The NSW Government is supporting the creation of local manufacturing jobs in Western Sydney with a $70 million investment to transition the state’s bus fleet to zero emissions technology.
Western Sydney based company Custom Denning has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture and assembly 79 new electric buses.
Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott toured the St Mary’s factory this morning to inspect the production line and meet workers.
“This is a true Western Sydney success story and our Government is proud to have played a part in this business producing the first locally-built electric bus,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Custom Denning employs 160 workers at their St Mary’s factory and this investment will now provide more jobs to ensure our buses are built to the highest standard.
“Our Government is getting closer to securing a cleaner, healthier future for the people of NSW and at the same time this electric bus transition will generate hundreds of local manufacturing jobs, which is an amazing outcome for our state.”
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said the $70 million investment takes the number of bus orders placed with Custom Denning past 100, which will help drive a post pandemic jobs recovery and a boost for local manufacturing.
“The NSW Government’s commitment to transition the entire 8,000-plus bus fleet is supercharging jobs and manufacturing in Western Sydney,” Mr Elliott said.
“Bus customers are already experiencing the benefits of electric buses from Penrith to Bondi, and we will continue to back local manufacturing.
“I’m committed to exploring opportunities to secure more local manufacturing, component supply and workforce skills development to boost our economy.”
Once built, the 79 buses will operate services in Sydney’s inner west. Transport for NSW, in collaboration with its contracted bus operators, have ordered 101 electric buses from Custom Denning.
Author: admin
Supporting Aboriginal people during covid-19
The NSW Government has announced nearly $5 million in grant funding to support Aboriginal families and communities staying safe and connected to critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said directly investing in Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) is making a real difference to communities, many of them in remote and regional locations.
“We know that COVID has had a significant impact on our Aboriginal communities across the state,” Mr Franklin said.
“Providing funding to Aboriginal communities and ACCOs is vital to ensuring everyone across the State has access to essential services to keep them physically and socially well, while also remaining connected to the places and people most important to them.”
Mr Franklin said today the COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Response Grants Program is being extended for another three months until April 29, 2022.
Funding of between $1,000 and $10,000 will be available to ACCOs across NSW to support social, emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as responding to immediate needs in Aboriginal communities.
To date this program has funded 176 projects totaling $1.5 million to provide local responses to Aboriginal people impacted by COVID-19, particularly vulnerable community members including Elders, young people, and those with underlying chronic health conditions.
In a second program, the $3.4 million COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Partnership Support Program is supporting 19 Aboriginal organisations.
Selected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations in NSW were invited to apply for grants of between $50,000 and $250,000 in recognition of their significant role in supporting their member organisations across the state and to continue delivering community outreach services across NSW.
Mr Franklin said grant recipients were members of the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO), NSW Stolen Generation organisations and local decision-making alliances (LDM).
BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation was funded $246,170 to provide support and connections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ people across NSW.
First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) received $250,000 funding to provide advocacy and accessible multi-media communications to Aboriginal people with a disability as well as their families.
La Perouse Aboriginal Community Alliance received $228,600 to establish a COVID Working Group to identity areas of need across their community as well as providing increased support for mental health.
“COVID-19 continues to impact Aboriginal people and the response of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) during the past two years has been significant. These grants will build on this by enabling local community organisations to continue and grow their important work,” Mr Franklin said.
New visitation guidelines for aged care residents
Senior Australians in residential aged care will have greater access to visitors and reduced lockdowns under new visitation guidelines response to the pandemic.
The Australian Government recognises the serious impact of social isolation on residents due to the strict requirements to manage the risk of COVID-19.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck welcomed the new advice, which has been endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and National Cabinet.
“The new advice will enable aged care providers to take a more flexible approach to visitation, and a more proportionate approach to locking down of facilities following an exposure or in the event of an outbreak,” Minister Hunt said.
“This decision will provide consistent guidance for states and territories, and we encourage them to reflect this in their public health orders.”
The new Interim Guidance on Managing Public Health Restrictions on Residential Aged Care Facilities has been developed based on expert medical advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
“We need to shift the balance from restricting visitors during an outbreak to providing access by at least one visitor per resident per day. This will assist to reduce the impact of the restrictions to date and provide families with more valuable time with their loved ones,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Every effort is made to protect residents and with these processes in the place, this provides the opportunity to safely increase visitation for residents.”
