Category: NSW News

More than 5,500 aspiring early childhood educators are set to receive a financial boost as the NSW Government announces a new scholarship program.  
 
The NSW Government is investing $23.5 million to provide scholarships worth up to $3,000 for students studying a Certificate III and up to $5,000 for a Diploma qualification.
 
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new VET scholarships are part of the NSW Government’s $281.6 million package announced in the Budget early this year to attract, retrain and support early childhood educators and teachers in NSW.  
 
“Our early childhood workforce is critical to delivering a quality early learning for our youngest learners, and these scholarships will help attract and retain this important workforce,” Ms Mitchell said.  
 
“The scholarships will work in conjunction with the 25,000 fee-free places for a Cert III or Diploma qualification, which means scholarship recipients will receive a cash boost to support their studies in addition to not having to pay course fees. 
 
“I encourage our existing Certificate III workforce to take up this extra support on offer, whether you’re in the public, private, long day care, preschool, family day care or outside school hours care (OSHC) sectors. 
 
“Early childhood education and care professionals make all the difference to the lives of children and families in NSW, and this new initiative will help this critical workforce to grow and upskill.”  
 
Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the scholarships will work in conjunction with the 25,000 fee-free training places for a Certificate III or Diploma qualifications.
 
“Since August, the NSW Government has delivered thousands of fee-free places to bolster the pipeline of skilled and job-ready workers for the early childhood education sector,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“These scholarships will help people upskill and provide a welcome cash boost to assist with their studies, which in turn supports their ongoing education and employment pathways.”
 
The scholarship round will be open from 15 November 2022 to 15 January 2023. 
 
The NSW Government has committed $15.9 billion to deliver a brighter future for every child in NSW through a revolutionary transformation of early childhood education, child development and women’s economic participation over the next decade. Through the introduction of a universal pre-Kindergarten year, the Brighter Beginnings initiative, workforce package and affordable preschool funding, the Liberals and Nationals Government are ensuring NSW is the best state to live, work and raise a family. 
 
Current and aspiring educators are encouraged to explore the new dedicated Early Childhood Careers section of the Department of Education’s website by visiting education.nsw.gov.au/EarlyChildhoodCareers. 

The Wakehurst Parkway will undergo safety and traffic flow improvements as the NSW Government outlines how $75 million in funding will be spent along the Northern Beaches road.

This funding is in addition to the $18.1 million already provided to Northern Beaches Council to improve flood mitigation on Wakehurst Parkway.

Minister for Infrastructure Rob Stokes said works along the 9.5km section of the Parkway from Narrabeen to Frenchs Forrest would include localised widening and additional turning lanes to reduce crashes and improve the efficiency of the corridor.

“Sections of Wakehurst Parkway are some of the most dangerous black spots on the Northern Beaches, which is why we’re pressing ahead with our $75 million funding commitment,” Mr Stokes said.

“These works will help reduce crashes, improve access to Northern Beaches Hospital, and save commuters time by improving the overall efficiency of the wider road network.”

Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the upgrades would have positive flow-on effects for the adjoining road network.

“The works will improve traffic signals at the Dreadnought Road intersection, upgrade the Oxford Falls Road West intersection, improve southbound lane capacity on approach to Frenchs Forest, and improve safety at Elanora Road,” Mrs Ward said.

“Wakehurst Parkway is nestled within an incredible bushland setting so these important safety improvements will be designed and delivered to minimise impacts on the local environment and community, with updates every step of the way.”

Member for Wakehurst Brad Hazzard said the first round of community consultation would occur in 2023.

“This is a key corridor for the Northern Beaches and these works will make the Wakehurst Parkway a safer and more reliable road,” Mr Hazzard said.
Essential roadworks, including the asphalting of a 2.8 kilometre section of the Wakehurst Parkway, are also being undertaken through the NSW Government’s $147 million Greater Sydney State Roads Assets Restoration Program.

The work will be carried out between Judith Street and Aquatic Drive from 23 November 23 2022.

