Homebush Bay. RAS to lobby for reinstatement

Peter King, CEO, of the Royal Agricultural Society said the organisation would lobby hard to have the $181 million upgrade of the showground, at Homebush Bay, reinstated by the State Government, which dumped it in the mini-budget. Mr King said plans for the state-of-the-art project were well advanced to double the space to 30,000 square metres, with 500 underground car spaces, to host consumer and trade shows. Work was due to commence after the 2009 Easter Show and be completed by the mid-2011, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Campbelltown. $47.5m medical school opened

The Federal Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, officially opened the University of Western Sydney's $47.5 million School of medicine, at its Campbelltown campus. The state-of-the-art medical and research facility is the home base for the university's 200 medical students, as well as the school's 60 academics, research and support staff. The Federal Government contributed $25 million towards the project.

Penrith. Global outlook pays off

Since 1984, when Penrith City Council became formally involved in international relations, the city's six overseas relationships have continued to strengthen with ongoing benefits to the city. "(The relationships have been enhanced by a range of cultural, educational and economic exchanges, including student exchange programs, staff exchange programs, art/cultural exhibitions, sporting exchanges, workplace training programs, business-to-business exchange and reciprocal information exchange," council report said. The relationships comprise two each in Japan and the People's Republic of China, and one each in the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.