Category: NSW News

Sydney’s famed George Street has transformed into a dining extravaganza stretching 850-metres through the CBD which, along with another site at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, is set to tantalise a sell-out crowd of more than 2,500 people.                   
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said OPEN FOR LUNCH was a fantastic way of getting people into the festive spirit while also supporting businesses and showcasing some our state’s best hospitality. 
 
“Summer is here and Sydney is bursting into life with a jam-packed calendar of events thanks to the NSW Government’s Sydney in Summer event series,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“World-class events like OPEN FOR LUNCH support local hotels, bars, restaurants, tourism operators and small businesses while also bringing people together at this special time of year.
“This is about bringing our CBD back to life and ensuring visitors enjoy a summer to remember in our global city.”
Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the successful OPEN FOR LUNCH was the first course in Sydney’s unprecedented summer events calendar that promises a feast of entertainment and significant benefits for the NSW economy.
 
“Our Summer in Sydney celebrations kicks off with Sydney’s longest lunch in George Street and a culinary takeover of CommBank Stadium where diners will be blown away by the incredible talent of the city’s hospitality industry, beginning a phenomenal calendar of world-class events over the coming months,” Mr Franklin said.
 
“There are barely any spare seats at the OPEN FOR LUNCH table, with Sydneysiders and visitors reveling in the festivities of this unique dining event.
 
“This will be the best summer yet for Sydney as the NSW Government delivers fantastic events like OPEN FOR LUNCH that provide fun and entertainment for families and visitors right across the State.” 
 
The NSW Government’s Sydney in Summer event series includes OPEN FOR LUNCH, Noël Sydney and ELEVATE Sydney.
 
Major events taking place in Sydney through to early 2023 include:
 

• Cinderella: Until 29 January 2023
• Sydney International Art Series Do Ho Suh: 4 November – 26 February 2023
• Come from Away: 5 November – 12 February 2023
• Carmen on Cockatoo Island: 25 November – 18 December 2022
• OPEN FOR LUNCH – Sydney/Parramatta: 2 December 2022
• Adrian Villar Rojas: The End of Imagination: 3 December – mid-2023
• Noël Sydney: 9 December – 24 December 2022
• United Cup: 29 December – 8 January 2023
• ELEVATE Sydney: 3 January – 7 January 2023
• Sydney Festival: 5 January – 29 January 2023
• HSBC Sydney 7’s: 27 January – 29 January 2023
• Frida Kahlo: The Life Of An Icon from 4 February
• SailGP: 18 Feb – 19 February 2023
• Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Madama Butterfly: 24 March – 23 April 2023
• Madagascar the Musical: 16 December – 1 January 2023
• Sydney New Year’s Eve: 31 December 2022
• Sydney to Hobart: 26 January 2023
• Australia Day: 26 January 2023
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical: Until 28 January 2023
• Sydney WorldPride / Mardi Gras: 17 February – 5 March 2023

 
To find out more and plan your summer in Sydney visit www.sydney.com/events

New South Wales public school students will have access to some of the boldest and most innovative wellbeing programs, thanks to a new $2.5 million Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund.
 
The Fund will have two streams for grants:
 

• Capacity building funding for providers who want to scale or deliver their wellbeing programs in schools.
• Seed funding to providers to research, create, develop and test new approaches to supporting and addressing student wellbeing issues.

Grants of up to $200,000 will be available, depending on the scale of the project.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the Fund will act as an incubator for organisations developing programs or seeking to expand programs supporting student wellbeing.
 
“There is no one-size-fits all solution for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people. That’s why it’s so important to give schools an opportunity to address local issues affecting their students through the bespoke programs this fund will help grow,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
Ms Mitchell said the Fund will provide a pathway for wellbeing providers to establish a more comprehensive evidence base and be eligible as a Department of Education Quality Assured wellbeing provider.
 
“We know in this ever-changing world, schools often have to find innovative and agile ways to support our students to thrive as confident, successful and lifelong learners,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“This Fund will give providers the opportunity to support schools in innovative ways.”
 
Applications for the first funding round will open in early 2023.

