Organisers of major events and festivals that have been cancelled or significantly disrupted by COVID Public Health Orders will be supported by funding through the NSW Government’s Event Saver Fund.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the funding was a critical lifeline for major event organisers who have had to cancel, postpone or vary their events, providing them the financial security and certainty to plan and deliver their future events in NSW.
“Major events are a key economic driver that create thousands of jobs across the state. The Event Saver Fund will ensure that organisers aren’t left high and dry as we work through this latest phase of the pandemic and sends a strong signal that the Government is here to support business,” Mr Perrottet said.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the funding was recognition of the important impact major events have on driving tourism as well as on the broader NSW economy.
“Festivals and major events are huge drawcards and they have been significantly disrupted by the latest Omicron wave of COVID-19,” Mr Kean said.
“It is vital we provide them the support they need when their event is impacted by a Public Health Order. That is exactly what this funding commitment does.”
Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said while the pandemic has had a devastating effect on artists’ ability to perform live, today’s announcement shows the Government’s strong commitment to the arts.
“Major events provide tremendous social benefits to the community, bringing us together to enjoy live performances,” Mr Franklin said.
“As we look to rebound from the effects of the past two years, this funding will help support local jobs and ensure major event organisers can plan with confidence to safely deliver their events in 2022/23.”
Major event organisers will, from today, be able to pay suppliers, staff and recover other costs where an event is cancelled or significantly disrupted as a result of public health orders imposed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information and to apply for funding, please visit www.create.nsw.gov.au.
Author: admin
Motorcycle rider dies in crash – Hunter Valley
An investigation is underway after a motorcyclist died in a two-vehicle crash in the Hunter Valley region yesterday.
About 3.15pm (Friday 14 January 2022), emergency services were called to Richmond Vale Road, Mulbring, about 20km east of Cessnock, after a Suzuki GSX motorcycle and Toyota Camry sedan collided.
Both the car and motorcycle caught alight.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, the rider – a 39-year-old man – died at the scene
The male driver of the Camry, and his female passenger – both aged 66 – sustained minor injuries and were taken to John Hunter Hospital. The woman suffered a suspected broken hand.
The NSW Rural Fire Service attended and extinguished the blaze.
A crime scene was established by officers from Hunter Valley Police District, who are making inquiries into the cause of the collision.
$21.8 million to turn medical research into better patient care
The Morrison Government is investing more than $21 million to help turn vital medical research into better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for patients.
The grants announced today will support projects targeting a range of health issues affecting Australians, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. They are:
- $10 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Targeted Translation Research Accelerator to create a Cardiovascular Disease Research Centre, the Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator
- $10 million from the MRFF Targeted Translation Research Accelerator to create a Diabetes Research Centre, the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations
- $1.76 million in industry-led fellowships for researchers and clinicians from the MRFF Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative.
Australian medical researchers are among the best in the world. Our Government’s investments will help take their innovations from bench to bedside and ensure that their research is pursued, to make a real difference to people’s lives while also boosting our economy and creating jobs.
The MRFF funding to establish the research centres for cardiovascular disease and diabetes will be used to accelerate the development of new therapies towards clinical practice and improved patient care.
This investment will be supplemented by substantial co-contributions from the sector, with more than $11 million in cash and $23.3 million of “in kind” support committed by the research centres’ partner organisations, leveraging the Government’s own $20 million commitment.
Both national research centres are uniquely placed to foster collaborations across academia, industry, and community and consumer groups, enabling considerable advances towards tangible products and solutions for sustainable health and economic benefits.
The Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator will help to transform the field of cardiovascular disease research in Australia by bringing a new sector-wide focus on clinical impact and clinical entrepreneurship.
The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations will deliver novel interventions for debilitating diabetes complications, building an ecosystem of translation, commercialisation and clinical impact for the diabetes sector.
I am also pleased to announce the next cohort of REDI Fellowships to support Australian researchers, clinicians, and professionals in medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals gain real world experience and skills by being deployed into industry settings.
REDI is a four-year initiative supported by the MRFF and delivered by MTPConnect.
The ten researchers and clinicians selected as REDI Fellows will be working on priority research projects covering a broad range of fields, from robot-assisted electrode insertion to precision cancer diagnostics and new antibiotics targeting drug-resistant “superbugs”.
The MRFF is a $20 billion endowment fund which is providing a sustainable, long term boost to Australia’s medical research sector.
2021 Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Research Centres
Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry Fellowships
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Fatal pedestrian crash – Thornton
A pedestrian has died after being hit by a car at Thornton this morning.
Just after 2.30am (Friday 14 January 2022), emergency services were called to the New England Highway near Weakleys Drive, Thornton, following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a Ford Falcon sedan.
Despite efforts to revive the man, he died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
The driver of the Ford – a 30-year-old man – was uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Local traffic diversions are in place and motorists are urged to avoid the area.
