Westmead. Turning the precinct into a hub

Residents, business owners and the Department of Health will participate in a consultation process on the proposal to develop the Westmead commercial and health precinct into a regional and community hub. The consultation process, to be undertaken by Parramatta City Council, is expected to take place in February 2009. A recent Residents’ Panel survey noted that Westmead was a good hospital precinct, with limited shopping.

Penrith. Agriculture valued at $342 million

Agricultural production in the Penrith Local Government area is valued at $342 million annually, or 34.2 per cent of the Sydney basin’s $1 billion output. “Sydney’s agricultural basin is essential to the NSW economy,” said the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, at Sydney’s Agriculture Planning for the Future forum in Penrith. The basin employs 8000 directly and is the major production area for the supply of some perishable food lines in NSW, including more than 90 per cent of Asian vegetables grown in NSW. Production in outer western suburbs - poultry, vegetables, cut flowers; Hawkesbury - dairy, turf, mushrooms, vegetables, horses Blue Mountains - nursery, stone and pome fruit.