NSW GOVERNMENT WEEKLY UPDATE – 1 APRIL 2021

METRO SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM STIMULUS PROJECTS

  • More than 190 schools will receive priority upgrades, including improvements to playgrounds, sports courts and libraries, thanks to Tranche 2 of the $120 million NSW Government Metro Renewal Program.
  • Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell visited Homebush Boys High School to announce the projects that will receive funding.
  • Ms Berejiklian said the NSW Government is committed to ensuring students across NSW have access to quality school facilities.
  • The NSW Government is investing $7 billion over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver more than 200 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.

RECOVERY CENTRES OPEN IN FLOOD-AFFECTED AREAS

  • Dedicated community Recovery Centres are now open, providing face-to-face support for NSW residents affected by recent rainfall and subsequent extreme flooding.
  • The first Recovery Centres are located in Port Macquarie, Taree and Laurieton with another opening in Macksville.
  • Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said the NSW Government, community organisations, and welfare bodies will work from the recovery centres to assist individuals, businesses, farmers and landholders dealing with the fallout from the record-breaking storms and flooding.
  • For those wanting to be assisted remotely, and for more information on all available disaster assistance, please contact the Disaster Customer Care Service at Service NSW on 13 77 88 or online via service.nsw.gov.au.

FIRST RIDE ON NEW INTERCITY FLEET

  • Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance went for their first test ride on one of the next-generation fleet of intercity trains.
  • Premier Berejiklian says the New Intercity Fleet will offer unprecedented levels of comfort, convenience and reliability for passengers.
  • A date for the train to enter service will be determined once staff training and operational readiness activities have been completed in the coming months.

NSW OPEN FOR BUSINESS WITH NEW AGENCY- INVESTMENT NSW LEADING THE WAY

  • Investment NSW, a new NSW Government agency, is open for business, reinforcing the State’s position as the economic engine room of the country.
  • Premier Berejiklian says the new agency will drive local and global investment and create the jobs of the future for NSW, showing the world that the State is open for business.
  • For more information about Investment NSW visit https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/

LICENCE FEES WAIVED FOR FLOOD IMPACTED COMMUNITIES

  • The NSW Government is waiving fees for the costs of replacing up to 35 different types of SafeWork and Fair Trading licenses for flood affected communities.
  • Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro and Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson announced tens of thousands of NSW residents impacted by the devastating recent floods will benefit from the waivers.
  • For more information on licence fee waivers please visit here and here.
  • For more information on hazards around your property following storms and floods, read SafeWork NSW’s fact sheet here.

MORE BUS SERVICES FOR SYDNEY’S WEST

  • Bus customers will soon benefit from better connections and more frequent trips across north west and western Sydney, with more than 2,000 additional weekly services starting next month.
  • Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the changes will provide commuters with new and improved services, with more options across the entire day.
  • Suburbs that will benefit from the bus improvements include Pitt Town, McGraths Hill, Box Hill, Rouse Hill, Riverstone, Schofields, Marsden Park, Mt Druitt, Erskine Park, St Clair, St Marys, Werrington, Jordan Springs, Penrith, Wetherill Park, Prairiewood, Smithfield, Fairfield and Bonnyrigg.

MORE THAN $4 MILLION AWARDED TO NSW COMMUNITY SPORT

  • More than 700 community sporting organisations across NSW are set to benefit from the NSW Government’s $4 million Local Sport Grants Program.
  • The program provides grants to sporting organisations to increase and remove barriers to participation, purchase equipment and improve facilities with 831 grants awarded to 728 sporting organisations representing 58 different sports.
  • For further information on the Local Sport Grants Program, visit:https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/localsport

EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKERS TO BE HONOURED

  • Nominations are now open for the 2021 Rotary Clubs and Districts of NSW Emergency Services Community Awards in recognition of our frontline emergency services personnel for service above and beyond the call of duty.
  • The awards recognise the dedication and service of emergency service personnel and volunteers from Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, NSW State Emergency Services, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW Volunteer Rescue Association, Marine Rescue NSW and Surf Life Saving NSW.
  • Nominations will close on Sunday 9 May 2021 and the finalists will be announced on Wednesday 16 June 2021.
  • Members of the public and emergency service workers are encouraged to submit nominations online via the awards website at https://nsw.rescawards.org.au/.

FREE HYGIENE PRODUCTS FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS

  • Free menstrual hygiene products will be available to students in two pilot regions in NSW ahead of a wider rollout.
  • Information about the products and their availability has been supplied to principals and schools will educate students who are likely to access the products as well as distributing materials to their community.

NEW LAW PROTECTS PETS FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • Domestic violence victim-survivors and their companion animals will have greater protections from abuse under new laws that commenced this weekend.
  • Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman said the protection of animals will now be a standard Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) condition after reforms passed Parliament in November.

