Category: NSW News

Thousands of hospitality businesses will have an extra four months to pay their annual liquor licence fees.
 
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said it was important the NSW Government offer this assistance to up to 18,600 hospitality businesses which were hit hard by the pandemic. 
 
“We recognise that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on thousands of our State’s pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses,” Mr Anderson said.
 
“The extension is applicable to all liquor licensees, so we encourage businesses to take the extra time to pay if they feel it will help their bottom line.”
 
Mr Anderson said invoices for the annual liquor licence fees will be issued as usual this month, with the due date postponed from 30 May to 30 September.
 
“We want to put businesses and workers first so they can continue to be the lifeblood for local communities across the state,” Mr Anderson said.    
 
Australian Hotels Association NSW CEO John Whelan said this extension is good news for the hospitality industry.
 
“Hotels have been doing it tough for more than two years now – even when hotel doors finally opened across the state, the restrictions meant venues were operating at half capacity or less until just a couple of months ago.
 
“Hotels in the recent flood-affected areas are now also dealing with many additional challenges as they struggle to get back on their feet. We thank the NSW Government for its support,” Mr Whelan said.
 
Mr Anderson said annual fees were automatically waived for most liquor licences at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
 
Eligible venues are still able to apply for fee waivers on financial hardship grounds.
 
To apply, visit: www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/liquor-licences/liquor-licence-fees/annual-liquor-licence-fees/fee-waiver-application

The NSW Government has announced a $350 million investment in temporary modular housing to give people displaced by floods a place to call home while they rebuild their lives.

Discussions are underway with local councils across Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Lismore Local Government Areas to identify suitable sites for the homes, with preparatory works due to start on the first location in the next week.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government was working hand in hand with Councils and communities to deliver the housing solutions.

“There’s no doubt that housing is the most pressing challenge for the thousands of people impacted by these floods,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We’re committed to delivering safe and secure housing to all flood impacted communities and this $350 million in funding will help get lives back on track, allowing people to move out of emergency accommodation and into more appropriate housing.”

The delivery of up to 2000 temporary modular homes to approved sites across the hardest hit regions comes in addition to the NSW Governnment’s funding to assist around 25,000 households through rental support, Disaster relief programs and the Back Home program. 

The first confirmed location will be in Wollongbar, in partnership with Ballina Shire Council, with more sites expected to follow in coming days and weeks. It will be in the grounds of the Wollongbar Sports Fields, and will initially include around 25 temporary accommodation pods with capacity to house up to 100 people. The Pods come in various configurations which can accommodate one to four people and will be co-located with supporting infrastructure and amenities.

Site readiness and installation works are expected to take approximately four weeks, with community housing providers providing long term site management.

“These modular homes are going to make a real difference for individuals and families as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding, recovering, and healing over coming weeks and months,” Mr Perrottet said.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the NSW Government was focused on ensuring affected communities had access to a range of support options to meet their needs throughout the recovery.

“Across government and the emergency services, we are on the ground in flood-affected communities listening to locals and working to ensure they get what they need to bounce back as quickly as possible,” Ms Cooke said.

“In addition to these modular homes, there are a range of other temporary housing options  in place including motorhomes, accommodation in recreation camps, and 16-weeks rental support.

“We will continue to put every possible resource into identifying more opportunities to provide communities with a safe place to live while they rebuild.”

Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said regulatory changes had been made to allow temporary accommodation, both private and government, to be set up more quickly without development consent.

“We’ve cut through the red tape to make it easier for the establishment of temporary homes, including caravans and self-contained vehicles, for up to two years without council approval,” Mr Roberts said.

“This was a successful measure after the Black Summer bushfires and we have now extended it ensure flood-affected communities have access to the same provisions to help them in their recovery.”

Flood affected community members seeking housing support are urged to contact Service NSW on 13 77 88, visit nsw.gov.au/floods or speak to recovery centre staff.

The rollout of zero emission buses across NSW is being supported by a world first, locally developed technology trial in Western Sydney.

The technology, made in partnership with Transport for NSW, bus operator Busways, Australian software and advisory company Evenergi and Western Sydney energy distributor Endeavour Energy, is designed to optimise the charging of electric buses and reduce strain on the power grid.

Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said the transition to electric buses is powering jobs in industries across NSW.

