Category: NSW News

The NSW Opposition wants reliable and affordable energy for households and businesses across our state.
 
Today’s ‘deal’ does not guarantee energy reliability or more affordable electricity for households and businesses.
 
The need now to extend the Eraring coal power station is due to Labor’s neglect and mismanagement of the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which will cost the NSW taxpayer up to $450 million over the coming years and doesn’t even guarantee a solution to forecasted reliability risks.

The Minns Labor Government has created uncertainty for would-be investors in new capacity and now the people of NSW face more expensive and less reliable energy.
 
Over a year ago the Minns Labor Government called for a review of the Roadmap and they have been plagued by inaction ever since. They haven’t finalised planning guidelines and, as a result, the energy industry and consumers have been left in limbo.
 
An update from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) earlier this week highlighted the risks to reliability from Labor’s failed approach to energy, including delays in delivering transmission infrastructure and battery storage projects such as the Orana battery and the Waratah Super Battery.
 
Responsibility sits with Premier Chris Minns and he should apologise for his Government’s mismanagement.

No mention was made of the costs of energy being driven up by privitisation by liberal governments.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib has urged communities across NSW to add a splash of orange to their outfits this Wear Orange Wednesday, or WOW Day, in celebration of the more than 10,000 hardworking State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers across the state.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib has urged communities across NSW to add a splash of orange to their outfits this Wear Orange Wednesday, or WOW Day, in celebration of the more than 10,000 hardworking State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers across the state.

The past few years have been busy for the NSW SES, with ongoing wet weather conditions and an increase in the number of severe weather events.

WOW Day is an opportunity for communities to say ‘thank you’ to their local SES volunteers, who do everything from flood response to helping in road accidents and bush searches, as well as providing first aid to the community.

NSW SES volunteers are among more than 100,000 emergency services volunteers across NSW who are being celebrated this National Volunteer Week. The NSW Rural Fire Service, Surf Life Saving NSW, Marine Rescue NSW, VRA Rescue NSW, and Fire and Rescue NSW Community Fire Units are also acknowledging the dedicated individuals who make up their ranks and give their time to helping others.

Over the past 12 months, NSW SES volunteers have responded to 28,000 incidents across the state. Volunteers have attended more than 20,000 storm related jobs, performed 366 flood rescues, helped at more than 600 road crashes, responded to more than 500 community first responder incidents (a specialist first aid role in rural areas) and assisted other emergency services on more than 1500 occasions.

In March this year, the NSW SES commenced a recruitment campaign, encouraging communities – particularly in regional areas – to join the volunteer emergency service. 

Get more information about how to Volunteer in the NSW SES. 

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“It’s incredibly important to acknowledge and thank volunteers for everything they do, and in turn encourage others to consider joining up to a local emergency volunteer service.”

“SES volunteers don’t expect praise or thanks, but today I’m joining many others across the state by saying thank you and adding a touch of orange to my outfit to honour their efforts.”

“This is a great opportunity to acknowledge SES volunteers, who have had a busy and, at times, challenging run, with wet weather and severe weather events impacting communities across the state.”

NSW SES Acting Commissioner Damien Johnston said:

“Today is a special day for the NSW SES, as we take a moment to reflect on the remarkable work of our volunteers across the state.”

“As we celebrate National Volunteer Week and WOW Day, now is a great time to consider donning orange overalls and joining the ranks of the NSW SES.

“Volunteering gives you the opportunity to make lifelong friends, learn new skills and improve your physical and mental health.

“We offer incredible training opportunities for all ages and abilities. Our volunteers do everything from using chainsaws to cut fallen trees, to performing logistics or intelligence roles in an incident management team.

“There is a role for everyone at the NSW SES, which is one of the greatest benefits of joining as a volunteer.”

The NSW Government is accelerating the roll out of major battery projects across the state, boosting electricity reliability to keep the lights on in NSW.

$8.4 million in new funds has been awarded to Transgrid and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to hire more engineers, enabling them to fast-track grid connections for four battery projects of more than 100 megawatts (MW) each.

The total capacity of these projects is equivalent to 15 per cent of the 2023-24 NSW summer peak demand or supplying approximately 800,000 households with energy during a peak demand event.

The most recent AEMO report forecasts increased reliability risks in NSW from 2024 to 2028, driven largely by retiring coal plants and not enough renewables coming online to fill the gap.

These large batteries will play a critical role in delivering affordable, reliable energy in NSW by storing renewable energy during sunny and windy periods and supplying that electricity to the energy grid during peak demand.

