The launch of a revitalised and authentic farmers market in Parramatta is helping to enliven one of the City’s most important spaces: Church Street Mall.

The Parramatta Farmers’ Market, which launched on the 28 June, is providing residents, workers and visitors in Parramatta and Western Sydney with a fun and welcoming venue where they can purchase high-quality, fresh, seasonal produce directly from NSW-based growers and producers.

Reflecting the region’s cultural diversity, a wide range of products are on offer from more than 20 stalls, including meat, poultry and game, fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, dairy, baked goods, honey, jams and preserves, tea and coffee, pasta, confectionary,  and plants and flowers.

The Market demonstrates Council’s commitment to supporting local businesses and producers by providing a channel direct to consumers.

It is expected to further raise the City’s social capital by underlining Parramatta’s status as a burgeoning destination for food lovers. With the support of Council and local producers, it’s hoped the Market will become the pre-eminent metropolitan Sydney farm-direct food venue.

The Market runs every Friday from 7am to 2.30pm in Church Street Mall – the same site of the City’s original food market, dating back to 1791.

The Market also highlights Council’s support in celebrating the area’s cultural diversity and sustainability. All waste products – paper, glass, plastic and green waste – will be recycled.

A food market has been operating in Parramatta CBD since 2008 but following community consultation, Council decided to transform it into an authentic farmers’ market, with a renewed emphasis on fresh produce and local artisan producers. The new Farmers Market also aligns with Council’s City Activation Program, an initiative of the Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr John Chedid, which aims to revitalise areas of our City including Church Street Mall.

Community feedback showed 98% of people were more likely to visit if the Market focused on fresh seasonal produce and homemade goods such as preserves, baked goods and deli foods.

Cr John Chedid welcomed the arrival of the revitalised Market and was confident local consumers would appreciate the increase in choice of where they shopped and what they could buy.

“I’m delighted to see the Farmers’ Market launch with such an enthusiastic response from local residents and workers,” Cr Chedid said.

“This underlines Council’s commitment to offering more choice to consumers, to meeting the needs of our workforce and to supporting local businesses and producers.”

Ray Williams Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney has officially opened the new 256-hectare master-planned Sydney Business Park development located in Marsden Park in north-west Sydney, on behalf of the NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell.

Click here to view the opening speech

Sydney Business Park is a 256 hectare, commercial, industrial and retail ‘campus-style’ development that is setting new benchmarks in innovative design, amenity and environmental sustainability.

Located in Marsden Park just off the M7, Sydney Business Park is positioned at the gateway to Sydney’s renowned North West Growth Centre.  

Having attracted some of the biggest names in retail such as IKEA, Costco, Bunnings Warehouse, and Masters Home Improvement, Sydney Business Park will provide17,000 new jobs for Sydney’s west as well as supporting by an injection of approximately $350 million in new infrastructure to the area.

Mr Williams said, "Sydney Business Park is nothing short of a phenomenal outcome, which through a $2 billion dollar investment will  create 17,000 new jobs for much needed employment opportunities close to home for residents of Western Sydney. 

“Sydney Business Park will provide a significant boost to the local economy and be a major contributor to the success of the North West Growth Centre,” Mr Williams said. 

The State Government’s opening of Sydney Business Park coincides with US retail giant, Costco announcing that it would open a new store at the master-planned precinct.  

Costco secured a 59,830sqm (5.98 hectare) site and recently lodged a planning proposal with Blacktown City Council, which when approved and constructed, will be the retailer’s sixth store to open in Australia, and is expected to provide an estimated 250 new employment opportunities.

Costco joins other major retailers, Bunnings, IKEA, and Masters Home Improvements, McDonalds and Shell which have all secured sites at Sydney Business Park. Mr Williams said, ‘ I congratulate and thank all these major enterprises who have invested so heavily in Western Sydney.’ 

To support the increased development around the Richmond Road corridor and the Sydney Business Park, the State Government has invested in road infrastructure upgrades, including:

• The two stage $102 million Richmond Road upgrade currently under construction. Works comprise of four major intersections and at least four lanes down to the M7.
• • Stage 1 Richmond Road upgrades commenced in February 2013;
  • Townson Road intersection will be operational by late 2013; and
  • Works are due for completion in late 2014
• The three stage South Street Schofields Road upgrade linking Richmond Road and Windsor Road is currently underway.
• • The $65 million Stage 1 project commenced in October 2012 and is expected to finish in late 2014;
  • The upgrades will support east-west arterial connections through the North West Growth Centre from Marsden Park to Rouse Hill with integrated bus priority. 

Transport Planning 

• In December 2012, the NSW Government secured a long term transport corridor that extends the North West Rail Link corridor from the station at Cudgegong Road past Schofields Stations (Richmond Line) and into the planned Marsden Park Town Centre and Sydney Business Park
• The new duplicated Schofields Railway station opened in October 2011
• Existing bus connections to be upgraded to incorporate eight different routes through Sydney Business Park to surrounding area
• Implement bus priority measures and infrastructure upgrades through the Bus Head Start Program as the growth centres develop between Mount Druitt to Schofields via Marsden Park

The State Government’s significant regional planning and infrastructure coordination and investment in the area will further enhance Sydney Business Park’s occupier’s access to an even wider catchment of customers, suppliers and staff.

If you are a manufacturing firm located in South West Sydney, please complete this short confidential survey to help us find out about your experience in recruiting skilled workers. 

The South West Sydney Manufacturing and Engineering Skills Taskforce is working with the Industrial Relations Research Centre of the University of NSW in a research project to investigate current manufacturing skills shortages and the skills that will be needed for the future.

This research will help TAFE and other educational institutions to better tailor courses to the needs of employers. It will also help to identify how we can help companies better in their recruiting efforts.

Click here to begin the online survey