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One of the largest health projects in NSW is on track to deliver world-class care to local communities for decades to come following the 2019-20 Budget’s commitment to a record $26.7 billion investment in health.
This includes a $2.7 billion spend on health infrastructure in 2019-20, up 27 per cent on last year.  This brings the Government’s health capital spending over the next four years to a record $10.1 billion – a 25 per cent increase on last year’s Budget.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard at Westmead to mark a major milestone for the Central Acute Services Building.
“This redevelopment is just one of 200 health projects completed or in progress since 2011 that the Liberals & Nationals Government has funded, and the 2019-20 Budget will ensure the cranes keep moving,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This Government has a strong track record when it comes to delivering new and upgraded hospitals and health facilities, and this year’s Budget is no exception.”
Mr Perrottet said the building, due for completion in 2020, was an investment in the future health of the people of NSW.
“The $1 billion-plus Westmead precinct redevelopment provides NSW with a cutting-edge health, innovation and education precinct,” Mr Perrottet said.
“When the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government promises to deliver world-class health services we do it and our record speaks for itself.”
Mr Perrottet said $10.1 billion, including hospital redevelopments and lease acquisitions, will be invested over four years to continue current works and commence upgrading and building a further 29 health infrastructure projects.
Within the next term, funding will ensure the delivery of four new hospitals on greenfield sites for communities at Maitland, Macksville, Mudgee and in the Tweed.
Mr Hazzard said the record investment in health infrastructure mirrors the never-before-seen funding in services and the frontline health workforce, with 8,300 additional frontline staff over the next four years.
“Whether you’re in the Tweed or in Tumut, Westmead or Wyong, Macksville or Mona Vale, all across NSW, direct and indirect jobs are being created through health builds,” Mr Hazzard said.
“We are future-proofing the health system to ensure no matter where you live in this vast State, you and your loved ones have access to care and support close to home.”
The record $2.7 billion health infrastructure investment in 2019-20 will enable the following works:

• Commencement of new works John Hunter Hospital ($780 million), the Children’s Hospital at Westmead ($619 million) and Tumut Hospital ($50 million)
• Continuing works at Griffith Hospital, Goulburn Hospital, Hornsby Hospital and Mona Vale Hospital
• New hospital car parks at Liverpool, Shellharbour and Wagga Wagga
• Planning for major projects including Sutherland Hospital, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network at Randwick and the Comprehensive Children’s Cancer Centre, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Other highlights of the health capital works investment for 2019-20 includes continuing work on the Nepean Hospital and Integrated Ambulatory Services redevelopment, the Randwick campus reconfiguration and expansion, the Concord Hospital upgrade and the Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment.
The new Westmead building, a collaboration between Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney, will transform healthcare in western Sydney and provide a base for ground-breaking health research to benefit every Australian.
Key features of the new building include:

• Two new emergency departments – one for adults and one for children
• Digital operating theatres
• Expanded imaging, pharmacy and logistics
• Additional patient rooms, and
• Education, training and research embedded into every floor.

The NSW Government has committed a record $4 billion for the NSW Police Force in the 2019-20 NSW Budget and will deliver five new world-class stations and a new education and training centre.
Police infrastructure will get a $100 million boost, with new stations to be built in Bega, Goulburn, Jindabyne, Perisher and Thredbo, and significant upgrades for police stations in Bathurst and Bourke. A new state of the art training and education facility in Dubbo will ensure police officers receive the very best training as they put their lives on the line every day to prevent and disrupt crime.
The NSW Government will also commit $16.6 million over four years to continue preventative health and wellbeing initiatives for police officers as part of the Workforce Improvement Program.
A $5 million CCTV grant scheme for small businesses and community organisations in Western and South-Western Sydney will help clamp down on street crime and anti-social behaviour while gathering intelligence for investigators. A commitment of $1.6 million for 800 MobiPol devices will expand on the field access to police systems and databases and will support the state-wide rollout of the Digital Driver Licence.
“There has never been a Government with such a relentless determination to assist police as they work to protect our communities. These new and upgraded stations and a new training centre are examples of the vital infrastructure required to ensure officers have the right support,” Minister for Police David Elliott said.
The NSW Government’s $100 million investment in NSW Police Force infrastructure includes:

• $13 million for Bega Police Station;
• $25 million for Goulburn Police Station;
• $13 million for Jindabyne Area Police Stations Program, including Perisher and Thredbo;
• $7 million for major upgrades to Bourke Police Station;
• $7 million for major upgrades to Bathurst Police Station; and
• $35 million for the Dubbo Regional Education and Training Centre.

“Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has the frontline officers, new infrastructure and advanced technologies to combat and reduce crime in both regional and metropolitan NSW. Only the Liberals & Nationals have an economic record which can deliver the funding to support police on the ground as they work to keep us safe, no matter where you live in NSW,” he said.

