16 News

The Minns Labor Government has today established the inaugural LGBTIQ+ Advisory Council, fulfilling an election commitment.

The council’s first priority will be to work with the Government to develop NSW’s first LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy.

Members of the council will work closely with the NSW Government to provide insights and recommendations on issues affecting LGBTIQ+ communities.

The 16 inaugural members range from national trailblazers to local champions, and bring with them the expertise needed to establish the council.

Members were selected based on their experiences, expertise and dedication to advocating for LGBTIQ+ communities and will serve a two-year term.

Robyn Kennedy and Dr Justin Koonin have been appointed as the inaugural Co-Chairs of the council.

Robyn is a 78er, having protested in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and is highly regarded in the community for her decades of service to advancing equality and inclusion, including through roles with InterPride, Sydney WorldPride, Qtopia Sydney, and First Mardi Gras 78ers.

Justin has been the President at ACON since 2015 and is recognised in LGBTIQ+ communities for his leadership, expertise and advocacy as a long-serving Convenor of the NSW Gay and Lesbians Rights Lobby.

Also joining the council is Ian Roberts, the first openly gay professional rugby league player.

We congratulate all members who have been appointed to the council:

• Robyn Kennedy
• Dr Justin Koonin
• Anna Brown OAM
• Dr Morgan Carpenter
• Danny Dalton
• Brad Farrugia
• Will Lawrence
• Veronica Mason
• Benjamin Oh
• Dr Chris Pepin-Neff
• Dr Victoria Rawlings
• Ian Roberts
• Nicholas Stewart
• Dr Cris Townley
• Kelly Young
• Charlie Zada

This follows ongoing work by the NSW Government to progress reforms that ensure all members of our community feel valued, respected and equal.

The Minns Labor Government has already fulfilled our election commitment to ban ‘LGBTQ+ conversion practices’ through the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024, which passed the NSW Parliament in March.

The Premier also issued a formal apology in June to people convicted under discriminatory laws that criminalised homosexual acts, and this year passed legislation that meant more of these offences were able to be extinguished.

In September, the NSW Government supported all 19 recommendations delivered by the Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, which examined the unsolved deaths of LGBTIQ people and found shortfalls in historical responses by the NSW Government.

Earlier this month, the Government supported the amended Equality Bill which passed NSW Parliament after being introduced by the Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich.

Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Penny Sharpe said:

“Establishing the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Council is another step forward for LGBTIQ+ people in our state who deserve to be visible and heard. It will drive a more inclusive and equitable NSW.

“The council is testament to our Government’s commitment to ensuring that every person in NSW can live a life free from discrimination and prejudice.

“The diversity of expertise and experiences being brought together in this council is exceptional.”

Co-Chair of the council, Robyn Kennedy said:

“As a lesbian and 78er, I am honoured to serve as Co-Chair of this council. Our work will focus on ensuring that all LGBTIQ+ individuals in NSW are supported, respected, and have their rights upheld.

“This is what our community has always stood for through our decades of advocacy and resilience”

Co-Chair of the council, Dr Justin Koonin said:

“There are legal, social and health issues that continue to impact the human rights, safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people in NSW.

“As Co-Chair of the council I am looking forward to working with members to ensure the NSW Government has direct access to the communities’ experiences, ideas and solutions.

“I am proud to be part of a council that will work towards equality for all.”

SafeWork NSW inspectors are out in force, targeting scaffold safety on construction sites across the state as part of their Scaff Safe 2024 campaign​.

Falls from heights remains the leading cause of fatalities on NSW construction sites, with falls from unsafe scaffolds a significant contributor.

In Newcastle, where the “Scaff Safe” campaign is being launched, a zero-tolerance approach to workers lives being put at risk has seen the number of penalty notices more than double since 2021, while the number of falls from unsafe scaffolding has halved.

Across the state, the most common injury as a result of a fall from height was ligament, muscle and tendon damage or a traumatic joint injury with more than 5,200 incidents reported since 2021/2022.

Scaffold incidents commonly involve:

• people falling from, or through, scaffolds that are poorly erected, incomplete or have been altered including having components removed by unlicenced workers, such as brickies, builders, painters,
• people falling from scaffolds due to misuse, for example standing on rails or boxes, adding makeshift work platforms,
• scaffold collapse or failure of components due to incorrect assembly, overloading platforms, or incompatible or overly rusted/rotted componentry,
• objects falling off scaffolds and hitting people below,
• scaffolds being struck by mobile plant/vehicles or being snagged by a crane, and
• scaffolders being injured when unsafely erecting, adjusting or dismantling scaffold.

Inspectors will be visiting sites to talk with principal contractors and site supervisors about how to ensure their site is ‘Scaff Safe’, including verifying they have a plan in place to manage scaffold safety for each stage of the build.

Inspectors are taking a zero-tolerance approach to workers lives being placed at risk and can issue on-the-spot fines for not managing the risk of scaffolds, falls from heights and alterations by unlicenced workers. Individuals may be fined up to $900 and businesses up to $4,500.

