Category: NSW News

Liberal candidate for Vaucluse, Kellie Sloane, welcomed the Perrottet Government’s listing of South Head added on the State Heritage Register.

Ms Sloane said the listing recognises one of the city’s most spectacular natural wonders, and ensures that it will be protected for future generations.

“We are privileged to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and I am a vocal champion of protecting the unique natural character of this community,” Ms Sloane said. “This listing shows the great job that the Perrottet Government is doing to preserve our heritage, and is just one example of why I am proud to be running to be a part of the Perrottet team.”

Minister for Heritage James Griffin said heritage listing South Head will ensure future generations can experience and learn about a place that helped shape NSW.

“With its soaring sandstone cliffs, much loved beaches and green open spaces, South Head is one of the most outstandingly beautiful parts of Sydney,” Mr Griffin said.

“Listing the South Head Cultural Landscape on the State Heritage Register acknowledges the diverse and important stories of this place, which deserve recognition because they helped shape NSW as we know it today.

“South Head has strong historical and archaeological links to the Birrabirragal people, with evidence of Aboriginal occupation into the middle of the 19th century, including at Camp Cove, which is known to have been the home to Cora Gooseberry, a significant Aboriginal leader.

“The site tells us stories of thousands of years of continuous Aboriginal occupation, first contact encounters between British and Aboriginal people, Sydney’s history as a working harbour, and South Head’s role in its defence during periods of war.”

The State Heritage Listing includes the South Head precincts of Sydney Harbour National Park, Hornby Lighthouse, Camp Cove Beach and the rock shelf that surrounds them.

Much of South Head has been a national park since 1977, and the site is a popular recreational area for locals and visitors to Sydney.

Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said after years of working with the community towards this historic outcome, South Head is now protected forever.

“This has been a long journey and worth every bit of effort together with my community. South Head is a place of unique and international cultural, environmental and historical significance. It holds a special place in our hearts for its exceptional natural beauty with deep ties to our local and indigenous history,” Ms Upton said.

“As the heritage gateway to Sydney Harbour, South Head marked the entrance to Port Jackson for ships and served as a landmark for early European settlers’ arrival into the Harbour. Prior to that, it was an important place for Aboriginal people, including for fishing, art and other rituals.”

“The exceptionally high number of public submissions received in support of the heritage listing shows the importance of South Head and its value to the people of NSW.

“I am so proud we will soon be finalising the National Parks and Wildlife Service South Head Masterplan. The Masterplan will give more opportunities to enhance cultural and natural attributes and improve accessibility and amenity for locals and visitors alike.”

South Head is home to historically and technically significant buildings and ruins that illustrate the themes of maritime safety, defence and water policing.

These include Hornby Lighthouse, the extensive network of fortifications and defence structures at Inner South Head and Lady Bay, and the archaeological remains of important water policing structures.

Listing on the State Heritage Register provides legal recognition that an item or place is of State heritage significance and that the community wants to keep it for future generations.

For more information, visit the Heritage NSW website.

State-of-the-art colourised laser technology has been added to Fire and Rescue NSW’s (FRNSW) fleet of drones, giving firefighters the ability to more accurately identify bush fire threats.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors will help firefighters to better manage fuel loads by mapping bushland density.

“This state-of-the-art technology gives our firefighters a greater understanding of the bush so during a fire they can better protect properties, and during a hazard reduction operation they can more effectively target areas with higher fuel loads,” Ms Cooke said.

“Having lasers fitted to drones in Fire and Rescue NSW’s $5.4 million fleet will give firefighters greater capability to keep our communities safer and stronger throughout this period of increased fire danger.”

The LiDAR sensors produce precise, three-dimensional point data fully integrated with colourised red, green and blue high-resolution imagery.

During a hazard reduction operation, laser imagery collected before and after the burn will allow firefighters to accurately determine how much bushland has been treated.

