Weekly Review - August 8, 2013

Promotion of Parramatta's judicial and legal services

The Parramatta legal community plans to mount a campaign promoting the role of Parramatta as the major judicial and legal services centre for Greater Western Sydney.

The essence of the campaign is to seek greater use of the existing legal facilities in Parramatta.

The Parramatta Access Justice Campaign seeks

a) Greater use of the existing 13 Federal Courts facilities through the engagement of additional Family Court Judges;

b) The appointment of up to six Federal Court Magistrates to the Parramatta Federal Courts

c) The inclusion of Parramatta in the circuit for Federal Court Judges hearing federal matters in this region

d) The establishment of a permanent NSW Supreme Court in Parramatta and the appointment of up to six Supreme Court Judges to be based at Parramatta.

The campaign strategy would be constructed around building support across the region from business, both legal and accounting firms, business chambers, local government, state and federal MP’s in Western Sydney, a council report said.

The campaign would include case studies to demonstrate the cost reductions of hearing matters in Parramatta rather than Sydney CBD.

“Successful implementation of the proposal would have flow on employment growth benefits as related legal services and support businesses would also be likely to relocate to the city,” the reprt said

“The range of legal specialties would be increased, for example, growth in commercial law practices”.

Considerable business and public benefits would result council said: “Instead of regional businesses having to travel into the city to seek legal services and access to the courts, these would be accessible within much shorter commutes.

“Western Sydney residents who are jury members and or appearing in courts would have far shorter travel times to attend courts in Parramatta, rather than Sydney.

“The potential economic and social benefits suggest that this is a project which should attract council support,”

Council resolved to contribute $15,000 from the city strategy and economic development budgets

Value of non-residential building approvals

The value of non-residential building approvals in the City of Parramatta was $115.3 million over the year to the December quarter 2012, representing an annual increase of 21.1 per cent. Of the total non-residential approvals, private sector approvals constituted $101.5 million, whilst public sector approvals totalled $13.8 million.

The growth in the value of non-residential building approvals in the City of Parramatta over the year to the December quarter 2012 was higher than the averages for the Sydney region (9.1per cent and New South Wales (17.1 per cent).

A-grade office space tightens in CBD

A sign that the Parramatta A-grade office market is tightening is the decline in the vacancy rate from 4.1 per cent, in January 2013, to 2.4 per cent six months later, according to the Property Council of Australia’s latest Office Market Report, July 2013.

The overall vacancy rate was 7.5 per cent, down from 9.7 per cent at the start of the year – the lowest vacancy rate of any office market in Sydney

“Vacancy rates in B-grade fell from 6.1 per cent to 5.3 per cent, C-grade dropped from 19.4 per cent to 17.2 per cent and D-grade went from 13.7 per cent to 9 per cent,” said Property Council NSW, executive director, Glenn Byres.

Parra-Graphs

EOI called

Expressions of interest (EOI) have been called for the head office of Sydney Water, on the corner of Smith and Darcy streets, in the CBD. Completed in 2009, it has approximately 23,331 square metres of commercial space. EOIs have been called, also, for an office building, at 91 Phillip Street, in the CBD, which has a net lettable area of 5635 square metres.

$2.3 million childcare centre

The University of Western Sydney proposes the construction of a 47-place childcare centre within the university campus at Rydalmere. Estimated construction cost: $2.3 million

DA for 7-storey building.

L. Liskowski has lodged a DA for construction of a 7 storey mixed use building with ground floor retail and carparking and 6 storeys of childcare centre for 92 children, at 12 Palmer Street, Parramatta. Estimated construction cost: $2.3 million.

$14.2 million proposal

A DA, lodged by J A Khoudair proposes the construction of a 17-storey mixed use development containing a retail tenancy and 59 residential dwellings over 2 levels of basement carparking, at 22 Parkes Street, Harris Park. Estimated cost of construction is $14.2 million.

Project cost rises

Parramatta Square Project (formerly Civic Place) long promoted as a $1.6 billion development is now estimated to be valued between $1.6 billion to $2 billion. The actual cost will depend on the final composition of the development, council said.

First-floor restaurant

4 Eyes Pty Ltd proposes alterations and additions to a heritage listed building, on the corner of Church and Phillip streets in the Parramatta CBD, including fit out and use of the first floor as a restaurant, outdoor dining and associated signage. Liana’s Italian Restaurant operates on the ground floor.