Category: NSW News

Trade between Southeast Asia and NSW is set to increase with the official opening of the NSW Government Office Singapore.
 
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres formally opened the office today and said the opening reflects the state’s commitment to increasing opportunities for NSW businesses to find new markets, growing NSW exports to the region and attracting new investment into the state.
 
“ASEAN collectively represents NSW’s second largest two-way trading partner and the fourth largest investor into Australia making it a significant economic partner for our state,” Mr Ayres said.
 
“We have a strong and vibrant relationship with Singapore and having a presence on the ground will play a vital role in delivering on our commitment to ensuring Asia’s biggest companies establish a presence in NSW.
 
“The NSW Government is expanding the states international network to boost two-way engagement, increase trade and encourage and attract investment.” 
 
The office is led by Andrew Parker the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to ASEAN who is working with the team to build the profile of NSW’s capabilities to government and commercial partners in the region.
 
“Singapore is a hugely successful economy and holds significant potential for our state’s growing businesses. Work is already well underway to support NSW exports to expand into the region, get students and visitors back and to attract innovative companies from the region to invest in NSW,” Mr Parker said.
 
The NSW Government Office is located at Raffles Place in the Republic Plaza of Singapore.
 
The NSW Trade Statement can be downloaded at investment.nsw.gov.au.

Four popular Western Sydney locations have been selected to welcome the first of several shared e-scooter trials to roll out across NSW.
 
The first shared trials will begin on Saturday at three locations in Western Sydney Parklands’ Bungarribee Park, Lizard Log and Shale Hills, as well as The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
 
The trial parameters have been carefully considered, taking lessons from e-scooter use around the world and across the country to ensure the safest, most practical and effective measures are in place.
 
Minister for Active Transport Rob Stokes said the Government was committed to cautiously trialling the use of e-scooters in safe environments. 
 
“Like any new technology, e-scooters present us with enormous opportunities and several challenges to address before we can permanently permit them on our streets,” Mr Stokes said.
 
“This is why the NSW Government is committed to trialling them and why our parklands are the perfect location to start ahead of trials across multiple council areas.
 
“Councils can now formally apply to hold a 12-month trial with selected e-scooter shared scheme providers in their area. The trial is restricted to shared scheme e-scooters, so we can guarantee the safety parameters of each device.”
Council areas can now apply to be part of the trial and once approved can begin 12-month trials with e-scooter shared scheme providers in their area.
 
The trial will limit shared scheme e-scooters to riders 16 years old and over, limited to a maximum of 20km/h on bicycle paths, or roads with a speed limit up to 50 km/h, and a speed limit of 10km/h for shared paths.
 
E-scooters will not be permitted on footpaths and the use of privately owned e-scooters will remain prohibited.
 
“We’ve taken our time to get this trial right, which is why we’re not rushing into rolling this trial out to interested council areas immediately,” Mr Stokes said.
 
“Each shortlisted council will have to meet the requirements of the trial and undergo a safety assessment before being approved.”
 
Visitors to Western Sydney Parklands and The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan will be able to hire an e-scooter through the provider’s app. The app will provide visitors with a map that shows where the scooters are located to pick up and ride.
 
Applications to be part of the e-scooter shared scheme trial are open until September 30 this year. You can find out more about e-scooter trials here.

Balancing work and life for families in regional NSW will become easier thanks to a $37.9 million investment in before and after school care.
 
Acting Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell today visited Bulahdelah Central School, one of 35 small regional schools to receive a financial boost to establish before and after school care in the community.
 
Mr Toole said the funding would help families access before and after school care, no matter where they live.
 
“This investment will give parents in small regional communities more flexibility and make the juggle between work and raising a family that little bit easier,” Mr Toole said.
 
“The NSW Government has committed more than $20 million to establish before and after school care services in smaller communities like Bulahdelah where a traditional service is unviable.”
 
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the NSW Government is committed to delivering quality before and after school care to NSW families.
 
“This Government is supporting working families by expanding before and after school care services across NSW, creating an additional 19,420 before and after school care places over the last three years,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“We know that regional working families can struggle when there’s a lack of before and after school care services, as it often has a flow-on impact to parents participating in the workforce.
 