Further information for workers, employers and licence holders about managing the risks of scaffold can be found at: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/scaffolding

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis

“It’s important employers understand their duties under work health and safety laws.

“Scaffold requires constant attention and coordination. It can kill workers when not built safely, with the main risks being falls from heights, falling components, scaffold collapse and contact with powerlines.

“SafeWork Inspectors take a zero-tolerance approach to workers lives being placed at risk around scaffolding and will issue on-the-spot fines to enforce compliance.

“All workers have the right to go home to their loved ones at the end of their workday.”

Tim Crakanthorp, State Member for Newcastle

“Scaffolds are a focus for inspectors for good reason. Falls from heights are one of the biggest causes of fatalities and serious injuries on NSW building sites.

“Newcastle is proud to help lead the way in New South Wales when it comes to helping keep workers safe on our construction sites.”

Idyllic Western Sydney swimming spot Lake Parramatta will reopen this weekend for the summer season complete with its own beach, after the Minns Labor Government funded a $1.4 million upgrade.

The works ensure families in Western Sydney now have access to another safe and accessible swimming spot close to home, without needing to travel long distances to a beach.

More than 50,000 annual visitors to Lake Parramatta can now enjoy:

• A sandy beach within the swimming area, supported with a retaining wall;
• Improved water access through footpaths, and other accessibility features such as handrails and traction treatments for steps;
• New seating, sandstone walls, shaded areas, landscaping, bushland regeneration, improved signage, an outdoor shower; and
• The installation of a formal lifeguard viewing platform which will provide improved sightlines over the swimming area for lifeguards.

These changes improve safety and accessibility for visitors, while preserving the natural beauty of the bushland site.

The Lake Parramatta upgrade has been completed thanks to the NSW Government’s Places to Swim program and Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants program.

The upgrade is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to expanding access to swimming sites for communities who live away from the coast, particularly in Western Sydney.

It comes after Labor successfully unlocked Western Sydney Lakes last summer to open Penrith Beach to the public – a major hit with locals that will return again this year following a further $2.5 million investment. 

Lake Parramatta officially opens to the public from 10am Saturday, 26 October and will have lifeguards on duty each weekend from 10am to 6pm until Sunday 24 November 2024.

From Saturday 30 November 2024 to Thursday 30 January 2025, lifeguards will be on duty seven days per week from 10am to 7pm before returning to weekend-only patrols from 10am to 7pm from Saturday 1 February to Sunday 30 March 2025.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“Lake Parramatta is great spot for the people of Western Sydney to escape the summer heat, now more than ever after this upgrade.

“The revitalisation of this swimming spot is in no small part thanks to the advocacy of Donna Davis, who as Lord Mayor pushed so hard for it to be funded. Now the whole community can benefit from this investment in local amenity here in Parramatta.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said:

“The NSW Government’s Places to Swim program is about creating cool spaces for families and friends to gather, relax and enjoy a dip in the water.

“Through the funding received from the NSW Government, this idyllic location will now be safer, more accessible and more accommodating to its thousands of visitors each year.”

Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:

“The City of Parramatta design work and community consultation for these upgrades occurred during my time as Lord Mayor, so it makes me very proud to see the work completed for the benefit of local residents and visitors to Parramatta.

“These upgrades support Parramatta’s fast growing population, ensuring a beautiful, functional place for people of all ages and abilities to relax, recreate and return to again and again.”

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said:

“Lake Parramatta is an iconic swimming spot, and these upgrades really elevate this oasis and provide a safe and comfortable environment to cool off on hot days.

“The eastern suburbs have Bondi, Penrith has Pondi and now more people can safely enjoy this gem in the West – Lake Parramatta.

“We welcome everyone to make memories here this summer and remind people to bring a friend and swim in the designated swimming area when supervised by lifeguards.”

Staff and volunteers across the NSW health system have been celebrated for their dedication, compassion, innovation and outstanding achievements at the 2024 NSW Health Awards, held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney last night.

The awards recognise the people, teams and programs in NSW Health that make such a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of patients of the communities they care for. It is – most of all – a celebration of the team enriching health in millions of ways every day.

Some of the innovative projects to win awards across the 13 categories included the use of artificial-intelligence to develop a wound app reducing average healing times, research to develop oral insulin as an alternative for injectible insulin expanding treatment options for diabetics and establishing a video interpreting service for multicultural communities.

Awards were presented by Minister for Health Ryan Park, Minister for Medical Research David Harris, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Regional Health Dr Michael Holland, and NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM.

186 nominations were received across 13 categories, including:

• Staff Member of the Year Award
• Volunteer of the Year Award
• Secretary’s Award
• Environmental Sustainability Award
• Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award
• Excellence in Multicultural 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 winners and finalists and their projects is available on the ​​NSW Health website.​​

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“I want to congratulate the winners and all 42 finalists for their outstanding contributions to our health system. Every day in NSW Health we see fantastic examples of care, dedication and innovation when it comes to improving the health and wellbeing of people across NSW.

