11/06/2026
Last night: One Night. Four Chambers. One Big Conversation.
And Macarthur absolutely showed up.
Last night at The Cube, Campbelltown Catholic Club, the region saw something genuinely significant: Campbelltown Chamber, Ingleburn Business Chamber, The Greater Narellan Business Chamber & Wollondilly Business Chamber Inc coming together for the first time to share one conversation about what comes next for our region.
Businesses, leaders and community members filled the room to connect, network and talk openly about the challenges and opportunities shaping Macarthur right now.
Our keynote speaker Mark McCrindle, McCrindle Research delivered a powerful keynote on changing times and emerging trends across Australia and right here in Macarthur: how we collaborate, connect and innovate through transformation.
Some of the key insights were confronting:
• 77% of Australians are now experiencing financial stress, with extreme or very high concern around cost of living
• Levels of uncertainty are now higher than during COVID
• Anxiety and frustration around global unrest sits at 51%, compared to 45% during COVID
• Younger Australians are feeling it most. Gen Z report higher levels of overwhelm and fear compared to older generations
• 58% of Gen Z fear they won’t have enough money to live comfortably, and 47% believe home ownership may be out of reach
Zooming out, the national picture is clear: Australia’s population has grown by 8.1% in five years, now sitting at 28 million - far beyond 1998 ABS projections.
Infrastructure is not keeping pace with this growth.
Locally, the impact is even more pronounced.
Macarthur is growing faster and feeling it more intensely than many regions.
If each region started with 100 people in 2004, by 2024:
• Macarthur has grown to 165 people
• Compared to Sydney at 133
• Australia at 136
That pressure is real. We feel it every day - in transport, services, housing, health etc.
Yet at the same time, the opportunity is here.
Our region is an economic powerhouse.
• 29,900 businesses across Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly,
• Over 100,000 jobs,
• Approx 3,300 new jobs added each year.
• Together, we contribute approximately $30 billion to the economy.
This is a region that is growing, building and shaping the future.
We were honoured to welcome a strong representation of leaders and elected officials on the night, including:
• Angus Taylor MP, Leader, Federal Opposition
• Judy Hannan MP - Member for Wollondilly
• Sally Quinnell MP
• Mayor of Campbelltown Darcy Lound
• Mayor Matt Gould
• Deputy Mayor of Camden, Ashleigh Cagney
A sincere thank you to all of our guests and to our sponsors who made this event possible: Campbelltown Catholic Club, Business Development center, Kelly+Partners Chartered Accountants, Macarthur Memorial Park, Marsdens Law Group and The Mac
Thank you to Mark McCrindle for an outstanding presentation that challenged, informed and sparked real conversation. Plus a special thank you to our MC, Peter Norman C91.3FM
Importantly, thank you to the four Chamber Presidents and their boards for their outstanding efforts in combining Macarthur for this event. All volunteers giving their time for this great region.
This wasn’t just a networking event.
It was a clear reminder that Macarthur’s strength lies in collaboration and that the future will be shaped by the conversations we choose to have, together.