Category: NSW News

Almost 20,000 drivers on overseas licences have converted to a NSW licence over the past 4 months, with some taken off the road altogether after running up enough demerit points to lose a licence almost 3 times over.

The Minns Labor government has welcomed the first tranche of foreign licence holders rolling over to a NSW licence but is determined to go further than the previous Coalition government, with all drivers on overseas licences in future to be directed to convert their licence.

Under the current regulation brought in by the Liberals, only drivers moving to NSW since 1 July 2023 must convert to a NSW licence.

This has led to 20,000 foreign licence surrenders since that date.

The regulation now allows for overseas drivers to be stripped of their driving privileges permanently if they accrue 13 demerit points or are convicted of certain speeding, drug and alcohol or serious driving offences.

In the past 4 months, drivers who have been hit with suspensions include:

• A driver who accumulated 37 demerit points since 2021 in 7 speeding offences and 3 mobile phone infringements was banned for 5 months and must apply for a NSW licence.
• A driver who had 33 demerit points and was still on the road after being caught speeding at 30 km/h-plus over the limit, as well as multiple other speeding and mobile phone offences, was banned for a minimum 8 months.
• A driver who had 29 demerit points from a combination of disobeying traffic lights, speeding and mobile phone offences has been able to pass a test to obtain a NSW licence and is currently under good behaviour conditions until September 2024.

In the first 10 months of 2023, there have been 5 fatal crashes involving a driver or rider with an overseas licence.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“It will be a relief for the nearly 7 million drivers in NSW on a state licence that we are seeing the beginning of a long overdue rollover of foreign licences. This will improve the overall standard of driving in NSW and therefore safety in general.

“It is frightening to say the least that some drivers on overseas licences have been able to chalk up demerit points almost with impunity.

“It is appropriate that people visiting the country are able to drive on our roads – just as Australians do when they travel overseas – but the Minns Labor government is determined to make sure that anyone residing in the state longer than 6 months is required to get a NSW licence. We will have more to say on this in future. 

“Sadly, there has been a rise in the number of lives lost on our roads this year. The impact of road trauma lasts a lifetime, so we are doing everything we can to put a stop to this upward trend.”

The NSW Government proposing at least 3000 new homes for Macquarie Park as part of a plan to create a lively community in the suburb.

The rezoning proposal would deliver 3060 new homes, 8 hectares of new public open space, a large multi-purpose indoor recreation facility, along with paths for walking and cycling.

The development is currently zoned to support commercial office space for up to 23,000 jobs.

Under this proposal, developers would be given flexibility and could choose to instead construct up to 5040 build-to-rent homes instead of commercial real estate.

This is a well-located part of Sydney that is bounded by 2 Sydney Metro stations (Macquarie University and Macquarie Park), is home to Macquarie University and the Macquarie Centre shopping centre, and is near the Lane Cove National Park.

Passengers from Macquarie Park Metro Station will be able to reach the CBD within 20 minutes when the City and Southwest Metro opens between Tallawong and Sydenham in 2024.

The Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct Stage 1 proposal would also create a lively community in one of Sydney’s biggest employment hubs.

Macquarie Park is the fourth largest office market in NSW, behind Parramatta, North Sydney and Sydney CBD, and is home to businesses from industries such as IT and pharmaceuticals.

The proposal is now open for consultation. It includes mixed-use commercial and residential development along Shrimptons Creek, Lane Cove Road and Epping Road and the renewal of Waterloo Road.

Along with residential development, the revitalisation proposal includes ground level retail for entertainment, dining, and recreation.

The new public open space would include play areas, sports fields, fitness stations, BBQ areas along with picnic tables and shelters.

The rezoning proposal builds on the vision set out in the Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct (MPIP) Place Strategy finalised by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in 2022 which outlines a staged approach to the development and transformation.

Feedback received from the community and stakeholders will be taken into consideration to help inform the final plan in mid-2024.

To view the proposal and have your say, visit the NSW Planning Portallaunch.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“We are constantly searching for ways to ease our housing crisis, and this proposal can help.

