Jun 22, 2026 – 5.00amThe NSW Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, is fond of saying: If you want to know what Australia is going to look like in 10 years, go to western Sydney because it’s being created there.With 41 per cent of its residents born overseas, far higher than the rest of Sydney (12 per cent) or NSW (29 per cent), the region is multicultural Australia at its best, welcoming new migrants and providing economic opportunity.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Paul KarpNSW political correspondentPaul Karp is The Australian Financial Review’s NSW political correspondent.Fetching latest articles
The path to power in NSW runs through western Sydney
Western Sydney has vast potential, not just commercial but political, as the state government well knows – the region may well be key to its future.
TL;DRAI
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey positions western Sydney—where 41% of residents are foreign-born, triple Sydney's 12% average—as Australia's model for multicultural growth. The region's demographic profile signals decade-ahead shifts in public infrastructure, workforce, and market priorities.
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