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May 4, 2012
Stand up for Strathfield

Strathfield is an area on the move with a bold new vision

Strathfield has just completed one of the biggest consultation exercises in its history. Residents, workers, students and business owners were asked what they want their neighbourhood to be in the run-up to 2025.

May 4, 2012
Strathfield City ahead

 

In a bold new bid to transform the way Strathfield is perceived, councillors have ordered a report on seeking city status.

Strathfield’s leading position in the inner west as a commercial and transport hub has prompted a council move to seek city status  – a significant step in ensuring the area’s assets are fully recognised.

February 10, 2012
Going up: next decade will see food hubs and high-rise

Strathfield's draft LEP is now on public exhibition

Higher-density residential development along Parra-matta Road, increased building heights at the Town Centre, a food hub next to Sydney Markets and new business parks to attract jobs are among the highlights of Strathfield’s plans for the next decade, which went on show this month.

The town square is to be reclassified to allow for events like weekend markets, while a mixed business and residential area is proposed in Homebush, north of the railway station.

September 13, 2011
Strathfield pumps it up

An exciting range of new events, initiatives and infrastructure projects to reposition Strathfield as the business and cultural hub of Sydney's inner-west. 

 

This weekend marks an important milestone for Strathfield.

It will see the first in a series of big events designed to transform Sydney’s view of the municipality – and hopefully position it as one of the movers and shakers of the inner-west.

It is, in effect, the launch of Brand Strathfield. Expect to hear much more of this in the coming weeks.

March 9, 2012
Putting homes back into Homebush

Can planners regenerate Homebush’s Parramatta Road as a trendy suburb crammed with new homes, cafes, shops and jobs? The transformation has already started, reports Joanne Tran

Nestled among the disused warehouses, peeling paint and “For Lease” signs lining Parramatta Road in Homebush, you’ll find a hive of activity in the form of a sleek cafe.

The Coffee Warehouse Cafe and Deli is crammed on a Sunday morning. There is a mixture of young families and old friends talking, laughing and eating pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The Warehouse is an incongruous addition to the most hated piece of bitumen in Australia, synonymous with gridlock, petrol fumes and road rage. Yet it represents a beacon of hope.

November 10, 2011
Our local heroes recognised at the NSW Volunteer of the Year awards

The Strathfield SES picked up two awards for their services to the community

Volunteers from the Strathfield SES received highly commended awards for their services to the local community for the Inner West Region at the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards.

 

Deputy Local Controller, Joanne Gianotto won her award in the individual youth section and her and the After-Hours Duty Officer team which include Anthony Houben, Garthe Jones and Alexander Todd won an award in the team category.

 

November 4, 2011
Council's link up

The Inner West's Local Government Engagement Forum has held its inaugural meeting.

Mayors and general managers from Strathfield, Burwood and Ashfield Councils met with Strathfield MP, Charles Casuscelli at the inaugural Inner West’s Local Government Engagement Forum.

Casuscelli declared the meeting a success and said they had agreed to meet again.

On the agenda were major issues which affect all three local government areas.

Major roads and infrastructure projects such as the M4 East and Port Enfield, traffic congestion on Parramatta Road and the Strathfield Town Centre were also slated for discussion.

November 4, 2011
More signs of recovery for home market

Strathfield's property market is still going strong

Sydney’s residential housing market may have been a little shaky over recent months, but Strathfield seems to have ridden out the economic storm better than most.

The latest research figures show that both house and unit prices have recorded steady growth over the last 12 months, outperforming many parts of the Inner West.

According to a new survey by RP Data, house prices in Strathfield have recorded a respectable 2.7 per cent growth over the past 12 months – at a time when many suburbs went into negative territory.

October 7, 2011
An independent's day

 

Strathfield’s new mayor, Paul Barron, answers the 10 most pressing questions as he embarks on a crucial 12 months for the municipality.

What do you see as the main challenges for the year ahead?

There are three major items in the coming 12 months that are of great importance to our area: the Strathfield Town Centre Project, release of the Local Environment Plan (LEP) and getting Strathfield a fully functioning police station.

I’m also passionate about cycling, and plan to raise the idea of introducing bike lanes. I’m not proposing to close roads but for there to be markings to indicate possible bike routes in the area.

October 7, 2011
Bold new plan to curb crimewave

Strathfield Council will engage in using social media and community events to lower crime rates

A new plan involving as much as $250,000 worth of projects over four years to combat Strathfield’s street crime has gone on public exhibition.

Among the ideas are “crime watch walking groups”, which would see locals populate crime hot spots.

Another suggestion promotes the idea of residents holding community events, such as barbecues, in high-crime locations to deter street crime and promote a sense of community.

October 7, 2011
Online Food section launched as The Scene carries free Strathfield Good Food Guide

Up to nine thousand feast on Strathfield fare

Take a look at our menu bar and you will see a new and exciting edition to the line up of news and events.

Click on food guide - and enter a world of culinary delights from across the planet!

Welcome to Strathfield's thriving food community online - a new resource to help grow the reputations of our fabulous cooks and chefs, and attract foodies from across the city.

October 7, 2011
Our median house price hits $1.7 million

Strathfield houses prices soar despite slow housing market

While the Sydney property market is struggling to shake off its winter blues, demand for residential property in Strathfield is remarkably strong – defying even the agents’ expectations.