“The construction of homes in NSW has simply not kept pace with our population growth.

“This area is already a good place to work, and we will make it a great place to live and work.

“More and more, we will ensure the construction of new homes happens in places with great transport links, like this area.

“We need to take full advantage of the investments our state’s taxpayers make into public transport.

“Proposals like this are important to change the trajectory of the housing supply crisis.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“We need more housing in established areas to improve affordability, reduce infrastructure costs, and limit the burden on taxpayers.

“This rezoning is an opportunity to deliver more homes on the doorstep of the CBD and near well-connected public transport including the new Macquarie Park metro station.

“We want to see density in precincts like this be part of Sydney’s future, supporting homes and jobs that are accessible to everyone in the community.

“The precinct’s growth has the potential to provide a huge economic boost and secure Macquarie Park’s reputation as a world-class place for business, innovation, research, and education.

“More homes and workplaces will also help support a 24-hour economy with more opportunities for late night entertainment, dining, and recreation.

“I encourage the community to view the proposal and have their say by Sunday 10 December 2023.”

Extraordinarily in Budget Estimates today, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong revealed that innovation and the start-up sector is not a priority for the Minns Labor Government.
 
Shadow Minister for Innovation, Mark Coure said since coming to power in March, the Minns Labor Government has failed the innovation sector, who have suffered from uncertainty, budget cuts and a lack interest from Minister Chanthivong in the issues affecting startups.
 
“Minister Chanthivong’s performance in Budget Estimates today confirmed he is a Minister who does not see value in the innovation portfolio, blaming the former government for his lack of advocacy to ensure there was a budget that appropriately supported founders in the innovation sector.” Mr Coure said.
 
“The Minister’s unwillingness to answer legitimate and important questions, including why he reduced the budget of the nation leading MVP Ventures Program from $10 million to $3 million, speaks volumes about his knowledge of the programs he is responsible for.” 
  
“In eight months since becoming Minister, Minister Chanthivong has also failed to meet with significant innovation sector stakeholders, instead, choosing pollsters and unions over innovators and entrepreneurs like Fishburners, an anchor tenant of the Sydney Startup Hub.”
 
“NSW based innovators and entrepreneurs make an enormous contribution to our economy, and reputation as a nation-leader in this space – they deserve a Minister who actually values this work.”
 
Liberal MLC Jacqui Munro said founders who had originally set up in NSW because of the strong support on offer were now looking interstate due to policy uncertainty from the Minns Labor Government.
 
“We no longer have a government in NSW that is willing to provide stability and reliability for a thriving innovation sector. Minister Chanthivong had an opportunity to correct the record today, but instead dodged legitimate policy and process questions, refusing to give certainty to founders who have been seeking information for months.” Ms Munro said.
 
“The NSW Liberals and Nationals will continue to call out the Minns Government and Minister Chanthivong for abandoning the innovation sector and will fight to keep NSW as the innovation capital of Australia.”

The NSW Opposition has slammed Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong for his decision to hand over control of Junee Correctional Facility to the heavily unionised Corrective Services NSW.
 
Mr Chanthivong was grilled over the move during a Budget Estimates hearing today. 
 
Shadow Minister for Corrections Mark Taylor said the Minister needs to come clean on his back door union deal that will result in a $15 million hit to the Budget.
 
“GEO Group has successfully managed the Junee Correctional Centre for over 30 years, as evidenced by the latest extension to their current contract,” Mr Taylor said.
 
“Junee Correctional Centre is one of the major employers in the Riverina region, where staff live and work locally.”
 
“Their extended families are well established in local schools, sporting clubs, or working in local businesses. These families will be torn apart as they are replaced by unionised staff from Sydney with no local community connection.”
 
“The Minister has not even visited Junee Correctional Centre. It’s like the Minister is wearing a Public Services Association issued ankle bracelet, and every time it buzzes, he rings the PSA head office for instructions.”
 