The projects which could benefit from the grants include:

• Waratah Super Battery (850 MW, 2-hour storage duration)
• Liddell Battery Energy Storage System (500 MW, 2-hour storage duration)
• Orana Battery Energy Storage System (415 MW, 4-hour storage duration)
• Richmond Valley Battery Energy Storage System (275 MW, 8-hour storage duration)

This investment will bring forward completion dates of these priority battery projects by as much as 12 months, helping to decrease current reliability risks to NSW consumers.

Connecting projects to the grid is highly technical and a lack of qualified staff can cause delays.

Transgrid will use a $3.2 million grant to fund extra technical staff on grid connections to reduce the risk of delays. Transgrid will also establish two dedicated ‘squads’ of engineers, technicians and customer support staff, to provide additional grid connection application review and support.

AEMO will receive up to $5.2 million for additional staff to project manage the grid connection process and coordinate with Transgrid and other project proponents to get the supported battery projects up and running by 2025-2026.

The funding for these battery projects is one of many measures the NSW Government is putting in place to deliver affordable, reliable energy for the people of NSW including $1.8 billion to establish the Energy Security Corporation.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:

“The NSW Government is committed to accelerating replacement electricity infrastructure and is funding additional staff to ensure priority battery projects are connected to the grid as soon as possible.

“The funding to AEMO and Transgrid will reduce the risk of connection to the grid being delayed and help to address the reliability risks identified in AEMO’s recent report.

“These batteries will ensure consumers in NSW have access to affordable and reliable electricity sooner.”

A newly released NSW Youth Volunteering Guidelines will help support and boost youth volunteering in the state.

Launched today during National Volunteer Week (20 to 26 May), the guidelines are underpinned by 3 overarching pillars– Recruit, Retain and Recognise.

Extensive research and consultation were undertaken by the NSW Government, including gathering information from young people and volunteer organisations to ensure the guidelines are a valuable and useful resource.

The Youth Volunteering Guidelines are an initiative under the NSW Volunteering Strategy 2020-2030, which is focused on engaging young volunteers to strengthen the sector’s future sustainability.

The NSW State of Volunteering Report 2023 showed that young people are volunteering at higher rates than ever, with 35% of volunteers under the age of 30, and 70% of all people under the age of 25 engaging in some form of volunteering activity.

The guidelines were developed in response to recommendations made by the NSW Volunteering Taskforce set up to build the capacity of volunteer organisations to recruit, train, manage and recognise young people as active volunteers.

The new guidelines will provide advice and guidance to organisations on how to best strengthen youth participation in the volunteering sector, in particular tapping into the different skills they bring to encourage them to volunteer. 

View the Youth Volunteering Guidelines and youth volunteering opportunities.

Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said:

“We need to foster the next generation of compassionate, socially conscious individuals to lead the charge in the volunteering sector.

“We want to encourage more young people to reap the benefits of volunteering and effectively engage with them to recognise their valuable contribution. These guidelines provide guidance, strategies, and ideas around how to do this.

“It’s especially important to increase participation of young people from diverse backgrounds, including from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities, which will effectively result in volunteering having a greater impact on the people and communities it supports.”

Minister with responsibility for Volunteering Jodie Harrison said:

“The NSW Government is committed to increasing opportunities for youth-led volunteering initiatives that forge supportive, community-based partnerships between young people and volunteer organisations.

“Young people across NSW are talented, highly capable, and full of fresh ideas, all of which are valuable assets to our volunteering sector.

“We want to achieve growth in participation by young people, support continued active participation and acknowledge and showcase the contribution young people make to the volunteering sector.

“We need to develop and invest in young people now, so they become the leaders of today and tomorrow. By harnessing the skills and qualities of our young volunteers, we can create a dynamic volunteering sector that is forward-thinking, innovative and embraces everyone’s unique skills.”

Youth Leader with St John’s Ambulance’s Bankstown Cadets Division Trist Wang said:

“When I started volunteering with St John Ambulance, I had 2 things in mind. I wanted to engage in community work and meet people outside of school. But it quickly became so much more.

“My role right now involves leading and mentoring young people who are the same age I was when I first started volunteering. I tell them that volunteering is about enacting a scalable impact on your community. It’s fulfilling and fun, and but also builds character, friendship and growth.”

A new framework to welcome more nature into our backyards, balconies, rooftops and footpaths has been released, to celebrate Biodiversity Day 2024.

Australian research has shown that increasing the volume of native understorey by 10-30 per cent can result in a 30-120 per cent increase in species such as native birds, beetles and bugs.

That means greener, healthier, happier communities for all species.

