Welcome to Western Sydney Business Access

Round-up of news and initiatives from Greater Western Sydney December 2012.

Forum well attended

SOME 120 people from the local and regional business community, representatives of business and training organisations and academics attended the highly successful forum on innovation organised by the Penrith Business Alliance (PBA) and its partners. The PBA is looking at the merits of holding a number of regular innovation forums in partnership with organisations such as TAFE, Penrith City Council, CSIRO and UWS.

Professor supports airport
 
PROFESSOR Peter Phibbs, form the UWS Urban Research Centre has called on the state and federal governments to end the squabbling over where to put Sydney's second airport and commit to Badgerys Creek. He said building an airport at Badgerys Creek would generate significant economic benefits for the region, which outweighed considerations of aircraft noise.

Fernhill bought for $50m

FORMER investment banker, Simon Tripp, has purchased the 654-hectare Penrith property, which includes Fernhill, a Georgian-era mansion, formerly owned by Warren Anderson, for more than $50 million.

New warehouse opened

SCHENKER AG has opened a logistical warehouse and operations facility, at Erskine Park, which will operate 24 hours, six days a week, delivering almost half a million items annually. It’s the company’s fifth distribution hub in NSW.

Federal funding for BEC

THE Greater Western Sydney BEC, based in Blacktown, has been successful in securing federal government funding under the Small Business Advisory Service program to deliver specialised advisory service that focuses on promoting innovation within the small business community in Western Sydney.

Founder buys back firm

PETER Campbell, founder of the Clarendon Group, in Norwest Business Park, has bought back into the business at a fraction of the $575 million for which he sold out in 2004, when Investa Property group bought the business. Morgan Stanley’s real estate funds took control with then purchase of Investa in 2007.

Time to get on board

PROJECT manager for the Moorebank Intermodal terminal, Robin Renwick, said the project would generate some 2,625 jobs during the construction phase, and a further 1,700 long-term jobs in the south-west. He told the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce now was the time for the business community to consider how their businesses could capitalise on the economic benefits the development was expected to bring.

Printing plants on the move

PRINTING and publishing business, PMP, will close its printing plant at Chullora, which was mainly used for Telstra’s declining White and Yellow Pages directories in June, while the remaining work from Telstra’s Sensis unit will be transferred to its printing plant at Moorebank. IPMG will relocate its printing plant at Alexandria to Warwick Farm to cut costs.

.Projects could save imports

AGL Energy says it could meet as much as half of NSW’s natural gas demand and help fill the state’s looming supply gap if it could secure approval for its coal gas seam expansion project at Camden, as well as projects at Gloucester and the Hunter Valley. NSW imports about 95 per cent of its gas from other states. The three projects would produce about 80 petajoules of gas a year, compared to NSW’s demand for about 160 petajoules a year.

$50 million plant opened

VISY Industries Australia has opened a $50 million recycling factory, in Smithfield. The facility, which has the capacity to take about 2 billion plastic bottles out of the waste system, is the only one of its kind in Australia. Visy is one of Australasia's largest recycling companies. In 2010-11, Visy recovered 1.4 million tonnes of paper and cardboard, 489,000 tonnes of glass, 67,000 tonnes of plastic and 30,000 tonnes of metals.

Funds for opposition

THE Intermodal Working Party has received $58,000 in funding from Liverpool City Council to boost its campaign against the Moorebank freight terminal. The group hopes to complete independent air quality tests before the release of the federal government's environmental impact statement on the project early next year.

Eclipse sold for $167.5m

REST industry Super has bought the recently completed 19-level Eclipse office tower in the Parramatta CBD for $167.5 million from Leighton Properties and Grosvenor Fund Management Australia. Tenants in the 25,660-square-metre A-grade property include QBE Insurance Group and Deloitte which will relocate in February.

QBE on the move

ALMOST 1,000 QBE Australia’s employees will be housed in the $170 million Eclipse office tower, on the corner of Station and Hassall streets, in the Parramatta CBD, by February next year. Over 150 employees have relocated to new offices in the 19-level building. Deloitte, which has the naming rights on the building, plans to relocate staff from The Barrington, nearby in Smith Street, in February.

UWS development proposal

PARRAMATTA City Council has on public exhibition a planning proposal lodged by the University of Western Sydney for a site on the corner of Hawkesbury and Darcy roads, opposite Westmead Hospital. The proposal seeks a change of zoning, maximum heights from nine storeys to 15 storeys, and provision of 30 per cent non-residential floor space on land, excluding St Vincent’s building.

Council seeks confirmation

PARRAMATTA City Council, in acknowledging the historical significance of the Female Factory and its promotion as an historical site, will seek state government confirmation that the site be included in an historical study.

Assessment of events

PARRAMATTA City Council will assess the impact of the recent Parramasala cultural event on businesses in the CBD. A similar assessment will be made on the impact of the Wanderers football club on a night when the team plays at Parramatta Stadium.

Property development body

PARRAMATTA City Council has approved the formation an advisory committee, to be known as the Major Projects Advisory Committee (MPAC), that will focused on property development activities, including Parramatta Square.

SOME of the western Sydney region’s most outstanding athletes were recognized at a gala awards dinner held by the Western Sydney Academy of Sport at Castle Hill RSL on November 17, 2012.