PLAN AHEAD THIS EASTER LONG WEEKEND

  • Drivers are being urged to plan ahead before travelling this Easter long weekend, with a number of roads still closed across NSW due to the recent wild weather.
  • Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said maintenance crews are out in force fixing roads which suffered significant damage during flooding over the past two weeks.
  • More information on how to best plan your journey is available at http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/holiday-journeys

AN EGGSCELLENT END TO DAYLIGHT SAVING

  • Clocks wind back an hour this Easter Sunday, marking the end of dark starts to cooler days.
  • Daylight saving ends officially at 3am on Sunday, 4 April, when clocks go back an hour to 2am. Most internet connected devices will update automatically, but for manual clocks don’t forget to make the adjustment before turning in on Easter Saturday.

MORE THAN $4 MILLION AWARDED TO NSW COMMUNITY SPORT

More than 700 community sporting orgranisations across NSW are set to benefit from the NSW Government’s $4 million Local Sport Grants Program.
The program provides grants to sporting organisations to increase and remove barriers to participation, purchase equipment and improve facilities with 831 grants awarded to 728 sporting organisations representing 58 different sports.
Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the grants would provide a welcome lift to communities as NSW emerges from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic, bushfires and floods have created significant uncertainty for local communities across NSW,” Mr Lee said.
“Sport is the glue which keeps local communities together, and these grants acknowledge the importance of sport within our local communities, plus recognise the considerable contribution our army of sporting volunteers make on a daily basis.
“The Local Sport Grant Program is structured to help increase participation, improve facilities and increase investment, particularly in women’s sport, enabling more women and girls to participate.
“Whether it’s providing opportunities for people with a disability to play football at Randwick Football Club, purchasing jerseys and equipment for the Wiradjuri Warrior’s women’s rugby league teams or buying uniforms and equipment for multicultural kids at Rockdale City Raiders Football Club, these grants play a vital role in giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport.”
The Local Sport Grants Program awards sporting organisations up to $20,000 for projects which focus on sport development, sport access and facility development.
For further information on the Local Sport Grants Program, visit: https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/localsport

MORE BUS SERVICES FOR SYDNEY’S WEST

Bus customers will soon benefit from better connections and more frequent trips across north west and western Sydney, with more than 2,000 additional weekly services starting next month.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the changes will provide commuters with new and improved services, with more options across the entire day.
“From the 18th of April, we’ll be adding additional services and increasing the frequency of buses on existing routes, to support our customers in our growing north west and western Sydney suburbs,” Mr Constance said.
Suburbs that will benefit from the bus improvements include Pitt Town, McGraths Hill, Box Hill, Rouse Hill, Riverstone, Schofields, Marsden Park, Mt Druitt, Erskine Park, St Clair, St Marys, Werrington, Jordan Springs, Penrith, Wetherill Park, Prairiewood, Smithfield, Fairfield and Bonnyrigg.
To support the improvements, there will also be minor adjustments to some school and regular services. Schools have been notified of the changes.
Some of the improvements also deliver on commitments made as part of the NSW Government’s Growth Services Program to build a better bus network for customers.
“We’ve added more than 55,000 extra weekly services since March 2011 and are constantly reviewing the network so we can deliver better outcomes for commuters right across Sydney,” Mr Constance said.
Busways will also begin trialling an electric bus this month, operating out of the Penrith depot, making it the first electric bus to run in this region.
Customers will be able to plan their trips from early April at transportnsw.info
KEY SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
North West Sydney:

  • Route 672 (Pitt Town – Windsor): More than 70 additional weekly services.
  • Route 740 (Box Hill – Rouse Hill): New route, more than 320 new weekly services.
  • Route 741 (Box Hill – Riverstone): More than 230 additional weekly services, including new off peak, evening and weekend services.
  •  Route 746 (Riverstone – Rouse Hill via Box Hill): More than 140 additional weekly services, including new weekend services.
  • Route 747 (Mt Druitt – Rouse Hill via Plumpton, Marsden Park and Riverstone) – More than 60 additional weekly services and route extended to Mt Druitt.
  •  Route 748 (Marsden Park – Rouse Hill via Schofields and Tallawong stations) – New route, around 600 new weekly services.

Western Sydney:

  • Route 775 (St Marys – Mt Druitt via St Clair and Erskine Park) – More than 170 additional weekly services.
  • Route 776 (St Marys – Mt Druitt via St Clair) – More than 170 additional weekly services.
  • Route 783 (Penrith – Werrington station via Jordan Springs) – 50 additional weekly services, route extended to Werrington station.
  • Route 810X (Pemulwuy – Parramatta) – More than 40 additional weekly services.
  •  Route 813 (Western Sydney Parklands – Fairfield via Prairiewood) – 50 additional weekly services.
  • Route 824 (Parramatta – Westmead via South Wentworthville) – New route, more than 440 new weekly services.

