Category: NSW News

The NSW Government will build a new education campus in Westmead, changing the game in how our children learn in Western Sydney.

The new campus will be co-located within the Westmead Health and Innovation District and includes a new 1,000 student primary school with a pre-school, and a 2,000 student selective high school.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the campus will enable partnerships with major hospitals, medical research institutes and university campuses – providing students with an integrated learning experience.

“This will change the game in how our children get an education, allowing them to learn alongside our world-leading doctors, nurses and medical researchers.

“We need to continue to look at innovative ways to better prepare our students for the jobs of the future whether that be in STEM, healthcare or medical science. That is exactly what this new way of learning will look to achieve.

“Students will be able to leverage off the world-class health and research facilities that are already located within the Westmead Health and Innovation District.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said this government is delivering for the future of NSW.

“Building a selective high school in the heart of the health and innovation district is an Australian first and will provide unparalleled opportunity for students,” Ms Mitchell said.

“The Liberals and Nationals in government are delivering an historic school building program, investing $17.7 billion so that thousands of students across the state benefit from hundreds of new and upgraded schools. 

“Working in partnership with local hospitals, universities and medical research institutes we have the opportunity to deliver a world-class teaching and learning facility as part of the Westmead Health and Innovation District.”

The NSW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW.

The Westmead Education Campus will be funded through the NSW Government’s $5 billion WestInvest Program, which was established to fund transformative infrastructure projects across 15 Western Sydney Local Government Areas.

Thank you Ben for that introduction.

Can I also acknowledge my Ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and the Leader of the Opposition here today.

Michael Miller.

The Bradfield Board of Governors

Ladies and gentlemen.

I want to thank the Daily Telegraph for hosting the Bradfield Oration once again.

This is one of my favourite events because it combines two things I love – bold ideas and our beautiful city.

In fact every year, new ideas are born in this forum by the people sitting in this very room.

And they change our city – and our lives – for the better, just like Bradfield did.

Let me start off by saying something that there should be no disagreement with.

I believe Sydney is the greatest city in the world

I love this city and everything about it.

Now I know it’s not perfect –  but I even love its imperfections.

We are Australia’s first and greatest city.

We are the heartbeat of this Great Southern Land.

And we are the face of Australia to the world.

We are unique in that even though our feet are planted firmly in home soil, our perspective is global.

If you ask the people of Melbourne, who’s your competition, they will most likely say Sydney.

But for Sydney, our standard isn’t local – we’re competing with the world’s greatest cities like London, Tokyo, New York & Paris.

But our biggest threat isn’t another city.

Our biggest threat is the status quo.

Our tendency to rest on our laurels and accept things the way they are.

I think the life of John Bradfield offers us three important lessons to overcome this risk and take our rightful place as one of the world’s great cities.

Lesson #1

The first lesson is that you have to persevere because change is hard and takes time.

The Harbour Bridge wasn’t built in a day.

Back in 1815 it was a bridge first suggested by convict and architect Francis Greenway.

Before Bradfield picked it up in 1900 with his own vision.

It wasn’t until 1923 that construction actually started.

And it wasn’t all smooth sailing, with opposition and protests along the way.

But Bradfield kept going and eventually his vision was realised.

This is a lesson that our government has learned, as we have turbocharged our building boom.

Over the last ten years we have built schools and hospitals, metros and motorways.

The highways and light-rails, parklands, museums and stadiums.

And we have seen that making change is like waging a war on the visible, trying to move people to a future that they cannot yet see.

In fact, there has been opposition to almost every project that we have built;

-from the North West Metro to NorthConnex,

-the Sydney Football Stadium to the Sydney Modern,

-the Light Rail to the Powerhouse

-even the hospitals such Tweed, the Northern Beaches and the new Prince of Wales were met with opposition

Just last week I was underground in the M4-M8 tunnel. 

A road that will mean you can drive from the Blue Mountains to Sydney airport without one single traffic light.

And yet even as this new road opens, there are still members of our Parliament who oppose it.

That shouldn’t be surprising.

