Families are celebrating City of Newcastle’s (CN’s) ongoing investment in recreational spaces, with two new playgrounds opened in the western corridor and plans for five more across the city unveiled.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joined residents to officially open upgraded playgrounds at Minmi Reserve and McCauley Park in Tarro as part of CN’s annual playground improvement program.
“Our local parks and playgrounds are places that our community can come together to relax and interact, and I’m delighted that these two upgraded playgrounds at Minmi and Tarro are ready for play in time for the school holidays in July,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The turnout at our community openings reinforces the important role these public spaces play within local neighbourhoods, which is why we’ve invested more than $9 million in playground projects during the past five years.
“We will continue to deliver improved recreational opportunities for children across the local government area in the next 12 months, with $750,000 allocated through the 2022/23 Budget to install new and upgraded equipment at Waratah Park, Highland County in Fletcher, Harold Myers Park at Birmingham Gardens, Vera Wilson Park in Beresfield and Avon Street Reserve at Mayfield.”
Four playgrounds were included in the 2021/22 upgrade program, with the existing Minmi Reserve playground replaced with new features including a balancing trail, swings and sensory bridge, while new equipment at McCauley Park includes swings, slides, and climbing components. These improvements all cater to a broad age range of children.
Kotara Park has also been refreshed with a new design while the neighbourhood playground at Bernborough Avenue in Maryland will benefit from a full equipment upgrade in the coming months.
To stay up to date with the progress and to find out about works in your neighbourhood visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works
Tomorrow I will depart for a visit to Vietnam and Malaysia, my second trip to Southeast Asia since becoming Foreign Minister one month ago.
Australia’s future is tied to the future of Southeast Asia, a region we share.
It’s more than geography that binds us – we have genuine links in Vietnam and Malaysia: family, business, education and tourism.
My visit seeks to deepen these ties, building on our existing partnerships for the benefit of our countries and the region.
It’s important we work closely together to capitalise on shared economic opportunities, strengthen regional security, and address climate change.
In Vietnam I will meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn.
Ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, our discussions will focus on climate change cooperation, our shared trade and investment ambitions and Australia’s continued support for Vietnam’s COVID-19 recovery.
On the 28th, I will travel onto Malaysia, where I look forward to meeting Minister for Foreign Affairs Dato’ Sri Saifuddin bin Abdullah, as well as Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Minister for International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali.
I will reaffirm our commitment as Comprehensive Strategic Partners and discuss economic recovery, climate action, education ties and health security.
I will also travel to Sabah. It’s a region with longstanding ties to Australia, and it’s the region where I am from. Having spent my early years in Kota Kinabalu, I look forward to the great honour of returning to the city as Australia’s Foreign Minister.
Newcastle Art Galley’s collection may have been put in storage while the building’s long-awaited expansion takes place, but that hasn’t stopped a passionate group of volunteers from creating new ways for young people to connect with the works of art.
The Gallery’s Youth Advisory Group has spent the past year working on their Youth to Collection (Y2C) Project, which will culminate this Saturday with the official launch of their interactive digital platform.
Designed to increase youth engagement with the most significant public collection of art in regional Australia, the project kicked off with the creation and publication of six zines. Each publication featured interviews with emerging local creatives alongside selected works from the Art Gallery collection that correspond to the Gallery’s collecting areas of ceramics, sculpture, prints and drawings, photography, painting and new media.
The group are now looking to expand that engagement online with the development of an interactive digital platform and video series that will allow the community to continue to connect with the collection while the Gallery undergoes its $40 million expansion.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it was fantastic to see these volunteers sharing their passion for the Gallery with other young people.
“By doubling the size of the Gallery, significantly increasing the exhibition space and delivering a suite of modern facilities, the $40 million expansion will deliver an upgraded gallery of international standing that will offer a valuable cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter,” Cr Nelmes said.
“While the doors of Newcastle Art Gallery are closed for the construction, we are committed to ensuring the community can engage with our collection in as many ways as possible, which is why this innovative project by our Youth Advisory Group is such a fantastic idea.
“It’s also testament to the passion and commitment shown by the dedicated volunteers, who have continued to look outside the box to find ways to stay involved with our Gallery throughout this time.”
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the Youth Advisory Group program had been running since 2018 and was designed to engage with people aged 18-30 to deliver youth-led programming while also providing early career learning opportunities.
This year’s group members are Aidan Gageler, Belle Beasley, Benji Crocker, Kar Mun Phoon, Molly McNeil, and Nicole Klaer.
“The six-member group is generally made up of tertiary students, practicing artists, writers or performers who are engaged and participating in Newcastle’s vibrant cultural scene,” Ms Morton said.
“They put forward a range of programs and activities they would like to see occur at the Gallery in their year of tenure, which they then deliver with assistance from Gallery staff.
