Parramatta. Brogden heads new group

The former Coalition leader John Brogden, recently made the chairman of Landcom, based in Parramatta, will be the head of Urbangrowth NSW, formed to co-ordinate developments on greenfield and existing urban areas. The Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard, said the new body, would be ''Landcom on steroids'' and would be modelled on government agencies in other states that have broad powers to encourage new housing projects.