“It’s understandable people right across our State are saying they have voter remorse. The Minns Labor Government promises one thing before the election and does the exact opposite after.”
 
“There is a pattern here of looking after your mates rather than the community. In this case, people will lose their jobs, union officials win, and the NSW Community will pay.”
 
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said that the decision is looking murkier by the day.
 
“Either the Minister is not across his brief, or he was deliberately avoiding questions around the government’s decision to take over the running of the Junee Correctional Centre,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“The Minster was unable to provide any credible rationale for the decision, and instead hid behind technical jargon to justify what appears to be a highly dubious move from this government.
 
“By his own admission, the Minister failed to consult the community about his decision, hasn’t even visited the Junee Correctional Centre and failed to commit to come to Junee and speak face-to-face with those that are impacted directly on the ground,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“When pressed on whether there would be any job losses, the Minister again danced around the question, which as a local member, concerns me greatly.”
 
“The Minister acknowledged the financial contributions the current operator GEO Group has provided to the Junee community over the years, but was unable to guarantee that the government would be able to provide a similar level of support going forward.”
 
“This is simply not good enough. The Minister must come out of hiding, clear his diary, and make every effort to get to Junee as soon as possible, front up and provide the vital answers the community deserves.”

The Minns Labor government is tuning in to the challenges faced by musicians, artists and venue providers as part of its commitment to revive a thriving music scene in NSW.

For the first time, the NSW Government will conduct a survey of artists and professionals working in the music industry in a bid to build a picture of the challenges faced and what can be done to restore the live scene to a position of strength in our cultural fabric.

NSW has lost half its live music venues over the past decade, with just 137 remaining, according to current Liquor and Gaming data.

As part of the music revival, the government will seek to ensure the survival of these venues as the recently established Sound NSW begins its work with the live music industry.

Launching during Australian Music Month, participants will be asked to assess the strengths of the industry as well as the factors that might be holding the industry back, from noise restrictions, venue closures, COVID-19 and cost of living pressures.

The survey forms part of a wider research project that will combine economic analysis, venue mapping data and audience research to inform the NSW Government’s first ever strategic policy for contemporary music and create a vision for a vibrant arts and cultural scene in NSW.

The survey is completely anonymous, with no personal information collected.

The data will lead the decision-making process to revolutionise the live music industry in the state and spearhead new policy that centres on supporting and invigorating NSW’s music scene.

People working in the industry are strongly encouraged to provide insights, including artists, managers, promoters, venue operators, roadies, audio engineers, lighting and technical teams, ticket and merchandise retailers and more. This feedback will shape policy decisions and have a direct impact on the future of the sector.

Participate in State of the Scene – Live Music Surveylaunch. The survey will be open until 15 January 2024.

Minister for Music John Graham said:

“The NSW Government is committed to reviving live music across NSW.

“The last decade of lockouts and lockdowns has led to a grassroots music venue crisis in this state. We know the live music sector is facing many challenges, and this research will help identify from firsthand experience of musicians and industry participants themselves what those challenges are.

“From artists and music workers to record labels, promoters, and managers, if you work in music, we want to hear from you. This consultative research will help us tune in to the policy priorities that will restore live music in NSW.

“I encourage all music industry professionals to share their ideas and insights to help us put together an evidence-based strategy for the future.”  

Acting Head of Sound NSW, Emily Collins said:

“Sound NSW’s mission is to see a new era when NSW’s musicians, live music venues and festivals can thrive, creating greater job opportunities, injecting vibrancy to our state, and exporting NSW-grown music across Australia and to the world.” 

“The data and insights from the Live Music Survey will help us better understand and support venues.”

“Following the launch of the NSW Arts, Culture and Creative Industries policy later this year, Sound NSW will develop and deliver the state’s first-ever 10-year contemporary music strategy. Just as Screen NSW does for film and TV, this is about bringing a cohesive and coherent government approach to growing the sector.”

The NSW Government is rolling out up to 900 fee-free vocational training placements across the state to tackle the shortage of skilled water operators in NSW.