Even in Bradfield’s day, the ferry operators protested the Bridge, horse and cart operators protested cars, and that certain other newspaper famously opposed the Opera House.

In the heat of short term politics, no argument is more persuasive than the argument for doing nothing.

And that’s why perseverance is so important.

Lesson #2

The second thing Bradfield can teach us is that you need to be bold and dare to do things differently.

He did this by choosing an arch design for the Bridge – a decision described as difficult and daring.

Our government has applied this lesson to the ways we have funded and built city shaping projects.

But great cities aren’t just built with steel and cement.

Great cities are about people and I want to create a better future for everyone in our city.

Let me give you three examples.

Health.

Everyone knows our entire health system nationally is under pressure.

Just building more hospitals and hiring more nurses isn’t going to solve the problem.

So we’re doing things differently and stepping up – while providing record funding. 

Millions of people across our state need a regular script from their GP.

It doesn’t make sense to clog up doctor’s surgeries just for people to get their regular medication.

So we fixed it and for the first time we are allowing pharmacists to give scripts directly to their regular patients.  

Like the boat operators in Bradfield’s time, the doctor’s union said our changes would spell the end of general practice in Australia.

Alongside Victoria we are adopting a new solution to turbocharge our GP practices with longer hours and a one stop shop of services to take pressure off our emergency departments.

On home ownership, we are removing stamp duty for first home buyers.

It was 150 years ago, some enterprising mid-level Treasury bureaucrat came up with the idea of stamp duty in NSW.

That was set at a 0.5 per cent, or 10 shillings for every £100.

A stamp on a piece of paper that stops a generation of home ownership. 
Today, that one decision – unquestioned for generations – is now responsible for one third of state’s tax revenue.

Our policy to make stamp duty optional for first home buyers has unleashed a barrage of opposition, as expected.

But I look at my kids and look at their prospects of home ownership, and I think: how can we let some 150-year-old tax – the most inefficient tax in the world – just continue to lock people out of home ownership in this city.

Now education.

We have to be willing to do things differently if we want better future for our kids.

So we’re changing the old 9 to 3 school hours, because what worked 100 years ago doesn’t suit working families today.

We’re introducing an entire new year of education in our school system called pre-kindergarten.

We’re paying our very best teachers more.

We’re adding practical trade subjects to the HSC.

And we’re introducing a new kind of tertiary education, bringing together universities
and industry to get out kid’s job-ready for the future.

All of these are a direct challenge to the status quo, the way things have always been done.

If we want to win the future, we must have the courage to innovate in education.

So today I announce a new way preparing our kids for the future.

I want kids in our West to be educated and learn from world leading doctors, nurses and medical researchers. 

So we are going to build a new $300 million education campus at Westmead.

With a new primary school and a new selective high school for our West – 3000 students from pre-K to year 12.

The campus will be co-located in the Westmead Health and Innovation District.

Alongside major hospitals, medical research institutes and university campuses – teaming up our brightest minds to support the next generation of leaders. 

This concept is the first of its kind in Australia.

I see these schools not just delivering our future Prime Minister or Premier.

I see them as a training ground in our West for our future Nobel Prize winners in medicine and science.

This is just the start and I want to see this new way of learning rolled out across the State.

Because doing things differently is the only way to set up our kids for a brighter future.

Lesson #3

The last thing Bradfield can teach us is that we must always be focused on leaving a legacy.

When he designed his bridge, he didn’t do it just for the needs of the today, but for the needs of tomorrow.

He knew the growth that would come – both in people and technology – and he built accordingly.

As he himself stated : “Future generations will judge our generation by our works.“

I want our legacy as a government to be focused on the next generation, not the next election.

To me, being a conservative is a blend of stability and change – preserving the best of tradition and innovating everything else.

And it has to be because as Burke said, conservatism is founded on a duty.

To respect not only those who have gone before us, those who are living but importantly those who are yet to come.

Our children. And their children.

To let a city like Sydney stand still is a crime against the next generation.

We must preserve and build on this city’s unsurpassed beauty, and its unlimited opportunity.

CONCLUSION

Let me conclude by saying, I want us all to live in a Sydney that is the greatest city in the world.

