Region. High cost driving out farmers

The high cost of land in the Sydney Basin was driving farmers out, as more people want to build houses on the scarce land that was left near the city and the trend was set to accelerate with the number of food producers due to be halved in ten years, according to a report by the ABC.Country Hour's, David Claughton. A panel, at a Feeding Sydney conference, thought governments had to value agriculture more highly, and the retailers and the manufactures had far too much power and the ACCC should hold them to account. City people spent a lot of money on food but it was fast food or alcohol. They should be taught the real value of food and the value of good healthy fresh food. The UWS Hawkesbury Foundation, in association with the University of Western Sydney, organised the inaugural Hawkesbury Conference

Camden. Local company one of six finalists

NuFlora International, of Camden, which developed drought tolerant and low maintenance ornamental plants for the landscape industry, is one of six NSW companies which have been chosen as finalists for the NSW Government technology export award, the ATS Patrons Award for 2009. It recognises and rewards outstanding export performance by NSW technology companies which are members of the Government-supported Australian Technology Showcase program

Region. More football choices

Football fans in Western Sydney “the most populous football region in the country”, according to Ben Buckley, CEO, of the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), will have a wider choice of games to watch, with the FFA and the Australian Football League (AFL) announcing pushes into the region. The FFA said a team would enter the A-League in 2011 and the AFL’s. Western Sydney club, Team GWS, is expected to join the league in 2012. Mr Buckley said poor crowds and the financial hardships faced by several A-League clubs has forced the FFA's hand to delay Western Sydney’s entry until 2011.