North Ryde. Management changes at AJ Lucas

The engineering and construction services company AJ Lucas, at Macquarie Park, has signalled wholesale management changes after delivering a full-year net loss of $7.13 million - down from a $103.3 million profit last year - for the year ended June 30, on the back of a 28.2 per cent fall in revenue to $358.5 million. ''Of the top eight or nine people in (the BC&I) division, six executives have either left or will be leaving,'' said managing director, Allan Campbell.

Wetherill Park. Property sold for $12.75 million

A private Western Australia-based investor has purchased at auction an office and warehouse facility, on a 2.9-hectare site at Wetherill Park, for $12.75 million. The property, formerly owned by Stateland Developments, now in external administration, has 10,908 square metres of lettable space and includes 11 loading docks. The property containing the head office of Thorn Lighting is leased until until October 2017, according to The Australian Financial Review.

North Ryde. University to sell bonds

Macquarie University plans to sell at least $200 million worth of 10-year notes in its inaugural bond sale. The ANZ and Commonwealth banks are managing the sale of notes for the university. The bond sale will be the first by a university in Australia since the University of Wollongong issued $42.5 million of inflation-linked notes in 2008.

Parramatta. Eating on the street

Parramatta City Council wants to investigate the possibility of using Church Street for outdoor dining area for restaurants. It has on public exhibition a proposal to close the street, between Phillip Street and Market Street, on Friday and Saturday nights, from 5pm to 1am the following day, from December 2010 for a trial period of three months. The purpose is to improve the outdoor dining experience in the Eat Street precinct of the Parramatta CBD.

Parramatta. Construction work hours extended

Workers on federal government job sites, in the Parramatta LGA, will be permitted to work under new conditions that directly oppose Parramatta City Council’s construction guidelines. NSW Housing has notified council work on nominated Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Plan sites would be extended to up to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. “Parramatta City Council has not been consulted on this decision …I’ve made it quite clear that council and its residents are tired of being kept in the dark when it comes to government developments and we’ll be launching a campaign aimed at giving locals the opportunity to have a voice,” Lord Mayor, Paul Garrard, said.

Region. Major approvals by DOP

Major developments approved by the Department of Planning in August include: a $182 million employment site on the former Hoxton Park Aerodrome delivering 1400 construction jobs and up to 1135 ongoing positions; a $60 million regional distribution park of warehouses, distribution centres and logistics facilities, to be located in the Western Sydney Employment Area near the junction of the M4 and M7; the rejuvenation of the former Channel 7 site at Epping to begin with approval given for site preparation works for the construction of a childcare facility and communal residential facilities; and the continuing revitalisation of Homebush Bay, with a new $129 million residential project to deliver up to 573 new dwellings at Wentworth Point.