Summary of news and initatives from GWS in January 2013.
AN estimated 100,000 visitors from overseas, Australia and interstate are expected to visit Penrith, in 2013, to attend a number of major events, which include the Australian Youth Olympics, Dame Kiri TeKanawa at The Joan Sutherland Centre, 2013 International Rowing Regatta and the Bicentenary Crossing of the Blue Mountains.
Caves to be privatised
THE NSW government proposes to privatise the world famous Jenolan Caves. The Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, said proposals would be sought early this year to take over management of the caves, including from business, local government, charities, individuals and the not-for-profit sector. The successful applicant would be offered a long-term lease on the hotel and another 30 buildings on the site, as well as access to the caves.
Placements continue to grow
THE Blacktown Regional Economic and Employment Development (BREED) Taskforce Inc reports that the number of work placements provided each year continues to grow. In 2012 over 3,500 students were placed into businesses across the Blacktown region.
Farmland in parklands
FARMLAND within the Western Sydney Parklands will be rejuvenated in a move that will create 100 jobs, provide up to $45 million of investment and boost tourism through the creation of a farm gate trail. The Horsley Park Urban Farming Master Plan will see 159 hectares of existing farmland land within the parklands set aside exclusively for glasshouses, poly/greenhouses, market gardens and orchards.
Firm wins an award
ENSITECH, an Emu Plains manufacturer won the Small Business Award at the 50th Australian Export Awards. The company produces high-quality products which change the way users do business by providing a safe, efficient alternative to dangerous and contaminating industrial practices. It is the award-winning developer of the TIG Brush® Stainless Steel Weld Cleaning System and the Ensitech Surface Finishing System.
Homes and jobs
MORE than 10,000 homes will be built for nearly 30,000 people at Marsden Park near the North West Rail line. Marsden Park will benefit from a new town centre providing commercial uses, two new villages with shops plus conservation and park areas. Four new schools are planned and combined with the shopping precincts around 3,000 permanent jobs are expected to be created. An adjoining industrial park being built has the capacity for 17,000 new jobs.
Business Park approved
THE Western Sydney Parklands Trust proposal has been approved for a 21-hectare subdivision of the proposed Horsley Drive Business Park, at the corner of The Horsley Drive and Cowpasture Road, Wetherill Park. The proposal is expected to generate $15.6 million in capital investment value for the region and generate approximately 100 construction jobs and the potential to provide 600 future operational jobs.
100 leading scientists
NEARLY 100 of the world's leading scientists gathered at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Campbelltown campus for a symposium on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The event, hosted by the UWS School of Science and Health, covered a range of topics including the medical and industrial applications of this versatile imaging technique.
Sold for $11.5 million
CASULA Central, a retail and commercial business centre on the Hume Highway, at Casula, has been sold to a private syndicate for $11.5 million on behalf of receivers, KordaMentha.
First of its kind
THE Ingham Institute, at Liverpool, and UNSW’s executive director of the Translational Cancer Research Unit, Professor Afaf Girgis, recently received the Inaugural Australian Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) Psycho-Oncology Award. The national award is the first of its kind in Australia.
New dwellings
SOME 3,100 new homes for 9000 people are planned near the South West Rail line, at Catherine Field. The site will have a neighbourhood centre, housing shops and a community centre, the heritage Oran Park House will be protected and an environmental corridor established along South Creek. Three new schools are planned.
Management school opened
THE S P Jain School of Global Management, at Sydney Olympic Park, is a global business school, with campuses in Dubai and Singapore. S P Jain’s tri-city model offers students the unique opportunity of studying in three cities in the Asia-Pacific region. The campus can accommodate 500 residential students.
Portals to be considered
PARRAMATTA City Council has granted approval for portals to be built in the Lennox Bridge, in the Parramatta CBD, to provide pedestrian access under each side of the bridge along the riverfront and associated road works and landscaping within the foreshore reserves. Two hundred and ten submissions were received of which ten were in favour.
Manager of CBD economy
PARRAMATTA City Council has advertised for a manager, of the CBD economy. The successful applicant, who will join a small team of strategists and project managers inside council’s economic development unit, will help in producing a high-level strategy for the CBD and data that expands council’s understanding of the 24/7 economy. The two-year temporary position will have a salary of $101,580 plus super.
Seeking funds for precinct
PARRAMATTA City Council will prepare an expression of interest for round four of the Regional Development Australia Fund for the development of the Riverside Theatre and Entertainment Precinct, integrating the redevelopment of the council-owned Lennox Bridge Car Park site, across the Parramatta River. The car park site will include a council-owned and operated Discovery Centre, a privately-owned 1200-seat convention centre and associated retail and public domain improvements.
