highlights the following issues in relation to culture: 

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• The need for access to quality and useable open space in order to meet 

the demand for high quality passive and informal recreational 

opportunities, particularly nature reserves and waterways, parks and 

playgrounds; 

• Changing recreational and cultural participation and aspirations of Penrith 

City residents. Access to cultural facilities and services was viewed as 

important by 72% of residents in established areas. Access to cultural 

facilities and services is likely to become increasingly important as 

residents in established areas age; 

• Between 37% and 47% of residents see the need to improve library 

services as important or very important; 

• The need for improved design of public buildings and open space and in 

particular the need to consider the provisions of meeting and gathering 

places which cater to all groups in the community and are integrated into 

the design of district centres and the Penrith City Centre; 

• The lack of programming of community centres; 

• Endorsement of the proposed Penrith Valley Arts and Cultural Precinct in 

St Marys; 

• Requests for an increase in community events, festival and outdoor 

entertainment throughout Penrith City. 

Principle Recommendations 

� Maximise use of existing facilities 

� Rationalise recreation and cultural resources that are oversupplied 

� Provide new recreational and cultural resources where these are undersupplied 

� Encourage community involvement in service provision 

� Facilitate diverse recreational and cultural program development 

� Provide effective and sustainable management, support and resources. 

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APPENDIX 2: CULTURAL AUDIT 

Overview 

Penrith Local Government Area 

The cultural audit reveals that Penrith Local Government Area has 135 

cultural businesses and 68 artists. The bulk of these businesses are 

concentrated in the Penrith postcode area which has 66, with St Marys 

(including St Marys North) postcode areas having the next highest 

concentration with 17. Details of this information are available on the Council 

data base. Specific details are provided below on those organisations on 

which more information was available. 

Individual artists are again concentrated in the Penrith postcode area, with 55 

artists of the Local Government Area’s total of 68 identified as living in that 

area. As in other areas of Western Sydney, the presence of professional 

artists is not apparent and it is likely that, due to the lack of local infrastructure 

and support that they look elsewhere for this support and employment, 

possibly in the inner Sydney area. 

Professional non-profit cultural organisations are few in number and the 

amateur and professional/amateur organisations would appear to be 

dependant on the energy and commitment of a few dedicated volunteers. 

The levels of support available to these local organisations would again 

appear to be minimal. 

The level of support for arts activity within Penrith City’s schools is significant, 

with a large number of schools devoting resources to music, theatre and the 

visual arts. There would appear to be few stepping stones for secondary or 

tertiary arts students to enable them to develop their work and employment in 

the arts and remain in Penrith City. 


Penrith postcode area has a diversity of restaurants spanning Asian (including 

Indian), and European cuisines. It contains 66 cultural businesses, with 

music, craft and dance suppliers the most numerous. Nine clubs and pubs 

feature live entertainment. There are nine bookshops and five newspapers 

and eleven community cultural organisations, two commercial galleries the 

Museum of Fire and Museum of Printing, two recording studios and six digital 

media businesses. There are also three theatre companies: Railway Street, 

Penrith Musical Comedy and the Henry Lawson Theatre. The Joan 

Sutherland Performing Arts Centre is also located in the Penrith City Centre. 

There are eleven community based cultural organisations including six craft, 

one visual arts, one photography, one heritage and two music. 

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St Marys 

St Marys and North St Marys postcode areas also have a diversity of 

restaurants including Indian, Thai, three Chinese and a Theatre Restaurant. 

St Marys has 15 cultural businesses with dance, craft and music the most 

strongly represented. Most of St Marys seven pubs have live entertainment 

and the area includes the Westside Players Theatre Company. There are five 

community based cultural organisations, two craft, two music and one 

heritage, the St Marys Arts and Crafts Centre. 

1. Cultural Continuity 

Indigenous heritage and culture 

Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Muru Mittigar is a tourism and 

local employment venture that honours the knowledge, culture and spirit of 

Darug country. A native garden nursery, bush tucker catering and artistic 

storytelling program through dance, music and painting, is the platform for 

both vocational training for Indigenous youth and community gatherings. 

The Greater Western Sydney region sits within the boundaries of three local 

Aboriginal Land Councils – Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council at Mt 

Druitt, Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council in Liverpool and 

Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council in Wollondilly. These local 

Aboriginal Land Councils maintain cultural continuity and identity in Greater 

Western Sydney by working to return culturally significant and economically 

viable land to Aboriginal peoples as a fundamental ingredient to securing 

cultural, social and economic independence. 

Greater Western Sydney (in particular Blacktown, Campbelltown and Penrith) 

continues to be home to the largest population of Indigenous peoples in 

Australia, outside of the Northern Territory. There exists in the region, 

because of its significant position within the Indigenous population of NSW, 

the opportunity to explore new ways of promoting Indigenous culture and 

heritage and increasing the opportunities of Indigenous people in partnership 

their local groups. 

