Parramatta. Three down four to go

Parramatta City Council has agreed to purchase properties at 20-22, 24 and 25 Darcy Street for the 3-hectare, $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment project – four properties remain to be purchased. In preparation for the commencement of stage one, on a site bounded by Smith Street and Macquarie Street, the 100-space Smith Street car park will close mid June. Stage one will contain new council offices, a range of first-class community facilities including a new state-of-the-art library and new public space. “While I have to stress that there is still a lot to do before we can start work, we hope that a development application for this part of the site will be lodged this year, with the new facilities delivered in 2013,” Lord Mayor Paul Garrard said.

Baulkham Hills. Houses on bushland

The Hills Shire Council has submitted a proposal to build houses on 10 hectares, at Kellyville, on bushland that shelters endangered species in exchange for protecting bushland elsewhere in the council area, under the state's controversial BioBanking scheme.

North Ryde. Hi-tech defence hub

The NSW Government Budget, next week, will include a $50 million parcel of government land, at Macquarie Park, to develop a high-technology defence business hub The land could be used to attract business investment by companies working in areas such as defence systems, electronics and other related advanced technologies,” said the Minister for State and Regional Development, Ian Macdonald. “The Macquarie Park/North Ryde area is already home to defence-related businesses, such as Raytheon and BAE Systems, and is the ideal location for the development of a defence technology business hub. The hub will help drive defence activities around the state, building our competitive advantage and maximise benefits to NSW by securing a significant share of defence work, especially in areas that best match NSW’s skills profile,” he said.

Parramatta. Judges ignore intention

NSW Opposition legal affairs spokesman Greg Smith said it would be cheaper for victims and many lawyers if trials could be held in Western Sydney but Supreme Court judges, who work in the Sydney CBD, did not want to be based in Parramatta "It was always the intention that Supreme Courts would be permanently based at Parramatta," he said. "Supreme Court judges sit outside Sydney's CBD and, indeed, in regional areas, if and when required. This includes both trial and appeal work," a Supreme Court spokeswoman said.

Region. New transport agency

The NSW Government has set up a single transport agency, Transport NSW, to coordinate all public transport services and roads “The newly created Transport NSW will drive the implementation of the Metropolitan Transport Plan (including) coordinating the construction of the Western Express, South West Rail Link and North West Rail Link, said the Minister for Transport, John Robertson. The new agency means operating agencies that deliver transport services – RailCorp, State Transit, Sydney Ferries and the Roads and Traffic Authority – will work together to deliver a better coordinated, multimodal transport system, he said.