Category: NSW News

Plans to transform and expand the Sydney Jewish Museum will become a reality through a $10 million investment by a re-elected NSW Liberal Government.

Liberal candidates for Vaucluse, Coogee and Davidson welcome this investment that will support the Sydney Jewish Museum with an additional $6.5 million to create two centres in one precinct – a Sydney Holocaust Museum to share the history and testimonies of survivors and a Centre for Contemporary Jewish Life to share the community’s culture, traditions and contributions to Australia.

Liberal Candidate for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane said the Sydney Jewish Museum plays an incredibly vital role in helping bridge gaps and foster mutual respect and understanding between all people.

“Education and storytelling are key to building tolerance and understanding. This is so important for encouraging harmony for all people in our community,” Ms Sloane said.

Liberal candidate for Coogee, Dr Kylie von Muenster, said the Sydney Jewish Museum has provided a voice for Jewish heritage in Sydney.

“This continued support by the Perrottet Liberal Government will elevate the experience for those who visit the museum by enhancing the platform to share in the Jewish community’s culture and contribution to Australia.” Dr von Muenster said.

Liberal candidate for Davidson, Matt Cross, said this is an investment that will benefit generations to come in better understanding Jewish heritage and will pave the way forward with state-of the art facilities.

“This is a great investment for not only the Jewish community but for the wider community who will now be able to learn and understand more to foster greater respect for all people.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the commitment is part of the Government’s long-term plan for a united and harmonious multicultural and multi-faith society.

“Once completed, our investment will be returned significantly through helping current and future generations lead our state forward in eliminating racism, hatred and faith-based intolerance,” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government was committed to honouring the memories of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, while also promoting and celebrating Australian Jewish culture.

“The Sydney Jewish Museum gives a voice to victims of the Holocaust and to the incredible survivors who still guide visitors through the exhibitions and help educate and inspire thousands of school children each year,” Mr Kean said.

“The museum is crucial to ensuring that the atrocities of the Holocaust are never repeated and that racism and hatred have no place in Australia or anywhere else.”

The $6.5 million commitment will add to the $3.5 million already invested by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government in the project.

Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the NSW Liberals and Nationals are proud to partner with the Jewish community to strengthen the state’s multicultural and multi-faith society.

“The Sydney Jewish Museum stands to ensure that, as a society, we learn and remember the terrible lessons of the Holocaust. This investment continues this important work, while also providing new spaces to better tell the stories of Jewish-Australians,” Mr Coure said.

President of the Sydney Jewish Museum Greg Shand said the recent upsurge in anti-Semitism only serves to highlight the importance of the Museum seeking to double its impact by doubling the number that visit annually.

“The support of the Government, for which the Museum is enormously grateful, will contribute in a material way to creating a larger, state-of-the-art facility, and will greatly assist the Museum in achieving this objective,” Mr Shand said.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said as Holocaust survivors dwindle, keeping their stories alive and educating future generations about the horrors of the past has never been more important.

“Today’s announcement will help the Sydney Jewish Museum open its doors to twice as many Australians, particularly school students, showing them where racism, hate speech and intolerance can ultimately lead,” Mr Bark said.

“We thank the NSW Government for its commitment to stamping out anti-Semitism and discrimination and ensuring that the worst atrocities in our history are not forgotten, and never repeated.”

The support for the Sydney Jewish Museum comes as a proposed partnership between the Department of Education and the newly formed Religious Communities Advisory Council is progressed to recommend best-practice teaching of the Holocaust in all NSW schools.

Netball NSW has today published its Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2025, which provides a clear pathway to ensure that netball is the State’s leading sport of choice and opportunity.

Netball has proudly been the leading high-performance and community sport for NSW women and girls for over nine decades and the clear message in the new Strategic Plan is that the game plans to retain its number 1 position in women’s sport, whilst ensuring it is adapting and evolving to welcome a more expansive participation base and audience.

“It is our vision to make netball the leading sport of choice and opportunity across the State,” Netball NSW CEO Tracey Scott says.

“This means continuing to be leaders in women’s sport, focusing on innovation and inclusivity in terms of how we deliver the game and prioritising supporting our incredible volunteer community.

“We are excited for the next evolution of netball in NSW as we look to ensure our game continues to grow and thrive.    

“When you look at our market-leading grassroots numbers, and the success of the Australian Diamonds on the world stage, coupled with the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball on the national front, the game is really the premier sport of choice across the State.

“We are already in every community, in every region from Albury in the south to Tweed Heads in the north.   