As inquiries continue, police are urging anyone with information, or dashcam vision from the area, to come forward.
$25.6 million investment to turbocharge Australian health projects
Investing in medical research projects with the potential to deliver better health outcomes to more Australians is a Government priority.
That is why the Morrison Government is investing more than $25 million in three companies working at the cutting edge to save lives and improve lives.
The investments from the Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF) announced today will support projects targeting a range of health issues affecting Australians. They are:
- $10 million to Cynata Therapeutics to support work on the large-scale manufacture of stem cells
- $5 million to Acrux Limited to develop drugs that are taken through the skin, not as injections or pills
- $10.6 million to Axial Therapeutics for the treatment of neurological diseases and disorders, harnessing ground-breaking science in the microbiome-gut-brain axis, including developing a new therapy for children with autism.
The $500 million BTF consists of equal parts Commonwealth and private sector funding, to commercialise high potential medical discoveries.
The Morrison Government is backing Australia’s next generation of medical advances and the investments mean these businesses have the potential to take their technology to the next level.
The BTF investment in Cynata Therapeutics means it can continue its work to develop commercial scale manufacture of stem cells, without the use of multiple bone marrow donors.
Stem cells are used to treat a range of diseases including heart disease, osteoarthritis and stroke.
Acrux Limited will use its BTF funding to develop and commercialise topical drugs (gels, creams and ointments). This is an alternative to needle injections or oral medications that may need to be taken several times a day and may have an unpleasant taste.
The BTF investment will allow Axial Therapeutics to advance its gut-restricted molecular therapy for irritability in children with autism. It will also be used to progress the company’s program of drug discovery for serious neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, based on the microbiome gut-brain axis.
Our Government continues to invest in the cutting-edge medical technologies and treatments that will save lives, while growing a sector that can create jobs for Australians now and into the future.
2021 New Biomedical Translation Fund Investments
| Project | Recipient | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| The large-scale manufacture of stem cells | Cynata Therapeutics | $10,000,000 |
| Topical drug development | Acrux Limited | $5,000,000 |
| Harnessing the microbiome-gut-brain axis | Axial Therapeutics | $10,600,000 |
| Total | $25,600,000 | |
Prevent, Prepare, Rebuild: Labor's plan for Disaster Readiness
An Albanese Labor Government will improve Australia’s disaster readiness by investing up to $200 million per year on disaster prevention and resilience.
Thousands of Australians who face bushfires, floods and cyclones every year deserve to be protected by a Federal Government who plans ahead and invests to keep them safe.
Labor’s Disaster Ready Fund will curb the devastating impacts of natural disasters by investing in important disaster prevention projects like flood levees, sea walls, cyclone shelters, evacuation centres, fire breaks and telecommunications improvements.
These investments will literally save lives, not to mention the taxpayers’ funds that have to be spent on recovery and repairs when disasters hit.
Australians are renowned as the best disaster responders in the world. They deserve to be backed by a government that looks forward, plans and prevents the worst.
Instead, the Morrison Government continues to sit on a $4.7 billion Emergency Response Fund that has done nothing to help.
Three years after it was announced, the ERF has not spent a cent on disaster recovery and has not completed a single disaster prevention project. The only thing it has done is earn the Government over $750 million in investment returns.
Labor will revamp the failed ERF so that it spends up to $200 million per year for disaster prevention and resilience.
If matched by State, Territory or local governments, it would provide up to $400 million annually for investment in disaster prevention and resilience – something called for by groups as broad as the Government’s own Productivity Commission, insurers, local governments and disaster relief bodies.
Labor’s Plan for Disaster Readiness will also:
- Continue to fully fund disaster recovery through the existing Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements
- Cut red tape so disaster resilience funding can get out the door faster
- Improve the efficiency of disaster recovery processes, to simplify and speed up payments to disaster victims and repairs to damaged infrastructure.
- Assist with spiralling insurance premiums in disaster-prone regions, by reducing the risk of expensive damage to homes and businesses.
As with COVID-19, the Morrison Government’s failure to plan and prepare for natural disasters has left Australians vulnerable.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We know weather events are on the horizon – we have the smarts and the resources to prepare and prevent. We just need a government with a plan.
Only an Albanese Labor Government will keep Australians safe and communities strong in the face of natural disasters.
Only Labor will build a better future for disaster prone communities.
Delivering a Bigger and Better Beef in 2024
An Albanese Labor Government would invest $6 million in Beef Australia 2024 to turbocharge the event and ensure it is bigger and better in 2024.
This investment will help to expand Australia’s world-class beef industry and grow the visitor economy in Rockhampton.
The pandemic has made the importance of having a strong Australian agricultural sector clearer than ever. From skills and labour shortages to supply chain disruptions, the Morrison-Joyce Government has let the sector down.
Empty supermarket shelves are demonstrating this stark reality to families across the country right now and are emphasising the importance of Australian food producers to our quality of life.
