Auburn. Hastie Group wins contracts

Hastie Group Limited, in Auburn, a leading international building services and refrigeration systems group, has been awarded two contracts totalling $67 million to provide services for new medical facilities in Cambridge, UK and Melbourne. The latter is a $30 million contract to provide mechanical, hydraulic and electrical services for the new Parkville Neuroscience facility being constructed on the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus. The project, which will bring together more than 500 research staff from the Florey Neuroscience Institutes, the University of Melbourne and the Mental Health Research Institute, is due for completion in 2011.

Berala. Woolworths outlays $5.7 million

Woolworths has paid $5.7 million for a site at Berala, formerly owned by failed Citadel Property, The property had approval for a shopping centre and 150 apartments. Woolworths plans to submit a new DA as part of a store expansion, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Castle Hill. Centre in the top 10

Supa Centa Castle Hill is the only bulky goods retail outlet in the top 10 largest homemaker centres, by total floorspace, in Australia, according to a report by the Bulky Goods Retailers Association and economic consultancy, Deep End Services. The 52,136-square-metre centre was placed fourth on the table.

Region. UWS gets $3.8m in ARC grants

The University of Western Sydney has received over $3.8 million in funding in the latest round of research grants announced by the Australian Research Council (ARC). Fourteen projects received highly sought-after ARC grants. A number of different UWS studies have received funding to investigate the impact of climate change on everything from insects, to marine life, to corporate Australia. "The successful projects are in priority areas such as science, mathematics, engineering, economics and business, education, and public health. These are areas of vital importance not only to the Greater Western Sydney region but to the nation,” said Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Andrew Cheetham. UWS received, also, three out of the nine ARC Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development (DIRD) grants awarded nationally for 2010 - the most by any Australian university. These grants, worth $669,750, will address priority areas, including closing the education gap for Indigenous students and combating racism toward Indigenous youth in high schools.

Region. UWS appoints law activist

The University of Western Sydney has appointed world-renowned environmental law activist, Mahesh Chander Mehta, to the School of Law, as an honorary Adjunct Fellow. He will take up a position within the College of Business where he will also become an Associate Member of the University's Social and Environmental Responsibility Research Group (SERRG).

North Ryde. Uni gets $10m for research

Researchers from Macquarie University will receive more than $10 million in Australian Research Council funding for projects commencing next year. The funding includes more than $9 million for 34 new Discovery Projects - a significant increase from this year's $6.8 million for 21 projects - and a further $940,000 under the Linkage Projects scheme. The diverse range of projects researchers will undertake include finding new technologies and treatments to protect people and animals from increasingly drug-resistant infections; exploring new therapies to better treat children with anxiety disorders and creating new models to better manage risk in the financial markets
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Auburn. Auction of Cumberland Ind, site

The former head office and warehouse complex, of Cumberland Industries, in Auburn, is for sale under instructions from the liquidator. The site, with a land area of 7109 square metres, comprises a warehouse of 3400 square metres, a first floor office on 444 square metres, plus a detached two-storey office building of 775 square metres. The site, zoned 4(b) light industrial, will be auctioned on November 4.

Parramatta. Call to remove tolls

Parramatta City Council has called on the State Government to remove tolls from the M4, given that no significant commitment has been made to contribute towards new public transport infrastructure in Parramatta and Western Sydney. “Unless the State Government can fulfil transport commitments for the growing population of western Sydney, then the M4 toll should be removed. Alternatively, if the RTA retains the M4 toll as a demand management tool, the Roads and Traffic Authority should retain the Cashback scheme beyond next year while contributing towards new integrated public transport infrastructure projects,” Parramatta Lord Mayor, Paul Garrard, said.