The NSW Government is looking to maximise the more than eight million square metres of roof space across the state’s public schools to provide renewable energy solutions.
 
NSW Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean said an Expression of Interest (EOI) is open for companies that can deliver ways to finance and operate solar and battery systems under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
 
“With roof space equivalent to around 500 Sydney Cricket Grounds available across 2,200 NSW public schools, this exercise will help us harness the power potential of our schools,” Mr Kean said.
 
“We have to be smart about how we finance and operate these resources so we maximise the financial returns for NSW and help make the electricity system more secure.”
 
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the EOI is being run alongside the Smart Energy School Pilot Project.
 
“The project is testing solar and battery energy storage systems at 60 schools across the state and the feasibility of operating them as part of a virtual power plant,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“We want to reduce our state’s carbon emissions, cut school electricity costs and help students to learn more about renewable energy, and these programs are an exciting opportunity for schools to benefit from renewable energy technology.
 
“NSW Public Schools have the roof space and it is a no brainer that we look at how we can start utilising that space to benefit NSW energy market.”
 
Companies with experience in delivering a range of renewable energy solutions are being invited to register for the Smart Energy Schools Pilot Program via an Expression of Interest (EOI) process – the largest procurement exercise of its kind in Australia.
 
Non-binding proposals received during the EOI will be shortlisted in early 2023.The short-listed proposals will be considered as part of a potential future large scale roll out across the NSW public school asset portfolio.
 
Interested participants should https://www.tenders.nsw.gov.au/  to register their interest in the program and participate in an online briefing session.

NSW is one step closer to becoming the first state or territory in Australia to have a mandatory notification scheme for its government agencies to respond to personal data breaches.
 
The NSW Government’s Privacy and Personal Information Protection Amendment Bill 2022 passed the Legislative Assembly last night.
 
Attorney General Mark Speakman said the bill fulfils the Government’s 2020 commitment to introduce a mandatory notification of data breaches scheme to strengthen privacy protections for the citizens of NSW.
 
“Unlike Labor’s past forays into the area, this bill is the product of extensive consultation and consideration,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“This consultation has resulted in a carefully considered scheme that will affect the operations of hundreds of NSW public sector agencies, including principal government departments, statutory bodies, local councils and universities.
 
“I acknowledge Labor’s support for these reforms and note that they have been long awaited.
 
“However, as I said during debate of Labor’s half-baked private member’s bill on 1 August 2019, any decision to introduce a mandatory notification scheme in NSW must be informed by proper analysis and consultation.
 
“Even before Labor’s bill was debated, the NSW Government was inviting community submissions on a discussion paper asking whether a mandatory data breach reporting scheme should be adopted in NSW and, if so, how the scheme should operate.
 
“Twenty-three submissions were received, including from NSW public sector agencies, members of the public, local councils, universities and various advocacy and professional groups.
 
“Following extensive development and drafting consideration, including consultation with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and Cyber Security NSW, the NSW Government released an exposure draft of this bill for public consultation in May 2021.
 
“That exposure draft proposed a specific model for a mandatory notification of data breach scheme. Thirty-two submissions were received on that draft.”
 
Mr Speakman said a number of significant amendments were made to the bill following the consultation, including:
 

• Amending the wording of the assessment threshold to make it identical to the Commonwealth Privacy Act
• Establishing additional requirements for the approval of an extension to the assessment period to ensure this only occurs where appropriate
• Expanding the circumstances where an agency is required to issue a public notification.

 
“This scheme will establish new standards of accountability and transparency around the protection of citizens’ personal information,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“It will make NSW the first Australian state or territory to introduce a mandatory notification of data breach scheme for its government agencies.
 
Every day, the people of NSW offer their personal information to government agencies, which is a significant undertaking of trust. In return, the government has a responsibility to effectively and proactively protect and respect that personal information in a way that is workable and practical for those agencies.
 
“This bill will make that responsibility law.”

NSW is set to pilot photo verification technology which will empower customers to have more control of their personal information while enabling convenient and secure proof-of-identity transactions online with both government and business. 

