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With the 2024 school year in full swing, the NSW Government has launched a new phase of its campaign to remind parents and carers of the critical importance of good school attendance as figures from 2023 show a promising lift above the improvement rates of other states.

Student attendance increased from 85.2% in 2022 to 88.1% in 2023, a nation-leading improvement of 2.9%, but schools are continuing to work hard to make further progress.

The Department of Education’s latest ‘Every Day Matters’ campaign aims to raise parent, carer and community awareness of the importance of attending school daily, showing how just 1 day off school can lead to students missing out and falling behind, academically and socially.

Research shows positive school attendance benefits students’ academic achievement, engagement and wellbeing, while students who attend school regularly are also more likely to experience positive health, social and economic outcomes after leaving school.

While school attendance rates have increased across the state, there’s more work to be done, and the NSW Department of Education is supporting schools with strategies to lift attendance across the state.

Parents and carers are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school if they have attendance concerns, so they can access support.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“A day or 2 away from school may not seem like a big deal, but missing just 1 day per fortnight adds up to an entire year of missed learning over a student’s school career.

“We have made good progress on lifting attendance in NSW since coming to government, but there is more to do.

“Unless your child is unwell, please send them to school. It’s the best thing you can do to ensure your child receives the best education possible.”

The state’s newest beach will remain open to the public for another month as the warm days continue across Western Sydney.

Penrith Beach has been a massive hit with local residents, with almost 200,000 people visiting the temporary activation to cool off since its opening in December 2023, and an average of 5,000 people continuing to visit the beach each week.

The fresh water oasis provided significant relief to local families, without the need to pack the car and drive over an hour East. Temperatures regularly soared above 30 degrees, reaching 39.7 on Thursday this week.

The NSW Government has now extended the activation of the site beyond the original 3 March 2024 closing date given this strong support from the Western Sydney community.

Lifeguards from Royal Life Saving Society NSW will continue patrolling the beach under new operating hours. The public will be able to visit on weekends and public holidays from 9 March between the hours of:

10am and 6pm; and,
10am and 4:30pm from 7 April 2024, at the end of daylight savings.
Facilities at the beach will remain open during these times with visitors able to access toilets and change rooms and enjoy the 130-metre-long beach. Free car park passes are also available online.

For more information, visit Penrith Beach.

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“In just a few short months we have seen almost 200,000 Western Sydney residents vote with their feet, visiting Penrith Beach for a day out by the water.

“At the opening I said this move is about fairness. For too long Western Sydney locals were neglected as the Liberals and Nationals focused all their energy on investment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“After watching the site sit behind a locked gate for decades, locals have embraced Western Sydney’s first ever beach, and are loving having somewhere to cool off right on their doorstop.

“I am delighted to see the season extended at Penrith Beach for Western Sydney to enjoy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Penrith Beach has shown how critical new swim sites are for communities living away from our coastline.

“The beach has been a big drawcard with local residents and has provided relief for the people of Western Sydney.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“Seeing thousands of Penrith families enjoy this beach has been the highlight of summer for the Penrith community.

“I encourage everyone in Western Sydney to come and experience the tranquillity of this location.

“Having our own beach is an absolute delight and I am thrilled to see Penrith Beach will remain open through to Anzac Day.”

Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year of tunnelling with the relaunch of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Beatrice and Daphne at the Five Dock Metro Station site.

The TBMs continue to build the new metro tunnels towards Sydney Olympic Park, with their next stop two kilometres away at the future Burwood North Metro Station site.

The relaunch of TBM Beatrice and Daphne is a major milestone in a significant program of work that will see the 24-kilometre metro line between Westmead and Hunter Street in Sydney’s CBD start to take shape over the next 12 months, further progressing the Sydney Metro West project that will also help drive housing supply.

The 1,300-tonne machines will tunnel an average of 200 metres a week to complete the second leg in their journey and are expected to break through at Burwood North in April.

In December 2023, the TBMs made tunnelling history when they arrived at Five Dock station site minutes apart to achieve the first double TBM breakthrough in the southern hemisphere.

Upon arrival at Five Dock, the TBMs have undergone necessary maintenance to ensure they continue safe operations for the next leg of their journeys.

