Category: NSW News

Aging members of Sydney’s Antiochian Orthodox faith community have welcomed the opening of a new nursing home thanks to a $8.5 million NSW Government investment.

Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper today opened the St Nicholas Senior Care Centre’s new 80-bed facility at Punchbowl in Sydney’s southwest.

Parishioners and community members also made significant contributions to help pay for the purpose-built, $26 million centre.

It is the first aged-care centre in NSW designed and completed in accordance with the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Census data reveals that more than 10,000 NSW residents identify as followers of the Antiochian Orthodox faith.

Canterbury-Bankstown Local Government Area boasts the greatest number of followers in the Greater Sydney region, with 3,182 parishioners.

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said:

“The opening of this centre means that older members of the Antiochian Orthodox faith community can remain close to family and friends.”

“The tailored care they receive is aligned with their cultural traditions and faith, and delivered by those who love and understand them.”

NSW Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison said:

“Our older residents have spent their lives paving the way for younger generations to reach their aspirations, so it’s only appropriate that we provide them with the care and support they require in their twilight years.”

“By investing in culturally appropriate care we can ensure these trailblazers can age in dignity.”

Member for Bankstown Jihad Dib said:

“It is great to be here for the opening of this facility, I have watched it from the very beginning when the first sod was turned to evolve into the wonderful precinct we have today. It a great addition for the Antiochian Orthodox faith community who contribute to the wonderful diversity we have in our local area.”

His Eminence, Metropolitan Basilios-Archbishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines said:

“With support from the NSW Government and Multicultural NSW, and the good will and generosity of our congregations, we are delighted to provide a loving environment for the elderly in our community.”

“St Nicholas Seniors Care Centre will be a place of loving care and support with modern, state of the art facilities designed to make life comfortable and enjoyable for our residents.”

“God’s guiding hand has helped us deliver an important community asset, and we give Him thanks and praise.”

Works on 2 new women’s refuges to offer crisis accommodation are now underway. Construction has already commenced on the Northern Beaches site with plans to deliver the second site in Canterbury-Bankstown in train.

Made possible through a $6 million capital funding grant under Tranche 2 of the NSW Government’s Core and Cluster program, the refuges will be delivered in partnership with Women’s Community Shelters and community housing providers – Link Wentworth Housing and Bridge Housing.

The Northern Beaches and the Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas (LGAs) will house the new refuges and were selected as they both demonstrated significant need for additional crisis support in the domestic violence space which is now being met through this initiative.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said securing safe housing remained a critical hurdle to overcoming domestic violence and was a key factor in the ability of victim-survivors to leave violent relationships.

“Ensuring women and children escaping domestic violence have access to a safe and secure home is crucial to creating better outcomes for people in crisis,” Minister Jackson said.

“Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness across NSW and the country. We must do everything we can to support people in vulnerable situations and getting them into safe accommodation with wrap-around support is where we need to start.

“The Core and Cluster programs, across all 3 tranches, once completed, will enable crisis accommodation and support for an additional 2900 women and their children every year.”

Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said both the Northern Beaches and Canterbury-Bankstown projects are due to be completed in late 2023 and will provide victim-survivors with not only accommodation but the wrap-around support they need to rebuild their lives.

“We are seeing unprecedented reports of domestic and family violence,” Minister Harrison said.

“The NSW Government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to counter domestic violence through perpetrator intervention, remand programs, safe rooms, and law reforms.

“The expansion of women’s refuges through the Core and Cluster program is a critical part of the system giving women and children a safe place to go to when they need it. The model provides safety for women and children escaping domestic violence, and the new design means women and their children have greater privacy and independence within self-contained units, and they can even bring their pets with them.”

Women’s Community Shelters CEO Annabelle Daniel OAM said delivering the refuges under the Core and Cluster model ensured victim-survivors had access to all of the support services they would need to get help, stay safe and plan for the future.

“Specialist domestic and family violence services are a lifeline for women and children fleeing abuse,” Ms Daniel said.

“Women’s Community Shelters is committed to pursuing innovative opportunities to continuously evolve our service delivery model, informed by the lived expertise of our residents.

“This partnership represents true collaboration between the NSW Government, the domestic violence and housing sectors, amazing local communities and philanthropy.”

Women’s Community Shelters also partners with the NSW Government in the operation of their existing shelters in the LGAs of Mid Coast, Ku-ring-gai, The Hills, Northern Beaches, Penrith, Bayside, Parramatta and Camden.

More than 2 million breakfasts have now been served to schoolchildren in NSW, as part of Foodbank’s Breakfast 4 Health program which the Minns Labor Government is committed to expanding.

