Parramatta. Job figures 'factually wrong'

Parramatta City Council disputes the significant reduction in the CBD workforce contained in the Christie Report, an independent assessment of Sydney’s transport plans, partly sponsored by The Sydney Morning Herald. The report noted “the Government’s latest employment forecasts, quietly released in December 2009, now envisage only 11,000 additional jobs in the Parramatta centre in the 30 years between 2006 and 2036. Council’s comment is “the revised forecasts from the NSW Transport Data Centre about Parramatta, published in the Christie Report-Herald article, are factually wrong. Council’s own forecasts show that Parramatta could add between 30,000 and 40,000 new jobs by 2031. This is also supported by a study undertaken by WSROC and the UWS Urban Research Centre last year saying Parramatta will likely do better than the targets in the Metro Strategy”.

Region. Tour by Infrastructure Australia

The regional lobby group, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) is compiling a map of all its member councils infrastructure needs to assist in its advocacy on behalf of the region’. This follows the organisation hosting a tour of the Western Sydney Economic Corridor, along the M7, and several major cities in the region, for members of the Major Cities Unit within Infrastructure Australia and council representatives.

Merrylands. Hairdressing college closed

The privately owned hairdressiong college, The Edge Academy, at Merrylands, has closed without notice after charging international students $7000 each for fees and equipment three weeks ago The college has been a registered training organisation, with the NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB), since December 2004. The organisation currently has 66 students studying with 95 pending enrolments. A spokesman for VETAB said they had been told by owners of the academy that reasons for the closure included the changes to Federal Government policy. "Overseas students are entitled to a full refund of their fees from the Education Services for Overseas Students Assurance Fund," he said. "Domestic students can seek restitution from the NSW Office of Fair Trading”

Region. Rates pegged at 2.6 per cent

Councils in Western Sydney and across NSW will have their rate pegged at2.6 per cent for 2010/11. “The rate peg figure has been released earlier to allow councils more time to speak with their communities about their plans and projects for the coming year,” The Minister for Local Government, Barbara Perry, said. Councils can apply for an exemption allowing them to lift rates above the peg but they would have to have community support and a strong business case, The Local Government Association and the Shires Association said the rate peg of 2.6 per cent would not allow councils to cover costs.