Parramatta. 'I love my job'

Alanah Wright, a food and beverage supervisor, at the Mercure Parramatta, and one of Accor Hotels and Resorts’ growing number of indigenous employees, beat Accor’s employees in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to win the 2009 ‘I Build Smiles’ employee recognition award for her commitment. “2009 was a very difficult year for our industry, but it was the attitude of people like Alanah, who helped us perform ahead of the rest of the market, ” said Michael Issenberg, chairman and chief operating officer. “I love my job so to be rewarded for that gives me a huge sense of achievement,” said Ms Wright on being presented with the award for her commitment and also for her services to the indigenous community.

Parramatta. Over-supplied unit market

Scott Thomas, owner of the failed Premier Parking company, based in Parramatta, and his business partner, Frank Iemma, have been caught out in the over-supplied apartment market on the North Shore. The pair developed a block of upmarket apartments, near Lindfield railway station, but the speculative development was hit by construction delays, leaving secured creditor, Macquarie Bank, only just able to recover the $50 million that it lent to the project., according to The Australian Financial Review. Premier Parking, Australia’s third largest car parking provider, which had some 50 car parks around Australia, fell into receivership in August

Penrith. Projects to boost employment

The Penrith Business Alliance has announced a number of projects to attract new investment and job growth over the next 5-10 years: a) the Penrith Health and Wellbeing industry to become a major driver of local jobs, b) major commercial office developments moved forward in the Penrith CBD, and c) a project that will focus on some of Penrith’s strongest local industries, such as, manufacturing and business services. “All these initiatives will all be part of the new economic corridor for Penrith that will become the focus of all job generating investment that is required for Penrith to reach its regional city potential by 2031,” said Paul Brennan, PBA chairman. The Department of Transport’s Transport Data Centre released figures in December 2009 showing the Penrith CBD working population was forecast to increase from 14,024 to 21,120, up by 51 per cent, by 2036. The Department of Planning’s North West Subregion Strategy (2007) set a capacity target for the centre at 30,000 by 2013

Parramatta. productivity increase by 9.3%

Productivity – a key component of economic growth and a measure of the efficiency or production within a region – in the Parramatta local government area increased by 9.3 per cent, in 2008/09, to $73.62 compared to the average figure of $67.36 in the previous year. Parramatta recorded a higher total industry productivity average than NSW, $68.74, in 2009/09,while also recording a higher increase than the average for the state of 5.5 percent, according to Parramatta City Council’s Biz Facts autumn/winter 2010 edition.

Blacktown. Progress on precincts

Substantial progress has been made towards finalising the rezoning of two precincts in Sydney’s North West Growth Centre, said the Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, who toured the area with Charlie Lowles, mayor of Blacktown City Council. “We discussed the rezoning of Riverstone and Alex Avenue precincts for urban development so land for more than 15,000 homes and 45,000 residents can be made available over the next two decades, The North West Growth Centre will be home to an extra 200,000 people over the next 25 years and these two precincts together will house almost a quarter of that population increase,” Mr Kelly said