Investment tour of Parramatta

Representatives of 40 businesses accepted an invitation of Parramatta Lord Mayor, Paul Barber, for a free half-day investment tour of the city. The companies included Chess Engineering, ComfortDelGro Cabcharge, Telstra, Investec Bank, Veolia Transport, James Hardie Australia, Waterco, Downer EDI Works, Bendigo Bank, A V Jennings Developments and Singapore Airlines. The tour concluded with a luncheon, with guest speaker, David Gonski, chairman, of Coca-Cola Amatil, at the Crowne Plaza. About 300 guests attended the function organised by the Western Sydney Business Connection.

Harris Park reflects an ethnic change in the city

The Indian-born community is acquiring a higher profile in Harris Park, a suburb adjacent to the Parramatta CBD, with more than a quarter of its population comprising Indian-born residents, highlighting the changing ethnic and business mix in the suburb. The resident Indian-born population grew by 137 per cent, in the 2001-2006 census period, from 495 to 1171, more than doubling its share of the suburb’s population from 11.9 per cent to 26.7 per cent. The Indian population heads the ABS top10 table by country of birth, ahead of Chinese-born residents. The business mix of the suburb is changing with increases in the number of professional, retail and hospitality establishments.

Completion date brought forward

In August – and 18 months ahead of schedule – the last of the 2000 dwellings in the Mirvac and Lend Lease joint venture project, at Newington, are expected to be completed. The 90-hectare site, adjacent to Sydney Olympic Park, has undergone a $1 billion transformation, from accommodating 15,300 athletes to some 5000 residents Demand dictated the completion date, originally due in 2010, according to The Australian Financial Review.