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New South Wales is leading the nation’s charge towards a low-emissions energy system after the NSW Government approved stage one of a $1.8 billion transmission line that would link NSW and South Australia’s energy networks for the first time.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said stage one planning approval had been granted for the NSW Western Section of Energy Connect, a 900-kilometre transmission line that would run from Wagga Wagga to Robertstown in SA, with a spur line to Victoria.
“Today’s approval is a major step towards facilitating the delivery of what would be the largest energy transmission project undertaken in Australia in more than 30 years,” Mr Stokes said.
“The first stage will run from the Buronga substation to the Victorian border and create 600 construction jobs and inject $418 million into our regional economy.
“To get to a low-emissions energy system our nation needs robust and reliable transmission infrastructure and that’s why we declared Energy Connect Critical State Significant Infrastructure in 2019 because it will be a fundamental part of Australia’s energy future.”
Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean said the project will accelerate progress under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and help us achieve a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
“The Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is our plan to replace our ageing electricity infrastructure and secure NSW’s future as a clean energy superpower,” Mr Kean said.
“This approval will help to unlock transmission constraints in southern NSW and help to open up the South-West Renewable Energy Zone.
“The South-West Renewable Energy Zone will drive jobs and investment into regional NSW, and help to provide our households and businesses with some of the cheapest, cleanest electricity anywhere in the world.”
Energy Connect is being delivered by Transgrid and will be built in two stages, with the majority to be located in NSW.
Stage one will now be referred to the Federal Government for approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, before construction is expected to begin next year.
Stage two will involve the development of the 540-kilometre eastern section between Buronga and Wagga Wagga and will be subject to a separate development application. The overall project is expected to be operational by 2024.
For more information visit: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/25821.

More people facing hardship across NSW will have access to free legal support thanks to $95 million in additional Commonwealth legal assistance funding over four years.
Attorney General and Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Mark Speakman said the record investment will support our hardworking legal assistance sector meet the unprecedented service demand from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put significant pressure on vulnerable people throughout NSW and highlighted the critical need for access to free legal services,” Mr Speakman said.
“I’m very thankful for the contribution of our dedicated legal assistance providers in delivering much-needed support for disadvantaged people, when so many are doing it tough.
“I encourage providers to apply for funding to support victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence, people in need of mental health services, and other disadvantaged groups grappling with financial stress that’s often intensified by COVID-19.”
Free legal assistance services are available for socially and economically disadvantaged people facing a range of issues, including job losses, debt problems, housing insecurity, family law matters and people in need of support when they are the victim of violence.
The new funding includes:

• $39.3 million for Legal Aid NSW, community legal centres and other service providers to assist vulnerable women, with a focus on victims of domestic and family violence;
• $16 million to support people with mental health conditions access the justice system;
• $12.2 million to assist workers experiencing sexual harassment or discrimination;
• $23.5 million for Legal Aid NSW to extend Family Advocacy and Support Services (FASS), including new court locations, and increased mental health supports; and
• $2.4 million for providers to expand Domestic Violence Units (DVU) with dedicated mental health support and increased outreach to women in regional or remote areas.

This record investment in the legal assistance sector is part of the National Legal Assistance Partnership Agreement 2020-25 (NLAP).
Commonwealth Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said the funding would assist vulnerable Australians facing disadvantage to access vital legal services.
“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting legal assistance services to ensure vulnerable Australians continue to have access to justice,” Ms Cash said.
“Across Australia, we are working with states and territories through the NLAP to continually invest in these important services. We will provide more than $2.3 billion over 5 years for legal assistance services across Australia under the NLAP.”
Legal Aid NSW CEO Brendan Thomas said demand for DVU advice had more than doubled during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, and that while the unit usually fields around 1,000 calls annually, there’d been more than 6,000 calls in the 12 months to March 2021.
“Lockdowns are about staying home to be protected from COVID-19. But for the women we work with, home is not always a safe place, a fact that may have been exacerbated due to mandatory lockdowns and other necessary health restrictions,” Mr Thomas said.
“Our DVU is critical in helping victim-survivors seek protection orders, navigate the family law system, access support and safe housing, and seek financial counselling.”
For confidential advice, support and referrals, contact: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), The NSW Domestic Violence Line (1800 65 64 63) or Men’s Referral Service (1300 766 491).