The number of public schools participating in the program is set to double from 500 to 1000 over the next 4 years as the government delivers its $8 million funding promise.

Since the March election, another 17 public schools have started serving breakfasts with the program. An additional 100 schools have applied and are being assessed.

Schools interested in participating in the program can apply directly to Foodbank via its website, and are assessed according to need.

The School Breakfast 4 Health program has been shown to improve students’ nutrition and eating habits, their mental and physical health, as well as learning, concentration and school attendance.

The program runs in schools across NSW, including rural and regional areas, and is one way the government is helping to ease cost-of-living pressure on families and ensure all children can have a healthy start to their day.

Foodbank data indicates 80% of schools in the program reported an increase in attendance and 89% saw an increase in class engagement on days the program was run.

Premier Chris Minns and Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car celebrated the milestone on Wednesday with a visit to East Hills Public School, an early adopter of the program in south-west Sydney.

East Hills Public School Principal Donna Casey said up to 80% of students at the school participate in the popular breakfast program.

The school’s eatery was recently refurbished and has reopened this week to serve up healthy breakfasts before classes start.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Making sure children are getting the most out of their time at school is my number one priority. This starts by ensuring that they are not hungry in the classroom.

“I have always said that as premier I want to address the cost of living crisis and this is an important step to not only help families but also give our students the best start to every school day.”

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

“This program is such an effective way to make sure children can have a fresh and healthy meal before they sit down to learn.

“It’s an investment in our children’s education that’s also helping families with cost-of-living pressures, making sure all students are set up for a great day at school.”

East Hills Public School principal Donna Casey said:

“We have noticed an increase in student focus, engagement and emotional regulation throughout the day after the healthy breakfast.

“It’s also another way families can get involved in our school. Parents and younger siblings often join the students for breakfast, which is lovely to see.”

Patients, staff and visitors will be able to  access free parking at hospitals and health facilities across regional NSW from Tuesday 1 August 2023.

NSW Regional Health Minister Ryan Park said the change will make a big difference for patients, their families and carers.

Mr Park made the announcement at the site of the new Tweed Valley Hospital where he was joined by Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot and Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes.

Mr Park said free parking was already available for staff in NSW regional hospitals but has been expanded to include patients and visitors.

“As part of our election commitment, free parking has now been extended to regional hospitals, including here at the Tweed, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Maitland, Belmont and Shoalhaven,” Mr Park said.

“The NSW Government has fulfilled its promise to communities across regional NSW on this issue.

“I’m pleased to be making this announcement here at the new Tweed Valley Hospital, where residents have been vocal about the need for free parking.

“We’re committed to improving access and delivering high-quality healthcare to our rural, regional and remote communities.”

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin has been a longstanding advocate for free parking at health facilities.

“I’ve been determined to deliver on this for my community in Lismore, and I am really pleased that it will not just be delivered for my community, but at hospitals and health facilities across regional NSW,” Ms Saffin said.

“With the rollout of the free parking initiative across regional health facilities, we’re easing the financial burden on patients and visitors to our hospitals.

“The initiative is designed to make hospital access more seamless for regional, rural and remote communities who are faced with unique geographical challenges when accessing healthcare.”

Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot joined Minister Park for the announcement at the site of the new Tweed Valley Hospital.

“We know trips to the hospital can be a challenging time for patients and their families, and this announcement will make a big difference to them,” Ms Elliot said.

“In regional areas driving is often the only option to get home from the hospital for patients, staff and visitors.”

The NSW Government acknowledges community concern about the use of good character as a mitigating factor in sentencing for some child sexual offences and the impact on victim-survivors. 

The NSW Attorney General has asked the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to commence a review into s 21A(5A) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 and the use of evidence of good character in child sexual offence matters.

In conducting the review, DCJ will consult victim-survivors and victim-survivor advocacy groups, along with legal stakeholders, on options for reform to improve the experiences and outcomes for victim-survivors. 

An options paper will be distributed to targeted stakeholders in August 2023, with a view to progressing any legislative reform by November 2023. 

NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“The NSW Government is open to hearing the views of victim-survivors about how legislation impacts upon them, and we are committed to facilitating the best possible experience for victim-survivors in the criminal justice system.

“By conducting careful consultation with victim-survivors and legal experts, the NSW Government aims to achieve a legal outcome that will provide long-term benefits to the community as a whole.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Jodie Harrison said:

“The NSW Government looks forward to working closely with victim-survivors to improve their experience in the justice system, and hearing about the experiences of victim-survivors in the context of this important issue.

“The NSW Government acknowledges the hard work of advocates to raise awareness of this matter.”downloadDownload as PDFprintPrint this pageshare

Community organisations across the state are encouraged to apply for funding under the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Grants program to enhance local services and improve residents’ quality of life.

