The NSW Government will undertake major reforms to the infrastructure contributions system, unlocking up to $12 billion in productivity benefits through changes to how public facilities and services are funded through the planning system.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes today announced the Government had accepted the NSW Productivity Commission’s 29 recommendations for legislative, policy and operational reform of infrastructure charges.
“These important reforms will ensure communities across the State will have the services and facilities they need and is an example of the type of microeconomic reform that will boost productivity and make NSW an even more attractive place to live and invest,” Mr Perrottet said.
“These changes will help drive our economic recovery from the pandemic by providing local jobs on smaller-scale infrastructure projects by encouraging investment in new housing supply and in the end will create better connected communities.”
The NSW Government will publish its blueprint to implement the recommendations and how it will be delivered in the next 18 months.
“This is the biggest shake-up of the system in three decades and could deliver billions of dollars of benefits over the next 20 years through better services, savings for business and better public spaces,” Mr Stokes said.
“Solving the uncertainty of infrastructure contributions was one of four pillars of our Planning Reform Action Plan. That’s why we’re adopting the Productivity Commission’s recommendations in full to build a more timely, transparent and certain planning system.
“New and growing communities need new roads, parks, schools and hospitals, and it is imperative industry and communities have a clear understanding of how these services get delivered.
Alongside changes to the local government rate peg methodology, we’re getting the settings right for local communities to proactively plan for growth. Digital tools will also help create certainty for investors, communities and local government.
The NSW Government will introduce amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to the Parliament in coming months to facilitate the recommendations.
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment will establish consultation groups to work with local government, industry and the community on the implementation process.
For more information visit www.planning.nsw.gov.au/infrastructure-contributions-reform.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS TO EASE AT SCHOOLS
Restrictions in NSW schools will be eased to allow parents back on to school grounds, dancing activities to proceed and singing groups to recommence in a COVID-safe way, the NSW Government announced today.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell announced the following restrictions will be eased on Monday, 8 March 2021:
- Parents and caretakers are able to enter school grounds but should continue to follow COVID-safe practices, including physical distancing.
- Parents and caretakers can attend school sporting events. School sporting should align with requirements for community sporting competitions and training activities in NSW.
- There are no recommended limits on singing groups in schools, including for in-class educational activities such as group repetition, chanting, recitation, or singing activities. Five metres is recommended between a group of performing singers and the audience, where practicable.
- Dancing activities, including dance classes, balls, formals and social events, can proceed, but organisers should select venues with adequate floor space to comply with any venue restrictions.
- Gathering of parents and community members for school events, such as P&C meetings, can continue in a COVID-safe way.
Ms Mitchell thanked NSW school communities for their patience and innovative thinking during the pandemic.
“We are grateful to parents, teachers and principals who have worked tirelessly to keep school communities safe during the pandemic and ensure students continue to receive a high-quality education,” Ms Mitchell said.
“I am pleased parents are now allowed to return to school grounds, watch school sports and be involved again in school activities.
“Schools will continue to operate in a COVID-safe way with less restrictions in place. Hand sanitiser and enhanced cleaning will remain in place in all schools.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard thanked school communities for following the health advice.
“NSW started its vaccine rollout and we have been able to ease restrictions, including in schools, which is a terrific achievement,” Mr Hazzard said.
“However, the pandemic is not over yet. We still need principals, teachers, parents and students to continue to follow the health advice while at the same time enabling parents to support their children’s studies.”
Teachers, students or parents who have COVID-19 symptoms should not attend school until a negative test has been received.
Detailed guidance for schools has been updated to reflect these changes and principals are pleased to welcome parents and carers back to school.
Schools will continue to have COVID-19 Safety Plans and record keeping procedures in place. Visitors to NSW public schools must still use of the Service NSW QR Code system at the school’s reception.
WOMEN’S SPORT FUNDING BOOST
Sports can apply for up to $650,000 in grants to assist women’s sport following the opening of the NSW Government’s Her Sport Her Way Grant Program.
The Her Sport Her Way Grant Program provides more than $2.5 million over four years to State Sporting Organisations and State Sporting Organisations for People with Disability to help increase participation, promote leadership and encourage inclusivity.
Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the NSW Government is committed to improving the participation of women in sport as players and leaders.
“With International Women’s Day next week it is the perfect time for sports to consider innovative ways to get more women and girls involved in sport, both on and off the field,” Mr Lee said.
Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the program will be a great way to bring communities together and promote leadership.
“We’re committed to building a safer, stronger NSW, and this means enabling women by increasing opportunities to participate and making sure every woman and girl can enjoy their sport to the fullest and feel at ease before and after they hit the field.”