“Providing more before and after school care services has flow on effects in regional communities, making life easier for working families.
 
“This $37.9 million investment is on top of our existing $235 million commitment, to help support and grow the before and after school care sector to improve access and affordability for NSW families.”
 
The BASC package includes:

• More than $20 million to expand BASC provision in regional schools.
• More than $16 million for grants to improve transport services to BASC services.

List of 35 schools receiving a financial boost:

1. Adaminaby Public School
2. Afterlee Public School
3. Baradine Central School
4. Bemboka Public School
5. Bigga Public School
6. Binnaway Central School
7. Blackville Public School
8. Bobin Public School
9. Bogan Gate Public School
10. Bombala Public School
11. Bredbo Public School
12. Bribbaree Public School
13. Bulahdelah Central School
14. Bundarra Central School
15. Caragabal Public School
16. Condobolin Public School
17. Deepwater Public School
18. Delegate Public School
19. Ebor Public School
20. Ellerston Public School
21. Eumungerie Public School
22. Goolgowi Public School
23. Gulargambone Central School
24. Hernani Public School
25. Humula Public School
26. Jerilderie Public School
27. Jugiong Public School
28. Mathoura Public School
29. Murrurundi Public School
30. Narromine Public School
31. Nymboida Public School
32. Pallamallawa Public School
33. The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School
34. Ungarie Central School
35. Wooli Public School

Thousands of students are now benefitting from faster, more reliable internet thanks to a $328 million investment by the NSW Government to connect every public school in regional NSW to fibre internet.
 
Deputy Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell were at Wattle Flat Public School in the State’s Central West today to mark the final 12 public schools in NSW to now be connected to fibre internet.
 
“The NSW Government is committed to offering the best opportunities to all NSW students no matter where they live – and that means have accessing to fast, reliable internet,” Mr Toole said.
 
“Partnering with Telstra has allowed us to move the remaining 12 public schools in NSW from satellite to fibre optic cable, ensuring much faster internet speeds for students and teachers.”
 
Mr Toole said the investment was driving improved communications right across regional NSW. 
 
“We are not just improving the connection to the world for our school kids but for entire communities,” Mr Toole said.
 
“By investing in internet infrastructure to the school gate, we are bringing opportunity to previously disconnected communities.”
 
Ms Mitchell said the NSW Government has spent hundreds of millions connecting regional schools to high speed internet, upgrading classrooms with new hardware and providing students and staff with new computers.
 
“Improving the internet access in regional schools is not just about faster connectivity, but also about greater access to teaching and learning opportunities for students and staff,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“This upgrade has seen an improvement to internet speed that will enhance teachers’ lessons, but also the opportunity for reliable video conferencing and professional development opportunities.”
 
Telstra Enterprise Public Sector Group Owner, John Ieraci, said the partnership was proof of Telstra’s commitment to investing in infrastructure across the country.
 
“We’re thrilled to have worked with the NSW Department of Education to ensure all students, regardless of where they live, will have access to the amazing learning opportunities that quality, high-speed connectivity brings,” Mr Ieraci said.
 
“In addition to the fibre rollout, this project has significantly upgraded the speed and capacity for more than 2,200 schools, delivering new learning capabilities and opportunities for students across the state.”
 
NSW Government has also invested $365.8 million in the Regional Access Gap to close the digital divide. This investment is delivering learning devices to students and teachers, smartboards and internet connectivity.

Almost 115,000 dwellings and land lots have been approved across NSW in the past year, expanding opportunities for first home buyers to purchase their first home.
 
Between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, 114,881 total dwellings and lots were approved through development applications.
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said that the NSW Government is committed to supporting first home buyers purchase their own slice of the Australian dream.
 
“The $2.8 billion housing package announced in last month’s Budget includes $729 million for the First Home Buyer Choice to reform stamp duty, a significant barrier to first home buyers getting a foot on the property ladder,” Mr Kean said.
 
“This is all about giving first home buyers a choice – a choice between paying an upfront stamp duty or an annual property tax.”
 
On a four-bedroom house sold in Leppington for $1.04 million with a land value to property price ratio of 36 per cent, a first home buyer would have a choice between an upfront stamp duty of $41,890 or an annual property tax in the first year of $1,537.
 
