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Applications are now open for a multi-million dollar funding boost for the state’s Surf Life Saving Clubs to ensure our iconic volunteers continue their vital work keeping people safe at the beach.
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the Surf Club Facility Program, worth $16 million over four years, will build, upgrade and restore surf life saving facilities.
“We have nearly 130 Surf Life Saving Clubs here in NSW which are the hub of our coastal communities,” Mrs Ward said.
“This support will allow significant upgrades, so the 75,000 club members across the state who do such important work volunteering at our beaches can focus on saving lives.”
The NSW Government has extended the Program to ensure volunteer lifesavers continue their world-class service with up to $4 million available in this round for projects including first aid rooms, education rooms and gyms.
Twenty-nine Surf Life Saving Clubs shared in $3.5 million funding in 2020/21.
They included Redhead Surf Life Saving Club at Lake Macquarie which received $302,400 for upgrades to its observation area, radio room and first aid room. Elouera Surf Life Saving Club also received $302,500 and Thirroul Surf Life Saving club was the recipient of $285,000.
Surf Life Saving NSW President George Shales OAM said safe, accessible and secure rescue facilities across NSW remain a top priority.
“Last year our volunteer surf lifesavers performed over 3,000 rescues, 143,000 preventative actions and 7,000 first aid treatments. The Surf Club Facility Program will improve the ongoing important community service our lifesavers deliver,” Mr Shales said.
Applications for this round of grants close on 21 January 2022. Up to $500,000 is available for each project. For more details, see: https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/SCFP.

A spectacular week of live entertainment has been set for the world’s most scenic stage as the Cahill Expressway is transformed for the ELEVATE Sydney festival.
Thirty thousand free tickets are being made available for the six-day event, set to take place from New Year’s Day overlooking Sydney Harbour and Circular Quay.
Today the NSW Government announced a stellar line-up of more than 180 artists including Dance Monkey star Tones And I, Tim Minchin, Baker Boy, Electric Fields, Marcia Hines and The Wiggles.
It will transform the harbourside expressway, day and night for people of all ages. The event will also feature the biggest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said ELEVATE Sydney will help revive the spirit of the city, reminding the world why tourists travel from across the world to experience our lifestyle.
“The day after the fireworks, this event will begin the new year with a celebration of what makes our city great,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Nowhere else could you hold this kind of event, nowhere has our harbour, our setting or our weather – this is part of our ongoing vision for taking our city from good to great.
“This has been a tough time for hospitality and tourism, we’re committed to doing everything we can to get these industries back on their feet and ensuring that our people have the chance to enjoy the city again.”
Part of the NSW Government’s efforts to turbocharge the CBD’s recovery, ELEVATE Sydney will offer Sydneysiders and visitors the chance to experience entertainment spanning pop, disco, musical theatre, youth, family, sport and First Nations genres.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Industry and Trade Stuart Ayres said ELEVATE Sydney was part of the NSW Government’s plan to support recovery and showcase the state and Harbour City to the world.
“Getting more visitors to Sydney and regional NSW, giving them high quality experiences and offering a smorgasbord of events will propel us toward our goal of being the premier visitor economy and events capital of the Asia Pacific by 2030,” Mr Ayres said.
“We know visitors and locals alike are looking for unforgettable experiences to Feel New – and what could be better than immersing yourself in an event that brings together the power of wellbeing, dance, culture, art and community, set against one of the world’s most spectacular backdrops, Sydney’s magnificent harbour.
“This is a very special and exciting event which will not only elevate Sydney and NSW to a global audience but elevate our homegrown talent, economy and community spirit,” Mr Ayres said.
In an Australian first, the Skyshow will feature 500 choreographed drones over Sydney Cove as a natural amphitheater, creating a dazzling light display.  A boomerang, a waratah and a series of animations will tell a powerful story of Sydney’s past, present and hopes for 2022.
Specialists from Finland, Germany and the USA have travelled to Australia to train local operators in the drone technology.
The Cahill Expressway will be closed to traffic and pedestrians during ELEVATE Sydney, with public transport and alternate routes available for visitors and residents.
For further information on the program and to reserve free tickets from 2 December, visit www.elevatesydney.com.

