Category: NSW News

The NSW Government today announced it is directing the Consumer Trustee to run a new tender under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap to ensure the State has the firming infrastructure it needs to provide cheap, clean and reliable energy well into the future.
 
Minister for Energy Matt Kean said that the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has projected increased electricity demand over the coming years, driven by more electric vehicles, electrification of homes and businesses and updates to other inputs and assumptions in their Energy Security Target Monitor Report, meaning more firming infrastructure is required to keep the grid reliable.
 
“NSW has the most ambitious renewable energy policy anywhere in the country, helping to replace ageing coal fired power stations and reach net zero emissions,” Mr Kean said.
 
“Firming infrastructure is needed alongside renewable energy infrastructure to balance the grid, helping to keep the lights on when it isn’t sunny or windy, or when there is high demand.”
 
“The firming tender will be open to all technology types, but projects will be required to have an emissions intensity lower than the most recent NSW grid average and achieve net zero scope 1 emissions by 2035.”
 
The Consumer Trustee, AEMO Services, will now prepare an Infrastructure Investment Objectives Report to determine the size and timing of tenders, to ensure reliable energy while minimising costs to consumers.
 
Following the finalisation of AEMO’s 2022 Integrated System Plan and the Energy Security Target Monitor Report, the NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change anticipates that at least 350MW of firming infrastructure will be required within the Sydney-Newcastle-Wollongong sub-region, however the final size of the tender will be determined by the independent Consumer Trustee.

NSW Environment Protection Authority

A key flood clean-up program has been expanded to assist private landowners in affected areas remove debris from their land following this year’s destructive floods.

 

The Land-based Clean-up Program is being run by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and now includes the clean-up of large, man-made and hazardous debris that has remained on properties after flood waters have receded.

NSW EPA flood recovery manager Martin Puddey said the Program would reduce the cost and burden for those recovering from the flood events and benefit the local environment.

“This is an excellent addition to the program. The Land Based Flood Debris Clean-Up Program has removed more than 420m³ of flood debris since February,” Mr Puddey said.

The Land-based Program had previously focused primarily on the removal of flood debris from public flood plains and low-lying public land.

Clean-up has already been completed at 57 sites and is planned for a further 117 sites.  These sites are in the Hawkesbury, The Hills, Penrith, Lismore, Nambucca, Ballina, Byron Bay and Tweed local government areas. The program applies to all disaster declared local government areas in NSW.  

“Community members in flood impacted areas can apply to have debris that washed up on their land removed such as metal objects, farm equipment, destroyed sheds or parts of caravans and agricultural chemical containers” Mr Puddey said.

Private land holders can apply for flood debris to be removed under the Program using an application form on the Service NSW website.

“Once assessed and salvaged by qualified experts, these large items will be sorted and an effort is made to recover and recycle components such as aluminium and steel where possible,” Mr Puddey said.

Mr Puddey also praised the collaborative efforts of impacted communities working with government, with local contractors engaged where possible to support clean-up and recovery efforts.

“The communities in flood impacted areas have been through very tough times in the last couple of years and it’s encouraging to see local businesses and contractors assisting in the recovery” Mr Puddey said.

Mr Puddey said the EPA had also worked well with other government agencies such as National Parks and Wildlife Service, Crown Lands and Aboriginal Ranger groups throughout the Program to protect sensitive environments and culturally significant sites.

The Land-based Program is funded under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Members of the community can assist the clean-up of their local area by reporting flood debris to the Environment Line on 131 555 or info@epa.nsw.gov.au

The full list of disaster declared areas can be found on the NSW Government website.

Rental support payments for flood victims and grants for rural landholders will soon be available for all communities affected by the June-July NSW flood event with more than $23 million in relief funding from the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments.
 
The jointly funded package through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) includes:

• Rental Support payments for up to 16 weeks to help households secure accommodation.
• A Rural Landholder Grants program providing grants of up to $25,000 for rural landholders who are ineligible for existing grants.

 
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the funding package will be available to people in all 42 local government areas (LGAs) subject to a natural disaster declaration.
 
