Parramatta. EOI for two retail outlets

Expressions of interest have been called for two retail outlets, in Church Street, adjacent to Westfield Parramatta. The properties, with a site area of 348 square metres and a combined frontage of 15 metres, are currently leased at $207,000 per annum approximately. They are offered for sale in one line by Khoury & Partners.

Parramatta. Office rents up 8 per cent

The achievable rent for A-grade office space in Parramatta, in August 2008, was $280 per square metre per annum, representing an annual increase of eight per cent from the level recorded in August 2007, according to the Parramatta City Council BizFacts publication. Rents in other areas: Sydney CBD $500 (percentage change 11.00 per cent), Sydney CBD B-Grade $390 (22.0 per cent), North Sydney $405 (7 per cent), Chatswood $300 (0.0 per cent) St Leonards $340 (10,0 per cent), Macquarie Park $260 (8.0 per cent).

Parramatta. Boost to best practice

Council has allocated $80,000 for the provision of professional services relating to the performance management and development of best practice processes in relation to council management. “The consultancy will provide professional advice to the lord mayor and councillors specific to the local government act, facilitate the roles and relationships between the lord mayor, councillors and senior management and relevant external agencies, and aid the chamber in setting and implementing its performance management processes of the chamber”, a council document said.

Region. Macquarie sells M7 share for $805m

Macquarie Infrastructure Group has agreed to sell its 50 per cent stake in the Westlink M7 to the Western Sydney Road Group (WSRG), for $805 million. Transurban has 30 days in which to decide to exercise its pre-emptive right on Westlink to match WSRG deal. The 40-kilometre cashless toll road opened three years ago.

Parramatta. EOI for two retail outlets

Expressions of interest have been called for two retail outlets, in Church Street, adjacent to Westfield Parramatta. The properties, with a site area of 348 square metres and a combined frontage of 15 metres, are currently leased at $207,000 per annum approximately. They are offered for sale in one line by Khoury & Partners.

North Ryde. Vacancy up towards 12 per cent

The vacancy rate in the North Ryde office market could move up to 12 per cent over the next 12 months with 82,460 square metres expected to be completed, with pre-commitments not fully secured for all projects, according to LandMark White, in The Sydney Morning Herald. LandMark forecasts net supply will increase by 44,152 square metres a year on average over the next five years, as lower demand will probable push development back until major tenants are secured.

Parramatta. Update for UWS campus

The University of Western Sydney will use a grant of $15.9 million from the federal government’s Better Universities Renewal Fund to upgrade its Parramatta campus.
The money will go towards capital and infrastructure upgrades to develop a student precinct, to refurbish the school of computing and mathematics and provide new teaching and postgraduate research laboratory space.

Westmead. Scientists have a world first

In a world first, scientists at the Westmead Millennium Institute have identified how a gene associated with allergic diseases such as asthma and eczema works, providing new hope for potential drug treatments. “Most people with asthma or eczema are atopic – meaning they have a genetic tendency for the disorders,” says Professor Tony Cunningham, the institute’s director. “So this is an important step forward in this field of genetic research. While in its early stages the research does have the potential to guide the development of new drugs and topical therapies for the treatment of allergies like asthma and eczema.”

Parramatta. $120 million project 'topped out'

Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland attended the “topping out” ceremony to mark the $120 million residential complex reaching its maximum height of 16 storeys. The project, developed by Crown International Holdings, in Cowper Street, has 242 apartments and townhouses, a sauna and gym, and 25-metre swimming pool. The company said 90 per cent of the units had been sold.

Parramatta. Value of approvals declines

The total value of construction in the Parramatta local government area fell by 23.3 per cent in the year ending June 2008, from $354.9 million to $227.3 million. Building approvals in the non-dwelling sector fell by 36.3 per cent, from $147.4 million to $93,9 per cent, and approvals in the dwellings sector fell by 14 per cent, from $207.5 million to $178.4 million, according to council's latest quarterly publication, Biz Facts.

Parramatta. Firm leaves for Rhodes

Australian Administration Services (AAS), at 126 Church Street, Parramatta, will move on December 8. to Rhodes where it will take 10.480 square metres in the Rhodes Corporat Park. Link Market Services Limited, which acquired AAS from KAZ Group Pty Limited, is a leading provider of registry services and technology to financial market participants in Australasia.

Kings Park. Firm wins $74,000 contract

Kings Park company Protech Research has been awarded a $74,000 grant to develop enzyme technology that can alter the structure of wheat gluten to produce unique ingredients for use in nutrition-enhanced foods, beverages, snacks and breakfast cereals. The enzyme system will be targeted at flour and starch markets and will aim to capture gluten that is currently lost during processing. Minister for State Development, Ian Macdonald, said the 10 grants, totalling nearly $1 million, have been awarded from the 2008 funding round of the Department of State and Regional Development’s BioBusiness Proof of Concept program.

Auburn. Group wins $29m contract

Hastie Group Limited, the international building services and refrigeration systems group, has signed a $29 million contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries to design, procure and commission air conditioning systems for the North Rankin B platform under construction for the North West Shelf Venture. The contract has been secured by Hastie’s marine and offshore business; design work has already begun and completion is due in June 2010, with the majority of revenue in the 2010 financial year.