“With much of our programming in the past few years being disrupted by COVID-19, the current Youth Advisory Group came up with an innovative project that simultaneously showcases the breadth of the Gallery’s collection and supports local emerging arts practitioners.
“The Y2C Project sees the creation of ‘by-youth, for-youth’ content and has been a wonderful means to promote conversation between Newcastle’s emerging artists and Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.”
Youth Advisory Group member Molly McNeil said they had enjoyed collaborating with the Art Gallery and the emerging artists on this project and were looking forward to launching it on Saturday.
“From the outset, we really hoped to engage with local emerging artists, and we ended up doing that by bringing them into conversation with the huge collection at Newcastle Art Gallery,” Molly said.
“By building an array of projects around that goal, we’ve created a platform where the Newcastle’s emerging artists can be considered alongside the esteemed and reputable works and practices found in Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.
“We’re so excited for the launch this weekend. Being able to see our teamwork come to life and to share that with others is going to be such a great experience.”
This project is supported by a $10,000 grant from Create NSW’s Audience Development Fund, a devolved funding program administered by Museums & Galleries of NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.
The Y2C launch party will take place at The Creator Incubator on Saturday 25 June from 6pm to 10pm, featuring a selection of Newcastle’s finest DJs, video installations featuring Y2C emerging artists, projections developed by David Lobb and Mikayla Nangle, artists stalls, a pop-up bar and food truck.
The event is free, but bookings are required. Visit www.nag.org.au to find out more about the Gallery’s expansion, Youth Advisory Group and the launch party.
Emerging artists who participated in the Y2C project included Gillian Adamson, Brigitte Beyer, Jaimie Carpenter, Jasmine Miikika Craciun, Ruby Hart, Jemima Hodge, Wolfe Jessie, Tegan Kinder, David Lobb, Holly Macdonald, Grace McMahon, Mikayla Nangle, Liz O’Brien, James Rhodes, Wednesday Sutherland and Emma Wilks.
The NSW Government has introduced a bill into Parliament today to ban the public displays of Nazi symbols and to provide further safeguards against hate speech and vilification.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said the Government’s Bill will amend the Crimes Act 1900 to create a new offence of knowingly displaying, by public act and without reasonable excuse, a Nazi symbol.
“Hateful and vilifying conduct is completely unacceptable in our community,” Mr Speakman said.
“This Bill recognises that the public display of Nazi symbols is generally considered abhorrent, except in very limited circumstances such as for education purposes, and causes profound offence and distress.
“Under the proposed amendments, the maximum penalty for the new offence will be 12 months’ imprisonment or a $11,000 fine or both for an individual; or a fine of $55,000 for a corporation.”
NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the Bill expressly states that the display of a swastika in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism will not constitute the display of a Nazi symbol.
“The swastika has been an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity and auspiciousness for these spiritual groups for thousands of years. This Bill reflects stakeholder feedback that the offence should not apply to a swastika displayed in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism,” Mr Coure said.
“Symbols that incite hate and are used to deliberately rally people to follow evil ideologies have no place in our multicultural society, or anywhere for that matter, and that is why this Bill will criminalise the displaying of Nazi symbols.”
In addition, the Bill provides that it is not an offence to display of a Nazi symbol where there is a reasonable excuse, including artistic, academic or educational purposes or any other purpose in the public interest.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton said the Government Bill will respond to reports of rising incidents of unacceptable anti-Semitic and far-right extremist activities in NSW.
“I have long advocated to the NSW Government that we take divisive action to stop such incidents and now, gratifyingly, the NSW Government has acted, Ms Upton said.
“Importantly, the Bill strikes a careful balance between protecting free speech in a robust democracy and the need to shield individuals and the community from hateful vilification and violent ideology.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said Nazi symbols “are a threat to the entire NSW community” and represent a “sinister underbelly” in our state.
“In recent years we have seen a surge in the use of these symbols by right-wing extremists and for other faith-based attacks, both in-person and online,” Mr Bark said.
“Hate has no place in our tolerant multicultural society.
“Nazi symbols are a gateway to violence and vilification, and this historic legislation will ensure those who are here to cause harm in our community are dealt with under the law.
“The Jewish Board of Deputies was incredibly proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hindu community to ensure this important legislation is passed.”
A new independent casino regulator is the centrepiece of the NSW Government’s landmark casino reforms to be introduced to Parliament.
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government will introduce a suite of tough new measures which deliver on the Government’s commitment to support all 19 recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry.
These measures will reform the casino industry, including establishing a NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) which will have enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers.
“A dedicated Chief Commissioner will be appointed to lead the NICC. They will be supported by up to four additional Commissioners, including at least one with specialist anti-money laundering expertise,” Mr Anderson.