The buildings and the projects are part of that.

But we only build these for our people.

I want our city to be built around our families.

To be a hub of opportunity, for the ambitious and the aspirational.

A city that inspires and delights.

A beacon of hope and freedom for the world.

A city that honours our shared past.

That maximises the moments of our present.

And builds our collective future.

I believe today we face a line in the sand, about what kind of city we want to be.

We can stick with the status quo and become overwhelmed by the challenges of today.

Or we can move forward into the future filled with confidence, armed with the lessons Bradfield taught us.

Persevering when things are hard, daring to do things differently and leaving a legacy we can all be proud of.

Sydney’s famed George Street has transformed into a dining extravaganza stretching 850-metres through the CBD which, along with another site at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, is set to tantalise a sell-out crowd of more than 2,500 people.                   
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said OPEN FOR LUNCH was a fantastic way of getting people into the festive spirit while also supporting businesses and showcasing some our state’s best hospitality. 
 
“Summer is here and Sydney is bursting into life with a jam-packed calendar of events thanks to the NSW Government’s Sydney in Summer event series,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“World-class events like OPEN FOR LUNCH support local hotels, bars, restaurants, tourism operators and small businesses while also bringing people together at this special time of year.
“This is about bringing our CBD back to life and ensuring visitors enjoy a summer to remember in our global city.”
Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the successful OPEN FOR LUNCH was the first course in Sydney’s unprecedented summer events calendar that promises a feast of entertainment and significant benefits for the NSW economy.
 
“Our Summer in Sydney celebrations kicks off with Sydney’s longest lunch in George Street and a culinary takeover of CommBank Stadium where diners will be blown away by the incredible talent of the city’s hospitality industry, beginning a phenomenal calendar of world-class events over the coming months,” Mr Franklin said.
 
“There are barely any spare seats at the OPEN FOR LUNCH table, with Sydneysiders and visitors reveling in the festivities of this unique dining event.
 
“This will be the best summer yet for Sydney as the NSW Government delivers fantastic events like OPEN FOR LUNCH that provide fun and entertainment for families and visitors right across the State.” 
 
The NSW Government’s Sydney in Summer event series includes OPEN FOR LUNCH, Noël Sydney and ELEVATE Sydney.
 
Major events taking place in Sydney through to early 2023 include:
 

• Cinderella: Until 29 January 2023
• Sydney International Art Series Do Ho Suh: 4 November – 26 February 2023
• Come from Away: 5 November – 12 February 2023
• Carmen on Cockatoo Island: 25 November – 18 December 2022
• OPEN FOR LUNCH – Sydney/Parramatta: 2 December 2022
• Adrian Villar Rojas: The End of Imagination: 3 December – mid-2023
• Noël Sydney: 9 December – 24 December 2022
• United Cup: 29 December – 8 January 2023
• ELEVATE Sydney: 3 January – 7 January 2023
• Sydney Festival: 5 January – 29 January 2023
• HSBC Sydney 7’s: 27 January – 29 January 2023
• Frida Kahlo: The Life Of An Icon from 4 February
• SailGP: 18 Feb – 19 February 2023
• Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Madama Butterfly: 24 March – 23 April 2023
• Madagascar the Musical: 16 December – 1 January 2023
• Sydney New Year’s Eve: 31 December 2022
• Sydney to Hobart: 26 January 2023
• Australia Day: 26 January 2023
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical: Until 28 January 2023
• Sydney WorldPride / Mardi Gras: 17 February – 5 March 2023

 
To find out more and plan your summer in Sydney visit www.sydney.com/events

New South Wales public school students will have access to some of the boldest and most innovative wellbeing programs, thanks to a new $2.5 million Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund.
 
The Fund will have two streams for grants:
 

• Capacity building funding for providers who want to scale or deliver their wellbeing programs in schools.
• Seed funding to providers to research, create, develop and test new approaches to supporting and addressing student wellbeing issues.

Grants of up to $200,000 will be available, depending on the scale of the project.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the Fund will act as an incubator for organisations developing programs or seeking to expand programs supporting student wellbeing.
 
