Schott on short list
Kerry Schott, MD of Sydney Water, based in Parramatta, a former infrastructure investment banker and deputy secretary of the NSW Treasury, is a likely candidate for the short list for the position of NSW Treasury secretary. Her five-year contract expires in August, according to The Australian Financial Review. Her infrastructure credentials could also put her in the running for the position of chief executive of the government’s new advisory body, Infrastructure NSW.
Newly created position
David Wright has been appointed to a newly created position in Macquarie University's executive team, that of executive director - strategy development and implementation. Mr. Wright served previously as managing director of the university's commcial arm, Access Macquarie Limited.
DA expected this year
Parramatta City Council said the DA for the $11.6 billion Civic Place project is expected to be lodged in 2011 with work on stage one expected to commence in the 2011/12 financial year. It will be the biggest redevelopment project the city has ever seen and will revitalise the city centre, council said.
Key challenges facing the city
Parramatta City Council has nominated 16 key economic development challenges facing the city over the next five years. These include: employment growth; human capital/knowledge based employment, a key predictor and driver of population growth; industry/employer targeting; target younger workers; amenity/culture/buzz; and marketing the city brand.
Tourism development
Parramatta City Council aims, in the financial year 2011-12, activate the Parramatta River foreshore in the CBD, develop a strategy to position Parramatta as an events destination, engage resources from tourism development and management, develop a local tourism product, develop a leisure brand for the city and implement priority actions in the Visitor Strategy for Parramatta, about to go on public exhibition.
Jobs go at Drug Company
Merck Sharpe & Dohme said it would discontinue packaging operations at its plant, at South Granville, from 2103 and import medicines, according to an Australian Financial Review report. Previously the company had planned to stop making tablets but it will now stop even lower-level packaging of imported medicines and drugs. The loss will be hundreds of jobs and more than $1 billion in annual exports, according to the paper. The US-based company commenced operations in Australia, at Rockdale, in 1952, and established its headquarters in South Granville, in 1958.
Council buys property for $19.1m
Liverpool City Council has bought the 23-year-old property, at 33 Moore Street, which it currently uses since a fire destroyed if former offices, at Hoxton Park Road, for $19.1 million. The building requires $4.5 million in the short to intermediate term in upgrade works. It has a capacity for further development opportunities with the neighbouring property.
‘Regional city of the future’
Penrith City Council has plans in place to design the “regional city of the future”. “While there appears to be a lack of development in the city, council’s people and places group manager, Roger Nethercote, said many areas had planning controls in place to encourage substantial development. Mr. Nethercote said the plans tied in with the council and Penrith Business Alliance’s plans to create 40,000 new jobs and 25,000 new houses by 2031. These numbers were based on the previous state government’s Sydney Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036.
Concern over Shell closure
The Parramatta Chamber of Commerce hopes that all levels of government become involved in discussions with Shell to head the proposal for the possible closure of its refinery at Clyde. The Western Sydney economy and its employment opportunities rely heavily on manufacturing and the Camellia area is home to other manufacturers. The area is a vital part of the Parramatta business community and an important employment hub, the chamber said.
Events to the West
Premier Barry O’Farrell, who has made himself Minister for Western Sydney, wants to move events from the Sydney CBD to Western Sydney. He said the move was about "growing the mojo that should be Sydney". The Premier said he would instruct Events NSW to avoid allowing future major events in the CBD and would talk to Western Sydney councils about staging more events in places like Penrith and the lower Blue Mountains.
Tourism events in the west
Parramatta and Penrith are leading the way in developing tourism promotions and attractions for their region, while Blue Mountains City Council has tourism as a central plank in their economy, according to Clr Alison McLaren, when commenting on Premier Barry O’Farrell’s statement to talk to Western Sydney councils about staging more tourism events in the region. “The move will bring major benefits to the region by boosting employment and investment opportunities,” she said.
Yellow Brick Road goes west
Lending and financial services firm, Yellow Brick Road, has opened an office in Penrith, with plans for a second office in St Marys to open by the end of June 2011. Principal of the new office, Fernando Lemos stated: “We opened in Penrith to take advantage of a gap in lending and financial services in the west. Over the next 2 years Yellow Brick Road will establish a large presence in Penrith, and we will be looking for skilled finance professionals who want to work with us”.
Report on electric cars
Parramatta City Council has resolved that a report be prepared on incentives to encourage Parramatta-based organisations or individuals to acquire electric vehicles and such report investigate possible expression of interest processes to procure electrical recharge units and possibly electric vehicles for a trial period.
