Category: NSW News

The NSW Government has introduced a bill into Parliament today to ban the public displays of Nazi symbols and to provide further safeguards against hate speech and vilification.

Attorney General Mark Speakman said the Government’s Bill will amend the Crimes Act 1900 to create a new offence of knowingly displaying, by public act and without reasonable excuse, a Nazi symbol.

“Hateful and vilifying conduct is completely unacceptable in our community,” Mr Speakman said.

“This Bill recognises that the public display of Nazi symbols is generally considered abhorrent, except in very limited circumstances such as for education purposes, and causes profound offence and distress.

“Under the proposed amendments, the maximum penalty for the new offence will be 12 months’ imprisonment or a $11,000 fine or both for an individual; or a fine of $55,000 for a corporation.”

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the Bill expressly states that the display of a swastika in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism will not constitute the display of a Nazi symbol.

“The swastika has been an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity and auspiciousness for these spiritual groups for thousands of years. This Bill reflects stakeholder feedback that the offence should not apply to a swastika displayed in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism,” Mr Coure said.

“Symbols that incite hate and are used to deliberately rally people to follow evil ideologies have no place in our multicultural society, or anywhere for that matter, and that is why this Bill will criminalise the displaying of Nazi symbols.”

In addition, the Bill provides that it is not an offence to display of a Nazi symbol where there is a reasonable excuse, including artistic, academic or educational purposes or any other purpose in the public interest.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton said the Government Bill will respond to reports of rising incidents of unacceptable anti-Semitic and far-right extremist activities in NSW.

“I have long advocated to the NSW Government that we take divisive action to stop such incidents and now, gratifyingly, the NSW Government has acted, Ms Upton said.

“Importantly, the Bill strikes a careful balance between protecting free speech in a robust democracy and the need to shield individuals and the community from hateful vilification and violent ideology.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said Nazi symbols “are a threat to the entire NSW community” and represent a “sinister underbelly” in our state.

“In recent years we have seen a surge in the use of these symbols by right-wing extremists and for other faith-based attacks, both in-person and online,” Mr Bark said.

“Hate has no place in our tolerant multicultural society.

“Nazi symbols are a gateway to violence and vilification, and this historic legislation will ensure those who are here to cause harm in our community are dealt with under the law.

“The Jewish Board of Deputies was incredibly proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hindu community to ensure this important legislation is passed.”

A new independent casino regulator is the centrepiece of the NSW Government’s landmark casino reforms to be introduced to Parliament.
 
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government will introduce a suite of tough new measures which deliver on the Government’s commitment to support all 19 recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry.
 
These measures will reform the casino industry, including establishing a NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) which will have enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers.
 
“A dedicated Chief Commissioner will be appointed to lead the NICC. They will be supported by up to four additional Commissioners, including at least one with specialist anti-money laundering expertise,” Mr Anderson.
 
A multi-agency coordination committee will be set up to oversee and guide the regulatory efforts of the NICC, and identify collaborations with police and the Crime Commission, in areas such as money laundering. 
 
In addition to the NICC, the NSW Government will introduce a series of regulatory measures which directly address recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry including:

• A ban on casinos dealing with junket operators;
• An independent monitor and auditor for every casino licence holder appointed by the NICC;
• Requiring casino licence holders to submit suspicious activity reports to both AUSTRAC and the NICC; and
• Strict new requirements for casino operators to monitor patron accounts for criminal activity and perform due diligence on customers including identifying the source of player funds before they can gamble.

 
“These reforms will ensure the people of NSW have confidence that casino operations are free from criminal influence. We are rebuilding the regulatory framework for casinos in NSW from the ground up with stringent new controls to prevent money laundering and other criminal activity,” Mr Anderson said.
 
“The Government has made it clear that casinos in NSW must strictly comply with the reforms and operate with the highest standards of integrity. Anything less than 100 per cent compliance will not be tolerated.” 

Households are being reminded to spend any remaining Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers, with the 30 June deadline just around the corner.
 
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the program has been a game changer for local businesses and families.
 
“The vouchers have been an overwhelming success, by getting more customers through doors of businesses and boosting household budgets,” Mr Dominello said.
 
