Category: NSW News

NSW businesses are being encouraged to apply for a grant under a new $60 million national program to transform plastic waste into valuable products.

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The Australian Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) Plastics Technology stream will boost existing recycling infrastructure and uncover new methods of processing plastics that are difficult to recycle.

NSW businesses can apply for grants of between $1 million and $20 million per project.

There will be a focus on projects that take hard-to-recycle plastics, including soft plastics like shopping bags, bread bags and cling wrap, and recirculate them back into the economy in a safe and sustainable way.

Projects can include new infrastructure or improvements to existing machinery, equipment, technology and processes.

This program will help NSW drastically reduce its reliance on plastic and progress towards NSW’s target of tripling the recycling rate by 2030.

For further information on the program and application process visit the NSW Environment Protection Authoritylaunch.

NSW Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe said:

“NSW generates around 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year, but only 10% is currently recycled. This is significantly below recycling rates for all other types of waste.

“This funding aims to triple the plastic recycling rate by 2030.

“By recycling plastic, we’re not only limiting impacts on the environment, but we can also transform waste materials into valuable assets.

This Federal Government investment will support NSW to take another huge step forward towards the circular economy we’re striving for.”  

Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP said:

“Australians use about 3.8 million tonnes of plastic a year and dispose of about 2.7 million tonnes.

That’s about 50 times the weight of the Sydney Harbour Bridge being thrown out each year.

“And we’re only recycling about 13% of it.

“We can do better. That’s why we’re investing $60 million to boost Australia’s recycling and recovery rates for hard-to-recycle plastics.

“The funding will invest in exciting technologies that could help solve challenges in recycling plastic waste like soft plastics going into landfill.

“Labor is driving the transition to a circular economy by 2030. It’s good for the economy and great for the environment.”

A1 Arbor Tree Services Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $2.025 million dollars in the NSW District Court over the death of a worker who was killed while using a woodchipper in 2019.

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The multi-million-dollar penalty is the single largest court imposed fine for a business in the state.

The court heard on 7 September 2019, A1 Arbor Tree Services was in Lindfield to remove trees from the grounds of a local school, where a 40-year-old victim, a Fijian national, was fatally injured.

The court heard A1 Arbor did not complete a risk assessment of the equipment, which had several defects. The court also heard there was little supervision of workers and workers did not receive training to operate the equipment.

A1 Arbor Tree Services Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to comply with its safety obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Her Honour Judge Strathdee noted during sentencing on 14 July the foreseeable harm to the 40-year-old man was extreme and determined the record $2.025 million fine was appropriate.

A1 Arbor has a right to appeal the decision.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of this 40-year-old worker who didn’t make it home.

“This is yet another shocking fatality that was completely unavoidable. The lives of workers must be priority number one. No excuses, no exceptions.

“This is a landmark conviction that puts everyone across NSW on notice.”

The NSW Opposition is calling on the Minns Government to urgently consider bidding for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said NSW hosted the best Olympic Games ever in 2000, and is the perfect home for international sporting events thanks to the Olympics infrastructure and the sporting infrastructure built by Coalition Governments.

“Our state has the best sporting infrastructure, the best sports fans and puts on the best global events,” Mr Speakman said.

“The Minns Government should make the most of the sporting and transport infrastructure they have inherited and urgently consider bidding for the 2026 Games abandoned by the Victorian Government.

“This broken commitment by the Victorian Labor Government to host the games, despite making an international commitment just a year ago, is a strong reminder of why good economic management matters.

Shadow Minister for Tourism Gurmesh Singh said bringing the Commonwealth Games to NSW would be huge boon for our tourism industry, which is still recovering from COVID.

“From small businesses to large, everyone will benefit from the interstate and international visitors that the Games will bring,” said Mr Singh. “It would also be great for the tourists, who would be visiting the best city and state in Australia.”