Colonial heritage 

Museum of Fire in Penrith 

This organisation is largely dependant on it commercial activities to support its 

five permanent and eight casual staff. The Museum is also dependant on the 

support of its 30 volunteers. The Museum has been established for 28 years 

and on its current site since 1985. Its collection includes vehicles from all over 

Australia. 

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Mamre 

Mamre historic homestead is situated on 200 acres of heritage listed land in 

St Marys and functions as a restaurant, gift shop and nursery. Open 49 

weeks of the year is receives approximately 10,000 visitors per year and 

8,000 people attend its annual fair. A registered training organisation, Mamre 

is currently working with the newly arrived Sudanese community in the 

development of a market garden. 

2. Cultural Activities 

Community based 


Nepean Art Society 

This organisation aims to promote and support visually creative arts in the 

Penrith Local Government Area. It has a membership of 140 ranging in ages 

from 9 to 90 years. Their operating costs are met from membership fees and 

commissions on the sale of works. They are accommodated in a building in 

North Street which they share with the Nepean Potters, porcelain painters and 

folk art group, and also use the meeting room at Lewers Gallery. They 

conduct 8 workshops and 4 exhibitions a year with attendances of up to 500. 

University of the Third Age 

This organisation aims to educate and provide and outlet for people over 55 

years of age. They have approximately 1,000 members aged from 55 to 95 

ears. Their annual budget is $20,000 raised from membership fees. They 

operate rent free form the School of Arts building and other community halls 

throughout Penrith City. Their attendances number between 4 to 25 for each 

of the hundreds of classes they run each year. 

Nepean Potters Society 

This organisation of 25 plus members aims to support potters in their craft and 

encourage the growth of pottery within the community. Their annual turnover 

is approximately $ 2,500 and their running costs are met through membership 

fees and the commission on the sale of works. They operate from a building 

provided rent free by Council. 

St Marys 

St Marys and District Historical Society 

This organisation was formed to preserve the history of the St Marys area and 

has twenty members. It operates out of the St Marys Community Arts and 

Crafts Centre. The Society holds one or two exhibitions a year and 

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participates in the Spring Festival and Mamre celebrations. It receives no 

government funding. 

St Marys Community Arts and Crafts Centre 

With approximately 200 members of all ages the Centre operates out of a 

Council provided building. The Centre offers workshops five days a week and 

two evenings per week. The Centre mounts one large and several small 

exhibitions throughout the year. The Centre also participates in fortnightly 

markets in the Coachman’s Park, St Marys. 

St Marys Development Committee 

A committee of Council, this organisation consists of ten members plus the 

Ward Councillors. They receive $20,000 per annum from Penrith City Council 

and are the organisers of the St Marys Spring Festival which includes a street 

fair, Bands in the Park, Spring Festival Ball and the Spring Fair Fun Run. 

They also organise Carols in the Park and assist with the sponsorship of the 

Art Show and Chrysanthemum Show and the Reunion in the Park. They 

estimate that attendances at the Spring Fair number 40,000. 

Individual artists 

The cultural audit has identified 68 artists living in the Penrith Local 

Government Area. 

Arts organisations 

The Penrith Symphony Orchestra is a semi-professional organisation with a 

core of talented musicians who play the whole orchestral repertoire including 

symphonies and concertos. Professionals appointed to leading positions, 

such as the principal conductor, guide a consistently high standard of 

performance. The Orchestra aims to be accessible to the community. It offers 

affordable tickets and diverse programming, whilst the volunteer Board 

members actively break down barriers between the players and audience. 

The Penrith Musical Comedy Company has been operating for 28 years. 

Its membership numbers and ages change depending on the particular 

production, but the core membership numbers 20 – 30 and members include 

children and adults up to 70 years of age. The Company stages two full 

performances a year and several smaller performances in community centres 

and nursing homes in the area. The Company rehearses in the Salvation 

Army Hall in Glenmore Park (at a cost of $60 per week) and performs in the 

John Lees Christian Centre (a 200 seat theatre behind the Fire Station). For 

a particularly big production, eg Chicago, they use the Joan Sutherland 

Performing Arts Centre, but find the costs of doing so ($15,000 for a weeks 

rental and staff costs) prohibitive. The Company has, traditionally, been an 

incubator for local talent, acting as a starting place for professional singers 

and dancers. A member of the Umbilical Brothers performed with the 

Company as a young teenager. The Company has received a small grant of 

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$1,000 for the last two years from Council. The lack of available storage 

space for their sets and costumes is a significant issue for the Company. 

‘Adjacent to Penrith railway station, the 273-seat Q Theatre has been 

operated until recently by Railway Street Theatre Company [RSTC]. In 

order to relieve financial and operational pressure on RST, agreement was 

reached that the Q Theatre’s operations should be managed on a day-to-day 

basis by the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, with Council covering 

maintenance and administration costs. RSTC has been providing a 

professional program at the Q Theatre which supplements RSTC’s own work 

with a range of bought-in professional productions from elsewhere. 