“The program has served its intended purpose by supporting our local hospitality, cultural and entertainment businesses, all of which were hit hard by the pandemic.
 
“Across the State, almost half a billion dollars has been invested across 16,600 businesses, but there is still money to be redeemed.
 
“My message to the community is simple – don’t miss out. Check to see if you have any vouchers remaining and spend them now.
 
“Whether you’re going to a restaurant with friends, checking out a new movie or taking the kids to a museum, there is money to be saved.
 
“We thank all those businesses which have participated and the people of NSW for embracing the program and supporting local businesses.”
 
More than 5.4 million customers registered for the program, receiving three $25 Dine NSW and three $25 Discover NSW Vouchers.
 
After 30 June, Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers will move to the expired tab of the vouchers section in the Service NSW app but Discover NSW registered business can still accept Parents NSW Vouchers until 9 October 2022.
 
Stay NSW Vouchers, which assist the accommodation sector, are also available until 9 October.
 
Businesses with questions about the end of the program are encouraged to speak with their dedicated business concierge, call 13 77 88 or visit the Service NSW website.
 
Customers needing more information can visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/dine-discover-nsw
 
Top 10 local government areas with the most unclaimed money.
 

LGA	Unclaimed Money
Central Coast	$13,688,575
Blacktown	$13,247,350
Canterbury-Bankstown	$12,858,025
Northern Beaches	$10,733,100
Sydney	$9,915,975
Parramatta	$8,925,475
Sutherland Shire	$8,837,750
Cumberland	$8,748,125
Wollongong	$8,519,950
Liverpool	$8,382,975

Children and young people in the Northern Beaches will benefit from significantly enhanced mental health services with a $11.4 million investment under the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the funding will be used to expand hospital and community services, including establishing acute paediatric specialist mental health beds at Northern Beaches Hospital and supporting local community mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services.
 
“This significant additional funding for child and youth mental health services on the Beaches will help ensure the appropriate treatment and support is available to young people and their families in a more timely manner,” Mr Hazzard said.
 
“This will significantly increase capacity and reduce wait times by enabling a comprehensive child and youth mental health service to operate on the Beaches seven days a week as well as the establishment of a new youth drug and alcohol treatment service.”
 
The $11.4 million for child and youth mental health services in the Northern Beaches includes:

• $7.5 million to establish four dedicated acute paediatric specialist mental health beds at Northern Beaches Hospital, which will provide for the establishment and operation of the beds.
• $1.4 million to employ additional staff, including senior multi-disciplinary clinicians, to support Northern Beaches Child Youth Mental Health Service in the Brookvale Community Health Centre.
• $1.1 million to recruit additional staff, including peer workers and clinicians, to support and operate the Northern Beaches Youth Response Team service out of Mona Vale Community Health Centre seven days a week.
• $1 million to develop a new youth drug and alcohol community treatment service in Northern Sydney Local Health District, including employing senior medical, nursing and allied health clinicians to operate the service.
• $365,000 to provide a full-time child and youth psychiatrist at Northern Beaches Hospital.

 
The Youth Response Team (YRT) is based at Macquarie Hospital in North Ryde and provides outreach services to young people across the region, including the Northern Beaches, which is one of the highest users of the service, comprising about 40 per cent of referrals to the outreach service. The YRT has a 97 per cent success rate of diverting young people from emergency departments.
 
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said youth mental health and suicide prevention is a high priority for the NSW Government as demand for support has been increasing over the past couple of years.
 
“We have seen a significant increase in mental health and self-harm presentations for young people to emergency departments across NSW,” Mrs Taylor said.
 
“In response, the NSW Government has been investing significantly in improving child and youth mental health services and supports to reduce the number of mental health presentations.
 
“This includes the establishment of 25 ‘Safeguards’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Response Teams, which will provide rapid, short-term acute care for children and adolescents, a much-needed alternative to hospital and one that will reduce repeated emergency department attendances, with at least one team currently operating in Northern Sydney LHD.”
 
The NSW Government is investing $2.9 billion to provide mental health services and support for people across NSW as part of the 2022-2023 NSW Budget.

Flood-affected communities across NSW will be able to obtain free legal advice as a result of a $3 million funding investment to aid ongoing relief and recovery.

