Category: NSW News

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro today announced the NSW Government will hold Community Cabinet in Bourke, in the NSW Far West, on the 25^th November 2019.
Ms Berejiklian said the NSW Government was proud to accept an invitation from the Mayor of Bourke, Barry Hollman, to host Community Cabinet in the local area.
“These are incredibly trying times for people in Bourke and across regional NSW. The visit is an opportunity for Cabinet to listen and meet resilient locals who are experiencing the drought – farmers, small business owners and community organisations,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The NSW Government has already committed $3 billion to drought affected communities but we know there is more to do.”
Mr Barilaro said Bourke is one of Australia’s most iconic outback towns and in the grips of crippling drought and water restrictions.
“Bourke is one of Australia’s most iconic and resilient towns, but even hardy communities like Bourke are battling under these severe drought conditions,” Mr Barilaro said.
“This will be a historic occasion with every minister from the NSW Government travelling to Bourke, making the city the epicentre of government for the day.
“The entire Cabinet will experience first-hand how tough conditions are in the Far West and witness the resilience and ingenuity of these communities.”
Clr Hollman said he was extremely pleased the Premier and Deputy Premier had accepted the invitation of Bourke Shire Council to host Community Cabinet in Bourke and was looking forward to welcoming them to the region.
“Bourke Shire Council has benefited considerably from the grant funding that had been made available to Bourke over the past few years and these funds had resulted in the ability of Council to embark on a number of projects which would have otherwise been impossible to achieve,” Clr Hollman said.
“The fact that the Premier and Deputy Premier have elected to come to Bourke is a clear demonstration of their support for rural and remote New South Wales and their willingness to travel out and see the problems that have being faced by the rural communities in the face of the extended drought.
“On a positive it is also a great opportunity for Bourke to be able to showcase what they have been able to achieve with the funding provided.”
NSW Cabinet will formally meet with local organisations, members of the community and visit farmers in the region.

The new dedicated Office of Drought Response has been formed to better coordinate support delivered by all NSW Government agencies for farmers, communities, businesses and towns affected by drought.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro, Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey and Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Adam Marshall announced the formation of the new Office today which will work to ensure water security, address the impact of drought on business and communities and provide ongoing support to farms.
“The Office will be staffed by 10 dedicated people and will continue to develop policy and strategy to address the impacts of this devastating drought,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The crippling effects of drought have reached beyond the farm gate and are impacting families, businesses and local economies right across regional NSW and the Office will ensure communities are aware of what support measures are available.
“The NSW Government has already provided $1.8 billion in emergency assistance to farmers and communities along with $1 billion for water security projects and the Office of Drought Response will coordinate the delivery of this assistance.
“Immediate support is vital but we are also developing long-term strategies to help communities and farmers through recovery when the drought finally breaks,” he said.
Minister Pavey said the relentless intensity of the drought warranted a dedicated office to co-ordinate a response coming into summer.
“We have seen the impact of this crippling drought move from the farm sector to the very social and economic fabric of regional communities,” Minister Pavey said.
“Government has recently added to our already extensive investment in rural water infrastructure, with new dams announced and numerous crucial projects fast-tracked.
“I welcome this latest action to provide easily-accessible, cohesive support for our farmers and regional communities as we approach the challenging summer ahead.”
Mr Marshall said as the State’s farmers battle the worst drought in living memory, the NSW Nationals’ top priority is to continue delivering the support they so desperately need.
“We know our farmers are doing it tough, and as a result so are regional and rural communities, which is why we’re doing everything we can to carry some of the burden,” Mr Marshall said.
“We will continue to listen and adjust our assistance measures accordingly.”
The Office of Drought Response will operate within the Department of Planning Industry and Environment, led by Coordinator-General Gary Barnes with the support of the Deputy Secretary, DPIE Water Jim Bentley. Dubbo-based Ken Harrison has been appointed as Director of Drought Response Operations.
Mr Barilaro said Regional Town Water Supply Coordinator James McTavish will continue working with communities and local councils to ensure regional towns do not run dry and ensure emerging local water issues are quickly identified and resolved.
“Since his appointment in January this year, James has been a credible and hardworking voice for our regional communities, listening to locals and delivering the infrastructure needed to provide an ongoing supply of drinking water,” Mr Barilaro said.