Students in NSW will soon be able to put their best foot forward when applying for jobs and further study, thanks to a $24.5 million investment in the ground-breaking digital “Education Wallet”.

This comes as the NSW Government announces that tenders are now open to deliver the initiative. 

Minister for Education and Early Learning, Sarah Mitchell, said the “Education Wallet” will give every student in the state an all-inclusive digital record of their skills and achievements in a Learner Profile that can be easily shared with future employers and further education providers.

“Students, industry and universities have been sharing with us what they want included in the learner profile, so it’s fantastic to take this next step towards delivering this amazing tool for NSW students,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Establishing a tailored, digital record of verified academic and non-academic achievements will help our students reflect on their skills and strengths, and share those easily with prospective employers and future education providers.”

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Victor Dominello, said that investment in the “Education Wallet” digital platform is an investment in our young people, who have to navigate a fast-changing world.

“We know the world is more digitally-focused than ever before, so this wallet will keep up with the changing technology and ensure our students have easily accessible and verified information saved in the one place,” Mr Dominello said.

“The Learner Profile will help students to articulate their skills, and make it easier for businesses to have access to verifiable academic and non-academic achievements.”

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the platform is a win-win, which will open doors for students and support both education providers and industry.

“The “Education Wallet” will be a young person’s digital passport to further education and employment,” Mr Henskens said.

“This initiative will enable students to take control of their future by equipping them to demonstrate their skills and achievements to prospective employers, which will unlock opportunities and inspire them to secure a brighter future.”

The Education Wallet is just one of several initiatives the NSW Government is delivering to ensure students are job-ready, including the landmark NSW Curriculum Reform, piloting more HSC exams online, and enabling more VET courses to contribute to a student’s ATAR.

IT providers interested in supporting the “Education Wallet” initiative as a delivery partner, can visit the NSW e-Tendering website at NSW Government tender portal for more details.

A new $30 million program will ensure NSW remains a modern manufacturing powerhouse by attracting more investment in industries such as medical technology, digital systems, clean energy, defence and aerospace.
 
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens said the new Future Industries Investment Program would drive growth in emerging industries and ensure NSW remains at the cutting-edge of modern manufacturing.
 
“NSW is the manufacturing powerhouse of Australia and is home to a diverse range of innovative manufacturers that make and export world-leading products,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“We need to ensure our state remains ahead of the pack when it comes to the manufacturing of high-value products and that means backing businesses to establish and expand their operations right here in NSW.
 
“This is about driving more modern manufacturing jobs in our state and generating more export dollars for NSW.
 
“This work will build on our already significant investment in manufacturing, to support businesses to locate and grow in NSW, boost local productivity and take our sovereign capability to a new level, which will drive our economy for generations to come.”
 
The new program forms part of the NSW Government’s response to the Modern Manufacturing Taskforce’s report.
 
Initiatives identified in the response will be delivered under the coordination of industry expert and NSW Modern Manufacturing Commissioner Lisa Emerson.
 
Ms Emerson will next lead government, industry, academia and community partner engagement in the development of a new Modern Manufacturing Strategy that will support industry and NSW businesses to build the globally competitive capabilities that underpin economic success.
 
Ms Emerson said the strategy will consolidate existing plans and policies to ensure government efforts are directed efficiently, have clear measurable outcomes, and provide industry with the support it needs.
 
“Providing support for local manufacturers, particularly at the scaleup stage, and the promotion of advanced manufacturing capabilities including technologies, processes, business models and careers will be a pivotal focus of my tenure, as we work towards the goal of economic prosperity for NSW,” Ms Emerson said.
 
The Modern Manufacturing Taskforce’s Making it in NSW report and the NSW: The Home of Modern Manufacturing, the NSW Government’s response to the report, are available online.
 
“I thank the Taskforce members, led by Tony Shepherd AO, for their expertise in reviewing the current situation and presenting a bold and clear challenge for us to address for further improvement,” Mr Henskens said.
 