FRNSW Deputy Commissioner Megan Stiffler said LiDAR sensors can also be used during a flood recovery operation, helping clean-up crews target their efforts.

“The LiDAR sensors use eye-safe lasers to measure the volume of flood debris and gives FRNSW a better visual of the product so we can determine what it is. That information takes a lot of the guesswork out of flood recovery operations, leading to a faster and more efficient clean-up,” Deputy Commissioner Stiffler said.

“This technology, which can work in any light conditions, day or night, is a real game-changer for Fire and Rescue NSW and significantly increases our aerial firefighting capabilities.”

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is fast-tracking advanced payments of more than $20 million in emergency funding for councils in the north and south of the state to urgently carry out work to restore access to flood-impacted areas.  

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the advanced funding would help 17 Local Government Areas impacted by the devastating flood event in October and November 2022 as they recover.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to ensuring measures are taken to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters,” Mr Farraway said.   

“Our top priority is getting our communities who have been impacted by flooding on track to recovery as quickly as possible.

“By putting emergency funding into the bank accounts of our councils faster councils can get on with the job of repairing and rebuilding damaged road and transport infrastructure sooner.

“This new support is on top of more than $60 million in emergency funding already provided to councils devastated by severe weather across the Central West and North Coast last year.  

“It’s evident more now than ever that we need to build our infrastructure back to be more resilient against mother nature, which is why the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government pushed for the $312.5 million Betterment Program for councils in the Northern Rivers.

“This new, first of its kind, natural disaster funding program allows councils to build back their road and transport infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events, it’s the way of the future and will help our great state to come back stronger after a natural disaster.”

More women and girls will get involved in sport as part of a NSW Government program which aims to boost participation and create more opportunities, both on and off the field.

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the Her Sport Her Way program supports State Sporting Organisations to deliver new initiatives that turbocharge female sporting participation.

“This program is all about increasing female participation in sport, whether that’s on the field or in administration, coaching or volunteer roles,” Mr Henskens said.

“Since the inception of this program four years ago, the number of women and girls playing sport has evolved and diversified, and by investing in grassroots programs and initiatives across NSW, we will continue to secure a brighter future for women in sport.”

The program has provided $2.45 million towards projects since 2019, with the latest $625,000 round funding 26 projects across 16 sports.

Successful projects include an initiative to develop netball coaching talent through to participation programs for water polo and karting. 

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the NSW Government is today also opening nominations for the 2022-23 Her Sport Her Way Awards.

“Women make such an incredible contribution to sporting clubs and communities right across NSW, both on and off the field,” Mrs Taylor said.

“The Her Sport Her Way Awards recognise the achievements of women in driving powerful change and leaving a legacy for the way women’s sport is played in NSW.”

The Her Sport Her Way Awards feature five categories – Young Achiever, Local Champion, Outstanding Organisation, Trailblazer and Overall Champion.

Applications for the Awards close on 28 February 2023. For more information on the Her Sport Her Way program and Awards, visit www.sport.nsw.gov.au/hersportherway.

Liberal candidate for Ryde, Jordan Lane, welcomed the latest major milestone of the $479 million Ryde Hospital Redevelopment that will deliver outstanding health facilities for the community.

Mr Lane said the unveiling of the latest designs and upcoming commencement of early works will give Ryde access to innovative, outstanding healthcare.

“As someone who was born at this very hospital, in Denistone House, I am genuinely excited about how this investment from our Government will deliver the great health services for our community, while also preserving its unique heritage.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the designs released today showcase the major expansion and upgrade of the facility which will support the health needs of the Ryde community.

“We are completely transforming Ryde Hospital into a state-of-the-art health facility with new and enhanced health services,” Mr Perrottet said.

“This $479 million redevelopment will significantly improve access to healthcare for the local community, ensuring more people can get quality care close to home.”

Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the redevelopment will future-proof healthcare in the region.