Between appointments of ‘Minns mates’ to senior positions and sacking senior public servants via a media release or e-mail, the Minns Government has developed a concerning culture in just 100 days.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said the Minns Government needs to exercise proper governance and transparency, rather than running the public service as their own plaything.

“Media reports that the Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner was sacked with just an e-mail would be at least a second time that the Labor Government has chosen to dismiss a senior public servant in an unceremonious, undignified and disrespectful manner – having dismissed the administrator for NSW’s cemeteries with a media release,” said Mr Speakman.

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Gurmesh Singh said the lack of appropriate processes raises serious questions about the Minns Government’s approach to hiring and firing senior public servants, and its respect for the NSW public service.

“If such high-ranking employees are treated with this level of contempt, we are forced to question the government’s regard for the everyday employees,” said Mr Singh.

Mr Singh also expressed concern that the Minns Government’s recent ‘Jobs for the Boys’ approach to appointing the Transport Secretary should not be replicated with the FRNSW Commissioner.

“FRNSW provides critical services to our community, keeping us safe, and we urge the Labor Government to commit to a transparent recruitment process for the new Commissioner.”

“We also wish the former Commissioner Paul Baxter all the best in his future endeavours.”

Questions Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib must answer

• Who made the decision to sack Mr Baxter?
• Whom did the Minister consult, apart from the unions, prior to the decision?
• What role did the unions play in the sacking of Mr Baxter?
• How and by whom was the decision to terminate Mr Baxter first communicated? Is it true that it was by email?
• What is the cost to the taxpayer of terminating Mr Baxter’s employment at this time?
• What process will be used to appointment Mr Baxter’s successor?
• Will the process be managed by the independent Public Service Commissioner?
• What role will the unions play in the recruitment process?

Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow, has called on the NSW Government to help address the impact of the Labor cost-of living crisis by deferring the introduction of increased BASIX standards for twelve months, in line with other States, saving home buyers costs and not jeopardising additional housing supply.

“As a result of the NSW Labor Government’s decision to reintroduce crippling stamp duty on first-home buyers, and to address our current housing supply shortage, we’re calling for the deferral of the implementation of increased BASIX standards for twelve months,” Mr Farlow said.

“This would bring NSW into line with other States, reduce housing costs, and not jeopardise home construction in NSW. States across the country have deferred their implementation of the National Construction Code to give industry sufficient time to implement these significant changes to how buildings are constructed.”

“The feedback from industry is clear – if these changes are implemented on 1 October they will threaten the supply of housing and add significant additional costs to purchasers at a time when they’re already being impacted by the largest interest rate rises in a decade.”

“The construction industry has seen costs escalate by more than 12% in the last year, if these changes are implemented on 1 October, purchasers will be footing additional bills that they simply can’t afford, with thousands of dollars in additional costs to build a new house.”

“This is in addition to some first home-buyers having to foot additional stamp duty costs of up to $66,000 on median priced houses as a result of Chris Minns’ repeal of the First Homebuyers Choice scheme.”

“Less than three months out from the proposed implementation, the Government’s DIY tool has not been made available to industry, which doesn’t allow them to properly cost and design the right materials to comply with the regulation.”

“The building industry has been plagued with significant material shortages and the feedback from industry is that there simply isn’t the material in the country to comply with the SEPP, which means that homes will take longer to deliver and jeopardise the 314,000 homes the Government needs to deliver over the next five years.”

“We remain committed to the Sustainable Buildings SEPP but call on the Government to defer its implementation to ensure these reforms will be achievable and not jeopardise new homes in NSW,” MrFarlow said.

Young people and their families across NSW are set to benefit from wrap around mental health care and wellbeing services with the announcement of 4 Head to Health Kids Hubs in NSW.

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The Kids Hubs are a $35.8 million joint investment by the Australian and NSW Governments and will provide comprehensive, multi-disciplinary mental health and wellbeing care for children under 12, and their families.

Services are fully government-funded and offer a range of specialist medical and allied health services provided by teams, which may include psychiatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, nurses, social workers, peer workers and Aboriginal health workers.

