Fairfield. Site sold for $1.6 million

An undisclosed buyer has purchased a DA-approved mixed-use 1380-square-metre development site, in The Crescent and opposite Fairfield railway station, for $1.6 million, at auction. The DA is for construction of 38 residential units and commercial suites.

Chester Hill. Centre sold for $29.5 million

The Mirvac Group has sold its Chester Square Shopping Centre, at Chester Hill, for $29.5 million, to a Smorgan family-linked company. The single-level neighbourhood centre, which has a gross leasable area of about 8299 square metres, is anchored by a Woolworths supermarket along with a Go Lo discount variety store and 28 specialty shops. Mirvac sold the property above its latest book value of $27.3 million, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Blacktown. Factory sold for $1.5 million

An owner occupier has paid $1.5 million for a 4068-square-metre site containing a factory with 893 square metres of floor space and about 2000 square metres of hardstand area, in Chicago Street, Blacktown.

Region. 100 investors show interest

The NSW government is working with manufacturing companies and local councils to help them relocate and expand their businesses in Western Sydney to create jobs near people’s homes, under the $12 million Western Sydney Business Employment Fund. The government said in just four months it and local councils had identified 100 investors as the result of Industry and Investment NSW in partnership with the 14 local councils. The government said it recognised how essential it was to continue to improve transport and other infrastructure, support growing industry sectors, and attract, develop and retain adequately skilled workers in Western Sydney.

Homebush. DFO could be sold overseas

British-based Pradera Asset Management is believed to be the frontrunner to buy the $1.5 billion Direct Factory Outlets portfolio, including the Homebush DFO, the location of the company’s only NSW outlet which retails over 90 leading Australian and international brands. Consortia led by Australian institutional investors Lend Lease and Colonial First State were also in the running DFO is owned by Melbourne-based Austexx.

Auburn. Hastie buys fire services firm

The Hastie Group, based at Auburn, has purchased the assets of Spectrum Fire & Security, one of the largest fire services businesses in Australia, with revenues in excess of $100 million a year, a national footprint and over 600 employees. Hastie said the purchase of the company, which went into voluntary administration, would give it a national fire services footprint and boost its expansion into fire protection

Hawkesbury. MOU on latest technologies

The University of Western Sydney has signed a memorandum of understanding with Telstra, which entails both institutions exploring the numerous ways in which the latest technologies could be utilised for teaching, learning and research, as in the $40 million Climate Change and Energy Research Facility, based at the UWS Hawkesbury campus. "One of the first areas we will work with UWS on is to help it identify ways to gather, deploy and store sensitive research data in the Hawkesbury area, where UWS is conducting ground-breaking climate change research. The backbone to this is the Telstra Next IP network that runs throughout the university and will help UWS realise its vision of being a leading university of the 21st century," said Ms Nerida Caesar, group MD, Telstra Enterprise and Government.

Region. WSROC is mapping the region

Business and other visitors to Futuremaps will be able to access a map of Western Sydney and use it to discover information, such as, floodplains to the government’s plans for housing, transport links and designated industrial areas, housing targets; employment targets; urban consolidation or green fields housing development areas; and existing, planned and suggested rail, road and bus transport infrastructure. The site also shows possible future infrastructure developments as suggested by independent inquiries, industry groups, local councils and members of the community. Futuremaps is the second stage of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) www.westernsydney2030.com.au web site. Additional information will be added in time.

Parramatta. Converting shops

Parramatta City Council has under preliminary assessment an application, submitted in April, from Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd, to convert 20 retail shops to 16 residential units, at 180 George Street. This has been updated to converting the retail outlets to either a residential or commercial use. The estimated cost of the development is $2.9 million.