“Over 20 million play netball worldwide and we have 20 of the world’s best in the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball – that is the calibre of athlete our game is producing year in and year out.”

With a meaningful commitment to capacity building, inclusivity and growth, a key strategic focus in the plan is to facilitate compelling opportunities to empower everyone in the community to nurture their love of the game. 

“Netball gave women an equal voice and opportunity when they had no other avenues to pursue and we will always remain proud of this heritage. However, that has led to a perception at times that netball is a female-only sport, which is simply not the case,” Scott added.

“Visit any netball venue during the week and you will see men’s and/or mixed netball, while boys divisions in our Schools Cup have been highly popular. We now also have male divisions at our Junior and Senior State Titles.  We have made some good progress over recent years and we want to accelerate this.

“Finally, more broadly, we feel it is our responsibility to unleash netball’s potential in NSW, and a fundamental part of achieving this is to ensure that we create environments and opportunities that meaningfully ensure netball is a sport for all communities, ages, genders and abilities.

“Netball is the most popular team sport in NSW and provides more health and social benefits to the community than any other code in the State.

“We must champion the game and market it properly as the major player it is on the NSW sporting landscape.”

To view the full Netball NSW Strategic Plan please CLICK HERE

Up to three million households and small businesses across NSW could be saving on their energy bills by switching to a cheaper deal, according to new Government analysis of retail performance data from the Australian Energy Regulator.  

The percentage of customers switching their electricity plans in NSW each quarter has hovered at a low average of 5 per cent over the last year, leaving up to 3 million customers potentially paying more than they should by staying with their provider and not shopping around.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s Energy Bill Saver program would help millions of families and small businesses across the state.

“Our program will help millions of hardworking families and small businesses save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills just by shopping around for a better deal,” Mr Perrottet said. 

“We will provide an immediate $250 saving for every household, while helping them potentially save hundreds of dollars more by switching to a cheaper plan.

“Only a Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver bill relief for families because of our long-term economic plan to support NSW families and keep our state moving forward.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said this type of cost of living support was only possible because of the Liberal and Nationals Government’s strong economic management and responsible stewardship of the State’s finances.

“This cost of living relief is not bipartisan – the Labor party has announced that it will cut the Energy Bill Saver if it is elected, denying households a guaranteed $250 in energy bill relief and up to $400 more in potential savings the Coalition will deliver,” Mr Kean said.

“The Labor Party does not have a long term economic plan to manage the State’s budget and so they are coming after the budgets of NSW families, denying them cost of living relief that they cannot afford to lose.”

NSW lagged far behind Victoria, where the average switch rate was 22 per cent higher than NSW’s over the same period, representing thousands of customers that had saved on their bills by finding a cheaper alternative.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said that under a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government the $250 payment would be offered via Service NSW from July to eligible account holders who use the Energy Switch comparison tool.  

“Customers will be able to claim their $250 payment using the MyService account, making it as seamless as possible to prove your eligibility when completing an online application,” Mr Dominello said.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has the most comprehensive cost of living program in the country. Using Service NSW as the platform, our goal is always to ensure everyone who is eligible knows about these great initiatives and when they go to apply it’s intuitive and simple.”

Source: Energy Made Easy, February 2023

Liberal candidate for Wakehurst, Toby Williams, has welcomed a major boost to frontline emergency care for residents on the Northern Beaches, with a new ambulance station set to be built near Dee Why.

“A new ambulance station in Dee Why will significantly boost access to frontline health care. It is a gamechanger for our community. As the brother of a paramedic, I have enormous admiration for the amazing work paramedics do in our community,” Mr Williams said.

“A new station in Dee Why will ensure our paramedics have the state of the art infrastructure they deserve, while improving access to care for local residents.  This crucial investment is only possible because of the Perrottet Liberal Government’s strong financial record and plan to keep NSW moving forward”.   

Minister for Health and Member for Wakehurst Brad Hazzard said the announcement forms part of a record $1.76 billion NSW Government investment which will transform NSW Ambulance services over the next four years with more than 2,000 extra staff, including 1,858 paramedics, and 30 new ambulance stations across NSW.

“Ambulance services are experiencing unprecedented demand and this new station will not only keep us ahead of the curve but provide our hardworking paramedics with first-class facilities as they assist communities in their time of need,” Mr Hazzard said. 

“The NSW Government is investing in ambulance stations right across the state to ensure communities continue to receive emergency care when they need it, no matter where they live.”

