This is an edited version of a presentation by Parramatta Council’s
CEO, Dr Robert Lang, to the Property Council of Australia (NSW)
Dr Robert Lang, CEO, of Parramatta City Council. Photo: Parramatta City Council
The State Government’s blueprint anticipates 30 skyscrapers will be built over the next 17 years, in Parramatta, to house the expected growth in office workers alone, said council’s CEO, Dr Robert Lang, in an address to the Property Council of Australia (NSW).
“The 30 new skyscrapers … effectively requires us to complete the equivalent of three Civic Places in the next 21 years. Parramatta can achieve all this and more,” he said.
“This is a unique opportunity, to build a 21st century city with high environmental and architectural standards, with integrated transport infrastructure, a living city with the density to support a strong residential base, and an activated place to make Parramatta truly the capital of the West.
Civic Place first phase
Dr Lang said the first phase of $1.6 billion Civic Place project was well underway, with its partner, Grocon, in the biggest development ever undertaken by a local government in the history of NSW. It would include 41-storey buildings.
He said the redevelopment would deliver an unprecedented amount of A-Grade office space, due to come on line from 2012. Some 30,000 new jobs were slated for the Parramatta CBD by 2030, nearly double the present number of (an estimated) 39,000 workers.
A row of multi-storey apartments in Charles Street, near Parramatta station.
“Turning now to our residential construction needs in the central business district, alone, (the number of) residents is set to increase from the present 6000 to 26,000, by 2031. That’s over a 300 per cent increase,“ he said.
“We expect that the majority of this growth will be young people, mostly professionals, living and working in our city.”
Well connected
Dr Lang said Parramatta was one of the most connected places in the metro area by public transport, with rail, bus, ferry and cycle networks.
“The planned West Metro will only reinforce this. Even though we have better transport links than most other satellite centres we have plans to improve them even further,“ he said.
“We are still working on with getting the Chatswood to Parramatta rail link completed. Epping is only half of the way.
“Ultimately we want a city circle (rail) loop that links the major areas of Parramatta from the CBD, to the massive health precinct in Westmead, through Granville, Guildford and Rosehill and back onto the main train line.
“It’s a time of great expansion and enormous excitement, but there is much work to be done and major milestones to be reached – especially in the property development of the city,” he said.
An aerial photograph of the Parramatta CBD which could include 30 new skyscrapers over the next 17 years. Photo: Parramatta City Council
Getting sweeter by the day
Australia ranks ninth in the world for overall chocolate consumption. We get through an average of five kilos of it annually. That figure may be boosted by the Chocloate Room which has just opened in Phillip Street and the Chocolateria San Churro, yet to open in nearby Church Street.
The Chocloate Room, a new addition to Parramatta’s café scene.
The Parramatta outlet of the Chocolate Room franchise system based in Geelong, is a “specialist chocolate indulgence café” offering over 20 flavours of Italian hot chocolate. Hot chocolate, from Belgian, is also available. A range of coffees and teas is also on the menu.
A former Chinese restaurant in Church Street is being renovated as a Chocolateria San Churro outlet. The menu incorporates “the best” of Spanish chocolate and hot chocolate, imported from Spain, as well as Churros and other traditional Spanish sweets. The Melbourne-based company has similar outlets across the metropolitan area.
The two outlets join chocolate retailer, Choco Box, which opened in the Greenway Arcade within the past 12 months, and the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, which has been trading in Argyle Street for a number of years.
The US World & News Report notes that the chocolate products sector is one of a handful of industries doing well during the recession.
Analysts said that like the oft-quoted “lipstick index”, rising chocolate sales show that when Americans are cutting their spending elsewhere they feel more entitled to small indulgences.
So, the message for those in Parramatta with a sweet tooth: you have more opportunity to indulge yourself.
P.S. Speaking of cafes, an architect-designed venue, in the Parramatta CBD, is on the market for $455,000. It has a turnover of $1million annually.
CareFlight to have a new home
The new headquarters of the NRMA CareFlight helicopter service.
The NRMA CareFlight helicopter service, based at Westmead Hospital, is set to launch into a new era thanks to a $2.2 million grant from the State Government and the Motor Accident Authority.
CareFlight, which will set up its headquarters in a 1226-square-metre purpose-built medical facility in Northmead, adjacent to the hospital precinct at Westmead, will co-ordinate its national network of medical, rescue helicopter and air ambulance services.
The service, which was established in 1986, currently operates out of demountable buildings next to a helicopter landing pad behind Westmead Hospital.
Left: Ian Badham, executive director of NRMA CareFlight. Right: Dr Andrew Refshauge, chairman, of the board.
Photos: NRMA CareFlight
CareFlight executive director, Ian Badham, said the service needed new facilities. He said while CareFlight started out with just one helicopter operating out of the hospital, it had since grown into a national service.
“By having this building we’ll be able to deliver a much more effective and efficient service,’’ he said.
CareFlight chairman, Dr Andrew Refshauge, said the support of the NSW Government, through the partnership with the Motor Accidents Authority, was deeply appreciated.
“Having a new headquarters building, very close to our helicopter operations base located in the grounds of Westmead Hospital, will improve the efficiency of the service which CareFlight is proud to deliver to the community,” he said.
He said in addition to the Westmead Hospital-based helicopter and employment of its own trauma doctors, the service now provides doctors to air medical services in Bankstown and Orange. It also has two helicopters which service the Northern Territory.
It provides assistance to the Australian Defence Force and currently operates jet ambulance services out of Sydney, Perth, Darwin and Cairns.
The new base is expected to be operational by September and will serve as a headquarters for administrative workers and doctors as well as providing training services for staff based throughout NSW, Northern Australia and in the Defence Force.
The Kawasaki BK117-B2, a twin-engine day/night helicopter, is equipped with a rescue winch and is able to respond to a very diverse range of emergency medical and rescue situations.
Photo: NRMA CareFlight | 