“The start of early works on site is a significant milestone for the $479 million Ryde Hospital redevelopment,” Mr Hazzard said.

“Once complete, the Ryde Hospital redevelopment will deliver a new and expanded emergency department and intensive care unit, new theatres, new purpose-built ambulatory care centre, new paediatric short stay unit and expanded medical imaging.”

Member for Ryde Victor Dominello said he was delighted to share the new designs with the community.

“These designs follow a significant amount of engagement with the local community, clinicians and key healthcare stakeholders as well as feedback from staff and consumers,” Mr Dominello said.

“The feedback has informed key design considerations such as heritage, the environment and green space to create a welcoming environment for patients, staff, and visitors.”

The $479 million redevelopment will include:

• A new and expanded emergency department;
• A new and expanded medical imaging department;
• A new and expanded intensive care unit;
• New operating theatres;
• More adult overnight inpatient beds;
• A new purpose-built ambulatory care centre;
• A new paediatric short stay unit;
• Improved landscaping, urban spaces and car parking.

Central to the design is connections with existing onsite heritage buildings such as Denistone House and The Stables, and the Blue Gum High Forest, as well as green spaces to create a welcoming environment for patients, staff and visitors.

In response to feedback from the local community and key agencies, changes have been made to the carpark plans to include a new multi-storey car park off Denistone Road and ground-level parking off Ryedale Road. The updated plans are expected to be placed on public exhibition in the coming weeks.

A final State Significant Development Application (SSDA) will be submitted in mid-2023, seeking approval for the final design and main construction works for the redevelopment.

HPAC has been appointed the early works contractor for the redevelopment and will commence works in the coming weeks, with main works expected to begin in late 2023.

The early works will include internal refurbishment to prepare for the first phase of the redevelopment, demolition of three buildings at the rear of the site, partial demolition of ground level carparking and general site preparation earthworks.

The project is part of the NSW Government’s record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure to 2025-26, including the $265 million Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital redevelopment and the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice in Manly.

For more information about the redevelopment including the latest designs visit: www.rydehospitalredevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au

Aspiring nurses and midwives are encouraged to choose a rewarding career with NSW Health, with support available through cadetship and scholarship programs in 2023.

Applications are now open for NSW Health’s Enrolled Nurse Scholarships, Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship Program and Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Scholarships.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said eligible school leavers and people considering a career change can apply for these cadetships and scholarships across NSW, which will provide professional and financial support to help them achieve their goals.

“The NSW health system is the best in the country because of our amazing workforce providing world-class healthcare to local communities every day. If you are an aspiring nurse or midwife, there is no better place to learn and work than in our public hospitals,” Mr Hazzard said.

“These cadetship and scholarship programs will also help further boost and upskill our nursing and midwifery workforce to meet the growing demand in our public hospitals across NSW into the future.”

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said nurses and midwives are a vital part of our health system, especially in rural and regional NSW.  

“I encourage anyone who wants to become a nurse or midwife to start their career with NSW Health by applying for these cadetships and scholarships, which provide guidance and opportunities to explore a variety of clinical settings,” Mrs Taylor said.

“Placements are available in our rural and regional hospitals, which are great places for nurses and midwives to build their skills and knowledge across a broad range of specialities, while caring and advocating for their local community.”

The Enrolled Nurse Scholarships offer a position in the Diploma of Nursing program, cover course fees and lead to employment as an enrolled nurse in a NSW Health facility, following standard recruitment and registration processes.

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the cadetships and scholarships would help kickstart the careers of NSW’s future nurses and midwives. 

“The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to providing world-class training to create a pipeline of skilled healthcare workers,” Mr Henskens said.

“These opportunities create workforce pathways so nurses and midwives in training are getting the practical skills and experience they need for jobs in the health sector.”

The Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship Program, and Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Scholarships provide Aboriginal people with the opportunity to receive financial and professional support during their university studies.

