$400m Civic Place stage one
Developer, Grocon, has presented to a Parramatta City Council workshop a $400 million stage one proposal for the $1.6 billion Civic Place redevelopment. The presentation included council facilities as well as commercial and retail development. It is understood that redevelopment would first occur on the site facing Smith Street, between Sydney Water’s head office and Macquarie Street. 

Hospital company collapses
Owen Ferguson Health, the company that ran Canada Bay Private Hospital, has collapsed less than a week after the state government expressed confidence in working with it on a $51 million hospital at Homebush Bay. ANZ Bank has appointed the receivers Ferrier Hodgson to take over three of the group's hospitals, in Lismore, Mackay and Melbourne. A spokesman for the Sydney Olympic Park Authority said the state government would now ''monitor the situation'' and assess its legal options. 

Wentworthville. Bonds to close
Bonds factory, at Wentworthville, is slated by parent company, Pacific Brands, for closure in March, taking total job losses to about 3000 in facilities in Australia and New Zealand, as part of a cost cutting program including shifting production to China. Pacific Brands, whose brands include Bonds, Holeproof and Kayser, is one year into its three-year restructure plan to build profitability

Demand for mining equipment
Mining And equipment and services supplier, Atlas Copco, is increasing production facilities overseas to meet demand from Australian mining companies for underground trucks, loaders and drill rigs for surface and underground operations. “When the (GFS) downturn came, everyone was very quick to put a stop to equipment purchases. Some 14 mines went into maintenance mode and we all suffered because of that,” said Sergio Camozzi, MD, of Atlas Copco Australia, based at Blacktown.

UWS program recognised
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the University of Western Sydney and the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia) which acknowledges a post graduate program in bushfire protection at the university and sets a foundation for exploring future collaborations The UWS Bushfire Protection program will form an integral part of FPA Australia's Bushfire Planning and Design Certification Scheme.

Hastie Group’s profit down
The Hastie Group, at Silverwater, which provides technical services to the building and infrastructure sectors, has reported a net profit of $21.6 million for the six months to December 31, down from $31.8 million in the previous corresponding period. The 32 per cent fall in first-half net profit was due to the global downturn. “In Australia we are seeing an upturn in tenders, with greater signs of activity in the resource-rich states of Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia,'' said CEO, David Harris.

Help for aboriginal enterprises
Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Paul Lynch, launched the Aboriginal Economic Development Officer program, in the Western Sydney Business Centre, in North Parramatta. The program is designed to promote and grow a small business entrepreneurial culture in the region. It’s where most of the NSW aboriginal population live

Bollywood star to boost Eels fans
Parramatta Eels’ boss, Paul Osborne, has travelled to India in a bid to increase the club’s membership and its financial standing. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, he has signed Bollywood star, Nandamuri Balakrishna, who will come to Parramatta to sell rugby league to those of Indian heritage living locally. 

Indians increase by 111.8 per cent
The 2006 census showed the number of Indians in the city to be 7088, an increase of 111.8 per cent over the 2001 figure. Indians are the second largest non-English speaking group, after the Chinese, residing in the Parramatta local government area. The majority lives in the Westmead-CBD-Harris Park area.
 
Stadium in the money
The Penrith City Council managed Whitewater Stadium, which hosts local, state, national and international canoe slalom events and other activities, made a profit of $400,000 on revenue of $2 million dollars. Council provided $1.5 million of the total cost of $15 million to build the facility for the 2000 Olympic Games.

Oran Park project underway
Developer Mark Perich told a Liverpool Chamber of Commerce meeting that Oran Park would be “a complete town when it's finished”. His family-run development company, Greenfields, had rezoned the former race track to contain 8500 residential blocks and 17 builders were currently putting together display homes and he was hopefully the project would encourage businesses and employers to the area. “Camden Council is considering moving its administration building there as well, because Oran Park is actually in the direct centre of the Camden Council area,” he said

New centre operator 
The Hills Shire Council has offered the Sydney Christian Outreach Centre a three-year lease as operator of The Hills Centre. Council called for expressions of interest for the lease of the entrainment venue in July last year. The seven-year lease held by Pegasus Venue Management expired on December 31.