The Future Industries Investment Fund is an open, competitive grant program that will provide rebate support for eligible businesses that create a minimum of 20 ongoing net new full-time equivalent jobs in NSW; or invest a minimum of $3 million in capital expenditure (excluding assistance from this Program) within NSW as part of the overall project.
 
Applications will open on Thursday 8 December 2022, with further details available online.

The NSW Government has launched a major recruitment campaign in Willoughby to help ease staff shortages across the hospitality industry.
 
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the Kickstart Your Career in Hospitality campaign will showcase the industry and highlight the range of long-term career options available throughout the sector.
 
“The NSW Government is already providing significant support to entice people to join the industry or upskill, through a variety of free short training courses. This will now be promoted by a targeted campaign to encourage people to consider starting their career in hospitality,” Mr Anderson said.
 
“Hospitality has traditionally been viewed as a short-term employment option, but this campaign highlights the broad range of opportunities that exist for people wanting a rewarding and long-term career.”
 
Member for Willoughby Tim James said this NSW Government initiative is a great way of highlighting the many fantastic reasons to join the hospitality industry, especially given the range of free courses currently available through the NSW Government.
 
“A strong hospitality sector is absolutely critical for communities in regional NSW, now and into the future. The Kickstart your Career in Hospitality program enables community members to train for free and get the skills needed for a job at a local pub, club, café or restaurant,” Mr James said.
 
The five week campaign has been designed in partnership with ClubsNSW, Australian Hotels Association and NSW Restaurant and Caterers Association.
 
It includes a mixture of video and display ads that can run across TikTok and in partnership with Pedestrian TV. The ads will drive audiences to nsw.gov.au/hospitalitycareer site, where they can explore a range of courses and job vacancies in the hospitality industry.
 
In a further boost for the industry, the Government has also recently launched a Hospitality Concierge service with a dedicated team to help new hospitality businesses start up, or existing ones to grow by expanding their offerings such as offering alfresco dining as we come into the Summer months.
 
The service will streamline application processes, and assist businesses and local councils to navigate the liquor licensing, planning and regulatory changes introduced through the 24-Hour Economy reforms.
Find a career to love in hospitality | NSW Government

Return and Earn is celebrating five years of its wildly popular recycling scheme, with the people of NSW returning more than eight billion containers and reducing drink container litter volume by 52 per cent since it was introduced by the NSW Government in 2017.
 
Minister for Environment James Griffin said this significant milestone demonstrates just how passionate the people of NSW are about turning their trash into treasure.
 
“While Return and Earn is only five years old, it has already achieved huge success, with more than eight billion containers returned in the last five years,” Mr Griffin said.
 
“It has delivered a massive 755,000 tonnes of additional material for recycling already, helping remove these containers from becoming landfill or litter.
 
“The NSW Government’s Return and Earn scheme has kick-started the circular economy in NSW, giving what were some of our most littered items a new life as new food and beverage packaging.
 
“The incredibly popular scheme has seen more than $800 million in refunds into the pockets of people in NSW, and delivered more than $40 million in donations to charities and community groups.
 
“I’ll be celebrating the fifth birthday by raising a can of lemonade to celebrate the amazing efforts of the dedicated Return and Earners.”
 
More than 600 return points are available across NSW, with more return points, including new smaller ‘shop-front’ style return points called ‘Return and Earn Express’, on the way.
 
Return and Earn is a partnership between the NSW Government, scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and network operator TOMRA Cleanaway.
 
In October, the NSW Government announced a proposal to expand Return and Earn to include even more types of beverage containers, such as wine and spirits bottles.
 
This would result in an additional 400 million eligible bottles recycled each year, including 233 million glass bottles.
 
The scheme expansion would boost recycling rates, reduce landfill, and supercharge our push towards a circular economy in NSW.
 
Public consultation on the plans closes on 2 December 2022, for more information visit https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/driving-nsws-circular-economy

Sydney’s historic third harbour crossing has reached another major milestone with the $4.24 billion contract to deliver stage two of the project awarded to ACCIONA.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the new Western Harbour Tunnel would provide a western bypass of the CBD, taking pressure off other major roads across the city and helping commuters move around more easily.
 