A multi-agency coordination committee will be set up to oversee and guide the regulatory efforts of the NICC, and identify collaborations with police and the Crime Commission, in areas such as money laundering.
In addition to the NICC, the NSW Government will introduce a series of regulatory measures which directly address recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry including:
A ban on casinos dealing with junket operators;
An independent monitor and auditor for every casino licence holder appointed by the NICC;
Requiring casino licence holders to submit suspicious activity reports to both AUSTRAC and the NICC; and
Strict new requirements for casino operators to monitor patron accounts for criminal activity and perform due diligence on customers including identifying the source of player funds before they can gamble.
“These reforms will ensure the people of NSW have confidence that casino operations are free from criminal influence. We are rebuilding the regulatory framework for casinos in NSW from the ground up with stringent new controls to prevent money laundering and other criminal activity,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Government has made it clear that casinos in NSW must strictly comply with the reforms and operate with the highest standards of integrity. Anything less than 100 per cent compliance will not be tolerated.”
Households are being reminded to spend any remaining Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers, with the 30 June deadline just around the corner.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the program has been a game changer for local businesses and families.
“The vouchers have been an overwhelming success, by getting more customers through doors of businesses and boosting household budgets,” Mr Dominello said.
“The program has served its intended purpose by supporting our local hospitality, cultural and entertainment businesses, all of which were hit hard by the pandemic.
“Across the State, almost half a billion dollars has been invested across 16,600 businesses, but there is still money to be redeemed.
“My message to the community is simple – don’t miss out. Check to see if you have any vouchers remaining and spend them now.
“Whether you’re going to a restaurant with friends, checking out a new movie or taking the kids to a museum, there is money to be saved.
“We thank all those businesses which have participated and the people of NSW for embracing the program and supporting local businesses.”
More than 5.4 million customers registered for the program, receiving three $25 Dine NSW and three $25 Discover NSW Vouchers.
After 30 June, Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers will move to the expired tab of the vouchers section in the Service NSW app but Discover NSW registered business can still accept Parents NSW Vouchers until 9 October 2022.
Stay NSW Vouchers, which assist the accommodation sector, are also available until 9 October.
Businesses with questions about the end of the program are encouraged to speak with their dedicated business concierge, call 13 77 88 or visit the Service NSW website.
Children and young people in the Northern Beaches will benefit from significantly enhanced mental health services with a $11.4 million investment under the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the funding will be used to expand hospital and community services, including establishing acute paediatric specialist mental health beds at Northern Beaches Hospital and supporting local community mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services.
“This significant additional funding for child and youth mental health services on the Beaches will help ensure the appropriate treatment and support is available to young people and their families in a more timely manner,” Mr Hazzard said.
“This will significantly increase capacity and reduce wait times by enabling a comprehensive child and youth mental health service to operate on the Beaches seven days a week as well as the establishment of a new youth drug and alcohol treatment service.”
The $11.4 million for child and youth mental health services in the Northern Beaches includes:
$7.5 million to establish four dedicated acute paediatric specialist mental health beds at Northern Beaches Hospital, which will provide for the establishment and operation of the beds.
$1.4 million to employ additional staff, including senior multi-disciplinary clinicians, to support Northern Beaches Child Youth Mental Health Service in the Brookvale Community Health Centre.
$1.1 million to recruit additional staff, including peer workers and clinicians, to support and operate the Northern Beaches Youth Response Team service out of Mona Vale Community Health Centre seven days a week.
$1 million to develop a new youth drug and alcohol community treatment service in Northern Sydney Local Health District, including employing senior medical, nursing and allied health clinicians to operate the service.
$365,000 to provide a full-time child and youth psychiatrist at Northern Beaches Hospital.
The Youth Response Team (YRT) is based at Macquarie Hospital in North Ryde and provides outreach services to young people across the region, including the Northern Beaches, which is one of the highest users of the service, comprising about 40 per cent of referrals to the outreach service. The YRT has a 97 per cent success rate of diverting young people from emergency departments.
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said youth mental health and suicide prevention is a high priority for the NSW Government as demand for support has been increasing over the past couple of years.
“We have seen a significant increase in mental health and self-harm presentations for young people to emergency departments across NSW,” Mrs Taylor said.
“In response, the NSW Government has been investing significantly in improving child and youth mental health services and supports to reduce the number of mental health presentations.
“This includes the establishment of 25 ‘Safeguards’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Response Teams, which will provide rapid, short-term acute care for children and adolescents, a much-needed alternative to hospital and one that will reduce repeated emergency department attendances, with at least one team currently operating in Northern Sydney LHD.”
The NSW Government is investing $2.9 billion to provide mental health services and support for people across NSW as part of the 2022-2023 NSW Budget.
Flood-affected communities across NSW will be able to obtain free legal advice as a result of a $3 million funding investment to aid ongoing relief and recovery.