Greening a local business
Kennards Hire has teamed up with SolarSwitch, in a pilot project, to install a 10kW solar electricity system to make its St Marys premises greener. The 56-panel installation would generate about $9000 of solar power annually, more than covering its annual electricity bill. It would also save more than 13 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. “We are trialling the solar panels at our St Marys branch and, if successful, we hope to install them in our hire centres throughout NSW,” said Cameron Kennard, MD, of Keneco Property, Kennards’ property division.
 
On the market
The Glenella guesthouse and restaurant, plus adjacent commercial cottage, at Blackheath, will be auctioned as a going concern, on March 24. Accommodation, grounds and restaurant are fully restored. The York Fairmont Resort is for sale by expressions of interest closing on March 26. The combined land area is about 12.67 hectares.

Intermodal freight network
The new Metropolitan Transport Plan aims to develop a network of intermodal terminals. Enfield is already under development, and the government is investigating Moorebank in partnership with the Australian Government. Eastern Creek is in its long–term planning. The government has developed motorway networks and will continue to upgrade highways and key road links to support efficient freight movement. In 2010, a NSW Freight Strategy will be developed

Jobs growth in the region 
The new Metropolitan Transport Plan sees sustained job growth in the metropolitan area from the current 1.99 million in 2006 to 2.70 million by 2036, leading to an increase of 714,000 jobs in the Sydney basin. The jobs breakdown in the region is: South-West 105,150. North-West 166,160 and West Central 113,170.More than 384,480, or 54 per cent, of these jobs will be located in Western Sydney. To-date, around 40 per cent of jobs growth has occurred in Western Sydney.

Trade mission to China
Parramatta City Council Lord Mayor, Paul Garrard, will lead a delegation of business people to Yiwi and Shanghai, in the People’s Republic of China, from June 19-27, to develop closer economic ties The aim of the trade mision is to promote Parramatta as a destination for investment and to facilitate commercial opportunities beneficial to the local business community.

Express trains from the west
The Western Express Project, comprising trains from Richmond, Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta, will see the Main West tracks, which currently terminate at Central, extended via new underground track from Redfern to Wynyard, leading to more and faster trains from Western Sydney; Ultimately more than 5000 extra seats from Parramatta will be provide in the peak hour. Travel time between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD will be cut by five minutes and by 10 minutes from Penrith to the Sydney CBD, according to the New Metropolitan Transport Plan.

MBA polular with females
Associate Professor Robyn McGuiggan, dean, of the College of Business at the University of Western Sydney, said the growth in female participants in MBA courses could be due to the economic environment. “The growth in postgraduate [study] generally is quite strong, with people shoering up their competitiveness in the marketplace, and maybe females feel a little more vuulnerable in the economic climate,”she said in The Australian Financial Review.

Scepticism over PBL project
An environmental plan lodged with the Department of Planning by PBL Media for a printing and distribution facility, at Smithfield, has not silenced scepticism about its suitability, according to The Australian Financial Review. Media executives said the site was too small for PBL’s ACP Magazines facility. The plan noted that PBL was negotiating with the owner of another industrial property in an unnamed location.

Harder to access jobs
Urban planner Garry Glazebrook said the state government’s new trasnport plan was severely limited because it did not fill the ''missing link'' with a rail connection between Parramatta and Epping, making it harder for residents of Western Sydney who would not have a direct connection to the booming job centres in the ''global economic arc'' between North Ryde and North Sydney.

Millions to be handed back
Although Premier Kristina Keneally dumped the metro plans, but would retain the metro corridors, the state government will have to hand back $85 million of the $91 million the federal government provided for a feasibility study for the West Metro between Central and Westmead. A $4.5 billion Western Sydney City Rail express service would replace it but construction would not commence until 2015. No one in the government could say when it would be completed. 

Work delayed on freight terminal
Work on Sydney's largest freight terminal is being held up because of a dispute with Department of Defence about when it will move off land at Moorebank. Described as a ''second port'', the proposed facility will receive goods by train from Port Botany and redirect them by truck or rail across the country and through the city. Defence, which leases the site, needs to relocate. 