Commonwealth Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the Commonwealth funding would ensure people recovering from the NSW floods can access critical legal support and advice.

“This significant investment will help to deliver free, practical legal advice in areas such as tenancy, insurance, debts, employment and family violence,” Mr Dreyfus said.

NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said the floods have taken an immense toll on communities in Northern NSW and the Hawkesbury region.

“This funding injection, allocated by the NSW Government, will help people in these flood impacted communities receive the legal support they need to get their lives back on track,” Mr Speakman said.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding will be divided between Legal Aid NSW’s Disaster Response Legal Service, the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Western Sydney Community Legal Centre and Justice Connect.

“A total of 60 local government areas across NSW were impacted by flooding in February and March and it’s important we have the right support in place to help flood-affected residents access the legal advice and assistance they need,” Ms Cooke said.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said flood impacted areas are still recovering.

“Navigating complex paperwork after a natural disaster can be very overwhelming, and this support will ensure communities have access to much-needed resources,” Senator Watt said.

This funding is in addition to a $680,000 funding boost provided to the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre (NRCLC) in April 2022, to help the NRCLC deliver critical legal services to people recovering from the flood crisis.

Further information about the services being provided by the legal assistance sector in response to the floods can be found at www.disasterhelp.legalaid.nsw.gov.au or at https://www.clcnsw.org.au/legal-help-flood-affected-communities-nsw-2022.

The NSW Government will take another crucial step towards dismantling organised crime with new powers and tougher penalties targeting money laundering and unexplained wealth.
 
The reforms represent the State’s toughest ever laws targeting organised crime and will see NSW introduce world-leading legislation targeting the use of dedicated encrypted communication devices by criminals to avoid law enforcement.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the reforms were designed to strike organised crime networks at their financial base, stopping criminals from profiting from their actions and incapacitating them financially.
 
“Organised crime is all about drug supply and money – and to truly shut it down we need to shut down the flow of dollars that fuels it,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“These reforms will better arm law enforcement with the powers they need to confiscate unexplained wealth and create new offences and tougher penalties for those seeking to launder money derived from criminal activity.
 
“Organised crime and the technologies that criminals use to operate are always changing and evolving, and these reforms will put our state in the strongest position to deal with these insidious crimes.”
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said these laws give police tough new powers to infiltrate organised criminal networks which increasingly rely on dedicated encrypted devices to avoid detection by law enforcement.
 
“We know these devices are being used to plan serious crimes like drugs and firearms smuggling, money laundering and even murder. These reforms will make it an offence to possess these kinds of devices and allow us to better target high-risk individuals from using them to orchestrate crime,” Mr Toole said.  
  
“Organised crime in this State is on notice. If you think you can hide the ill-gotten gains of crime, you are wrong. If you think you can avoid detection by using encrypted devices, you are wrong.”
 
The reforms announced today include:
 

• New powers to confiscate unlawfully acquired assets of major convicted drug traffickers
• Enhanced powers to target and confiscate unexplained wealth from criminal gangs
• Expanded powers to stop and search for unexplained wealth and more effectively investigate organised crime
• New prohibition orders to target high-risk individuals likely to use dedicated encrypted devices to avoid law enforcement

 
Acting Commissioner David Hudson said the reforms would significantly assist police in the fight against organised crime. 
 
“Organised criminal networks and the technologies they use to coordinate their illegal activities are forever evolving,” Acting Commissioner Hudson said. 
 
“These networks go to great lengths to hide from the eyes of law enforcement, but we intend to use every power possible to fully investigate those suspected of serious crimes and put a stop to their activity. 
 
“Today’s announcement will significantly increase our ability to target every element of these criminal networks – including the wealth and assets gained from their illegal activities – to keep the broader community safe.”
 
Legislation to underpin the new reforms will be introduced when NSW Parliament returns for the Spring session.

The Public Service Association has today slammed the NSW Government’s plan to hit striking workers with draconian fines, with the union emphasising that shooting the messengers won’t fix the state’s many problems.

Minister for Employee Relations Damien Tudehope today announced he would increase the maximum penalties for striking in response to the industrial unrest created by his government.

Public Service Association of NSW General Secretary, Stewart Little, said the government had created the problem by mismanaging public services and grabbing power from the independent Industrial Relations Commission.