“The rental support payments and rural landholder grants will help with the immediate costs of clean-up and repair, which is an important first step in the recovery process,” Senator Watt said.
 
New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding will flow through Service NSW and the Rural Assistance Authority.
 
“The rental support payments covering up to 16 weeks rent will help people find safe, secure accommodation while they begin the recovery process, and the $25,000 grants will help kick-start the clean-up for the many rural landholders who’ve been affected by flooding yet again,” Ms Cooke said.
 
The 42 LGAs subject to a natural disaster declaration following the June-July flood event are: Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Cumberland, Dungog, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Narromine, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Oberon, Penrith, Port Macquarie Hastings, Port Stephens, Randwick, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Strathfield, Sutherland, The Hills, Upper Lachlan, Warren, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

Teachers in NSW will be able to spend more time teaching thanks to the introduction of hundreds of new roles in admin, leadership and support. 

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said more than 200 new administration roles will be trialled in public schools from Term 4 2022 to reduce teacher workload.  

“Our teachers are skilled professionals and their time is precious. However, they are stretched across too many non-teaching and low value activities,” Ms Mitchell said. 

“Running a modern-day school is complex. We need to look at the work staff do in schools and think differently about how it gets done.” 

The new admin roles will work with our teachers to undertake non-teaching tasks such as data entry, paperwork, and coordinating events and excursions. 

Ms Mitchell said the new roles will reduce the admin burden on teachers, and open doors to people wanting to re-enter the workforce or upskill. 

“It’s a great opportunity for parents and carers who have the necessary skills to do these jobs well, to work within the hours of school drop-offs and pick-ups,” Ms Mitchell said. 

“It’s also a chance to up-skill our current non-teaching, school-based staff to provide greater support to our teachers.” 

In addition, recruitment has started for 780 Assistant Principals (Curriculum and Instruction) roles to support teachers to adopt best practice and use resources as effectively as possible.  

Ms Mitchell said the NSW Government is committed to continuous school improvement and providing principals and teachers with the support and resources to drive better student outcomes. 

“This is only the beginning, and we will be scaling up what we see working once this trial concludes next year,” Ms Mitchell said. 

“We will continue working closely with principals, teachers and non-teaching staff to ensure that time is spent on what matters most – teaching and supporting our students.” 

The boost to the workforce is supported by research by the University of Technology, Sydney which found that instructional leaders, robust system support and quality professional learning significantly improve teachers’ capacity to meet students’ needs. 

A new analysis of rental data by the Everybody’s Home campaign to coincide with Homelessness Week reveals the NSW regions where renters are hardest hit by the toxic combination of surging increases and stagnant wages.

The three year analysis cross references SQM rental data with wage growth for workers in retail or health care and social assistance and rental increases. Workers in those occupations saw average wages increase only 2.3 per cent annually over three years. 

But over the three years leading up to 22 July, 2022,  rents surged by the following average amounts each year.

	3 year annualised change	Rent 28 July 2022
South Coast	13.4	$599.91
Central Tablelands	12.8%	$463.68
Murray Region	12.2%	$385.146
Riverina	10.8%	$389.10
North Coast	10.5%	$570.22
Broken Hill/Dubbo	10.1%	$384.69
Blue Mountains	9%	$545.03
Central Coast	8.9%	$594.03

Everybody’s Home national  spokesperson, Kate Colvin, said the compounding impact of spiking rents and stagnant wages was smashing living standards and putting people at risk of homelessness.

“We know that rental stress is the gateway to homelessness,” Kate Colvin said. “When you combine surging rents with flat wages you put people in a financial vice. For the past three years that vice has been tightening.

“Homelessness providers are reporting stories of families with full time breadwinners being forced to live in tents. In a wealthy nation like Australia this is nothing short of a national disgrace. 

“The recent change of Government represents an opportunity for a reset. For a decade construction of new social and affordable housing has withered. Now is the time to get moving and give people on low and modest incomes genuine choice.

“Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese have been clear that public spending should expand the economy and improve productivity. Social housing meets those objectives better than almost anything. There really is no better return on the taxpayer’s dollar than providing the homes Australian families need to be healthy, productive workers, and to raise their families with the stability and security of a decent home.”

