The Federal Government’s decision to revise plans to relocate the headquarters of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) to Sydney’s western suburbs has surprised many Western Sydney mayors.

The Special Broadcasting Service, Australia's only national public broadcaster offering multilingual and multicultural media services, is currently based at Artarmon on Sydney’s north shore.

By contrast, more than 45 per cent of Western Sydney residents were born overseas with over 100 languages spoken in the region – which is also home to one of the largest populations of First Nations people in Australia.

The decision to revise the extent of the relocation from Artarmon to Western Sydney comes after a feasibility study – commissioned by the federal government – concluded a full move would be ‘too costly’.

“We understand that decisions like this take time”, said Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) President, Councillor Brad Bunting.

WSROC is the peak body representing councils in Greater Western Sydney and advocates on key issues of value to Western Sydney communities.

“We do welcome the government’s funding of $5.9 million for the production of a funding hub and we hope this will be the start of providing a permanent home for SBS in Western Sydney.”

“Some 45.7 per cent of households in the Greater Western Sydney region speak a language other than English at home, Western Sydney is Australia's most culturally and linguistically diverse region, making it a natural hub for multicultural storytelling,” said Councillor Bunting.

“SBS's stated mission is to ‘inform, educate, and entertain Australians while reflecting the country's multicultural society’.

“Establishing the SBS headquarters in Western Sydney just makes sense,” said Councillor Bunting.

“The area offers a rich tapestry of communities with unique perspectives and languages that would provide the broadcasting service with an authentic connection to its target audience.

“Locating the SBS production hub in our region demonstrates a commitment to representing and amplifying the voices of our multicultural communities.

“It is essential that the service stays grounded in the lived experiences and challenges faced by Australia’s most culturally diverse populations.

“Storytelling is about forging relationships and building connections between communities. Never has this been more important,” said Councillor Bunting.

“Being physically present in Western Sydney would allow SBS to build partnerships with local organizations, community leaders, and cultural groups.

 “Western Sydney has university programs in media studies, cultural studies, and media production, which SBS can readily tap into. There is so much creative talent here,” said Councillor Bunting.

“Placing the SBS headquarters in Western Sydney aligns with government and community efforts to invest in and celebrate the region's diversity, and supports initiatives to promote inclusion, social cohesion, and cultural exchange.

 “Being immersed in the region enhances the service's ability to showcase authentic narratives.

“Western Sydney councils, for their part, remain right behind the drive to house a new SBS headquarters in Western Sydney.

“It has never been more important to celebrate and support the nation’s most culturally rich and diverse community, along with multicultural communities across the country.”