The services will be rolled out progressively until 2027 when all 4 Kids Hubs will be operational.

The Kids Hubs will be located in:

• Wollongong with outreach to Shoalhaven
• Central Coast
• Orange with outreach to Bathurst
• Penrith.

The governments agreed to co-fund the establishment and operation of the Head to Health Kids Hubs under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride said:

“The Australian Government is partnering with NSW to fund Head to Health Kids Hubs in NSW so children and their families can get the help they need when and where they need it.

“The Kids Hubs will provide a welcoming environment to help children and their families discuss the concerns they have and give them the tools they need to deal with any issues.”

“It’s about providing an accessible place and the right mental health and wellbeing services that will support them now and lay the groundwork for the future.”

Minister for Mental Health, Rose Jackson said:

“The increase in children experiencing mental health challenges is a serious call to action for government. We know we must do more to support young Australians who are struggling with poor mental health.”

“We want to make sure that vulnerable families are receiving the support they need and the Head to Health Kids Hubs are 1 way we are aiming to support children and their families to lead happier and healthier lives.”

“The Kids Hubs will make it easier to access holistic, wrap-around mental health and wellbeing care for our youngest community members. They are free services which are embedded in communities, available when and where people need them.”

“There is a lot of work to do to ensure we are providing the mental health support people need but this is a strong step in the right direction.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023^™ is set to kick off in Sydney, with hundreds of thousands of football fans from Australia and across the globe descending on our stadiums.

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Football fever will grip Sydney as we host 11 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches between Thursday 20 July and Sunday 20 August, with 5 games at Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park, including the final match, and 6 games at Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park.

The 64-game tournament starts this Thursday 20 July with our Matildas taking on Republic of Ireland at Stadium Australia from 8pm. Fans are urged to plan ahead and take public transport, while Sydney motorists are asked to be mindful of potential traffic delays.

With up to 75,000 fans expected at Sydney Olympic Park matches and up to 40,000 at Moore Park Transport for NSW has added thousands of extra transport services and enhanced wayfinding and walking routes to help fans get around.

For fans attending matches, the public transport trip is included in your match ticket. Around 1800 additional public transport services will run across the match dates including an extra 170 buses and 127 train services for each match at Olympic Park. An extra 20 shuttle buses and 20 light rail services will run for each of the games held at Moore Park.

On-site parking at both Sydney Olympic Park and Moore Park will be very limited. There is reduced parking available due to a significant number of additional vehicles required for an event of this scale, including coaches and event vehicles.

Significant traffic delays are expected, particularly on weeknight games during the already busy evening peak so motorists should allow plenty of extra travel time on roads approaching Olympic Park and Moore Park on match days and ticketholders should catch public transport.

For the safety and enjoyment of spectators, NSW Police will run a high-visibility policing strategy, Operation FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will see additional officers patrolling across Sydney venues – including the Moore Park, Sydney Olympic Park and Darling Harbour precincts – for the duration of the tournament. 

For more information on public transport options to each match, including trip planning tools, visit the NSW Transport infolaunch website and use the Opal Travel app.

For details on road closures, including real-time traffic updates, visit Live Traffic NSWlaunch.

For more information on the event, visit the FIFAlaunch website.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“This week the biggest event in Women’s sport starts and Sydney is going to be at its sports-loving best.  More than 400,000 tickets have already been sold for 11 Sydney matches.

“After hosting Sydney WorldPride 2023 and the record-breaking Vivid Sydney 2023, the city is ready for this next global event.

“We welcome all the interstate and international football fans to NSW and can’t wait to share Sydney’s love of sport and love of a celebration.

“All of NSW is set to get behind this.  but we do need to stress that people attending games should plan to leave the car at home, arrive early and make a day or night of it with plenty of local venues in short walking distance of the stadium precincts.”