Primary producers will have the opportunity to provide feedback on a NSW Government plan to safeguard the State’s $21 billion food and fibre industry, as part of an upgraded biosecurity strategy.
 
Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the purpose of the strategy is to:

• Set a clear vision for biosecurity and food safety in NSW; 
• Map strategy objectives for Government, industry, and the community; and
• Outline key activities that will guide decision-making for farmers.

“The NSW Biosecurity and Food Safety Strategy 2022-2030 will be our blueprint for protecting the livelihoods, economy and environment against biosecurity and food safety risks,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“Biosecurity and food safety are shared responsibilities and everybody’s business.
 
“Recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease in Indonesia and varroa mite in NSW have shown us the critical need to be prepared, now and into the future.
 
“We have been working hard to build NSW’s capability and capacity to manage risk, invest in tools and technologies, and improve how we work together so we can better prevent and respond to threats and minimise any negative impacts.
 
“Your feedback and insights will help create a strategy we can deliver together to help fortify our economy, industry, environment and community for years to come.” 
 
The strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting NSW from biosecurity and food safety threats and builds on the government’s record investment of $163.9 million in biosecurity protection announced in the 2022-23 State Budget.
 
The draft NSW Biosecurity and Food Safety Strategy 2022-2030 is open for input online, www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/draft-bfs-strategy, until Thursday, 1 September 2022.  
 
The Biosecurity Strategy will draw on the concept of ‘One Health’, which recognises the relationship between animal, plant and human health and the interdependencies between optimal biosecurity, food safety, and economic, social and environmental prosperity.
 
You can help protect NSW by reporting any suspect or unusual pests and diseases to NSW DPI via an online form or by calling the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline, 1800 680 244.

Seniors in NSW are continuing to embrace digital with more than 100,000 people now taking advantage of the digital Seniors Card.
 
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said while there would always be a non-digital version, it was great to see so many seniors taking advantage of the digital option to access discounts and benefits on dining out, entertainment and travel.
 
“This milestone shows the seniors of NSW are confidently using digital products and demonstrates the real impact and benefits these solutions can have in all age groups,” Mr Dominello said.
 
“After a successful pilot in March involving 4,000 people, we are currently seeing more than 30,000 people getting their digital Seniors Card each month.
 
“We are now looking at ways we can continue to expand the program with a focus on businesses, and we are developing an application process similar to the successful Dine & Discover NSW program which will enable many more to easily sign up.”
 
Minister for Seniors Mark Coure said it was great to see 100,000 people take up the digital option in just a few months.
 
“The Seniors Card has come a long way since it was first introduced in 1992—it is now the largest program of its kind in Australia,” Mr Coure said.
 
“For 30 years, it has been helping ease the cost of living for card holders by providing access to discounts and rebates at shops, travel, entertainment and professional services providers.
 
“There are more than 6,500 businesses and service providers with discounts, and I encourage more to follow.”
 
To find instructions on how to add a digital Seniors or Senior Savers Card to the Service NSW app, or to learn more visit service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/nsw-seniors-card-program

Households can soon enjoy more reliable and affordable energy with the completion of upgrades to the Queensland to New South Wales electricity Interconnector (QNI).
 
Minister for Energy Matt Kean said the $236 million project upgraded 300 kilometres of transmission lines and replaced 58 towers between Liddell, Muswellbrook and Tamworth.
 
“This vital infrastructure will boost interstate transmission capacity by over 190MW from QLD to NSW, and 460MW from NSW to QLD, making it easier to share lower-cost generation between the two states,” Mr Kean said.
 
“We expect this priority project to provide net benefits of $170 million to electricity customers and producers.
 
“It will help to reduce electricity bills for households and provide a more reliable and affordable energy supply for the people who live, work and play in NSW.”
 
Mr Kean said the QNI is part of the NSW Government’s plan to modernise the infrastructure needed to support the energy transition and cater for forecast increases in energy demand.
 
“The interconnector upgrades will also support the development of renewable generation in new energy zones across both states, as coal-fired generators retire and we transition towards a grid predominately supplied by renewable energy sources,” Mr Kean said.
 