Sale of stake in shopping centre
Property developer, John Beville, proposes to sell a stake, worth an estimated $700 million, in the $1.1 billion Top Ryde City Shopping Centre project, which when completed will include Myer, Big W, Woolworths, Franklins, Aldi, 280 speciality retail spaces, 11,500 square metres of commercial space and up to 450 apartments. The second stage is expected to open in March, with the final stage in mid-August.

DA for Coles supermarket
Plazawest Pty Ltd, has lodged a DA with Parramatta City Council for the occupation of part of the ground floor of an approved mixed use development, for a Coles supermarket. Approval is also sought to occupy part of the basement for associated offices and back of house areas. The supermarket will be in the mixed- use complex, with 127 residential units, nearing completion, by the Parramatta-based Dyldam Developments, on the corner of Victoria Road and Church Street, in the Parramatta CBD.

Gloria Jean’s Coffee in court
US-based coffee exporter, Western Export Services, is suing Jireh International, owner of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, headquartered at Castle Hill, for up to $56 million in damages and unpaid commissions, claiming it broke a joint venture agreement that provided for the exclusive supply of coffee beans.

CBD property sold for $2.3 million  
A private investor paid $2.3 million for a single-storey building, subdivided into four retail outlets in the Roxy Arcade, 71-73 George Street, in the Parramatta CBD. The property, which has 375 square metres of lettable space, is fully leased and will yield 6.9 per cent from a net return of $1.6 million.

On the market in the CBD
The recently completed five-storey mixed-use building, at 24 Hunter Street, in the Parramatta CBD, will be auctioned on March 24. The building, with 1335 NLA and footplates of 280 square metres, has level 5 and a leased for approximately $87,567. Levels 1-4 are vacant. Also in the CBD, a car yard of approximately 2796 square metres, at 334-336 Church Street, adjacent to the former Marshall Motors site, will be auctioned on March 23. (Marshall Motors has relocated to new premises on the corner of Meeham and Church streets)

Local man worked on Christie Report

Alex Gooding, a former executive director, of the lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) was an author of the Christie Report, an independent report on Sydney’s transport plans, partly financed by The Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Gooding was WSROC’s executive director for 12 years.

Penthouse sold for $805,000

Crown Group International has sold a 173-square-metre penthouse with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two car spaces, for $805,000, in the $125 million, twin-tower Gallery complex, in Cowper Street, in the Parramatta CBD. The penthouse is one of 12 in the 246-apartment building.

$200 million project

Crown Group International, which bought a vacant site on the corner of Hunter, Marsden and Macquarie streets, last year, for about $15 million, from the Becton Property Group, proposes to build a $220 million residential and mixed-use development on the site. A current DA approval exists for a mixed-use building of some 20 storeys

Film festival ‘on a roll’

The 2009 Arab Film Festival, at Riverside Theatres, in July, the sixth to be held, and the first tour of four interstate capitals, has been declares a success by festival co-ordinator, Mouna Zaylah, at the Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) office in Parramatta. Audience figures for the festival were up by 20 per cent, with approximately 40 per cent from non-Arabic-speaking backgrounds. A national marketing campaign would promote the 2010 festival and tour, in July. “We have a strong organisation and committee whose aim is to make the event more and more sustainable. We are on a roll,” she said

Doubling turnover in five years

The family-owned Thomas Electronics of Australia Pty Ltd, at Milperra, aims to double its turnover to $24 million within five years by expanding markets for LCD displays it supplies to armed forces and commercial customers for use in cockpits, ships’ bridges and armoured vehicles More than three-quarters of the business is offshore

Jobs figures ‘factually wrong’

Parramatta City Council disputes the significant reduction in the CBD workforce contained in the Christie Report, an independent assessment of Sydney’s transport plans, partly sponsored by The Sydney Morning Herald. The report noted “the Government’s latest employment forecasts, quietly released in December 2009, now envisage only 11,000 additional jobs in the Parramatta centre in the 30 years between 2006 and 2036. Council’s comment is “the revised forecasts from the NSW Transport Data Centre about Parramatta, published in the Christie Report-Herald article, are factually wrong. Council’s own forecasts show that Parramatta could add between 30,000 and 40,000 new jobs by 2031. This is also supported by a study undertaken by WSROC and the UWS Urban Research Centre last year saying Parramatta will likely do better than the targets in the Metro Strategy”.

