Parramatta. Let's make it happen

That was the overwhelming message from the second Parramatta Economic Development Forum, which attracted some of the country’s most influential leaders in business, planning, education, politics, tourism and sport, said Lord Mayor, Lorriane Wearne. “I was excited by the willingness of many of our guests … to make Western Sydney a priority and get on with the job of building the ‘city of cities’ as outlined in the sate government’s Metropolitan Plan for the future of Sydney,” she said. At the top of the list was Parramatta, the demographic and geographic centre of Sydney, the city which many panellists argued holds the key to solving Sydney’s growth dilemma, she said.

Region. Departments as tenants

The NSW government will pre-commit some of its agencies in Western Sydney office developments as part of a decentralisation push spearheaded by the Treasury and finance departments, to help regenerate central business districts outside the of the Sydney CBD, Treasurer, Mike Beard, said at the Parramatta Economic Development Forum, at the Opera House.

Parramatta. $1 million for study

Parramatta Lord Mayor, Lorraine Wearne, has announced that a feasibility study into the Western Sydney Light Rail Network will commence early next month, after Parramatta City Council committed funding for the first stage of the proposal. Council has committed up to $1m towards a number of initiatives to realise the light rail project including a feasibility study, with the successful tender expected to be selected by Council in July. Cr Wearne said that although transport issues were usually the responsibility of the state and federal governments council decided it had to take a lead role for the region.

Parramatta. Two new CBD projects

Parramatta City Council has announced redevelopment projects on the corner of Church and Darcy streets (the Hungry Jacks site), and on the corner of Macquarie and Smith streets (Macquarie House). A 55-storey residential building could be constructed on the Hungry Jacks site, and a 25,000 square-metre commercial development on the Macquarie House site. Council will conduct a design competition for the two stages and then submit a development application, based on the winning designs - expected to be announced in July 2012.