The Her Sport Her Way Grants Program is part of the NSW Government’s strategy to deliver positive change for women’s sport in NSW.
Grants of $10,000 – $50,000 are available with Sports able to seek grants for multiple projects across various locations.
In 2019, 23 sporting organisations shared $635,000 in grants for 27 projects, including triathlon, water polo and wheelchair sports.
Triathlon NSW delivered a series of women-only triathlons across eleven locations with a focus on 12-25 year old females who had never participated in the sport before under the theme ‘finish lines, not finish times’.
“The Her Sport Her Way Grant Program enabled 11 of our clubs across NSW to run very successful and beginner-friendly multisport events for women of all ages,” Triathlon NSW lead staff on the ‘Her Sport Her Way’ program, Alana Leabeater said.
“We received wonderful feedback from first-time triathletes who thrived in the welcoming and supportive atmosphere at these events, and who are looking forward to continuing their triathlon journey with their local club this season.”
Water Polo NSW used its grant to deliver the ‘Girls Making Waves’ program which introduces girls to basic water polo skills and team building in a fun environment.
“Girls Making Waves provides girls in regional and metro NSW with the opportunity to try water polo, splash around in inflatable tubes and quite simply have fun,” Vice President Water Polo NSW Suzanne Ramke said.
Wheelchair Sports NSW created the Roll Model series to increase the visibility of female role models in disability sport which included the How I Roll anthem featuring ARIA nominated vocalist Casey Donovan.
“Our Her Sport Her Way Grant allowed us to reach girls and women with disabilities through the passion point of music. The ‘How I Roll’ campaign will have a lasting legacy for female participation in wheelchair sport,” CEO of Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Mick Garnett said.
The Her Sport Her Way Grants Program is open until 12 April 2021. For further information visit:www.sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/her-sport-her-way
Double stabbing near Cessnock
Police will address the media this morning after two men were stabbed near Cessnock overnight.
About 1.50am (Friday 5 March 2021), emergency services were called to a home on Shalistan Street, Cliftleigh, about 20km north-east of Cessnock, following reports two men were fighting and had been stabbed.
On arrival, police found a 23-year-old man with stab wounds to the chest and head. He was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital. He remains in a stable condition.
Police were then told a second man left the scene prior to their arrival.
A short time later, police were notified when the 27-year-old man attended Maitland Hospital suffering stab wounds to the chest and neck. He was later taken to John Hunter Hospital where he is reported to be in a critical condition.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Motorcyclist dies – Cardiff
A motorcyclist has died following a two-vehicle crash in Lake Macquarie this morning.
About 11.40am today (Friday 5 March 2021), emergency services were called to the intersection of Mitchell Road and Ranton Street, Cardiff, following reports a motorcycle travelling north and a truck travelling south had collided.
The motorcyclist, a man believed to be aged in his 70s, was ejected before being trapped underneath a stationary vehicle until the arrival of emergency services; where he was pronounced deceased.
The 46-year-old male truck driver and the female driver of the vehicle were uninjured and taken to John Hunter Hospital for mandatory testing.
Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have dashcam footage is urged to come forward.
Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson honoured on 5th anniversary of his passing
Media are invited to Raymond Terrace Police Station tomorrow (Friday 5 March 2021), as the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District dedicates its multi-purpose training room facilities in honour of Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson.
Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson from the Port Stephens Local Area Command was killed when the police car he was driving crashed into a tree on Lovedale Road, Allandale, around 11.50pm five years ago tomorrow (Saturday 5 March 2016).
At the time, Sergeant Richardson had been driving to assist colleagues who were engaged in a pursuit. He was the only person in the car at the time of the crash.
On the fifth anniversary of his passing, Sergeant Richardson will be remembered by his final command, with the station’s multi-purpose training room at Raymond Terrace Police Station being dedicated in his name.
Aged Care work must start today
The Greens say that the Aged Care system is fundamentally broken and there needs to be a sense of urgency in fixing it.
“The Royal Commissioners set out a five year process and the work needs to start today”, Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“This reform needs to be underpinned by a new aged care act based on a human rights approach.
“For too long, aged care has been put in the too hard basket. The Royal Commission Report clearly shows that years of tinkering around the edges has fundamentally failed older Australians.
“The funding that the Government announced yesterday is not close to enough. We have to see more in the budget.
“There is no point being sorry and distressed by what has occurred if we don’t see concrete plans for substantive reform and the commitment to adequately fund them.
“The Government must act on the most serious breaches of human rights against older Australians and an essential part of that is to move swiftly to reduce and eliminate the use of restraints in aged care.