From 31 July, the $12.5 million program will welcome applications for arts, sports, community infrastructure and disaster preparedness projects to build or upgrade facilities.

There are 4 funding categories:

• Arts and Culture: $50,000 to $200,000 available per project
• Community Infrastructure: $50,000 to $250,000 available per project
• Disaster Readiness: $50,000 to $200,000 available per project
• Sport and Recreation: $50,000 to $300,000 available per project.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said the NSW Government is pleased to be supporting organisations making a positive difference in their communities.

“The Infrastructure Grants program is all about supporting projects that improve community connectedness in the arts and sport, provide new or improved facilities or deliver innovative local solutions in emergency preparedness,” Mr Harris said.

“Over the last 10 years, more than 700 projects have been funded right across NSW, under this program, helping to create connected, cohesive and resilient communities. I look forward to the next rounds doing the same.”

Funding under the program is made possible by Clubgrants Category 3, which re-invests profits from registered clubs’ gaming machines into community projects. Applications are assessed by an independent expert panel administered through the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling.

Since 2013, the Infrastructure Grants program has provided $125 million to support more than 700 local council and not-for-profit community projects.

The 2023–2024 program offers 2 grant rounds: 31 July to 21 August 2023 and 27 November to 18 December 2023.

Find out more and how to apply for Responsible Gambling Fund grants and funding under the Infrastructure Grants program.

Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow, has pointed to the recent drop in Development Applications as further proof that the NSW Government needs to defer the introduction of increased BASIX standards for twelve months, in line with other States, to support the building of more homes in NSW.

“From May to June it is taking longer for fewer development applications to be submitted, lodged and determined, which is a worrying development for a Government that has committed to build 314,000 homes over the next five years,” Mr Farlow said.

	May 2023	June 2023	Change
DAs submitted	5,603	5,262	-6.1%
DAs lodged	4,329	4,147	-4.2%
DAs determined	4,283	3,904	-8.8%
Average time to determine	112	115	2.7%

Source: NSW Planning Performance Dashboard, 24/7/2023

“In the middle of a housing crisis, on every metric, we are seeing performance in our planning system declining and the last thing NSW needs is a new measure that could decrease housing supply.

“These figures should give the Government cause for concern and lead them to heed the Opposition’s and industry’s calls to defer the introduction of the increased BASIX standards on 1 October by twelve months, in line with other States.”

“The Government already imposed a tax of up to $12,000 on new homes across Sydney, the Central Coast, the Lower Hunter and Wollongong and scrapped the Coalition’s popular First-Home buyer choice program – now is not the time to be imposing additional costs on new homes.”

“The construction industry has seen costs escalate by more than 12% in the last year, if these changes are implemented on 1 October, purchasers will be footing additional bills that they simply can’t afford and it could have an impact on supply.”

“Every cost in construction is passed on to the purchaser and threaten the feasibility of new projects, especially with the largest interest rate rises in a decade.”  

“If the Government is serious about delivering 314,000 new homes over the next five years, they need to defer the implementation of BASIX,” Mr Farlow said.

The Minns Labor Government has taken an important step in the planning for a public high school in Medowie, opening an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to locate the most appropriate site for the school.

The EOI campaign launches today and will close on the 30 August 2023.  Local landholders will have an opportunity to put forward possible locations for the high school, in addition to the land on Ferodale Road currently owned by the Department of Education.

The Medowie community has been waiting decades for a high school and this announcement goes a long way in making it a reality.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car and Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington today visited Medowie Public School to outline the next steps for the community’s new high school.

The site selection process is underway, which considers a range of factors, including site size, location, environmental reports and travel considerations for the future school community. 

After the site is determined, the project will progress to master planning, concept design, and community and stakeholder engagement planning stages.

The new high school at Medowie will provide modern flexible classrooms, a library, school hall, outdoor play and sports areas, and administration space to support the growing community.

It is one of multiple major school projects currently in progress in the Hunter region to accommodate expected population growth in the area.

Upgrades are being delivered at Hunter River High School, Irrawang High School and Muswellbrook South Public School. Planning is underway for the new Newcastle Education Campus and the redevelopment of Gillieston Public School, as well as a new public school and high school in Huntlee.

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

“I’m excited to announce that the process to identify a suitable site for this much-needed new high school is underway. It is important that we explore all options to ensure we choose the best possible site for future students.

“The new school will mean families can be assured their children will have a place at a local public school. Students will have a shorter, easier daily commute. Most importantly, a new connected school community will be able to grow and thrive in Medowie.

