recent events

Stephen Walters is Chief Economist for the NSW Treasury, based in Sydney.

Before joining Treasury, Stephen was Chief Economist with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and, for 14 years, was Chief Economist for investment bank J.P.Morgan.

Stephen was also previously the Senior Economist with Access Economics in Melbourne and International Economist with Norwich Union and Alliance Capital in the United Kingdom. He also spent seven years as an Economist with the Treasury in Perth.

Stephen holds a Bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Western Australia and a Master's degree in applied finance from the University of Melbourne. He also has qualifications in journalism and graduated from the AICD's Company Directors Course in 2017.

Amongst his other achievements, Stephen has published two books, with a third to be published soon. Stephen is chair of the Executive Committee of the Australian Business Economists (ABE) and is a member of the NSW State Council of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), the Economists’ Panel for the Australian Financial Markets Association (AFMA), and the Australian Statistics Advisory Council (ASAC).

Following the significant economic shock of the global pandemic, the initial recovery experienced in New South Wales has exceeded expectations. Economic activity in the September quarter of 2020 (as measured by State Final Demand) rebounded 6.8 per cent, following the 8.8 per cent contraction in the previous quarter. While this means the economy is not back to where it was before the pandemic, the gap has closed faster than anticipated. NSW Chief Economist, Stephen Walters, discussed the economic measures that were making a difference and what challenges may lie ahead. 

The Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP is the Treasurer in the New South Wales Government, and the Member for Epping in the NSW Parliament.

Dominic was re-appointed Treasurer and Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party in March 2019 following the re-election of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government. He was first appointed Treasurer and Deputy Leader in January 2017, having previously served as Minister for Finance and Services from April 2014, and then Minister for Finance, Services and Property from April 2015.

We have faced changes and challenges yet nothing unites us more than a vision and  drive to make Sydney a prosperous and productive global city. Special thanks to the Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP and Sydney leaders for coming to the official launch celebrating our history and future. 

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism

Business Sydney’s latest paper, prepared with Urbis, seeks to take current debates about the 24-hour economy even further by looking more closely at how our night-time economy functions, and who is on our streets after dark. We take a deep dive into two precincts – our CBD’s northern gateway near Circular Quay and the Camperdown Health and Education Cluster – and we consider what lessons we can learn about creating great places which work both day and night. Our paper looks at what further interventions and policies are needed to ensure the city’s vibrancy, and we will discuss these ideas with a panel of experts and city shapers in a COVID-safe environment designed for networking and debate. 

Thanks for joining us with The Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism for an evening to learn more, connect and celebrate what matter most in our city.