Campbelltown. $85 million contract for F5

The state government has awarded the $85 million dollar contract for the final stage of the F5 freeway upgrade, near Campbelltown, NACE Civil Engineering, at Prestons. The work, to begin early next year, will include widening the freeway from Brooks Road to Narellan Road and building a pedestrian and cycle overpass.

Enfield. Sydney Ports $150 million deal

Sydney Ports Corporation is seeking expressions of interest for the construction of its $150 million intermodal facility, at Enfield, on a site which it purchased in 2001. The aim of the facility is to relieve Port Botany of congestion and hundred of empty freight containers, according to The Australian Financial review. Work could commence in March 2009 and when competed the facility could have an end value of $500 million, according to Jones Lang LaSalle.

Region. TAFE teachers win quality awards

Four teachers from TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute have been honoured at the 2008 NSW Quality Teaching Awards - joining a long list of teachers from the Institute who have received the award in the past; 37 teachers since its inaugural year in 2001. The awards recognise teachers who demonstrate highly accomplished teaching practice in their chosen fields including early childhood, primary, secondary, university and TAFE NSW. The teachers are: Ranell Hobson, head teacher, sport and fitness, Nepean College, Deidre Ballard, teacher administration services, Baulkham Hills College, Marina Kendal, head teacher, property and law, Open Training and Education Network and Michelle Travers, a/head teacher, Human Resource Management, Blacktown College.

Blacktown. 'High need for services'

The catalyst for the $21 million seniors village in north-west Sydney is the 22,000 people, 65 years and over, living in the Blacktown local government area, according to the 2006 census data “Research identified the north-west and the Blacktown local government area, as an area of high need for the company’s services,” said Ken Baker, CEO, of Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV). Landcom sold 12.7 hectares of land to ARV for $21 million for 200 independent living units as well as a 100-bed aged care facility, at The Ponds.