Author: admin

Work has officially commenced on the $75 million redevelopment of Concord Oval which will transform the suburban oval into a world class sporting, recreation and community hub.
The Redevelopment of Concord Oval (ROCO) project is an initiative of the NSW and Federal Government in partnership with Canada Bay Council and Wests Tigers. It will create recreation spaces for the rapidly growing inner west population and include a Centre of Excellence for the Wests Tigers.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the project would improve quality of life for inner west families.
“I’m proud to say that we committed $42 million worth of funding to make this happen. Quality public spaces are vital for our well-being and this project reimagines space around the oval for the inner-west community to enjoy,” Mr Stokes said.
“As well, it will create 1000 jobs during construction and provide a major boost to the construction industry as we rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the redevelopment was an initiative of the Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program which invests in projects that revitalise the Parramatta Road corridor.
“The project delivers on the NSW Government’s commitment to improve open space and active transport links between the inner west and Parramatta,” Mr Constance said.
Acting Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the sport precinct, inclusive of the Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence, would support community participation in sport and the development of promising young male and female players from the inner west and south-west Sydney.
“The Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence will feature high-performance training, education and administration facilities as well as dedicated multi-purpose community facilities to enable the club to expand its community programs,” Mr Lee said.
Member for Drummoyne John Sidoti said the redevelopment provided benefits for the entire community.
“The inner west is already the greatest place to live in Australia and the project will provide social and recreational benefits that will make the area an even better place to work, live and play,” Mr Sidoti said.
Federal Member for Reid Fiona Martin said in a multicultural seat like Reid, sport plays an important role in creating social cohesion within our diverse community, particularly among young people.
“The significant upgrade to Concord Oval will strengthen the Wests Tigers’ links to community members, while also strengthening our local economy by generating jobs and bringing spectators from all over Sydney to enjoy the facilities,” Dr Martin said.
Mayor of Canada Bay Council Councillor Angelo Tsirekas said the Concord Oval precinct will secure essential open community space for a growing population.
“This project will secure public access to the site and offer essential community facilities to residents and visitors including an outdoor basketball court, playground, café, community rooms for hire, all alongside exceptional public art paying homage to the site’s historical significance.”
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said the project was a genuine alignment between an elite sporting facility and community engagement as the organisation looks to deliver further positive social outcomes.
“It will not only drive positive social value for our community but enable Wests Tigers to operate out of a facility that will be the envy of our competitors — creating a legacy piece for our club, players and staff as well as our Members and stakeholders.
The Redevelopment of Concord Oval is scheduled for completion in early 2022.

NSW has taken another step to improve women’s safety and wellbeing, launching a $1.8 million pilot program to screen for domestic violence in six hospital emergency departments.
The Domestic Violence Screening and Response in Emergency Departments pilot program has been funded by the Commonwealth Government under the national Health Innovation Fund.
Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman said the program offers the widest scale of domestic violence screening of its kind in Australian emergency departments.
“This program will help identify domestic violence so that crucial steps can be taken to protect victim-survivors from harm. And we couldn’t launch it at a better time – as the 16 Days of Activism to help eradicate gender-based violence continues,” Mr Speakman said.
One in four women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner, and on average, one woman is killed in Australia every nine days by a current or former partner.
Domestic violence is more prevalent among emergency department users than in most other healthcare and community settings, as it’s a 24-hour service with relative anonymity.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said women who experienced domestic violence could be assured of the best possible care and discretion in emergency departments.
“Our emergency department staff are there to help so if a woman is identified as experiencing domestic violence, health workers will speak with her to better understand her needs and any concerns around wellbeing and safety,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Depending on her individual needs, she may also be provided with further support from NSW Health, or be referred to other support services that can help provide protection and break the cycle of violence.”
As part of the process, health workers will also ask about the safety and wellbeing of children and ensure that any risks are appropriately responded to in partnership with the woman.
Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the pilot project was a welcome addition to routine screening services already available in other areas including mental health, maternity, child and family health services.
“This ground-breaking pilot means we will be able identify more instances of domestic violence and intervene early to protect women and save lives,” Mrs Taylor said.
The pilot program will run for 12 months in six public hospital emergency departments – that cannot be identified for safety reasons – with a view to expanding it statewide, depending on the evaluation findings.
For more information on NSW Health services and programs that prevent and respond to violence, abuse and neglect, visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/violence-abuse-neglect.aspx.

A panel of 100 leading design experts will be charged with improving the quality of the built environment across NSW.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the new State Design Review Panel pool has been appointed to provide independent expert advice on State Significant development and infrastructure projects and precincts.
“Iconic buildings and structures like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge put Sydney on the map and it’s so important that we maintain design excellence with our new projects,” Mr Stokes said.
“The new State Design Review Panel will build on the great work of the pilot program launched in 2018, which guided the development of more than 100 public and private projects worth almost $9 billion.
“A survey of participants in the pilot program found the Panel provided greater certainty, stronger design outcomes and in many cases sped up the process. This panel, alongside the soon-to-be-released Design and Place SEPP, will ensure strong design principles are considered every step of the way.
“NSW residents will also be relieved to note that the Treasurer Dom Perrottet has not been selected for the Design Review Panel.”
NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin said the expanded panel will play a vital role in shaping the design of the State at a critical time.
“The unprecedented investment in infrastructure and the Government’s commitment to create greener places and great public spaces create an exciting climate for panel members to play a role,” Ms Galvin said.
“It’s fantastic to see such a diverse panel with a wide range of skills and expertise, including six Aboriginal design and cultural experts who will help ensure Aboriginal culture and heritage are integral to the design of places in NSW.”
The panel is made up of 88 independent members with expertise across a range of areas including architecture, landscape architecture, urban design,  Aboriginal and European heritage and sustainability, and 12 State Government design champions.
For more information visit www.governmentarchitect.nsw.gov.au

Visitors to the Australian Museum will soon be able to explore the $57.5 million renovation that has delivered an increase in floor space for exhibitions, the introduction of education facilities, a new museum shop open and a second café.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government has made general admissions free to the public until 30 June 2021 to celebrate the reopening of the museum.
“The Australian Museum is the country’s oldest museum so it is only fitting this world class institution has an upgraded home in the heart of Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We want everyone to have the opportunity to explore the natural wonders of the world, learn about our history and be inspired by our culture.”
The 15 month renovation, known as Project Discover, was delivered on time and on budget. It included repurposing back-of-house areas to more than 3,000sqm of new public space, which will allow the museum to host one major travelling international exhibition or two smaller exhibitions at the same time.
Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said the Australian Museum was an important cultural home for the people of NSW and all Australians.
“Our Cultural Institutions come alive when we immerse ourselves in them, and the renewed and expanded Australian Museum is for everyone to enjoy. People can meet and spend time together, escape to a space of natural discovery, and explore,” Mr Harwin said.
“The Museum’s transformation has put it firmly on the world stage, yet it remains a truly Australian museum and an iconic part of Sydney’s own backyard.”
The NSW Government contributed more than $50 million to the Project Discover renovation.
The Australian Museum will reopen with free general admission to the public on Saturday 28 November 2020. Visitors will be required to register their contact details on arrival for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes.
For more information on exhibitions at the Australian Museum visit: https://australian.museum/