Legal firm appointment
Stephen Jenkins litigation and intellectual property lawyer, with MatthewsFolbigg Lawyers, in Parramatta, has been appointed the firm’s managing director. Mr Jenkins, the immediate past president of the Western Sydney Business Connection has taken over from Paul Matthews,who will perform the new role of chairman of directors and head of stratergic acquistions. The firm, which has grown 400 per cent in the last decade, has the strategic goal to double in size in the next five years.
CareFlight – 24 years of service
CareFlight, based at Westmead, has flown more than 10,000 patients since it carried its first patient 24 years. All up it has cared for 20,000 patients by road and air over that period. The latest chapter in its delivery of services is the provision of the Top End Aero Medical Service through an interim agreement with the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families.
Award for train stations
Minister for Transport, John Robertson, unveiled the prestigious Sulman Award Medal for outstanding architecture at Macquarie University Station .The award is part of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2010 NSW Architecture Awards. It was awarded to HASSALL architects for their ground-breakiing design of North Ryde, Macquarie Park and Macquarie University stations.
$33 million proposal
The Department of Planning has on public exhibition an application by Rylehall Pty Ltd, at Rhodes, for the construction of a $31 million Kmart warehouse and distribution facility, off Wonderland Drive, at Eastern Creek. The project could employ some 220 workers.
Proposal for 14-storey office block
Webb Property Investment Pty Ltd has applied for the demolition of the existing buildings, at 89 George Street, in the Parramatta CBD, and for the construction of a 14-storey commercial building with ground floor café, 12 levels of office s pace and four levels of basement car parking. The site is currently occupied by Better Brakes and Lindus Dry Cleaning. The Department of Planning has the application on public exhibition until August 27.
Concerts at the racecourse
The Sydney Turf Club will be able to broaden its events business at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, thanks to a $24 million injection of state government funds for improvements to the Fleming grandstand, the construction of pedestrian bridges, a new main entrance building, an infield screen and a concert stage. The STC has Parramatta City Council approval to hold concerts for up to 12,000 people.
Business plan for showground.
The Hills Shire Council has adopted a business plan for Castle Hill showground until 2020. The plan envisages the showground being a central location in The Hills for major events, expos, festivals, markets and agricultural shows.
Vision for industrial estate
Parramatta City Council will fund a $20,000 market feasibility study of the Brodie Street precinct, in the Rydalmere Industrial Estate, and discuss with the University of Western Sydney the possibility of a formal partnership to establish a centre of excellence in the study of innovation and sustainability, based in the precinct. These are among the activities designed to enable the estate to be transformed into “a technology and knowledge centre for hi-tech, emerging technologies and knowledge-based business leveraging off closer relationships with UWS”.
$220 million centre open
Minister for Transport, John Robertson, opened the $220 million, two-kilometre long Auburn Maintenance Centre, which will become home to the new Waratah air-conditioned train fleet. The facility will employ around 150 people.
Large footplates ‘all time low’
Large contiguous office space in the Parramatta CBD is at an all time low, with.only three buildings able to offer over 3000 square metres of A grade space.“The largest vacancy is 5000 square metres at 126 Church Street with GE’s 87 Marsden Street close behind with 3500 square metres vacant. There are only two properties able to offer a floor plate of over 1200 square metres, The Octagon and Denison Group’s 30 Cowper Street,” according to John Siciliano, associate director – office leasing in Knight Frank’s Parramatta office
Economic rate approved
The Department of Local Government has approved the continuation, for the next three years, of Parramatta City Council’s economic development rate, which council says is mainly applicable to CBD businesses. The rate is used to support employment growth and to help promote Parramatta as an attractive destination for visitors, workers and tourists.
$11.3 million funding for hospital
Patients at Westmead Hospital will benefit from $11.3 million funding for 45 new beds and emergency medical equipment under the health and hospital reforms between the state and federal governments.
Catchment appointment
Kim Yeadon, deputy chancellor of the University of Western Sydney and a former minister for Western Sydney and other portfolios in the NSW government, has been appointed to the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Authority by the Minister for the Environment, Frank Sartor, for a three-year term.
Application for 583 apartments
An application by Meriton Apartments is on public exhibition for the construction of a residential development comprising four buildings, ranging in height from four storeys to 25 storeys, comprising 583 apartments, at Rhodes.
$500,000 fit out
Brookfield Australia Funds Management Limited has approval from Parramatta City Council for a commercial office fitout on level 13 of the Jessie Street Building Centre, at 20 O’Connell Street, in the Parramatta CBD.
$60m injection to local economy
The establishment of a regional distribution park, by Afteron Pty Ltd, within the Western Sydney Employment Area, at Eastern Creek, will provide significant economic benefits to the region by injecting $60 million into the local economy, according to the Department of Planning. The Minchinbury Employment Park near the junction of the M4 and M7 motorways, will deliver around 300 operational jobs.
