"We don't get as much opportunity for participating in arts and entertainment events as we should," he said. One in 10 Australians and nearly one-third of NSW's population live in western Sydney, but the region receives just one per cent of Commonwealth arts program funding and 5.5 per cent of the state government's arts budget, according to the Building Western Sydney's Cultural Arts Economy report. "This basic unfairness diminishes the cultural life of the people of Western Sydney and disadvantages the development of the industry," said David Capra from the Western Sydney Arts & Culture Lobby. The report compiled by Deloitte for the Sydney Business Chamber and Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith Councils also finds taxpayers spend more than four times more money on subsidising each visitor to venues in Sydney's CBD compared with western Sydney. Taxpayers spent an estimated $112.50 on each visitor to the Australian Museum and $74.93 for the Sydney Opera House. The subsidy for each visitor to the Riverside Theatres was $14.15 and Joan Sutherland Performance Arts Centre a mere $6.20.

The report recommends spending $300 million on cultural infrastructure in western Sydney over the next five years and a doubling of the state government arts funding in the region. It recommends major upgrades to existing venues such as Parramatta's Riverside Theatres, establishing a new cultural facility in Liverpool and a permanent external performing arts venue. More provocatively, the report suggests two major tertiary institutions – the Australian Film, Television & Radio School and National Arts School – should relocate to western Sydney. It also backs the already-mooted move of Powerhouse Museum from its present site in inner-city Ultimo. Apart from two historic homes situated in western Sydney, no major state cultural institution is based in the region. The Western Sydney director of the Sydney Business Chamber, David Borger, said there was a historical legacy of institutions huddled in one corner of the CBD that cannot service the city's expanding population.

"The thing that's stark about those figures is if it was the case for education there'd be a revolution in Macquarie Street with parents banging on the door of Parliament House to get their fair share of tax dollars," he said. "Arts is like the boiling frog. No one's realised the imbalance." The Baird government announced on Tuesday it would spend about $202 million on the Opera House and $139 million on refurbishing and creating new performance venues in Walsh Bay if re-elected next month. The rest of the $600 million promised for arts and culture will be allocated to other projects, which are yet to be announced. NSW Labor released its rival infrastructure strategy last week, which includes $950 million for arts, sports, tourism and environmental infrastructure. Capra said creating a vibrant arts scene in Western Sydney made good economic sense

"The biggest challenge is engaging with government and other parties in a sustained way," he said. "Their sustained interest in what's actually happening in the west is actually more valuable than the investment in some ways." The director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Liz Ann Macgregor, said western Sydney had a growing population and was not well served by major arts bodies.

"Funding is always going to be an issue of course," she said. "Another challenge is to ensure fair equity across the western Sydney area, as opposed to focusing all efforts and developments on Parramatta." Major points $300 million for cultural infrastructure in western Sydney over the next five years

Arts NSW doubles the current amount of program funding provided to western Sydney

Relocate the Powerhouse Museum to western Sydney

Relocate the Australian Film, Television & Radio School and National Arts School to western Sydney

State government develops a long-term western Sydney Cultural Arts Infrastructure and Industry Development Strategy

Improve existing cultural facilities including redevelopment of the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta and develop new cultural facility in Liverpool

Feasibility study into a permanent external performing arts venue