Member for Manly James Griffin welcomed the news which he says will ensure that the local community has improved access to emergency care when and where they need it most.

“Not only will this new ambulance station boost local health services and bring more jobs to the local area, it will also provide a better working environment for our paramedics who are doing their utmost to serve our community,” Mr Griffin said.

“The new station will feature internal parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, vehicle wash facilities, multipurpose spaces to support staff education and rest, logistics and storage spaces, an office area for administration as well as staff amenities.”

NSW Ambulance identifies suitable locations to improve ambulance response times  for patients using best practice modelling software that maps Triple Zero call demands

Mr Griffin said the exact location for the new ambulance station at Dee Why will be determined once further planning is completed which includes working with key stakeholders to identify a suitable site.

“We will shortly commence a process to identify potential sites for the new ambulance station. This process will ensure we best meet the needs of the Northern Beaches community and our emergency staff.”

The NSW Government is committed to increasing the capacity of NSW Ambulance. In total, more than $1 billion is being invested across three major NSW Ambulance infrastructure programs, with more than 100 projects announced since 2014.

The NSW Government’s $1 billion investment in NSW Ambulance infrastructure includes:

• Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy ($184 million) – 19 projects – 18 projects completed to date with one due for completion late 2023. Program began 2014
• NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program ($615.5 million) 30 projects – 8 in early planning. Program announced in 2022-23 State Budget.
• RAIR program Stage 1 & 2 ($232 million) – 54 projects – 39 complete, 15 underway. Program began 2015.

The new ambulance station at Dee Why is being delivered as part of the $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure program, and is additional to local health investments including the Australian-first $19.5 million Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice completed in December and the $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital opened in late 2018.

Liberal candidate for Parramatta, Katie Mullens, welcomes today’s announcement that public spaces, parklands and transport hubs across the state will undergo a safety overhaul under a re-elected Liberal Government as part of a $30 million boost to the Safer Cities program to ensure women and girls feel safe in public.

“This investment means women in Parramatta will benefit as the Safer Cities program is doubled to deliver important safety upgrades right across NSW.” Ms Mullens said.

“Every single person in Parramatta has the right to feel safe in public and that is why the Perrottet Liberal Government is doubling its investment to boost safety infrastructure in our parks and on our streets so that everyone, but particularly women, feel safe.”

“This funding builds on the Liberal Government’s $787 million investment to deliver important initiatives that boost the safety of women and girls across our state and new initiatives, including the ‘Right to Ask’ scheme.”

Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward said the program was important to improve safety and reduce harassment on our streets.

“This is not a one-off fix and it is critical we continue to engage with women and girls to identify areas that can be improved so women and girls can feel safe in our cities, especially after dark,” Mrs Ward said.

“That’s why a re-elected Liberals and Nationals Government will work with the Women’s Safety Commissioner to roll out a reporting system so women can identify places that feel unsafe.

“I have also instructed the Secretary of Transport undertake a review to consider how existing practices and infrastructure could be bolstered to improve the safety, comfort and confidence of women who use public transport.”

The Safer Cities Program has three goals, which are aligned with the UN Safer Cities for Girls program:

• Increasing women and girls’ safety and access to public spaces
• Enabling women and girls to move freely and alone in their community
• Increasing women and girls’ engagement with how the spaces around them are designed and managed

Final locations to receive funding will be recommended by NSW Government agencies based on a range of factors including BOCSAR data.

These announcements build upon the NSW Liberal’s recent commitments to boosting women’s safety, including:

• $20 million for up to 200 additional electronic monitoring devices to monitor domestic violence offenders;
• Rental bonds to help victim-survivors of domestic violence to help rebuild their lives;
• Reviewing all sentences for domestic violence related offences;
• Funding a specialise Domestic and Family Violence list in three locations and give additional magistrates; and,
• Undertaking a feasibility study into establishing a dedicated Domestic and Family Violence court.

The NSW Liberal Government has also introduced the ‘Right to Ask’ scheme, where people can find out if their partner has a history of domestic violence offences.

Liberal candidate for Riverstone Mohit Kumar has met with Schofields Junior Rugby League Club to talk about the benefits they’ll receive from more than $8,000 in funding thanks to the NSW Government’s Local Sports Grants Program.

Funding for the popular rugby league club would help turbocharge participation across all age groups and bring the community closer together.

“It is so important we continue supporting our local sporting clubs. They are the life-blood of our communities and key to ensuring our kids live a healthy and happy lifestyle,” Mr Kumar said.

