V1 - PAGE01Z01MA PARRAMATTA ADVERTISER, Wednesday, July 2, 2014 03

PROMENADE, a luxuryresidential developmentbeing built on the banks ofParramatta River, is on itsway with the first sod turnedlast week.

Developed by Starryland

Australia, a local division ofChinese firm Fuxing HuiyuReal Estate Company Ltd, asits first foray into the Syd-ney market, Promenade willhave 774 apartments in 11towers.

All 124 apartments in thefirst two buildings of stage 1sold in the first weekend ofrelease in May.

The third stage 1 building,featuring 153 apartments,will be released in August.

The 5ha site in Morton StParramatta will have 1.2haof landscaped foreshoreopen space and an extensivewalking and cycling net-work.

A pedestrian bridge

across the river will be an-other feature. Constructionis expected to start mid-2016.

Representatives of Fuxingand sales agents Savills Aus-tralia turned the first sod ofthe project last Wednesday.

PARRAMATTA

Third release of luxury riverfront towers soon

DARRELL Johnson’s newParramatta store looksmore like an Imperial Le-gion base than a business.But then that business is allabout costumes, such as thebattle-worn clone trooperone he is wearing.

Inside The Sarlacc Pitthere is a range of props hehas built, including ananime-styled scythe, a Jawaoutfit, several Stormtrooperhelmets and some Game OfThrones dragon eggs.

Mr Johnson opened TheSarlacc Pit last month andthe cosplay store has al-ready been flooded witheager clients wanting towalk in the shoes of theirfavourite movie, TV andvideo-game characters.

“Cosplaying is becomingmore mainstream, which isgood,” Mr Johnson said.

“Our motto is, ‘bringingthe costumes to the masses’.

“There’s nothing like thisin the world, where cosplay-ers can come, get advice,parts and workshop space.”

The Sarlacc Pit hostsclasses for people to get intocosplay and caters to begin-ners as well as seasonedcostumiers.

“We run adult classes andcater for kids’ birthday par-ties as well,” he said.

“We can also provide all

the materials and we canprovide instruction.

“People can also use ourshop as a workstation.”

For the children’s classes,Mr Johnson has designed aseries of foam superhero-mask and helmet kits.

Everything from Batman,to Iron Man, WonderWoman and the Green Lan-tern can be created in-housewith some instruction.

They also create commis-sion pieces.

Mr Johnson got involvedin cosplay three years agoafter finding out about thework done by the 501st Le-gion, whose members dressup as Star Wars Storm-troopers to raise money forcharity.

“The joy you can bringsome people is great, even ifsome find it a bit menacing,”he said.

Mr Johnson walked awayfrom a senior managementposition to start his newbusiness.

“You get to a point in lifewhere you have to take arisk,” he said.

“It’s about passing on thatknowledge to someone. It’sgreat to build something andsee people take so much joyin it.”

PARRAMATTA

Shop outof this universeCOSTUME SUPPLIER OPENS

Clone trooper Darrell Johnson reporting for duty at The Sarlacc Pit. Picture: JESS HUSBAND

Matt Shand

Check out more photosat facebook.com/parramattaadvertiser

HOLROYD and Parramattacouncils have joined forcesto deliver a children’s bookon healthy living calledPoppy and Redsee Love toRead and Play.

The book features Hol-royd’s Paint the Town REaDmascot Poppy the Possum,Parramatta’s Redsee andParramatta Eels captainTim Mannah, and kids gottheir hands on first copies atPirtek Stadium during theParramatta Eels v Newcas-tle Knights game on Sunday.

The book is available at li-brary branches across bothcouncils, community eventsfeaturing the Paint the TownREaD program and on Hol-royd Council’s website.

HOLROYD

Book to help kids live right

NOMINATIONS are nowopen for Australia’s premierbusiness award for women.

For the past 20 years theTelstra Business Women’sAwards have recognised de-termination and innovation.

They are open to businessowners, women in the pri-vate and corporate sector, incommunity and govern-ment, with two specialistcategories for business inno-vation and young businesswomen. Finalists and win-ners share $650,000 in cashand prizes.

Entries close on July 14.

AWARDS

Best gals in the business

BALANCING prevention and enforcement in manag-ing public health, HolroydCouncil has launched bi-lingual food safety seminarsfor local business ownersand food handlers.

The seminars come afterthe Holroyd local govern-ment area was placed sec-ond for the highest numberof food safety breaches perresident in a list of westernSydney councils for 2013/14.

For more information oncouncil’s food safety servi-ces and programs, contactthe Environmental Healthteam on 9840 9840.

HOLROYD

Seminars in food safety

PROMOTION of Parramat-ta as a tourist destination isabout to get a boost with theappointment of the city’sfirst dedicated tourismofficer.

Parramatta Council is in-terviewing people for therole that will see a concertedpush to promote Parramat-

ta’s heritage, events, diningand shopping attractions.

Lord Mayor John Chedidsaid the tourism officerwould promote Parramattato domestic and internation-al visitors.

“We are not aware ofcouncil having such a rolepreviously, certainly not in

the past decade,” he said.“This role will focus on de-

veloping Parramatta’s po-tential as a leisure desti-nation by providing adviceon and co-ordinating a rangeof programs, projects andservices which contribute tothe capacity building of theParramatta tourism indus-

try and the development ofnew and existing product.”

Cr Chedid said Parramat-ta had “so much to offertourists”, from great restau-rants and bars and sportingevents to shopping and athriving arts scene, as wellas heritage.

“Heritage is a particular

area where there is enor-mous untapped potential,”he said.

“We have a wonderful col-lection of heritage buildingsthat reveal so much aboutour rich colonial past.”

Council’s move haspleased Parramatta stateLiberal MP Geoff Lee, who

has been calling for Parra-matta to be promoted for itsheritage tourism.

“Parramatta has heritageproperties that other areasdon’t – after all, we arewhere it all started, discov-ered just a few months afterEuropean settlement,” MrLee said.

PARRAMATTA

Council to hire tourism promoter to tap potential

NEWS WHAT'S ON REALESTATE LIFESTYLE CLASSIFIEDS SPORT1-78 26,71 27-70 79-85 86-93 94-96

NEWS WHAT'S ON REALESTATE LIFESTYLE CLASSIFIEDS SPORT1-78 26,71 27-70 79-85 86-93 94-9603NEWS