admin – Page 1177

Officer seriously injured when hit by trail bike – Maitland

A police officer has been injured when he was struck by a trail bike during a pursuit in the Hunter this evening.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District had initiated a pursuit of the trail bike rider shortly before 7pm (Wednesday 14 April 2021), on the New England Highway at Maitland.
The officer was on foot when he was struck by the trail bike and has suffered serious leg fractures, as well as suspected arm, head, pelvic and spinal injuries.
The male constable has been airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where his condition is reported to be serious but stable.
The trail bike rider – a man believed to be aged in his 20s – has been arrested and taken to John Hunter Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He remains there under police guard.
Officers attached to the Crash Investigation Unit (CIU) are now inquiring into circumstances surrounding this incident.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

SMALL BUSINESS REBATE SCHEME KICKS OFF

Small businesses are encouraged to sign up for a new $1500 rebate scheme to help cover the cost of NSW and local government fees and charges.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the Small Business Fees and Charges Rebate was designed to benefit tens of thousands of small businesses across the state as NSW continues its post-pandemic recovery.
“Our November Budget committed nearly $500 million to this rebate, which will leave more money in the pockets of eligible small businesses, sole traders and non-profit organisations,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and supporting them equals supporting jobs. I encourage all eligible operators to register for the $1500 credit with Service NSW.”
Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said claiming the rebate would be simple and could be done online.
“Liquor licences, food authority licences, council rates and outdoor seating fees are just a few examples of the fees and charges that can be claimed back through this rebate scheme,” Mr Dominello said.
“Small businesses who have total wages below the new 2020-21 $1.2 million payroll tax threshold, and have a turnover of at least $75,000 per year, will be able to register through their MyServiceNSW account and claim back eligible state and local government fees and changes.”
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the launch of the rebate scheme coincided with a number of licence waivers coming to an end.
“It’s so important that we continue to support the small businesses of NSW,” Mr Tudehope said.
“Small businesses are the backbone of their communities and we want to make it easier for them to run a business and get ahead.”
The rebate will be available until 30 June 2022. To apply and for more information, including the program guidelines, visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/small-business-fees-and-charges-rebate

Greens call for Finance Minister’s COVID advance to be used now for publicly-owned vaccine production

The Greens say the government should use unallocated discretionary funds set aside for COVID to begin work on a publicly-owned domestic vaccine manufacturer. If the government fails to act, the Greens plan to move in the Senate to demand action on domestic vaccine production when Parliament resumes.
The Greens call on the Government to ensure that the 2021/22 budget allocates funding for the urgent development of publicly-owned mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability in Australia, and that it immediately initiates this work by drawing on $1 billion from the $10 billion made available in the 2020/21 Advance to the Finance Minister, which was boosted for the specific purpose of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of which remains unallocated.
The Greens say this discretionary budget was conceived to deal with unexpected costs of the pandemic and shoring up vaccine supplies against international uncertainty is a perfect example of a universally beneficial application of the fund.
The Government previously announced $1b in funding to support the domestic manufacture of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Greens are calling for $1b to be allocated to a publicly-owned manufacturer which has mRNA capacity. The Greens together with scientists have been calling for domestic mRNA manufacturing capacity for several months.
Current expert advice and international experience suggests that it could take 6 months to construct and commence mRNA production domestically in Australia, which is not only competitive with the Government’s best guess timeline around international vaccine imports, but vastly superior, as it would provide a permanent buffer against unexpected events overseas.
Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said:
“We should be able to make each key type of COVID vaccine here in Australia, to look after ourselves and our neighbours.
“By failing to diversify domestic vaccine production, the government has left us exposed to international events and the whims of big drug corporations.
“If the government had set up a publicly-owned vaccine maker when the Greens first called for it almost a year ago, it could be up and running by now.
“This government wants to build a publicly funded gas power plant to cook the planet, but not a publicly funded vaccine facility to keep Australians safe.
“So much of Scott Morrison’s failures have come as a result of poor planning for international uncertainty, and assuming that everything will go smoothly from here is reckless.
“The government set aside $10b in discretionary funding for the COVID response. The government should immediately direct $1b of the unallocated discretionary funds to help set up a publicly-owned vaccine manufacturer with mRNA capability.
“This is exactly the kind of public health measure that the government should be using the discretionary budget to fund. If Scott Morrison fails to act, the Greens will be moving in Parliament during the Budget session to demand funding for domestic vaccine production.
“The abandonment of the vaccination timetable is in part due to the Government’s failure to heed calls to develop domestic, publicly-owned vaccine production.”
Greens Health spokesperson, Senator Rachel Siewert said:
“Australia unfortunately sold off our publicly-owned vaccine capacity – cheaply. Now it’s time to buy back the farm.
“If we had domestic mRNA manufacturing capacity established in Australia, we would be in a position to roll-out the vaccines we need with a timeline that we had some control over.
“The Greens put the case for publicly-owned domestic vaccine production to the government a year ago. But we say today that it is better late than never, and in the post-Covid era such capacity will put us in good stead for decades to come.
“With publicly-owned domestic mRNA manufacturing capacity, we will be able to beat this pandemic, and any one that follows it. With domestic vaccine production we’ll be able to rapidly adjust to new strains as they develop, and become a vaccine production hub for the region.”

