Parramatta. Boost to local economy

An analysis undertaken by SuperX of its Supercross event, held at Parramatta Stadium, in November 2009, estimated the economic impact totalled nearly $1.4 million. Parramatta City Council’s economic development team had earlier estimated the impact could be $1.1 million. Council reported that Media Monitors noted the advertising value for the event at $344,000. Over half a million TV viewers watched the event via FoxSports, Fuel TV and Network Ten, in Australia, and on TVNZ, in New Zealand and Australia Network, in Asia

Blacktown. A long way in 50 years

From a delicatessen in Blacktown in the 1950s, Frank Lowy has gone on to create the largest shopping-centre operation in the world. At the first annual general meeting of Westfield Development Corporation, in September 1961, it had a balance sheet of 380,000 pounds. Today, the Westfield Group has net assets of $25.8 billion. Frank Lowy, 79, will chair the 50th AGM on May 27.

Parramatta. City Centre redevelopment

The proposed $1.4 billion Civic Place project is part of Parramatta City Council’s plans for the redevelopment of the core of the CBD. Council noted in its Integrated Transport Plan for the Parramatta City Centre that the redevelopment of the Civic Place block had commenced in 2009 with the opening of Sydney Water’s head office. Three additional blocks are included in the plans, namely, Horwood Place, Erby Place and Riverside (a block bounded by the Parramatta River, Church, Phillip and Smith streets/Wilde Avenue) all contain council car parks, “representing significant areas for redevelopment, along with private land owners”. The document said there were numerous privately-owned sites that have been mooted for development.