“It’s another example of this government getting it done. The NSW Government and the Australian Government provided $102 million of joint-underwriting to facilitate and fast track this project.”

NSW businesses seeking trade and investment opportunities with emerging economic powerhouse India, will have the benefit of a dedicated NSW trade and investment hub, with the opening of the NSW Government Office Mumbai in the thriving city’s Bandra Kurla Complex business precinct.
    
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet today officially opened the new Mumbai office solidifying the state’s on-the-ground presence aimed at promoting NSW exports, boosting investment and welcoming Indian students and tourists back to the state.
 
“Our strong relationship with India is underpinned by shared values and interests, and today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter of trade and investment relations between India and NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.
    
“India is a key Indo-Pacific partner to Australia and an economic juggernaut. NSW is proud to partner with India’s government and business community to drive greater prosperity for the people of our two nations.”
 
“Increasing NSW’s trade presence here will ensure our state is front of mind as India continues its economic rise. Today we open up a world of trade and investment opportunities for NSW businesses and workers.”
    
In 2020-21 India was NSW’s third-largest source of international students, sixth largest source of tourists and 11th largest two-way trading partner, with two-way merchandise trade reaching $4.6 billion.
 
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres said the office will work to deliver direct benefits for NSW by attracting Indian investments in NSW, helping boost business opportunities to benefit the local economy.
 
“India is NSW’s most important business partner, with significant export opportunities across a range of sectors including food and beverage, education and edtech, health and medtech and technology,” Mr Ayres said.
 
“We have been working closely with our local businesses to support their export and expansion to India and these efforts will be boosted by the opening of the Mumbai office.”
 
To boost awareness of Investment NSW’s presence in India, a new strategic marketing campaign is now live, operating across digital platforms including LinkedIn and in print in India’s leading daily newspaper The Economic Times.
 
Vish Padmanabhan, NSW’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to India and the Middle East, said his team will help NSW businesses take advantage of the new Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) bilateral trade agreement.
 
“I’m honoured and excited to lead this office and team during a time of great opportunity for the state. NSW is eager to grow its trade and investment with India under the AI-ECTA agreement – an interim step towards a full free trade agreement, which will benefit our food and agribusiness, mines and minerals, technology and education sectors significantly,” Mr Padmanabhan said.
 

Applications for the NSW Government’s Energy Bill Buster program to help households slash their power bills by up to $600 a year open on Monday.
 
The 2022-23 NSW Budget included $128 million to help up to an initial 30,000 eligible households install solar or replace appliances with more energy efficient ones.
 
Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean is urging families to apply for the incentives to cut their bills.
“Around 30,000 households can apply for a free solar system or energy efficient appliance upgrades that can save them up to $600 per year,” Mr Kean said.
 
“It’s all about taking the pressure off families and putting more money back into household budgets.”
 
Mr Kean said the Energy Bill Buster program provides eligible households with more choice on how they manage their energy bills. 
 
“This program enables households to make decisions that will deliver long term savings on their energy bills while making clean energy improvements to their homes,” he said.
 
“You can switch to solar or upgrade your home fittings and appliances, which are tried and tested ways to cut your energy bills year after year.”
 
Those renting or living in apartments who can’t have solar installed may be eligible to swap their current annual rebate for a suite of energy efficient upgrades, helping to reduce demand on the grid and lower power prices for everyone.
 
Appliances available in the package include energy efficient fridges, dryers, air-conditioners and hot water systems as well as upgrades such as window shading and draught sealing valued at up to $4000.
 
The solar offer has been trialled within select regions of NSW and is rolling out statewide to enable more people to save with solar.
 
The benefits aren’t just for private homeowners and tenants. The solar swap will also be offered to eligible land and housing corporation tenants later this year.
 
Eligible households include pensioners and Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card holders receiving the Low Income Household Rebate who can receive 10 years’ worth of rebates upfront to put towards solar or appliance upgrades.
 
Applications open Monday 1 August. Households can check their Bill Buster eligibility and apply from Monday at energysaver.nsw.gov.au/rebate-swap