Western Sydney’s role as a growing global gateway for opportunity, diversity and connection has been reinforced today, with the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, acknowledging a landmark new partnership between Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) and Western Sydney Wanderers FC during the Daily Telegraph Future Western Sydney Forum held at the airport precinct.
Speaking at the forum, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of community infrastructure and shared spaces in shaping the region’s future, noting the role of sport in strengthening belonging and cohesion across Western Sydney.
In doing so, he welcomed WSI’s growing investment in community through sport, referencing its new partnership with the Western Sydney Wanderers FC as a strong example of that commitment in action.
“It’s gratifying to see Western Sydney International’s investment in community through sport, a commitment that’s just been bolstered by a partnership with Western Sydney Wanderers FC,” the Prime Minister said.
That partnership, formally launched today, sees Western Sydney International Airport become the Wanderers’ official Stream Champion – Inclusion & Belonging partner in a landmark three-year agreement and the first sporting club partnership in the airport’s history.
The collaboration reflects a shared ambition to strengthen access, opportunity and social connection across one of Australia’s most diverse and fastest-growing regions. WSI will be embedded across the club’s Inclusion & Belonging programs and activations, reinforcing the airport’s role as Western Sydney’s emerging global gateway and a civic connector for the communities it will serve when it opens.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC CEO Scott Hudson said the partnership is centred on delivering meaningful and measurable community impact through football.
“Western Sydney is defined by its diversity, energy and people, and we have a responsibility to ensure everyone feels they belong within it,” Hudson said.
“This partnership is about impact. Together with Western Sydney International Airport, we are creating real opportunities for connection and inclusion through football.
“What makes this partnership significant is its focus on outcomes. Through our Inclusion & Belonging programs and the Impact Scorecard, we can better understand the difference we are making and continue to strengthen how we serve our community.”
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said the collaboration builds on more than a decade of engagement with Western Sydney communities as the airport prepares to welcome its first customers.
“Western Sydney’s diversity is undoubtedly its greatest strength, and sport has consistently demonstrated its ability to bring people together and create healthy, positive, shared experiences, which WSI is proud to help foster,” Hickey said.
“Engaging with our local communities has always been a top priority for Western Sydney International Airport and we’ve been humbled to work together through community events, activities with Western Sydney schools and supporting tours and information sessions as the precinct has transformed over the last decade.
“As we now prepare for opening, we’re thrilled to partner with Western Sydney Wanderers FC to strengthen connections through sport, celebrate Western Sydney’s vibrant diversity and ensure that as this region continues to grow at a rapid rate, it also continues to embed a sense of belonging and cohesion across all communities.”
The partnership will see WSI embedded across the Wanderers’ Inclusion & Belonging programs, supporting initiatives that engage multicultural communities, First Nations peoples, women and girls, and people with disability. It will also support the delivery of ten annual community football clinics for children living in surrounding airport communities, alongside five annual school holiday clinics hosted at Western Sydney International Airport itself, each catering for up to 30 children aged five to 13 and delivered by Wanderers coaching staff.
In addition, the Wanderers will host their annual Season Launch at WSI, alongside premium client and community events across the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, positioning the airport as a key civic meeting point for Western Sydney. Major community tournaments including the Wanderers World Cup 2026 and the Asian Cup Community Tournament will also be presented by WSI, celebrating the cultural diversity of the region through inclusive football participation.
A key feature of the partnership will be the introduction of an annual Impact Scorecard, developed by Impact Institute, which will measure program outcomes through both data and lived experience, ensuring the full impact of participation and engagement is captured and used to guide future investment.
The Prime Minister also used the forum to reflect on the deeper importance of belonging in shaping communities, noting that social connection is built not only through housing and infrastructure, but through shared experiences in schools, sporting clubs and local events.
“So much of our ability to face the future is built on the powerful foundation of our sense of home – from the roof over our heads, to our sense of belonging in the community that surrounds us,” he said.
“At heart, what we are doing is about building a sense of neighbourhood – brick by brick, resident by resident, family by family.”
That vision is now being reflected in the partnership between Western Sydney International Airport and Western Sydney Wanderers FC, a collaboration that brings together two major Western Sydney institutions with a shared commitment to strengthening community connection, inclusion and opportunity through football as the region continues to grow into one of Australia’s most significant economic and cultural centres.