The 2019-20 NSW Budget will deliver total funding of $1.7 billion for emergency services agencies, including Fire and Rescue NSW, Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service and the Office of Emergency Management, to ensure optimum response to disasters and accidents across the State.
Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said Marine Rescue NSW will receive funding of $37.6 million over the next four years to enhance its rescue capabilities with 38 new rescue vessels, an upgraded operational centre and improvements to the marine radio network to eliminate black spots along the South Coast of NSW and the Hawkesbury River.
As part of this investment, the NSW Government will deliver a new rescue unit on Lord Howe Island, as well as new or upgraded bases and boat buildings at Tweed Heads, Ballina, Narooma, Lake Macquarie, Middle Harbour, Newcastle and the Central Coast.
“Many of our emergency services organisations in NSW exist because volunteers take time out of their lives to respond in an instant to an accident or disaster. The whole community appreciates their strength and efforts,” Mr Elliott said.
The Volunteer Rescue Association will receive $18.8 million over four years to deliver 30 new rescue trucks, including 18 medium rescue trucks and 12 quick response trucks, to help volunteers respond to road crashes, land searches and even ski-related rescues.
Surf Life Saving NSW have embraced a technology boom supported by the NSW Government’s $16 million investment to fund new jet skis and vehicles, additional emergency response beacons, community engagement officers and an innovative new beach Wi-Fi project to educate tourists.
Emergency Management will be strengthened with $6.6 million over four years to guarantee the operation of an Emergency Alert System, which is a warning system used by emergency services to issue voice messages to landlines and texts to mobile phones.
Surfing NSW will receive $1 million over four years to deliver training in life saving board rescue methods and CPR to around 10,000 beachgoers. Finally, the Government will provide funding to build a new fire station in Kingscliff as well as planning funding for a new co-located Fire & Rescue NSW and ambulance station in Lismore.

Tourism delivered $38.8 billion in visitor spend into the State’s economy last year with NSW Government investing another $141 million to consolidate record visitation to regional NSW from domestic and international visitors.
Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said it’s no accident that 38.9 million international and domestic overnight visitors spent in excess of 203 million nights in NSW last year.
“The NSW Government worked hard last year to ensure this beautiful state stays on the top of the dream destination list for tens of millions not only for its magnificent coastline, iconic harbour, top notch wine regions and stunning outback but for its ability to attract world class events” Mr Ayres said.
“Not only do we stage the events the other states want, but we develop our own big, bright ideas like Vivid Sydney which is the largest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with 2.25 million visitors who spent $173 million in 2018.
“We have secured or retained a total of 780 major events since March 2011, just over 200 of these were in Sydney with the rest shared between regional NSW and Western Sydney, ensuring the $3.5 billion generated by visitor spend for events is shared across the state.
“This Budget will ensure we can deliver the best visitor experience possible for those who attend the major events already in the pipeline and will help us keep 171,000 people employed, that’s one in every 22 people, across the state as we work towards our goal of reaching $55 billion in overnight expenditure by 2030.”
“Regional tourism plays a big part in getting us closer to that goal and already contributes $19.5 billion to the state, directly employing over 90 000 people.”
Strong marketing campaigns and a reputation for rolling out world class events to the highest standard has helped secure a raft of unique and exclusive events to NSW in 2019-20 including Disney’s Frozen, the HSBC Sydney Sevens, NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final and the musical Hamilton.
Destination NSW will continue to support Business Events Sydney’s operations to build on the 448,000 overnight international business visitors who spent an average $249 a night – almost double the spend of an overnight leisure visitor.

The 2019-20 NSW Budget includes a $12.5 million investment that could transform the lives of people living with disease. The investment delivers on an election commitment that will accelerate medical and technological research, and generate an estimated 5,000 new jobs.
The funding will be used to create a new world class precinct for business, scientists and start-ups at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney, which is already working on cutting edge treatments for cancers and other diseases.
Minister for Innovation Kevin Anderson said the new Nuclear Medicine and Technology Hub will help develop cutting edge nuclear medical and technological research.
“This is a world-leading nuclear research facility that’s using ground breaking technology to develop particle therapy, create new medical treatments for inoperable cancers, and monitor the progression of diseases, among other things,” Mr Anderson said.
The centrepiece of ANSTO’s work is the Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) reactor, which is one of only six nuclear reactors in the world that can produce commercial quantities of radioisotopes.
The NSW Government’s $12.5 million of funding will be delivered over five years to: • Create incubators for nuclear medicine and technology businesses, giving start-ups access to cutting edge technology and some of the best science in Australia; • Help establish a graduate institute, including 25 new scholarships for PhD students; and  • Drive collaboration between startups, researchers and industry to grow advanced technology businesses in NSW.
Member for Holsworthy Melanie Gibbons said ANSTO is working towards making Australia a global leader in the supply of nuclear medicine.
“This $12.5 million investment will help to boost innovation in the region, with ANSTO’s work having the potential to change the lives of thousands of people,” Ms Gibbons said.
Member for Heathcote Lee Evans said southern Sydney will benefit greatly from the Hub.
“We have some of the best scientific minds already working at ANSTO in Lucas Heights, and this funding will help put southern Sydney on the map as an innovation powerhouse,” Mr Evans said.

The NSW Government is encouraging farmers to embrace new technologies in order to do work more safely and more efficiently, with new funding announced for drone rebates as part of the 2019-20 NSW Budget.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said the rebate is part of an extra $2.8 million dollars in funding that will also extend the popular Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program.
“On farm safety is extremely important to the agricultural industry and sadly, something that often gets forgotten,” Mr Anderson said.
“We’re serious about helping farmers make better choices when it comes to on farm safety, which is why this significant funding extension is such a critical investment.
Mr Anderson said camera-equipped drone technology is helping farmers carry out a range of activities without the risk of injury or death as a result of a quad bike accident.
“Tragically there have been seven quad bike related fatalities in NSW since 2017, including two children under the age of 16,” Mr Anderson said.
“The good news is we are making a difference with this program – fatalities and incidents are trending downwards.”
Since SafeWork’s Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program was introduced, more than 3,000 farmers have accessed it, and about 250 training events have been held around NSW.
The program offers a rebate of up to $500 to purchase drone technology and two rebates worth up to $1,000 each to replace an existing quad bike, or have it fitted with safety equipment like roll bars, as well as a free helmet and training. Each farming ABN is eligible for up to $2000 in rebates.
Farmers can apply for the Quad Bike Safety rebates on the SafeWork website. For more information visit www.safework.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50.