Sydney Olympic Park. Giants training facilities.

Work on the Western Sydney Giants AFL training facility, at Sydney Olympic Park, is scheduled to commence in August. Field works are expected to be completed later in the year as the Giants prepare for the 2013 AFL season. Building works are expected to be completed late in 2013. The multi-staged development will include an AFL training oval, a rectangular community training field and a high performance centre on the site of the current golf driving range at Sydney Olympic Park.

Blacktown. Giants partnership with council

David Matthews, CEO, of the Western Sydney Giants football team, said the AFL's long-term partnership with the Blacktown City Council had been crucial to the successful establishment of the football team. "Based on a strong relationship with Blacktown City Council, led by Mayor Alan Pendleton and Ron Moore, the Giants have reiterated our ongoing commitment to be an integral part of the local community," he said.

As part of their partnership, Matthews said the Giants and the council were discussing a range of future initiatives. They include: more NAB Cup matches at Blacktown International Sportspark (BISP), maintaining the Giants Academy at Blacktown to develop local talent in Western Sydney, basing AFL and Giants staff at Blacktown for a range of community programs to deliver benefits to the local region, regular NEAFL matches at BISP featuring UWS Giants and other teams, and staging of elite under age matches at BISP.

Parramatta. No ban on smoking

The Land and Environment Court has ruled that Parramatta City Council adopted an "invalid" no smoking policy. The decision also found the council has the right to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas, if it does so under the correct processes. The decision means the cafes and restaurants that challenged the council ban do not need to enforce it at present. Council is expected to introduce a revised no smoking policy in the coming weeks, according to the Parramatta Advertiser

Parramatta. New social enterprise

New social enterprise, the African Village Market, has been officially launched providing social connectivity, business income and English language skills to African women. The market brings together socially isolated African women from the Congo, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sudan and Rwanda to create and sell traditional products, learn about the Australian business environment and share information about the community services they may be accessing.

The market, operating in the Parramatta CBD, recently received $5000 by Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise Grants program to help grow the business. Social enterprises are businesses trading for social, environmental and cultural purposes with all profit generated invested back into the enterprise to help build the public benefit.further. The market plans to expand its operations with a long term goal of creating a dedicated African Centre.

Parramatta. Transforming the city

Parramatta City Council is giving urban designers, architects and artists the unique opportunity to help transform public spaces, streets and lanes in the Parramatta CBD. Multidisciplinary teams are being called on to work with Council as part of a six-week program called Design Parramatta, which starts on Friday July 30.

The teams will creatively review more than 15 sites across the city centre, by designing a series of blue-sky projects that will transform the city. The final designs will also contribute to a citywide master plan. Design Parramatta is a collaborative project between Parramatta City Council and the NSW Government Architects Office. Students from the University of Sydney will take part in a parallel student project to provide a fresh perspective on the sites.