Under the First Home Buyer Choice, first home buyers who opt into the property tax will pay an annual $400 plus 0.3 per cent of the land value component of the property. The annual tax stops being paid once the property is sold.
 
The median time owner occupiers hold onto homes in NSW is 10.5 years.
 
Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said the government
will do all it can to boost supply and give more people in NSW the opportunity of home ownership.
 
“The Government is investing almost $500 million to unlock land and accelerate infrastructure to boost housing supply, and we will use every measure we can to enable more people to own their own home sooner,” Mr Roberts said.
“We have paved the way for 23,000 dwellings through state-led rezonings including 7,000 rezoned lots in Glenfield and 3,000 in Rhodes, while planning proposals accounted for another 26,703 dwellings.”
The top three local government areas where lots and dwellings have been approved were:
Blacktown – 14,329
Sydney – 8,949
Parramatta – 8,633
 
The top three LGAs where rezonings were approved were:
Parramatta – 12,282
Camden – 9,410
Campbelltown – 8,022
 
Of the 114,881 approved dwellings and lots:
88,181 were in metropolitan areas
26,700 were in regional NSW

The NSW Government has agreed to finalise the first private-sector tenancy agreement for the Bradfield City Centre’s First Building with global giant Hitachi, whose collaborative research model will attract advanced technology jobs to Western Sydney.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the Japanese multinational would establish its Kyoso (collaborative creation) Centre alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) in the First Building in Australia’s newest city Bradfield, in 2023.

Mr Perrottet had a face-to-face meeting with Hitachi’s executives including the Vice President and Executive Officer, in charge of Regional Strategies [APAC] Mr Kojin Nakakita.

“This Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has recognised the value of establishing a presence in Australia’s newest city on the doorstep of the future Western Sydney International Airport and that will mean jobs and innovation in Western Sydney,” Mr Perrottet said.

“The Kyoso concept is about collaborative research between business, education institutions and government which aligns perfectly with the values of the AMRF, to bring industry and education providers together to test solutions to advanced manufacturing challenges and drive innovation”.

Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said this is an exciting step forward in the development of Bradfield City Centre.

“Hitachi will be the first non-government tenant in Bradfield City Centre. This signals high confidence in the private sector for the vision of the Western Parkland City. It means more premium, high-skilled jobs and global career opportunities for the residents of Western Sydney,” Mr Ayres said.  

Hitachi’s Regional Vice President Mr Nakakita said: “Hitachi’s participation in Western Sydney reflects our confidence in the significant growth opportunities in NSW and Australia. We are delighted that Western Sydney will allow Hitachi to showcase our co-creation strategies and deliver our global capability and solutions, for the benefit of our customers and the community at large.”

The Hitachi agreement is a result of a public tender process and follows the NSW Budget commitment of $260 million to establish the Australian-first full scale AMRF, which will create new high-paying jobs of the future in Western Sydney and make Bradfield City Centre the national capital of advanced manufacturing.

Click here to download the current Bradfield City Centre flythrough video.

Flood-affected communities are being further supported through the extension of a range of flood recovery programs to safely clear debris and hazardous chemicals from land and waterways.

Minister for Environment James Griffin said extending the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) flood clean-up programs helps the flood recovery effort. 

“Already this year, the EPA’s Shoreline Clean-up Program has made enormous progress, removing more than 9400 cubic metres of flood debris from waterways around NSW,” Mr Griffin said.

“By extending these programs, we’re helping our flood-affected communities recover faster, and restoring our environment both on the land and in the water.”

Extended programs include the Shoreline Clean-up Program, the Submerged Debris Program, the Land Based program, and Agricultural Chemical Clean Out program.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said a safe and quick clean-up is critical for helping flood-affected communities get back on their feet.         

“Continuing these programs will provide a much needed boost for communities cleaning-up after yet another flood,” Ms Cooke said.

“We know debris can spread far and wide after a flood, like we’ve seen in the Northern Rivers, which is why we’re pulling out all stops to get the clean-up complete, so the long-term recovery can begin.”