The company’s program has provided a subscription season of, generally, 8 

professional productions per year. In recent years, this has involved 

approximately 60 individual performance sessions playing to about 13, 000 

paid audience members generating about $350,000 in revenue. 

Railway Street Theatre is financially assisted by the NSW Ministry for the Arts, 

partly to support the company’s touring work into regional NSW. To date 

RSTC has articulated its mission as, equally, a Penrith based regional theatre 

company and as a regional touring company. The company is currently 

undertaking a strategic planning review, which may result in changes in 

direction. However, these plans do not include any intention to move away 

from the Penrith Local Government Area; RSTC will continue to be Penrith 

City’s professional regional theatre company. 

This audit assumes that RSTC will be a significant resident organisation at the 

enhanced JSPAC, providing: 

� a substantial component of the Centre’s drama program 

� a contribution to the JSPAC’s outreach and education programs 

� advice on programming, especially in drama 

It is assumed that non-RSTC programming, including drama, will be the 

responsibility of JSPAC’s management, in consultation with RSTC; and that 

the two organisations will cooperate closely on marketing and audience 

development activities.’ (Extract from the JSPAC Business Plan 2003). 

Community Cultural Development 

A keystone practice in Greater Western Sydney, community cultural 

development (CCD) is a strategic and proven process for building confident, 

expressive communities. Exemplary CCD projects are undertaken by 

organisations such as Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), CCD NSW 

and Penrith Regional Gallery & Lewers Bequest, as well as a range of 

community services agencies, in partnership with local communities and 

groups. Through creative and social activity, CCD fosters a safe forum for 

people to share experiences, negotiate ideas and appreciate different frames 

of reference and knowledge. 

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When the Penrith Regional Gallery & Lewers Bequest came under new 

directorship, it was determined to reconnect with the local community. A key 

strategy was to apply community cultural development principles and mentor 

community curatoriums to generate exhibitions. In the development of Time 

and Love: The Handcrafted Bedroom, the curatorium conducted research 

and community outreach, met artists and selected the works, in a process 

mediated but not controlled by the Gallery. The exhibition design was an 

exhilarating display of the everyday and the extraordinary, with beds elevated 

off the floor and drawers of delicate embroideries suspended in space. It 

attracted 4,500 visitors, resulting in close associations with guilds and other 

membership groups, who now meet regularly at the Gallery. 

3. Major Cultural Facilities 

Neighbourhood Centres 

Penrith has nineteen neighbourhood and community centres, twelve public 

halls, two senior citizens centres and four youth centres. The PLANS study 

(See Appendix 4) indicated that a number of these facilities are underutilised 

– with neighbourhood centres better utilised than public halls. The authors of 

the PLANS Report suggest that this underutilisation could be due to the 

services and activities on offer and recommend that Council take 

responsibility for the active programming of these facilities. The Report also 

flagged the need to develop equitable fees and charges for the use of Council 

owned recreational and cultural facilities. 

Libraries 

The first Public lending library was opened in Penrith City in 1948. For 

benchmarking purposes, it may be useful to compare some vital statistics 

concerning Penrith City Library with other library services serving a similar 

population. These figures are all sourced from information published by the 

State Library of NSW and provided by the Penrith City Library Service. 

Indicator Penrith* Gosford* Bankstown# 

No of branches 4 5 4 

Opening 

pw 

hours 218 283 282 

Funds voted per 25.42 

head 

35 29.88 

Exp per capita on 

library material 

2.72 3.48 3.57 

Acquisitions 

capita 

per 0.09 0.16 0.13 

Discards as % of 3.89 

total stock 

3.89 16.82 

Staff FTE 44.92 55 67.2 

Population 

FTE 

per 3,971 2,949 2,580 

%population 33% 44% 33% 

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registered 

borrowers 

Number of visits 483,559 526,544 962,568 

No. of public 39 16 18 

access terminals 

Internet access 70,023 26,424 29,250 

total hours 

Source: Public Library Branch Statistical Return. 2002/2003 

Libraries sorted by State Library statistical categories. 

*UFV category: 

Fringe (A developing LGA on the margin of a developed or regional urban centre) 

Regional Urban Centre. 

Very Large. Population >120,000 

#UDV category: 

Metropolitan Developed. (Part of an urban centre >1,000,000 and population density 

> 600/sq km) 

Very large. Population >120,000 

Penrith City Library Service is open for significantly fewer hours per week than 

Bankstown and Gosford services. A possible explanation is that the staffing 

levels are insufficient. This hypothesis would seem to be supported by an 

examination of staffing indicators which show that not only are total staff 

numbers inferior, but the ratio of population to staff members is significantly 

higher than for Gosford and Bankstown services. These lower staffing 

numbers and fewer total opening hours may also contribute to the fact that the 

number of visits to the Penrith City Library service during 2002/03 were lower 

than to the Gosford and significantly lower than Bankstown services by a 

factor of 40 – 50 percent. 