SMALL BUSINESS REBATE SCHEME KICKS OFF

WORLD’S SMARTEST COMPUTER RECRUITED FOR FUTURE TRANSPORT

The world’s smartest computer could be used to tackle Sydney’s complex transport problems, including updating schedules in real time if there is crowding on the network.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said a new partnership between the NSW Government and Australian company Q-CTRL will look at how quantum computing technology can create and manage a more resilient transport network.
“This is a rare opportunity for some of our leading transport innovators and quantum computing experts to come together to tackle complex transport network management and congestion problems,” Mr Constance said.
“Future applications of the technology could include mapping all transport modes and crowd movements simultaneously in real time, and automatically updating the schedule to solve disruption issues.
“We could see all trains, busses, ferries, trams and motorways essentially ‘talking to each other’ to find out where customers are and deploy resources where needed. It could be used for massive public events, like New Year’s Eve or Vivid Festival.”
Q-CTRL Founder and CEO Professor Michael Biercuk said Quantum computers are an emerging technology that replaces the traditional ‘binary’ computing concepts used in most computers today, and instead uses quantum physics to tackle tough computational challenges in a fraction of the time.
“This technology could completely transform the computing tools available to Transport for NSW in the next few years. The possibilities are endless,” Professor Biercuk said.
The quantum computing research project is one of several initiatives being launched as part of the Future Transport Technology Roadmap.

NEW LIGHT RAIL BRIDGE TAKING SHAPE

Construction is underway on the state’s second longest steel arch bridge, which will connect light rail users, cyclists and pedestrians when the Parramatta Light Rail opens in 2023.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the biggest of the six bridges being constructed for the project will stretch across six lanes of traffic on James Ruse Drive in Rosehill, and accommodate the new light rail and walking and bike-riding path.
“The giant bronze arches will be an amazing sight for locals and anyone travelling through the area. The new bridge has the second longest steel arch bridge span in the state, behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” Mr Constance said.
“This bridge is currently on a construction site next to James Ruse Drive, where the fabricated steelwork, each piece weighing up to 60 tonnes, has been assembled to build the 15-metre-high steel arch.”
The Australian-made steelwork for the bridge was fabricated by Western Sydney based company, S&L Steel, before it was transported to Rosehill for assembly.
Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said the project is committed to using Australian resources wherever possible and supporting local jobs.
“The Australian steel was fabricated in a workshop at Rooty Hill, creating around 50 jobs for Western Sydney,” Dr Lee said.
“The bridge will be a great asset for the local community as it will not only support the new light rail, but it will make it much safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the very busy James Ruse Drive.”
Over the coming weeks, the temporary support frames will be removed, and the arch will be fitted out with precast concrete, concrete deck, precast concrete barriers, and temporary steel railing and protection screens, before it is lifted into place.
The 1425-tonne steel and concrete structure will be moved into position during a weekend closure of James Ruse Drive in the coming months. Once in place, the bridge will be fitted out for light rail and pedestrian and cyclist use.
The Parramatta Light Rail will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, and is expected to commence services in 2023.

Man charged over grocery store armed robbery – Redhead

A man will appear in court tomorrow charged over an alleged armed robbery in the Lake Macquarie region last week.
Just after 7.30am on Wednesday 7 April 2021, a man entered a grocery store on Cowlishaw Street, Redhead, and approached the counter.
Police will allege the man threatened an employee with a knife, before stealing cigarettes and running away.
No one was physically injured during the incident.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, police arrested an 18-year-old man at a home at Windale about 2pm today (Monday 12 April 2021).
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with robbery armed with offensive weapon.
The Windale man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 13 April 2021).

