The Hills. Reducing flood impacts

The Hills Shire Council is working to effectively reduce flood impacts through flood-related building and development controls plus flood mitigation works. The shire drains into two river basins, the Upper Parramatta River and the Hawkesbury River making the Sydney Hills a risk area. Major floods took place across Sydney, hitting The Hills hard in 1986 and 1988, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses in the Upper Parramatta River catchment. Flood mitigation works and services between The Hills Shire Council and neighbouring councils has halved the number of houses above floor level in a 100-year flood and the number of flood-affected businesses has been reduced by more than two-thirds in the Upper Parramatta River catchment.

Parramatta. Council talks to Opposition on link.

Parramatta Lord Mayor, John Chedid, has called on the NSW Opposition to re-consider its plans to scrap the Parramatta to Epping rail link and will host talks with shadow transport minister, Gladys Berejiklian, this week to discuss transport solutions for Parramatta and Western Sydney. Cr Chedid said the rail link was the number one transport priority for council, which has stepped up its lobbying efforts over the past 12 months. This included hosting a Transport Forum last year, attended by Ms Berejiklian and Transport Minister, John Robertson, along with key industry experts “It is crucial that we have direct transport links to the business in Macquarie Park and North Sydney, and the workers on the North Shore, to support our continued growth,” Cr Chedid said.

Parramatta. City snubbed on free transport

Parramatta Lord Mayor, John Chedid, has slammed the state government over its decision to fund free shuttle-busses in Liverpool, Campbelltown and Gosford, while snubbing one of the first places to introduce the service – Parramatta. “This is a massive slap in the face to the ratepayers of Parramatta who are currently funding their own shuttle bus service, the Loop, out of their own pockets, while every other major CBD in NSW has a free shuttle bus service funded by the state government,” Cr Chedid said.