The summer holidays just got even better for New South Wales residents, with two additional $25 Dine & Discover vouchers rolling out for eligible customers from today.
Treasurer Matt Kean said new applicants will receive three Dine NSW and three Discover NSW vouchers, while existing customers will receive one of each.
“The NSW Government’s $250 million expansion of Dine & Discover, announced as part of our $2.8 million economic recovery package, will help our local businesses grow and thrive this summer,” Mr Kean said.
“More than 15,000 businesses and 4.8 million customers have already registered for the Dine & Discover NSW program, with almost $276 million vouchers used so far.
“The two $25 vouchers will ensure we end 2021 with a bang and provide a much needed boost for businesses right across NSW as we head into a revitalised 2022.”
Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello said accessing the new vouchers would be simple and available in the palm of your hand.
“We have made receiving vouchers for individuals even easier, with the additional vouchers appearing automatically in the Service NSW app, via SMS or email for existing digital customers,” Mr Dominello said.
“Dine & Discover NSW vouchers will start appearing from today in the Service NSW app with all delivered by early December. Current digital customers do not need to reapply to receive the extra vouchers.
“Whether it’s going out for dinner, catching a live show or visiting a wildlife park, we’re helping more and more people explore our great backyard while supporting businesses who have done it tough this year.”
Customers who don’t have access to digital vouchers can opt into a new call and collect delivery method. All customers need to do is to call Service NSW on 13 77 88 from 3 December, nominate their nearest Service Centre and in three business days they can collect their paper vouchers.
Participating registered businesses do not need to re-register, while those who want to join the program are encouraged to sign up now, download the Service NSW for Business app and get ready to redeem.
NSW residents aged 18 years and older who are yet to apply will be able to do so until the program ends and will receive all six $25 vouchers.
Dine & Discover NSW vouchers can be used seven days a week, including public holidays, and are valid to 30 June 2022.
More information: nsw.gov.au/covid-19/business/financial-support/dine-discover-nsw

The NSW Government has announced changes to the state’s Destination Networks to ensure the regional visitor economy is set up for continued success and receives more local resources and support.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the NSW Government was committed to growing the visitor economy of regional NSW with the right framework in place to support visitor growth, job creation, skills development and stakeholder engagement.
“We’re proud of our track record of supporting the regional visitor economy, including the establishment of the Destination Networks, and these changes give the Networks an even stronger and more sustainable framework to support our growth targets,” Mr Toole said.
“We’re focused on ensuring this important sector has the right support and structures in place to make sure regional NSW comes back bigger and stronger than ever before.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western and Minister for Trade and Industry Sydney Stuart Ayres said the visitor economy was a critical industry for many regional NSW communities and growing visitation would play a key role in the state’s COVID-19 recovery.
“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the regional visitor economy contributed $22.5 billion in tourism consumption and supported 99,600 direct jobs, over half the state’s visitor economy workforce,” Mr Ayres said.
“Destination Networks play a key role in delivering our NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030, including our target of $25 billion in regional overnight visitor expenditure by 2030. We have a vision of making NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific and it’s critical the regional visitor economy is supported appropriately to help achieve this.”
Changes to the Destination Network structure include:

• A new Destination Network for Central West NSW to increase resources for well-established visitor destinations, including Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee
• The relocation of Snowy Valley Local Government Area from Destination Riverina Murray to Destination Southern NSW
• Aligning Destination Sydney Surrounds North and Destination Sydney Surrounds South boundaries with Western Parkland City

The changes to Destination Network borders will take effect from 1 July 2022.
The NSW Government established the original six Destination Networks in 2016 following a review of regional tourism to improve regional stakeholder engagement and better support the regional NSW visitor economy. The Destination Networks are the ‘shopfront’ for Destination NSW in regional NSW and work closely with local government, tourism organisations and operators.
Destination NSW will work with visitor economy stakeholders in each region to implement the changes.

Sydney’s heart is shaping up for its comeback, with planning complete on the next steps to unlock a potential 2.4 million square metres of new commercial and employment floor space in Central Sydney and Pyrmont.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the finalisation of the Central Sydney Planning Strategy provided the perfect opportunity to revamp and improve our great city.
“Sydney is the nation’s only global city and we have a once in a generation opportunity, as we come out the other side of the pandemic, to continue transforming it into one of the world’s greatest cities,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Sydney is the world’s gateway to Australia and this strategy will help cement our positions as the epicentre of global investment and innovation as well enhance our natural assets to build a city that is the best place to work, rest and play in the nation.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the long awaited finalisation of the Strategy will enable more development in the city centre while protecting public space and solar access.
“This is the culmination of years of hard work with the City of Sydney, the community and industry. Towers will be taller, planning processes will become simpler and more transparent, and strict rules will be introduced to protect important public spaces,” Mr Stokes said.
“This Strategy balances Central Sydney’s global role as a hub for business and innovation with its attractiveness as a place to live and play. It brings certainty to the planning system, which will make Central Sydney an even more attractive place to invest.”
Simplified new rules for infrastructure contributions will help fund a range of public services to accompany more development, including upgrades to Hyde Park, Belmore Park and George Street, and improvements to community facilities and pedestrian and cycling links.
Coinciding with the finalisation of the Central Sydney Planning Strategy is the public exhibition of detailed plans for the Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy.
Consultation is underway on master plans for the seven sub-precincts, including proposed plans for a new six-star hotel at The Star, UTS Indigenous Residential College, and the two sites for the new Sydney Metro station at Pyrmont.
“We want the community to have its say on the next stage in the evolution of this significant part of Sydney which includes the Pyrmont Metro station development, a key piece of the Pyrmont puzzle planned to priortise pedestrians and enable a new level of connectivity to the Peninsula,” Mr Stokes said.
Along with the seven sub-precinct master plans, amended planning controls and a proposed Special Infrastructure Contribution to help fund Sydney Metro West are also on exhibition. Submissions will be open until 4 February 2022.
To read the finalised Central Sydney Planning Strategy visit: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/policy-planning-changes/central-sydney-planning-framework
For more information about the Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy visit: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Pyrmont