The figures for per capita acquisitions and discards for 2002/03 taken together 

would seem to indicate that Penrith City libraries have older stock and are not 

purchasing at a sufficient level to keep their collection as contemporary and 

relevant as those of Bankstown library service. 

In relation to internet access, a critical service if Penrith City’s population is to 

participate in the knowledge economies, Penrith City’s service is superior to 

those of Gosford and Liverpool services both in terms of the total number of 

terminals available and the total number of hours access provided – more 

than double the hours for Liverpool and Gosford. Penrith City Library has the 

third highest rate of internet usage amongst public libraries. This service has 

grown from zero over the last ten years and now requires approximately 3 

FTE staff to operate. 

Penrith City Library also houses a significant historical collection. Their 

Research Centre is open daily and houses a local map collection of 500 

maps, local magazines, 50,000 photographic images which are being 

progressively indexed and put onto an image data base, collected historical 

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books, oral histories, family histories and newspaper collection. All of these 

are catalogued; making the collection very user-friendly and accessible. 

Art Galleries and Art Centres 

Since 2002, Penrith Regional Gallery & the Lewers Bequest has 

concentrated on creating programs with a distinctly local attitude. It has 

emphasised the home and garden of celebrated artists Gerald and Margo 

Lewers and, instead of importing exhibitions, the Gallery now works with local 

communities to generate shows that capture local interest and talent. Anita 

and Beyond was a mix of social history, personal memories and 

contemporary art, remembering the life of Anita Cobby. Seventeen years after 

her rape and murder in Blacktown, the community is still deeply affected by 

her story. The exhibition was developed by a community curatorium that 

included Anita’s parents and aimed to ‘tell personal stories that examine the 

realities of life after violence, in an attempt to heal’. Over the period of the 

exhibition, there were 17,450 visitors to the Gallery, representing a 400% 

increase in attendance figures. 

General visits to the Gallery increased by more that four-fold between 2001 

and 2003, to more than 50,000 visitors in 203. Educational visits increased by 

more than four-fold in the same period. 

Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Centre exhibits and sells work by 

Aboriginal artists from around Australia. The Centre is visited by inbound 

tourists, and aims to expand its exhibition space and performance program to 

offer more employment to local Aboriginal artists. 

Art Collections 

The University of Western Sydney Art Collection focuses on work by 

renowned Australian artists. The UWS Acquisitive Sculpture Award and 

Exhibition supports the creation of large-scale site specific outdoor sculpture 

which enhances the campus environment. The award aims to establish closer 

links between the University, artists and industry, and encourages local 

businesses to invest in public art. 

Theatre and Performing Arts Centres 

Parramatta Riverside Theatre, the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts 

Centre and the Hills Centre are the major performance venues in Greater 

Western Sydney. These venues showcase national and international 

performing art companies alongside a suite of local community productions, 

functions and workshops. 

‘The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre [JSPAC] was opened in 

1990. The Centre currently comprises a 660-seat open-stage performance 

venue, nine music teaching rooms, and a function room and foyer area. 

Recently completed renovations include: 

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� 660 seat ‘Richard Bonynge’ Concert Theatre. 

� 400 seat ‘Q Theatre’ drama theatre. 

� 80-100 seat ‘Allan Mullins’ multi-use theatre. 

� 22 studio Music School. 

� 4 ensemble/orchestral size studios 

� Multi-use foyer/exhibition space. 

� Upgrade of existing foyer. 

� New administration. 

� New kitchen. 

� Additional change rooms, Green Room, and public amenities. 

� Provision for future additional studio/office spaces. 

JSPAC showcases a range of national theatre and musical groups. The 

Centre has a specialty teaching focus and its studios are used to capacity by 

the Penrith Conservatorium of Music. It offers classes in Music Therapy, 

Speech and Drama, Early Childhood Music and Youth Choir. It is currently the 

venue manager for Q Theatre, whose resident professional company, Railway 

Street Theatre, has been included in the extensions for the Centre. 

From its early days the Centre has placed a strong emphasis on classical 

music education. The music teaching rooms are rented out to a group of 

approximately 20 individual music teachers who provide tuition on an 

individual, sessional basis to students. The Centre’s Conservatorium does 

not provide an accredited tertiary-level curriculum, but does implement quality 

control procedures in relation to the selection of music teachers who hire the 

teaching rooms. 

In addition to the provision of music education facilities the Centre’s main 

auditorium and function room are available for hire by cultural and community 

groups, schools and other organisations. The Centre occasionally promotes 

events at its own risk. 

