Category: NSW News

A recovery centre will open at Willawarrin tomorrow, Thursday 26 October, to support communities in and around the Kempsey region recover from the recent bushfires.

Bushfire-affected residents are encouraged to visit the recovery centre, which brings together NSW and local government agencies, community organisations and welfare bodies under one roof.

Multi-agency recovery centres provide access to important support services for disaster-affected individuals, families, farmers and business owners to help them heal and begin the clean-up and recovery process.

Attendees can access mental health first aid and meet with a range of not-for-profits, and government and community organisations, including:

• Service NSW, including Business Concierges
• NSW Reconstruction Authority
• Department of Primary Industries / Local Land Services
• NSW Health – Mental Health services
• Rural Financial Counselling Services
• Red Cross
• Legal Aid
• Insurance Council of Australia
• Salvation Army
• Disaster Relief Grants Assessor

Located at Willawarrin Community Hall, 24-26 Main St, Willawarrin, the recovery centre will open during the following hours:

• Thursday – 9am to 5pm
• Friday – 9am to 5pm
• Saturday – 10am to 3pm
• Monday – 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday – 12pm to 7pm

Anyone not able to attend the recovery centre can contact Service NSWlaunch for remote assistance, with customer care specialists available on the phone via 13 77 88launch. Specialist mental health bushfire recovery clinicians are also available by calling 1800 011 511launch.

Donations can be made through the NSW donation management channellaunch.

This week the NSW and Australian governments made a disaster declaration for the area, opening up access to a range of special assistance measures for bushfire-affected communities, provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Grants and loans are available for primary producers, small businesses, sporting and recreation clubs and not-for-profit organisations impacted by the bushfire.

The recovery centre is being opened by the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“This is a challenging time for the community and serves as a tragic reminder of how dangerous bushfires are.”

“It is important that affected residents in the Kempsey region get back on their feet as quickly as possible, and a number of government agencies and Ministers have worked quickly to make sure people can access funding and find support through our recovery centre.”

“We know providing face-to-face support is crucial in the early stages of recovery, so we encourage anyone affected by the fires to visit the centre and find out what support they may be eligible for.”

Deputy CEO of the NSW Reconstruction Authority Simone Walker said:

“It’s normal to experience a range of emotions after a bushfire and we will always have someone available who can link people with additional support services such as the Salvation Army, Business Concierge, Red Cross and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.”

“I would encourage anyone who needs assistance or support to attend the recovery centre, community members can access a diverse range of services from clean-up to mental health support.”  

The dedication, compassion and ingenuity of healthcare staff and volunteers across the state has been celebrated at the 25th annual NSW Health Awards.

Health Minister Ryan Park congratulated the winners at last night’s ceremony, held at the Sydney International Convention Centre.

“I want to congratulate the winners and sincerely thank them for their contribution to our health system. I also want to recognise all our finalists across the 12 award categories – their creativity and passion truly shows the breadth of skill and innovation from our teams across the state,” Mr Park said.

“In particular, I want to highlight the great work of Professor Josephine Chow from South Western Sydney Local Health District, named the Staff Member of the Year for her leadership as part of the COVID-19 response and to renal programs.

“Our Volunteer of the Year, Syd Dudley, from Murrumbidgee Local Health District has played a key role in attracting medical officers to the small town of Finley. He’s been there from day one, welcoming new staff and helping them settle into the local community.

“Pleasingly, 7 of the NSW Health Award winners are from rural and regional areas, highlighting the great care available to communities in the regions.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson presented the award for the Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services Awards to Naamuru.

“Naamuru is the state’s first public mental health unit that enables parents with mental illness to be admitted together with their baby, minimising trauma from separation. This is an incredibly important area of care and I want to commend Sydney Local Health District for their work in this space,” Ms Jackson said.

Minister for Medical Research David Harris extended his congratulations to the joint winners of the Health Research category – the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and Sydney Local Health District.

“I want to recognise the innovation of our staff members across Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and Sydney Local health District, who have made big strides in neo-natal care and organ transplantation,” Mr Harris said.

NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce praised both the winners and the nominees for their commitment to meeting the needs of patients, now and into the future.

