Health and Education the perfect combination for a growing city

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Penrith’s position as a leader in education, research and medical excellence was strengthened last week when it hosted the inaugural Together – achieving better health conference.

Penrith's position as a leader in education, research and medical excellence was strengthened last week when it hosted the inaugural Together - achieving better health conference.

The Conference was preceded by a networking breakfast coordinated by stakeholders from The Quarter, Penrith's health and education precinct.

The conference brought together some of the best medical minds in the country and demonstrated how The Quarter's collaborative approach leads to better outcomes for our community and region.

Speaking at the breakfast, The Quarter chair, Greg Allchin, likened the conference to The Quarter, as a coming together of "great people with great ideas".

"This conference, and The Quarter, is about patient care and integrating leading-edge education, research and robotics into local medical services for our community now and in the future," Mr Allchin said.

The Quarter brings together key stakeholders, including Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Nepean Private Hospitals (who sponsored the breakfast), Western Sydney University, Sydney University Nepean Clinical School, TAFE NSW, Celestino and Penrith Council.

Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler OAM said it was the commitment of the partners that gives the precinct such strength.

"We are very lucky to have some of Australia's best medical specialists and academics located and practicing in our region," he said. "It is exciting to hear about the results of their work and to be part of a team helping to realise the possibilities."

Cr Fowler highlighted The Quarter's important role as a major employer in our region and the more than 6,000 additional jobs that will be created in the precinct in the next 10 years.

This growth, he said, will be fuelled by the attraction of complementary health and educational services to the precinct through the availability of land and desire for organisations to be connected to the potential in our City.

"There are almost 12,000 students studying across The Quarter's educational institutions and more than $9 million in medical research projects in train," Cr Fowler said. "Added to this, we have significant new infrastructure underway or starting, including the Nepean Hospital and Nepean Private Hospital redevelopments and at the impressive Sydney Science Park. Penrith is at the dawn of an exciting period of progress and The Quarter is at its heart."

Image Caption: Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler OAM, the Hon Peter Collins AM QC, The Quarter Chair Greg Allchin, GSC District Commissioner Western Sydney, Elizabeth Dibbs, and Sydney Business Chamber Western Sydney Director David Borger.

THE QUARTER

The Quarter is a health and education precinct located across 300ha between Penrith and St Marys. The Quarter stakeholders are Nepean Private Hospital; Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District; Celestino (Sydney Science Park); Health Infrastructure (NSW Government); Penrith City Council; Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network; Western Sydney University; University of Sydney Nepean Clinical School; TAFE NSW and Nepean Blue Mountains Education and Medical Research Institute.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Thursday, 15 November 2018.