The new guidance encourages increased visitation and supports aged care providers to apply the least restrictive isolation requirements on residents. It was agreed that each resident should have access to one Essential Visitor at all times (including during an outbreak or exposure).
The Government is supporting increased visitation through the provision of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through the medical stockpile. Over 12.2 million RATs have been deployed to the aged care sector since August 2021.
Since 1 January 2022 the National Medical Stockpile has provided residential aged care facilities with approximately:
- 19.1 million masks
- 7.7 million gowns
- 23.6 million gloves
- 4.4 million goggles and face shields
- 74,544 bottles of hand sanitiser.
This Guidance will also assist all State and Territory Public Health Units to adopt a more consistent and risk-based approach to the management of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant has created enormous challenges for facilities, as aged care workers have been forced to stay at home and isolate. The updated Interim Guidance on Permissions and Restrictions for Workers in Aged Care acknowledges risk of transmission cannot be eliminated and exposures will occur.
Endorsed by AHPPC, the revised document provides clear advice on how aged care facilities can take a risk-based approach to use their workforce flexibly.
The guidance provides clear criteria for aged care providers to allow a worker to continue to work if he or she has been exposed to COVID-19 but tests negative, is asymptomatic and is willing to work.
It has been updated to align with the Updated COVID-19 Test and Isolate National Protocols which limits the time required for isolation following contact. This means that providers can reduce the detrimental loss of workforce by retaining existing staff in the workplace, using steps to limit transmission.
The new Interim Guidance documents will be published on the Department of Health’s website.
The Government encourages providers to use these guidance materials to provide a better balance between protecting residents from the potentially tragic impacts of COVID-19, and supporting their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
New CGM device for Australians with diabetes
Australians with diabetes will now have access to the next-generation Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), ensuring they can use the latest technology to manage their diabetes.
From 1 March, 58,000 eligible Australians participating in the CGM Initiative will have the option of using the new Dexcom G6 CGM device, as the current Dexcom G5 CGM device is phased out.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said around 1.8 million people in Australia live with diabetes and more than 120,000 Australians have developed diabetes in the past year.
“CGM measures glucose levels to gain insight into patterns and trends—day and night.
Monitoring blood glucose levels helps prevent both short-term and long-term health complications including heart attacks and strokes, amputations, kidney failure and preventable blindness,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Morrison Government remains committed to ensuring all Australians have access to the latest health care products when and where they need them.”
Funded by the Morrison Government, CGM products are available through the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) to help thousands of people manage their diabetes every day.
Thousands of Australians have successfully used the Dexcom G5 monitoring device but, due to international supply chain issues, the G5 would no longer be available in Australia.
To ensure this doesn’t impact current G5 users, the Morrison Government has been working with the product sponsor and Diabetes Australia to make sure Australians can transition to the new G6 product before the G5 supple is exhausted.
To minimise the impact of this change, the listing for the G6 has been expanded so that all people eligible to participate in the CGM Initiative can access this option.
In addition, existing G5 users—about 7,500 people—will be automatically transitioned to G6 on 1 March to avoid any delays receiving their CGM product.
All products, including the new G6, provided under the CGM initiative remain free of charge.
The Morrison Government has invested more than $300 million in the CGM Initiative over four years. In 2020-21, the NDSS delivered more than 5.9 million diabetes products worth more than $186 million and more than $709 million in medicines for diabetes were dispensed under the PBS.
Last November, the Government released the Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2021–2030 to drive real improvements in the prevention, early detection, management, and care of people with diabetes.
With approximately one in 20 Australians affected by diabetes, the new strategy will bring together the latest research and evidence to ensure people living with diabetes, their family and carers have access to care, treatments and support where and when they need it.
$2.26 billion to complete Adelaide’s North-South Corridor
As part of the Morrison Government’s plan for a strong economy, an additional $2.26 billion will be invested to complete the final stage of Adelaide’s North-South Corridor, creating thousands of jobs while ensuring residents get home sooner and safer.
The Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project is the final stage of the North-South Corridor, and once complete, will deliver 78 kilometres of non-stop motorway between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, slashing 20 minutes of commuting time and bypassing 21 sets of traffic lights.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this funding would ensure the entire North-South Corridor is delivered.
