| Parramatta slams Federal Government’s SBS backflip |
** City of Parramatta says the Federal Government’s retreat on funding an
SBS production hub in western Sydney is an insult to the region and its
communities.
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Parramatta slams Federal Government’s SBS backflip
18/03/2026
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: City of Parramatta says the Federal Government’s retreat on funding an SBS production hub in western Sydney is an insult to the region and its communities.
Council advocated for Parramatta to be the home of the new production hub, after it was identified as one of several ideal Western Sydney locations for Australia’s national multilingual broadcaster.
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said the decision to backtrack on a funding commitment for the SBS expansion was deeply disappointing and raised questions about the Federal Government’s commitment to equity and opportunity for the region.
“This is a shameful decision and a clear insult to the people of western Sydney,” Cr Zaiter said.
“The Federal Government committed to fund an SBS production hub in the west, and now appears to be backing away from that promise. Western Sydney has once again been left behind.”
Cr Zaiter said Western Sydney is home to some of the most culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the country and is exactly where Australia’s multilingual public broadcaster should be investing in jobs, skills and storytelling.
“Parramatta is already proving itself as Western Sydney’s media and cultural capital,” Cr Zaiter said.
“We are home to people from 117 nationalities, with more than half our population born overseas.
“We host the ABC’s flagship television news broadcast and major newsrooms like the Sydney Morning Herald are already embedded in our CBD.
“That’s exactly why Parramatta was a natural fit for an SBS production hub - and why walking away from this commitment makes no sense.
“Failing to deliver this production hub sends the wrong message to millions of people who deserve to see their stories told and their voices heard.”
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