16 News

For the latest COVID-19 advice & information please visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

NEW FREEDOMS FOR VACCINATED FIRST STEP ON STATE ROADMAP OUT OF COVID

• People across NSW who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed more freedoms next month after NSW hit the target of six million jabs.
• This is the first step in the roadmap and further freedoms will follow for those who have had the jab when the state hits new vaccination targets of 70 and 80 per cent.
• From 12.01am, Monday, 13 September:
  • For those who live outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children, all adults must be vaccinated) will be allowed in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home.
  • For those who live in the LGAs of concern, households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.
• As part of the roadmap when the following targets are hit, freedoms will be as follows:
  • 70 per cent full vaccination: a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be lifted for those who are vaccinated.
  • 80 per cent full vaccination: further easing of restrictions on industry, community and the economy.
• The government is also investigating trials of certain industries in coming months, as a proof-of-concept measure to prepare the businesses to open up and operate in a COVID-safe way.

NSW FIRST TO MANDATE COVID JABS FOR ALL HEALTH STAFF

• Healthcare workers in NSW will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to help ensure the safety of colleagues and patients in all public and private hospitals.
• Under the Public Health Order, health staff must have a first dose of vaccine by 30 September 2021 and be fully vaccinated by 30 November 2021, or at least have their second appointment booked to continue working.
• Frontline health staff and their families have had priority access to COVID-19 vaccines since the commencement of the Federal Government’s vaccination rollout in February.
• Already in NSW, mandatory vaccinations for frontline health staff are required for contagious diseases including influenza, chicken pox, measles and whooping cough.
• Those who have a medical contraindication will be exempt if a medical practitioner confirms the medical contraindication.

HSC IN NOVEMBER AND ALL STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL IN TERM 4

• There will be a staggered return to face-to-face learning from October, HSC exams will be delayed until November and vaccinations for school staff will be mandatory based on the return to school plan released by the NSW Government.
• Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health approved COVID safe settings on school sites in the following order:
  • From 25 October – Kindergarten and Year 1
  • From 1 November – Year 2, 6 and 11
  • From 8 November – Year 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10
• HSC exams will be delayed until 9 November with a revised timetable and guidelines for a COVID-safe HSC to be released by NESA in early September. Importantly, the delay of the HSC exams will not disadvantage NSW students when applying to university.
• Vaccinations for all school staff across all sectors will be mandatory from 8 November. NSW Health will be providing priority vaccinations at Qudos Bank Arena for school staff the week beginning 6 September.
• Early childcare staff will also be able to participate in the priority vaccinations from 6 September. All school and early childcare staff are also encouraged to make use of the GP network to be vaccinated with whatever vaccine is available as soon as possible.

MORE FREE TRAINING OPTIONS DURING LOCKDOWN

• The NSW Government has announced an additional 3000 training places for people across NSW to skill up at home during lockdown.
• An extra 60 short courses are now on offer to study for free including business skills, mental health, marketing, finance and IT skillsets.
• The courses are an expansion of the 10 free skillsets recently announced by TAFE NSW and are targeted at LGAs and suburbs in lockdown.
• Training will be funded through the JobTrainer program, which has already seen more than 120,000 people in NSW skill up since it was announced in October 2020.
• For more information and to see full eligibility, please visit: https://bit.ly/37DYSvq.

$200 MILLION SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR NOT-FOR-PROFITS

• The NSW Government has announced a $200 million support package for the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector to help organisations faced with the financial impacts of the current restrictions.
• The funding initiative comes on top of the more than $5.1 billion, including $1 billion in Commonwealth support, announced by the Government since the end of June.
• The support package targets those NFPs providing social support and animal welfare with Service NSW and the Department of Communities and Justice to process applications from next month.
• The Social Sector Support Fund will provide grants and direct payments to eligible NFPs and provide a Workforce Surge Payment to support social sector organisations to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks where staff have been furloughed.
• Further details will become available in the coming weeks.

RECORD SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

• A record emergency relief package of $18.8 million will be delivered by the NSW Government in the latest boost to support vulnerable members of our community during the latest COVID outbreak.
• The package will focus on the 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern to give urgent help to those experiencing hardship.
• The $18.8 million package will help grassroots organisations deliver emergency food relief, promote vaccination and testing services, and provide culturally appropriate support and care to diverse communities.
• The package includes a $13 million grants program delivering emergency relief through not-for-profit and multicultural community organisations, as well as local councils. It also includes $4 million for ongoing multicultural communications, including interpreting and translation services, to deliver critical health messages.
• Grants of up to $30,000 for local organisations are now open. Other grant streams as part of the $13 million package will open soon. For more information, see https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/.