“These modern electric buses require innovative solutions for managing charging and that is being developed right here in NSW,” Mr Elliott said.

“This smart charging technology will improve the management of our zero emission buses, reduce pressure on the power grid and is a tech solution that could shape up to be an exciting export from NSW to the world.

“The NSW Government’s commitment to transition our fleet of over 8,000 buses to zero emission technology is supporting local jobs in tech, manufacturing and construction, as well as delivering buses that are better for the environment, offer a smoother ride and are quieter on our roads.”

The system will future proof the Penrith bus depot to be capable of powering an entirely electric fleet and uses sophisticated software tools and real-time energy monitoring to connect the depot to the wider distribution network, communicating directly with the energy provider’s assets.

Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Penrith is not only the first area to benefit from this technology but was also the first to order and receive locally made zero emission buses.

“The Penrith bus depot is operating the first six electric buses that were also made right here in Western Sydney, at the Custom Denning factory in St Marys,” Mr Ayres said.

“The bus depot is also committing to a significant upgrade to house their first set of zero emission buses, which is supporting even more jobs in Penrith.”

You can find out more about the zero emission bus strategy and roll out here: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/zero-emission-buses

Scouting gives young Australians an alternative to traditional weekend sport

After two years of Covid-19 lockdowns, online learning, and disruptions to organised outdoor activities, Scouts NSW says it is time to resurrect outdoor adventures for the mental and physical benefits of young people. 

“The non-competitive, but structured, active, self-directed style of experiences and adventures engaged in by Scouts offers a fantastic addition or alternative to traditional weekend sport,” said Neville Tomkins OAM JP, Chief Commissioner Scouts NSW. “Scouts can improve a young person’s team-building and technical skills, and outdoor fitness levels, with a range of interactive adventure experiences unlike any other.”

Such outdoor experiences have been sorely missed over the past year, with Covid-19 lockdowns and their restrictions on family and student routines impacting all young people. With this in mind, Scouts NSW is confident Scouts would have responded resiliently to the challenges they faced on the back of The Scouting Effect Report. 

The Scouting Effect’s Resilience Survey, completed just prior to Covid-19, provides compelling evidence that young people aged 8-18 participating in Scouts stand out significantly when compared to their non–Scouting peers.  Scouts demonstrated higher levels of life satisfaction and fared better across all three components of resilience (Connected, Protected, Respected) and their corresponding nine reporting domains. These domains include Positive Relationships, Healthy Mind and Body, Understanding Self, Positive Identify, and Positive Contribution.

Resilient Youth Australia defines ‘resilience’ as the ability to draw upon the strengths within yourself and around you to flexibly respond to life while remaining true to yourself and creating positive relationships with others.

“Through the Resilience Survey we now have concrete proof that participating in Scouting gives young Australians the unique tools to thrive and take on all that life has to offer including the inevitable challenges,” Neville said. “These findings show why Scouts is a fantastic organisation to join, and one where all young people can excel and achieve their best.” 

With a focus on outdoor adventures that includes activities like abseiling, white water rafting and camping, Scouts empowers young people to make decisions, take the lead and learn by doing. “We give them a safe space where they can work with others to plan and embark on their own adventures, indoors and out,” Neville added. “By building resilience in young people, we are empowering them to be able to learn from their mistakes and to understand that failing is okay – it’s an integral part of the learning journey. It’s about knowing their strengths and calling on them when needed.”

Natasha Ball, a member of 1^st Ermington Venturer Scouts, located in south west Sydney, joined Scouts as a Joey Scout seven years ago feels that Scouting definitely assisted her in bouncing back from disruptions to her schedule. “I had a heavy plate of commitments, and when lockdown struck, the constant stability of even online Venturers grounded me,” said Natasha. “As well, Scouting kept me moving due to skills I attribute to my participation in Scouts.”

Joshua Tang, a Venturer Scout and member of 1^st Castle Hill Scout group missed out on some activities in 2021 due to Covid-19 and the HSC, but the strong social connections from Scouts helped him through. “I felt that being part of the Scouting movement adequately prepared me for school and extracurricular activities, as it made me have to adapt my schedule and be fluid with how I planned things.”