The Biodiversity in Place Framework, developed by the NSW Government Architect (GANSW), provides a practical guide to bring nature back into our cities, towns and suburbs.

The framework has been developed for industry and community groups to use on new developments and when existing developments are being updated.

How we plan and what we plant on our verges, backyards, balconies, public spaces, rooftops as well as in the land around critical infrastructure, such as our roads, railways and creek corridors, can make a big difference in the health of local environment.

We have seen councils and community groups doing some great work designing and supporting a more resilient and sustainable future. This framework will further inform this work.

For more information on the framework please visit here.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“As cities evolve, so too does their urban fabric. We have seen cities across the world carefully and successfully balance more housing and employment activities with urban greening.

“As we collectively respond to the need for more housing and jobs, this framework will support councils and community groups to make the most of our public spaces.

“As we work to tackle other challenges in our cities and urban environments it is important to consider how we can add greenery to our suburbs.”

Government Architect NSW Abbie Galvin said:

“We acknowledge that our cities need to be greener.

“Our next step is to radically rethink the way we design and provide that green space. Our urban spaces need to work harder than ever before.

“To improve the quality of our public and private landscapes and make our cities more resilient, we need to shift our thinking from providing the relative monocultures of lawn with exotic trees to planting highly diverse ecology in rich understories.

“Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest challenges worldwide. Bringing nature back into our cities provides an opportunity to halt the decline of biodiversity and pave the way for cultivating a vibrant urban environment where people and nature thrive together.”

Australia’s biggest festival of light, music, ideas and food kicks off in a blaze of colour this week, with visitors, especially families, urged to plan ahead to maximise their enjoyment.

After 3.48 million people attended Vivid Sydney 2023, another bumper turnout is expected over 23 cost-of-living-busting nights between Friday 24 May and Saturday 15 June.

Visitors are asked to remain considerate of others and enjoy the sense of community throughout the CBD and surrounds, including the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Circular Quay, Royal Botanic Garden, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, Machine Hall Precinct, Darling Harbour, Carriageworks and The Goods Line in Ultimo.

Families with younger children and prams are advised to attend on typically quieter nights, Monday to Thursday, and for those wanting to experience the entire Vivid Sydney Light Walk, consider spreading the experience across three nights.

Key road closures will be in place throughout the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Haymarket, The Rocks and Walsh Bay with parking restrictions daily from 3pm and road closures by 5pm each night of the festival, along with additional closures on Fridays and weekends.

Local residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the road closures as access to properties and driveways will be restricted while roads are closed each night.

When planning travel, it is strongly encouraged to leave the car at home and take public transport to avoid any traffic delays and get the best out of your Vivid Sydney experience. All Vivid Sydney precincts are within short walking distance of major transport hubs and will have plenty of extra services running to help get you to and from the city.

Due to road closures, large crowds and weekend trackwork, transport services will operate differently on Friday nights and weekends during the event.

Commuters are advised to regularly check for updates on Transport for NSW’s Trip Planner, which will be continuously updated to show travel options, as will other map providers like Google Maps.

Visitors are also reminded that while ferries are a great way to see the Vivid Sydney lights, they are very popular and will reach capacity early, particularly on weekends. Expect long queues, have a back-up transport option in mind and allow plenty of extra travel time.

During the Vivid Sydney drone shows on Saturday 8, Sunday 9 and Saturday 15 June, ferries to and from Circular Quay will be affected between 9pm and 9.30pm.

Visit the Vivid Sydney website to plan your trip. It also includes transport details, information on road closures and program highlights.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“On Friday, the bright lights of Vivid Sydney will once again transform our city, mesmerise, delight and inspire.

“The number of visitors to Vivid Sydney in 2023 was a staggering 3.5 million and it has become such an important night out for families across Sydney and the state who are doing it tough due to the cost-of-living squeeze.

“Vivid Sydney is also a welcome period for businesses in the CBD during the colder months.”

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Vivid is an unmissable time of the year for Sydneysiders and visitors alike, but the best way to enjoy it is to leave your car at home and use public transport.

“We’ll have 400 additional rail services running on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Vivid season, as well as additional bus and light rail options.

“People will have three weeks to enjoy the lights, sounds and spectacles of Vivid. There will be no trackwork in the city over the three weeks of Vivid, but the critical maintenance of our railway will continue. Passengers should check the Opal app where required and make the most of free Park and Ride facilities on other lines.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“The NSW Police Force will have a visible presence across Vivid to help ensure everyone stays safe while enjoying this brilliant event.

“Large crowds are expected, so be mindful of your own safety and watch out for those around you.