“The use of physical or chemical restraints for control, punishment, retaliation or as a measure of convenience must be prohibited. Medicines should only ever be used for therapeutic purposes and with the free and informed consent of the person receiving them or their nominee.
“Older Australians will not be properly cared for and protected until the workforce is adequately paid and trained and the number of hours of care are increased.
“Aged Care workers can no longer be seen as collateral damage in this failed system.
“For too long those doing some of the most important work in our community have been overworked and underpaid. We must value the work that they do.”
Greens say Christian Porter must stand down pending an independent inquiry
The Attorney General must stand down and there must be an independent inquiry into the rape allegations, otherwise there will be a chilling effect on survivors speaking out, said the Greens today following the revelation of the identity of the cabinet minister.
“Today’s press conference by Christian Porter denying the rape allegations will have been extremely distressing to sexual assault survivors everywhere,” said Larissa Waters, Greens Leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women.
“After the powerful speech by Grace Tame encouraging survivors to speak out, the subtext of the Attorney-General’s denials and of the Prime Minister’s dismissal of the allegations earlier this week, is that the government doesn’t believe women.
“Mr Porter’s statement is a message to all survivors of sexual assault and rape that this government does not believe them. It will have a chilling effect on survivors and will almost certainly dissuade others from coming forward.
“Women don’t need any more discouragement from reporting sexual assault and rape, already they face disbelief from the justice system and this is why so few rapes are reported and even fewer rapists are convicted.
“The Prime Minister said two years ago that he believed victims – but actions speak louder than words. The Prime Minister exonerated Mr Porter after a brief chat, but didn’t even read the 30 page dossier of allegations from the woman.
“These are serious allegations made in circumstances in which a police investigation is no longer possible. Rather than simply dismissing the claims on the basis of Mr Porter’s assurance, the Prime Minister should initiate an inquiry to satisfy himself as to whether Mr Porter is suitable to hold a position in his Cabinet.
“Mr Porter must stand aside for the duration of an independent inquiry into these allegations. It is untenable for him to remain in the role and untenable for the Prime Minister not to order an independent inquiry.
“The Greens support calls from the alleged victim’s lawyer, family and friends for a Heydon-style independent investigation. Parliament should be setting the standard for good behaviour, not using flimsy arguments about precedent setting and ancient history to protect the boys club.”
First adult mental health centre opens in Adelaide
Thousands of South Australians needing urgent mental health assistance will now be able to access cutting edge out-of-hospital care, with the doors opened this week at a nation-first mental health centre that is an alternative to a hospital Emergency Department.
The $14m Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) in Adelaide is the first of eight to be opened under a $114.5 million trial funded by the Australian Government.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the Adelaide Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) would give adults access to a range of mental health support services during extended operating hours, from midday to midnight.
“This centre is a genuine alternative to the hospital emergency department. People seeking help, especially in times of crisis, will have access to on-the-spot treatment, advice, and support provided by a variety of mental health professionals,” Minister Hunt said.
“The past year has been challenging for all Australians. The pandemic has led to many people seeking support for their mental health for the first time. Making sure that help is easily accessible and with a welcoming door for people in distress is the aim. The adult mental health centres will address a gap in the mental health system between general practice and hospitals.”
The UMHCC will have extended operating hours, from midday to midnight, which is the peak time of mental health presentation to EDs. It will initially accommodate up to 6 patients at a time, with a maximum capacity of 18 patients by May.
South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Stephen Wade, officially opened the centre and said the UMHCC delivers on the Marshall Liberal Government’s commitment to provide better services for people with mental health challenges.
“By delivering best practice crisis care, the UMHCC will not only reduce pressure on our EDs, but also reduce the time people seeking urgent help need to wait for care, freeing up hospital space and improving patient flow,” Minister Wade said.
In South Australia, there were more than 25,700 mental health presentations to EDs in metropolitan Adelaide last year. The new centre will focus on the approximately 12,800 mental health consumers who presented to EDs but did not need to be admitted to hospital to have their urgent care needs met.
Not-for-profit organisation Neami National has a long history of delivering mental health supports that are tailored to meet individual and community needs and was selected as the service provider of the UMHCC through an open tender process last year.
Neami will deliver the service in partnership with not-for-profit provider, RI International, international leaders in evidence-based services responding to people experiencing mental health distress and suicidal crises.
Chief Psychiatrist, Dr John Brayley, said that while the centre is the first of its kind in Australia, it is based on an effective ‘living room’ model that RI international has successfully implemented in a number of US cities.
