City of Parramatta Councillors have lobbied for the Centre for Australia-India Relations to be located in Parramatta.
The Australian Government’s commitment to establishing the new, high-profile body has sparked a push from Council to bring it to the local area.
Discussed at a recent Parramatta Council meeting, Councillors voted to advocate for the centre to be established in the city.
This endorsement comes after the centre received funding through the Federal Budget released last month.
Deputy Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey believes Parramatta would serve as the ideal location for the Centre for Australia-India Relations.
“The new Centre for Australia-India Relations has been allocated $42 million by the Government,” Cr Pandey said.
“This is an excellent initiative by the Government, it’s just a matter of [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to decide where the centre should go and I think Parramatta would be a great place for this centre to be established.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said the centre will work with diaspora communities to help foster new ties with India.
It will focus on becoming a “national platform” that brings together all levels of government, together with industry and the broader community to drive Australia-India engagement.
Lord Mayor Donna Davis said Melbourne is currently the “top competition” for the centre’s possible location. However, she voiced her support for establishing it in Parramatta.
“If we can secure this in our city it would be a wonderful coup,” she said.
Others who have also backed Parramatta as the location of choice include Business Western Sydney Executive Director David Borger and NSW Australia India Business Council (AIBC) President Irfan Malik, who signed a letter addressed to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong.
Calling for the Government to centre Australia’s engagement with India in Parramatta, the letter addresses the 2021 Census results, which revealed Parramatta is home to the largest population of Indian and South Asian people in Australia.
“The Centre for Australia-India Relations can be a perfect opportunity to further unite these powerful enterprises and communities,” it said.
“We request that priority is given to progressing this important initiative, developing it in the central and strategic location of Parramatta, to maximise the opportunity in our hands.”
Council will now write to Member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton, expressing it support for the centre to be based in Parramatta.
It is expected the Centre for Australia-India Relations will be established in mid-2023.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.