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the technology will always be opt-in and will put customers in charge of their personal information like never before.

“Recent cyber breaches have underlined the need to keep the control of our private information in the hands of the customer, and stop the need for the continual oversharing of our personal details,” Mr Dominello said.

“We have put privacy, security and customer control at the heart of the NSW Digital ID, and its pilots.

“Customers will be able to store their encrypted personal information securely on their own device meaning it will not be held centrally by Government or a private entity.

“And customers can be confident that no biometric or photo data will be stored once successfully verified.

“This will give customers more control over their personal information and reduce the oversharing of physical identity documents and credentials.”

Mr Dominello said the NSW Digital ID program will build and improve on the work already done by the Federal myGovID program.

“The NSW Digital ID program will provide customers with the ability to prove their identity through a secure digital channel when transacting with government, businesses or non-government organisations.

“In doing so, it will unlock a range of possibilities for more inclusive and secure digital government services.

“NSW customers have already embraced the Digital Drivers Licence with over 75 per cent of licence holders opting in to access their licence via the Service NSW app.

“The NSW Digital Identity will take things to the next level, increasing convenience and customer control over what personal information and credentials are shared with whom.”

The pilots commencing in November will enable customers to renew their Working with Children Check remotely via the Service NSW and conduct proof of age checks for online alcohol purchases via the Service NSW app.

Ongoing tests will continue throughout the piloting of this technology with Privacy Impact Assessments including regular consultation with the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Fraud Risk Assessments, Security Risk Assessments, compliance with the NSW AI Assurance Framework and other safeguards, to ensure the privacy and security of customers.


For more information on NSW Digital ID go to: www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/projects-and-initiatives/future-digital-identity

Workers at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo will stop work on Thursday November 17th over chronic pay issues.

For 18 months maintenance workers at the tourist attraction have endured underpayments, late payments and consistent problems with their leave entitlements and allowances.

The workers will stop work tomorrow (Thursday) at 8.30am.

Australian Workers Union NSW Branch Secretary Tony Callinan says it’s a kick in the guts for those who make sure the zoo is a fun place for families to visit day after day, year after year.

“We know the zoo have implemented a new pay system, but after 18 months of stuff ups it’s time to get some clarity as to what’s happening because our members have had a gutful,” says Tony Callinan.

“Our members tell me they want to be paid on time and for the hours they’ve worked.

“They want their leave balances rectified, they want to be consulted as part of that process, and they want the new pay system finalised this year.

“This zoo is operated by the Department of Environment which should have the expertise, resources and wherewithal to at least pay their employees correctly,” says Australian Workers Union NSW Branch Secretary Tony Callinan.

Dubbo City regional councillor Josh Black will attend the event:

“I’m proud to support the AWU members and their stop work meeting at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Is it too much to ask to be paid correctly? These issues need to be addressed immediately.”

Stephen Lawrence ALP candidate for the NSW Legislative council and local barrister will attend the stop work meeting in support of AWU members.

The NSW Government is making it easier to access more medications through a local pharmacy to ease the pressure on patients who find it difficult to get an appointment with a GP.
 
The landmark reform will expand the number of vaccinations pharmacists can administer, trial pharmacists prescribing medication for urinary tract infections and also develop a pilot for trained pharmacists to prescribe medications for a range of other conditions.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the proposed reforms aim to relieve pressure on emergency departments and wait times to see a GP, by giving the community more access to primary care services.
 
“By giving the community greater access to  medications and vaccines through their local pharmacist, we are taking pressure off our hardworking GPs by giving them more time for patients with other medical issues,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“We are stepping up to provide yet another innovative policy to improve the lives of people by offering more support for primary care.
 
“The Federal Government should be providing more support for GPs and a greater amount of free bulk-billing services but we can’t sit around and wait for them to catch-up and meet the growing demand.”
 
The NSW Government will increase the community’s access to primary care through:
 

• Authorising pharmacists to administer a wider range of  public health and travel vaccinations from 14 November 2022, including Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis, Typhoid and Zoster.