People recovering from bushfires that have ravaged NSW communities and taken lives and property are being encouraged to access mental health and counselling services.
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said the resilience of people in regional communities is well known, but no one should feel like they need to go it alone in the coming days, weeks, or months.
“My message to the brave people in fire ravaged communities like those of Northern NSW, the Mid-North Coast and the Hunter is to reach out for help and tap into the counselling and mental health services available on the ground,” Mrs Taylor said.
“The widespread loss and distress caused by a major event such as this impacts the whole the community, and those affected need support now and in the months ahead.
“Disaster Welfare Services, including counselling support, are currently being provided at 21 Evacuation Centres across the state.”
NSW Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Murray Wright, said many people, including those who are usually healthy and strong, may be experiencing sadness, sleep disturbance, fear or anxiety.
“This is a very normal reaction, and may be experienced immediately or sometimes much later,” Dr Wright said.
Anyone experiencing persistent issues impacting their day-to-day lives are encouraged to talk to their General Practitioner or regular health care provider.
The Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP), which operates across rural and remote NSW, has coordinators in fire affected areas working directly with communities, providing on the ground support, connecting people to support and assistance and visiting evacuation centres daily.
To contact your local RAMHP Coordinator go to https://www.ramhp.com.au/ and type in your postcode.
To contact your local mental health service call the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. Alternatively you can call Lifeline on 131114. For practical assistance call the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line 1800 018 444.
In 2019–20 the NSW Government is investing a record $2.2 million into services and infrastructure for people living with mental illness, and their families and carers.

The NSW Government has passed the Water Supply (Critical Needs) Bill 2019 that will fast track critical water infrastructure projects including dams and pipelines in Orange, Dubbo and Tamworth by up to six to nine months.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said the temporary legislation will provide streamlined approvals for water infrastructure projects where there is critical town water supply need for the next two years.
“This is the breakthrough our regional towns and cities have been waiting for,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Improving water storage is critical to the longevity and growth of regional NSW and this temporary legislation allows us to get on with the job of building dams,” he said.
Three key developments to be fast tracked for authorisation are the Burrendong Dam deep water storage project, the Chaffey Dam to Dungowan pipeline and the Macquarie River to Orange pipeline.
The Burrendong Dam project will secure additional water for Dubbo, Wellington, Warren, Nyngan and Cobar, by providing access to an additional 21 gigalitres of water that is currently inaccessible.
The Chaffey Dam to Dungowan pipeline will help secure Tamworth’s water supply by reducing evaporation and transfer losses during delivery.
Orange City Council can now seek authorisation to amend operating conditions for the existing Macquarie River to Orange pipeline, which will allow for pumping outside of high flow events.
This is critical for the Orange community, which is on level 5 restrictions and has less than 12 months water supply remaining.
The Bill allows for the Wyangala Dam upgrade, the new Dungowan Dam, a proposed new dam on the Mole River and the Western Weirs Program to be assessed as Critical State Significant Developments under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Minister Pavey said the Dungowan Dam will be the first major water storage project in NSW in 30 years.
“With 98 per cent of NSW in drought and a hot and dry summer predicted, urgent action is needed to accelerate the environmental planning assessment and approval times for critical developments that will help secure water supply to those towns in need,” she said.
This new legislation will be in effect for two years and can only be extended by up to 12 months by the Minister for Water, should towns continue to experience severe drought risks.
Since 2017, the NSW Government has invested $1.8 billion as part of its Drought Package to date.