Now that TBMs Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock, work will continue to prepare the 200-metre-long, by 22-metre-wide and up to 30-metre-deep excavated cavern for station construction.

Autonomous TBMs Betty and Dorothy are making significant progress in building the tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead and are more than 1.3 kilometres and 930 metres into their journey, respectively.

A further two TBMs to construct the metro tunnels below Sydney Harbour will arrive at The Bays in the coming months ahead of commencing tunnelling mid-year.

Sydney Metro West is expected to be complete by 2032. When it opens, these fast and reliable metro services will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.

This reaffirms the NSW Government’s commitment to building more housing in the right places, where people want to live – to improve affordability, reduce building and infrastructure costs and create thriving communities.

This includes a proposal, which was brought to the NSW Government by the Australian Turf Club, centring around the potential to build more than 25,000 new homes on the Rosehill Racecourse site. This would allow the government to explore the feasibility of a new Metro West Station at Rosehill.

Find out more about the Sydney Metro West project

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year in tunnelling and over the next 12 months we will really see this transformational project take shape.

“These mighty machines are really doing the heavy lifting as we move closer towards our goal of delivering even more public transport connections for the people in Sydney’s west.

“This once in a generation investment into transport infrastructure will also act as a catalyst for the delivery of much-needed housing.

“As Sydney grows, fully-accessible and reliable rail services are crucial to keep our city moving.

“By the end of the year, six enormous tunnel boring machines will be crushing through rock to deliver 24 kilometres of brand new metro tunnels beneath Sydney.”

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) fast facts:

• Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock to continue the 11-kilometre tunnel digging journey.
• Beatrice and Daphne are expected to arrive at Burwood North in April.
• Beatrice and Daphne will each move up to 200 metres per week.
• 15 workers will operate each TBM in rotating shifts.
• Each TBM is 165 metres long, weighs 1,300 tonnes and has 34 rock-cutting disks in its 7m diameter cutterhead.
• The TBMs move around the clock, with tunnelling approved to occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Their departure comes two months after Beatrice and Daphne achieved a historic double breakthrough at Five Dock within minutes of each other on 30 November 2023.

The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to support additional McGrath Breast Care Nurses across the state.

A $18.6 million investment over 4 years will see 29 new McGrath Breast Care Nurses providing free support to breast cancer patients in metro, regional and remote communities.

Eight of the 29 nurses have already commenced their new positions at Concord, St George, Taree, Blacktown, Gosford, Fairfield and Wollongong Hospitals.

The specially trained McGrath Breast Care Nurses provide free care, support and are a key point of contact for patients during their treatment. They become a trusted, consistent, and knowledgeable point of contact, and explain complicated aspects of treatment to patients, during what can be an incredibly stressful period.

This NSW Government investment will see 29 additional McGrath nurses in:

• Sydney Local Health District (LHD)
• South Eastern Sydney LHD
• Hunter New England LHD
• Western NSW LHD
• Central Coast LHD
• Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
• South Western Sydney LHD.

The NSW Labor Government is committed to improving access for people with breast cancer to critical support services.

The 2023-2024 NSW Budget also committed an additional $34.3 million over 4 years to Women’s Health Centres to improve access to healthcare for women.

The service of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse is free and available without a doctor’s referral.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Too many of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer.

“It is a scary and a stressful time, and every bit of support counts.

“McGrath Breast Care Nurses give priceless support to patients and their families when they need it most.

“These specially trained nurses can make a big difference, and we’re pleased to be delivering on this commitment to support more people across NSW.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“One in 7 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and this investment will ensure more people across our state have access to this incredibly important service.

“Breast care nurses are an incredible source of continuous support for patients, and they do wonders to minimise the stress and trauma which comes with a breast cancer diagnosis.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“I am really proud we’re improving access to breast cancer support for women across the state.

“The breast care nurses make an incredible difference in the lives of patients and their loved ones, providing patients and their families with support from diagnosis all the way through treatment. I would like to share my appreciation for their commitment to this important role.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:

“A breast cancer diagnosis can be extremely distressing, not just for the person diagnosed but also the entire family.

“As a breast cancer survivor, I welcome this investment.”

CEO McGrath Foundation Holly Masters said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the expanded support of the NSW Government who will help us towards our goal of ensuring no one with breast cancer in NSW misses out on the free care and support of a breast care nurse.”