• Funding a 12-month trial to evaluate allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication for urinary tract infections; and

• Supporting  a state wide pilot where appropriately trained pharmacists can prescribe medications for certain conditions, such as skin ailments, ear infections, and hormonal contraception.

 
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the trials were in step with pharmacist reforms being implemented in Queensland and would be open to pharmacists in NSW who undertook appropriate additional training.
 
“While some in the primary care sector have firm views on the role of pharmacists, their positive contribution to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that they are able to deliver more for their communities,” Mr Hazzard said.
 
“NSW Health will work with the pharmacy sector, and its regulators, to inform training to ensure we maintain high safety standards, while also providing the community with more convenience.”
 
Minister for Women, Regional Health and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said these reforms will be transformational for healthcare in the regions, particularly for women.
 
“Pharmacies are part of the fabric of our regional communities and empowering our trusted pharmacists to work their full scope of practice will be a gamechanger for so many,” Mrs Taylor said.
 
“The NSW Government has heard loud and clear that the process of getting a script for things like a urinary tract infection or birth control must be made easier. This reform delivers on that as well as eases the burden on our GPs.”
 
NSW Health will work with pharmacists to support the expansion of the vaccination program with education modules and materials for both themselves and their customers.
 
NSW pharmacists are currently able to administer six vaccines, including COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
 
An expression of interest process for participation in the urinary tract infection trial will commence on 14 November 2022. 

NSW households and businesses will benefit from cheaper, cleaner electricity with the first tender round for generation and storage projects under the Government’s landmark Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap attracting significant industry interest.

Bids for more than 5.5GW of wind and solar generation projects and more than 2.5GW of long duration storage projects have been received, which is enough to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes.

NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean said the level of interest was an outstanding result for the Government’s long-term plan to modernise the NSW electricity system.

“This is an overwhelming response from the market and a strong endorsement of the Roadmap’s vision for the NSW electricity system,” Mr Kean said.

“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the resulting global energy crisis has added extra impetus to modernise our electricity system.

“The need for new sources of electricity generation that are not tied to the volatility of global commodity prices has never been greater.

“The best way to provide structural, long-term relief from high electricity bills is to drive in new supply and put downward pressure on energy prices at the source, which is exactly what our Roadmap is doing.”

Bids for the generation and long-duration storage tenders will now be independently assessed by the NSW Consumer Trustee, AEMO Services, according to set criteria such as community engagement, regional economic development and land-use opportunities.

Successful projects will be awarded long-term energy service agreements, underwriting the delivery of built energy resources that will benefit the long-term interests of the State’s electricity consumers.

“These tenders have been specifically designed to identify the best projects to bring quality energy to market in the earliest possible timeframe,” Mr Kean said.

“The level of investment we are facilitating in the NSW energy system is unprecedented, which is why these tenders will run every six months for at least the next 10 years.”

Families in Mount Druitt, Wagga Wagga, Kempsey, Nambucca, Bourke, Cobar and Coonamble will be the first to benefit from the NSW Government’s landmark reform to introduce a universal pre-Kindergarten year of education for every child in NSW.

Early childhood services in these first seven locations will begin rolling out the first stage of the universal pre-Kindergarten policy in early 2023, with interested providers urged to register from today. 

More locations across NSW will be added ahead of the full state-wide implementation of a full new year of education for children by 2030. 

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the $5.8 billion 10-year investment in universal pre-Kindergarten is of a scale not seen before in Australia and will benefit our youngest learners’ physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. 

“This is a life changing investment that the NSW Government is delivering to ensure our children benefit from a full year of quality preschool education at no cost to parents,” Mr Perrottet said.  

“The Liberals and Nationals in government are building a brighter future for NSW, with international evidence demonstrating a quality, play-based preschool program underpins a child’s long-term success.” 

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said families and services in the first stage of the universal pre-K reforms will help shape the rollout of the initiative across the state.