“To each and every one of our finalists, I thank you for all you do each day to provide the best possible care to your communities across NSW,” Ms Pearce said.

“I also want to acknowledge the passion, dedication and contributions of all our healthcare staff and volunteers, who work incredibly hard every day to keep the people of NSW safe and healthy.

“It was my great pleasure to announce Welcome Baby to Bourke as the winner of this year’s Secretary Award. The ceremony, facilitated by Aboriginal Elders and staff from Western NSW Local Health District, gives babies a sense of identity and belonging, connecting them to their community, country and Aboriginal Elders.”

The NSW Health Awards recognise personalised, sustainable, and digitally enabled programs that contribute to the wellbeing of patients and the community.

The categories for the 25th annual NSW Health Awards include:

• Staff Member of the Year Award
• Volunteer of the Year Award
• Secretary’s Award
• Environmental Sustainability Award
• Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award
• Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services Award
• Health Innovation Award
• Health Research Award
• Keeping People Healthy Award
• Patient Safety First Award
• People and Culture Award
• Transforming Patient Experience Award.

The full list of finalists and their projects is available on the NSW Healthlaunch website.

The Bus Industry Taskforce released its Directions for On-Street Transit White Paper at the Western Sydney Bus Symposium today.

The white paper outlines the key challenges and identifies a way forward in delivering a more equitable provision of bus services for passengers in Western Sydney and across NSW.

The NSW Government met with industry, unions, and other key stakeholders to discuss the steps that need to be taken to improve reliability and frequency of bus services and discuss planning for new on-road infrastructure, such as bus stops and bus lanes.

The white paper identifies 5 key moves to transform bus services across the state:

1. Evolve services and infrastructure over time: Focusing on providing essential public transport services and infrastructure ahead of growing population demand in a staged approach. Providing clearer customer information and more seamless interchanging opportunities. Developing innovative solutions for first and last mile journeys.
2. Grow network demand and capacity: Providing priority access for on-street transit when planning for population growth. Align fleet type with demand and needs of the community. Invest in technology to uplift customer experience and operations planning.
3. Deliver new permanent high-quality routes: Develop a priority list for 39 rapid bus routes that balance population growth support and developing new connections in Greater Sydney.
4. Grow the city along permanent high-quality routes: Identify on-street transit support for medium-density housing areas. Investment in upgrades to bus stop accessibility. Plan for and deliver public transport capable streets.
5. Create enabling funding and partnerships: Implement strategies to support private operator performance. Improve coordination of asset management, including depots and layovers.

The key challenges the paper aims to address includes increasing public transport access across all growing cities, improving passenger information, better reliability and priority of bus services, and tackling congestion to free up public transport movement on roads.

This new vision for transforming how we plan and develop cities across Greater Sydney, Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle, Central Coast and Illawarra-Shoalhaven, will feed into the Bus Industry Taskforce’s interim report, to be delivered to government by 31 October.

Attendees at today’s Bus Symposium had the opportunity to have their say on the White Paper which Transport for NSW will use to create a formal policy position to be presented to government.

Consultation on the white paper will take place until 25 November 2023 and the Bus Industry Taskforce will be engaging with a range of stakeholders including bus operators, councils, planners and the public.

Read the On-Street Transit White Paperlaunch at the Have Your Say website.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“More than 138 million trips are taken on our bus and on-street transit network each year, we can’t grow our communities properly if our bus network isn’t meeting demand.

“The Bus Industry Taskforce has already announced measures to improve bus service delivery and this white paper highlights 5 key moves that will be considered for the successful future of our bus fleet.

“We need to look at best practices from all around the world. If other cities like Manhattan and Amsterdam can do it, so can Sydney.

“Everyone is a possible bus passenger, and I am committed to working with industry and experts to make sure on-street transit is front and centre when we talk about city planning.

“The only way we can continue to grow our cities is by supporting that growth with accessible and reliable public transport options. I thank those that came out today to provide their insights and expertise as we plan for a more connected state.”

The NSW Government is getting on with the job of providing Rouse Hill with a hospital for the future. Delivered in 1 stage, the Rouse Hill Hospital will respond to the health needs of the communities in northwest Sydney for decades to come. 