“We are transforming the way Sydneysiders move around our great city, delivering on our vision for a better connected road network that reduces congestion and helps people get to where they need to be quickly and safely,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“The historic Western Harbour Tunnel will cut travel times from Sydney Olympic Park to North Sydney by 20 minutes and significantly reduce traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Anzac Bridge.”
 
The Western Harbour Tunnel will connect to WestConnex at the Rozelle Interchange, cross underneath Sydney Harbour between Birchgrove and Waverton, and connect with the Warringah Freeway near North Sydney via a 6.5 kilometre tunnel with three lanes in each direction.
 
Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the new tunnel would be constructed underground with Tunnel Boring Machines instead of being an Immersed Tube Tunnel.
 
“We’ve collaborated with industry to come up with the best outcome for the local community and the environment, which involves tunnelling underneath the harbour seabed rather than building a tunnel on top of the seabed,” Mrs Ward said. 
 
“We know our population is growing and this is how we make sure our infrastructure keeps pace, supporting a strong economy and a brighter future for everyone in NSW, not just those who use this tunnel.”
 
Member for North Shore Felicity Wilson said her community would enjoy significant benefits from the project, which will redirect traffic off rat runs on local streets and see the delivery of more green open space.
 
“Tunnelling means we no longer need construction sites at Balls Head and Berrys Bay in Waverton,” Ms Wilson said.
 
“I’m enormously excited to be able to return Berrys Bay to the local community and deliver them 1.9 hectares of beautiful foreshore parkland and public space, even earlier than planned.”
 
Once complete, the Western Harbour Tunnel will cut traffic by 35 per cent in the Western Distributor, 20 per cent in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and 17 per cent on the Harbour Bridge.
 
Construction of stage one is already underway. Further community consultation will take place next year ahead of the commencement of major work on stage two in late 2023.
 
For more information on the project, visit nswroads.work/whtportal.

First home buyers will have more support when making their own choice between upfront stamp duty or a small annual fee, thanks to the new advanced First Home Buyer Choice calculator.
 
First home buyers will be able to input the number of years they expect to own the property and the calculator will provide an estimate of the total amount they can expect to pay over that period in present value dollars.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the advanced calculator would help first home buyers make a more informed decision.
 
“We know that 50 per cent of owner-occupiers sell within 10.5 years. This new advanced calculator will show how much they may benefit from paying an annual fee,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“This is all about giving people choice and helping families get the keys to their own home sooner by removing upfront costs and potentially reducing overall tax.”
 
Treasurer Matt Kean expects the majority of eligible first home buyers in the price range of $800,000 to $1.5 million to choose the annual property fee over upfront stamp duty.
 
“If you are planning to hold your property for 10 or 20 years, you can input that figure and the advanced calculator will compare the overall cost of paying an annual fee in today’s dollars to what you would pay in stamp duty,” Mr Kean said.
 
“This is another tool to help first home buyers make an informed choice that suits their financial circumstances and for many, will show that the First Home Buyer Choice can deliver significant savings over the long term.”
NSW Treasury analysis shows that two-thirds of owner-occupiers sell within 20 years.
 
First Home Buyer Choice is part of the NSW Government’s $2.8 billion Housing Package.
It will take effect from January 16 for purchases under $1.5 million but any eligible first home buyer who bought from the time the legislation was enacted on 11 November, 2022 can opt in to the annual fee and receive a refund of stamp duty paid.
 
To view the advanced calculator, go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/calculate-your-property-tax
 
For more information on the First Home Buyer Choice, go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/initiative/first-home-buyer-choice

Residents in south west Sydney are set to benefit from a $7 million upgrade to Revesby Police Station by the NSW Government. 

The police station, which has been in operation since 1953, will receive a new façade and further internal upgrades, as part of a record $434 million investment to construct new and improve existing police stations, buildings and training facilities across the State.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said the revamp to Revesby Police Station comes after calls from local police and the community.

“We have listened to those requests and delivered funding to provide a modern, state-of-the-art police station to meet the needs of south-west Sydney now and into the future,” Mr Toole said.