In the ten years to 2001 the Centre hosted an average of 110 performances 

or events per year, of which: 

� 31% were schools hires (34 per year) 

� 21% were community events (23 per year) 

� 11% were children’s performances (12 per year) 

� 9% were morning melodies (10 per year) 

Overall utilisation of the main auditorium is approximately 30%. Although 

there were regular conference events in the early years of the Centre’s 

operation, this business has declined in recent years. A modest amount of 

conference activity takes place in the Allan Mullins Room. Some community 

hires have also come under increasing pressure from competition from the 

local RSL and Leagues’ clubs. 

The Centre is operated on behalf of Penrith City Council by an independently 

constituted body, Penrith Bicentennial Performing Arts Centre Ltd, which 

receives an annual subsidy of c. $100,000 per year from City Council. The 

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company is led by a board, with day to day operations being handled by three 

full-time staff, assisted by part-time and casual staff. Valda Silvy has been in 

post as General Manager of the Centre since shortly after the Centre’s 

opening. 

The music teaching rooms have been the engine of the Centre, providing it 

with a high level of non-performance utilisation, and with a point of difference 

from many other arts centres.’ (Extract from JSPAC Business Plan 2003). 

Entertainment Venues 

Major club venues such as the St Marys Band Club and Penrith Panthers 

offer a range of international acts, well-known Australian celebrities and 

cabaret shows. The potential for these clubs to collaborate with arts 

institutions and organisations is being explored. 

Panthers Leagues Club contains a 900-seat venue/function room, which can 

be configured in a number of formats. The function room is hired out to 

dance schools, for end of year school presentations, for sporting events, 

fashion parades, and private functions. Conference business is also a 

regular activity. At an all-up rate between $5000 and $9000 it is a venue 

which is beyond the resources of many community and cultural groups. 

Panthers Club regularly programs entertainment. Although this has included 

the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, most of the entertainment program is 

focused on leading popular touring acts (e.g. Gene Pitney), and tribute 

concerts. Some theatre is presented, but this is considered less successful 

because of the function room’s configuration, the ambient noise levels, and 

the market positioning of the Club (not ‘high brow’). 

Panthers also have a second space which seats 200. It is used for under-age 

(alcohol-free) discos, comedy nights, and local youth bands. There is also a 

suite of function rooms, seating 40, 150, and 300. 

4. Education 

The Department of Education and Training’s (DET) Arts Unit is based in 

Westmead, with two Regional Arts Coordinators covering the Western Sydney 

and South West Sydney regions. They coordinate dance, drama and music 

festivals, public speaking competitions and visiting artist programs, organise 

arts camps and intensive workshops for talented students, and run an arts 

grant program. 

Innovative programs and partnerships have been established between 

schools, and with external organisations. For example, Weaving Words sees 

Year 10 and 11 students mentoring Year 6 students to create drama and 

poetry pieces culminating in performances for local schools. Another drama 

program works with Railway Street Theatre Company and links preliminary 

course drama teachers and students with student mentors from UWS. The 

program is funded by Wentworth Area Health Service, so the drama 

Page 44


workshops result in a series of vignettes addressing health issues. These are 

performed at the Youth Festival at Q Theatre. 

In 2003, the Museums and Galleries Foundation researched and piloted a 

Schools Access Strategy in Greater Western Sydney. This study involved 

DET, local high schools, museums and galleries, and demonstrated how 

creative art practice, and galleries as learning environments, could achieve 

specific learning outcomes across the whole curriculum. This project 

strengthened the relationships between individual schools and galleries and 

produced a series of useful resource sheets. 

The University of Western Sydney offers a range of arts courses through 

the School of Contemporary Arts and School of Communication and 

Design. The Werrington campus has excellent facilities including studios and 

a theatre. The Centre for Cultural Research focuses on the relationships 

between social and cultural change, local cultures, and the transformation of 

communities, places and localities. It specialises in developing innovative, 

wide-ranging, creative and reflexive research relevant to local communities, in 

collaboration with government departments, cultural institutions and 

community organisations. 

UWS is committed to regional community engagement and this unique 

principle informs its teaching, research and development programs. Through 

the newly formed Arts Consultative Panel, which comprises the relevant 

heads of school, directors from regional arts venues, local and NSW 

Government representatives, the University seeks to open up practical 

pathways for students to apply their creative skills in industry projects, and 

collaborate with professional artists and organisations. 

5. State Cultural Institutions 

A partnership between the Museum of Contemporary Art, Casula 

Powerhouse and Penrith Regional Gallery aims to facilitate arts/ business/ 

community partnerships in Greater Western Sydney. 

