Category: NSW News

Paramedics, police officers, teachers and other public sector workers across the state will be supported to spend more precious time with their young babies, with major changes to NSW public service parental leave entitlements now in effect.

Every mother and father in the NSW public sector is now entitled to 14 weeks’ paid parental leave as part of groundbreaking changes to remove the distinction between a ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer in the NSW Government’s paid parental leave scheme.

Parents can now also use their leave up to two years after the birth, adoption, surrogacy or permanent out-of-home care placement of their child.

An additional two weeks’ ‘bonus leave’ is now also available where parents more equally share childcare responsibilities between partners, allowing public sector employees to take up to 16 weeks’ paid parental leave.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said NSW was leading the way on parental leave in Australia because giving parents more choice about how they juggle care and careers helps strengthen families and women’s career and economic opportunities.

“Giving parents the support and real options to share care in the early years of their child’s life, lets families choose what works for them and delivers equal opportunity for NSW Government employees,” Mr Perrottet said. 

“Giving fathers the option to spend more time with their young ones and mothers the option to return to work when it suits them will build strong foundations for families and benefit the whole community.”

As part of the 2022-23 Budget, the NSW Government committed $16.5 billion over 10 years to level the playing field for women, with $4.9 billion committed over the four years to 2025-26, the biggest investment in the State’s history to support women and families. 

Treasurer Matt Kean said the updated public sector parental leave scheme is one of the first of its kind in the country, and encouraged other governments and the private sector to follow suit.

“The NSW Government is the largest employer in Australia and we are leading the way by ensuring families of all shapes and sizes will benefit from these pioneering changes,” Mr Kean said.

“Caring for children is one of the most important jobs in our society and it’s only right that we value it appropriately.”

Public sector workers undergoing fertility treatment now also have access to up to five days’ fertility leave per year.

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the NSW Government is committed to ensuring NSW is the best place in the country for women to live, work and raise a family.

“Strong parental leave entitlements play a major role in supporting women’s economic opportunity and career progression,” Ms Taylor said.

“Paid parental leave created with gender equality at its core will contribute to increased participation in the workforce, improved economic opportunities and greater financial wellbeing for women.”

The updated parental leave scheme came into effect on 1 October 2022.

A Minns Labor Government is vowing to modernise New South Wales laws and respond to the rise of the ‘gig economy’ and precarious work by introducing worker’s compensation entitlements and a portable entitlement scheme for gig and other key New South Wales workers.
 
The proposals form the next planks of Labor’s long-term plan to rebuild the New South Wales economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
They follow the tragic deaths of four food-delivery riders who were killed on New South Wales roads in late 2020. All of their families fell prey to an out-of-date workers compensation system that denied them any type of statutory compensation because no gig platform chose to hire the riders as employees.  
 
Similar schemes have already been establish in Queensland and Victoria. They’ve also recognised the need for greater workers compensation protection for gig workers.
 
The policies also respond to the rise of insecure and precarious work in the disability, community and home care sectors in New South Wales. 
 
The Commonwealth government recently found that one-in-four disability workers quit to look for a new job every year – more than the three times the turnover of the rest of the health care and social assistance sectors. Most care workers on online platforms are also denied the leave an ordinary worker is entitled to accrue.   
 
 
 NSW Labor’s plan will see a Minns Government:
 

1. Introduce a scheme that provides workers compensation benefits to gig platform workers akin to those currently provided to employees injured in New South Wales workplaces; and
2. Create a portable entitlement scheme for gig, disability, home care and other precarious workers such as those in the community services sector that would allow all workers in these industries to accrue annual leave, long-service leave and other entitlements regardless of whether or not they are classified as employees; and 
3. Extend Chapter 6 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 to include gig workers in the transport industry like rideshare and food delivery workers as well as those engaged to deliver bread, milk and cream so they too have access to minimum rates and conditions; and 
4. Establish discrete and enforceable codes of conduct for WHS work performed by on-demand platforms in the rideshare, food delivery, parcel delivery and disability and home care sectors of the gig economy; and
5. Review the grouping provisions of the Payroll Tax Act 2007 to ensure that on-demand platforms are not obtaining an advantage over other businesses who do not trade in the gig economy. 