Health Minister Ryan Park visited the Rouse Hill Hospital site yesterday, confirming the government’s funding commitment of an additional $400 million to deliver an expanded scope for the development, bringing the total budget for the hospital to $700 million.

“Our government is committed to delivering a hospital of the future at Rouse Hill that will lead the way in patient-centred care, innovation and research,” Mr Park said.

“Rouse Hill Hospital will be one of the first hospitals under our government to combine the best contemporary healthcare facilities with services that support our highly skilled workforce, including childcare and health worker accommodation.”

Community members who are interested in taking part in consultation around the Rouse Hill Hospital development are invited to register their interest by completing an online formlaunch.

Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said now is a great time for further community involvement. 

“The success of the new Rouse Hill Hospital relies on the active involvement and valuable insights of our community, ensuring its design and function is welcoming, accessible and supports the wellbeing of patients, visitors and staff,” Mr Kirby said.

A dedicated project website has also been launched to keep the community informed of progress. The Rouse Hill Hospitallaunch website will feature the latest news and updates and an opportunity to sign up to a regular newsletter.

Labor spokesperson for Kellyville, duty MLC Peter Primrose, said Western Sydney is one of NSW’s fastest growing regions and the new Rouse Hill Hospital is a vital piece of health infrastructure to meet the community’s needs.

“A key area of focus for the Minns Labor Government is in ensuring that as the communities of greater Western Sydney grow, the necessary infrastructure and services grow with them,” Mr Primrose said.

Mr Park said a key component of the Rouse Hill Hospital development will be attracting a skilled multidisciplinary health workforce. 

“As a first step in building this workforce, I am excited to announce the appointment of Julia Underwood as General Manager of the new hospital,” Mr Park said.

“With more than 26 years’ experience working for NSW Health, Julia’s most recent role was Director of Redevelopment at Campbelltown Hospital. Julia has the unique skills required to support the delivery of this state-of-the-art hospital.

“As General Manager, Julia’s focus will be on establishing the executive team at Rouse Hill Hospital as well as operational, governance and built environment plans.”

The final scope for the Rouse Hill Hospital Development will be determined through the planning process. It will adopt a full hospital campus model and is expected to include:

• an emergency and urgent care department
• in-patient beds
• day surgery unit
• short stay medical assessment services
• pathology, pharmacy and medical imaging services
• a health hub for virtual care and hospital in the home services
• prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and lifestyle medicine
• outpatient and ambulatory care services including paediatrics, renal, maternity services and women’s health
• administration, staff support and back of house services
• car parking facilities.

The design and consultation phase for the Rouse Hill Hospital will continue throughout 2023. Main works construction is on track to start in 2024.

The NSW Opposition has called out the Bus Taskforce White Paper released today as providing no new funding or solutions to the commuters of Sydney and questioning what value taxpayers are getting for the $700,000 salary of the part-time chair of the Bus Taskforce.
 
Ministers are elected to take responsibility and to make decisions, however yet again, we have the Minister outsourcing decision making to unelected bureaucrats on large salaries.
 
The White Paper provides no new funding for:

• Bus Services in Western Sydney
• Bus Driver recruitment, retention or training
• Procurement of new buses to service commuters 

The Opposition is equally concerned with the plethora of reviews underway into different transport modes that the future of public transport planning in NSW is being siloed instead of integrated planning.
 
The Opposition is calling for an immediate plan and funding right now for more drivers, more services and putting commuters at the centre of this government’s priorities, not reviews and labor-mate consultants bleeding the money out of the Government.
 
Shadow Minister for Transport Natalie Ward commented “The Opposition will support the Government when they provide good solutions to issues, but more white papers, consultations and reviews just kicks the can down the road.”
 
“Half-baked thought bubbles from a Labor mate getting paid $700,000 for a part-time job provides no solutions for commuters.”
 
“Let’s be clear, this White Paper cost more in graphic design services than provides new funding for bus services in NSW.”

In a massive boost for community sport, the NSW Government has today announced that sport clubs across NSW can now apply for more funding under the Local Sport Grant Program.

The program provides $4.65 million funding to NSW sporting organisations with $50,000 available per electorate and grants up to $20,000 available to individual clubs.

