16 News

More than 8.7 million customers have travelled on the country’s busiest bus route, in just 12 months, and from today they can pay with their card or device of choice.
The Bondi Link service is celebrating its first birthday, on the same day contactless technology was switched on across the entire Opal network.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said the achievement marks a significant milestone in this Australian first transport innovation.
“The Bondi Link service has carried more customers than the state’s population in its first year of operation, an average of 22,000 a day.
“The great news is those customers now have the ease of tapping on with a whole range of options, including debit and credit cards,” Mr Constance said.
Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said the turn up and go bus model proved a big hit.
“My community wanted a better bus service and our Government has delivered it through Bondi Link, which has made more than 124,000 trips in 12 months,” Ms Upton said.
State Transit CEO Steffen Faurby said he was proud the government-owned bus operator could deliver improved services for customers in the eastern suburbs.
“Bondi Link has clocked up around 1.3 million in-service kilometres on daily travels from Bondi Beach to Circular Quay. To put that distance into perspective, the fleet has gone around earth’s circumference more than 32 times.”
Buses today joined trains, ferries, light rail and Metro in allowing customers to tap on and off with their credit card, debit card or linked device – like a smartphone.
“This achievement marks the final piece of the contactless payments puzzle,” Mr Constance said.
Customers using this payment method can access all the same fare benefits of an Adult Opal card, including the weekly travel reward and transfer discount.
American Express, Mastercard and Visa are accepted and customers can tap on and off using mobile wallets on smartphones, tablets and wearable devices linked to these cards.

First homebuyers have saved more than a billion dollars in stamp duty thanks to the NSW Government’s Housing Affordability Strategy which was introduced in July 2017.
More than 67,800 homebuyers having now taken advantage of the opportunity to save up to $24,740 in stamp duty when purchasing their first home.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government was delivering on its promise to make it easier for people to own a home.
“I made it a priority to help first homebuyers get the keys to their first home and today’s figures show we are doing just that,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Our reforms are taking the pressure off people trying to get ahead and as a Government we will never lose sight of the fact that behind every number is a person who now has a place to call home.”
The share of first homebuyers entering the NSW property market has increased from 17.3 per cent in July 2017 to 27.5 per cent in July this year, according to ABS lending data.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said he was delighted to see the increase in first homebuyers, many of whom also benefitted from the NSW Government’s $10,000 First Home Owner Grant.
“For most people a home is the biggest investment they will ever make, and we are determined to give as many people as possible the opportunity to make the great Australian dream a reality,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The stamp duty concession combined with the First Home Owner Grant can save buyers more than $32,000, which is significant when making a property purchase.”
The scheme eliminates stamp duty for first homebuyers purchasing a new or existing property valued up to $650,000 and provides stamp duty savings for purchases of homes valued between $650,000 and $800,000.
The First Home Owner Grant of up to $10,000 is available for new housing constructions valued up to $600,000, or for land and a new construction you intend to build valued up to $750,000.
Finance Minister Damien Tudehope said the initiatives were proving extremely popular.
“We are seeing a lot more first homebuyers getting the keys to their first home reflecting the success of this program,” Mr Tudehope said.
Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Lending to Households and Businesses report show lending to first homebuyers had the biggest increase of all lending categories, with a six per cent jump in July.
First homebuyers can learn more on the Revenue NSW https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/.

The world’s first mobile phone detection camera program will be rolled out in NSW by the end of the year.
Minister for Roads Andrew Constance and Minister for Regional Roads Paul Toole said the cameras will crack down on drivers illegally using their mobile phones.
During the Government’s recent six month pilot, the safety technology provided by tech company Acusensus checked 8.5 million vehicles and found more than 100,000 drivers using their phones illegally.
“Unfortunately some people haven’t received the message and think they can continue to put the safety of themselves, their passengers and the community at risk without consequence,” Mr Constance said.
“There is strong community support for more enforcement to stop illegal mobile phone use with 80 per cent of people we surveyed supporting use of the mobile phone detection cameras.”
The program will operate in warning letter mode for the first three months to reinforce the ‘get your hand off it’ message. If you offend after that, you’ll cop a $344 fine and five demerit points.
“The decision to pick up your phone can have fatal consequences. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving on a busy city motorway or on an isolated road in the bush – there’s just no excuse for using your phone illegally,” Mr Toole said.
“Independent modelling has shown that these cameras could prevent around 100 fatal and serious injury crashes over five years.”
Managing Director of Acusensus Alexander Jannink lost a friend in an accident caused by a distracted and impaired driver.
“We are committed to supporting the NSW Government’s pioneering initiative to reduce the significant loss and trauma caused by illegal phone use on the road network,” Mr Jannink said.
“We know from the success of the pilot and other enforcement technology programs that the deployment of the Acusensus Heads-Up solution will drive behavioural change and improve the safety of road users.”
Road safety advocate Vicki Richardson founded the ‘Don’t-txt-n-drive’ foundation to raise awareness of driver distraction after her daughter Brooke lost her life at age 20 in a crash caused by using her phone while driving.
“Brooke was driving to work and she decided to text a client. That was the last decision she ever made. Working Towards Zero is very important to me,” Ms Richardson said.
NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, said more than 16,500 people had been caught using a mobile phone while driving so far this year.
“When you drive while using a phone, your attention is not on the road, on other cars, pedestrians, or on other dangers and it poses a risk to everyone who uses the road,” Mr Corboy said.
“There is simply no excuse for it.”
The mobile phone detection camera program will be supported by a comprehensive road safety campaign including online information and public education.
The program will start later this year and progressively expand to perform 135 million vehicle checks annually by 2023.
The program will include fixed cameras and relocatable trailer-mounted versions of the technology. The transportable cameras will move across a network of locations statewide, targeting illegal mobile phone use anywhere, anytime.
The Privacy Commissioner has been involved in ongoing consultation during the pilot regarding the privacy protection measures incorporated into the program.

Visitor numbers to the new Sydney Fish Market are set to more than double to over five million a year, cementing the markets as one of Australia’s leading tourist attractions, and also as a driver of job creation and reinvigoration of the Pyrmont area.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes, today announced Government approval of a $750 million investment in the project.
“One in five international tourists to Sydney visit the existing Fish Markets and it’s the second-most visited attraction in Sydney behind the Opera House,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“In addition to the clear benefits for Pyrmont, the new market will be a boon for regional communities as a showcase for the very best seafood from along the NSW coast.”
The building was designed by Danish architects 3XN, in association with Sydney based BVN and Aspect Studios to meet the unique needs of market operations, and represents a substantial step beyond an indicative concept launched in 2016.
The building will have a 6-star green star rating, including advanced water efficiency to cut use of the precious resource by half, and solar electricity generation.
Mr Stokes said the project will include public promenades, a ferry wharf and more than 30,000 square metres of new public open space across the precinct for the community.
“Relocating the fish market to the head of Blackwattle Bay will improve pedestrian and cycling links and connect more of Glebe and Pyrmont to the water as part of the long-awaited revitalisation of the area,” Mr Stokes said.
Two State Significant Development Applications, one for the demolition of the existing wharves and site preparation, the other for main works including the construction of the new fish market facility, will soon be placed on public exhibition.
A two-stage procurement process for demolition and construction will also commence shortly. Subject to planning approval and award of a contract, early works will begin in late-2020 and the new Sydney Fish Market will open for operations in 2024.

Master-planning for the current fish market site will be subject to community consultation which will commence once the Greater Sydney Commission’s Pyrmont Planning Review is complete.