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APPENDIX 3: EXTRACT FROM WSROC REGIONAL 

CULTURAL STRATEGY 

A Cultural Vision for Greater Western Sydney 

By the year 2030, we see that: 

Greater Western Sydney is the author of contemporary Australian life. Here, 

diverse socio-cultural, economic and environmental complexities converge and are 

worked out in the dynamics of everyday community life. This fertile mixture arouses 

debate that forges new ways of thinking and adds to a bank of creative skills and 

knowledges. 

People in Greater Western Sydney lead fulfilling, healthy and creative lives. A 

myriad of cultural activities bring to life the experiences and customs of the regions 

diverse communities, inspiring creative participation that opens up new social 

exchanges and nourishes cultural understanding and respect. 

Greater Western Sydney Councils lead the way in best-practice cultural 

planning and continue to play a key role in the regions cultural development. Urban 

planning benefits from the strategic application of community cultural development 

(CCD) processes that exemplify inclusive, sustainable planning and policy 

development. 

Increased civic participation strengthens people’s sense of attachment to their 

communities and neighbourhoods. Here, in this multi-centred region of cities, 

each place resonates with its own distinctive rhythm. Familiar vistas and historic 

places are protected, whilst public art proclaims the regions diverse heritage and 

contemporary cultures, achievements and aspirations. 

State and federal government and private investment frame local government’s 

role in the cultural development of Greater Western Sydney. Government support is 

in line with the regions rapidly growing population, providing ongoing funds for 

cultural infrastructure, staff and programs that are relevant to the needs and interests 

of Greater Western Sydney communities. 

An accessible network of complementary creative spaces across the region 

supports all forms of creative endeavour – spaces for people to produce and debate, 

exhibit and perform, archive and research, art. The regions cultural organisations 

and artist co-ops are networked, and can effectively mobilise resources, professional 

expertise and training to develop creative skills and access communication 

technologies. 

The importance of the regions diverse heritage, arts and culture in Australia’s 

cultural development is well known, and the stories are broadcast in arts practice 

and the media. So too are the innovations of the regions artists and institutions in 

forging a distinctive and sophisticated arts culture. 

The region retains its skilled, creative graduates because our education 

institutions work in concert with pivotal arts organisations to provide increasingly 

‘hands on’ opportunities for students. This opens up new professional networks and 

Page 46


graduates can secure guidance and seed grants to establish artist run initiatives and 

other projects. 

Cultural and creative industries contribute to the regional economy. A myriad 

of businesses demand creative skills and culturally diverse knowledges, which 

translates into targeted training and employment opportunities for artists within the 

region. The business community invests in sponsorships and partnerships with 

cultural organisations and artists. 

The people of Sydney’s Greater West are proud of their culture. They cherish 

their diverse heritages and lifestyles, nourish each other and their environment, and 

confidently pass on these values to their children. 

Guiding Principles 

These principles will guide decision making at the regional level. They reflect the 

unique cultural dynamics of Greater Western Sydney: 

1. Sustainability - Urban sustainability requires that urban planning entails a 

rigorous understanding of the culture – the values, experiences and habits - 

of the very people who structure demand for services and resources, and 

likewise, and appreciation of arts and ethnic diversity. 

Cultural investment should nourish a vibrant and creative culture and secure 

opportunities for the benefit of generations to come. Nurturing a creative 

Greater Western Sydney culture that abounds with diverse knowledges, fresh 

ideas and skills, will contribute to developing sophisticated new approaches to 

regional sustainability. 

2. Dynamism and Diversity - in recognition that diverse systems involve 

complex and interdependent relationships, which maximise stability, growth 

and responsiveness to change. 

It is through diverse social interactions and cultural exchanges that we 

negotiate and affirm our social bonds and express individual identities. We 

grow mutual respect between communities by learning to appreciate different 

cultural conventions and understanding how historical representations have 

shaped present-day relationships. 

3. Inclusion and Community Relevance - in recognition that people’s local 

knowledge and experience should be included in decision-making that affects 

their lives. 

Cultural events, activities, facilities and organisations should be locally 

accessible and inspire people to share their stories and contribute to a rich 

cultural life. A keystone practice in Greater Western Sydney, community 

cultural development (CCD) is an inclusive process for building confident, 

expressive communities. 

4. Openness and Continuity - in recognition that openness and continuity 

are key to building robust communities who enjoy the benefits of a fertile 

cultural life. 

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In Greater Western Sydney, a sense of cultural continuity through practicing 

customs and passing down stories to new generations is vital to maintain 

community and cultural identity. 

5. Integration and Connectivity - in recognition that best-practice cultural 

planning integrates cultural matters into broader policies for urban planning. 

It seeks coordination within local government departments, across State and 

Federal Government agencies, between regional arts organisations and other 

stakeholders to cooperate in achieving regional cultural outcomes. 

