Parramatta: going up in the world

For 30 years I've been hearing about Parramatta being the real centre of Sydney, as in the geographical centre or demographic centre of gravity (though actually that's Concord). It's certainly been accepted for a while as the most appropriate place to think of as the capital of western Sydney.

Well in recent years it's started to look more and more inevitable that one day it will be quite legitimately looked on as central Sydney proper. The existing Sydney CBD is towards the far east of the metropolitan area, and is small and congested, and very hard to get to for huge numbers of those who have to go there daily. Several cities around the world grew too big for their historical centres, and adopted new ones more appropriate to their modern needs.

OK, Parramatta's skyscrapers aren't that big yet, but they're working on it. There's even a plan to build the tallest building in Australia. I think it's supposed to be about one centimetre taller than the one in Melbourne, but there's some argument with the aviation authorities. OK, the roads are congested, and the additional heavy rail links keep getting promised and cancelled in a very Australian 'State vs Federal' party political way.

There are several light rail routes being proposed, radiating out from the place. You never know, they might even happen. If so it'll be one at a time, and they're being thought of as competitive projects rather than a unified network that has to be in place early on in the growth process. Why is Sydney so incapable of doing planning? One way or another Parramatta probably will become Sydney's main centre. We might as well accept that and do it properly.

Such were my thoughts as I strolled around the place yesterday morning, enjoying the old and the new, and enjoying too the fabulous blue sky winter day.