Schools will begin their staggered return to face to face learning on Monday 18 October, one week earlier than initially planned, thanks to the heroic vaccination efforts of NSW.
Students will now return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health approved COVID-safe settings on the following dates:

• From 18 October – Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12
• From  25 October – Year 2, 6 and 11
• From 1 November – Year 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the return to school plan was always linked to the vaccination rates of the community, and thanks to faster vaccination rates than expected, students will be able to return to the classroom sooner.
“We have been clear that a return to school should begin once the state passed 70 per cent fully vaccinated, and thanks to the incredible efforts from the people of NSW, we will reach that milestone sooner than expected,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Managing a return in a school system the size of NSW’s is not a small task. Keeping the staged approach, but moving it all one week earlier, allows schools to shift their plans forward and still provides time for staff and eligible students to get vaccinated.”
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said an additional week of quality face-to-face learning for students is worth having and can be achieved in a safe and sensible way.
“It’s fantastic that we will meet vaccination targets in NSW earlier than originally anticipated. This has allowed us to shift the plan forward for all schools across impacted areas,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Bringing the return forward allows schools to keep their plans for a staggered return, and provides time for staff to get their second dose. From 18 October, all staff that need to be on site must be fully vaccinated.
“I know there remain some concerns in the community around a return to school, but students, staff and parents should feel confident that this approach allows enough time to make schools as COVID safe as possible.”
The final date for staff to receive two doses of the COVID vaccine remains 8 November, unless staff have a medical exemption.
Families who cannot keep their children at home for any reason have always been able to send their children to school, and that continues to be the case.
Schools will begin communicating their COVID-safe plans to families from next week.
The public health advice for parents to keep their children home from early childhood education and care services where possible will also be lifted from 18 October 2021.
Areas of Regional NSW where stay at home orders have already been lifted will continue learning face-to-face from Day 1, Term 4.

The NSW Government will go it alone to fund an extension of the JobSaver program to help NSW businesses re-open their doors and get people back into jobs as the State starts to ease restrictions and enjoy greater freedoms.
When NSW reaches the 70 per cent double vaccination rate JobSaver payments will be tapered from 40 per cent to 30 per cent of weekly payroll.
When NSW reaches the 80 per cent double vaccination rate, the joint Commonwealth and NSW Government JobSaver payments will cease and the Commonwealth will end its contributions.
At that time, the NSW Government will continue to fund its 50 per cent contribution to JobSaver payments. At this point JobSaver payments will be tapered from 30 per cent to 15 per cent of weekly payroll.
JobSaver payments will end on 30 November, coinciding with the further relaxation of restrictions.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the extension of JobSaver would work alongside the NSW Government’s Roadmap and the easing of restrictions, giving businesses certainty.
“The continuation of JobSaver over the next two months will give businesses across NSW the financial boost they need to get them through the challenge of re-opening their doors,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The light at the end of the tunnel is so close, and this support will help see businesses and workers out to the other side and prepare them for re-launch.”
By 30 November, the NSW Government is expected to have unilaterally provided over $8 billion in direct support to businesses and individuals, including through the JobSaver program and its contribution to Commonwealth Disaster Payments.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said pivoting JobSaver from support to recovery would put businesses on the front-foot as restrictions are eased and the economy is restarted.
“JobSaver has helped businesses weather the storm of the latest outbreak and now is the right time to plan for the future so we can get our economy firing again,” Mr Perrottet said.
“I know business across the State are keen to open their doors, and are busy planning now that our Roadmap is out. There’s renewed optimism in NSW.
“We are sticking by businesses and giving them the support they need to get back on the road to prosperity with the State only a few weeks away from re-opening.
The jointly funded Commonwealth and NSW Government business support package, including JobSaver, has provided a $7 billion financial lifeline to businesses over the past three months helping keep people connected to their workplaces. Over the next two months, this lifeline will increase to almost $12 billion provided to NSW businesses to make it through the Delta pandemic.
After NSW reaches the 80 per cent double vaccination target the Micro-business grant will continue to be available at a rate of $750 a fortnight, before ceasing on 30 November.
The NSW Government will announce its comprehensive Economic Recovery Plan in early October, designed to boost business confidence and jobs growth and inject stimulus as restrictions ease across the State.
Details of the JobSaver tapering are set out below:

A woman has been charged after a man was allegedly stabbed in a domestic related incident at a home in Sydney’s inner west overnight.
Just after 3am (Thursday 30 September 2021), emergency services were called to a home on Kendall Street, Cabarita, after reports a man had been stabbed.
Officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command attended and found a 50-year-old man with a wound to his stomach.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
A 44-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Burwood Police Station where she was charged with would person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
She has been refused bail and will appear at Burwood Local Court tomorrow (Friday 1 October 2021).
The man and woman are known to each other.

