Penrith City Council

We’re proud to be switching off our non-essential lights across our facilities for our eighteenth year of Earth Hour. Penrith City Council has been participating in the global movement since its inception in 2007, and we highly encourage individuals and businesses to participate for the first or 18th time with us. Turning off our lights on Earth Hour is one of the many ways we’re striving for a sustainable future at Council. • Our first electric vehicle, a Renault Kangoo, turns six this year and has covered 91,876km. It’s recharged with 100% Greenpower, with a cost of $2,504 (as of 3 February 2025) and doesn’t create any greenhouse gas emissions while in use. • Our second electric vehicle is used by Penrith City Libraries, who acquired it in 2022. ‘Evie’ has covered 11,967km and is recharged using 100% Greenpower, with a cost of $326 (as of 3 February 2025). • We continue to install rooftop solar systems at our facilities to generate renewable energy. During 2023-2024, we generated 1,907GJ of electricity from solar panels at 44 sites across Penrith City. • In January 2023, Penrith City Council commenced a 10-year Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement, meaning our large sites, small-metered small sites, and street lighting are now powered by 100% renewable energy generated from a NSW solar farm. • We continue to increase greencover across the City with our beloved community tree planting events like Trees for Mum and Trees for Dad, as well as our community Adopt-A-Tree Day, providing residents with the opportunity to adopt a tree to plant on their properties to create shade and cooling. Join us in participating in Earth Hour. #earthhour #sustainability

From kicking a footy at Jamison Park to winning the Archibald Prize, Blak Douglas has never forgotten his roots. Now, the celebrated Dhungatti artist returns to Penrith with his mid-career exhibition, The Halfway Line – a powerful reflection on his journey, identity and the social and cultural lines he has crossed. This exhibition is more than a career milestone; it’s a deeply personal showcase of Douglas’ lived experiences, from his childhood in Penrith to his time at Western Sydney University. With works exploring themes of social justice, politics and personal transformation, The Halfway Line is a must-see for anyone interested in art that challenges, inspires and sparks conversation. Don’t miss Opening Night this Saturday, March 22, from 5pm to 8pm at Penrith Regional Gallery. 📷 The Western Weekender #PenrithCity #PenrithRegionalGallery #BlakDouglas #TheHalfwayLine #ArtsAndCulture

It’s Harmony Week, an important national celebration of our cultural diversity and a time to reflect on the importance of respecting and celebrating our differences. Our vibrant Penrith community is home to people from over 110 countries who speak more than 80 languages and is underpinned by 60,000 years of First Nations Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. Our shared values of respect, equality and freedom go beyond our different cultures and are what makes Penrith such a great place to live. To celebrate Harmony Week, we’re excited to be hosting Culture Fusion for the second year in a row to once again bring people together and foster a sense of inclusiveness, respect and belonging that we hope will be lived by everyone, every day. Join us at this fun free multicultural event on Saturday 22 March 2025 from 10am to 3pm at Lang Park, St Marys. Attendees will enjoy artisan market stalls, engaging cultural workshops, delicious food, vibrant music and exciting stage performances from around the globe. Find out more: https://brnw.ch/21wRmWm  #PositivelyPenrith #PenrithCity #PenrithCityCouncil #harmonyday #everyonebelongs

Penrith residents are continuing to be leaders in waste recycling, with our recent e-waste drop-off day being another success. Our Waste staff welcomed 800 vehicles as they brought their unwanted, outdated and broken electronics to us for recycling. We are excited that 40% of our attendees were first-timers to our event! Council looks forward to seeing the event grow bigger each year, with residents utilising the free service to do deep cleans and recycle old e-waste. Since 2011, our community has diverted an impressive 932 tonnes of electronic waste from landfill through our annual drop-off event. The event continues to grow each year, with more and more community members attending for the first time — in 2024, 41% of attendees participated in the event for the first time. We’re thrilled to see this maintained for this year. Electronic waste is growing at three times the rate of other waste, which is why Penrith Council hosts the annual e-waste drop-off day to help support the community in recycling their unusable items. You can learn more about e-waste and some of our services at https://lnkd.in/gSt6Wxcq #ewaste #recycling

