Homebush Bay. 'Push ahead' with hospital

The state government will push ahead with a deal to open a $51 million hospital at Homebush Bay, despite claims yesterday that its prospective tenants, Kerry Ferguson and Daniel Owen, had been issued with eviction notices for not paying rent at Canada Bay, Lismore and Mackay private hospitals and it owed staff superannuation entitlements dating back more than a year. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority said it would continue to deal with Ms Ferguson and Mr Owen, who won the bid to build a 94-bed orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital at Olympic Park, because they had not breached their contractual obligations ''at this time''.

Moorebank. Work delayed on freight terminal

Work on Sydney's largest freight terminal is being held up because of a dispute with Department of Defence about when it will move off land at Moorebank. Described as a ''second port'', the proposed facility will receive goods by train from Port Botany and redirect them by truck or rail across the country and through the city. Defence, which leases the site needs to relocate. While there was no set-date to be finished, other than a commitment to start work by 2013, the Sydney Morning Herald understands that hopes to develop it into a working hub have been delayed by more than a year. The chief executive officer at Shipping Australia, Llew Russell, said planning needed to start soon to help take trucks off the road, especially as Port Botany was rapidly expanding.

Blacktown. Retailer's profit up 43.6 per cent

Women’s wear retailer Noni B, at Blacktown, has reported a 43.4 per cent rise in first-half profit to $3.6 million and lifted its interim dividend to 6¢ a share, fully franked, compared with 2¢ in the prior first half. Noni B, which sells mainly to the 40-plus demographic, said sales for the six months to December 31 were $62.5 million, in line with the previous corresponding period.

Top Ryde. Sale of stake in shopping centre

Property developer, John Beville, proposes to sell a stake, worth an estimated $700 million, in the $1.1 billion Top Ryde City Shopping Centre project., which when completed will include Myer, Big W, Woolworths, Franklins, Aldi, 280 speciality retail spaces, 11,500 square metres of commercial space and up to 450 apartments. The second stage is expected to open in March, with the final stage in mid-August.