“The NSW Police Force work around the clock and sacrifice so much to keep us safe. If you see an officer – thank them.”

The NSW Government is today officially opening the $723.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital, a state-of-the-art health facility on the NSW North Coast that will also be supported by a new urgent care service in the area and a brand new ambulance station in Kingscliff.

This investment will provide a significant boost to healthcare on the North Coast of NSW, a rapidly growing region that deserves the best access to world class healthcare.

Tweed Valley Hospital

The new Tweed Valley Hospital represents the largest capital health investment in the regions in NSW history, including capacity for 430 beds, almost 200 more beds than at the former hospital.

Key features of the hospital include:

• Access to radiotherapy services, as part of a new integrated cancer care service.
• New satellite medical imaging in the emergency department, to speed up access to support.
• An interventional cardiology service that is currently being developed, delivering diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures for the first time in Tweed.
• A clinical training and research hub through the Northern NSW Academic Health Alliance that brings together local universities, TAFE NSW and the Local Health district.
• And a new car park will provide over 1000 free car parking spaces at the hospital campus.

Tweed Urgent Care Service

Further to the opening of the new hospital, residents in the Tweed will now also have access to an urgent care service in Tweed that eases pressure on emergency departments by providing care to people in their homes.

The new service, launched only weeks ago, is initially treating elderly patients in the comfort of their home or residential aged care facility.

Next month the service will expand to operating 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, to support people of all ages across the Tweed region to receive urgent care at home.

The service will be staffed by a team of nurses, NSW Ambulance Extended Care Paramedics and allied health professionals.

Kingscliff Ambulance Station

Ambulance services in the region are also being boosted with construction of Kingscliff’s new ambulance station, on track for completion in the coming months.

The new 2-level ambulance station will replace a 65-year-old station on Marine Parade in Kingscliff.

It will feature 8 internal parking bays (including an internal wash bay), administration and office areas, staff rest facilities, gym, logistics and storage areas and on-site parking.

These new health facilities and services are further supported by the NSW Government’s commitment to rebuilding essential services by addressing the staffing crisis inherited from the former government.

From lifting the wages cap, working to deliver 500 new paramedics in rural and regional NSW and implementing safe staffing levels while delivering paramedics a historic pay rise, the NSW Government is supporting the staff these new hospitals, ambulance stations and services need.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Whether you live in the middle of the city or in regional communities like the North Coast, we’re working hard to make sure everyone has access to the very best health care.

“This new hospital as well as a new urgent care service and ambulance station are going to make a huge difference to this rapidly growing region in NSW.

“We are not only committed to delivering the very best health facilities but also to looking after the staff in them who look after all of us.”

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said:

“This $723.3 million hospital is the one of the largest hospital investments in NSW history.

“For the community here in Tweed, this facility means hundreds more hospital beds, more ED treatment spaces, and more single patient rooms.

“New services at the hospital are estimated to benefit 5000 patients each year by giving them access to care locally, without needing to travel outside the region as was previously the case.

“We’re also pleased the Urgent Care Service is up and running, enabling residents to receive high quality, expert care without leaving their home, providing a better patient experience and easing pressure on the region’s busy emergency departments.”

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:

“I am proud to be part of a government which is committed to investing in rural and regional health infrastructure to support better health outcomes for local communities.

“This new hospital, the establishment of an urgent care service and a new ambulance station at Kingscliff will provide benefits for Tweed and beyond.”

Labor Spokesperson for the Tweed Emily Suvaal MLC said:

“I thank our incredible health staff, leaders and managers who have been integral to this project, ensuring the successful delivery of this fantastic health facility for the community.

“As a former nurse, it is great to know this beautiful new hospital was designed in partnership with clinicians, staff and the community to deliver the best clinical outcomes for patients.

“It’s also great the campus will be home to the Northern NSW Academic Health Alliance, which will build a pipeline of skilled healthcare workers for the Northern Rivers.”

The NSW Government launched a plan aimed at helping employers manage psychosocial risks and protect their workers from psychological harms.

The SafeWork NSW Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024-2026 outlines how the workplace regulator will support employers to manage risks and comply with their duty to prevent psychological harm in NSW workplaces.

This NSW Government strategy is backed by $5.6 million over the next two years to deliver workplace mental health programs for small and medium businesses through the Black Dog Institute and Transitioning Well.

The programs are targeted at small businesses, which make up the bulk of employers in NSW and generally have less capability and fewer resources to manage mental health and protect psychological health at work.

Workplace mental ill health is estimated to cost Australian businesses up to $39 billion each year due to lost participation and productivity.