Commonwealth Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the Commonwealth funding would ensure people recovering from the NSW floods can access critical legal support and advice.
“This significant investment will help to deliver free, practical legal advice in areas such as tenancy, insurance, debts, employment and family violence,” Mr Dreyfus said.
NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said the floods have taken an immense toll on communities in Northern NSW and the Hawkesbury region.
“This funding injection, allocated by the NSW Government, will help people in these flood impacted communities receive the legal support they need to get their lives back on track,” Mr Speakman said.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding will be divided between Legal Aid NSW’s Disaster Response Legal Service, the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Western Sydney Community Legal Centre and Justice Connect.
“A total of 60 local government areas across NSW were impacted by flooding in February and March and it’s important we have the right support in place to help flood-affected residents access the legal advice and assistance they need,” Ms Cooke said.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said flood impacted areas are still recovering.
“Navigating complex paperwork after a natural disaster can be very overwhelming, and this support will ensure communities have access to much-needed resources,” Senator Watt said.
This funding is in addition to a $680,000 funding boost provided to the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre (NRCLC) in April 2022, to help the NRCLC deliver critical legal services to people recovering from the flood crisis.
The NSW Government will take another crucial step towards dismantling organised crime with new powers and tougher penalties targeting money laundering and unexplained wealth.
The reforms represent the State’s toughest ever laws targeting organised crime and will see NSW introduce world-leading legislation targeting the use of dedicated encrypted communication devices by criminals to avoid law enforcement.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the reforms were designed to strike organised crime networks at their financial base, stopping criminals from profiting from their actions and incapacitating them financially.
“Organised crime is all about drug supply and money – and to truly shut it down we need to shut down the flow of dollars that fuels it,” Mr Perrottet said.
“These reforms will better arm law enforcement with the powers they need to confiscate unexplained wealth and create new offences and tougher penalties for those seeking to launder money derived from criminal activity.
“Organised crime and the technologies that criminals use to operate are always changing and evolving, and these reforms will put our state in the strongest position to deal with these insidious crimes.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said these laws give police tough new powers to infiltrate organised criminal networks which increasingly rely on dedicated encrypted devices to avoid detection by law enforcement.
“We know these devices are being used to plan serious crimes like drugs and firearms smuggling, money laundering and even murder. These reforms will make it an offence to possess these kinds of devices and allow us to better target high-risk individuals from using them to orchestrate crime,” Mr Toole said.
“Organised crime in this State is on notice. If you think you can hide the ill-gotten gains of crime, you are wrong. If you think you can avoid detection by using encrypted devices, you are wrong.”
The reforms announced today include:
New powers to confiscate unlawfully acquired assets of major convicted drug traffickers
Enhanced powers to target and confiscate unexplained wealth from criminal gangs
Expanded powers to stop and search for unexplained wealth and more effectively investigate organised crime
New prohibition orders to target high-risk individuals likely to use dedicated encrypted devices to avoid law enforcement
Acting Commissioner David Hudson said the reforms would significantly assist police in the fight against organised crime.
“Organised criminal networks and the technologies they use to coordinate their illegal activities are forever evolving,” Acting Commissioner Hudson said.
“These networks go to great lengths to hide from the eyes of law enforcement, but we intend to use every power possible to fully investigate those suspected of serious crimes and put a stop to their activity.
“Today’s announcement will significantly increase our ability to target every element of these criminal networks – including the wealth and assets gained from their illegal activities – to keep the broader community safe.”
Legislation to underpin the new reforms will be introduced when NSW Parliament returns for the Spring session.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Europe from Sunday 26 June for the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Madrid. The Prime Minister will then travel on to France to accept President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to meet in Paris.
The NATO Leaders’ Summit comes at a critical time. The conflict in Ukraine has significant consequences that reach far beyond Europe. Australia’s attendance also allows for engagement on strategic priorities for NATO engagement in our region.
Australia has been invited to attend the Summit as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner. In this role, Australia has worked closely with NATO on interoperability, military training and exercise programs, and other issues of mutual interest.
Through this partnership, the Prime Minister will engage with our Asia-Pacific partners and attend official engagements including bilateral meetings with NATO member countries.
At the conclusion of the NATO Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Albanese will travel to Paris, to meet with President Emmanuel Macron.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will be Acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister Albanese is overseas.
the Prime Minister said:
“I look forward to attending the NATO Leaders’ Summit. It could not come at a more critical time.
“I look forward to engaging on the strategic priorities for our region.
“Australia has been unequivocal in its support for Ukraine and its condemnation of President Putin. We will continue to stand up for freedom and democracy.
“I am also honoured to accept an invitation from President Macron to visit Paris.
“France is an important partner and friend to Australia, particularly in our shared vision for peace and stability in the Pacific.”