Tour by Infrastructure Australia
The regional lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) is compiling a map of all its member councils infrastructure needs to assist in its advocacy on behalf of the region. This follows the organisation hosting a tour of the Western Sydney Economic Corridor, along the M7, for members of the Major Cities Unit within Infrastructure Australia and council representatives.

Challenges affecting economic growth
The challenges affecting Penrith’s economic growth include low local employment self sufficiency, post-school qualifications well below the Sydney average, infrastructure planning and delivery, particularly in new employment areas has stalled local industrial employment growth. These were among the issues raised by the Penrith Business Alliance, in its submission to the NSW Government Western Sydney Jobs Summit.

Jobs for 400 seekers
Some 5000 jobseekers attended a Centrelink Expo, in Bankstown, which attracted about 100 employers offering 1600 positions. The Daily Telegraph reported that about 400 jobseekers walked away with a position. Employment Parliamentary Secretary, Jason Clare, said the event was a key part of the government’s recession-busting strategy.

Seeking support for health hub
The Penrith Business Alliance has sought NSW Government support and recognition of Penrith’s role and position as an emerging centre of excellence for the health and wellness industry, which created the largest number of jobs over the past 10 years. “To leverage this growth, Penrith is developing a range of economic strategies to position the city as a centre of excellence for health and wellbeing,” according to the alliance in its submission to the NSW Government Western Sydney Jobs Summit.

UWS graduates Pathways students
UWSCollege, at Westmead, a wholly owned entity of the University of Western Sydney, has graduated 182 students from the Academic English for Tertiary Studies course. Of the graduates, 91 will enter UWS postgraduate masters courses, 55 will enter UWS undergraduate courses, 14 will enter UWSCollege diploma courses, and 22 will go on to complete Foundation Studies at UWSCollege. Over 170 nationalities are represented at UWS which offers academic pathways to the university, continuing education and professional development programs for Australian and International students.

‘Eat street’ is a treat
People may well be creatures of habit but when it comes to dining out locals are prepared to try venues, other than their favourite café or restaurant, in the “Eat Street” precinct (Church Street), and other areas in the Parramatta CBD and the suburbs. Some 98 per cent of respondents in a council survey replied they were prepared to try a new venue among the 300 promoted in the local government area. Some 74 per cent gave the experience an 8-10 rating.

$60 million project
Aferton Ltd has submitted a project to the Department of Planning to establish an employment precinct for the development of warehouses, distribution centres, light industry and high technology uses in Wallgrove Road, in the Minchinbury Employment Park Precinct, at an estimated cost of $60 million. When operational the project would employ 300 people.

Site sold for $4.1 million
NSW Trust has purchased a 5002-square-metre site, in Cowpastures Road, Wetherill Park, for $4.1 million, from Gregory International. The building has a floor space of 3282 square metres reflecting a price of $1249 per square metre. As owner-occupier, NSW Trust will run the Top Tyres business from the property. Colliers International handled the sale.

Hotel group expands
Accor Hotels and Resorts has expanded its operations in Western Sydney, with two new hotels coming online: the Mercure Liverpool, adjoining the Liverpool Catholic Club, and the Novotel Rooty Hill, formerly the Holiday Inn Rooty Hill. “The best performing hotel (in the group) in the past year, in the region, was Novotel Sydney Olympic Park, followed by Mercure Parramatta, said Accor spokesperson, Peter Hook. Accor has Pullman, Ibis, Novotel, Mercure and Formule 1 properties across the region.

$32 million project
PacLib Management proposes to establish a $32 million printing, warehouse and distribution facility consisting of two buildings, with a total gross floor area of 59,000 square metres and associated infrastructure, at Lenore Drive, Erskine Park, within the Penrith local government area. Construction jobs: 100. Operational jobs: 120. The proposal is on public exhibition until March 15

C-grade vacancies of concern
While the overall total office vacancy rate, in the six months to January 2010, in the Parramatta CBD was 9.8 per cent (up from 9.6 per cent up on the previous six months, it masked a spike in vacancy rates for C-grade buildings. This was of concern as C-grade space is primarily home to small businesses, said Glenn Byres, NSW acting executive director, of the Property Council, in its latest Office Market Report. “Vacancies in A-grade stock remain very tight at just 2.4 percent – consistent with the result from six months ago and continuing a strong trend in recent years," he said.