“Our plan for a strong economy in South Australia is all about investing in life-changing infrastructure on our roads and in our important our defence industry projects, creating thousands of jobs in Adelaide,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our Government, together with the Marshall Government, is getting on with delivering what is the most significant infrastructure project ever undertaken in South Australia that will ensure a jobs boom for the next 10 years.
“Today we’re announcing $2.26 billion to help ensure the delivery of the final piece of this complex project, bringing our total investment in the North-South Corridor to over $6.8 billion.
“The investment in this project alone is expected to support around 4,900 jobs and slash travel times by up to 20 minutes between the River Torrens and Darlington and help ensure South Australians get home to family and friends safely.”
The 10.5km T2D project will be delivered over two stages, with stage one (Southern Tunnel) connecting Darlington to the Anzac Hwy and stage two (Airport Link and Northern Tunnel) connecting the River Torrens and Anzac Highway.
The Morrison and Marshall Governments have already committed $5.422 billion to Stage 1 on a 50:50 basis.
Premier for South Australia, Steven Marshall, said having the funding locked in place for the whole T2D project means job security for South Australia’s construction sector for the next decade.
“This once-in-a-generation project is going to create a record number of jobs for South Australians and underpin the construction industry for the next ten years,” Premier Marshall said.
“Our strong partnership with the Morrison government means we are able to invest in projects that make a real difference to the everyday lives of South Australians and get people home faster and safer to spend more time doing what they love.”
Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the funding for this project builds on the Commonwealth’s existing $10.7 billion commitment for infrastructure in South Australia.
“Set to unlock Adelaide’s traffic network, the T2D will stimulate economic activity, helping ensure people, produce and products arrive where they need to be safer and sooner,” Minister Fletcher said.
“The Morrison Government remains committed to funding the delivery of significant infrastructure projects across South Australia and the nation, getting Australians home sooner and safer and helping freight move more quickly between our cities.”
Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for South Australia Simon Birmingham said the T2D would complete South Australia’s largest infrastructure project to deliver commuters a 78 km non-stop transit link from Noarlunga to Gawler.
“The vision of linking southern and northern Adelaide with a non stop motorway will finally be fully funded, fully delivered and is set to be a drivers paradise,” Minister Birmingham said.
“The Darlington interchange and northern stretch of the motorway have been transformational for road users, with this tunnelling of around 60 per cent of the final stretch allowing motorists to bypass approximately 21 sets of traffic lights and have one of the best transport experiences in the nation.
“With close cooperation and coordination, the federal and South Australian governments are backing critical infrastructure projects that are necessary to improving supply chains and helping South Australian commuters get home sooner and safer.”
The design for T2D consists of two tunnel sections joined by a lowered motorway, with the Southern Tunnel to connect Darlington to Anzac Highway, while the Northern Tunnel will be located north of Anzac Highway and connect to Torrensville.
The $9.9 billion project is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments on a 50:50 basis, with construction expected to start in late 2023 and be finished by late 2030.
For more information, visit the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport website.
New funding to advance women in STEM
The Morrison Government is continuing to break down barriers to the advancement of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with an additional $6.7 million in funding.
The investments will ensure the continued success of the Superstars of STEM program, as well as backing the important work of the Women in STEM Ambassador, including the national awareness raising initiative – Future You.
Making the announcement on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the funding demonstrated the Government’s commitment to supporting women and girls and built on the $147 million of investments to support gender equity in STEM.
“The Morrison Government is determined to break down barriers that stand in the way of girls and women studying STEM subjects and excelling in the careers that follow,” Minister Price said.
“The study of STEM subjects and pursuit of STEM careers is essential to our national prosperity and for growing our economy.
“Our investments will ensure our Women in STEM Ambassador Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith can continue to be a great advocate for gender equity in STEM and the incredible Superstars of STEM program can inspire even more role models.”
Minister Price said the Government wanted to see women and girls having equal opportunities in STEM subjects and careers.
“Supporting girls and women with opportunities to excel in these areas is not only an important issue of equity, but it bolsters the pool of available STEM-skilled workers,” Minister Price said.
“This additional funding will continue to address structural and cultural biases that lead to the under-representation of women and girls in STEM, through amazing programs like the Superstars of STEM.
“The new investment also recognises the work of the Women in STEM ambassador and the Future You campaign in encouraging women and girls to consider STEM subjects and careers.”
The Government will invest $2 million in the Superstars of STEM program, delivered by Science & Technology Australia, allowing it to develop an additional 120 women Superstars into future leaders.