Members of the community can report flood debris in local rivers and beaches or seek advice regarding the removal of hazardous materials through the Environment Line on 131 555 or info@epa.nsw.gov.auor flood.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au

 A Minns Labor Government will strengthen and secure the resilience of our Agriculture industry, by legislating and funding an Independent Biosecurity Commission, that will be headed by a new Biosecurity Commissioner who will provide independent advice and report to Parliament on an annual basis.

Besides the existential threat of climate change – biosecurity, weeds and pests present the most significant threat to the environment and a productive primary industries sector.

In 2014 it was conservatively estimated that the cost to NSW agriculture from weeds is approximately $1.8 billion annually.

NSW needs a stronger voice to tackle the threat of biosecurity.

The Government’s approach has been piecemeal, lacks transparency and coordination, and is disproportionate to the economic and environmental threat posed by invasive species.

The first task of this Commission will be to work with the Natural Resource Commission to develop a clear picture of the extent of invasive species and the damage they are doing to both the environment and the agricultural industry, so appropriate action can be taken to better protect NSW farmers.

NSW Labor will also:

• Direct $10 million to a good neighbour program to tackle weed and pest infestations on government land neighbours private property.
• Re-engage a Dairy and Fresh Food Advocate to look at supply chains, address food security issues and be a voice for farmers.

A Minns Labor Government will also ensure a strong and independent NSW Agriculture Commissioner to provide more protection for our best farmland, and ensure food security and a more sustainable and productive agriculture industry.

The current model lacks independence, and the teeth and resources to get the job done.

This commission will report back to NSW parliament and be tasked with addressing critical issues in the bush such as identifying and protecting state significant land and renewable energy projects.

Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader said:

A strong agriculture sector underpins the success of our rural and regional communities – and our rural and regional communities underpin the success of our economy and our state.

“Today is an affirmation that a Minns Labor Government will work closely with NSW Farmers and more broadly the NSW food and agribusiness industry to make the most of the agricultural opportunities available to NSW.

“Biosecurity is the responsibility of everyone, and failures affect everyone.

“Regional NSW has had a difficult four years, moving from the grip of the worst drought in 100 years into a series of historic flood events. This in conjunction with the ongoing mice plague, biosecurity incursions such as Varroa mite and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 have had mammoth economic impacts on the bush.

“NSW Labor is committed to supporting regional NSW and we will have more to say on this ahead of the 2023 election.

Mick Veitch, Shadow Minister for Regional NSW, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Shadow Minister for Western NSW said:

“Many of the policies we are announcing are ones which should already be in place, however the NSW Government have increasingly taken our regional communities for granted and not put in the safeguards necessary for their livelihoods.

“Today NSW Labor has demonstrated our commitment to making the bush more resilient and to working hand in hand with our regional communities.

“These announcements are a first step in what will be an ongoing conversation with an industry foundational to our states economic health.

An Australian first trial has commenced at Sydney Water’s Malabar Wastewater Resource Recovery Plant, which will see renewable biomethane support the energy demands of up to 13,000 homes.

Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the commencement of these works at Sydney Water’s Malabar facility is an exciting and significant milestone that will deliver reliable and cleaner gas to Sydneysiders and help to reduce the carbon footprint of households.

“The Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility will create approximately 95,000 gigajoules of biomethane, from organic material in wastewater, to supply gas to around 6,300 homes by the end of the year, with the capacity to double production by 2030,” Mr Anderson said.

“This five year pilot will put gas directly into the supply network and will also help industries across NSW meet their net-zero emissions targets, with the facility able to turn waste material into a new clean energy source.”

Sydney Water’s General Manager of Asset Lifecycle Paul Plowman said this first of its kind biomethane project, is expected to remove 5,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year – the equivalent of almost 2,000 cars off the road.

“As Greater Sydney grows and the volume through our network increases, innovation-based partnerships will be crucial to unlocking the potential of wastewater to help power Greater Sydney”, Mr Plowman said.

The $16 million project is a joint partnership between the Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), that is providing a $5.9 million grant, the NSW Government, Sydney Water and energy infrastructure company, Jemena.

The project is due to be completed by the end of this year and will see the first renewable gas products supplied to the network soon after.