Appeal to locate wanted man – Hunter region

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on an outstanding warrant in the Hunter.
Jason Soars, aged 50, is wanted by virtue of an outstanding arrest warrant for an assault offence.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District have commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 185cm to 195cm tall, with a medium build, brown hair and green/hazel eyes.
Anyone who may have seen Jason or may know of his whereabouts is urged not to approach him and to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
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.

Greens lament ALP joining Morrison on gas & 2030 targets

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says Labor at its national conference has joined the Liberals by backing gas and having no 2030 target, leaving voters who want action on climate change with only the Greens.
“Gas is as dirty as coal. If you back new gas fields, you’re not serious about stopping the climate crisis,” Bandt said.
“With Labor’s national conference falling in behind the Liberals’ gas-led recovery and refusing to adopt a 2030 target, Labor is letting Scott Morrison off the hook. No hat-tips to renewables or bare-minimum EV policies can make up for a gas-fuelled lack of 2030 climate targets.”
A clear alternative 
“After Labor dropped the ball on climate at its national conference, the only path to climate action is kicking the Liberals out and putting the Greens in balance of power. At the next election, it will be very difficult for Labor to win majority government in its own right, but with just a small shift in the vote, voters can turf Scott Morrison out and put the Greens in balance of power, where we will push Labor to go faster and further on climate change and drop Morrison’s gas-led recovery,” Bandt said.
Independent analysis shows that a small uniform swing of half a percent would produce a minority parliament, but Labor would need a swing of about 4% (which they only achieved once in the last 20 years, with Kevin07) to win government in its own right.
Gas is an emissions bomb, not a transition fuel
Recently the IPCC identified methane emissions as even worse for the climate than previously thought and adjusted its accounting for methane greenhouse impact from 25 to 28 times CO2, which the Australian government also now accepts.
“Gas isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.
“The gas cartel has ramped up its lobbying efforts and the establishment parties have fallen into line, taking their corporate donations and then voting to open up new gas fields.
“The race is now on and the next 18 months are crucial to Australia’s future. The gas industry knows that this is their last chance to lock in gas infrastructure, which in turn will lock Australia into a high-carbon future and blow any chance of meeting our international commitments,” Bandt said.

Morrison government’s failings exposed as Australia’s gender gap widens

Australia has fallen six places to 50th in the World Economic Forum’s latest global rankings on gender equality, reflecting a growing divide between men and women in terms of economic participation, health outcomes, and political empowerment.
The data also shows that the COVID pandemic has reversed almost two years of progress, with women losing their jobs at a greater rate and being re-hired at a slower rate, especially in leadership roles. Globally, closing the gender gap will now take 135.6 years, up from 99.5 years, meaning another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity.
Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women Larissa Waters said:
“These global rankings represent a damning indictment of this government’s failure to treat gender equality with any seriousness.
“Things are just not getting better – they’re actually getting worse. We’ve dropped from 15th to 50th in 15 years. We should be proud that we remain global leaders in educational parity, but there is no excuse for the growing gender gap in Australia’s economic opportunities, health outcomes and political empowerment.
“We should all be ashamed of this. If the PM’s new ‘women’s taskforce’ needed any reminding of the massive task they have ahead of them to ensure women’s safety and economic security, here it is.
“We need to see action to reverse the decline. The government needs to implement the Respect@Work recommendations; legislate to end the gender pay gap and extend the remit of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency; make early childhood education free; fix paid parental leave; and make it easier for businesses to implement flexible working arrangements.
“Australia’s gender pay gap remains over 13% and, on current trajectories, won’t be eliminated for 25 years. This gap is seeing survivors of family violence stay in abusive relationships to avoid homelessness, and more and more women retire into poverty.
“We won’t see improvements in women’s political engagement and participation until we can ensure that parliament is a safe place to work, where diverse voices are represented and listened to.
“We know what needs to be done. We just need a government willing to do it.”
https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2021

Death of Great Barrier Reef is a political choice

Yet another devastating climate change report details that the Great Barrier Reef is all but doomed without radical climate action. It begs the question: what will it take for our leaders to act?
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said immediate transformative action to reverse climate change impacts on the reef is possible, but political will and determination is lacking.
“It’s disgraceful that reports like these are becoming normalised under the Liberal Government’s watch – the destruction of our climate isn’t a natural phenomenon, it’s a political decision.
“Governments have choices around acting on climate change, and they’re making the wrong ones.
“Our Government has all the science and the technology it needs to create radical change, but it is failing miserably at showing the leadership needed for real action.
“This latest report clearly indicates that we are set to lose 70 – 99% of corals on the Great Barrier Reef unless radical action is taken now.
“If the Government isn’t motivated by common sense and decency to protect the life on this planet that sustains us, maybe the threat of losing the $5 billion in tourism income from the reef will motivate it to act?”

