![Relaunch: [from left] Centre for Western Sydney director Dr Andy Marks, Western Sydney Parkland Authority CEO Dr Sarah Hill, ABC Radio Sydney manager Melanie Withnall, and WSU Institute for Culture and Society Associate Professor Shanthi Robertson. Picture: Sally Tsoutas](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/eTBbQGqUAgjVpgRS4SQUUF/92c61281-ff4c-4bf7-a2d2-d443ceece9b8.jpg/r372_0_2200_1242_w576_h298_fmax.webp "Relaunch: [from left] Centre for Western Sydney director Dr Andy Marks, Western Sydney Parkland Authority CEO Dr Sarah Hill, ABC Radio Sydney manager Melanie Withnall, and WSU Institute for Culture and Society Associate Professor Shanthi Robertson. Picture: Sally Tsoutas")
Western Sydney University has relaunched its Centre for Western Sydney to serve as a research, policy and advocacy hub for the region.
According to WSU, the decision to breathe new life into the centre, which originally launched in 2014, comes in response to the significant social and economic challenges facing Sydney's west, including the issues of climate change, employment, education and infrastructure.
Under the directorship of director, Dr Andy marks, also WSU's assistant vice chancellor, the centre will partner with community, industry and government, to find solutions to each of the pressing issues.
"Many areas of western Sydney are particularly exposed to the impact of the current recession, due to pre-existing inequities compared to the rest of Greater Sydney," said Dr Marks.
"Access to employment, education, health services, transport and digital connectivity remains fragmented for a great number of people in the west. Those challenges have been compounded in recent months.
"The scale of the challenge requires a renewed approach. The centre will deliver solution-orientated change through quality research and advocacy. Undertaken by leading experts from a range of fields, the centre's work will promote the lived experiences of the people and communities of this region."
The new Centre for Western Sydney will bring together WSU's unique research insights on the region, and "champion collaborative and cross disciplinary research and advocacy" for western Sydney and its people.
It will produce long and short form analysis, commentary and policy engagement on issues of importance to the west.
It will also issue a regular 'Western Sydney Report Card' evaluation of the performance of governments across eight key areas of the region's development: education, health, housing, transport, digital, culture, social and economic.
"Western Sydney is experiencing rapid development and population growth," Dr Marks said.
"As the nation's third largest economy and its most intensely contested political landscape, the west is often talked about, but rarely is it actually listened to.
"The centre seeks to change that, through meaningful dialogue, high-quality research, genuine collaboration and committed advocacy."