ADF TOP BRASS MUST RESIGN OVER SAS REVELATIONS

Further sickening revelations about the existence of an illegal drinking establishment at Tarinkot base in Afghanistan, and the involvement of senior commanding officers at that establishment, are yet more evidence of the culture that General’s Campbell and Burr are not fit to implement the recommendations of the Brereton Inquiry report.
Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John the revelations were yet more evidence of the horrific cultural problem that existed within our ADF throughout Afghanistan while General’s Campbell and Burr were in senior leadership positions, and that has been allowed to continue to this very day.
“Chief of the Defence Force, General Campbell, and Chief of Army, General Burr, have irresolvable conflicts of interest; it is impossible for the public to trust that commanding officers will be held to account when the process is led by the top brass who themselves held commanding roles during the period of time when many of these alleged crimes were committed,” Steele-John said.
“If this level of alleged systemic failure had occurred within a financial institution, it would be totally inappropriate for the reform of that institution to be led by an individual who held a senior executive position during the time that alleged criminal activity occurred.
“It is simply unimaginable that the top brass were unaware of the existence of this drinking establishment or the fact that it was frequented by commanding officers. Given what we’ve seen reported today in The Age, it was clearly an open secret.
“The perception that there has been a deliberate cover up, or that the top brass have turned a blind eye to the behaviour of our ADF personnel in Afghanistan, is undermining the process that must be undertaken.
“It is untenable for either General Campbell or General Burr to play a role in the implementation of recommendations from the Brereton Report; they must both immediately resign.”

Supporting Australian screen production

In a major boost to Australia’s film and television industry, the Morrison Government will extend two measures that will support the continued production of quality, local screen content as the sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The highly effective $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund (TIF) will be extended for a further six months, to provide coverage for productions that commence principal photography prior to 31 December 2021.
The Morrison Government will also retain at 40 per cent the Producer Offset rate for feature films with a theatrical release. In addition, as announced last year, the Government will raise the Producer Offset rate from 20 to 30 per cent for other eligible formats such as drama and documentary content for television and streaming platforms.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said these support measures would enable the local screen industry to continue to create quality Australian productions and keep thousands of jobs and businesses in the local production sector.
“Despite our successes in managing COVID-19 in Australia, the continuing severity of the pandemic internationally is a problem for screen production, with insurers still not providing coverage for COVID-19 related events,” Minister Fletcher said.
“TIF has been vital in providing the certainty that productions need to secure financing, and it will have assisted with more than 12,000 production roles and 5000 business contracts in its first year of operation.”
The 40 per cent Producer Offset supports around 50 Australian feature films per year with total average rebates of around $124 million. This injects over $300 million per year into the Australian economy, and underpins the tremendous success Australian feature films have had at the box office in recent times.
Minister Fletcher said, “Australian feature films play an important role in our cultural identity and resonate strongly with audiences at home and abroad. After consulting with Australian feature film producers and considering the feature film environment abroad, we have determined that retaining the offset at 40 per cent is appropriate to ensure the ongoing vitality of the sector.”
TIF and the Producer Offset are administered by Screen Australia. Eligibility criteria, guidelines and how to apply are available at: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support

LAST PIECE OF THE LINK IN SCENIC HARBOUR FORESHORE WALK

Today marks the opening of the 300-metre-long final piece of the 11 kilometre Barangaroo foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said opening up the last piece of the 11 kilometre walk is a fundamental part of Barangaroo’s transformation from a once neglected and inaccessible area into a world-class cultural, residential, business and retail hub.
“I am excited to open this stunning new foreshore walk in Barangaroo, which not only connects the natural surroundings of Barangaroo Reserve with the business district of Barangaroo South, but also completes the scenic walk along Sydney Harbour from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The walk is a beautiful 15-metre-wide, tree-lined boulevard on Sydney’s waterfront and will be used by cyclists, commuters and visitors every day. It is designed by award-winning landscape architect Peter Walker, who also designed the Barangaroo Reserve.
“This new public space demonstrates our commitment to ensure more than half of Barangaroo is public open space and opens up this once neglected and inaccessible area for the community to enjoy.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the opening of the final part of the Barangaroo foreshore demonstrated the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to creating more public space throughout Sydney.
“In October last year, we opened Waterman’s Cove and today we make available another 300 metres of public space which runs alongside our world-famous harbour,” Mr Stokes said.
“The pandemic has showed us how vital public space is and with more people coming back into the CBD, we need more spaces like this one at Barangaroo.
“More than 100 trees were planted in this section of the foreshore walk which contributes to our goal to plant one million trees by 2022.”