Tim Bale
Director, Bradfield Development Authority | AGSM MBA (Executive) 2023 + Multiple AGSM Short Courses
Building a city of the future
Tim Bale leads the development of Central Park at the heart of Bradfield City Centre – Australia’s first new city in a century.
Spanning 114 hectares, Bradfield City is one of Australia’s biggest urban development projects ever undertaken. Located at the heart of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, Bradfield City Centre sits on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International Airport. It will become a vibrant, 24/7 global city, driving advancements in industry and acting as a central gathering place for arts, culture, and entertainment.
Central Park will be the main civic centre, gathering place and welcoming point for visitors and future residents in Bradfield. It will be a world-class public space that makes an immediate impact upon exiting the Bradfield Metro Station.
The two-hectare park is envisioned as a dynamic arts and culture hub celebrating Western Sydney’s rich heritage, with an opportunity to honour Country, celebrate the importance of old and new knowledge. It’s also a hugely complex undertaking!
The vision is to create an iconic, elegant space that attracts people to the city, becoming a magnet for innovation and investment across NSW and Australia. At the heart of Bradfield City, Central Park will welcome visitors from across the globe and become a key gathering space for residents and workers, embracing people of all nationalities, cultures, and ages.
Conquering complexity with clarity
Tim Bale projects an aura of relaxed enthusiasm in the face of seemingly overwhelming complexity. It’s an ability he’s honed over the last 20+ years delivering complex infrastructure projects in Australia and Europe across the public and private sectors. Project including international award-winning Darling Harbour’s International Exhibition Centre and Darling Quarter.
Growing up, Tim dedicated much of his time to volunteering in the rehabilitation of regional sand dunes. Witnessing the ecosystems recover and thrive sparked his passion for driving positive change. This early connection to nature also deepened his bond with Country and Indigenous culture.
The opportunity to effect positive social, economic and environmental change for future generations, including my own children, motivates me daily.
Activating the heart of a 24/7 city
Tim sees Central Park as a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape the future of Western Sydney. One where he could bring all his skills to bear on delivering a beautiful functional, public space to nourish and delight.
“Public spaces shape a development, so it’s important they’re well designed and you apply the highest level of deign thinking. For the Central Park we ran a national design competition to really push for the highest innovative design outcomes.”
Bradfield City embraces inclusion. Tim and his team met with local Dharug elders and groups who helped craft the key themes, principles and stories of the design itself.
“The idea to co-design Central Park with First Nations and local mob was reinforced after doing an AGSM residential experience in Dubbo.”
Spanning two hectares, the park features gathering spaces to host a range of cultural and community events, wetlands, and more. Central Park’s towering native tree canopy will provide 65% coverage. The standout design element is the striking Sky Ring, framing Big Sky Country by day and the stars at night. Celebrating and protecting the sky, it also directs rainwater, supports misting systems, and provides shelter. The elegant and iconic Sky Ring will make a lasting first impression on visitors as they step off the Metro into Bradfield City Centre.
Framing better futures with AGSM input
Tim has bold ambitions. Doing his MBA helped him realise them by complementing his skills and experiences with new academic frameworks. He found this invaluable in translating the vision and strategy in his head onto paper – and into leadership.
"I was inspired to design my own frameworks, policy and guidelines to achieve any specific goal. It’s given me a massive advantage in my work."
Tim describes his MBA experience as ‘unlocking’ his true capabilities right from the start. It also reinforced his belief in the power of collaboration and assembling ‘dream teams’ to tackle ambitious goals.
AGSM constantly challenged me, pushing me to realise with the right team, we can achieve far more than initially imagined.
He gained a deep understanding of the mechanics of large businesses from multiple perspectives: top-down, bottom-up, and across various functions such as finance, communications, marketing, strategy and operations.
“You get clear on how all business units function; how to scale and transform the organisation while building high-performing teams.”
The power of purpose driven people
Drawn initially to AGSM by its reputation and programs, Tim was thrilled to find he was learning so much from his peers. He lights up when reflecting on his AGSM MBA cohort:
“My cohort were like The Avengers of business. The entire executive group seemed to have these special powers and connections in their respective sectors.”
Being able to tap into their experiences and skills across finance, consulting, tech, infrastructure and IT meant almost no question went unanswered.
AGSM is the top MBA school in Australia. It has amazing resources and tools you’ll find yourself sharing with an incredible cohort of people.
What are you made for?
AGSM equips forward-looking leaders to make it in an accelerated world.
Contact us for more information on our courses and programs.