“There is no one-size-fits all solution for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people. That’s why it’s so important to give schools an opportunity to address local issues affecting their students through the bespoke programs this fund will help grow,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
Ms Mitchell said the Fund will provide a pathway for wellbeing providers to establish a more comprehensive evidence base and be eligible as a Department of Education Quality Assured wellbeing provider.
 
“We know in this ever-changing world, schools often have to find innovative and agile ways to support our students to thrive as confident, successful and lifelong learners,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“This Fund will give providers the opportunity to support schools in innovative ways.”
 
Applications for the first funding round will open in early 2023.

Students in NSW will soon be able to put their best foot forward when applying for jobs and further study, thanks to a $24.5 million investment in the ground-breaking digital “Education Wallet”.

This comes as the NSW Government announces that tenders are now open to deliver the initiative. 

Minister for Education and Early Learning, Sarah Mitchell, said the “Education Wallet” will give every student in the state an all-inclusive digital record of their skills and achievements in a Learner Profile that can be easily shared with future employers and further education providers.

“Students, industry and universities have been sharing with us what they want included in the learner profile, so it’s fantastic to take this next step towards delivering this amazing tool for NSW students,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Establishing a tailored, digital record of verified academic and non-academic achievements will help our students reflect on their skills and strengths, and share those easily with prospective employers and future education providers.”

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Victor Dominello, said that investment in the “Education Wallet” digital platform is an investment in our young people, who have to navigate a fast-changing world.

“We know the world is more digitally-focused than ever before, so this wallet will keep up with the changing technology and ensure our students have easily accessible and verified information saved in the one place,” Mr Dominello said.

“The Learner Profile will help students to articulate their skills, and make it easier for businesses to have access to verifiable academic and non-academic achievements.”

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the platform is a win-win, which will open doors for students and support both education providers and industry.

“The “Education Wallet” will be a young person’s digital passport to further education and employment,” Mr Henskens said.

“This initiative will enable students to take control of their future by equipping them to demonstrate their skills and achievements to prospective employers, which will unlock opportunities and inspire them to secure a brighter future.”

The Education Wallet is just one of several initiatives the NSW Government is delivering to ensure students are job-ready, including the landmark NSW Curriculum Reform, piloting more HSC exams online, and enabling more VET courses to contribute to a student’s ATAR.

IT providers interested in supporting the “Education Wallet” initiative as a delivery partner, can visit the NSW e-Tendering website at NSW Government tender portal for more details.

A new $30 million program will ensure NSW remains a modern manufacturing powerhouse by attracting more investment in industries such as medical technology, digital systems, clean energy, defence and aerospace.
 
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens said the new Future Industries Investment Program would drive growth in emerging industries and ensure NSW remains at the cutting-edge of modern manufacturing.
 
“NSW is the manufacturing powerhouse of Australia and is home to a diverse range of innovative manufacturers that make and export world-leading products,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“We need to ensure our state remains ahead of the pack when it comes to the manufacturing of high-value products and that means backing businesses to establish and expand their operations right here in NSW.
 
“This is about driving more modern manufacturing jobs in our state and generating more export dollars for NSW.
 
“This work will build on our already significant investment in manufacturing, to support businesses to locate and grow in NSW, boost local productivity and take our sovereign capability to a new level, which will drive our economy for generations to come.”
 
The new program forms part of the NSW Government’s response to the Modern Manufacturing Taskforce’s report.
 
Initiatives identified in the response will be delivered under the coordination of industry expert and NSW Modern Manufacturing Commissioner Lisa Emerson.
 
Ms Emerson will next lead government, industry, academia and community partner engagement in the development of a new Modern Manufacturing Strategy that will support industry and NSW businesses to build the globally competitive capabilities that underpin economic success.
 
Ms Emerson said the strategy will consolidate existing plans and policies to ensure government efforts are directed efficiently, have clear measurable outcomes, and provide industry with the support it needs.
 
“Providing support for local manufacturers, particularly at the scaleup stage, and the promotion of advanced manufacturing capabilities including technologies, processes, business models and careers will be a pivotal focus of my tenure, as we work towards the goal of economic prosperity for NSW,” Ms Emerson said.
 