The Local Sport Grant Program aims to support grassroots sporting clubs to increase participation, host events, improve access, and enhance sport and recreation facilities.

Grants of between $2,000 and $10,000 per project were available with up to $50,000 available in each electorate.

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the program will encourage people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of sport and active recreation.

“This funding will provide a cash injection to help improve sport facilities, enhance accessibility and hold new and exciting events and development programs,” Mr Henskens said.

“No government has invested in community sport like the Liberal and Nationals, and this program is another example of the more than $2 billion we’ve pumped into grassroots community sports infrastructure and programs.”

Schofields Junior Rugby League Club President Robert Mckinlay said the funding would help to lead training initiatives and purchase field equipment to attract and support premier coaching staff.

“We want to make sure we continue attracting the best coaching talent in the area to support our junior players in their athletic development and their appreciation of the game,” Mr Mckinlay said.

More information about the program is available online.

Liberal candidate for Ryde, Jordan Lane, welcomes the NSW Government’s announcement today that North Ryde and Gladesville libraries will receive $100,000 in funding thanks to the NSW Liberal Government’s Public Library Infrastructure Grant program.

“Funding will be used to upgrade furniture and shelving at both North Ryde and Galesville libraries.” Mr Lane said.

“Thanks to the Perrottet Liberal Government, our Ryde electorate will have upgraded Library facilities in both North Ryde and Gladesville that will continue to offer services to the local community.

“I am delighted that see the continued investment of the Perrottet Liberal Government in the local Ryde community.”

NSW Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said 21 local councils across the State will share in $6 million in funding for infrastructure projects this year to extend and improve public library buildings, spaces and information technology for local communities.

“Well-resourced libraries contribute to community resilience with quality facilities, great collections and access to the Internet, and we are pleased to help councils to upgrade these critical services,” Mr Franklin said.

“An overall record investment of over $40 million will be provided to councils this year in support of libraries, with further increases locked in for next year and beyond. This is in addition to the record $165 million that the NSW Liberal Government has committed for the next four years, ensuring that our libraries can continue to thrive

Liberal candidate for Ryde, Jordan Lane, is delighted with the Perrottet Liberal Government’s announcement today that Ryde will benefit from $55,000 for the refurbishment of the North Ryde School of Arts thanks to the NSW Government’s Creative Capital program.

The refurbishment of the North Ryde School of Arts is one of 82 projects sharing in a total of $11.7 million funding under the second round of Minor Works and Equipment Projects. These projects are the latest to receive funding as part of the $72 million Creative Capital initiative launched in 2021.

“The North Ryde School of Arts is the primary community performance space in Ryde.” Mr Lane said.

“Refurbishment will include stage, lighting, audio systems and performer facility upgrades that will increase the functionality of the venue to accommodate a greater range of performance and creative activities for the people in the Ryde electorate and surrounds.

“I welcome the NSW Government’s investment to improving arts and cultural venues to be fit-for-purpose for the Ryde community, enhancing access and supporting the local economy.

“This funding will help us deliver state-of-the-art improvements and ensure our local audiences and visitors enjoy high quality cultural experiences. I am delighted the Perrottet Liberal Government has made this possible for Ryde.”

Minister Franklin said this Creative Capital funding will pay dividends for the community of Ryde by delivering a much-needed facility upgrade.

“The NSW Government’s $72 million Creative Capital program aims to boost equity and access to arts and culture facilities for the people of NSW. With 165 projects across the state, more people will have access to top-class arts and cultural experiences,” Mr Franklin said.

“NSW is known for producing world-class arts and cultural experiences. It’s critical that the cultural infrastructure in our state matches our artistic aspirations, and we have gold-standard facilities to showcase this extraordinary creative talent,” Mr Franklin said.

“Everyone deserves access to high-quality creative experiences, and the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s ongoing commitment to creating world-class arts and cultural infrastructure ensures the NSW creative sector has the capacity to innovate, reach new audiences and develop skills.”

Further details on the Creative Capital program are available on the Create NSW website at www.create.nsw.gov.au.

Households and business customers are paying less for their electricity network charges today compared to pre-privatisation, according to new analysis of Australian Energy Regulator data.

Electricity network charges are $251 lower today compared to 2015 for the average household and $1,769 lower for the average small business.

Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean said the new analysis was proof the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s record of strong financial management was delivering for consumers.

“Network charges have fallen by 26 per cent for the average household and 49 per cent for the average small business since the long-term lease of Ausgrid and Endeavour,” Mr Kean said. 

