North West. Acquisition of properties

About 60 homes, 30 businesses and two other properties will be compulsorily acquired to allow for construction of the north west rail link. Two-thirds of the $9 billion, 23-kilometre line will be built underground between Bella Vista and Epping. Most of the remainder of the line will be ground level with a four-kilometre elevated ''skytrain'' between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill. Tunnelling is expected to start in 2014, and trains are due to run by 2019.

Parramatta. $3.75 million for cycleway

The federal government has funded Parramatta City Council to the tune of $3.75 million towards the Parramatta River City Renewal Project, which will allow council to complete work on three critical missing links to the Parramatta Valley Cycleway, which is a continuous off-road shared path linking Westmead, Parramatta Park, Parramatta city centre, Sydney Olympic Park and Meadowbank. “Once completed, the cycleway will allow walkers and bike riders to travel from Parramatta Park to Meadowbank on dedicated paths avoiding the busy roads of the industrial areas of Rydalmere and Ermington.

Richmond. State-of-the-art research facilities

The Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, has officially opened state-of-the-art research facilities at the University of Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, at Richmond. The unique research facilities, which are among the largest and most complex in the world, allow scientists to create future climatic conditions, including elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, higher temperatures and changed rainfall patterns. The institute’s research facilities were developed as a result of a $40 million grant from the Australian Government as part of its Education Investment Fund, together with funding from the University of Western Sydney.

North Ryde. Redvelopment taskforce

The state government has formed a specialist taskforce to advise on the re-development of government land at Macquarie Park and opportunities to work with the private sector and tertiary sector to maximise the potential for urban development and jobs growth. “The Government has significant land holdings in the area including a social housing estate and surplus land acquired for the construction of the Epping to Chatswood rail link,” said the Minister for Finance & Services, Greg Pearce. Ryde MP, Victor Dominello, said it was a great opportunity that will further enhance Macquarie Park as a premier commercial, retail, and education precinct.

Sydney Olympic Park. $10m headquarters

Thales Australia, one of Australia’s largest defence contractors, will establish its new $10 million Australian headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park “The majority of headquarters staff, currently working at Garden Island, would relocate, with some moving to Thales’ existing site at Rydalmere in the company’s global centre for Underwater Systems. Thales' decision to choose Homebush as its new Australian base reinforces Western Sydney’s status as the leading advanced manufacturing region in Australia. The region extending from Ingleburn and Narellan in the south-west to Penrith in the west and Macquarie Park in the north west has immense capability and significant importance in supporting defence,” the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Stoner, said.

Parramatta. Bid for feasibility study

Parramatta City Council is bidding for a federal government grant to fund a $1 million feasibility study of a three-stage, light-rail project estimated to cost $345 million. Western Sydney councils, state government agencies, peak bodies and local MPs are supporting the bid.