NSW is set to attract more than $37 billion in investment while slashing emissions by 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, under updated projections and objectives released as part of the Net Zero: Stage 1 Implementation Update.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state’s new objective of halving emissions by 2030 – up from 35 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 –  shows that NSW is serious about setting itself up for the future while helping the world decarbonise.
“Our Net Zero Plan is expected to attract more than $37 billion in private sector investment into NSW, support more than 9,000 jobs, save households about $130 on their electricity bills and help NSW become Australia’s first trillion-dollar state by 2030,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This is about putting the policies in place to give industry and investors certainty, not only to protect our planet but to future-proof our prosperity and way of life.”
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said regional communities will reap the rewards of the new industries set to emerge over the coming decades.
“Whether it is in modern manufacturing, minerals or agriculture, regional NSW is home to the skills, infrastructure and resources needed as the demand for low emissions technologies like batteries and hydrogen grows,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The entire State will benefit from the economic and employment opportunities in low carbon technologies, and we will continue to take action in a way that delivers more jobs and more investment for people in the city and in the bush.”
Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean said NSW was one of the first jurisdictions to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 and we are now on track to double our economy and halve our emissions by 2030.
“We can be a renewable energy super power and as global demand for low carbon products and investments grows, the fortunes of the state are increasingly tied to the fortunes of our planet,” Mr Kean said.
“In NSW, we also aren’t just setting targets. As a result of our policies, the state’s emissions are projected to fall by 47-52% on 2005 levels by 2030 under independently peer reviewed modelling.”
The Net Zero Plan: Stage 1 Implementation Update sets out the NSW Government’s action on climate change, including the State’s nation-leading EV strategy, Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, the $750 million Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program and the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy.
The Implementation Update also outlines the Government’s commitment to disclose the state’s climate related financial risks and opportunities for the first time in NSW, consistent with the Taskforce for Climate Related Financial Disclosures framework.
For more information visit: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/climate-change/net-zero-plan/

A trial project will see 2000 trees planted in one of Sydney’s hottest suburbs, as part of an initiative informed by new research from the NSW Government.
The south-west Sydney suburb of Rosemeadow has less than six per cent existing canopy cover and is significantly impacted by the urban heat island effect.
The new research used to inform the trial has now been released to councils across NSW to help boost tree canopy cover and improve stormwater management.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the NSW Government and Campbelltown Council were working together to plant the trees in streets, schools, parks and open spaces in Rosemeadow.
“Trees are our first line of defence against rising temperatures and the urban heat island effect, particularly in Western Sydney where temperatures in summer can soar to over 50 degrees,” Mr Stokes said.
“Rosemeadow has some of the lowest tree cover in Greater Sydney and it’s the perfect location to trial new ways to use canopy cover to combat rising temperatures.
“The research shows that we can also improve stormwater management by planting trees in stormwater basins, while also creating habitat for native animals and improving biodiversity.”
To encourage best practice in urban greening, the NSW Government is making three reports that detail the methodology of the Rosemeadow project available to councils to replicate for tree plantings on streets, reserves and in open spaces.
Member for Camden Peter Sidgreaves said Rosemeadow was selected as the demonstration site for the project due to its low tree canopy, substantial open space, and opportunities for planting near schools and on residual land.
“Our aim is to create a greener, more pleasant Rosemeadow for the community to use, access and enjoy, while establishing a framework of best practice methodology that can be replicated by councils across the state”, Mr Sidgreaves said.
“More high-quality open spaces across Greater Sydney provide the community with more opportunities to rediscover the joy of outdoor recreation, connect with nature, and improve wellbeing and active lifestyles.”
The Rosemeadow Demonstration Project supports the Premier’s Priorities for more homes in urban areas within a 10 minute walk of quality green, open public space by 10 per cent, by 2023, and to plant one million trees in Greater Sydney by 2022.
For more information and to view the reports visit: dpie.nsw.gov.au/rosemeadow