There are now 71 fewer foster children in NSW living in emergency accommodation – like hotels and motels – following the creation of a specialist team within the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

The Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington, labelled the initial results an early indication of the NSW Government’s resolve to address the spiralling child protection system.

Following a request from Minister Washington, DCJ established a dedicated team in November 2023 to shift children from High-Cost Emergency Arrangements (HCEA) to more suitable arrangements.

HCEA’s place children in hotels, motels, serviced apartments or rental accommodation, where they are cared for by a rotating roster of shift workers. These arrangements can cost up to $2 million a year for each child.

The work of the HCEA Team, alongside local DCJ casework teams, has resulted in the number of children in HCEA’s dropping by 71 in 3 months, from 506 (in early November last year) to 435 on 22 February.

The least desirable form of HCEA is an Alternative Care Arrangement (ACA), where for-profit labour hire firms often provide unqualified staff who can change at short notice, giving children a lack of stability. The use of ACAs has dropped 42% from 139 children in November, to 80 on February 22.

Some of the work being done by the HCEA Team and caseworkers includes:

• intensive family finding, where caseworkers search out possible family connections who might be able to care for the child under kinship care arrangements
• matching children to newly recruited emergency foster carers
• working with NGO partners to fill vacancies in their contracts with government
• eenegotiating the amount paid to HCEA providers.

Since the team began, $49 million in avoided costs has been saved to the NSW taxpayer.

More foster carers are urgently needed in NSW to ensure children who cannot live safely with family have a loving and secure home, with recruitment efforts ongoing to establish a pipeline of suitable foster carers.

To learn more about becoming an authorised carer with a non-government organisation, visit My Forever Family NSW. 

To learn more about becoming an emergency foster carer with DCJ, email fosteringwithdcj@dcj.nsw.gov.au

Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said:

“When I was sworn in as minister, I was shocked by the number of children and young people in these high-cost emergency arrangements. We want to see children in safe and loving homes with people who care about them, not in a hotel or motel with rotating shift workers who might never see the child again.

“Under the former government, the use of hotels and motels for vulnerable children skyrocketed, and the child protection system was left to spiral out of control.

“I’ve made it very clear to the department and to the sector – these arrangements are not appropriate, and the NSW Government will be doing everything it can to find stable, loving homes for these children.

“A 42% reduction in alternative care arrangements in just 3 months demonstrates how seriously the government is taking this issue.

“The work done by the HCEA Team is an important step towards rebuilding the child protection system, which has been neglected for so long.” 

Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are halfway to St Marys after each building 2.4 kilometres of tunnel for the game-changing Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.

TBMs Catherine and Marlene reached the milestone when they broke through at the Claremont Meadows services facility shaft, after launching at the Orchard Hills Station site in July and August 2023 respectively.

Tunnelling at an average speed of 120 metres a week, the TBMs are carving out the twin 4.3-kilometre tunnels to the new St Marys Metro Station site.

They have removed 600,000 tonnes of spoil so far, enough to fill about 95 Olympic swimming pools, and installed 17,820 precast concrete segments as they tunnelled under the M4 Motorway to the 21-metre-deep services shaft.

The TBMs will now traverse the 16-metre-diameter services shaft, which is used to supply materials like concrete and steel, before being relaunched to complete their journey. They are expected to reach St Marys in mid-2024.

A further two TBMs, Eileen and Peggy, are building the two 5.5-kilometre southern tunnels from Airport Business Park to the Aerotropolis. Both are respectively about 3 kilometres into their journeys and are due to arrive at the Aerotropolis in late 2024.

The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line will be operational when the new international airport opens for passenger services, with the end-to-end journey time between the St Marys Metro Station and Aerotropolis Station to take around 20 minutes.

Find out more about the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said:

“We are one step closer to seeing transformative public transport delivered for Greater Western Sydney.

“When the new metro line opens, passengers will have a world-class transport option directly to the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and major job hubs, including the new Aerotropolis.”

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Our fleet of tunnel boring machines is making big strides as they carve out the key pieces of this 23-kilometre mega project.

“Once completed, this new city-shaping metro line will service travellers and airport workers with major population centres like Penrith, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD via St Marys.

