Parramatta. Parrasync at CEBIT

Opening today, the prestigious and high-powered CEBIT conference will showcase some jaw-dropping new snippets from the future, such as the Parrasync programmable smart card developed by a consortium involving Parramatta City Council and SGS Technologie Australia, according to The Australian Financial Review. The card took out a major award in Singapore’s Smart Card Awards in April.

Penrith. Viability of projects

A change in state government policy to pre-commit to office leases before construction commence will inject new demand and significantly increase the commercial viability of development opportunities in the Penrith CBD, said Paul Brennan, chairman of the Penrith Business Alliance. “We can now proceed with certainty and confidence in an environment where developers will be able to secure finance to commence construction that will create new building for Government Departments in Regional Cities like Penrith,” he said.

Penrith. CBD upgrade project

Glenn Byres, executive director of the Property Council of Australia (NSW), and a director of the Penrith Business Alliance (PBA) has been nominated as the spokesperson for the Penrith CBD revitalisation project. The PBA said a strong communication strategy, including a web site, will promote and explain the work. The PBA will seek to work with the NSW Treasury to explore new models of funding infrastructure in efforts to revitalise the CBD.

Liverpool. Professional/business workshop

The Parramatta-based RDA Sydney is facilitating a workshop for professional and business services in the Liverpool/Fairfield area, on June 5. The workshop builds on previous meetings on how to best advance economic development in the Liverpool/Fairfield area and how to leverage the existing economic assets. Participants will examine the issues raised at the previous workshop and discuss potential strategies to address these issues so the region develops as a dynamic and growing area.

Parramatta. Coming in July

Parramatta City Council expects to announce the successful tender for $1 million Western Sydney Light Rail feasibility study in July, the same month that its expects to submit a DA for the two-stage redevelopment of the Civic Place precinct – a 25,000-square-metre commercial development on the corner of Macquarie and Smith streets, and a 550square-metre residential project on the corner of Darcy and Church streets (the Hungry Jack’s outlet).

Region. Businesses supporting mining

The NSW Minerals Council says figures produced by the ABS show 7355 jobs are directly connected to the mining industry in Sydney, up almost 50 per cent than four years ago, with more than 1800 businesses in Western Sydney servicing the industry.

Parramatta. Non-dwelling approvals

The value on non-residential building approvals in the Parramatta LGA was $95.2 million to the year ending December 2011. This represented an annual decrease of 45 per cent. The value of private-sector approvals was $81.4 million (85.5 per cent) and $13.7 million (14.3 per cent) in the public sector. The value in the private sector was down 50.3 per cent over the period. Public-sector approvals rose by 48.1 per cent over the period, according to Parramatta City Council’s Economy Facts publication.