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Council hopes to lure SBS west

Canterbury-Bankstown Council is hoping to lure SBS from Artarmon to a new cultural hub, SBS Square.

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Canterbury-Bankstown Council is hoping to lure SBS from Artarmon to a new cultural hub it is calling SBS Square, as part of a bigger vision, Connective City 2036.

The council told the Sunday Telegraph the cost of building SBS Square with a new SBS HQ will be in the vicinity of $120 million, create almost 400 construction jobs and generate $85m for the Sydney economy. But former premier and federal foreign minister Bob Carr and Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour believe the sale of Artarmon site would net some $70m to offset costs.

“Our city has nearly 70 per cent of its residents who come from a non-English speaking background and that’s why we would be a perfect fit for Australia’s only multicultural broadcaster,” Mr Asfour said.

A report was presented to Communications Minister Paul Fletcher last month.

But former Parramatta lord mayor Andrew Wilson has previously said Parramatta’s commercial centre should be a “clear frontrunner” were SBS to relocate.

“We have a number of opportunities both in the CBD and surrounding precincts that could cater to SBS and their future requirements. These locations have great connectivity to roads and public transport, and would place SBS at the heart of cultural and economic activity in western Sydney,” he said in 2019.

At the time Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowlands said an elected Labor government would commission a study to investigate the feasibility of relocating SBS from Artarmon.

An SBS spokesman said: “The geographical location of our offices has no bearing on the services SBS provides.

“We are yet to see any proposal for moving our premises that would be cost-effective, practical, or yield more value for the Australian public.”

SBS has been at Artarmon since 1993 (pictured above).

3 Responses

  1. I love the idea of SBS Square. I’d definitely go there. Some people say think that Artarmon isn’t culturally diverse, yet over 50% of residents there were born overseas. Parramatta is considered Sydney’s 2nd CBD because it’s centralised in metropolitan Sydney but Parramatta should also have an SBS Square if they are to move there.

  2. Complete waste of money.
    SBS would become a paying tenant under this proposal? I believe it fully owns it’s current HQ in Atarmon, so where would the money come from to pay for yearly commercial rent of somewhere $10 milion upwards ? The estimated $70 million sale price of Artarmon would barely pay for the move.
    Better off spending the money merging it with ABC as a single non-commercial channel and moving into existing ABC premises.

  3. This would be a colossal waste of money,it would only serve to fulfill the egos of a few people other than that it would not change anything at SBS!

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