Cultural planning aims to enhance people’s sense of connection to each 

other, to their neighbourhoods and region. Connectivity also refers to 

people’s access to communication technologies, their social relationships and 

ability to ‘get about’ at a local level. Furthermore, it refers to the fluid creative 

approaches of the regions cultural institutions, which dissolve disciplinary 

hierarchies and merge contemporary arts practice with sociology and CCD. 

6. Distinctiveness - in recognition that Greater Western Sydney is multicentred 

region of cities, each with its own distinct community culture and 

identity. These identities are shaped by the unique combination of 

environment and historical developments, the diversity of people and their 

circumstances and the economic base of the place. 

Distinctiveness is an outcome of working with communities and responding to 

their specialised local knowledge to inform urban design, facilities planning 

and tourism development, rather than just reproducing generic or all-purpose 

plans. Studies of cities worldwide demonstrate that residents, visitors and 

skilled workers are attracted to places with a distinctive character and lively, 

engaged community. 

7. Creativity - in recognition that creativity is not just the motivation for 

producing art, it is the key to devising new approaches to complex 

contemporary urban challenges. 

Creativity is a quality that must be must be valued and nurtured. Access to 

the necessary resources to be creative, supported by a culture that fosters 

curiosity, collaboration and connectedness, are essential to building social 

capital and meaning. In Greater Western Sydney, creative activities are a 

means of publicly recognising and celebrating the community’s values, 

achievements and ambitions. 

Strategic Directions 

These six strategic directions provide the focus for the Regional Cultural Strategy, 

and a guide for future initiatives to respond to the cultural vision: 

1. Achieve planning outcomes that originate from community values – 

because the well-being of Greater Western Sydney communities depends on 

the effective inclusion of their diverse views in the urban planning process. 

Over the next 15 years, another 258,000 homes, new roads and other 

physical infrastructure will be built in Greater Western Sydney to 

accommodate 510,000 more people. Failure to account for the cultural trends 

that influence people’s lives can result in urban development that diminishes 

social capital. Cultural planning offers insights and mechanisms for urban 

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sustainability because at its core is the communication of peoples values. It 

offers the tools of community cultural development (CCD), cultural impact 

assessments and cultural indicators. 

2. Arrive at distinctive and creative places – because a sense of place and 

the timely provision of physical ‘hard’ cultural infrastructure are vital 

ingredients in regional cultural development. Well-connected, appealing 

places, which proclaim the unique history and character of the local area and 

offer people a range of social and recreational opportunities contribute to our 

wellbeing. Key to this strategy is establishing a network of cultural facilities 

that support people to produce, contemplate and be delighted by arts and 

culture. Furthermore, public art can enhance the enjoyment and meaning of 

the built environment. These facilities should be included in the masterplans 

for both new and established areas. 

3. Tell the regions diverse cultural stories – because the stories that 

people hear and tell, shape their expectations of a place. This strategy aims 

to bring forth the diverse stories, heritage and practices that shape our 

regional identities to promote a deeper understanding of Greater Western 

Sydney people and places. By engaging with art we can tell our own stories, 

portray our own sense of ourselves and directly communicate the diverse 

Greater Western Sydney values, achievements and ambitions to the rest of 

the world. 

4. Cultivate a creative regional spirit – because by nurturing the conditions 

that enable creativity to flourish, people have greater opportunities to 

participate in lively, self-renewing cultural life. This strategy focuses on the 

‘soft’ infrastructure - in particular, cross-disciplinary networks - necessary to 

the regions cultural development. It aims to promote cultural participation 

across a range of sectors such as education and health, and strengthen the 

sense of a creative regional community whilst building audiences for cultural 

activity. 

5. Realise the regions creative potential – by supporting our creative hub, 

that is, the artists, entrepreneurs and arts workers for whom creative invention 

and interpretation is core business. This strategy focuses the ‘soft’ 

infrastructure necessary to sustain a vibrant and self-replenishing creative 

industry. It includes assisting our artists to fulfil their creative potential and 

pursue opportunities in viable sectors; encouraging cultural entrepreneurs to 

start up businesses; strengthening regional marketing networks and 

resources; and harnessing unique cultural tourism opportunities. 

6. Secure equitable cultural investments in Greater Western Sydney – 

with commitments by State and Federal Governments to, firstly, address 

historical imbalances and backlogs in cultural infrastructure provision, and 

secondly, meet the new demands of growth and expansion of the 

metropolitan population. Policy responses must be appropriate to the 

cultures of Greater Western Sydney and should therefore be developed in 

partnership with local government, cultural organisations and communities. 

Priorities include addressing the social and cultural impacts of urban 

development, consolidation of the regions flagship cultural institutions and 

planning for their expansion and emergence of new organisations, as well as 

disseminating the stories of the region. 

