New GM for Parramatta City Council

Parramatta City Council has appointed Dr Robert Lang as the new general manager. He is currently the CEO, of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, and will take up his position in July. “Dr Lang has all the skills we were looking for and his appointment is the next step in the City’s bright and challenging future. He brings with him a wealth of management experience, strong leadership and organisational vision gained in roles outside local government,” Lord Mayor, Paul Barber, said. “I have lived most of my life in Western Sydney and I look forward to seeing Parramatta city capitalise on its potential to be at the forefront of 21st century social and urban renewal,” Dr Lang said.

Public forum on future of fossil fuels

The Whitlam Institute, within the University of Western Sydney, has convened a public forum to deliver the latest research and ideas to help Australians debate the future of fossil fuels. "Energy Security: The Real Story" will bring together leading scientists and thinkers for a forum on Thursday 19 June, from 4-6pm, at Parramatta Riverside Theatres. The speakers will be: Dr Beverley Ronalds, Group Executive, Energy, and Chief CSIRO Petroleum; Dr Allen Lowe, Chief Technologist, CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development; and Ian Dunlop, a petroleum engineer and expert on peak oil.

Unemployment rate continues to fall

Parramatta’s unemployment rate in the March quarter 2008 was 3.7 per cent showing a progressive fall from 4.6 per cent in the same quarter 2007. The rate for Sydney, NSW and Australia in March 2008 was 4.3 per cent, 4.6 per cent and 4.2 per cent respectively. The only Sydney metropolitan local government area, in the March 2008 quarter, with double digit figures was Blacktown at 12.4 per cent.

Council 'ought to be shamed'

Parramatta City Council is proposing the biggest increase in child care prices set to jump from $56 to $75 per day in the new financial year, according to “The Daily Telegraph”, which editorialised that council “ought to be shamed by its brazen slug of parents with … a staggering 30 per cent increase”. Council’s draft schedule of fees and charges for 2008/09 shows pre-school room fees in 2007/08 ranged from $56 to $59 per day and baby/toddler room fees ranged from $58 to $61 per day. All fees in 2008/09 are set at $75.25.

CBD might lose its ranking

Parramatta City Council promotes its CBD as the sixth largest in Australia but that ranking may be in jeopardy following a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. The paper said the NSW government had a plan to make Macquarie Park the fourth largest CBD in Australia, behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and ahead of Adelaide or Perth. Should that eventuate the Parramatta CBD would likely drop down a place to seventh position. The paper said billions of dollars were being spent turning the are into Australia's answer to Silicon Valley, with technology busineses setting up to an expanding Macquarie University