North Ryde. Pioneer pilot project

The University of Brawijaya, located in the city of Malang in East Java, will pioneer a pilot project to introduce a range of services for students with disabilities, modeled on Macquarie University Accessibility Services (MQAS), a unit of the university’s Learning and Teaching Centre that serves the unique needs of students with disabilities. MQAS converts learning materials into formats tailored to accommodate students’ individual needs and also researches and trials the latest in assistive technologies.

Region. Robotics workshop

A group of high school teachers from around NSW and Tasmania have been participating in a two-day robotics workshop being held at the University of Western Sydney. Its purpose is to train teachers to engage their Year 7-10 students with educational robotics, thereby enhancing the school curriculum and bringing interactive learning into the classroom.

Wetherill Park. Business park proposal

The Western Sydney Parklands Trust proposes a staged development of the Horsley Drive Business Park, located at the corner of The Horsley Drive and Cowpasture Road, immediately adjacent to the existing Smithfield-Wetherill Park Industrial Area. The site forms part of a larger strategic corridor known as the Western Sydney Parklands (WSP) which extends from Quakers Hill in the north to Leppington in the south. The WSP covers parts of the three local government areas of Blacktown, Fairfield and Liverpool. The Horsley Drive Business Park will be wholly contained within the Fairfield local government area. The proposal is on public exhibition until August 27.

Region. Woolies buys hotels

Woolworths has snapped up another six hotels from the private Waugh family and the de Angelis group for $125 million. The purchase included the Blue Cattle Dog, in St Clair, and the Toongabbie Hotel.

Parramatta. Buyers' market

Parramatta has emerged as a buyer's market to rival North Sydney for office towers with development keenly sought after on solid yields and high, long-term occupancy potential, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The area is a strong enclave for the public service with federal and NSW government departments moving to the Parramatta CBDF in the past few years. This has led to the CBD having a number of highly rated green star properties as the public service must lease sites with four or more green stars under the two governments' sustainability programs. ''While some developers and investors are focused on the core CBD markets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the 'smart money' is now looking at the major suburban markets, making Parramatta an ideal opportunity,'' said John Macree, from Jones Lang LaSalle.

Penrith. Digital strategy

In line with the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), Penrith City Council has commissioned the development of a digital economy strategy for the Penrith local government area. Attentive Consulting, digital local government experts, have been engaged to develop the strategy. CEO of Penrith Business Alliance (PBA), Bijai Kumar, said that PBA supports this important work as it would provide another important mechanism to strengthen Penrith’s competitive position in a fast evolving global market place that would impact on all businesses irrespective of size.