Eastwood. Brickworks sale nears

Building material maker, Brickworks Limited, at Horsely Park, is expected to wrap up its $70 million sale of a 90-year-old quarry and brickworks factory, at Eastwood, by next month. The sale is running more than a year late because of hurdles faced with removing equipment and cleaning up pollution, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Camellia. API to expand Priceline stores

Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), based at Camellia, one of Australia’s leading health and beauty companies, aims to boost its 213 franchised Pricleine stores to 400 by early 2011. API has a number of brands and banners in the retail health and beauty industry, including Soul Pattinson, Pharmacist Advice as well as Priceline. API’s sales for the four months to December 31 rose 5.6 per cent over the corresponding period, while same store sales increased 2.2 per cent. “We were disappointed with some of the sale results (over the Christmas period) but the fact is we maintained margins,” CEO, Stephen Roche, said. API, which has 329 stores across Australia, opened 30 outlets over the past year.

Westmead. Merger of hospitals proposed

The state's two biggest children's hospitals, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick are expected to come together under one administrative umbrella, within six months, in a proposal announced the Premier, Kristina Keneally, and the Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt. One chief executive will manage both hospitals, an advisory panel will oversee budget decisions and a chief pediatrician will be appointed. Tony Penna, the chief executive of the Children's Hospital at Westmead, said the hospital had treasured its independence but a statewide entity was clearly in children's interests. The third children's hospital, at John Hunter in Newcastle, will remain part of the Hunter New England Area Health Service but clinicians will be part of the new health service, to be known as NSW Kids. The proposal will be open to public consultation until the end of next month.

Region. West Metro above ground maybe

Premier, Kristine Keneally said the Government was ''committed to a metro network for Sydney'' but government sources said this probably meant building a west metro from Westmead to the city terminating at Barangaroo on the western side of the city, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. One option involves dumping two expensive tunnels - Barangaroo to Rozelle via Pyrmont and Westmead to Strathfield - and building the West Metro above ground alongside the M4 to Westmead. The architect of the proposal, urban planner Garry Glazebrook, who is a consultant to the independent public inquiry into transport backed by the Herald, estimates this would save $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion for more pressing projects

Region. Sydney Water forecasts

Sydney Water forecasts it will need to build over $695 million of water service related assets to service urban growth, over the next five years, with $265 million, or 38 per cent, spent in the North West and South West Growth Centres, according to Sydney Water’s first Growth Servicing Plan, 2009-2014. This figure will increase to $4.1 billion, or 66 per cent, of a total forecast of $6.2 billion, over 22 years to 2031, when Sydney’s population is anticipated to grow to 5.3 million people, “Urban growth” includes new housing, industrial and commercial facilities.