 
Labor will tap the expertise of Unions, gig platforms, the state’s major business groups, as well as academics and other independent experts to roll out its plan. They will assist with preparing any necessary legislation, as well as the industry education packages associated with the reforms. For the disability and community service sector, Labor will use the knowledge of disability community representatives and the sector’s peak employer bodies.
 
These initiatives build on the Select Inquiry into the Future of Work NSW Labor set up in the Legislative Council in 2019. The Perrottet government responded by saying they would introduce a workers compensation scheme for gig workers. But their promise vanished after it unleashed a wave of Cabinet leaks and infighting. 
 
Labor Leader Chris Minns said:

The rise of the gig economy has revolutionised the way people can access work. But that shouldn’t mean workers should be left more vulnerable.

“Every single worker in New South Wales has the right to feel safe and supported at work. 

Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for the Gig Economy Daniel Mookhey said
 
“Work has changed, but our laws have not. 
 
“If we have another decade of drift, more New South Wales workers will come home injured. They will go without the support they need to go back to work.” 
 
“We need to act. We need to modernise our laws so they suit how people are working today.”
 
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Workplace Safety, Sophie Cotsis said:
 
“After 12 years of this Liberal and National Government we have seen an erosion of basic rights and entitlements of a growing segment of the working population, particularly women in these key care sectors.
 
“For many have felt abandoned by this Government which has created employment insecurity and hardship and feel deprived of basic entitlements which affects their ability to get a loan, secure rental accommodation and support their families.  
 
“NSW Labor’s policy provides security, dignity and acknowledges the significant contribution of these workers to our society.”    

The next generation of trades workers will be equipped with the skills fundamental to building the smart cities of the future, as part of the NSW Government’s revolutionary new TAFE NSW Institute of Applied Technology for Construction.
 
Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens today announced that Australasia’s leading construction company CPB Contractors and Western Sydney University will join forces with TAFE NSW to pioneer new ways of training at the state-of-the-art $84 million facility at Kingswood.
 
“This innovative partnership will pave the way for students to merge the knowledge gained through university study with the hands-on practical and technical skills acquired through vocational education,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“This is the future of skills and training and the NSW Government is leading the nation in investing in this critical infrastructure which will be a flagship educational centre, supporting the pipeline of major infrastructure projects which will grow the economy and help secure a brighter future for the people of NSW.”
 
Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said together, these partners will revolutionise education and training in Western Sydney by creating industry-led and embedded training programs which will rapidly upskill the local construction workforce.
 
“To have a leader in construction like CPB Contractors as a foundational industry partner for the IAT for Construction puts real muscle behind this venture and will ensure we have a sustainable workforce that will service Western Sydney’s fast-growing population now and into the future,” Mr Ayres said.
 
Managing Director of CPB Contractors Jason Spears said he recognised the need for businesses to leave a lasting skills legacy through innovative collaboration with education providers.
 
“We are seeing unprecedented levels of construction, and this state-of-the-art training facility will equip students with real-world skills to meet current workforce needs while futureproofing Australia’s construction capability,” Mr Spears said.
 
“We are proud to work with TAFE NSW and Western Sydney University to build a new educational model and learning experience that is flexible, scalable, accessible, and promotes greater diversity of thought across the industry.”
 
Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University Professor Barney Glover AO said the Institute will leverage the university’s world-leading expertise in engineering, smart construction, architecture, design, and advanced manufacturing.
 
“This is an exciting new model for education and training. With this Institute, we will co-design and co-deliver highly flexible education programs that integrate research-
led learning with advanced technical and industry-based skills,” Professor Glover said.
 
The Institute of Applied Technology for Construction at TAFE NSW Kingswood is due to open in 2023.
 
For more information, visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/instituteofappliedtechnology.

People across NSW are being urged to tune into their mental health and reach out to the many available services if they need support, this World Mental Health Day.
 
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor is encouraging people to pause and take a moment today to consider how they are feeling.
 
“We may often neglect our mental health to prioritise other areas of our busy lives, so this World Mental Health Day I’m encouraging everyone to take some time to check in with yourself,” Mrs Taylor said.
 