The Modern Manufacturing Taskforce’s Making it in NSW report and the NSW: The Home of Modern Manufacturing, the NSW Government’s response to the report, are available online.
 
“I thank the Taskforce members, led by Tony Shepherd AO, for their expertise in reviewing the current situation and presenting a bold and clear challenge for us to address for further improvement,” Mr Henskens said.
 
The Future Industries Investment Fund is an open, competitive grant program that will provide rebate support for eligible businesses that create a minimum of 20 ongoing net new full-time equivalent jobs in NSW; or invest a minimum of $3 million in capital expenditure (excluding assistance from this Program) within NSW as part of the overall project.
 
Applications will open on Thursday 8 December 2022, with further details available online.

The NSW Government has launched a major recruitment campaign in Willoughby to help ease staff shortages across the hospitality industry.
 
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the Kickstart Your Career in Hospitality campaign will showcase the industry and highlight the range of long-term career options available throughout the sector.
 
“The NSW Government is already providing significant support to entice people to join the industry or upskill, through a variety of free short training courses. This will now be promoted by a targeted campaign to encourage people to consider starting their career in hospitality,” Mr Anderson said.
 
“Hospitality has traditionally been viewed as a short-term employment option, but this campaign highlights the broad range of opportunities that exist for people wanting a rewarding and long-term career.”
 
Member for Willoughby Tim James said this NSW Government initiative is a great way of highlighting the many fantastic reasons to join the hospitality industry, especially given the range of free courses currently available through the NSW Government.
 
“A strong hospitality sector is absolutely critical for communities in regional NSW, now and into the future. The Kickstart your Career in Hospitality program enables community members to train for free and get the skills needed for a job at a local pub, club, café or restaurant,” Mr James said.
 
The five week campaign has been designed in partnership with ClubsNSW, Australian Hotels Association and NSW Restaurant and Caterers Association.
 
It includes a mixture of video and display ads that can run across TikTok and in partnership with Pedestrian TV. The ads will drive audiences to nsw.gov.au/hospitalitycareer site, where they can explore a range of courses and job vacancies in the hospitality industry.
 
In a further boost for the industry, the Government has also recently launched a Hospitality Concierge service with a dedicated team to help new hospitality businesses start up, or existing ones to grow by expanding their offerings such as offering alfresco dining as we come into the Summer months.
 
The service will streamline application processes, and assist businesses and local councils to navigate the liquor licensing, planning and regulatory changes introduced through the 24-Hour Economy reforms.
Find a career to love in hospitality | NSW Government

Return and Earn is celebrating five years of its wildly popular recycling scheme, with the people of NSW returning more than eight billion containers and reducing drink container litter volume by 52 per cent since it was introduced by the NSW Government in 2017.
 
Minister for Environment James Griffin said this significant milestone demonstrates just how passionate the people of NSW are about turning their trash into treasure.
 
“While Return and Earn is only five years old, it has already achieved huge success, with more than eight billion containers returned in the last five years,” Mr Griffin said.
 
“It has delivered a massive 755,000 tonnes of additional material for recycling already, helping remove these containers from becoming landfill or litter.
 
“The NSW Government’s Return and Earn scheme has kick-started the circular economy in NSW, giving what were some of our most littered items a new life as new food and beverage packaging.
 
“The incredibly popular scheme has seen more than $800 million in refunds into the pockets of people in NSW, and delivered more than $40 million in donations to charities and community groups.
 
“I’ll be celebrating the fifth birthday by raising a can of lemonade to celebrate the amazing efforts of the dedicated Return and Earners.”
 
More than 600 return points are available across NSW, with more return points, including new smaller ‘shop-front’ style return points called ‘Return and Earn Express’, on the way.
 
Return and Earn is a partnership between the NSW Government, scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and network operator TOMRA Cleanaway.
 
In October, the NSW Government announced a proposal to expand Return and Earn to include even more types of beverage containers, such as wine and spirits bottles.
 
This would result in an additional 400 million eligible bottles recycled each year, including 233 million glass bottles.
 