Workplace leaders know that if the mental wellbeing of workers is protected, they will want to stay, and these workplaces will keep their top talent.

New initiatives as part of the 2024-2026 strategy include:

• practical tools, resources, and webinars to help businesses.
• the translation of all resources to reach and support culturally and linguistically diverse workers – a high risk worker category for psychological injury.
• building capability across SafeWork NSW’s inspectorate and conduct compliance visits in high-risk workplaces.
• creating industry forums whose role is to identify psychosocial hazards in the relevant industry.

Together we can drive real change and better outcomes for employees and employers in NSW.

SafeWork NSW consulted with many stakeholders during the development of the strategy, including workers, health and safety professionals from government agencies, unions and business.

For more information visit Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024-2026.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“It is a fundamental right of every worker to come home safe to their loved ones both physically and mentally.”

“We must all work together to bring about change to make workplaces psychologically safer for workers. If workplaces remain unsafe, I strongly endorse SafeWork’s actions to bring about improvements.”

Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said:

“NSW is home to roughly 850,000 small businesses which employ 1.7 million people or about 43 per cent of the state’s private sector workforce.”

“The NSW Labor Government is focused on delivering a safer workplace and to do this we must work hand-in-hand with businesses to ensure we are providing the right programs and advice to protect workers and businesses.”

“By addressing psychosocial risks, we are not only protecting the health of our workforce, we are protecting the businesses of NSW from lost participation and productivity.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said:

“The last few years have been particularly hard for people. Our workforce has been impacted by increased pressure from the cost-of-living, natural disasters, and COVID-19.”

“We know workers in industries such as emergency services, nursing, and law enforcement have been on the frontline and may be more at risk. Our strategy launching today aims to strengthen mental health support in the workplace. To help take care of people who take care of us.”

“Irrespective of the industry that you work in, everyone deserves to work in a respectful and psychologically safe workplace. It is imperative that our workplaces and employers are doing everything they can to prevent psychological harm in NSW workplaces.”

Acting Deputy Secretary SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin said:

“Large businesses and government agencies at high-risk of psychological injuries can expect compliance checks from SafeWork NSW.”

“SafeWork NSW will issue improvement notices, prohibition notices or formal regulator warnings and may prosecute workplaces who repeatedly do not comply or where they have seriously breached WHS laws.”

“In addition to being an obligation under Work Health and Safety regulations, a psychologically healthy and safe workplace helps reduce business costs. These include costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism, where staff are away from work and where staff are attending work under stress or experiencing mental health issues. Presenteeism is estimated to have an annual cost of $1680 per employee.”   

As part of the Albanese Labor Government’s commitment to improving regional road networks across Central West NSW, $116 million will be invested in the Coxs River Road Upgrade at Little Hartley, through the 2024-25 Federal Budget.

The $232 million project, jointly funded by the Federal and NSW Government, involves widening and realigning 2.4 kilometres of the Great Western Highway from east of Mid Hartley Road to east of Coxs River Road into two lanes in each direction, providing a safer and more efficient road.

It will also include a grade-separated interchange at Coxs River Road.

Construction, which is supporting at least 530 jobs, commenced in early 2023 and is expected to be completed by late 2025.

The funding is part of over $3.1 billion towards vital land transport infrastructure projects in NSW in the recent Federal Budget.

This includes over $2.5 billion to upgrade important road and rail infrastructure and support planning for future projects, as well as nearly $580 million to help ensure the delivery of existing projects.

The Government’s total infrastructure commitment to NSW over the next 10 years is $20.8 billion, including $17.7 billion in major road and rail projects and $3 billion for smaller projects through programs such as the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot programs.

Find out more about Federal Budget 2024-25 announcements

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King said:

“We are working to deliver significant infrastructure that connects communities, stimulates jobs and builds the future of our nation.

“The Coxs River Road upgrade will ensure people in the Central West will get home quicker and, most importantly, travel safer.

“We’re getting on with the job of delivering a better future for all Australians, made in Australia.”

Federal Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Kristy McBain said:

“Good road networks unlock economic opportunities in our regions, they make it easier for locals and tourists to get around, and they keep our freight vehicles moving efficiently.

“The Central West is a fast-growing part of NSW, which is why we continue to partner with the Minns Government to progress high-priority road safety projects across the state.”

NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister, Jenny Aitchison said:

“The Albanese and Minns governments’ partnership to invest in this critical project for the Central West demonstrates our shared commitment to significantly improving regional roads.

“We understand the Great Western Highway is a busy and vital route for visitors to the region, locals, businesses and the freight industry, which is why we are getting on with the job of building a road network for the future.”