Moorebank. Halt to terminal

A spokesperon for the Premier said Barry O’Farrell would stand by his pre-election promise to halt the controversial Moorebank intermodal terminal pending further community consultation.

Katoomba. Council seeks local business

More than 70 local business people met at the Blue Mountains City Council seeking information on how to register an interest in supplying council with goods and/or services. Mayor Daniel Myles said council was committed to increasing the number of local businesses they engage with. Business owners from a large variety of industries such as graphic design, photography, fire protection, security, marketing, tree lopping, property valuation, writing, garden maintenance, and IT support attended.

Blacktown. Call for upgrade

Blacktown city councillors believe the city should be considered a regional city like Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool, rather than as a major centre as described in the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036. Council made a “comprehensive submission” to the government seeking the upgrade, as that would attract major corporations and government department's to the CBD.

Rhodes. Ikea operating at capacity

David Hood, MD, of Ikea Australia, said its Tempe outlet would cannibalise some sales of the store in Homebush Bay Drive, Rhodes, a welcome outcome as it was operating at capacity already. “There comes a point when you can’t physically do any more from a store,” he said. The Tempe outlet will be the largest Ikea store in Australia, featuring a total gross area of 39,000 square metres almost double the size of the Swedish company's most recently built store at Rhodes. The store is scheduled to open in late 2011 and will create between 400 and 500 new jobs. The Tempe store is a cornerstone of Ikea’s longer-term national expansion plans which could include two more Sydney stores.

Parramatta. South Bank on the river

Parramatta Lord Mayor, John Chedid, wants to follow the lead of one of Australia’s most vibrant and innovative foreshore precincts, Brisbane’s South Bank, as part of its plans to rejuvenate spaces along Parramatta River. Cr Chedid has met with South Bank CEO, Malcolm Snow, to discuss South Bank’s growth over the past 20 years and the ways it had developed as one of the country’s iconic river locations, a place with high architectural standards and innovative urban design. Mr Snow toured Parramatta River through the CBD last year and saw first hand its potential.