Parramatta. Premier urged to press ahead

Parramatta City Council has requested Premier, Kristina Keneally, to implement the transport blueprint, which was to be announced by her predecessor, Nathan Rees, as it was vital to the growth of Parramatta and Western Sydney. “Planning and initial works for the Sydney Metro project have already commenced and council has been looking forward to the announcement of funding for the West Metro, an underground rail network linking Westmead to the CBD and inner west. This 24km West Metro line is vital to Parramatta’s growth and will act as a gateway to Australia’s third largest economy, Western Sydney,” Lord Mayor, Paul Garrard, said.

Parramatta. Church Street is struggle street

Trade in Church Street is continuing to trend downwards – if the number of vacant premises is an indication. Some 20 premises in Chinatown – between Argyle Street and the Great Western Highway – were empty, accounting for the majority in the shabbiest part of the CBD, despite Parramatta City Council’s efforts to improve the “look” of the area. The Chinese New Year – the Year of the Tiger – which will be celebrated in Chinatown on February 19, will liven up the precinct, if only for a day. The area may get a kick along, long-term, with a proposed residential building of some 20 storeys. The section between Macquarie Street and the Parramatta River is not so bad, with 13 premises empty or closing down; that’s excluding the 50 plus outlets in the Brand Smart centre. Cheap clothing outlets and $2 shops are still the go in what was Parramatta’s traditional retail strip. Several outlets have an upmarket look. The café and restaurant precinct seems as bustling as ever.

North Ryde. University wins $1.5m in grants

Four Australian Research Council grants collectively worth almost $1.5 million have been awarded to research projects led by Macquarie University. Macquarie was successful in four of the five applications submitted for this latest round of linkage grants, giving it a success rate of 80 per cent, compared to a national average success rate of 41.8 per cent. Macquarie is also a collaborating institution on 15 successful applications submitted through other universities.

Fairfield. Investment in shopping centre

Parramatta Eels Rugby league chairman,Roy Spagnola, has sold a 2.40-hectare site, in Rockdale, for more than $25 million to provide a cash flow to develop other properties, including a shopping centre in Fairfield West. He purchased the site for $7.7 million, in 2001, according to The Australian Financial Review