The Government is providing an additional $2.4 million to support the Women in STEM Ambassador initiative.
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith’s Future You campaign, designed for children 8 to 12 years old and their parents, has also reached 3.1 million children, parents and carers across Australia since its launch in October 2020.
Notably, only 20 per cent of girls reported being interested in STEM jobs before 2018, but today upwards of 68 per cent of girls are now interested in a STEM career.
The Government will invest an additional $2.3 million to expand this national digital awareness-raising initiative.
For more information on the work of the Women in STEM ambassador visit https://womeninstem.org.au/
To learn more about the Future You visit https://womeninstem.org.au/futureyou/
To learn more about the Superstars of STEM program visit www.scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/superstarsofstem
Winning architectural design unveiled for prominent West End site
A landmark design to reimagine the former Spotlight and Anaconda building has been unveiled following a targeted architectural design competition.
A three-member independent jury unanimously selected the innovative design by Plus Architecture for the proposed redevelopment of 711 Hunter Street, Newcastle West, which extends from Hunter Street to King Street and along the northern side of National Park Street.
The winning design has an overall height of 90 metres and features 267 dwellings across two towers, as well as 1400 square metres of commercial floorspace and 322 parking spaces, with an estimated construction cost of $100 million.
Stand out design elements strongly supported by the jury include the ‘meeting place’ concept – a public domain to facilitate and encourage people to meet, and the visual link between National Park Street to the Army Drill Hall, with jury members also supporting the design’s warm tonal palette and horizontal staked layers.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the architectural design competition had delivered design excellence for the redevelopment of 711 Hunter Street which will lead to positive outcomes for the city.
“Newcastle’s city skyline is set to be further transformed when this significant redevelopment in the West End comes to life,” Cr Nelmes said.
“City of Newcastle congratulates Plus Architecture on their winning design and commends the joint venture partners, St Hilliers and The Spotlight Group, for their commitment to the ongoing revitalisation of Newcastle’s West End.
“The construction associated with a redevelopment of this size will generate jobs and help buoy Newcastle’s economy which is a positive as we come up against the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and look to the future.”
Manager Regulatory, Planning and Assessment, Michelle Bisson said the competition will raise the benchmark of architectural design excellence in Newcastle.
“Ongoing revitalisation and development is continuing to transform Newcastle particularly in the West End, and 2022 is shaping up to be another exciting and busy year for our city,” Ms Bisson said.
“Once constructed, 711 Hunter Street will boast a hallmark building that will stand the test of time for future generations to admire.”
The architectural design competition was run by an independent jury process under the governance of City of Newcastle and the NSW Government Architect’s Office. Consultants Urbis administered the design competition on behalf of property developers St Hilliers and The Spotlight Group.
St Hilliers Property Project Director Paul Smith said the design competition has been a great way to bring the best architectural talent and ideas to the fore for this prominent site in Newcastle’s West End.
“The quality of architectural design presented by Plus Architecture is really impressive and we look forward to further refining the design by incorporating the jury’s recommendations before proceeding to the next phase,” Mr Smith said.
“With a development of this significance, we will work closely with Plus Architecture to set sustainability targets and quality design outcomes during the more detailed development application phase, including a focus on thermal comfort, energy, waste and water.”
A development application for the site is expected to be lodged by St Hilliers and The Spotlight Group in the first half of 2022.
Pilbara workers insulted by billion-dollar miner Rio Tinto’s COVID “care packages”
The Western Mine Workers’ Alliance has slammed as ill-conceived and inadequate an Isolation Care Package being offered to Rio Tinto’s Pilbara workers who are forced to isolate due to COVID restrictions.
Rio Tinto and its catering company Sodexo have prepared the care packs, which consist of a box containing a kettle, tea, coffee, milk, packet noodles and detergent, as well as an “in-room strength program”, for workers who test positive to COVID and must isolate for seven days.
AWU WA Branch Secretary Brad Gandy said the care packages were an absolute joke.
“Only recently Rio Tinto admitted it had a huge, long-standing problem with the appalling workplace culture at its WA mining operations and had to do better,” Mr Gandy says.
“Now this multi-billion-dollar corporation comes out with this cheap and manifestly inadequate effort. Is this really what Rio thinks ‘better’ looks like?
“Is this what a company that says it is serious about trying to change its culture thinks is suitable for Pilbara workers ISOing in the shoeboxes the company calls rooms?”