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“This is one of the biggest events in Australia since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and we are prepped and ready to welcome football fans local, interstate and internationals, to cheer on their teams in the heart of our city.

“Months of planning has gone into readying the public transport network for large crowds throughout the tournament so leave the car at home.

“We have added thousands of extra transport services and improved wayfinding and walking routes to help fans get to and from both precincts, safely and easily.

“The best way to get to and from matches is on public transport and to make it even easier your transport trip is included in your match ticket – simply show your ticket to transport staff when boarding services on your way to and from the games.”

Life-saving cancer research will be fast tracked with the awarding of 2 grants totalling $1.69 million by the Cancer Institute of NSW.

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The University of Newcastle has received just under $800,000 to undertake research into cancer-related heart disease, the second leading cause of death for patients with cancer, after cancer itself.

A team from Garvan Institute of Medical Research will receive nearly $900,000 to invest in new cutting-edge equipment allowing researchers to analyse cells in high definition. This new technology will help transform clinicians’ understanding of cancer, while identifying new opportunities for personalised cancer treatment.

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said targeted research is vital to deliver better treatments and interventions that reduce the impact of cancer and ultimately save lives.

“While significant progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer, it remains the leading cause of death in NSW with sadly 1 in 2 people set to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime,” Mr Harris said.

“NSW is home to world-leading researchers, who are passionate and committed to making cancer a thing of the past. We’re proud to be able to help 2 outstanding research teams progress their potentially life-changing work.”

Professor Tracey O’Brien NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive of the Cancer Institute NSW said supporting and accelerating research and innovation is a priority of the NSW Cancer Plan.

“In NSW, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 11 minutes and it’s our obligation to do everything we can to save lives, and help people live free of cancer-related side effects and long-term health complications,” Prof O’Brien said.

“Cancer research transforms and save lives. These 2 grants will help close gaps in our understanding of cancer and hopefully lead to better health outcomes for more people across NSW.”

Recipient of the institute’s new Accelerated Research Implementation Grant Prof Aaron Sverdlov says his team, co-led by Prof Doan Ngo, at the University of Newcastle support people through their cancer journey and reduce the impact of cancer-related heart disease.

“Heart disease disproportionally affects people with cancer, and we need to do everything possible to keep people healthy and well. Through specialist surveillance clinics in Newcastle, Maitland and Tamworth, we hope to identify, monitor and treat cancer patients most at risk of heart disease, so they can undergo cancer treatment without interruption and have the best chance of survival,” Prof Sverdlov said.

Recipient of the institute’s new Research Equipment Grant professor Alexander Swarbrick said his team at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research look forward to using the new technology to help better understand and treat cancers like breast, pancreatic and childhood cancer.

“We will soon be acquiring a cutting-edge instrument called the 10x Genomics Xenium ST platform. This ground-breaking technology will be available to researchers in NSW and will help us to take a closer look at cancer cells and how they work, allowing us to develop personalised cancer treatment for patients across NSW,” Professor Swarbrick said.

Find more information on the institute’s new Accelerated Research Implementation Grant and Research Equipment Grant.

Nominations are now open for a prestigious awards program that showcases inspirational women and their achievements in our state’s councils.

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The 2023 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government will recognise the significant contribution women make to NSW councils.

The annual awards are now in their 16th year and recipients will be announced at a ceremony co-hosted by Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig and Minister for Women Jodie Harrison at Parliament House on Wednesday 4 October 2023.

The award categories include:

Alternative Pathways Award – a female staff member who is breaking down gender stereotypes.

Champion of Change Award – a general manager or senior manager (male or female) who has excelled in supporting and encouraging women’s participation at their council.

Elected Representative Award – a councillor who has advanced the position of female elected representatives.

Young Achiever’s Award – an outstanding trainee/apprentice (aged 25 and under).

Employment Diversity Award – a successful council program to increase female participation in senior leadership roles or at the elected representative level.

