Plan for 650 units
The Department of Planning has on public exhibition, until February 29, a concept plan application for a mixed-use development consisting of five buildings with eight towers, ranging in height from two to 21 storey’s, at Columbria Precinct, Parramatta Road, Homebush. The plan provides approximately 650 residential units, 17,240 square meters of commercial floor space and 4800 square meters of retail floor space.
Water entitlements purchased
The Office of Environment and Heritage has purchased 4900 mega-litres of river water entitlements from water users across the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, at a cost of $5.7 million, as part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River recovery Program. The water was previously available for license holders to extract for irrigation and other purposes. Now the water purchases will be reserved for environmental flows.
Honorary doctorates
Honorary doctorates were presented to Emeritus Professor Bruce Barraclough AO, Professor Alexandra Bune AM and Mr. Peter Brennan AM in recognition of their distinguished community service, at the inaugural University of Western Sydney School of Medicine graduation ceremony. Vice-chancellor Professor Janice Reid said each recipient has contributed in different ways to the success of the UWS School of Medicine and advanced the health and wellbeing of people in Greater Western Sydney and beyond.
Uni placed fourth
Macquarie University has made the prestigious Lieden list of the top 500 universities in the world in terms of scientific impact. The Leiden Ranking 2011/2012 has the university ranked 202 in the world and fourth in Australia behind the ANU and the universities of Melbourne and Queensland.
UWS receives $29.8 million
The University of Western Sydney has received $29.8 million from the federal government to significantly expand its flagship UWS College of higher education and to establish a new tertiary education facility in Lithgow - the first in the region. The expansion will see it significantly increase its enrolments to 5500 students within the next decade, with brand new facilities at Lithgow and the University's Penrith and Bankstown campuses, as well as enhanced facilities at the main UWS College site at Blacktown.
Celebration of agreement
Edward Jung, who made his name at Microsoft Corporation where he was chief architect and advisor to executive staff, visited Macquarie University on a recent visit to Australia to celebrate the new commercialisation agreement between the university and Intellectual Ventures, the company Jung co-founded after leaving Microsoft.
The agreement enables Macquarie to submit inventions within Intellectual Venture's portfolio of interest for evaluation. If the evaluation is positive, Intellectual Ventures will effectively purchase the intellectual property and put its substantial funds under management to commercialise it.
Independents suffer
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved Woolworths’and Lowe’s acquisition of two Home Timber and Hardware stores in the NSW Southern Highlands from former franchisees, as independent retailers quit the sector in face of increased competition. Mark Burrows, GM, of Home Timber and Hardware, which has stores across Western Sydney, said more acquisitions were under consideration.
Companies lodge bids
Three short-listed bidders, British-based Serco, French firm Veolia Transdev with Sydney-based Transfield Services, and Queensland ferry operator Transit Systems with Forgacs Engineering, have lodged bids to run Sydney’s ferry fleet. The new operator is expected to be in place by the end of the year, with the government retaining control over routes and rates.
Stockland acquires land
Property developer Stockland has acquired a parcel of land in Sydney's northwest growth corridor with the potential for about 2300 new homes. Stockland bought the 163-hectare site in Marsden Park for $165 million, on deferred payment terms, from the private Winten Property Group. The land, about 5 kilometres from Riverstone railway station and 15 minutes’ drive from Norwest Business Park, is adjacent to Marsden Park Industrial Precinct, which is under development.
Hospital upgrade
The $125 million upgrade of Blacktown-Mt Druitt Hospital will start late next year. Blacktown Labor MP and opposition leader John Robertson said the upgrade was half of what a Labor government would have delivered. Senior staff are concerned it still doesn’t meet the requirements of a two-stage $550 million upgrade to help the hospital cope with rising demand.
$5.7 million grant
The Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research has received a $5.7 million program grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council for a new cancer project that uses an MRI coupled linear accelerator (MRI-Linac). The MRI-Linac is a revolutionary piece of technology that is set to redefine cancer treatment by accurately locating tumours during a radiation therapy treatment session in real time. The MRI-Linac will be housed in a research bunker as part of the institute's new research premises within Liverpool Hospital and is set for launch in July.
$6 million grandsatnd
Fairfield City Council has allowed Mounties to lodge a development application to build a new $6 million grandstand. The development involves building a grandstand with covered seating for 1000 spectators on the council-owned Mt Pritchard Oval, and a media room, function rooms, change rooms and a canteen on the western boundary. Council is negotiating with Mounties to develop a new plan of management as the current one does not allow a development of the proposed size.
Bulky goods proposal
The Hills Shire Council has approved a planning proposal to enable construction of bulky-goods premises, landscape supply establishments and office warehouses at Commercial Road, Rouse Hill. Mayor, Greg Burnett, said the proposal would benefit the local economy through new job creation and meet expected demand for bulky-goods retailing. The proposal will be forwarded to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure for finalisation.
TAFE head honoured
Damien Prentice, director, learning environment, of South Western Sydney TAFE Institute’s nine campuses, including sites at Liverpool and Miller has been given a Director-General’s award for excellent service to public education. Mr Prentice is a former teacher, who has been with TAFE for 28 years. He was instrumental in a customer service review aimed at improving the overall studying experience for students.
Penrith First woman to hold position
Rita Mallia, of Penrith, and recently elected NSW president of CFMEU’s construction division, is the first woman to hold a senior position within the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in NSW. After studying law and economics at Sydney University, Ms Mallia worked in immigration law and then arrived at the CFMEU as a legal officer 15 years ago.
Eight-storey project
The Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Capital Corporation have agreed to construct an eight storey mixed commercial and retail development, on the corner of Australia and Herb Elliott Avenues. The proposed the new development, currently on public exhibition until January 31, will offer office space, two levels of basement parking, retail shops and the first supermarket to service the park. The development is to be constructed in stages providing for 42,000 square meters of gross floor area in total.
Major drivers of job growth
The Parramatta local government area is home to 15,500 businesses (2006), 45 per cent, or 7000, of which are based in the CBD, with 93 per of the CBD total classified as “small”. The 0.5 per cent, or 33, of large businesses are mostly known brand names, most of which are back offices, call centres and processing units. These organisations and numerous government departments have been the major drivers of employment growth in Parramatta over the past 10 years, according to Parramatta City Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2011-2016.
USA expansion
Ainsworth Games Technology, with its headquarters and poker-machine design facility based at Newington, has expanded its operations in the USA after posting a 24 per cent growth; almost half its international revenue is raised in the USA. The company opened a 4650-square-metre site in Las Vegas, late last year, replacing a smaller facility in Florida.
Defence holds up terminal
The Defence Department is frustrating the development of a freight terminal, at Moorebank, which is estimated to take up to a million trucks off the nearby M5, according to The Australian Financial Review. The terminal was first proposed in 2004.
Accor takes over Mirvac
The French hotel operator, Accor Asia Pacific, will takeover 48 hotels in the Mirvac Hotels & Resorts, including the management of The Sebel Parramatta and The Sebel Resort & Spa Hawkesbury Valley, in a deal worth $327 million.