In 2022 and 2023, $3.5 million was awarded for 592 projects, including development clinics, uniforms and sporting equipment.

This follows the Minns Government’s significant investment in grassroots sporting organisations including:

• $30 million to providers of grassroots sport through the Level the Playing Field Program to support the continued growth of women’s and girls’ sport and recreation
• a 4-year $14.5 million Football in Schools Program to partner with A-League clubs Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur FC to provide football, education and wellbeing programs in local schools.

NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“The NSW Government understands the vital role community sport plays in keeping people healthy, active and socially connected.

“Never was this more evident than during recent natural disasters and the pandemic.

“This program will provide vital funds to community sport groups to purchase new equipment, improve facilities and deliver programs that enable people of all ages and abilities to participate and enjoy the benefits of sport and active recreation.

“So, if there is a project or program your club has been wanting to deliver, I encourage you apply for a grant and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.”

Applications in the 2023 and 2024 Local Sport Grant Program close 27 November 2023.

Get more information on the Local Sport Grant Programlaunch.

The speed limit eastbound on the M5 South-West between Belmore Road at Riverwood and King Georges Road at Beverly Hills will be returned to 100km/h from the current 80km/h limit next week, benefiting the journeys of 84,000 motorists a day.

The eastbound limit in the area had been reduced to 80km/h prior to the opening of the M8 in 2020 and will be restored by Tuesday.

The change comes as Transport for NSW prepares a number of improvements to the motorway network. The Rozelle Interchange – the final piece of WestConnex – will open by the end of the year and following that the WestConnex speed limit will be adjusted from 80km/h to 90km/h, expected in the first quarter of 2024.

Restoration of the 100km/h speed limit on the section Riverwood to Beverly Hills section of the M5 will mean an uninterrupted stretch of 20kms at the same, higher speed limit.

Work to alter speed signs will take place Monday night, weather permitting, to limit disruption for motorists and to ensure safety of workers.

Temporary lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h will apply during work.

The 100km/h speed limit between Belmore Road, and King Georges Road will be in effect on Tuesday 24 October, weather permitting. The on and off ramp speed at those entry and exit points will remain at 60km/h.

NSW Roads Minister, John Graham said:

‘We are taking the first step in our plan to get commuters home faster, as we speed up our motorways.

“Safety is always our number one priority and this change follows a rigorous safety review that found it is appropriate to raise the speed limit.

“The initial speed reduction was a temporary measure to mitigate potential safety risks caused by queuing traffic onto the motorway as motorists adjusted to the new part of the network.

“Over 84,000 motorists use the M5 eastbound each day, and this action will get motorists back up to speed on their daily commute.

“Where we can increase speed limits safely, we will look to do so, so that people can get to work, home or study faster. On the flipside, the NSW Government also works with community’s and local councils on lowering speed limits in the name of safety and amenity.”

Disaster assistance is now available in several parts of NSW to help communities recovering from severe bushfires.

Jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the assistance has been activated for the Inverell, Kyogle, and Tenterfield local government areas (LGAs) (for bushfires on 13 October 2023 onwards) and Mid-Western LGA (for bushfires on 17 October onwards).

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Senator the Hon Murray Watt said the bushfires caused significant damage.

“The Australian Government is supporting impacted communities with this early assistance, so recovery can begin as soon as possible for those directly affected,” Minister Watt said.

“While we move quickly to activate this early assistance, we also continue to work alongside the NSW Government to collect information and fully understand the impact of these fires.”

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said bushfire-impacted communities, landowners, farmers, and primary producers will be supported in their clean-up and recovery.

“The NSW Government is committed to seeing communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible, which is why we’ve worked swiftly to make sure directly impacted people can access this funding and start their recovery,” Minister Dib said.

“We remain dedicated to NSW communities in the face of hazards and will be there long before a disaster strikes and long after the disaster has passed.”

Assistance available under the DRFA may include:

• help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply)
• support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
• concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
• freight subsidies for primary producers.

For information relating to financial assistance, replacing lost documents, location of your nearest recovery centre and more, please contact Service NSW on 137 788launch or visit nsw.gov.au.