We’re pleased to be participating in the WSLD Airport City Summit 2025 today – and wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of the Prime Minister and other speakers so far that “it’s not about the airport, it’s about what happens because the airport is here”. We’ve been planning for this and seeing it first hand in Penrith for some time.   Mayor Todd Carney said he welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement this morning that a re-elected Government would commit $1billion for preservation of rail corridors in the south west, but we urge all governments to maintain the focus on full-length north south rail. The sustainability and prosperity of Western Sydney – and Greater Sydney – depend on it. Anthony Albanese Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue The Parks

Last weekend, Council officially celebrated the opening of Regatta Park - Penrith's new focal point for recreation and leisure on the banks of the Nepean River. An upgrade of Regatta Park was identified as a priority project in Council's Our River Master Plan, which is a strategic plan to protect and enhance the Nepean River. The upgrade was jointly funded by Council, and the Australian and NSW governments as part of the Western Parkland City Liveability Program. Find out more at: penrith.city/regattapark #penrithcity #regattapark

International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 is a time to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women while recognising the need to #AccelerateAction for gender equality. At the current rate of progress, full gender parity won’t be reached until 2158, that’s five generations from now. Here in Penrith, we’re seeing positive progress: 📈 The number of women living in Penrith that have completed year 12 or equivalent has increased by 56% from 2011 to 2021* 📈 The number of women living in Penrith that are working as Chief Executive and Managing Directors has doubled from 2011 to 2021, compared to a 33% increase of men in the same occupation * While these milestones are worth celebrating, we must continue to ensure that women and girls have equal opportunities to learn, earn and lead, creating real change in our workplaces, communities and society. In support of IWD, Council is hosting a special guest speaker event for all staff. The event will feature a panel of four inspiring women discussing a series of questions relating to this year’s IWD theme, ‘March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls’. *Source: REMPLAN using ABS Census data #IWD2025 #PositivelyPenrith #GenderEquality #AccelerateAction #WomenInLeadership

Yesterday, Destination NSW hosted its New Product Workshop at the Western Sydney Conference Centre in Penrith, bringing together Inbound Tour Operators (ITOs) and Online Travel Agents (OTAs) from key international markets. These trade partners play a vital role in showcasing and selling NSW experiences to visitors worldwide, helping to drive tourism growth across the state. With Western Sydney International Airport set to open in less than two years, hosting events like this aligns with Penrith City Council’s Visitor Economy Strategy - focusing on increasing overnight stays, expanding accommodation options and strengthening our city’s reputation as a must-visit destination. As Penrith continues to grow as the homebase to explore Greater Sydney and beyond, we’re excited to see how international travel partnerships will shape the future of tourism in our region. #PostivelyPenrith #PenrithCity #PenrithCityCouncil #VisitPenrith

In more great news today for our community, The Daily Telegraph published an article on Council's visionary long-term plan for St Marys being endorsed - https://brnw.ch/21wR6Ui The St Marys Town Centre Master Plan recognises the enormous opportunity presented by the new Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail line, and the infrastructure required to meet the needs of a growing community, while also preserving local character and encouraging economic development. Penrith Mayor Todd Carney is quoted, saying, "One of our oldest suburbs brimming with rich character and history, St Marys will quickly become a bustling strategic centre of Western Sydney and continue to draw residents, businesses, investors, shoppers and visitors.”

We were thrilled to attend the grand opening of the First Building at Bradfield City Centre today. The momentous occasion marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Australia’s newest city in 100 years. Located next to the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, and less than 30 minutes from Penrith City Centre, this development is set to transform the lives of our local residents and business owners by bringing opportunities for new jobs, attractions, services, and economic investment. Once complete, Bradfield City will create 20,000 jobs and accelerate a wave of new advanced manufacturing, research and innovation in Western Sydney. With more than half the world's population just 14 hours away by air, Bradfield City Centre will become a key destination for tourism and entertainment. Spanning 114 hectares, Australia’s newest city will also deliver 10,000 homes. It is one of the country’s largest urban development projects. Pictured below is Todd Carney (right) with Ken Morrison CEO of the Bradfield Development Authority and Paul Scully MP Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.