“By taking just a few moments out of the day to focus on yourself, your environment and how you are feeling, you’re already taking small but beneficial steps to support your mental health and wellbeing.”
 
NSW Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Murray Wright, said World Mental Health Day is also a good opportunity to refocus on the things we can do that are good for our mental health.
 
“Working on your mental health gets easier and better with practice, so it is really important to have an awareness of what you can do to feel better,” Dr Wright said.
 
“This could be doing some exercise, taking time for reflection, getting good rest and maintaining social connections with family, friends and colleagues.
 
“We know that once you begin to open up to a trusted person, small chats can lead to really important conversations. Most importantly, if you need help, make sure you reach out for it, whether through your family, friends or mental health services.”
 
More information about Mental Health services and support is available here.
 
The NSW Government announced a record $2.9 billion investment into mental health services as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
For anyone who is struggling, you can call the below helplines for support and advice: Lifeline 13 11 14 | Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 | Beyond Blue 1300 224636.
 
To be connected with specialist mental health services, call the NSW Mental Health Line 1800 011 511.

Farmers and landholders across the State are being urged to plan ahead and report any flood damage to their properties, with severe weather conditions predicted to surge over the next week.
 
Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said it is critical that landholders are prepared for the wet conditions and encouraged them to report damage using the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) disaster damage survey.
 
“The wet weather period we are experiencing continues to be a real challenge at a critical time for our $21 billion primary industries sector in NSW,” Minister Saunders said.
 
“That’s why it is important for landholders across the State to report any flood damage to their properties, including land, infrastructure and animals.
 
“The survey feedback helps the NSW Government and communities understand the scale and regional distribution of the impact of a disaster on agriculture and better target resources and assistance.”
 
With the forecast for further rainfall and increased flooding over the coming days, livestock producers are reminded that the NSW Government Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA) hotline, 1800 814 647, provides immediate assistance for affected farmers, landowners and communities in isolated areas.
 
“The AASFA hotline provides urgent support in the form of emergency fodder drops, aerial surveillance of your property and veterinary assistance for flood-affected animals and livestock,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“Since the heavy rain began last week, we have already assisted three farmers in Western NSW with emergency fodder drops because their livestock was stranded. We expect this number to increase in the coming days.
 
“I urge landholders needing help with animals to call the hotline so we send immediate help without any risk to their own safety.”
 
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin emphasised how important it was to report natural disaster damage so government assistance could be delivered where it was needed.
 
“Whether it’s flooding at Warren or hail damage at Mangrove Mountain, we need to report the situation to emergency services and NSW DPI to help get support moving as quickly as possible,” Mr Martin said.
 
“Emergency services, local land services and DPI have been very responsive to the needs of farmers and rural communities during the wild weather this year, it’s just unfortunate they’ve had so much practice.
 
“Ultimately we want to see people get through these situations safely and repair and rebuild as quickly as possible, so we can keep growing healthy food for people.”
 
To keep up to date with the latest flood information, visit www.nsw.gov.au/floods and to submit an online natural disaster damage survey, click here.
 
If you’re a beekeeper and have hives in an area described by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) as under a current flood warning, you can move the affected hives to higher ground under the Varroa Mite Emergency Group Permit. For more information, visit the Varroa mite FAQ page.

Making home ownership more achievable is one step closer with an online calculator now available to help eligible NSW first home buyers choose between a small annual property payment or paying a bigger upfront stamp duty.
 
Under First Home Buyer Choice, eligible first home buyers will have the choice of a smaller annual property payment or a traditional upfront payment for properties with a purchase price of up to $1.5 million.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said choice was central to this game-changing reform and will help put keys in the hands of more new home owners sooner by shaving years off the time it takes them to save for a deposit.
 
“Home ownership is the investment that starts paying dividends from the moment you walk through your front door for the first time and we don’t want people to have to wait an extra couple of years to reap those benefits,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“Choice is at the heart of these game-changing reforms that will put keys in the hands of new home owners much sooner and allow young people to capitalise on the financial security that home ownership delivers.”
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said the First Home Buyer Choice calculator will help first home buyers decide for themselves which pathway to home ownership best suits their financial circumstances and personal aspirations.
 
