Parramatta’s population is growing rapidly, bringing with it a more skilled and highly qualified workforce. But without significant shift in local job creation, too many residents will continue to commute long distances, limiting productivity, reducing quality of life and placing pressure on infrastructure.The broader challenge that sits behind this is the imbalance of jobs across Greater Sydney. Western Sydney is home to a fast-growing, highly capable workforce, yet too many jobs remain concentrated in the east.More of Greater Sydney’s population now lives west of Parramatta than to its east – think Blacktown, Marsden Park, Penrith – rapidly growing communities with highly skilled people who want to work in a CBD without commuting hours into Sydney city.This is not just an economic plan for Parramatta, it’s about unlocking productivity and economic growth for all of Greater Sydney.A strong local jobs market is not just about employment. It is about building a city that supports business growth while remaining liveable and sustainable. We want people to live, work and thrive in Parramatta and experience everything our city has to offer.The City Economy Strategy provides a clear roadmap to support businesses, grow key sectors and future-proof jobs for the people of western Sydney and beyond.The opportunity is significant. Parramatta sits at the centre of a region that will drive much of Sydney’s population and economic growth over the coming decades.With major infrastructure transforming connectivity and a pipeline of investment reshaping the urban landscape, the building blocks are in place.Parramatta’s economic strategy is built around three fundamentals that global cities understand well: productivity, place and people.On all three fronts, City of Parramatta is paving the way for continued growth.Parramatta’s CBD now hosts a $1.6 billion night-time economy, supported by initiatives such as the Special Entertainment Precinct.We have released a draft Master Plan for a CBD South Parramatta precinct that will turbo-charge our booming night-time economy and create a new Chinatown precinct.Westmead is emerging as one of the nation’s most significant health and biomedical precincts. Cultural investments – including Powerhouse Parramatta and Riverside Theatres – are not merely lifestyle add-ons, but economic enablers that attract visitors, talent and investment.People are at the heart of Parramatta’s growth. Our diversity is not just a social asset, it is an economic one. A globally connected population, strong education pathways and entrepreneurial small business base provide the foundation for long-term growth.Parramatta is where Australia’s future workforce is growing, and where infrastructure investment can deliver the greatest return. It is where the next phase of Sydney’s economic transformation will be either enabled or constrained.Parramatta is not waiting for its future. It is already building it.But momentum alone is not enough. It must be matched with decisions that reflect today’s realities, not yesterday’s assumptions.It’s up to all levels of government to pull all levers – infrastructure investment, planning settings, and education and skills investment, that will allow these jobs to be delivered.Importantly, we must protect our city’s commercial core for jobs by removing planning pathways that allow housing where our city’s jobs should be growing.This is why I called on the NSW Government to exempt Parramatta’s commercial core from the Housing Delivery Authority’s fast track approval process. The recent decision to do this for part of Parramatta’s commercial core is a step in the right direction.However, we still need stronger exemptions in place as build-to-rent housing via other planning pathways still puts future jobs at risk.Without better protection for jobs in Parramatta’s centre, we risk building a “Central Business District” with no space left for businesses.If we get this right, Parramatta will not just rise, it will lead and shape the next phase of Australia’s growth.Councillor Martin Zaiter is City of Parramatta Lord Mayor