“Chris Minns has been lying to the people of NSW, and now his grubby scare campaign that asset recycling raises customer bills is taking on water when you look at the cold hard facts. The Liberal and Nationals Government has ruled out future privatisation, yet NSW Laborcontinues with this shameful scare campaign.”

This is backed up by a 2013 Commonwealth Productivity Commission report on electricity networks, which stated, “[t]here is no evidence that the productivity, reliability, quality or cost performance of private sector electricity network businesses is worse than their public sector equivalents. To the contrary, the evidence in Australia and internationally suggests that such private sector enterprises are more efficient.”

More recently, the Grattan Institute’s 2018 Down to the Wire report highlighted that

“[e]vidence over the past decade shows that publicly-owned network businesses have not been as efficient as privately-owned businesses, increasing costs for consumers.”

In December last year, Opposition Leader Chris Minns signalled his plans to nationalise the NSW electricity grid.

Mr Kean said Labor’s plan for greater government intervention in the energy market is the biggest risk facing NSW when it comes to electricity reliability and affordability over the next decade. 

“Our nation-leading Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is driving $32 billion of private investment into the State’s electricity system, which is the best way to deliver affordable and reliable energy,” Mr Kean said.

“But Chris Minns’ ideological vendetta against private investment in the NSW electricity system risks driving away that capital, threatening our energy security and leaving households paying more.

“By his own admission, Chris Minns’ proposed government energy bureaucracy won’t deliver households any savings for seven years.

“Only the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has a long-term economic plan to build infrastructure, create jobs and provide energy rebate support for households.

“It would be a disaster for energy bills if NSW Labor get their way with nationalising our electricity sector, and would threaten to undo much of the network savings that have been achieved over the past six years.”

Source: Australian Energy Regulator, Office of Energy and Climate Change (NSW)

Source: Australian Energy Regulator, Office of Energy and Climate Change (NSW)

Older people across NSW will be better protected from scams, as part of the Liberal and Nationals Government’s comprehensive plan to support seniors.

A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will provide an additional $2 million to double funding for the Tech Savvy Seniors Program, with a focus on boosting scam-awareness and enhancing training for Service NSW staff who interact with older customers.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said this additional support for digital education and training builds on the Liberal and Nationals strong record of delivery for seniors living in NSW.

“We will ensure more seniors have access to scam-awareness training and that customer service representatives can better support them when they need to access government services,” Premier Perrottet said.

“This funding boost is about ensuring elderly people have the support they need when using technology in our rapidly changing digital world and that our government services are the most accessible in the country.

“Better protecting the elderly from scams builds on the Liberal and Nationals comprehensive plan to support the growing number of seniors in NSW through dozens of rebates and thousands of discounts through the NSW Seniors Card.

“Whether it’s the Senior Savers Card, Pensioner Water Rebate, Gold Opal Card  or the Seniors Energy Rebate, the Liberal and Nationals will continue to help relieve household budgets and back seniors across NSW.”

Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Seniors Mark Coure said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to ensuring that our older Australians feel safe, protected, and included.

“When our society changes, we need to make sure everyone, especially our seniors, are not left behind, and our plan will ensure that doesn’t happen,” Mr Coure said.

“That is why we launched the Tech Savvy Seniors Program ten years ago, and by expanding it, we will ensure more seniors can access what they need to stay active and protected in our increasingly digital world.”

The Tech Savvy Seniors Program provides free and low-cost classes to seniors to help build their skills and confidence when engaging with the digital world, and is part of a raft of initiatives and programs to help keep seniors socially active, safe and resilient.

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s comprehensive plan to support the growing number of seniors in NSW includes our:

–       Seniors Card and Seniors Savers Card, which give almost 1.9 million older people in NSW access to discounts at more than 6,600 businesses, travel, entertainment, and professional services;

–       Regional Seniors Travel Card, a prepaid $250 card which helps regional seniors with the cost of travel;

–       Gold Opal Card which gives seniors in NSW unlimited travel for no more than $2.50 a day;

–       NSW Seniors Energy Rebate which is available to self-funded retirees to help cover the cost of electricity, up to $200; and,

–       Dozens of savings measures that are available through the Service NSW Savings Finder Program, including 67 rebates for eligible pensioners and 39 rebates for eligible self-funded retirees.

The number of seniors in NSW is expected to grow from 1.9 million today to more than 2.4 million by 2031. 

Seniors can go to the NSW Savings Finder Program homepage to find out more on how they can save.