Waterfront complex renamed
Waterfront residential complex, at Homebush, has been renamed Wentworth Point, following Japan’s Sekisui House purchasing a 75 per cent stake in property developer Payce Consolidated’s flagship development. In late 2009, a residential development with 215 apartments was released on the 8.3-hecrare site, overlooking the Parramatta River, with 104 off-the-shelf sales recorded by December. The DA has been approved for 1946 apartments. Payce retains a 25 per cent stake in the project.

Head of uni’s research company
David Wright, formerly director of commercialisation, at National Information and Communications Technology Australia, at the Australia Technology Park, at Eveleigh, has been appointed MD, of Access Macquarie, Macquarie University’s research commercialisation company. Mr Wright has been head of several technology start-up companies.

Most vulnerable labour markets
The top 10 most vulnerable labour markets are in Western Sydney, according to the latest Australian Government’s Small Area Labour Markets report, September quarter 2009. Areas with a 10.0 per cent or higher unemployment rate are Blacktown-South West, 14.5 per cent (up from 13.6 per cent same quarter 2008), Fairfield-East, 14.3 per cent (9.4 per cent), Parramatta-South 12.6 per cent (9.0 per cent), Campbelltown-North, 10.8 per cent (7.7 per cent), Bankstown-North East, 10.8 per cent (8.6 per cent), Campbelltown-South, 10.0 per cent (7.1 per cent). The unemployment rate for the Sydney Statistical Local Area was 5.9 per cent (4.3 per cent).

$200 million centre
The Mirvac Group will build a $200 million distribution centre for Woolworths, on the 60-hectare, former Hoxton Park Airport site, adjoining the M7 Westlink Motorway. Leighton Holdings and Mirvac bought the site in 2003. Mirvac will now buy the site from the joint venture and develop a 9-hectare Big W facility – the first in NSW – and a 5-hectare Dick Smith new national distribution centre. A small portion of the site will be held for further development. The facilities would provide 935 jobs when complete, with 300 “new employment opportunities”. The project is subject to Department of Planning approval.

$10 million consolidation 
Joyce Foam, a specialist manufacturer of flexible foam products for the furniture, bedding, automotive and other specialist industries, will base all its Australian manufacturing at its Moorebank head office, following a $10 million consolidation of its activities. The company currently operates four foam manufacturing plants in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide and a sales and conversion facility in Melbourne.

Showroom sold $9.8 million
The winner of the Sydney to Hobart, Neville Crichton, has purchased the former Marshalls Motors Mercedes-Benz showroom, on the corner of Church and Meeham streets, for $9.8 million. The 6100-square-metre site includes the showroom, office space and parking for 70 cars. Marshalls Motors has moved to purpose-built premises on the adjacent corner.

Business parks a priority
Professor O’Neill, director of the Parramatta-based UWS Urban Research Centre, said the overall success of the Sydney economy depended on the performance of the Western Sydney regional economy, and infrastructure investment new business and employment parks should be a priority. “Norwest and Sydney Olympic Park are excellent examples of the jobs creation potential that comes from quality business parks. It is a shame that Western Sydney’s next park is not yet ready to go,” he said

Pubs sold at discount prices
The debt-stricken pub property trust, Redcape, formerly Hedley Leisure and Gaming, has sold two properties in Western Sydney, in the past three months, for less than cost price. The Cabramatta Club Hotel sold for $21.5 million, 22 per cent below its cost price and the Mount Druitt Cedars Tavern sold for $12 million, $1.4 million less than cost price. The pubs were part of a portfolio of six properties in NSW and Queensland sold at a 20 per cent discount to their cost price, as part of a move to reduce the trust’s debts.

Tourism website online 
Parramatta City Council’s new tourism website, discoverparramatta.com, to boost tourism numbers and the sector’s economic contribution, to the city, was launched at the annual State of City Address. The gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations in Parramatta to service demand generated by tourists to the area is estimated at $830 million, with the city’s hospitality sector contributing $138 million.