“Treasury analysis indicates half of all owner-occupiers sell their home within 10.5 years, with first home buyers likely to sell even sooner. That means for the majority of first home buyers that don’t already receive stamp duty assistance, First Home Buyer Choice will not only allow them to break into the property market earlier, but pay less overall,” Mr Kean said.
 
“First Home Buyer Choice will help young families take their goals of home-ownership into their own hands and fast-track their journey to the great Australian dream.”
 
Finance Minister Damien Tudehope said the calculator was an important tool that would make it easy for first home buyers to make the decision that was right for them.
 
“When you own your own home, you own a stake in our nation, and the First Home Buyer Choice will help more young people across NSW do exactly that,” Mr Tudehope said.
 
“The calculator is easy to use and will find the land value of eligible properties under $1.5 million to calculate the options.”
 
Legislation for the First Home Buyer Choice, which was announced in the 2022-23 NSW Budget as part of the Government’s integrated $2.8 billion housing package, will soon be introduced into Parliament.
 
For more information on the First Home Buyer Choice, go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/initiative/first-home-buyer-choice
 
To view the calculator, go to
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/calculate-your-property-tax

Thousands of students across NSW are settling into new classrooms and learning facilities for the first time today as more school upgrades have been completed for the start of Term 4.  

Six schools are the latest to benefit from the NSW Government’s multi-billion school building program, with Glenmore Park High School students celebrating the official opening of its new performing arts and learning centre with Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell and Member for Mulgoa Tanya Davies.

Ms Mitchell said it was great to see Glenmore Park High School and other schools benefiting from the NSW Government historic investment in school infrastructure. 

“We have seen the delivery of 23 new and upgraded schools since the start of this year, with more than $1 billion invested in these project. More than any other government in Australia,” Ms Mitchell said.   

“It is great to be at Glenmore Park High School to officially open their new facility, which I know students and the wider community are excited to use. 

“We have delivered six upgraded schools for Term 4, despite the challenges of weather and COVID, and I am committed to making sure every student no matter where they live in NSW has access to a high-quality school.”  

Mrs Davies said the Glenmore Park High School community is thrilled to open the new multi-million-dollar facility.  

“This investment in delivering a new performing arts centre which can cater up to 400 people and is absolutely amazing,” Mrs Davis said.  

“ I am proud to be delivering on my election commitment, this is an incredible artistic and creative learning space for students of Western Sydney and I look forward to coming to a production in the new centre, but also see the current and future students enjoy access to this world class facility.”  

School projects delivered for Day 1, Term 4 2022 include:  

1. Glenmore Park High School – upgrade 
2. Milperra Public School – upgrade 
3. Monaro High School – upgrade 
4. Samuel Gilbert Public School – upgrade 
5. Stanwell Park Public School – upgrade 
6. Wentworthville Public School – upgrade 

The NSW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This builds on the more than $9.1 billion invested in projects delivered since 2017, a program of $17.7 billion in public education infrastructure.

Work has commenced on the dazzling new Pier Pavilion that will adorn the foreshore at Waterman’s Cove and become a renowned harbourside landmark. 
 
Minister for Infrastructure Rob Stokes said the start of construction was a major milestone for the project, which will attract people from far and wide to Barangaroo.
 
“Sydney Harbour is synonymous with architectural beauty and the Pier Pavilion combines Australian elegance with classical influences to create a truly unique landmark at Barangaroo,” Mr Stokes said.
 
“It will be open year-round for people to gather and relax on Sydney’s harbourside and will be used for a broad range of programmed events to strengthen Barangaroo’s position as a world-class destination for all.
 
“The Pavilion will become a must-see feature along the 14-kilometre continuous foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to Glebe, adding to the collection of incredible public spaces around our harbour.”
 
The structure will include a green rooftop garden with indigenous plant species and 94 columns built using oyster concrete – which is made of ground oyster shells.
 
The national design competition for the Pier Pavilion was won by Sydney-based architects Jessica Spresser and Peter Besley. The design – celebrating land, sea and sky – was chosen for its usability and inclusivity, timeless appeal, and relationship to its surroundings.
 
