Penrith Council under pressure after more cost blowouts revealed

It's been a rough few weeks for Penrith City Councillors, and there's no end in sight after the latest revelations that long-promised and already delayed projects were set to cost locals an extra $11 million due to massive budget blowouts.

As revealed by the Penrith Press, three key development projects in the Penrith LGA have received recent funding boosts totalling $11.6 million dollars as council struggles to manage 'surprise construction cost increases' due to the recent challenges being faced by the industry.

The latest news comes after weeks of scrutiny regarding development plans and taxpayer funds following the cancellation of the Soper Park and Rocla Site projects, both multi-million dollar investments.

Council has also drawn unwanted attention after it was revealed they had plans to send Councillors on a taxpayer-funded research trip to Europe - a trip that was met with immediate criticism and swiftly cancelled.

The three projects are: 

Regatta Park: Plans to upgrade the former Olympic venue and popular local spot were unveiled a few years back, with an expected cost of around $24 million. After years of rhetoric and an extensive public consultation process it was revealed the new-look space would include event areas, picnic spaces, playgrounds and an undercover splash park, all designed to help show off the incredible natural surrounds while giving locals a long-sought after recreational space for families on the water.

Now it's been revealed that the project has received an extra $6 million in funding from Council, with the anticipated opening date being delayed from December 2022 until September this year.

City Park, Penrith CBD: City Park, located squarely in the heart of the Penrith CBD, was approved with the aim of increasing the number of green spaces in the area, creating a leisure space in the middle of the growing city that can be enjoyed by employees on a lunch break and families alike. With a budget of $10 million, the 7,000 square-metre park on the corner of Henry and Station streets is expected to include themed gardens, water features and increased shady spaces, with more available seating and public art on display.

Just like the Regatta Park development, City Park was expected to be open in early-2023. It has also received nearly $2.5 million in extra funding after being green-lit back in 2021.

Gipps Street Recreation Precinct: Built on a 32-hectare site that will be in close proximity to the new Metro Station in Claremont Meadows, the massive Gipps Street recreation precinct is set to include multiple floodlit sporting fields, multiple children's playgrounds, a splash park, a skate park, a pump track and multi-sport courts - as well as an outdoor gym and a number of dog parks.

While the site is still on track to be finished by the originally-given date of 2024 and is not expected to affect the construction of the nearby indoor sporting centre, it's been reported that Council has already approved a further $3.2 million for the development, bringing the total cost to nearly $10 million. 

It's worth noting that the news also comes in the midst of uncertainty over the future of the Western Metro line, with premier Chris Minns this week refusing to rule out delaying or scrapping the project which has also blown out - to the tune of $12 billion - and could double that margin by completion.

The long list of cost blowouts is in turn having an effect on parts of the previous government's WestInvest program, which may experience a number of cuts when the State Budget is delivered in September. There are also fears for the future of other local projects, including the Western Sydney Lakes and Fernhill Estate.