SCORE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY THIS SUPER SUNDAY

• Sport Super Sunday is being held at vaccination centres for the twelve LGAs of concern this weekend to help Team NSW beat COVID-19.
• Plenty of appointments are available at Qudos Bank Arena and the NSW Health Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park and the Vaccination Centre at Macquarie Fields this Sunday, August 29, for all sports lovers.
• Those aged 16 to 39 who live in Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield or Penrith, should make a booking via https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccination-nsw/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-nsw.
• Wear team uniforms, colours, or gear and take a selfie to post on your local club sites with the hash tag #vaccinationchampion.
• If you can’t make it this Sunday, we have other vaccination appointments at our centres over the next two weeks.

NSW PUTS FOOT ON THE GREEN GAS WITH HYDROGEN PLATFORM

• The rollout of the State’s hydrogen hubs is set to be accelerated, with the establishment of a collaboration platform to bring together potential hydrogen producers and users.
• The platform is about connecting sophisticated market players with new and emerging hydrogen users to fuel the development of hydrogen hubs in NSW.
• As part of the Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program, the NSW Government has committed a minimum of $70 million to develop hydrogen hubs in the Hunter and Illawarra regions.
• Stakeholders that submitted a hydrogen-related registration of interest to the Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program will automatically receive an invitation to participate. Other organisations can get involved by contacting the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s, Hydrogen and Clean Energy team at hydrogen@planning.nsw.gov.au.

New pathways, riverside seating and an amphitheatre for concerts and festivals are part of a $10 million upgrade to a waterfront reserve in Penrith.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the work in Tench Reserve, located on the Nepean River, could now begin as the final concept design had been released.
“One of my goals as Minister for Public Spaces is to create a city within a park, and this means we need a Green – and Blue – Grid to link our parks together,” Mr Stokes said
“The upgrade to Tench Reserve is the type of project needed to realise this goal. As part of the wonderful Parks for People program, it’s a park for people, by people.”
Member for Penrith and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Tench Reserve  was already well-loved by locals but the $10 million enhancements would attract visitors from all over Sydney.
“The upgrade to this 14 hectare park will connect the Nepean River to Nepean Parklands with new pathways, seating, an improved wharf and an amphitheatre to support major events such as the annual Real Festival,” Mr Ayres said.
“Other features of the upgrade include an expansion of the play space for children of all ages and abilities, improved access to the water, more landscaping, and 80 new trees.
“Construction is expected to start later this year and be completed at the end of 2022.”
Tench Reserve is one of eight open spaces – Glenfield, Carrawood, Belrose, Frenchs Forest, Leppington and George Kendall (Parramatta) – to be created or upgraded as part of the NSW Government’s $50 million Parks for People program.

One of the state’s largest hospital projects will begin within weeks, with the main works contractor appointed for the $790 million Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced the awarding of the principal contract to Lendlease, following a competitive tender process.
“The Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct will deliver a world-class medical, research and education hub in the rapidly growing south-western Sydney region,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The redevelopment will be a real boost for communities throughout the region, bringing greatly enhanced healthcare services closer to home.”
The redeveloped hospital will provide a total of 900 beds, an expanded emergency department, new maternity and paediatric inpatient beds and double the capacity within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Another key feature will be a new, expanded Integrated Cancer Centre which will almost double the chemotherapy treatment spaces.
Member for Holsworthy Melanie Gibbons said the redevelopment would boost the local economy and meet the south-western Sydney’s community’s growing healthcare needs now and into the future.
“The start of major works at this new world-class precinct will support thousands of jobs during the construction phases and beyond, which will be greatly welcomed as we recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Gibbons said.
Construction of a $50 million multi-storey car park for the Liverpool Hospital is already underway, with work being carried out by ADCO Constructions.
The precinct is part of the NSW Government’s record $10.8 billion investment in health infrastructure over four years to 2024-2025.
Over $5.5 billion in health capital works are underway in  Western and South Western Sydney including:

• $790 million for the Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct
• $1.3 billion for a new Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital
• $832 million Westmead Hospital redevelopment
• $65 million Commonwealth Government funded adult Cystic Fibrosis Specialist Services Unit at Westmead.
• $619 million Children’s Hospital at Westmead Stage 2
• $632 million Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment Stage 2
• $1 billion Nepean Hospital redevelopment
• $300 million for a Rouse Hill Hospital.

Work on Liverpool Hospital is expected to start in the coming weeks, to be completed by 2026.

The NSW Government has welcomed a report from the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis which outlines 40 recommendations to better support local landowners.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes appointed Professor Roberta Ryan to the role of Independent Community Commissioner in May to address the concerns of landowners in the area.
“The planning and delivery of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis is one of the biggest projects in the state’s history and as a result is incredibly complex,” Mr Stokes said.
“We wanted to ensure that all voices were heard and Professor Ryan has done an outstanding job over the last few months by meeting with more than 100 landowners potentially affected by the rezoning plans.
“We’ve released an initial response to the Commissioner’s findings that commits to supporting most recommendations and we will provide a more detailed whole-of-government response in the next couple of months.”
Some recommendations require changes to planning controls and these will be considered as the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment finalises the planning framework, due to be completed by the end of this year.
Key recommendations supported by the Government include:

• Establishing the Independent Community Commissioner as an ongoing role to improve communication with landowners;
• Creating a Community Consultative Committee to provide an engagement forum for the community and improve communication with landowners; and
• Investigating adjustment of zoning boundaries and other changes as recommended in the report.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said it was critical for the Government to listen to the community and respond to their concerns.
“A vital part of the response right now is improving the way we communicate with landowners,” Mr Ayres said.
“We’ve extended the Commissioner’s role so Professor Ryan can continue to provide support to landowners.
“We’re also developing a Community Participation Plan and implementing other measures to provide a better pathway for the people of Western Sydney to participate in planning this new, world-class city.”
More information about the Independent Community Commissioner’s report, and the preliminary responses from the NSW Government is available here: https://bit.ly/3zkC007

The NSW Government has announced a $200 million support package for the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector to help organisations faced with the financial impacts of the current restrictions.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government recognised many NFPs, which provide such vital support for the most vulnerable members of our community, were in need of more support themselves in this lockdown.
“NFPs in the social support and animal welfare sectors are in more demand than ever as we battle this Delta outbreak and this package will support those doing so much of the heavy lifting to help vulnerable communities in this pandemic,” Mr Perrottet said.
The funding initiative comes on top of the more than $5.1 billion, including $1 billion in Commonwealth support, announced by the NSW Government since the end of June.
“We’re continuously monitoring the impacts of this outbreak to see what adjustments or additional measures are needed,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Some NFPs did not meet the 30 per cent turnover threshold required for JobSaver so we’ve reduced that to 15 per cent for social support and animal welfare sectors, to ensure they can continue delivering the same level of service to those most in need.”
“We’ve also set up a $50 million Social Sector Support Fund to support vulnerable people and provide these NFPs with another avenue for financial assistance where they are experiencing increased demand for their services.”
The support package targets those NFPs providing social support and animal welfare with Service NSW and the Department of Communities and Justice to process applications from next month.
The Social Sector Support Fund will provide grants and direct payments to eligible NFPs and provide a Workforce Surge Payment to support social sector organisations to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks where staff have been furloughed.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Alister Henskens said the targeted support package includes measures designed to provide direct relief to organisations financially impacted by the pandemic.
“This support package is multilayered in recognition of the diversity of our social services organisations which are working tirelessly to support the most vulnerable people in our community during this challenging time,” Mr Henskens said.
“This investment will deliver targeted financial support to organisations to help ensure the continuity of the important services they provide to those most in need.”
Further details will become available in the coming weeks.

People across NSW who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed more freedoms next month after NSW hit the target of six million jabs.
This is the first step in the roadmap and further freedoms will follow for those who have had the jab when the state hits new vaccination targets of 70 and 80 per cent.
Following consultation with Dr Kerry Chant and her team, as well as the NSW Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright, the following individual freedoms will be allowed for adults who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
From 12.01am, Monday, 13 September:

• For those who live outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children, all adults must be vaccinated) will be allowed in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home.
• For those who live in the LGAs of concern households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked the millions of people across NSW who came forward to receive their vaccine, helping hit the six million doses target.
“We are so grateful for every person who comes forward to get vaccinated because the more jabs we get into arms, the sooner we can lift restrictions,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We appreciate the community’s patience in the lead up to 13 September, this additional time will allow the recent surge of vaccines to take effect.”
As part of the roadmap when the following targets are hit, freedoms will be as follows:

• 70 per cent full vaccination: a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be lifted for those who are vaccinated.
• 80 per cent full vaccination: further easing of restrictions on industry, community and the economy.

The government is also investigating trials of certain industries in coming months, as a proof-of-concept measure to prepare the businesses to open up and operate in a COVID-safe way.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said this roadmap is our path to freedom and is our biggest incentive yet to get vaccinated so we can return to a level of normality.
“The roadmap announced today outlines a clear pathway forward in which a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions will be lifted for those that are fully vaccinated when NSW hits 70 per cent,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Having a meal with loved ones, or having a drink with friends is just around the corner, but to get there, we need to keep up momentum in the vaccination rollout.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said two doses of the vaccine not only helps protect people from hospitalisation and death, but also helps reduce transmission.
“Two vaccine doses leads to around a 90 per cent overall reduction in transmission of the virus,” Mr Hazzard.
If you are not booked in for a COVID-19 vaccine, please book an appointment as soon possible.
There are several options to receive your ‘proof of COVID-19 vaccination’:

• Download your COVID-19 digital certificate via the Express Plus Medicare mobile app or your Medicare online account through myGov.
  • You can add your COVID-19 digital certificate to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
  • Instructions are available on the Services Australia website.
• If you can’t get proof online, your vaccination provider can print your immunisation history statement for you.
• Call the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) and ask for your statement to be sent to you. It can take up to 14 days to arrive in the post.
• If you’re not eligible for Medicare you can call the Australian Immunisation Register and request your certificate be mailed to you or add your COVID-19 certificate to your digital wallet using the Individual Healthcare Identifiers service (IHI service) through myGov.

For the latest information visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19