“The state government created this situation when they snatched power from the independent Industrial Relations Commission, which has successfully managed industrial issues for decades,” Mr Little said.

“This government has mismanaged and underfunded public services. It has sacked and mistreated frontline workers. It’s spent a decade lighting a hundred separate bin fires across the state and now Damien Tudehope reckons he can bully frontline workers into staying silent about them.

“Public sector workers have a deep sense of public duty and they don’t strike lightly. They’ll only take industrial action when a government has mismanaged things to the point of crisis.

“If Damien Tudehope reckons he can shoot the messenger he’s mistaken.

“New South Wales is already one of only a few democracies on earth where workers get fined for exercising the human right to strike. The fact this government thinks it’s now appropriate to tighten the screws on workers speaks volumes.”

The NSW Government will deliver a record $2.9 billion investment into mental health services and support for people across the State as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said a significant amount of the funding would be spent on mental health initiatives to support the social and emotional wellbeing of New South Wales residents.

“No matter what challenges we face as a State, we will continue to support the mental health needs of the people of New South Wales now and well into the future,” Mr Perrottet said.

“This Budget will see us deliver universal aftercare for anyone in this State who attempts suicide, while investing for the first time in expanding the Headspace network across New South Wales.”

Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said the funding would improve vital services and ensure mental health support was more readily available for those who needed it.

“Mental health issues often appear after a crisis, and given what we have gone through as a community over the past couple of years, this support is more important than ever,” Mrs Taylor said.

“We are committed to investing in services across the spectrum of mental health, from acute services to wellbeing supports, to ensure the right service is available at the right time for individuals, families and communities across the State.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said the $2.9 billion announced today included the $130 million COVID-19 mental health recovery package announced in October 2021 and the $25 million flood recovery package, announced this year.

“We know that COVID-19 and some of the worst natural disasters we’ve ever seen have taken an enormous toll over the past few years, and we’re committed to providing all the support we can to those who need it,” Mr Kean said.

Key highlights of the 2022-23 Mental Health Budget include:
 

• $143.4 million across four years for Towards Zero Suicides, to fund suicide prevention initiatives. This continues the $87 million investment in 2019-20 to 2021-22
• $60.7 million over four years for Aftercare to support people who have attempted suicide or experienced suicidal crisis. This is on top of $9 million previously invested in a trial of Aftercare from 2019-20 to 2021-22
• $46.5 million over four years to substantially expand and enhance Headspace services, ensuring it can reach more young people across the State. This is on top of the $27.0 million previously invested in the service since July 2021
• $26.4 million over four years to establish Head to Health hubs that will see multidisciplinary teams operating a no-wrong-door approach to support for adults experiencing mental health challenges
• $17.9 million over four years for new child health and wellbeing community-based hubs for children to strengthen support for parents, improve intervention early in life and increase access to multidisciplinary care and Statewide Community Court Liaison Service for children aged up to 12 and their families
• $5.2 million over four years for non-government organisations to help new and expecting parents access mental health support and counselling
• $28.5 million over four years for Lifeline to boost crisis counselling services. This funding builds on $25.5 million already invested in supporting the vital service since 2018-19

The NSW Government’s investment in Aftercare, Headspace, Head to Health and the child and adolescent hubs will be jointly funded with the Commonwealth Government, bringing the total investment to $383 million.

Creating jobs, developing investment opportunities, delivering more support for young people and improving local services across regional New South Wales will be a key focus of a $1.6 billion package announced in the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the $1.6 billion boost included a significant top-up for the Regional Growth Fund, which is generating jobs and economic growth and transforming everyday life in the regions through infrastructure upgrades and investment in key regional industries, emerging industry, tourism and events.
 
“The Regional Growth Fund has supported more than 2,700 projects to date that have created new jobs, provided economic stimulus and made our communities stronger,” Mr Toole said.
 
“The next phase of the Fund will help build on those foundations with new investment in every corner of our regions.”
 
This includes a top-up for Resources for Regions to drive infrastructure improvements for safer and more vibrant coal-mining communities, with additional funding for projects in communities with gas development.
 
