Immigration, working from home and cost of living top concerns for Western Sydney voters

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29-04-2025

"Pretty much everyone's battlers."
That is one sentiment that has been conveyed by voters in Western Sydney.
Exclusive YouGov polling, commissioned by 7.30, has found that an overwhelming majority of voters in the area don't believe any election policy will benefit them.
Almost three in four — or 72 per cent — of Western Sydney voters said they couldn't think of a policy from the government or opposition that would improve their lives.
The poll of seven electorates across the vast and diverse region of 2.5 million Australians was conducted in weeks three and four of the campaign — between April 15 and 22.
A total of 1,079 voters were surveyed in the marginal electorates of Werriwa (Labor) and Fowler (Independent) along with Lindsay (Liberal), McMahon (Labor), Greenway (Labor), Macarthur (Labor) and Chifley (Labor).
The polling raises questions about the ability of Labor and the Coalition to connect with voters, particularly on the issues of cost of living and housing.
"It's not a terrific sign for democracy," Andy Marks from Western Sydney University told 7.30.
"
That level of disconnect suggests that they're not feeling represented, or they're not seeing themselves in their political representatives.
"
Andy Marks says policies from the major parties aren't cutting through in Western Sydney.
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ABC News: Shaun Kingma
)
'There's really nothing new'
Of the 28 per cent who could name a policy, the top answer was Labor's support for Medicare, followed by the Coalition's petrol relief.
Like many Australians, Western Sydney voters said they were struggling, with 43 per cent feeling worse off than three years ago, and 67 per cent saying they were barely getting by or going backwards financially.
The Vista family in Rooty Hill, in the Labor-held electorate of Chifley, told 7.30 they felt worse off.
The household of mum, dad and their four sons live under the one roof in their rented townhouse — and say a trolley-load of groceries is at least $100 more than before.
"That's gone up, electricity's gone up, rent's gone up, so many things," Erica Vista said.
A long-time Labor supporter, she's switching her vote this election.
"This time round I feel that they're saying all the things that they usually say, there's nothing really new,"
she said.
Her husband, Orlando, is undecided but sceptical of politicians.
"They promise this, they promise that, but who knows what they're going to do afterwards," Mr Vista said.
Erica and Orlando Vista are sceptical of the election promises being made by the major parties.
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ABC News: Jason Om
)
Working from home sacrosanct
One of the major moments during the election campaign was the
In Western Sydney, the need to work from home was at the top of the agenda for many voters, where long commutes from the outer suburbs to a CBD office are out of favour.
Polling showed that 79 per cent of Western Sydney voters agreed that Australians should have the right to work from home at least once a week where possible.
Kymberly Spears from Rooty Hill juggles caring for a baby daughter and five-year-old son with a full-time job in finance.
She told 7.30 that working from home allows her to balance out her family needs.
"Productivity mixed with family, it's a good balance," she said.
"It doesn't make sense in 2025 that we're in the old mindset that we need to be in an office to be productive."
Kymberly Spears says being able to work from home is crucial.
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ABC News: Jason Om
)
Western Sydney voters want immigration cut
Immigration is another key issue in Western Sydney, where there is an ethnically diverse population.
Around four out of five (or 86 per cent) of Western Sydney voters believe Australia's immigration intake should be lowered — but their reasoning varied.
Forty-six per cent of voters said that while immigration has been good for Australia, it should be reduced until the government improves housing affordability and infrastructure, while 40 per cent believed Australia should reduce immigration "as much as possible".
Only 14 per cent believed Australia should keep immigration levels as they are.
A voter from Greystanes, in the Labor electorate of McMahon, told 7.30 that Western Sydney was "very crowded."
While another, a migrant herself, said Australia had "lost a bit of control" of the issue.
"The number of people coming in probably needs to be looked at proportionately, in terms of housing availability, for instance," she said.
Affordable housing is a key issue for voters in Western Sydney.
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AAP: Dean Lewins
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Reason for hope
Despite the concerns about housing and immigration, Western Sydney voters were more likely than other Australians to say they were better off now compared to three years ago.
More than one in five — or 21 per cent — agreed with this sentiment, compared to 12 per cent of all Australians in a similar poll conducted by YouGov. That's almost double the optimism.
When speaking to voters on the street in Western Sydney, some answered in an existential way, factoring in gains in their personal lives such as having children or buying a home.
"Financially, no, but within myself, yes," one Penrith resident told 7.30.
Volunteers and corflutes outside a pre-polling centre in the electorate of Lindsay. April 2025.
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ABC News: Shaun Kingma
)
Ahead of Saturday's election, Mr Marks said the YouGov polling indicated that major parties should not take Western Sydney voters for granted.
"Western Sydney is really a place that is nobody's heartland," he said.
"
Voters are deserting the major parties at a rapid rate, the idea that it's squared away for any major party is no longer the case.
"
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