Key building and construction industry stakeholders have today endorsed the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019 following calls from a Legislative Council committee to prevent the vital reforms from passing the Parliament this year.
Authors of a report tabled today by the Public Accountability Committee, chaired by Greens MLC David Shoebridge, have attempted to delay the Bill, which if passed by the Parliament, will immediately deliver increased protections for existing property owners while establishing new registration and regulation requirements on of a range of design and building practioners for the first time in the history of NSW.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said moves to prevent the passage of building reform legislation before the end of the year, are a betrayel of the public’s trust and completely unforgivable.
“Industry and the public made it clear to governments across the country that we must take immediate action to better protect homeowners and lift standards in the building and construction industry,” Mr Anderson said.
“We must act now to restore confidence to the residential high-rise market by passing this Bill now, as the first step in the Government’s commitment to fully implement the Shergold-Weir recommendations. Despite this, Labor and the Greens have made a deal which will see them attempt to delay this Bill, and deny current and future homeowners new protections against defects.”
Minister Anderson said the report provides a list of recommendations to the NSW Government however fails to recognise a number of those have already be implemented, while in other instances the recommendation to Government is a repeat of the advice Government has given the committee about current and future elements to reform.
“Ironically, the recommendations put forward in the Committee’s report are built on shakey foundations,” Mr Anderson said.
“Key industry stakeholders, including representitives for property owners, have made it clear today, that they will not allow their testimony to be misunderstood and used as an excuse to not vote in favour of the Government’s Bill this year, which is why I am urging the Parliament to think carefully about any plans to vote against the industry collective and homeowners in NSW,” Mr Anderson concluded.

The strongest protections for the State’s farmers and farming families will be enshrined in law after the NSW Liberals & Nationals today passed the historic Right to Farm Bill through State Parliament.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro and Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall today announced that the historic Right to Farm Bill had passed both houses.
“Regional NSW is experiencing extremely trying times – suffering through this devastating drought and battling ferocious bushfires – the absolute last thing our farmers need is the threat of trespassers and expensive legal disputes,” Mr Barilaro said.
Mr Marshall said he was delighted the Bill has passed both houses, despite Labor refusing to support the Bill at any stage.
“This is an historic day for our State’s farmers, introducing the toughest penalties in the nation for farm trespass and providing farmers with a nuisance shield to protect them from unnecessary and costly legal disputes,” Mr Marshall said.
“We are the first jurisdiction in Australia to enshrine in law a farmers’ right to farm their land and have rigorous protection from the threat of illegal farm incursions.
“If a farmer is undertaking lawful agricultural activities, they will have the full protection of the law in NSW against farm invasions, intimidation and interference in their farming operations.”
Under the Bill, penalties for aggravated farm trespass will increase from fines of up to $5,500, to three years jail time and up to $22,000 in fines.
“Farmers are under siege across our State – they are battling drought and fires right now. They do not have the time and do not deserve to also be faced with a battle against illegal trespassers driven by lunatic ideology,” Mr Marshall said.
“Farmers have waited for years for legislated protections – and I am proud to be the Minister for Agriculture that has worked with our stakeholders, including NSW Farmers and the cross-bench, to finally deliver the protections they deserve.
“Today, Labor again refused to vote for the Bill at the final step and voted against it in the Lower and Upper House.
“Not only is this letting our farmers down at a time when they need their parliamentarians to have their back most, it’s clear that Labor have no policy and no direction. They quite literally appear to have no idea what they stand for when it comes to agriculture.
“By not voting for the Right to Farm Bill, Labor has shown where its true loyalties lie, with law-breaking activists – not hard-working farming families battling drought.
“Their refusal to support the Bill is an act of treachery against country NSW and for that they stand rightly condemned.”
The Right to Farm Bill delivers on a key election commitment by the NSW Nationals in Government.
The new penalties will be in force in by 2020.

The NSW Government has taken a critical step to protect the residents of the State from bushfires by declaring a State of Emergency ahead of catastrophic conditions predicted for this week.
Last night, the Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons wrote to Premier Gladys Berejiklian requesting she declare a State of Emergency under Section 33 of the State of Emergency and Rescue Management Act.
Together with the advice of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott, and other frontline agencies across the State, the declaration was made, granting emergency powers to the RFS Commissioner.
“Our State has already been hit by some of the most devastating bushfires we have ever seen, with three lives lost and more than 150 structures destroyed,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“With catastrophic weather conditions predicted for this week, particularly Tuesday with hot weather and strong winds, I have decided to take the Commissioner’s advice and make this declaration.
“It will ensure our State is best placed to respond to the predicted fire conditions.”
Worsening bushfire conditions are expected over the coming week, including anticipated catastrophic conditions in the Greater Sydney and Greater Hunter areas, and the potential for significant existing bushfire activity to be exacerbated in Northern NSW, and the North and Mid North Coast.
This is the first time since new fire danger ratings were introduced in 2009 that catastrophic fire danger has been forecast for Sydney.
The State of Emergency declaration, the first since October 2013, allows powers to be transferred from the NSW Government to the RFS Commissioner. These powers include the ability to:

• Direct any government agency to conduct or refrain from conducting its functions;
• Control and coordinate the allocation of government resources;
• Evacuate people from property within the declared area;
• Close roads and thoroughfares to traffic;
• Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse;
• Order the shutdown of essential utilities in the declared area including electricity, gas, oil and water; and
• Enter or take possession of property in the course of the emergency response.