Greg Busson, Mining and Energy Union WA secretary, said: “The WMWA has still to receive a response to an earlier letter to Rio Tinto, sent on behalf of its Pilbara members, voicing serious concerns for their health and wellbeing while they are on its sites, particularly the management of positive cases and close contacts.”
The letter asked a series of questions included asking what steps Rio was taking to enable close-contact isolating employees to safely repatriate to isolate at home, and to enable COVID-19 positive employees to safely repatriate to isolate and recover at home?
“Unlike in the eastern states the WA resource sector has had plenty of time to properly plan for this situation,” Mr Busson said.
“Rio’s example shows we clearly can’t just leave this to the companies to manage. The government needs to get all the industry stakeholders together and find sensible solutions that work for the mining companies and their employees.”
Said Mr Gandy: “Mining workers and their families want to know that their employer are actually looking after them, but right now they feel like they are being treated like mushrooms when it comes to their own health and safety.”
“The lack of support and the company’s silence so far on our concerns for workers caught up in the COVID pandemic is a good reflection of how the new Rio is just the same as the old Rio. So much for culture change.”
The Western Mine Workers’ Alliance (WMWA) is a partnership between the Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU).
Local jobs strategy must be more than a photo op
The NSW Govermnent’s tour of a Western Sydney bus manufacturer does not make up for its complete neglect of local manufacturing jobs for the past decade.
The Premier and Transport Minister today toured Custom Denning to announce a contract to assemble 79 new electric buses – less than one per cent of the State’s bus fleet.
However, the announcement pales in comparison to the billions of dollars in jobs and investment that have been sent offshore over the past decade.
A recent Unions NSW and The McKell Institute report Build it Here found the Government forewent 4,192 direct and indirect jobs and more than $484 million in payroll and income tax collections through its decision to offshore NSW Government’s transport contracts.
These include:
The new intercity rail fleet made in South Korea,
The light rail made in France and Spain,
New Sydney Ferries made in China and Indonesia; and,
38 B-Line buses built in Germany and assembled in Malaysia.
Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey said photo ops were a poor substitute for a decade of of sending jobs offshore.
“The Premier thinks one photo opportunity will make up for a decade of neglecting local manufacturing jobs and industry. It won’t.
“Today Mr Perrottet has announced he intends to build assemble 79 buses here in Sydney, one per cent of the fleet. If he was fair dinkum he would commit to build all of the State’s 8000 buses in NSW as and when the current fleet need replacing.
“That would give workers and businesses confidence to plan and invest.
“When governments spend money in their local economy it has a powerful multiplier effect. Those workers spend in their local communities and pay tax to state and federal governments.
“Local manufacturers better understand local conditions and are more accountable. They are less likely to construct trams that don’t fit on the tracks or ferries that can’t fit under a bridge.
“It’s nice to see Mr Perrottet cotton on to the concerns we have been raising, but so far we are seeing more spin than substance.
McKell Institute executive director Michael Buckland said full accounting for the economic benefits of local production was critical.
“Governments must consider the wider economic benefits of local construction when they sign significant procurement contracts,” Mr Buckland said.
“A fuller perspective of the jobs, economic activity and tax revenue generated through local purchasing would see many more projects built in Australia.
The Build It Here report recommended :
The cost increases observed in overseas procurements should be investigated to determine whether inefficiencies resulting from offshore contract sourcing are consistent, and how they may be mitigated via local production.
The NSW Government should establish an international sourcing comparator based on the public sector comparator to promote transparency in significant procurement decisions. The international sourcing comparator should be published alongside contract award notices.
Government agencies should publish wider economic benefits as part of a holistic cost-benefit analysis when making decisions about major procurement contracts that exceed $1 billion.
RECOVERY OPERATIONS UNDERWAY IN TONGA
A new phase of disaster relief assistance has commenced in Tonga, with Australian and Fijian military engineers undertaking clearance and recovery operations on Atata Island.
At the request of the Government of Tonga, soldiers from Army’s 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment are clearing debris and repairing or stabilising buildings and infrastructure which were damaged by the recent volcanic eruption and tsunami.
The Australians have been joined by a Republic of Fiji Military Forces contingent, which flew from Australia to Tonga via a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules transport aircraft and then moved directly to HMAS Adelaide via Australian Army CH-47F Chinook helicopters.