“The upgrades will allow the station to accommodate the growing number of officers in the Bankstown Police Area Command for years to come.

“As Minister for Police, I am committed to providing all of our 22,000 workforce with the very best resources and facilities to help them keep our community safe.”

Member for East Hills Wendy Lindsay said the upgrade to Revesby Police Station will be welcomed by the community.

“I have been advocating for this upgrade since I was elected in 2019 and I am so pleased that the Liberal State Government is investing in our community. Our police officers work hard every day to keep our community safe and I’m glad this upgrade will contribute to the station’s efficiency and security,” Mrs Lindsay said.

South West Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the purpose-driven upgrades would support the future needs of the policing resources for the area.

“All of our local officers – whether they are general duties officers patrolling our streets, or specialist officers working behind the scenes to solve crimes – work hard to keep our families and communities safe, and it is vital we provide the state-of-the-art facilities they need to do these important jobs,” Assistant Commissioner Smith said.

“The upgraded Revesby Police Station will provide a more welcoming and efficient space for the local community and our officers, including the most up-to-date technology, and secure and safe facilities to accommodate vulnerable victims of crime.”

Planning for external works has begun and early work is expected to commence next year.

The NSW Government has unveiled the next steps in the State’s digital future with the goal of becoming the most customer-centric government by 2030 at the Digital.NSW showcase.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said no matter where someone lives or where they are at in their life journey, there was a digital innovation to make their life easier be it how they live, work or raise a family in NSW.

“From empowering customers to have more control of how they share personal information in a safe and secure way through the NSW Digital ID program, to never losing or misplacing your birth certificate with the nation-leading Digital Birth Certificate, NSW is delivering digital initiatives for all walks of life,” Mr Dominello said.

“NSW Digital ID and verified credentials will mark the begging of a new epoch for trusted digital service delivery that will reframe NSW and the nation for the future. It is akin to stepping out the current swamp and onto the land.

“The catalyst for every product is how we can improve the lives of the more than eight million people of NSW and we are striving to empower all residents with digital solutions which are relevant to their personal circumstances, no matter how diverse their backgrounds, skills or interests.

“But for those who prefer the human touch, we are also continuing to add to the 114 Service NSW Centres so no one is left behind as we strive to become the most customer-centric government in the world by 2030.”

Speaking at the 2022 Digital.NSW Showcase, Mr Dominello said the NSW Government was at the forefront of ensuring services were accessible to all and were designed with the customer at the heart.

“We are building on products already delivered, such as the ServiceNSW App which has had 5.5 million active users in the past 90 days, the Digital Drivers Licence which has 74 per cent adoption, the Dine & Discover NSW voucher program which contributed almost $1 billion to the NSW economy, and the money saving FuelCheck and Park’nPay apps to deliver world-leading digital products,” Mr Dominello said.

“We also recently established Accessibility NSW to understand how clusters and agencies can foster truly inclusive digital environments because we know accessibility looks different to everyone and factors like age, disability, linguistic diversity and digital literacy level all have an impact.”

Innovations include:

• Delivering the nation-leading NSW Digital ID program to make it easier to prove who you are anywhere, anytime, while reducing the oversharing of information
• Launching Australia’s first Digital Birth Certificate in 2023 which will be safer, more secure and more accessible to customers than ever before
• Providing seamless, digital solutions across Life Journeys from birth and the first 2000 days of a child’s life through Brighter Beginnings to preparing for the end of life with the End of Life Planner
• Digital Licensing program giving customers and businesses back more than 540,000 hours by saving time in application processing and helping NSW tradies get on with the job with the full suite of digital trade licences now available in the Service NSW app
• Leading the development for government services in the Metaverse and how it can support customers
• Enhancing the State’s Pet Registry to enable people to keep track of critical information like change of address and vet details.

“As we continue on our digital journey we are listening to our customers about what innovations they want to see next, with 100 online Have Your Say consultations now complete, and many more on the way,” Mr Dominello said.

For more information visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/customer-service