Region. Funds needed for the region

Governments needed to give more priority to areas with big populations and big job markets, such as Western Sydney, according to Cr Alison McLaren, president, of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation Councils (WSROC), when commenting on the Grattan Institute, “Investing in Regions” report, which finds governments are under-investing in ''bolting'' regions where population is growing rapidly and giving priority to much smaller regional centres. “I support the conclusion that spending money in areas that don't necessarily benefit is a waste of money which would be better spent in areas like Western Sydney.'' Cr McLaren said in The Sydney Morning Herald. Western Sydney had more than 1.5 million people living in Western Sydney, and another million forecast to do so in the next 20 years