“Apart from offering the ultimate fun, Scouts also offers fantastic value for money,” said Neville Tomkins OAM JP, Chief Commissioner Scouts NSW. “Scout Groups either own or have access to a large range of camping and adventure equipment such as tents, ropes, canoes and cooking gear. Fees, which include personal accident insurance, can be off-set by the NSW Government’s Active Kids rebate*, which contribute to making Scouts NSW a fantastic, active, and cost-effective activity.”

Scouts NSW programs have resumed in full since the removal of most Covid-19 restrictions. Those new to Scouts can express their interest online, or if they have already visited a local Scout group and met the leaders and other scouts, can complete the online form. For more information or to sign-up, volunteer, or join visit: https://joinscouts.com.au/

The Scouting Effect. Key Findings:

• Self-Esteem: 81.8 per cent of Scouts report to be more likely to feel good about themselves than non-Scouts (70 per cent)
• Positivity: 78.8 per cent of Scouts report to be more likely to hold more hope for a positive future than non- Scouts (69.4 per cent)
• Anxiety: 73.7 per cent of Scouts report to be less likely to be anxious than non-Scouts (67%)
• Community Engagement: 58.8 per cent of Scouts feel like they make a positive contribution to their community than non-Scouts (43.4%)

Unions will be out in force checking café owners are paying the correct public holiday penalty rate of double time and a quarter to young workers this Easter long weekend.

Young people working in cafes, supermarkets and restaurants are especially vulnerable to being ripped off with a recent study finding one in two aren’t receiving their legal entitlements.

All four days of the Easter long weekend are public holidays including Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Unions NSW Assistant Secretary, Thomas Costa, says casual employees were particularly vulnerable to being ripped off during public holiday periods.

“In key industries such as retail and hospitality, special loading rates of double time and a quarter and sometimes double time and a half apply for working Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday,” he said.

“If you’re not getting paid over double what you are for a normal shift then you know there’s something wrong.

“It’s really important employees are aware of this, and if they’re in any doubt or think they’re being ripped off, they should contact their union.

“Union officials will be out in force across NSW this Easter long weekend making sure businesses are paying their staff their full penalty rate entitlements.

“Most employers are excellent so it’s really important they don’t have to compete with people who are ripping off their staff, that’s completely unfair,” he says.

Mr Costa also reminded employees that it was voluntary to work on public holidays.

“No worker should feel coerced into working Good Friday or Easter Sunday – you have every right to decline a shift,” Mr Costa says.

“The Easter long weekend is a good time to relax with family and friends and that’s what we encourage working people to do.

“As it is Aussies do more unpaid overtime than anywhere in the world, so they truly deserve a bonus when they also work on their holidays.

“Australia Institute data shows on average Australian workers do 6.1 hours of unpaid overtime a week.

“That’s like giving $230 to your boss each week.

“For the broader community, it’s worth sparing a thought for the workers who keep our restaurants, stores, hospitals and police stations staffed while the rest of us are relaxing over the long weekend,” says Unions NSW Assistant Secretary Thomas Costa.

Treasurer Matt Kean has announced the 2022-23 NSW Budget will be handed down on Tuesday, 21 June 2022.

Mr Kean said he looked forward to delivering his first Budget which comes as the NSW economy continues to rebound from challenges such as COVID-19 and recent floods.

“We know the past two years have been hard for the people of NSW and the Omicron wave brought new, unexpected challenges,” Mr Kean said.

“But NSW has shown its resilience: unemployment is at a record low of 3.7 per cent, consumer spending is growing strongly, and business confidence is well above its decade average.

“It’s now time to look ahead. The Budget will lay out our plans for the next 12 months and beyond to support NSW families and build a better future.”

Mr Kean said the NSW Government had to date committed over $2 billion towards the 2022 flood recovery.

“We also committed more than $46 billion towards health, economic and social support measures since the pandemic began, including our $2.8 billion Economic Recovery Strategy,” Mr Kean said.

“Our $110.4 billion infrastructure program has helped drive our recovery and kept people in jobs and we are committed to supporting business and the community as we deliver for the people of NSW.”

As the Autumn school holidays get underway, more than 60 Vacation Care services across NSW are receiving up to $30,000 each to help them provide quality programs and better access for vulnerable students.

The NSW Government’s $2 million Vacation Care Grants Program has awarded 61 services between $2,000 and $30,000 to assist in delivering quality vacation care programs and increased flexibility for parents during the holiday.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said that the projects funded will provide students with affordable and exciting holiday activities.

