Labor Candidate for Parramatta Andrew Charlton has promised to put Wigram Street in Harris Park “on the map,” with a $3.5 million commitment to develop the precinct.
Mr Charlton was joined by City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Donna Davis and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Richard Marles, as well as local business owners and community members, as he made the announcement at Wigram Street.
Mr Charlton said the five-part commitment was part of his “strong plan for our future”.
“Firstly, we’re investing in creating a dazzling streetscape with seasonal lights, with street sculpture and new street furniture to make sure this is a beautiful and colourful seasonal precinct,” he said.
“Secondly, we are providing grants to shops and business owners to improve their signage and shopfronts. Third, we are investing in parking. We can’t make this a tourist destination unless there is better parking and better accessibility.”
The commitment will also look to upgrade the lighting and security in the precinct, with Mr Charlton announcing he will work with the community to ensure an appropriate name for the area is chosen.
A small business owner himself, Mr Charlton said he understands how tough it has been the past few years for many small business owners.
“That’s why I am really proud to have worked with local businesses to develop this plan. I look forward to making this the tourist destination that it should be,” he said.
Cr Davis said local businesses have been crying out for an investment of this kind for a long time.
“This is already a destination, not just for our city, but for people from across greater Sydney, and we want to make it even more of a destination,” she said.
“To do that, we need to ensure that it is a safe place to visit, it has a wonderful outdoor environment that is welcoming and that it has all of the atmosphere that you need to invite visitors to this area. And that comes from an investment such as this.”
Mr Marles said the $3.5 million investment will see the creation of something really special.
“There’s the real opportunity of creating a tourist attraction which will attract people here, and in doing that, attract people to something special,” he said.
“This is a smart idea and this is a local idea. It says so much about Andrew Charlton as our fantastic candidate for Parramatta to come up with this idea.”
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.