Blacktown. More office space needed

The Blacktown CBD won't play a part in government plans that could transform it into a regional city until it is more attractive to developers, said Elias Kinnas, president, of the Blacktown Chamber of Commerce. He said Blacktown needed more office space before it could accommodate more white-collar jobs. He pointed to several stalled developments worth a total of hundreds of millions of dollars that would have provided office and retail space in Blacktown, such as, a 15-storey mixed-use development approved for the McDonalds' site on Sunnyholt Road and a commercial redevelopment of the three-hectare Blacktown RSL site would have transformed the city. He said developers did not want to invest in Blacktown until other major developments attracted more business.

Parramatta. Lobbying state government

Parramatta City Council will develop a report on an implementation and advocacy plan to attract state government departments. The report will examine, in part, the scope for amending the density of the Civic Place precinct and city centre, with a view to accommodating a potential expansion of the height and floor space ratio in line with state government’s needs; prepare a program regarding specific state government departments to lobby; examine the potential for advertising or the employment of professional lobbyists; and the formation of a separate sub-committee to guide this process and the composition of the sub-committees.

Region. Health chain collapses.

The NSW-based natural health and beauty chain Healthzone, which has outlets in Western Sydney, has collapsed. Phil Carter and Chris Hill, of PPB Advisory, have been appointed as receivers and managers to the business, which has 110 stores trading as Healthy Life and a wholesale division. They are working to sell the company as a going concern. Eighty of the stores are franchised, the balance of 30 are company-owned. The company employs about 250 staff. Healthzone Limited, which is listed on the ASX.