Over the next four years there is expected to be a deficit of 1,476 qualified water technicians but this program will help to bridge the gap. The investment ensures there are trained staff to manage our water and sewerage systems, avoiding taps running dry, toilets not flushing, or water services being disrupted.

This program also supports our regional workforce, by delivering ongoing opportunities to train, upskill and secure quality employment, while ensuring skilled operators remain at the helm of our critical water and sewerage infrastructure.

Training Services NSW has already invested in training for 683 leaners at a cost of over $4.7 million to support the $32.8 million Town Water Risk Reduction Program run by the Department of Planning and Environment.

The fee free placements cover a range of programs, including: Certificate III traineeships; Certificate IV placements; school-based traineeships; choice of elective subjects as a single unit of study; Aboriginal placements; pre-employment skills programs and trade pathways for experienced workers.

Find out more about water skills and traininglaunch

Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“The water skills shortage is an ongoing challenge for remote areas and even larger regional areas like Dubbo.

“Water operations staff are the unsung heroes of their local towns and cities, working quietly in the background so residents and businesses have continuous access to safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater services.

“During the 2022 floods, there were regional water operators in NSW who slept at water and sewage treatment plants, away from their families, to support residents and businesses which is an extraordinary example of community service.

“It doesn’t matter what corner of the state you live in we want to make sure there are enough skilled technicians available on the ground to fill vacant spots and help improve water quality and security in NSW.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“Fee-free placements remove the financial barriers for people to access the training they need to do their jobs.

“The program is designed to boost opportunities for regional NSW school leavers, Aboriginal students, industry trainees and workers, along with existing water operators.

“There are some great regional employment opportunities in this sector – councils, water authorities, and irrigation districts all crying out for trained staff. Labor’s approach is all about addressing training needs and building our future workforce.”

Chair of the Orana Water Utilities Alliance in Western NSW, Doug Moorby said:

“We desperately need to upskill more people in water operations. Everyone is always scratching for skilled staff, there are currently vacancies across the board that we are struggling to fill which is why we need more training.

“Orana councils already support each other by providing operators when there are shortages. For example, this month we had an operator from Narromine support Cobar and a technician from Brewarrina pitch in to help Walgett.”

“But at the end of the day, this is not enough to fill the gaps. It will make a huge difference having the NSW Government on our side by addressing the issues that are impacting the water utilities workforce in regional NSW.”

The NSW Government is expanding its Urban Development Program (UDP), which includes a housing insights dashboard, following a successful pilot program.

The expanded UDP is aimed at helping to boost housing supply by prioritising infrastructure for development-ready land, removing roadblocks and enabling more homes to be built in the right places, faster.

The dashboards are already operating successfully in the Lower Hunter, Newcastle, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and the Western Parkland City.

The program is now being introduced to the Central River City and will be expanded to the Eastern Harbour City next year.

Through online dashboards, the program monitors housing supply in each area, tracking key housing data and supporting annual audits of land for housing.

It also helps inform the NSW Government’s new infrastructure contributions scheme which better connects housing growth and state infrastructure delivery, including schools, hospitals, roads, and parks.

For more information, visit the NSW Planning Portallaunch.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Urban Development Program helps to unlock more housing land and helps put the right infrastructure in the right places at the right time.

“The program is key to the delivery of infrastructure so that people moving into a new home are also moving into a well-connected community with supporting infrastructure.

“Timely delivery of schools, hospitals, roads, and parks is critical to the success of suburbs and regions and this program helps ensure we have a robust development pipeline in NSW.

“The program uses detailed, current and accessible data on housing, land supply, development activity and constraints to housing delivery.

“Regional audits will capture detailed information on the status of land identified for future housing and allow it to be tracked as it progresses through the housing supply pipeline.”

The Minns Labor Government has launched an operational review into icare to cut excessive spending, waste and salary costs.

The review comes after the NSW Government had to top up the insurer with a $669 million transfer shortly after coming to government.