The latest figures show Strathfield property prices rose by 7.5 per cent in August, despite Sydney’s general property market recording a modest 0.6 per cent price increase in the same month.

According to valuation company RP Data, the median price of a house in Strathfield was $1.3 million in July 2011 but rose to $1.7 million in the following month.

August 5, 2011
‘You won’t get much for $500,000’

Strathfield current median house price is at $1.3 million

Demand for well-priced residential property in Strath­­f­ield remains strong, despite recent suggestions that buyers are deserting the inner-west in favour of less fashionable suburbs.

But local real estate agents admit young families looking for a house will find little on the market between $500,000 and $700,000.

The agents were responding to claims that home buyers are unable to find affordable properties in Strathfield – turning instead to places like Bardwell Valley, Kingsgrove and Arncliffe instead.

July 8, 2011
'How we can free up Sydney's roads'

Strathfield's $150 million Town Centre redevelopment will put our municipality as an Inner West business and entertainment centre. 

Strathfield will become a major hub for tens of thousands of commuters if the $150 million Town Centre redevelopment gets the go-ahead soon. It will put Strathfield on the map as an Inner West business and entertainment centre, while helping ease Sydney’s traffic snarls.

July 8, 2011
Justice Crew top the bill at the festival

The Strathfield Spring Festival returns this year in a two-day extravaganza

This year’s Strathfield Spring Festival will be a two-day extravaganza showcasing some of Australia’s best musical acts, dance troupes and cultural performances.

Headlining the festival is one of Australia’s hottest hip-hop bands, the Justice Crew, the winners of Australia’s Got Talent.

June 20, 2011
MP takes on transport and infrastructure

Premier nominates Casuscelli for important new role

 

Strathfield MP Charles Casuscelli has been given an important new role in the state government, and won praise from the premier for his work so far.

April 8, 2011
Casuscelli's plan to fix the inner west

Charles Casuscelli, the new Liberal MP for Strathfield has big plans for the area

Four inner west councils, including Strathfield, are set to join a forum for creating new solutions to intractable problems such as transport, infrastructure and crime.

Strathfield State MP Charles Casuscelli, who won the seat with a massive majority at last month’s poll, is behind the bold innovation. He is inviting the mayors and general managers of Strathfield, Burwood, Ashfield and Canterbury. Strathfield has already backed the plan, designed to improve communications with the O’Farrell government and create consensus on common issues.

March 25, 2011
New Liberal MP pledges aid for transport and Town Centre plan

 Strathfield poll delivers new era

 

Strathfield has cast aside Labor minister Virginia Judge as state MP, with voters handing Liberal Charles Casuscelli the seat with a swing of more than 16 per cent.

March 4, 2011
Racist label unfounded

Strathfield labelled as 'one of the most racist suburbs' in NSW, but only 95 people were surveyed

The lead author of the university report that labelled Strathfield a racist suburb admitted the data was out of date – and based on a tiny telephone sample.

Professor Kevin Dunn told the Scenethat The Challenging Racism Project, which he led, was based on a survey that polled just 95 inner-west residents in 2001.

February 4, 2011
Crime rate takes centre stage as poll heats up

No candidate can agree on tackling crime in Strathfield. Policing Strathfield streets has long been a contentious issue.

Policing the streets of Strathfield has emerged as a major issue in the State election – but no candidate can agree on how to tackle local crime.

Only Independent Mark Sharma was prepared to pledge the return of the municipality’s police station, though Liberal contender Charles Casuscelli said he would “fight for the re-establishment of a fully functioning police station in Strathfield”.

He said a state Liberal government would review all police station locations.

January 21, 2011
The Scene Debate: How to improve transport

 

Four candidates are contesting the seat of Strathfield in the March State election. The Scene asked each of them how they will help solve Strathfield’s num

Mark Sharma,
 Independent candidate 
for Strathfield

“The public transport system has deteriorated a lot under the present Labor Government. The people in the Inner West and especially Strathfield have been the biggest losers of bad Labor policies. Labor blew $150 million on the failed Metro Project and another $150 million on duplication of the Iron Cove Bridge. None of this has produced any improvement whatsoever.

October 8, 2010
New Mayor "A man on a mission"

The inside story on Mayor Maroun 

Tony Maroun’s proudest boast about his year at the head of Strathfield Council is that he has brought unity after the acrimony that surrounded the council’s first year in power.

Cr Maroun says that councillors now share dinner at the close of each council meeting, where they discuss upcoming issues rather than try to resolve them in heated debate in the chamber.

It has also been a year – Strathfield’s 125th as a municipality – which has seen a number of great achievements.

June 1, 2010
How Erin is creating a Ti Tree change

Indigenous students from a small NT town are living and learning in Strathfield

A Strathfield primary school teacher has founded a scholarship program offering Aboriginal students from the Northern Territory an urban education in some of the inner west’s best schools.

Erin Greenhalgh, 27, a Year 3 teacher at Trinity College, came up with the idea for the Ngurra Jirrima project in 2007 after a teaching stint in the remote Aboriginal community of Ti Tree, 200 kilometres from Alice Springs, on the edge of the Tanami Desert.