The scheme expansion would boost recycling rates, reduce landfill, and supercharge our push towards a circular economy in NSW.
 
Public consultation on the plans closes on 2 December 2022, for more information visit https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/driving-nsws-circular-economy

Sydney’s historic third harbour crossing has reached another major milestone with the $4.24 billion contract to deliver stage two of the project awarded to ACCIONA.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the new Western Harbour Tunnel would provide a western bypass of the CBD, taking pressure off other major roads across the city and helping commuters move around more easily.
 
“We are transforming the way Sydneysiders move around our great city, delivering on our vision for a better connected road network that reduces congestion and helps people get to where they need to be quickly and safely,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“The historic Western Harbour Tunnel will cut travel times from Sydney Olympic Park to North Sydney by 20 minutes and significantly reduce traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Anzac Bridge.”
 
The Western Harbour Tunnel will connect to WestConnex at the Rozelle Interchange, cross underneath Sydney Harbour between Birchgrove and Waverton, and connect with the Warringah Freeway near North Sydney via a 6.5 kilometre tunnel with three lanes in each direction.
 
Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the new tunnel would be constructed underground with Tunnel Boring Machines instead of being an Immersed Tube Tunnel.
 
“We’ve collaborated with industry to come up with the best outcome for the local community and the environment, which involves tunnelling underneath the harbour seabed rather than building a tunnel on top of the seabed,” Mrs Ward said. 
 
“We know our population is growing and this is how we make sure our infrastructure keeps pace, supporting a strong economy and a brighter future for everyone in NSW, not just those who use this tunnel.”
 
Member for North Shore Felicity Wilson said her community would enjoy significant benefits from the project, which will redirect traffic off rat runs on local streets and see the delivery of more green open space.
 
“Tunnelling means we no longer need construction sites at Balls Head and Berrys Bay in Waverton,” Ms Wilson said.
 
“I’m enormously excited to be able to return Berrys Bay to the local community and deliver them 1.9 hectares of beautiful foreshore parkland and public space, even earlier than planned.”
 
Once complete, the Western Harbour Tunnel will cut traffic by 35 per cent in the Western Distributor, 20 per cent in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and 17 per cent on the Harbour Bridge.
 
Construction of stage one is already underway. Further community consultation will take place next year ahead of the commencement of major work on stage two in late 2023.
 
For more information on the project, visit nswroads.work/whtportal.

First home buyers will have more support when making their own choice between upfront stamp duty or a small annual fee, thanks to the new advanced First Home Buyer Choice calculator.
 
First home buyers will be able to input the number of years they expect to own the property and the calculator will provide an estimate of the total amount they can expect to pay over that period in present value dollars.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the advanced calculator would help first home buyers make a more informed decision.
 
“We know that 50 per cent of owner-occupiers sell within 10.5 years. This new advanced calculator will show how much they may benefit from paying an annual fee,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“This is all about giving people choice and helping families get the keys to their own home sooner by removing upfront costs and potentially reducing overall tax.”
 
Treasurer Matt Kean expects the majority of eligible first home buyers in the price range of $800,000 to $1.5 million to choose the annual property fee over upfront stamp duty.
 
“If you are planning to hold your property for 10 or 20 years, you can input that figure and the advanced calculator will compare the overall cost of paying an annual fee in today’s dollars to what you would pay in stamp duty,” Mr Kean said.
 
“This is another tool to help first home buyers make an informed choice that suits their financial circumstances and for many, will show that the First Home Buyer Choice can deliver significant savings over the long term.”
NSW Treasury analysis shows that two-thirds of owner-occupiers sell within 20 years.
 
First Home Buyer Choice is part of the NSW Government’s $2.8 billion Housing Package.
It will take effect from January 16 for purchases under $1.5 million but any eligible first home buyer who bought from the time the legislation was enacted on 11 November, 2022 can opt in to the annual fee and receive a refund of stamp duty paid.
 
To view the advanced calculator, go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/calculate-your-property-tax
 
For more information on the First Home Buyer Choice, go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/initiative/first-home-buyer-choice