The number of senior executives and their remuneration will be scrutinised as part of the review, in line with the NSW Government’s commitment to freeze the pay and cut the number of senior executives across the government. Medical, income and other support provided to injured workers are not impacted by this review.

The review will be led by Treasury, after the Minns Government passed new laws to provide it with powers to obtain information and records on icare spending.

Savings identified in the review will flow through to individuals and businesses across New South Wales by putting downward pressure on workers compensation premiums and protecting benefits to injured workers.

The review is expected to report in time for icare to identify permanent savings in its net cost of operations by 1 March 2024. 

The review follows previous reforms to icare implemented by the Minns Government, including the passage of new laws in August to put worker and business representatives onto the icare board.

Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis said:

“Sadly, it will take years to correct the workers compensation mess that we inherited and I don’t want to give anyone false hope.

“We will remain unrelenting in our pursuit of best practice and best governance at icare, this review continues the long but necessary road of reform that began within weeks of Labor coming to government.

“Businesses need access to a scheme with affordable premiums and workers need to be supported when things go wrong at work”.

The NSW Government is taking action to ensure the principles of the Water Management Act 2000 are being applied effectively following the findings of a long overdue Section 10 review.

While Section 10 of the Act requires the government to undertake a review every five years to ensure its principles are being considered in the decision-making process, this was the first review undertaken since 2011.

The Section 10 review identified areas of success as well as issues that need to be addressed including uncertainty amongst staff about how to apply the principles in their work and the need to adjust the method of delivering these reviews in the future.

These findings were supported by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) who were added as an independent panel member to ensure a rigorous review. The NRC also provided some additional recommendations including making future reviews independent and revising policies, processes, and procedures to ensure they align with the principles in the Act.

In response to the review and the NRC recommendations the department has developed a corrective action plan to address identified actions to help promote the principles of the Act, improve assurance and enable more efficient reviews and reporting.

As part of the plan the Department is developing a detailed framework which will deliver guidance for staff on the principles, a quality management process and an updated review method to ensure they are completed every 5 years.

The Water Management Actlaunch is the overarching legislation that guides water policy in NSW and includes general principles, as well as specific principles for water sharing, and other functions.

View the Section 10 report and departmental response here. launch

NSW Minister for Water, Rose Jackson said:

“This review is vital to ensure transparency and accountability around water management in NSW.

“The former Government dropped the ball, eroding trust in water management and letting down local communities.

“With El Nino declared for this summer, we know another drought is not far off, so having strong public confidence in how we manage water is critical.

“The Minns Government is committed to enabling decision making that is guided by science and the principles of the Water Management Act to provide sustainable management of NSW water resources that benefits present and future generations.” 

Former Swifts and Diamonds captain Liz Ellis AO has received Netball NSW’s highest honour after being elevated to Legend Status in the organisation’s Hall of Fame.

Regarded by many as the greatest netballer of all time, Ellis was elevated to her new status at Netball NSW’s Annual State Dinner at the Waterview in Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday night.

A four-time Premiership-winning captain of the Swifts, she also won three Netball World Cups and two Commonwealth Gold Medals with the Australian Diamonds.

Ellis started her playing journey at the Hawkesbury Netball Association before representing NSW at underage and opens levels. When the National Netball League (currently Suncorp Super Netball) was founded in 1997 she became a Foundation player of the Swifts.

Ellis captained the Foundation Club to four Premierships in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era of the National League, winning in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. She retired in 2007, just before the Sydney Swifts rebranded as the NSW Swifts

Ellis became Australian captain in 2004 and remains the most capped player in Diamonds history.

In 2007 she capped off a remarkable comeback from a knee reconstruction to lead Australia to World Cup glory, while in 2008 Netball Australia introduced the Liz Ellis Diamond which is awarded annually to the nation’s most outstanding netballer. Ellis was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Netball NSW Hall of Fame in 2013.

It was also a special night for Ellis’ former teammates Susan Pettitt and Vanessa Ware who were inducted into the Netball NSW Hall of Fame.