Woman of Distinction Award – a woman who has demonstrated exceptional innovation, integrity and initiative or who has a positive influence on others.

Councillor Lilliane Brady OAM Award – nominations not required. Winner will be determined by the minister to recognise and honour the dedication and tireless work of a female council staff member.

Nominations for the 2023 Ministers’ Women in Local Government Awards close on 17 August.

For more information or to make nomination, visit: Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Governmentlaunch.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“The number of women elected to councils rose from 31% to 39% at the last local government elections and I’d like that percentage to continue to grow, along with an increase in the number of women in leadership roles in councils.

“It’s important that we recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of women in the sector and hopefully these awards will inspire more women to consider nominating when the local government elections are held next year.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“Having come from local government myself, I know that there are women across NSW making a difference in local government every day as elected representatives and council staff.

“I encourage everyone in the local government sector to consider nominating a talented female colleague or elected representative for the Women in Local Government Awards.”

Families in Sydney’s south-west can look forward to sending their children to a new local high school in Edmondson Park, as the Minns Labor Government gets on with the job of delivering vital school infrastructure for Sydney’s growing suburbs neglected under the former government.  

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The future school will be located next to Edmondson Park Public School on Buchan Avenue, which opened to students at the start of the year while further facilities have now been completed for students to enjoy from the first day of Term 3.

The new high school will be a traditional school build, with a facility accommodating up to 800 students on track for completion in this term of government. The 3-hectare site has been master-planned to accommodate up to 2000 students in the future, subject to future enrolment demand in the area.

The Edmondson Park community has been calling for a traditional high school to be built on the land already owned by the NSW government – rather than a high-rise mixed-use facility in the town centre, as considered by the former NSW Liberal National Government last year.

The developer-led proposal, which the former government looked at 4 years after telling the community it would begin planning the high school on government land, was found not to be value for money.

The project is another example of the former government’s failure to plan and deliver school infrastructure to communities in Sydney’s growth areas.

The Minns Labor Government has listened to the community and is focussed on ensuring local kids have the schools they need.

The delivery of the high school will mean children in the area can attend school locally from preschool to year 12, after the completion of Edmondson Park Public School, which now includes a preschool due to open later this month.  

Located on the corner of Buchan Avenue and Faulkner Way, the primary school can accommodate up to 1000 kindergarten to Year 6 students and provides before and after school care. 

Another 16 learning spaces, outdoor game courts, and a car park have been built since the school opened earlier this year, and landscaping works have also been completed. These new facilities will be open for use this week.  

Premier Chris Minns said: 

“I’m really pleased to announce plans have begun to build a local high school here on government land in Edmondson Park, right next door to the new primary school.  

“This has been a long community campaign. I’ve spoken to many parents who have moved into these growing areas, frustrated at not having local schools to send their kids too.

“My dad was a school teacher. I know how important strong public education is. But it starts with having enough schools to cater for students in growing areas.”

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

“We want children in Sydney’s south-west to have every opportunity to achieve success, and that starts with having access to the best education. 

“Every student should have the right to attend a school in their local area, and this community waited too long under the former government for that to become a reality.  

“It is wonderful to see the public school now complete. It is a great environment for students and teachers alike to unlock their full potential. 

“I now look forward to seeing work get under way as soon as possible on the new high school, so that once students graduate from primary school, they won’t have to look far to start their secondary education.” 

Member for Macquarie Fields Anoulack Chanthivong said: 

“It’s fantastic to see the public school complete after a long community campaign, and I can’t wait to see what students and teachers can achieve with their new facilities. 

“The community has been desperately awaiting news of a local public high school and I welcome today’s announcement that it will be built next to the primary school on government land. 

“We will now look ahead to the start of construction on the new high school, and I look forward to sharing further updates with you soon.”  

Edmondson Park Public School Principal Heather Alé said: 

“It is so pleasing to see the finished product here at the Edmondson Park Public School, and I know these upgrades will greatly benefit the community for years to come.”