NSW Government backs WSYD Moving to tackle inactivity and inequity in Western Sydney
At the 2025 WSYD Moving Symposium, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park announced a $50,000 investment into WSYD Moving — recognising the urgent need to address inactivity and inequity across Western Sydney and strengthening our mission as a health promotion charity.
More than 200 delegates filled the Western Sydney Conference Centre in Penrith for our third annual Symposium, signaling strong momentum behind a shared commitment to building a healthier, more active region. Leaders from health, local government, sport, education, academia, community organisations, and business came together to advance collaborative action across the system.
WSYD Moving Chair Lori Modde welcomed the investment, noting it will enable the charity to expand Local Active Partnerships, deepen community engagement, and accelerate system-wide prevention efforts.
Minister Park emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration to improve population health outcomes and reinforced that movement is essential to prevention and better health for all.
A Region Facing a $1.5 Billion Physical Inactivity Challenge
Physical inactivity is costing Western Sydney more than $1.5 billion each year, with four in ten adults not active enough for good health. This year’s Symposium theme — “Accelerating Action – Tackling Inactivity and Inequity” — highlighted the urgency of the challenge.
Across the day, delegates engaged with 43 speakers through panels exploring:
Local Active Partnerships as place-based mechanisms for community-led solutions
Embedding physical activity within health systems, including prevention, early intervention, and routine clinical practice
Systems leadership and working across sectors rather than in silos
The power of community voice and lived experience in informing equitable approaches
The future of sport and physical activity in Western Sydney
Delegates also participated in Ripple Effects Mapping, facilitated by researchers from the University of Sydney, with further information included in this article. The activity helped capture the emerging impact and momentum generated since WSYD Moving became a health promotion charity in 2024.
WSYD Moving Convenor David Burns reflected:
“The Symposium is about bringing the system together — not just to talk, but to build trust and relationships that translate into action. Our intention is for the system to work better for everyone, and it has taken three years to get to this point. The NSW Government’s support is a strong signal of our growing ‘movement for movement’ — one where prevention and physical activity truly matter.”
Honouring Adjunct Associate Professor Bill Bellew
The day carried deep emotion following the news that Adjunct Associate Professor Bill Bellew — a pioneer in public health and a mentor to many — had passed away. Bill was instrumental in shaping national physical activity policy and was a mastermind behind the ASAPa project and Getting Australia Active III, which helped inspire the foundation and direction of WSYD Moving. As a founding board director, his leadership and vision shaped much of our early direction.
A full tribute to Bill can be found here.