Council calls for EOI
Parramatta City Council has called for expressions of interest for potential members to join its design excellence advisory panel to provide independent expert advice and expertise on urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, art and sustainability within Parramatta. Council is also seeking EOI in the provision of advertising services on the infrastructure of council.
Senior lecturer appointed
Dr Kyle Bruce has been appointed senior lecturer in management, at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. He was formerly a senior lecturer in strategy, at Aston Business School, in the UK.
Gyprock factory additions
CSR Gyprock, at Wetherill Park, has opened additions to largest CSR factory in Australia The upgrade includes a 3000-square-metre addition to the existing 13,000-square-metre warehouse, as well as purpose-built customer-support offices. The factory, one of four CSR Gyprock factories in Australia and the only one in NSW, employs 160 people. Almost half live in the local area. CSR built its first factory at Wetherill Park in 1974.
$50 million marina proposed
Ernest Dupere, MD, of Benedict Industries Pty Ltd, a mining, resources and recycling company said he had received positive community feedback since Liverpool City Council put his $50 million marina proposal on display. The Georges Cove Marina, on Newbridge Road, where a quarry is sited, would include a maritime building housing 250 dry berths, a function centre, associated kiosks, a private club house, recreational facilities and three separate car parks, providing 489 car spaces. “Pending approvals by council and the relevant authorities the marina is anticipated to open to the public between late 2013 and early 2014," he said.
Funds for business alliance
Penrith City Council has applied to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a special rate variation (SRV) to fund the priorities, such as, the Penrith Business Alliance (PBA) allowing it to continue to attract investment and employment and create local jobs for local people. Should the SRV be unsuccessful, the future funding and viability of the alliance would be in doubt resulting in a potential reduction of economic development growth and employment opportunities for the city and its residents. Council has set PBA a target of 40,000 jobs by 2036, 30 per cent greater than in the DOP’s Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036.
Chancellor heads enquiry
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, has installed Professor Peter Shergold, recently appointed Chancellor, of the University of Western Sydney, as chairman of the board of the new Public Service Commission, which is charged with overhauling the culture of the public service.
UWS in joint initiative
A joint initiative of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and the University of Western Sydney (UWS) has created for the first time a new national website which brings together information about sustainability courses and teaching resources offered by higher education institutions across Australia into one easily accessible place.
$750,000 for advice
Centre for Complementary Medicine Research (CompleMED at the University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown campus, will receive $75,000 from the NSW Government to provide expert advice to Australian and Chinese herbal medicine companies commercialising their products and negotiating regulation in world markets.
Relocation planned for mid-May
CPI's warehouse consolidation plan is nearing completion in NSW as Raleigh Paper leaves its Chullora home and relocates into group premises in Prospect. The relocation will bring Raleigh under the same roof as CPI, though Raleigh national sales and marketing manager Peter Friend-Ngui stressed that it would remain a separate brand with an independent sales team continuing to target specifiers, such as ad agencies, graphic designers and government departments. The relocation is expected to complete in mid-May, as the entire east coast consolidation strategy heads into the final mile.
Call for upgrade
Blacktown city councillors believe the city should be considered a regional city like Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool, rather than as a major centre as described in the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036. Council made a “comprehensive submission” to the government seeking the upgrade, as that would attract major corporations and government department's to the CBD.
Linfox workshop to open in June
The largest privately owned road transport group in Australia, Linfox, expects to open its new workshop adjacent to its NSW head office, at Erskine Park, in June, as part of a substantial investment to create the company’s presence in Sydney’s west.
Hospital CEO honoured
The Australian Private Hospitals Association has recognised the ‘innovation, drive and determination' that defined CEO Evan Rawstron and his team in their successful delivery of Australia's first private university hospital, at Macquarie University. Opening on time and on budget, the Macquarie University Hospital conducted its first operation on June 16, 2010, and has continued to redefine the benchmark for private healthcare in Australia.
$101 million arrangement
Leighton Properties and Grosvenor Australia have completed a $101 million construction facility arrangement, with Westpac Bank, to fund the development of the 25,000-square-metre, 19-level Eclipse Tower office building, under construction on the corner of Station and Hassall streets, opposite the Commercial Hotel.
Six million through the gates
More than six million people have passed through the gates of Parramatta Stadium, since in opened 25 years ago, in March 1986. The stadium, built by Civil and Civic, is managed for the NSW State Government by the Parramatta Stadium Trust, within the Department of Communities NSW, and is self-sustaining in regard to operational and minor works funding. The trust has recently approved a master plan that on completion will establish a 30,000-seat boutique stadium, The master plan can be staged, and an estimated cost of the completion of the plan is $98 million, with the first stage of developing the east and west grandstands having an estimated cost of approximately $34 million.