The Pier Pavilion is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to ensure more than half of Barangaroo is high quality and accessible public space. Early work involves preparing the site and substructure works to reinforce the existing pier, which is due for completion in early 2023. Major construction will begin in 2023.
 
For more information, visit https://www.barangaroo.com/building-barangaroo/barangaroo-south/pier-pavilion

The newest feral-free rewilding area in NSW is one step closer to welcoming locally extinct animals into the safe-haven, with fence construction due to begin soon.
 
Minister for Environment James Griffin recently visited the 2,084 hectare ‘Nungatta’ site in South East Forest National Park near Bombala, which is the newest of seven feral free areas around the State.
 
“Construction on 24 kilometres of specially-designed predator-free fencing will begin in December. Once complete, we’ll start working to eradicate every feral predator from within it, before releasing locally extinct and threatened species that were once abundant back into Nungatta,” Mr Griffin said.
 
“Our recent surveys have had great results, confirming the site has loads of truffles to feed bettongs and potoroos, which haven’t been detected here for decades.
 
“From next year, we’re planning to reintroduce native mammals that were once abundant in this habitat, such as the long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong, smoky mouse, and eastern quoll.
 
“The NSW Government is establishing a network of seven feral predator-free areas across the state, making us a world leader in rewilding. Once all seven sites are complete, 65,000 hectares of national parks will be feral free and provide a significant conservation benefit for more than 50 species.”
 
Once established, the Nungatta site will benefit more than 20 threatened species.
 
Recent surveys have confirmed some threatened species like the vulnerable White-footed Dunnart are hanging on, despite the presence of foxes and cats. Feral cats alone kill more than 1.5 billion native animals nationally every year.
 
The ambitious conservation project will see Nungatta’s forests go back in time, and is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to wildlife restoration.
 
Within just three years of the NSW Government establishing three rewilding sites in national parks around the State, 10 locally extinct species are now thriving after being reintroduced to the feral-free areas.

A new technique is being trialled by ecologists on the NSW’s far south coast to find the elusive long-footed potoroo, and it stinks.
 
Minister for Environment James Griffin said scientists are searching for evidence of the critically endangered species by searching through the poo of their predators, which include cats, foxes, dingoes and quolls.
 
“While it’s a crap job, this new technique is also an innovative way to find out whether the long-footed potoroo is still present in the South East Forests,” Mr Griffin said.
 
“While we know this species inhabited forests in the State’s south-east in the early 1990’s, the long-footed potoroo has not been detected since then in NSW and we’ve never done a long-term survey to confirm whether they still exist.
 
“Finding long-footed potoroo DNA in predator scats would confirm the species still exists in NSW and be a huge step forward for our conservation efforts.
 
“With the species on the brink of extinction and traditional survey methods failing to find the animal, there has never been a better time to think outside the box and trial this detection method.”
 
The long-footed potoroo is one of several likely locally extinct species that will be reintroduced to the NSW Government’s Nungatta feral-free rewilding site in South East Forest National Park, near Bombala.
 
Not to be confused with the long-nosed potoroo, which is still found in some areas of the NSW south-east, the long-footed potoroo was last recorded through hair samples in the early 1990s.
 
Over the next year, scientists from the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program will collect 1,000 predator scat samples from South East Forest National Park.
 
They will use environmental DNA technology (eDNA) to analyse scats and confirm if the long-footed potoroo still exists in their known habitat.
 
This work is part of the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program, which is backed by a $175 million commitment over 10 years.
 
Department of Planning and Environment Senior Threatened Species Officer Dr Joss Bentley has so far collected 100 scats from the South East Forest National Park.
 
“I can’t say picking up poo is the most glamourous thing I have done in my career, but it’s an important new technique that may help us find species that are difficult to survey,” Dr Bentley said.
 
“We hope to eventually collect 1,000 scat samples and have partnered with EnviroDNA in Melbourne.  We expect the results within 12 months with the best-case scenario identifying evidence of this elusive species.
 
“Either way the results will still give us an excellent understanding of the animals currently living in these forests and complement our existing understanding of species distribution, which will help inform the south coast’s first rewilding project.”
 
For more information, visit
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10661