The $1.6 billion package will also fund a new $130 million Critical Minerals Activation Fund, setting New South Wales up as a major investment destination for critical minerals mining and advanced manufacturing, enticing international business, creating future jobs and helping to grow regional industries.
 
A $59 million Regional Youth Package will ensure regional youth can thrive in their own communities and the addition of more Youth Community Coordinators will see more young people in flood-impacted areas supported through the recovery phase, with an additional $9 million to ensure the programs are well supported through the Office of Regional Youth.
 
Mr Toole said the $1.6 billion package underpinned the NSW Government’s record investment in regional communities to support families and build an even brighter future for regional New South Wales.
 
“COVID-19 has made residents envy the unique lifestyle and business opportunities on offer in regional New South Wales, with many choosing to leave the city and move to the regions in record numbers,” Mr Toole said
 
“As our regional communities continue to grow, we need to ensure we keep delivering the infrastructure and services to provide an even better quality of life in the regions.”
 
The $1.6 billion package will include:
 

• $1.3 billion for the next phase of the Regional Growth Fund
•  $145 million to establish the Regional Investment Activation Program to make regional NSW the location of choice for investors, enticing new private sector investment to unlock the potential of priority precincts and industries
• $130 million to help position New South Wales as the number-one investment destination for critical minerals mining and advanced manufacturing, supporting jobs in agricultural, health, and renewable technologies
• $59 million to continue the work of the Office for Regional Youth and the Regional Youth Taskforce, fund new Regional Youth Community Coordinators and deliver tailored initiatives to support young people in regional areas (taking the total amount committed to
• $87 million over four years)
• $3 million over three years for a Regional Media Capital Grants package to help breathe fresh life into regional news gathering and reporting

Leading members of NSW universities, industry and government have met at Western Sydney University to officially launch the Operational Network of Air Quality Impact Resources (OPENAIR) program.

The Launch event took place as part of a two-day workshop convening project participants from the NSW Government, NSW-based small businesses, five universities and 13 local government councils.

Matthew Riley, Director of Climate and Atmospheric Science from the Department of Planning and Environmentsaid the project would create a best practice methodology for different air quality issues local governments face in different communities across NSW.

“The primary objective is to develop informational resources that councils can use to solve their air quality issues. Eventually, this will result in an information hub enabling the data to be shared with the broader community. 

“TheDepartment is working with the participating LGAs and the researchers from across the NSSN member universities to implement low-cost sensors to provide additional localised air quality information to the public. We will also use the localised data collected under this program to supplement the data captured by the NSW air quality monitoring network.”

Professor Jason Prior from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures said the collaborative approach to the OPENAIR project is key to its success. 

“Working with local councils and small businesses means that our research will consider their needs and experiences, ensuring that the resources we design will be truly useful to them.”

NSSN Co-Director Professor Benjamin Eggleton commended the project team noting the project demonstrates the value of collaboration between the universities, industry and government.

“The project is led by a multidisciplinary group of researchers from across the NSSN member universities, working together with councils and small businesses to develop repeatable best practices for using low-cost sensors to address various air quality issues, including bushfire smoke, coal dust monitoring and urban heat sensing.

“The project builds on the Network’s strong capability in air quality research, which has been built up since the early days of NSSN. We have seen a national shift in understanding the importance of air quality on health; with strong support from our university, government and industry partners, this project will make a significant inroad towards solving local air quality issues for each of the participating councils.”

OPENAIR is a $2.4 million air quality monitoring research and development program led by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in collaboration with the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN). 

The program has received a $1.78 million contribution from NSW Government through the $45 million Smart Places Acceleration Program, which is part of the Digital Restart Fund.

Participating universities

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australian National University (ANU), University of Sydney, University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the University of Western Sydney.

Participating councils

Hawkesbury Council, Lake Macquarie Council, Muswellbrook Council, Newcastle City Council, Northern Beaches Council, Orange Council, Parramatta City Council, Ryde Council, Sunshine Coast Council, Sutherland Council, Tweed Council, Wollondilly Council, Wollongong Council.

Declaration 

The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN), a consortium of eight leading universities across NSW and the ACT, is a not-for-profit innovation network that brings together universities, industry and government to translate world-class research into innovative smart sensing solutions that create value for NSW and beyond.