Parramatta. Call for report on DA extension

Parramatta City Council has resolved that a report be prepared seeking an amendment to council’s policy to allow the validity of a DA, without substantial commencement, to be extended from three to four years because of the current economic conditions, and that the policy be retrospective, with conditions

Windsor. Less clean water to grow turf

Millers Turf Supplies has introduced two new grasses into Australia which can be watered with salt, grey or effluent water, as a means of reducing the amount of clean water to grow turf. The 45-year-old family company, which grows 120 hectares of turf, at Wilberforce, need 11 mega-litres of water per 0.4 hectares annually. The company has also introduced environmental practice standards with its catchment ponds. “We felt there was a need on how to establish and maintain catchment ponds and run-off,” Greg Miller said in the Penrith Press.

Parramatta. Car parking costs increase

“Small businesses and ratepayers in Parramatta are already facing a downturn in the economy without the State Government hiking up the cost of parking your car,” said Parramatta Lord Mayor, Tony Issa. He was commenting on the NSW Government’s 50 per cent increase, from $470 to $710, on each of the 9000 non-residential and off-street parking spaces in the Parramatta CBD, from July 1. Cr Issa called for the current parking levy to be spent where it is raised within the Parramatta CBD. With the proposed increase, the NSW Government will be drawing more than $6 million a year from the CBD.

Parramatta. Record loss for footy club

The Parramatta Leagues Club has recorded a loss of $9.1 million. Initial forecasts had a debt of $7.8 million. The main factors affecting the result in 2008 included an “impairment” charge of $4.7 million due to the valuation on investment properties, total football funding of $6.5 million, including $4 million towards the Eels’ football club, and an increased poker machine duty of $1.3 million compared with 2007. “We’ve taken drastic steps to reduce our cost basis, and we’re adopting a more commercial approach,” said CEO, Dennis Fitzgerald, in the Sun-Herald.