Region. First home-grants and repossessions

Six localities in the region were placed in the top 10 for first-home grants, namely, Liverpool/Preston, with 167, topped the ladder; Campbelltown/Bradbury, 130; Blacktown, 122; Wentworthville/Greystanes, 121; Bankstown, 83; Parramatta/Harris Park, 79. Fifteen other regional localities receive between 73 and 5o grants. Nine regional localities were placed in the top 10 for repossessions; namely, Blacktown which topped the ladder with 48, Bankstown, 43; Guildford, with 43; Merrylands, with 43; Auburn 42; St Clair, 41; Mount Druitt, 40; Granville, 35; Prestons, 33. Twelve other regional localities recorded between 32 and 16 repossessions.

Penrith. Car firm indebted $48.8m to Esanda

Car dealer, Nadeem Khan, whose Western Sydney Automotive and Nepean Auto Group is endebted to Esanda for $48.4 million, has been summoned to appear at public examination on February 26, by Nepean’s liquidators, PPB. Earlier Grant Thornton called for expressions of interest for the purchase of the group’s business and assets, which have a total turnover in excess of $114 million. The group has a multi-franchise dealership, with revenues of approximately $86 million, on a freehold site in Penrith, and a leasehold site, with revenues of approximately $28 million, at McGraths Hill. The business and assets are offered for sale jointly or separately. EOIs closed on January 16.

Campbelltown. Community groups to get land title

Land title for public housing would be handed to community groups and opened to more affluent tenants in an attempt by the NSW Housing Minister, David Borger, to tackle poverty and social dysfunction in estates such as the Campbelltown suburb of Rosemeadow, the scene of recent riots, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Borger wants to transfer title of public housing from the State Government to community housing managers so the properties can be used as equity for loans to develop the government land. The borrowed money would be used to build private homes and the proceeds ploughed back into the project.

Villawood. New detention facility considered

A $1.1 million Federal Government study is close to being finalised for a new facility to replace the detention centre at Villawood on, or near, its current site or closer to Sydney Airport. Funding for the new centre is expected in next year’s Budget, according to The Sun-Herald. Villawood was recently given $7 million to improve visitor facilities and detainee accommodation but refurbishment beyond that at the current site is unlikely as the buildings are ‘aged and dilapidated’.