“The design of the new UMHCC will include consultation rooms, and a ‘living room’ environment for people to sit in rather than hospital-style cubicles. There will be mental health peer workers, working alongside a clinical team including nursing, allied, and medical staff to provide high levels of engagement and support to people in crisis,” Dr Brayley said.
Neami National CEO, Tom Dalton, said the UMHCC will aim to demonstrate how new approaches, built on trust and a shared vision, can lead to better outcomes for people in crisis.
“Navigating the extensive range of mental health services available in communities can be challenging, especially in times of acute need,” Mr Dalton said. “More than half of the UMHCC’s multi-disciplinary team will have a lived experience of mental health recovery. The team work together to offer consumers immediate assessment, triage and treatment, and, where necessary, actively communicate with referral services to provide essential information about patient needs before any transfer.
“The centre’s model of care has been co-designed with people who have lived experience of recovery, as well as their family carers and supporters. This will amplify our impact, resulting in a recovery-focused service that will meet the urgent needs of people in Adelaide.
The services on offer at the centre include support and information for individuals, carers and families; psychological therapies; care coordination to help navigate the broader health system and connect to other appropriate services, including psychosocial supports; local outreach to meet the needs of vulnerable groups; specialised suicide prevention follow-up services; culturally safe services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and assistance to manage comorbid substance misuse.
The UMHCC is located at 215 Grenfell Street, Adelaide and is open from 12pm to 12am every day. It will initially be open to referrals from SA Ambulance Service, SA Police and the emergency mental health phone line – the SA Mental Health Triage Service on 13 14 65. Over time the centre will expand to accept walk-in presentations and community referrals.
The seven other centres are expected to open in other jurisdictions by the end of next year.
Using our resources strengths to grow manufacturing
The Morrison Government is leveraging Australia’s world-leading critical mineral and resources sector to create more jobs and economic opportunities for manufacturing businesses with the release of a new ten year plan.
The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing road map shows how businesses can capitalise on Australia’s access to resources, which will be needed to manufacture many new technologies.
Applications under the Government’s $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative also opened today to projects in the priority area, to help manufacturers scale-up production, commercialise products and tap into global supply chains.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was focused on continuing to rebuild and grow the economy, with manufacturing playing a key role in the COVID-19 recovery.
“Yesterday’s national accounts showed the comeback of the Australian economy is well underway and manufacturing businesses and jobs will be central to our National Economic Recovery Plan as we build back from the COVID-19 recession,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy is at the heart of our JobMaker plan and it’s focused on growing our entire manufacturing sector.
“Our Modern Manufacturing Initiative will help position Australia as not just a global leader in the resources sector but also in the manufacturing of the technology used, as well as turning the raw materials into value-added products.
“Today’s funding will help unlock investment from industry to help build manufacturing capability and competitiveness in Australia’s resources sector while taking advantage of a significant global growth sector.
“This investment and this Roadmap will support jobs across Australia, particularly in our resource rich regions like the Hunter, Western Australia and Central Queensland.”
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the new Roadmap set out a ten-year vision to build sophisticated manufacturing capability in Australia in the resources sector.
“Opportunities outlined in the Roadmap include turning critical minerals into high value products like batteries and solar cells, as well as technologies and equipment that makes mining more efficient and safe,” Minister Andrews said.
“This funding will back businesses to pursue those opportunities and turn innovative ideas into high-value products so we can build on Australia’s competitive advantage and secure greater investment and market share.”
This Roadmap complements the Government’s initiatives to reduce electricity prices, boost liquid fuels security and invest in low emissions energy technology through Australia’s Technology Investment Roadmap.
Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said it also complements the Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
“The Government is committed to bringing on new supplies of critical minerals and developing this emerging sector to meet growing global demand,” he said.
“Developing our critical minerals processing capability will ensure Australian companies can move down the value chain, getting greater value out of the products they produce.”
The Roadmap also identifies how we can develop our resources technology to maximise efficiencies in our high performing resources sector.
“Our focus on resource technology will also support the development of new ideas to improve mine productivity, process efficiency and safety. As the sector’s productivity grows so does the Australian economy, benefiting all Australians,” Minister Pitt said.
The road maps in the remaining priority areas will be released in coming weeks to coincide with the opening of their respective MMI funding rounds.
The remaining road maps are; Food and Beverage, Recycling and Clean Energy, and Defence.
Initial applications will be limited to the Translation and Integration streams of the MMI, with expressions of interest for the larger Collaboration stream to open in coming months.
For more information on the road maps and available grant funding visit industry.gov.au/manufacturing .