Parramatta. Council will put its case

Parramatta City Council will put its case for a greater government focus and investment in the development of the city and Western Sydney present to Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure NSW, following the success of its economic development forum earlier this year.

Council has resolved, in part, to develop a report on an implementation and advocacy plan to attract state government departments

The report would examine a systematic approach to lobbying the state government; the scope for amending 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; and examine the potential for advertising or the employment of professional lobbyists.

Parramatta. 2036 goal

A goal of Parramatta City Council’s economic development strategy is the development of a least 550,000 square metre of commercial or industrial space, including council-owned sites, to house 27,000 additional employees, by 2036.

Parramatta. Population and workforce

Twenty-two per cent of Parramatta’s residents possess a tertiary degree qualification and 48 per cent speak a language other than English at home.

Parramatta. "Specialised centres"

Parramatta City Council believes treating Rydalmere and Camellia as “specialised centres”, together with Westmead, would give Parramatta the best chance of exceeding job targets in the Sydney Metropolitan Plan.

These centres would maximise the University of Western Sydney’s presence in the city, broaden the city’s economic base and project a knowledge-based identity to the outside world, according to the Parramatta Economic Development Strategy 2011-2016

Council’s place management group was currently conducting preliminary land feasibility, flood and heritage studies, and exploring opportunities for partnership with UWS, in the Rydalmere precinct.

The vision for Rydalmere by 2036 is that it would house a high-tech business park developed in conjunction with the expansion of the UWS Parramatta expansion.

The precinct would be home to between 5000-11,000 knowledge workers, 2500 tertiary professionals and 30,000 students,” the document said.

While there would be significant links between businesses and the scientific capabilities of UWS, links would also be established with Macquarie University, with the view the precinct will develop and supply technology predominantly to the advanced manufacturing and health sectors of Western Sydney.

With regard to Camellia, council’s investigation into the future of the precinct is not formally scheduled until July 2012, the document said.

Meanwhile, discussions are being held with Shell regarding the refinery’s closure in 2013 and the freeing up of some 40 hectares of land, and with the Australian Turf Club regarding its redevelopment of the site including grandstands, a hotel and function rooms.

Camellia would be an eco-industrial precinct specialising in the sustainable building and energy fields, according to the strategy.

Westmead would become a world-class bio-medical and bio-technology cluster, a state significant asset characterised by high levels of research, interaction and science.

The four hospitals and multiple research centres in the precinct would expand in the next five years, increasing jobs and the capacity for innovation.

The bio-medical industry would populate lands around Redbank Road and commercialise opportunities from research.

The document noted large warehousing and manufacturing tenants occupying industrial lands may exit the area in time allowing larger pharmaceutical and life sciences firms to move in and expand the cluster.

Chullora. Competitors may join together

Fairfax Media and News Ltd are in talks about sharing printing and distribution facilities at Chullora and Melbourne. “Both companies believe there is a good deal to do,” said Fairfax CEO, Greg Hywood, in The Australian Financial Review. Industry sources said News Ltd’s CEO, Kim Williams was keen to strike a deal to cut costs.

Parramatta Smoking ban

Following extensive community and business consultation, Parramatta City Council has banned smoking in all alfresco dining areas it controls or owns, starting from 1 May 2012. More than 900 participants took part in the survey, which found that 68 per cent of residents and 60 per cent of diners supported the smoking ban. The majority of businesses surveyed didn’t support the ban The new policy will also see smoking prohibited within 10 metres of children’s playgrounds, sporting fields, sports facilities and bus and taxi stands.

North Ryde. MOU - Uni and Ryde

Macquarie University and City of Ryde Council announced a new partnership.The memorandum of understanding marks a strengthening of the relationship between the university and the city, and provides greater opportunities for research projects that will benefit the local community. The "town and gown" partnership will allow the City of Ryde to leverage the world-class research capabilities of the university in delivering its 2021 Community Strategic Plan. In return, staff and students will be able to undertake unique research projects and see their results applied to real-world situations in the local community. Projects proposed under the program include research into implementing a domestic waste to energy conversion process, analysis of traffic movement patterns to enable better planning, and design and planning of upgrades to local town centres.

Bella Vista. Shopping centre knocked down

The state government will knock down the Totally Home Centre shopping centre, at Bella Vista to build a station at the start of a four-kilometre skytrain segment of the North West Rail Link. The centre is owned by the superannuation fund ISPT, and includes Harvey Norman, Nick Scali and Freedom Furniture among about 20 retail occupants. A spokesman for the North West Rail Link said the project team would offer assistance to leaseholders but would need control of the centre by the first half of 2013.

North West. Business supports rail link

Premier Barry O’Farrell has hit back at claims that the $8.5 billion North West Rail Link is a political project saying business groups supported the 23-kilometre rail line The government is holding an industry briefing on the project in Baulkham Hills today, according to The Australian Financial Review.

The Hills. Objection to skytrain

Mayor of the Hills Shire Council, Greg Burnett, says he does not support the four kilometre, 10-metre high heavy rail bridge section of the North West Rail Link and will lobby the government for it to be abandoned. "Council's position has been that we want to see the entire length underground," he said on ABC Radio. Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, says she will listen to the criticism but is unlikely to change the plans.