Nurse cadet Maya Svagelli said the Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship Program helped her to build confidence in her nursing skills and knowledge.

“The best aspects of the cadetship was the experience of working in varied healthcare settings. I was able to work in different areas such as inpatient aged care, inpatient orthopaedics and primary healthcare settings,” Ms Svagelli said.

“I would highly encourage Aboriginal nursing students to apply for this program for the experience and support that is provided to you throughout your degree.”

The NSW Government announced the largest workforce boost in the nation’s history in the 2022-23 Budget with a $4.5 billion investment over four years for 10,148 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff to hospitals and health services across NSW.

The NSW Government is also incentivising hard-to-fill, critical roles in hospitals and health facilities with an $883 million investment targeted at recruiting and retaining staff in regional, rural and remote areas.

Seven priority fire stations will be upgraded to provide fit-for-purpose amenities under the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s $50 million investment aimed at supporting female firefighters.
 
Treasurer Matt Kean, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Paul Baxter visited Merrylands today to announce the first upgrades for fire stations at Coledale, Cooma, Merewether, Merrylands, Singleton, The Entrance and Thredbo.
 
Mr Kean said work will focus on new toilets, showers and change rooms to break down barriers that stop women becoming firefighters.
 
“No matter where a woman works, they should have access to appropriate facilities and this investment will ensure our fire stations offer that. Modernising our stations is a vital part of attracting more women to firefighting and strengthening our frontline emergency services,” Mr Kean said.
 
Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the $50 million 2022-23 Budget investment is being progressively rolled out over 10 years.
 
“We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable in the workplace. With more women joining the firefighting ranks, access to appropriate amenities at fire stations is essential. These upgrades will see more women feeling welcomed, respected and comfortable at work and a valued part of the local team,” Mrs Taylor said.
 
Ms Cooke said many fire stations across NSW were constructed decades ago and are not appropriate for a modern and diverse workforce.
 
“Every graduation it’s pleasing to see dozens more women joining the firefighting ranks, and as the State’s first female Emergency Services Minister, I’m immensely proud to be delivering a program that will make it easier for women of the future to follow their lead,” Ms Cooke said.
 
Ten per cent of FRNSW’s permanent firefighters and 13 per cent of on-call firefighters are women.
 
Commissioner Baxter said FRNSW is committed to the safety and wellbeing of firefighters and providing a more inclusive work environment.
 
“This investment will help improve workplace conditions for all firefighters by providing men and women with private, separate facilities to ensure our people feel comfortable at work,” Commissioner Baxter said.
 
Design work for the Merrylands Fire Station upgrade has been completed and construction will commence in May.
 
An additional 12 fire stations are expected to be upgraded in the 2023-24 financial year.

The United Cup came to an exciting close yesterday with Sydney playing host to the first final of the brand new international mixed team event.

After a week of competition across the country, the final two countries vied for the inaugural trophy which saw the United States defeat Italy 4-0. 

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the United Cup provided an incredible new experience for fans witnessing emerging and established stars on the court, and inspired future generations.

“The United Cup brought the summer of tennis to Sydney and hosting at our Ken Rosewall Arena confirms NSW’s mantle as Australia’s premier sporting state,” Mr Henskens said.

“It is the first tennis tournament where men’s and women’s performances on court contributes to individual world rankings of their team members. 

“The atmosphere at the venue over the past two weeks has been electric, and we’ve seen top athletes put on a spectacular show of skill, determination and teamwork in the first event of its kind anywhere in the world.”

Hundreds-of-thousands of fans turned out to watch the world’s best players including Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Australia’s Alex De Minaur and Maddison Inglis compete at Sydney Olympic Park over the event.

Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the United Cup was part of the Liberal and Nationals Government’s 10 World Cups in 10 Years program which would grow the State’s visitor economy. 

“We are proud to host the first ever United Cup at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, wrapping up 11 days of competition between 18 countries all fighting for glory,” Mr Franklin said.

