Parramatta's Chinese Community Welcomes New Chinatown Plan, Demands More Than a Rebrand

Parramatta's Chinese community has welcomed the unveiling of what could be Sydney's newest Chinatown in a forgotten part of the Western Sydney CBD, but it says the plan needs to be more than just a rebrand.

Parramatta City Council has offered glimpses of Parramatta Chinatown, with lanterns adorning Church Street, a new civic square and laneways lined with eateries.

Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter said he wanted to see the "underutilised" part of the city opened up for new business opportunities.

"My vision is for Parramatta to have a globally recognised night-time economy, with a distinct edge and flavour that keeps you coming back for more," Cr Zaiter said.

"A Chinatown precinct will not only add culture, colour and delicious food to our city, but also strengthen the local economy by opening up the underutilised southern part of the CBD.

"Parramatta has entered a new era of transformation, and we have set our sights on becoming Western Sydney's job engine with a bold jobs target of 150,000 jobs by 2050."

While Parramatta's CBD north of the rail line resembles a bustling city centre with a new light rail and public square, with the new Powerhouse and Metro West station still to come, the south still has the look-and-feel of the Parramatta of old.

However, some community members say it has gone quiet as the northern side has uplifted and other suburban Chinatowns like Burwood, Eastwood and Carlingford have expanded.

Raymond Chan, who works at Sun Ming BBQ Restaurant, said it would be nice for his part of Parramatta to get a boost now that the north side had so much development.

"It does need a bit of life," Mr Chan said.

"You'd have to clean up the streets a little bit."

Community calls for meeting places

Shirley Chin, who has lived in Parramatta for 20 years, said the area used to be popular with members of the Chinese community but that popularity had waned in recent years.

She wants to see more fresh fruit markets and public spaces for people to enjoy together.

"They haven't got much left in there in Church Street," Ms Chin said.

Shuoyan Zhu, the founder and president of the Parramatta Multicultural Community Association, said she wanted to see community spaces built as part of the revamp.

"There's already a strong Asian cultural presence along Church Street, and it's great to see that being recognised and built on," Ms Zhu said.

Guoxiang Yao said the creation of a Chinatown would not address the need to keep young families in the area.

He said they were moving away to access better public schools, and the community was now mostly seniors.

Mr Yao said his son, who came to Australia in 2002, had since moved to Sydney's eastern suburbs to rent and be closer to education opportunities for his children.

"The fundamental problem [is], if Parramatta doesn't have a really good public school, it won't be as attractive as before to the young families in the local area," Mr Yao told 702 ABC Sydney through a translator.