Like Ellis, both Pettitt and Ware are Swifts Centurions and with many Premierships between them.

Pettitt, who shone for the Diamonds at international level too, enjoyed a highly-decorated attacking career with the Swifts, wining titles in the Club’s famous 2006, 2007 and 2008 threepeat, while she won World Cup gold with Australia in 2007. In 2017 she became a foundation GIANT and played a Grand Final with the new Club before retiring from the game in 2018.

Ware won her first Swifts Premiership in 2004 was also part of their threepeat success in a career that lasted over a decade. She represented Australia and 19U and 21U levels and was part of the Australian Diamonds squad in 2008.

Also inducted into the Netball NSW Hall of Fame were former Diamonds and Swifts medical officer Dr Grace Bryant OAM and the late former Netball NSW President Pat Weston OAM.

In the night’s main awards Sarah Klau (Swifts) and Amy Parmenter (GIANTS) were both honoured with the Marilyn Melhuish OAM Medal for their respective performances in this year’s Suncorp Super Netball competition, while Sutherland’s Victor Nikolić wasnamed Male Player of the Year.

Wagga Wagga’s Rachel King took out the Margaret Corbett OAM Coaches Award with Michael Rudd of Orange Netball Association winning the Neita Matthews OAM Umpire Award and Alex Pinnington (Camden & District) named the Lynn Quinn OAM Bench Official Award recipient.

The Dot McHugh Administrator of the Year was Randwick’s Jenny Morrissey while journalists Brit Carter (ABC) and Nathan Taylor (Western Weekender) took home the Judy Dunbar Media Awards for best Overall Media Coverage (Carter) and Community Media Excellence (Taylor).

This years Anne Clark Service Awards were presented to Margaret Findlay (Manly Warringah), Maureen Sinclair (Northern Suburbs), Cheryl Goulder (Randwick), Katrina Doring (Eastwood Ryde) and Kathy Staggs (Ku-Ring-Gai).

“In our game, champions come in many different guises and Saturday night was a celebration of our entire netball community,” Sallianne Faulkner, Netball NSW Chair, said.

“We have those we see on our TV Screens winning World Cups, Commonwealth Gold Medals and Super Netball titles. But we also have those who hit the courts on cold Saturday mornings in winter, whose determination to play, coach or officiate cannot be diminished by the weather.

“Because, from grassroots to the Green & Gold of the Diamonds, we are all part of the same sporting community and netball champions cannot exist without those who champion netball.

“Our Hall of Fame inductees and Awards winners are just some of the wonderful people who keep netball at the forefront of the NSW sporting landscape and on behalf of Netball NSW I congratulate them, and their support networks, on their fitting recognition.”

Netball NSW State Dinner Awards Winners

• Marilyn Melhuish SSN Medal: Sarah Klau (Swifts), Amy Parmenter (GIANTS)
• Men’s Player of the Year: Victor Nikolić (Sutherland)
• Margaret Corbett Coaches Award: Rachel King (Wagga Wagga)
• Neita Matthews Umpire Award: Michael Rudd (Orange)
• Lynn Quinn Bench Official Award: Alex Pinnington (Camde & District)
• Dot McHugh Administrator Award: Jenny Morrissey (Randwick)
• Judy Dunbar Media Awards: Brit Carter (ABC, Overall Media Coverage), Nathan Taylor (Western Weekender, Community Media Excellence)

Netball NSW Hall of Fame Inductions

• Liz Ellis AO: Elevated to Legend Status
• Susan Pettitt: Inducted under Athlete Category
• Vanessa Ware: Inducted under Athlete Category
• Dr Grace Bryant OAM: Inducted under General Category
• Pat Weston OAM: Inducted under General Category

Anne Clark Service Award Recipients 

• Margaret Findlay (Manly Warringah)
• Maureen Sinclair (Northern Suburbs)
• Cheryl Goulder (Randwick)
• Katrina Doring (Eastwood Ryde)
• Kathy Staggs (Ku-Ring-Gai).