Mr Elliott said this was an appropriate decision and sends a strong message that the directions of the RFS to the public during this period should be swiftly followed.
“Today’s announcement shows the NSW Government will always put the safety of the people in this State ahead of anything else. Our bush firefighters will be empowered during this period to ensure their directions are followed and community safety can be enhanced.”
The declaration is valid for a period of seven days from today.

Hundreds of NSW Liberal Party preselectors have today chosen Major General (Retd) Andrew James (Jim) Molan, AO DSC to fill the pending NSW Senate vacancy.
Major General Molan has been chosen to return to the Senate, having served as the NSW representative from 2017 to 1 July this year. He returns to serving the people of NSW and Australia, after a 40-year career with the Australian Army where he had served as a field commander, infantryman, a helicopter pilot and a military diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Germany, the US and Iraq.
Deployed to Iraq in April 2004, Jim took up the post as the Chief of Operations for the new Headquarters Multinational Force in Iraq, in the process earning the Distinguished Service Cross and the American Legion of Merit for distinguished command and leadership in action.
Jim said that this special opportunity to continue serving the people of NSW would be treasured as a chance to continue his work in the Federal Parliament.
“I look forward to having the opportunity to re-join the Senate, and continue to work with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and my Liberal colleagues on delivering our vision for this great country.”
“I am thrilled to be able to continue supporting the Morrison Government to deliver a stable economy and a secure Australia, and making our state and our nation the best that they can be.”
Major General Molan lives near Queanbeyan in rural NSW with his wife Anne and they have three adult daughters and a son.
Jim Molan and the Liberal Party has thanked the outgoing NSW Senator, the Hon Arthur Sinodinos AO for his outstanding service as a Parliamentarian, Minister and Chief of Staff to the Hon John Howard OM AC. We wish Arthur, Elizabeth and family, all the best as he embarks on a diplomatic career, representing our nation’s interests in the United States.

Court cases requiring legal aid will be finalised more efficiently and effectively with the NSW Government investing an additional $88 million in Legal Aid NSW, driving a fairer and more efficient justice system.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said the new funding would reform the way private lawyers provide legal representation to economically disadvantaged people.
“Legal Aid NSW relies on private lawyers in almost 70 per cent of all cases run using legal aid funding. In regional areas that number rises to 80 per cent,” Mr Speakman said.
“This injection of funding will enable greater access to legal representation for disadvantaged people and help create a more sustainable system for small country law firms supporting communities through the worst drought in a century.”
The reforms will allow the Legal Aid NSW Board to increase lawyers’ hourly rates progressively to levels comparable with other states and territories. Solicitors’ hourly rates will rise progressively from the current $150 to $195 in 2023-24, with barristers’ fees also increasing over the same period.
This overhaul of private practioners’ fees in legal aid matters will encourage more lawyers across NSW to offer their valuable services to Legal Aid. In addition, structural changes introduced progressively for pre-hearing work will allow lawyers to spend more time with their clients and preparing for cases, as well as promoting the timely finalisation of criminal matters.
These reforms build on the NSW Government’s record investments into the legal assistance sector, with the State already providing $224 million in funding to Legal Aid NSW in 2019-20, more than doubling its funding compared with 2010-11.
Chief Executive Officer of Legal Aid NSW Brendan Thomas thanked the NSW Government for its robust response to the recommendations of Legal Aid’s business case.
“Legal Aid plays a crucial role in creating a fair and accessible justice system for every member of the NSW community – from the Downing Centre to Dubbo and beyond,” Mr Thomas said.
“We are delighted that the NSW Government has made such a significant commitment to Legal Aid, enabling us to build greater partnerships with the private profession and ensuring our clients get the best legal service possible.”
Structural reforms will commence from 1 January 2020 and private lawyers’ fees will increase from 1 July 2020.