To apply for a concessional loan or primary producer grant, visit the NSW Rural Assistance Authoritylaunch website or call 1800 678 593launch.

Further information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assistlaunch website.

Global ratings agency Moody’s has affirmed NSW’s triple-A credit rating with a stable outlook, following the Minns Government’s 2023-24 plan to stabilise the State’s finances.

The State’s fiscal position had weakened in recent years but the Government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review identified $13 billion in budget improvements, revenue and reprioritisation measures to help stabilise the fiscal position.

These funds will be reinvested into essential services to help keep the State’s overall expenses at a manageable level. As a result, the 2023-24 NSW Budget projects an improved surplus of $844 million in 2024-25.

The Government has also taken steps to reduce the impact of the NSW Generations Fund and Transport Asset Holding Entity on the State’s balance sheet, with gross debt projected to be $173.4 billion by June 2026, which is $14.8 billion below the 2023 Pre-election Budget Update.

Net debt is now projected to peak at 12.6 per cent of GSP by June 2027, around 1.4 percentage points lower than at the 2023 Pre-election Budget Update.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“The Minns Government has begun the task of repairing the budget, reducing debt and rebuilding our essential services, as well as supporting families and providing targeted cost-of-living relief.

“We are still in the early stages of setting NSW’s finances on a sustainable footing. We look forward to continuing this work in the next budget.”

Students in almost 10,000 lessons every day are being left without adequate instruction in disruptive class arrangements, due to a 42% shortfall in the number of casual teachers available to teach classes, a new survey by the NSW Department of Education has found.

Public schools across NSW have been left short on average 3000 casual teachers every day – nearly half of what is required to meet the state’s educational demand – after 12 years under the former Liberal National government, which denied there was a problem and refused to collect data on it.

In the state’s primary schools, 40% of the lessons unable to be covered by a casual teacher resulted in merged or collapsed classes. In high schools, students in nearly 30% of uncovered classes were left to their own devices with minimal supervision.

The numbers were significantly worse in parts of Sydney’s west and south-west, rural and remote areas and at schools for specific purposes – but the issue was widespread with almost 90% of schools across the state reporting a shortfall in casual teachers on a given day.

The survey is the first of its kind to gather data on the true extent and impact of the teacher shortage faced by NSW public schools. It provides damning evidence of the gravity of the issue inherited by the Minns Labor government.

On average, NSW’s casual teacher shortage looks like:

• A daily shortfall of more than 3000 teachers, or 42% of what is required to fill classes.
• More than 9800 lessons without a teacher across the state every day.
• 87% of NSW public schools impacted by a shortage of casual teachers each day.
• Worse at schools in the metropolitan south and west (47%), rural north (47%), rural south and west (59%), Connected Communities (72%) and at schools for specific purposes (68%).
• 40% of primary school lessons requiring alternative supervision arrangements covered by merging/collapsing classes.
• 28% of high school lessons without a teacher covered by minimal supervision.

The survey also reveals how the severe shortfall in casual teachers results in a domino effect – including cancellation of library lessons, programs providing additional support to those most in need and time set aside for professional development.  

The Minns Labor government is delivering on its promise to listen to teachers and parents and take action to turn around the teacher shortage crisis that has been failing NSW public school students for years. 

Since being elected in March, the Minns Labor government has taken steps to reduce teacher workload, delivering teachers their largest pay rise in a generation, and making more than 16,000 teachers and support staff on temporary engagements permanent.

A number of other programs and recruitment initiatives are in place or under development to attract more teachers to areas where they are particularly in demand.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We already knew from listening to teachers and parents that NSW has been facing a teacher shortage crisis leaving huge numbers of students without quality teaching every single day – but the former government told teachers it was a ‘lie’ they had made up.

“This survey lays bare the extent of the crisis that the former Liberal National government denied and ignored while they claimed teachers weren’t working hard enough to get a pay rise.

“Even to this day the former government is in denial about their legacy. The Minns Labor government was elected on a mandate to fix this mess and we are addressing it head on.

“It is vital for a child’s education that they have a qualified teacher in front of them for every lesson, and that is what we’re working towards.”