“This first stage of universal pre-Kindergarten will allow us to gather crucial information ahead of implementation of the program across the NSW,” Ms Mitchell said. 

“We are continuing to work collaboratively with families, peak bodies, service providers and schools to develop the best model of universal pre-Kindergarten for NSW.”    

Eligible services are invited to have their say and ask questions at several workshops to be held in pilot regions during November 2022. 

The NSW Government’s $15.9 billion Early Years Commitment announced as part of the 2022-23 budget will deliver a brighter future for every child in NSW.  

Through the introduction of a universal pre-Kindergarten year, a suite of Brighter Beginnings initiatives to support the first 2,000 days of life, a workforce package for early childhood educators and Affordable Preschool subsidies available to all families, the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government is ensuring NSW is the best state to live, work and raise a family. 

Expressions of Interest are now open and close on 16 December 2022. For more details, visit:  https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/early-years-commitment/universal-pre-kindergarten/universal-pre-kindergarten-pilots

A Minns Labor Government will upgrade Fairfield Hospital with an initial $115 million over three years to expand the hospital’s bed capacity by almost 60 per cent as well as provide more services.

More capacity and more services

This commitment will deliver 130 more desperately needed medical, surgical and rehabilitation beds.

This will increase emergency department and intensive care unit capacity as well as elevate the hospital’s emergency service level from three to four – meaning more specialist staff, and greater care for emergency presentations.

This extra funding will expand dialysis spaces and enhance radiology services, including CT and MRI capabilities.

Rehabilitation beds will help expand aged care, orthopaedic, respiratory and interventional cardiology services.

And this commitment will expand mental health services as well as introduce a Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre.

Urgent upgrades to the hospital were recommended by the parliamentary inquiry into South West Sydney health services, which heard of some services being rationed, and other services simply non-existent.

The Fairfield Hospital redevelopment will include upgrading existing facilities as well as expanding the site to accommodate further services.

The final cost of the redevelopment will be established after further planning and detailed design, but is anticipated to be around $550 million, and take up to six years from when work commences.

Hospital overwhelmed

Fairfield Hospital opened in 1988 – and has not yet received an upgrade.

Since then, the local population has outgrown the hospital.

The number of presentations at the hospital’s emergency department have increased by almost 30 per cent since 2011 – from around 7,700 a quarter to 10,000 a quarter.

Over 15 per cent of patients came to Fairfield emergency – and then turned around and left without receiving or completing their treatment – one of the highest rates in the state. That was over 1,500 patients in the last quarter alone.

The percentage of critical emergency presentations to start on time has tanked from a peak of 73 per cent in 2013, to 37 per cent today.

Patients on the elective surgery wait list have increased by over 50 per cent, from less than 1,400 to over 2,000.

The median wait times for elective surgery have increased by 200 per cent for urgent surgeries, 82 per cent for semi urgent surgeries; and 36 per cent for non-urgent surgeries.

And the Fairfield LGA is set to increase in population by 36,662 people in the next 20 years.

Labor’s initial commitment of $115 million will come from the unallocated $3 billion WestInvest Government agencies fund – not the $2 billion allocated to Local Governments and community groups – which under Labor will also have its remit expanded to include urgently needed healthcare projects.

Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader, said:

Today’s announcement forms part of Labor’s broader health response to begin to turn around 12 years of Liberal neglect of our state’s health and hospital system.

“Boosting our health staff and expanding our hospital capacity to reduce the wait and treatment times and improving patient outcomes.

“I want to thank the hardworking hospital staff, nurses, paramedics, doctors who do an incredible job around the clock in really difficult conditions.

“We want to ensure no matter where you live, you have access to world class health facilities.”

Ryan Park, NSW Shadow Minister for Health, said:

“This is what happens after 12 years of neglect of our hospitals from the NSW Liberals.

“Local residents are left with absurd hospital wait times and patients are leaving without being treated in droves.”

Hugh McDermott, NSW Member for Prospect, said:

“I’m so proud to stand with a NSW Labor Government that will deliver this much needed boost to our local hospital.”