Region. $20 million to assist councils

“The injection of $100 million to encourage industry to relocate employment opportunities to urban fringes will provide for real job choices for residents. The allocation of $20 million to assist local councils undertake new demonstration residential projects that are liveable, sustainable and offer a high quality of life recognises the real life challenges facing urban densification," said Caryn Kakas, executive director, of the Residential Development Council, on last night’s federal budget announcement. Ms Kakas said while these initiatives were steps in the right direction toward creating a long overdue blueprint for our future communities, there was still much more to be done.

Region. Jobs growth in the region

The new Metropolitan Transport Plan sees sustained job growth in the metropolitan area from the current 1.99 million in 2006 to 2.70 million by 2036, leading to an increase of 714,000 jobs in the Sydney basin. The jobs breakdown in the region is: South-West 105,150. North-West 166,160 and West Central 113,170.More than 384,480, or 54 per cent, of these jobs will be located in Western Sydney. To-date, around 40 per cent of jobs growth has occurred in Western Sydney.

Minto. Government saves 40 jobs

NSW Treasurer and Minister for State Development, Eric Roozendaal, has saved 40 jobs after the Government secured the assets sale of Minto food company Quality Ingredients. Mr Roozendaal said Quality Ingredients was in receivership and faced an uncertain future but has now been purchased by Wetherill Park-based company, New Food Coatings. Workers have accepted offers to move across to New Food Coatings early next year. The Government stepped in to broker the deal as it was feared the Quality Ingredients business would move interstate resulting in the loss of local jobs. Mr Roozendaal said NSW’s processed food and beverage sector is the State's largest manufacturing industry and an important employer with over a fifth of the State’s manufacturing workforce. “In 2006-07, this industry turned over about 20 per cent of NSW’s total manufacturing output,” he said.

Parramatta. Minister creates eight new jobs

The Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, has created eight new jobs in Parramatta, with the opening of the Community Care Access Point which will be operated by the New South Wales Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and will use the latest information technology to distribute information. “The Community Care Access Point draws together information about all the different types of community care services provided by all levels of government, and helps the caller to work out what local services are right for them,” she said.