Moorebank. Upgrade of barracks

The Australian Government has approved plans to consolidate and upgrade the Holsworthy Barracks, with units based at Moorebank to move to new, purpose-built facilities at the expanded base. The project involves relocating the School of Military Engineering (SME) and other Defence Units to a new home at Holsworthy. A total of 13 Defence Units and four Defence facilities, including the School of Military Engineering (SME) will relocate to new purpose-built, best-practice facilities. The relocation is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

Blacktown. Bus service for workers

A new bus route between Blacktown and Mount Druitt to service developing employment areas around Eastern Creek is now in operation. Busway route 723 running via Eastern Creek and Rooty Hill will meet demand from new industrial, warehouse and commercial developments around Wonderland and Honeycomb Drives and also along Peter Brock Drive. The service will run every 30 minutes during weekday peak hours only.

Blue Mountains. Business subsidies residents

Blue Mountains businesses will subsidise a rates reduction for home owners over the next three years In the first year, business rates revenue will be increased — and residential revenue decreased — by $83,000, while years two and three it will be further increased by $166,000 per year, with residential again decreasing by the same amount.

Campbelltown. DA for car park

Campbelltown City Council has received an application to build a six-storey car park and a five-storey commercial building near Campbelltown station. CMT Architects has applied to expand and refurbish the existing hotel at Centre Court, construct another level of office space and build the car park on the corner of Railway and Queen streets.

Castle Hill. Bunnings' $60 million store

Castle Hill is the site of Bunnings’ largest NSW store. Bunnings invested more than $60 million developing the huge 19,000 square metre multi-level warehouse, which includes car parking for more than 650 cars. With more than 210 new employees the store is expected to inject a significant level of direct investment into the local community.

Liverpool. City's future 'exciting'

Liverpool City Council and the Parramatta-based Western Sydney Business Connection (WSBC) held a forum, at the Casula Powerhouse, which outlined the city’s vision and plans for its population, business and jobs growth, infrastructure and new town centre developments. A local paper reported that council’s GM, Farooq Portelli, said," Liverpool has a vault of opportunities," Liverpool Mayor, Wendy Waller, said it was "imperative" to see investment in the local economy. WSBC’s GM, Peter Dunphy, said the future growth and development in Liverpool appears "exciting … Liverpool is sending out a positive message about its future," Council’s economic development manager, Sal Husain, said the current population was 186,000 and expected to grow to 216,000, by 2016, and to 284,000, by 2031.

Region. Award for law lecturer

A University of Western Sydney law lecturer, Dr Susan Armstrong, has recently taken out the prestigious ‘LexisNexis Australian Law Teachers’Association (ALTA) Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Teaching of Law, Dr Susan Armstrong, from the School of aw at UWS, has received the award for her educational leadership in enhancing the learning and university experience of a generation of UWS law students from diverse backgrounds and for her contribution to changing the culture of assessment policy and practice at UWS.

Parramatta. SOC event

The Parramatta Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Parramatta City Council, will host the annual State of the City (SOC) Address, on July 20. The Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Lorraine Wearne, said it was an essential event for anyone serious about doing business in Parramatta. The SOC, Parramatta’s premier business event, attracts some 300 guests each year.

Merrylands. Bank branch opens

James Wakin, MD and CEO, of the Beirut Hellenic Bank will open the bank’s fourth branch in Western Sydney, in Merrylands, on July 11. Other branches are in Bankstown, Granville and Parramatta. Beirut Hellenic Bank was formerly known as Laiki Bank Australia until April 2011.