“The Hunter is one of the fastest growing regions in New South Wales, and the work and planning we are doing is vital to support the current and future needs of students in the community.”

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said:

“Our community has been waiting a very long time for this day, and it has finally arrived.

“This is the first step in delivering a public high school in Medowie, which we all know is desperately needed and long overdue.

“The Minns Labor Government was only formed 4 months ago, and we’re already getting on with the job of delivering for our community here in Port Stephens.”

The 2023 NRL and NRLW Grand Finals will be played in Sydney on Sunday 1 October following an agreement reached between the NSW Government and the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).

The Grand Final will be played at Accor Stadium, Olympic Park, with Sydney retaining its traditional role as the home of the competition decider.

Grand Final tickets are expected to be in hot demand, with the 2023 NRL competition one of the closest in history and the NRLW competition going from strength to strength with 4 new teams added this season.

Tickets to rugby league’s ‘big dance’ go on sale on Wednesday 2 August.

Sydney continues to build its credentials as the major events capital as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 progresses towards the final at Accor, the Sydney Marathon’s candidacy to become a World Marathon Major and 3 UFC mega Pay Per View events.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“We all love a Grand Final, but this event has become so much more, making a big social and economic contribution to the state.

“This event attracts thousands of fans from interstate and overseas who also visit Sydney’s many attractions, enjoy shows and arts, eat and drink in our world-class restaurants, supporting jobs in the visitor economy.

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“Sydney is the nation’s birthplace of rugby league and the heart of its passionate fans, so it is fantastic the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals are remaining in their home place once again.

“Rugby league fans will flock to Sydney and Accor Stadium will be abuzz with a capacity crowd of 82,500 on Grand Final day.”

ARL Commission Chair Peter V’landys said:           

“We have worked closely with the NSW Government to reach an agreement for the 2023 Grand Final. I’d like to thank Premier Chris Minns and Ministers Steve Kamper and John Graham who have taken a pragmatic approach to reaching an agreement for this year’s Grand Final. We have a great partnership with the NSW Government and we are grateful for their support of rugby league.”

The NSW and Australian Governments are today holding a joint roundtable on the future of rail manufacturing, bringing together more than 100 of the most important and influential representatives of Australia’s rail manufacturing industry.

An initiative of the NSW and Australian Governments, this is another step in the process of mapping out a plan to restore and strengthen this critical industry in NSW and across Australia.

The roundtable will include a wide range of representatives including rollingstock manufacturers along with small- and medium-sized businesses and unions involved in the wider rail manufacturing supply chain.

It will also involve academics, companies involved in research and development, along with transport and infrastructure department representatives from the Commonwealth, NSW and other states.

The Minns Labor Government will use the roundtable as an opportunity to hear directly from the rail manufacturing industry about what is working while also discussing barriers to further industry investment.

NSW supports the development of a nationally-coordinated approach to rail manufacturing, supporting the development of a sustainable, ongoing work-stream for industry.

NSW will work with the Australian Government, industry and other states to see where we can put aside state rivalries and work together in the national interest.

When the Australian rail manufacturing industry is strong, the NSW rail manufacturing industry has a better chance to thrive.

The NSW Government welcomes the national coordination and leadership the Australian Government is providing in this space.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“This is a critical first step on the path to our commitment to build the next generation of trains that replace the Tangaras here in NSW.

“The only way we can rebuild our NSW rail manufacturing industry in a sustainable way is if we work with the Federal Government on a coordinated, national approach.

“We make some of the best trains in the world.

“This important work will give our companies and workers the best chance to compete with their overseas rivals.

“I want to thank Assistant Minister Ayres and the Albanese government. Today is a really good start.”

Assistant Federal Minister for Manufacturing Senator Tim Ayres said:

“We want trains and rollingstock that are built and designed in Australia for Australian conditions.

“After countless bungles under the previous state government, NSW is now heading in the right direction. I commend the Minns Government for their commitment to build the next generation of trains locally.

“The National Rail Manufacturing Plan is the key component of the Albanese government’s plan to see more trains built and designed by Aussies.

“Our plan will ensure the sector is better placed to take advantage of the upcoming opportunities in rail procurement by driving a more nationally coordinated approach to rail manufacturing, to provide the certainty industry needs to invest in Australia.”

NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“After 12 years of a Liberal government that abandoned manufacturing in NSW, it’s critical that the industry has confidence we are serious about repairing the damage they did. Bringing the industry together like today sends that message loud and clear.

“And just as importantly, it lets us hear directly from the industry and their supply chains about what’s working, as well as the barriers to further industry investment.

“Those insights will directly influence how we will approach the procurement of trains in NSW.”