Labor has learned the lessons of the pandemic and is planning for a better future. We will invest in making Australia more self-reliant and self-sufficient – and that starts with ensuring our agricultural sector is thriving.
Labor understands just how critical the beef industry is to Central Queensland, which is why we would deliver this important new funding.
Beef Australia already generates more than $92 million in economic impact for the Greater Rockhampton Region and $59.5 million for Queensland.
The Australian beef industry is worth more than $15 billion to the Australian economy.
This expansion will benefit the local Rockhampton economy, giving more visitors the opportunity to attend Beef Australia 2024 and add further value to Australia’s world-class beef industry.
This commitment is particularly critical as the beef industry seeks to reengage with global export partners after COVID-19 restrictions.
Beef Australia is unable to expand at the current site without infrastructure investment.
This funding would fix this problem, helping to:
This investment will help to expand Australia’s world-class beef industry and grow the visitor economy in Rockhampton.
The pandemic has made the importance of having a strong Australian agricultural sector clearer than ever. From skills and labour shortages to supply chain disruptions, the Morrison-Joyce Government has let the sector down.
Empty supermarket shelves are demonstrating this stark reality to families across the country right now and are emphasising the importance of Australian food producers to our quality of life.
Labor has learned the lessons of the pandemic and is planning for a better future. We will invest in making Australia more self-reliant and self-sufficient – and that starts with ensuring our agricultural sector is thriving.
Labor understands just how critical the beef industry is to Central Queensland, which is why we would deliver this important new funding.
Beef Australia already generates more than $92 million in economic impact for the Greater Rockhampton Region and $59.5 million for Queensland.
The Australian beef industry is worth more than $15 billion to the Australian economy.
This expansion will benefit the local Rockhampton economy, giving more visitors the opportunity to attend Beef Australia 2024 and add further value to Australia’s world-class beef industry.
This commitment is particularly critical as the beef industry seeks to reengage with global export partners after COVID-19 restrictions.
Beef Australia is unable to expand at the current site without infrastructure investment.
This funding would fix this problem, helping to:
- Increase the physical footprint of the event in the city of Rockhampton,
- Invest in more infrastructure to meet growing requirements of a technology enabled event,
- Revitalise the international program to reconnect with international customers and supply chain partners.
Only an Albanese Labor Government can be trusted to deliver for Central Queensland.
Officer charged – Northern Region
An officer has been charged with further offences following an investigation in the state’s north.
In November last year, an off-duty probationary constable attached to the Northern Region was charged following an alleged traffic-related incident.
Following further inquiries, the 39-year-old man was charged today (Wednesday 12 January 2022) with not keep firearm safely–not pistol/prohibited firearm and handle/use firearm under the influence of alcohol/drug.
He is due to appear before Toronto Local Court on Tuesday 18 January 2022.
The officer’s duty status is currently under review.
Man charged with murder – Jesmond
A man will appear in court today charged following an investigation into the fatal stabbing of a man in the state’s Hunter Region last week.
About 3.45pm last Thursday (6 January 2022), emergency services were called to a home on Michael Street, Jesmond, following reports a man had been stabbed.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District attended and located a 34-year-old man suffering a stab wound to his chest.
The injured man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died.
Local police established Strike Force Mantillus to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
Following extensive inquiries, a 37-year-old man was arrested at Newcastle Police Station about 4pm yesterday (Wednesday 12 January 2022), where he was charged with murder.
Police will allege in court that the two men were involved in a physical altercation, before the younger man was stabbed.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 13 January 2022).
Mutual obligations must be immediately suspended to keep people safe
The Australian Greens are calling on the Morrison Government to immediately suspend mutual obligations on jobseekers and others on income support to protect the community during Omicron’s rapid spread.
Australian Greens spokesperson for community affairs and social services, Senator Janet Rice said:
“Before the pandemic, mutual obligations were already gross, discriminatory and ineffective; now meeting the requirements is putting people in direct danger.
“Forcing people on JobSeeker and other income support – many of whom might be sick or caring for someone who is sick – to attend interviews, job services provider appointments and other face-to-face activities is putting thousands of people at further and unnecessary risk of contracting COVID.
“The Morrison Government must immediately suspend mutual obligation requirements until the pandemic is over, or better yet, abolish the broken system altogether.
“Morrison must stop pretending the pandemic is over and realise people are struggling more than ever to keep their heads above water. The government has made the deliberate choice to keep JobSeeker and other payments below the poverty line, and made the COVID disaster payments prohibitively difficult to access for most people who need them.
“The government must immediately and permanently raise income payments for all who need it back to the $550 a fortnight pandemic supplement we saw in 2020.
“We are still in the middle of this pandemic. But unlike 2020, the Morrison Government has no plan and is providing almost no support to the people that most need it.
“If the government has $100 billion to spend on dangerous nuclear submarines, they have enough not to force people to live in poverty.”