Region. Outlining government plans

NSW Governor, Marie Bashir, confirmed at the opening of the state’s 55th parliament that along with a rail link to outer-northwest Sydney, the NSW government would start work on one of the three "missing links" in the city's road system., according to The Australian They are: the extension of the M4 motorway from Western Sydney into the CBD; the duplication of the tunnel on the M5 motorway, to Sydney's southwest; and a link between the F3 freeway, which connects Sydney to Newcastle, and the M2 motorway in northern Sydney. Her speech including plans to abolish the powers of the state's Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, to override local councils on major projects. The new MP for Parramatta, Geoff Lee, told a business breakfast in Parramatta these plans could be introduced in a matter of weeks.

Norwest. Largest in the country

March quarter office market conditions statistics released by Jones Lang LaSalle show, on the supply side, just five small projects totalling 19,800 square metres were completed across the country in Q1 2011. The largest was the 13,900 square-metre project, at 7-9 Irvine Place, in Norwest Business Park.

Bankstown. :Policy centre officially launched

The University of Western Sydney will officially launch its Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy, at its Bankstown campus on Friday, May 6. "The centre seeks to promote democratic governance, active citizenship, and a practical awareness of the interdependencies of the political, the social, the economic and the environmental," said the centre’s director, Professor Anna Yeatman. "Up until now, the centre (which opened in 2008) has been laying its foundations and building its intellectual people presence. Now, the centre is really beginning to thrive and is functioning as an organic, synergetic community," she said.

North Ryde. Centre aims to be among the top

The Macquarie Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics Research Centre, at Macquarie University, has been officially launched. The centre lead by director, Professor Quentin Parker, has ties to over 100 national and international universities, observatories, research institutions and commercial companies in 23 countries. With its planned growth in research, the centre is predicted to soon be among the top four astronomy cohorts in Australia, alongside the Australian National University, the University of Sydney and Swinburne.

Blacktown. Residential 'hot spot'

The Housing Industry Association has picked Blacktown as one of the top 20 residential and building hot spots in Australia. The city has an annual population growth rate of 4.5 per cent – exceeding the national rate of 1.7 per cent in the year to June 2010. The value of residential building work approved in Blacktown hit $228 million last year, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Blacktown. Undisclosed sum for site

Australand has expanded its residential development business after it secured the 38-hectare former Ashlar Golf Course, in Blacktown, for an undisclosed sum. The site will be redeveloped into a master-planned housing community close to the Blacktown city centre. The golf course is being relocated to new premises at the Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in the first half of next year. Australand's executive general manager, Rod Fehring, said the latest deal was consistent with the group's focus to increase its residential presence in NSW. Subject to approvals, the development was expected to yield up to 700 dwellings with ''a variety of high quality housing solutions and associated amenity''.