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TRANSCRIPT
It's one of the most diverse areas of Australia; the rapidly growing Western suburbs of Sydney, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics flagging a 13 per cent population increase between 2016 and 2021.
The last census released in 2021 also shows the area has a higher than average percentage of people born overseas and who also use a language at home other than English.
For many, Western Sydney is considered the heartland of multicultural Australia and a natural future site for SBS - the home of not only foreign movies and football but also 60 plus audio programs in languages other than English.
But plans for a new SBS production hub in Western Sydney have been scrapped by the Federal government.
In an internal email to staff, SBS's acting managing director Jane Palfreyman confirmed the plan will not be going any further.
“It is disappointing that the initiative will not be progressing, given the opportunities it presented to expand SBS’s facilities and content capacity, build on our existing work, tell more stories, and deepen engagement in one of Australia’s most diverse and fastest-growing regions. The Government has indicated that its decision has been made in the context of the current fiscal environment. I want to emphasise that this outcome does not reflect the quality or rigour of the work undertaken by SBS in developing the proposal.”
So what was the plan?
The Australian Government had provided SBS with funding to develop a Western Sydney production hub and talent incubator.
The hub would have seen a home for increased SBS programming, including news and current affairs, multilingual audio services and screen content.
The idea was also to provide local communities with improved access to SBS jobs and education pathways and a greater connection to SBS.
In a statement a spokesperson for Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed there would be no move to Western Sydney.
“The government will not be providing additional funding for the expansion proposed by SBS at this time. We will continue to support the important work of the SBS now and into the future. The Albanese Government is proud to have delivered 5-year funding terms to the SBS. This funding will see more than $1.7 billion invested into our multicultural national broadcaster through to 27/28. This funding is complemented by the Government's recent commitment to SBS Examines to tackle misinformation and foster social cohesion.”
Last year SBS had issued a request for potential locations for the hub via an open, competitive EOI.
Many local councils expressed interest in the hub including Liverpool Council.
In a statement Mayor Ned Mannoun described the decision by the federal government as a "retrograde betrayal of hope and ambition."
Blacktown was another council to express interest.
Blacktown city is one of the most culturally diverse communities in Australia with residents from more than 180 birthplaces, speaking 185 different languages and it has the 4th largest Council area by population in Australia.
Mayor Brad Bunting says while he understands budgetary constraints are real, he's optimistic that in the future the government might revisit the plan.
“Obviously I'm disappointed. Western Sydney is a perfect place for SBS, the multicultural community that we have out here. I think bringing things further west is also a good idea. We all don't live in the eastern suburbs anymore. There's a lot of creative people that live in Western Sydney and I think it would be a fantastic place to have SBS. But saying that. Also, I get budgetary restraints. I get that you know, at this particular time they're saying not now. I believe the federal government is serious about bringing SBS to Western Sydney. They wouldn't have put together this study, costing millions of dollars if they weren't serious about it. So I'm encouraging the minister to be able to keep talking to Treasury to find the funding in future budgets to bring SBS where I think it's real home is in Western Sydney.”
Western Sydney Dialogue is a not-for-profit business and advocacy group.
The group's CEO Adam Leto says the group is disappointed by the decision, but says the SBS Western Sydney hub remains a real option in some shape or form in the future.
“I think our, our hope was that there'd be a cost neutral option, that would still allow, um, this facility to come to life in Western Sydney and we still remain hopeful if that does happen. We're aware of a number of options in the region, that presented cases, solid cases, we understand. to have a production hub in, in its centre and we're really hopeful that the government will re-look at some of these options. It might not have been the preferred option, but we believe that there's an option A, B, and C, that could be considered, that could provide a solution that's not going to cause a drain on on government's budget.”
Speaking to SBS Hindi, Labor's minister for multicultural affairs Dr Anne Aly says in uncertain economic times, governments need to make decisions based on the context of those times.
“Unfortunately, not every good idea can be funded. However, that does not mean that we do not continue to value the important work of SBS, the important contribution that SBS makes to ensuring that commitment and that vision of multiculturalism in Australia as part of our character, part of our national character, part of our national identity. And we will ensure that this decision does not impact on service delivery. We have a commitment to SBS to the tune of $1.7 billion over the next five years. We are sticking to that commitment. And as I said, unfortunately, the times dictate that we sometimes have to make decisions that I understand would be disappointing to some people.”
Ms Palfreyman says despite the decision, SBS remains deeply committed to the communities of Western Sydney, continuing to tell the stories of this community through news, audio and screen content.