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APPENDIX 4: REFERENCES 

Anderson, Stacey (2003) Address to Cultural Vitality Symposium, Gasworks 

Theatre, Albert Park, Melbourne 

Bianchini, Franco (1993) Urban Cultural Policy in Britain and Europe: Towards 

Cultural Planning, Griffith University 

Bianchini, Franco (1996) Cultural Policy: Towards the Creative City 

International Arts Manager 

Borrowed Time? The Future of Public Libraries in the U.K. – a special 

Publication of the Institute for Cultural Policy Studies, Faculty of Humanities, 

Griffith University in association with Comedia, 1993 

Bundy, Alan Changing Lives, Making the Difference: the 21 st Century Public 

Librarian, address by University Librarian University of South Australia, Aplis 

16(1) March 2003 

Cox, Eva et alia (June 2000) A safe place to go – Libraries and Social Capital 

results of a survey funded by the Public Libraries Branch of the State Library 

of NSW 

Culture and the City (2003), a proposal to the London Assembly from the 

Cultural Strategy Partnership for London 

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, U.K. (2003) Framework for the 

Future: Turning Vision into Action for Public Libraries 

Evans, Graeme and Shaw, Phyllida (January 2004) The Contribution of 

Culture to Regeneration in the UK: A Review of the Evidence: A Report to the 

Department of Culture, Media and Sport 

Florida, Richard, 2002, The Rise of the Creative Classes, Basic Books, New 

York 

Flowers, Rick and McEwen, Celina (2003) The Impact of ‘Re-igniting 

Community’ and ‘The Torch’ on community capacity Building, Centre for 

Popular Education, University of Technology, Sydney 

Gehl, Jan (2005) Lively, attractive and safe cities – but how? Notes for 

address to RAIA seminar by Jan Gehl, Director, Centre for Public Space 

Research, School of Architecture, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, 

Copenhagen 

Graham, Paul (2004) Draft Cultural Plan Discussion Paper Fairfield City 

Council 

Guppy, Marla (1994) Glenmore Park Cultural Plan 

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Hill PDA Consulting (July 2004) Penrith City Centre Economic Analysis Study 

Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) (2004) The Arts Directory for 

Western Sydney 

Kirkman, John and McDonald, Bruce (2004) Penrith Regional Gallery and the 

Lewers Bequest Strategic Plan (adopted 8/3/04) 

Lally, Elaine (2004) A Strategy for the Arts in Western Sydney: An evaluation 

Consultants’ Report, Centre for Cultural Research UWS 

Landry, Charles, Greene, Lesley, Matarasso, Francois and Bianchini, Franco 

(1996) The Art of Regeneration: Urban Renewal Through Cultural Activity, 

Comedia, and Stroud 

Lee-Shoy, Tiffany, (October 2004) Greater Western Sydney Regional Cultural 

Strategy: Authoring Contemporary Australia WSROC 

Mercer, Colin (1995) Navigating the Economy of Knowledge: A National 

Survey of Users and Non-Users of State and Public Libraries Cultural 

Ministers’ Council 

Mills, Deborah and Brown, Paul (2004) Art and Wellbeing, Australia Council 

NSW Government Architect, Urban Design Analysis of St Marys Town Centre 

and Penrith City Centre (June 2004) 

Parramatta City Council Arts and Cultural Plan 2000 – 2005 

Penrith City Council (April 2002) Youth Needs Audit Final Report 

Penrith City Council (2004) Penrith City – the Competitive Edge: A Discussion 

Prompt 

Penrith City Council (2004) Penrith City: The Competitive Edge Strategic Plan 

2005 – 2009 (Effective from 1 July 2005, adopted 13/12/04) 

Positive Solutions (July 2003) JSPAC Business Plan 

Praxis Research (February 1993) Penrith Community Arts and Cultural 

Development Review 

Randolph, Bill and Holloway, Darren (2003) Urban Growth in Penrith – a 

Research Report prepared for Penrith City Council, Urban Frontiers Program, 

UWS 

State Library of NSW (July 2004) Public Library Statistics 20002/03 

Sinclair Knight Merz (2004) Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre 

Access and Transport Analysis 

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Urbis JHD & Stratcorp Consulting (March 2004) People’s Lifestyle, 

Aspirations and Needs Study (PLANS Report) 

VicHealth Creative Connections: Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing 

through Community Arts Participation, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation 

Mental Health Promotion Plan 1999 – 2002, VicHealth, 2003 

www.vichealth.vic.gov.au 

VicHealth (2004) Health in Public Spaces: Art and Environment Scheme 

Village Well (January, 2005) Penrith St Marys Our City Centres Project 

Community Visioning Report 

Weller, Erich (Community Programs Coordinator, Penrith City Council) 

(August 2004) Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre vitality and 

Viability Review – Social Profile 

Woods Bagot (2000) Mamre Road Community and Cultural Precinct Master 

Plan 

Worpole, Ken and Greenhalgh, Liz (1999) The Richness of Cities: Urban 

Policy in a New Landscape – Final Report, Comedia in association with 

Demos 

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