New requirements to protect senior Australians

New requirements starting today for aged care providers will better protect older Australians.
Launched today, The Morrison Government has invested $67.2 million to implement the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) which offers greater security and peace-of-mind for Australians in residential care settings and their families.
Under the scheme, residential aged care providers are required to manage all incidents of abuse or neglect, with a focus on the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life and reduce preventable incidents from reoccurring.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services said it was another step forward as the Morrison Government drives generational change of the sector.
“The Australian Government has never been more committed to keeping older Australians safe and supporting the dedicated staff who assist them,” Minister Colbeck said.
“Any mistreatment or assault of a care recipient is unacceptable and it is important that these incidents are managed and prevented from occurring in future.
“Today’s launch of the SIRS is a vitally important step to usher in a new era of aged care in this country – building an aged care system that puts people at its heart, and reassures families that their loved ones are safe and secure.”
From today, providers must implement and maintain an incident management system to identify, record, manage and resolve all incidents.
The scheme builds on the previous compulsory reporting and expands the range of incidents that must be reported to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
This includes unreasonable use of force, unlawful sexual contact and sexual misconduct, neglect, psychological or emotional abuse, stealing or financial coercion by a staff member, inappropriate use of restraint, unexplained absences and unexpected death.
Significantly, resident-on-resident incidents caused by someone with an assessed cognitive impairment will no longer be exempt from reporting. Lifting the exemption is in line with the recommendations in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which oversees the Serious Incident Response Scheme, will also have stronger powers to hold providers to account and insist on improvements.
A prevalence and feasibility study to inform the possible expansion of the scheme is due to report by 30 June 2021.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 venues announced

Cities across Australia have received a significant boost after being announced as host venues for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The major tournament is being held in Australia for the first time and will be co-hosted with New Zealand.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and Minister for Sport, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck said after a challenging year, this would be a win for communities across Australia, as we recover from a health and economic crisis.
The host cities and venues include:

  • Brisbane – Brisbane Stadium
  • Sydney – Stadium Australia and Sydney Football Stadium
  • Melbourne – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
  • Adelaide – Hindmarsh Stadium
  • Perth – Perth Rectangular Stadium

Minister Payne said hosting the matches in each centre would shine a light on women’s sport.
“The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will strengthen our already solid reputations as world leaders in women’s sport,” Minister Payne said.
“It will be a platform to inspire girls across Australia,” she said. “They will learn that with courage, focus and determination, they can reach any goal in sport or in life.
“That’s an important message and Australia will be delivering it to the world.”
The competition will champion the further development of women’s football in both our countries, the Asia-Pacific region and globally, creating a profound and enduring legacy for the women’s game, Minister Payne said.
The Australian Government provided $5 million to Football Federation Australia (FFA) over three years from 2016-17 to develop the joint bid “As One” with New Zealand Football.
It will be the largest FIFA Women’s World Cup in history, with FIFA expanding it from 24 to 32 teams.
Minister Colbeck said each city and regional centre would reap the benefits as FIFA hosts.
“The benefits of tourism and the injection into local economies should not be understated,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We have already witnessed the capacity of both nations to host world-class sporting events and this will now showcase Australia’s regional centres like never before.
“Witnessing the world’s best female footballers play and train in local regions is also likely to result in a significant surge in interest in local competition and that is something to celebrate.”
Minister Colbeck said the Federal Government’s support for the event aligns with both health and sports initiatives under the national sport plan – Sport 2030 – to inspire girls and women to participate in sport and increase their physical activity.
Sport 2030 has a key focus on improving attitudes towards gender equality in sport.
“Hosting the Women’s World Cup will showcase improving attitudes towards gender equality in sport and strengthen Australia’s reputation as a world leader in promoting women’s sport and as a premier host of major international sporting events.”
The past two years have seen landmark achievements in Australia for women in sport, including football, with improved pay and conditions and record crowds turning out to support our female athletes.

Man critical following assault – Maitland

Police are investigating following a serious assault in Maitland overnight.
About 10.40pm (Wednesday 31 March 2021), officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to Anne Street, East Maitland, after reports a man had been found lying in the middle of the road.
Upon arrival, police located a 51-year-old man with serious injuries to his head, face and back.
He was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.
Police established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into how the man sustained his injuries.
As inquiries continue, police are urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious between 9pm and 10.40pm in the nearby area or that may have CCTV or dashcam footage to contact Maitland Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.