Region. UWS lecturers on strike

UWS lecturers, and those at four other NSW universities, will stop work today as part of a national strike protesting against heavy workloads and calling for increased job security for casual staff. In NSW, members of the National Tertiary Education Union will picket gates at the University of NSW, Macquarie University, the University of Western Sydney, Wollongong University and Southern Cross University. The union has lodged a complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission, alleging some universities blocked casual staff from voting in the strike ballots.

Region. IT cluster takes off

The NSW Government’s Western Sydney Information Technology Cluster had reached a milestone of 350 members, according to the Minister for Small Business, Steve Whan, when speaking during a visit to Machinery Automation and Robotics, in Silverwater, as part of Small Business September 2009. Mr Whan said the Western Sydney IT Cluster's hi-tech member firms have an estimated collective industry value of more than $700 million, employ about 2500 people and are a major export force in the region. Cluster firms added more than 150 new regional jobs for Western Sydney in the last five years Almost three quarters of member companies report business growth in the last five years and more than half the membership export, with an estimated value of $400 million in export sales.

Region. More buses for the north-west

Twenty-three new buses have come into service in Sydney’s North-West, bring the total to over 60 as part of the 300 committed to be delivered by the end of 2010, according to the Minister for Transport, David Campbell. “There will be an increase in the number of buses providing existing services in the North West region, as well new express trips from West Pennant Hills to the City on routes 650X and 652X. The Government’s delivery of new buses is creating around 400 new jobs for bus drivers, 150 new jobs for bus builders, and providing increased job security for the bus construction industry,” Mr Campbell said.