Senator for NSW Tony Sheldon said:

“New suburbs will be able to grow around this brand-new metro line, giving Western Sydney the opportunity to attract new jobs and housing opportunities.

“I thank residents for their patience while we build this vital airport link.”

This week, Sydneysiders will be given the opportunity to visit one of the city’s most historic landmarks reimagined, the White Bay Power Station, with 2024 Biennale opening this Saturday.

Following extensive remediation works and investment from the NSW Government of $100 million, the restored heritage site has been transformed into a unique art, cultural and creative industries hub.

As one of the few power stations in the world that has retained its machinery and equipment dating back to the 1950s, the site serves as a reminder of Sydney’s electrical industry and the many skilled workers who kept Sydney’s extensive rail network going.

Visitors and history-buffs alike will be able to explore White Bay Power Station’s historic Turbine Hall and Boiler Room, the two main spaces of the building, while exploring the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.

The NSW Government is developing a long-term strategy for the building to ensure that it is a cultural venue for current and future generations.

The international art exhibition is the first free public event at the site and opens this weekend, Saturday 9 March until 10 June 2024.

The restoration of the former power station is the first big move in the urban renewal of Bays West.

Encompassing Rozelle Bay, White Bay and Glebe Island, the Bays West precinct is set to become an area of innovation and sustainability for living, working and recreation.

For more information, visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/white-bay-power-station

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“A piece of Sydney’s industrial past and the very building that produced energy to power the tram and train network will soon give energy to cultural and community activities.

“One of our oldest historic sites is now one our newest cultural venues.

“It was first imagined as the power station for our trams and trains, and now, some 40 years after it closed its doors as a power station, it will once again play an important role.

“This is just the beginning of a new lease of life for the Bays West precinct.

Minister for the Arts John Graham said:

“Over its 100-year life White Bay Power Station has played a critical role in connecting Sydneysiders.  In its new era, it will connect us to bold creative ideas and to our best cultural and artistic talent.

“This weekend we not only celebrate the 24th Biennale of Sydney, we also celebrate the reimagining of this important new creative and community space.

“This is the first step in the redevelopment of this site to deliver a new world-class cultural hub, connecting more of our community to diverse arts and entertainment offerings and ideas, growing our cultural economy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“White Bay Power Station has dominated Sydney’s historic harbour skyline long before the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House captured our attention.

“The creative reuse for a cultural event is indicative of the innovative thinking which is setting the bar for bigger and better reuse of our dormant public spaces.

“This is just the beginning of a new lease of life for the Bays West precinct. The White Bay Power Station clearly demonstrates the enormous benefit of investing in our public spaces, and it will power further regeneration across the precinct.”

The NSW Government is today announcing that the Government and the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) have reached agreement to host the 2024 NRL and NRLW Grand Finals in Sydney on Sunday, 6 October.

The NSW Government and ARLC has provided certainty to rugby league fans across the nation the Grand Final will remain in NSW, the birthplace of the NRL, and will once again fill Australia’s home of sport, Accor Stadium at Olympic Park.

After an electric start to the season in Las Vegas, the 2024 NRL season is expected to deliver more excitement and entertainment with the Penrith Panthers vying for the first four-peat in the NRL era, and the first since the legendary St. George Dragons team of the 1950’s and 60’s.

With the NRL growing its audience to international markets both in the US and the Asia-Pacific, a new audience of fans are engaging with our code, and with Sydney as the home of the Grand Final.

In securing the NRL Grand Final, Sydney is further cementing its status as the premier destination and major events capital of the Asia-Pacific. In the past year Sydney has hosted the UFC, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Harry Styles, Foo Fighters, Elton John, Paul McCartney, P!NK and of course Taylor Swift.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“NSW is the home of the NRL and there is no better city in the world to host another incredible Grand Final show down.

“The NRL Grand Final is one of our countries greatest annual sporting events and I can’t wait for a whole new generation of footy fans to get to experience it right here in NSW.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“The NRL Grand Final is a cornerstone event in Australia’s sporting calendar.

“Each year tens of thousands of fans from across the country converge on Sydney to support their teams and community. The NSW Government’s vibrancy reforms support extended trading hours around major events like this.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“The NRL has done a fantastic job in promoting and expanding the game to new markets across the US and Asia-Pacific. As such, we need to make sure we cement Sydney’s legacy as the birthplace and home of rugby league.