New residential tower in Chinatown
The proposed 28-level mixed-use B1 Tower project, including 80 units, at 114-124 Church Street, in the heart of the Parramatta CBD Chinatown precinct, will include six penthouses ranging in price up to $950,000.
Macquarie Uni gets research funds
Macquarie University will receive $33.4 million from the federal government’s Australian Research Council (ARC) over the next seven years to fund the ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Study of Cognition and its Disorders.
CBD office market
Some 34 per cent, or 229,967 square metres, of the Parramatta CBD total office space of 682,557 square metres, is A-grade stock, according to the Knight Frank’s latest Parramatta Office Market Overview. The average gross face rent for A-grade is $419 a square metre. The A-grade vacancy has reduced from 35,000 square metres, four years ago, to less than 5000 square metres currently,
Radical change in higher education
The University of Western Sydney is spearheading a radical change in Australian higher education with a landmark Doctor of Education that combines new approaches to doctoral education with a research program that rewards professional innovations backed up by research
Demand for office space is strong
The depth of demand for office space in Parramatta from both corporate and government tenants is strong and this needs to be satisfied in the short-term to ensure they are not lost to other suburban markets, according to Knight Frank’s latest Parramatta Office Market Overview. With A-grade space at negligible levels [2.4 per cent] and current enquiry for prime grade space up to 15,000 square metres, the real threat to the market will be the ability to continue to attract government tenants, which represent around 40 per cent of all existing enquiry.
Wenty Leagues sells CBD site
The Wentworthville Leagues Club has sold the 2016-square-metre former site of the Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon, on the corner of Parkes and Anderson streets, in the Parramatta CBD, to an undisclosed buyer for $4.5 million, who will lodge an application for a mixed-use development. Wenty Leagues had planned to build a registered club on the site. The site was sold through Jones Lang LaSalle.
Gloria Jean’s in China
Gloria Jeans, in partnership with the Chinese company, Dash Brands, plans to open 600 stores across China within the next 15 years and 10 of these outlets are expected to be in operation by the end of 2010. Nabi Saleh and Peter Irvine brought Gloria Jeans Coffee to Australia from the US in 1995. In 2004 the company became fully Australian-owned when it bought the Gloria Jeans international rights (excluding the USA and Puerto Rico)
Research project on exhibition
The application for the demolition of buildings and the construction the 5-storey, state-of-the-art Ingham Health Research Institute, part of Liverpool Hospital redevelopment, is on public exhibition, with the Department of Planning. The estimated capital investment is $33 million; the project will employ 250 workers.
Block sold for school
The Australian International Academy paid $400,000 more than the reserve to secure a site for a possible Islamic school. The 2-hectare block in Kellyville was auctioned for $2.8 million Colliers International on behalf of receivers. Seventy separate bids were lodged during the 45-minute auction.
EOI called for Defence project
The Land and Property Management Authority, on behalf of the NSW government, is seeking expressions of interest for the development of approximately 3.9 hectares of land with Macquarie Park for the development of a Hi Tech Defence Industry Technology Hub.
Nominated for NBN rollout
Riverstone has been nominated in the second round of locations for the National Broadand Network rollout. Construction, at this and 18 other sites around the nation, is not expected to be completed until around the middle of next year.
Go-ahead for project
Stockland Holdings has won approval from Holroyd City Council to build the final stages of its $390 million Merrylands shopping centre expansion. When completed, by the end of 2012, there will be over 200 specialty stores including nine external stores facing McFarlane Street, eight mini-majors, plus Big W, Kmart, Target, Coles, Woolworths and Franklins, over 3000 car spaces.
Council resigns from WSROC
The Hills Shire Council has resigned from the Blacktown-based regional lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC). Council said WSROC had not delivered the infrastructure and funding it required.
Professor awarded coveted fellowship
Macquarie University evolutionary ecologist Professor Mark Westoby is one of 15 researchers nationwide to receive a coveted Australian Laureate Fellowship, awarded by the Australian Research Council.
Metcash to expand
The board of food wholesaler Metcash has decided to establish a "mega-distribution centre" in Western Sydney adding to its centres in Silverwater and Blacktown. The company is yet to choose from two locations for the centre.
$10.5 million upgrade
Food and beveragegroup, National Foods, will spend $10.5 million to upgrade its facility, at Baulkham Hills, following plans to close its Wetherill Park plant by March 2012.
UWS medical students go west
Eight UWS medical students have commenced work in the Rural Clinical School based at Bathurst Hospital. UWS medical students in their fourth and fifth years will spend 12 months working in the Bathurst community at the hospital and in other local healthcare settings, such GP clinics.