“The Liberal and Nationals are committed to growing the NSW visitor economy and cementing our State as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific. 

“Securing events like the United Cup attracts the world’s best tennis players, officials, and their supporters to the Greater Sydney area, who stay in our hotels, visitor our attractions, and spend in our retail stores, restaurants, bars, and cafes.

“This is just the beginning of a bumper summer of sport events for Sydney and NSW with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, SailGP and exciting return of HSBC Sydney Sevens all coming up in the next few weeks.”

United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said he was delighted to see fans share in the excitement of the United Cup in Sydney, as well as Brisbane and Perth.

“Sydney was a terrific host to the United Cup, and New South Wales relished in the opportunity to see the world’s best players unite and compete side by side in this never seen before event,” Farrow said. 

“Showcasing equality at this highest level, featuring mixed teams with the top players of each country, proved for some exciting match ups.”

Summertime at Barangaroo just got a lot cooler with the community now able to dip in Sydney’s famous harbour waters with a new a swimming enclosure at Marrinawi Cove, located at the northern end of Barangaroo Reserve.
 
Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes said Marrinawi Cove was the first new harbour swimming spot to open west of the Harbour Bridge in more than 50 years, demonstrating the NSW Government’s commitment to building more recreation facilities for future generations.   
 
“Our city stopped building ocean and harbour pools more than half a century ago – it’s past time to provide more great, safe public places to swim,” Mr Stokes said. 
 
“Being able to swim at Marranawi Cove is only possible because we have invested in cleaning up our harbour from industrial wastelands to aquatic playgrounds”.
 
“We’ll continue to explore more ways to increase public access to the harbour for swimming and water sports across urban renewal sites including Barrangaroo, Blackwattle Bay and Bays West.” 
 
Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich said swimming at Marrinawi Cove was a great opportunity to provide more public recreation at Barangaroo.
 
“Marrinawi Cove offers a fitting foundation for a swimming enclosure, and we know for thousands of years our traditional custodians, the Gadigal, used the land around Barangaroo for fishing, canoeing and swimming,” Mr Greenwich said.
 
“This is a major win for the community who have advocated for the ban on swimming to be lifted.” 
 
To ensure the community can swim safely, safety netting, signage and a new shower has been installed.  Following the summer period, the NSW Government will review how the enclosure has been used before considering whether further facilities, such as decking or ladders to enter the water are required.  More opportunities for swimming around the Barangaroo precinct continue to be investigated. 

Quantum computing startups and deep-tech companies will be supported to  advance their innovations through the NSW Government’s new $7 million Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund. 
 
Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens said NSW’s quantum ecosystem is uniquely placed to be a global leader of quantum technologies.
 
“Thanks to the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s strategic investment over the past decade, NSW is leading the nation in quantum research and development, boasting world-leading companies such as Silicon Quantum Computing, Diraq and Q-CTRL,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“Our 20-Year R&D Roadmap recently identified our world class quantum ecosystem as an area of competitive advantage, and we want to help our State flourish in this area to create new jobs and industries which will grow the economy and help secure a brighter future for the people of NSW. 
 
“This fund will target both startups and existing deep-tech companies to ensure that innovative projects are accelerated towards commercialising quantum computing, maintaining our momentum and reinforcing NSW’s position as a global quantum centre of excellence.”
 
NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said the Fund would  support companies with quantum computing hardware or software within Technology Readiness Level 3 – 7, to help them develop their technology and attract large-scale private investment.  
 
“The quantum technology industry has the potential to generate up to $4 billion in revenue and create 16,000 jobs by 2040,” Professor Durrant-Whyte said. 
 
“Quantum technology is already revolutionising many aspects of our society and economy, including transport, health care, financial services, defence, weather modelling and cybersecurity.”
 
Further information, including guidelines and an online application form can be found online. Applications close at 10am AEDT 2 February 2023.