“It’s fantastic to see that five of the NSW Health Award winners are from rural and regional areas, highlighting the great care available to communities right across the state.

“I would particularly like to highlight the great work of Dr Nhi Nguyen from Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, who was named Staff Member of the Year for her leadership across initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between clinicians, policy makers and the community.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson:

“I offer my congratulations to the South Western Sydney Local Health District who took out the Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services award for their Aboriginal Mental Health Transfer of Care project.

“This work has had a positive impact on hundreds of people and their communities, with a team of specialists set up to provide culturally responsive care and better discharge planning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, nearly halving unplanned re-admissions.

“Across every nomination in this category we see shining examples of a commitment to patient care and safety so I personally want to thank all the finalists for their dedication to providing compassionate mental health services right across the state.”

Minister for Medical Research David Harris:

“Sydney Local Health District were a deserving winner of the Health Research category, for their ground-breaking work to expand treatment options for people with diabetes. The team has created an oral insulin treatment that is preparing for clinical trials early next year.

“It was a pleasure to celebrate the people helping position NSW as a global leader in health and medical research, and the work in Sydney Local Health District reflects many of the amazing initiatives underway in our state.”

NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM:

“NSW Health is very proud to celebrate the people and teams who are enriching health in millions of ways every day – our incredible healthcare staff and volunteers.

“All of the nominees, finalists and winners reflect the incredible work our people do, in a wide variety of roles right across the public health system., and I thank them sincerely for it.”

The Australian Government and New South Wales Government have signed an agreement to support the Commonwealth’s implementation of its Community Safety Order (CSO) Scheme.

As a result of the High Court’s decision in NZYQ v. Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs & Anor, NZYQ and other similarly affected people were required to be released from immigration detention.

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the CSO scheme, which seeks to ensure that individuals who pose an unacceptable risk to the community, who have no real prospect of being removed from Australia in the reasonably foreseeable future, are subject to either a community safety detention order or a community safety supervision order.

New South Wales has agreed to support the Commonwealth’s delivery of services under the CSO Scheme, including the Community Safety Detention Order scheme (CSDO) and the Community Safety Supervision Order (CSSO) scheme.

This will include – where it is ordered by a court – accommodation of CSDO offenders within Corrective Services NSW facilities, and assistance to the Australian Government with CSSO supervision case management.

Corrective Services NSW support for therapeutic case management will be limited to development of case plans, assessments and the referral or provision of therapeutic programs.

The Commonwealth will continue to be responsible for the monitoring of NZYQ affected people, including those on the CSSO scheme, and responding to any breaches of conditions.

This support is in addition to the ongoing support provided to the Commonwealth by the NSW Police Force since the High Court’s decision in November 2023.

Testing will soon begin on cutting-edge technology to improve early warnings about floods and bushfires in NSW.

The NSW Government this week launched a proof-of-concept phase as part of a $3.3 million election commitment to build a natural hazards detection system.

The testing will explore a range of scenarios to enhance the state’s response to natural hazards including innovative technology to detect floods and bushfires that can:

• support early identification of flood water across roads
• monitor rainfall and soil moisture data to predict floods
• identify fire ignitions in remote locations
• monitor soil moisture and fuel loads to support improved fire hazard reduction.

Individual grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to successful applicants through the program to support the testing of technologies over a six-month period to demonstrate their feasibility and benefits.

The program delivers on an election commitment by the Minns Labor Government and is being led by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) in collaboration with the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA).

The initiative directly responds to key recommendations from the 2020 Bushfire Inquiry and the 2022 Flood Inquiry, which called for the use of advanced detection systems to provide earlier warnings and give communities more time to respond to natural hazards.

Businesses are encouraged to submit proposals addressing these challenges, with the potential to progress to the next stage of the program which includes scaling up and piloting technologies in real-world settings.

Applications for Phase 1 are open until early December. Grant recipients from Phase 1 will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 through a competitive process.

The outcomes of the pilot will help shape the design of a final product, ready for deployment in hazard-prone areas of NSW. For more information and to apply, visit: www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/nhds.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to better protect communities living in high-risk areas that are prone to floods and fires through better detection systems.”

“We are helping to develop new detection technologies and testing them in unique Australian conditions.”

We are working to identify solutions that allow people to better anticipate natural disasters and prepare for evacuations.”

“This program is not only important to help reduce the impact of disasters, but ultimately can help save lives.”

Minister for Innovation, Science & Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“This funding demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to innovation and technology to help improve our response to and preparedness for natural hazards.”

“Supporting businesses to field-test their technologies with NSW Government agencies allows them to bring their innovations one step closer to commercialisation.”

Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer said:

“NSW is looking to the future and investigating how cutting-edge technology can transform our response to natural hazards.”

“By undertaking trials of groundbreaking technology solutions in real world conditions we will ensure that NSW residents are better prepared for natural hazards now and into the future”.