“Given the drama of last year’s Grand Final, I am sure we can expect another full house of 82,500 on Grand Final day.”

ARLC Commission Chair Peter V’landys said:

“Confirming the 2024 Grand Final will be held in Sydney provides certainty to NRL clubs, sponsors and broadcasters — but most importantly of all, it’s exciting news for NRL fans.

“The NRL and NRLW premiership seasons will culminate at Accor Stadium on 6 October — and we can’t wait to watch it unfold.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib will lead an expert roundtable looking at how more lives can be saved on NSW beaches after more than a dozen coastal drownings this summer.

The Coastal Water Safety Roundtable will bring together rescue organisations, researchers and government agencies following a rise in water-related fatalities in recent years, with surf lifesavers also called on to make an increasing number of rescues.

Tragically, there were 14 coastal drownings this summer, and 36 in total since 1 July 2023. This follows 48 drownings in 2022-23 – a 12 per cent increase on the 10-year average – and 52 in 2021-2022.

Surf life savers carried out a total of 3,077 rescues over the busy swimming season and more than 3,750 since 1 July.

The roundtable on 4 March is an opportunity to take stock of the summer and promote greater collaboration as experts and government agencies share knowledge and ideas.

Discussions will explore what occurred over the season, the actions that were taken, and how participants can work together to improve outcomes in the future.

In recognition of the important work Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) carries out to help keep beachgoers safe, the NSW Government made a record funding uplift of $23 million over four years for Surf Life Saving NSW in the 2023-24 state budget.

The 2023-24 NSW Budget also committed nearly $5.8 million to Surf Life Saving Australia for the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, which conducts important rescue and reconnaissance work along NSW beaches.

A range of peak water safety bodies have been invited to participate in the roundtable, along with local and state government representatives.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“Our SLSNSW volunteers and paid lifesavers do an excellent job protecting our beaches, performing more than 3,750 rescues since 1 July. Water safety is a shared responsibility that requires a united effort, and we want to identify opportunities to further reduce the number of lives lost along our coast.”

“It’s not just about better emergency response, it is also about building awareness in communities and finding those preventative actions that might save lives down the road.”

“We want every person in NSW to be able to enjoy our stunning coastline and waterways safely, and this roundtable is all about finding ways to do that as more people visit the beach every year.”

Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving NSW Steve Pearce said:

“All of the 14 coastal drownings over summer occurred at unpatrolled locations.”

“It is important we focus on education, early alerting to incidents and equipping our lifesavers with the tools they need to respond quickly.”

“Lifesavers and lifeguards do an incredible job, so our focus needs to turn to how to prevent people drowning when we can’t be there to prevent these tragedies.”

After almost 12 months since being elected, the Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong is continuing to demonstrate that the Minns Labor Government has no direction or vision for New South Wales.
 
During the Minister’s Budget Estimates hearing, he refuted the notion that more investment into the innovation sector would drive growth and productivity and was unable to offer up any significant policy option to the contrary.
 
Minister Chanthivong has revealed that they are only just now opening up his Innovation Blueprint for stakeholder feedback. 
 
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Mark Coure said that since Labor came to power, the industry and innovation sectors have stalled under a Minister who still has his training wheels on.
 
“The Minister is still undertaking reviews with no results for sectors which have been laden with uncertainty and stress thanks to his inaction.” Mr Coure said. 
 
“We do not need more reviews. Entrepreneurs are demonstrating their frustration with their feet as they move interstate to jurisdictions who are offering real direction and vision, backed in with significant investment by government.”
 
“Under the former Liberal and Nationals Government, we saw a 325% increase of innovators setting up shop in NSW. Now our state’s proud track record as an industry leader in this space, is at risk.”
 
Jacqui Munro MLC said, “the Minister must be upfront with entrepreneurs who require a reliable partner in government. Whether it’s the time taken to determine grant applications or when any industry strategy will be delivered, we have all been left in the dark. It’s simply not good enough for NSW to be put in this position.”
 
“Developing a productive and prosperous modern economy requires leadership and vision. Under the Minns Labor Government, we have neither,” Ms Munro said.