“Through this funding kids will get the chance to take part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) modules, team sports, outdoor films using inflatable screens, and song writing and music recording workshops during the holidays.

“The program is also supporting vulnerable children to access vacation care activities that cater for their specific needs, such as sensory tents and calming tools for children with special needs, subsidised excursions for children from low-income families, family open days for isolated students, and specific training for vacation care staff to deliver specialist programs.

“The Vacation Care Grants Program is an important initiative that is making sure local school communities have access to high quality, inclusive vacation care.”

Chaos at Australia’s airports as they struggle to return to peak service demands a national aviation recovery plan to fix the sector’s overwhelmed and underpaid anaemic workforce, says the Transport Workers Union.

Aviation has suffered a mass exodus of skilled workers after the Morrison government failed to provide JobKeeper to swathes of the aviation sector and turned a blind eye to the illegal outsourcing of 2000 workers by Qantas.

Without a national recovery plan, the industry remains exposed to external shocks like COVID-19 variants, exorbitant fuel costs, natural disasters and international unrest. Reform is urgently needed to stop the cycle of airports and airlines profiteering and stuffing executive pay packets when times are good and then going cap in hand to governments when external shocks hit.

Since the start of the pandemic, the TWU has been calling for a national plan for aviation to support workers and airlines through COVID, and rebuild aviation fairly as hard borders came down. Specifically, the TWU wants to see a Safe and Secure Skies Commission put in place to lift standards at the airport and end spiralling underemployment, with stressed out workers doing the same jobs on vastly different rates and conditions, jeopardising safety.

“Australians can thank Scott Morrison and his absent government for being stuck at airports rather than doing Easter egg hunts with kids,” said Michael Kaine, TWU national secretary.

“For more than two years, the Morrison government gave away billions of taxpayer dollars to airlines with no string attached, while failing to prevent the forced exodus of workers from the aviation sector.

“Staffing shortages were entirely predictable – the sector was hit hard by the pandemic but failures by the Morrison government to insulate the workforce have exacerbated the challenges. The Morrison government failed to secure the aviation workforce by denying workers employed by international companies JobKeeper. They’ve left the sector and don’t want to return to casual low paid work with poor conditions.

“Under the Morrison Government Aviation has become a highly outsourced sector, which means casual workers paid less for doing the same job as directly employed workers. Many of these international companies that are outsourced to, such as Dnata and SNP Security, didn’t get JobKeeper. Unsupported workers left the sector entirely and now don’t want to come back to casual, low-paid jobs with bad conditions.

“Workers deserve a national plan which puts them at the centre of rebuilding aviation. To do that, workers need a Commission with powers to lift standards throughout aviation and protect secure jobs. Complimenting a Commission must be funded programs to support workers retrain and reconnect to the jobs they lost during the pandemic, and targeted spending to reduce COVID risks and maintain public confidence in air travel.”

In July 2021, the Federal Court found Qantas illegally outsourced its ground crew to prevent them bargaining and taking industrial action. There are 2000 workers who are waiting to be reinstated by Qantas after being illegally sacked, but the airline refuses.

“Qantas pocketed $865 million in JobKeeper and at the same time illegally outsourced its entire ground operations. Now the airline doesn’t have enough customer service workers, baggage handlers or ground staff to respond to surging demand.”

Two sets of grants totalling more than $2.8 million across 30 council areas will be a boon for recycling food waste right across NSW.

The first set of grants totalling $240,150 are part of the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) Scrap Together FOGO education campaign, which will see residents in 25 local council areas armed with the knowledge to become even better food waste recyclers.

The second set of FOGO grants totalling $2.6 million will give residents of six council areas access to organics waste recycling.

Head of EPA Organics Amanda Kane said the projects built on a multi-million-dollar investment in kerbside food waste recycling that first started in 2013.

“The NSW Government leads the way when it comes to food waste recycling, thanks to the strong support from many NSW councils that already offer food organics and garden organics (FOGO) services to their residents.

“The new Scrap Together grants, rolling out across 25 council areas, will remind households of the environmental benefits of turning food waste into compost. If past results are anything to go by, the educational campaigns will increase recycling of food waste while reducing what goes into landfill.

“Food waste sent to landfill in the red lid bin rots, generating greenhouse gas emissions, whereas in the green lid bin it gets processed into beneficial compost and returned back to the land.”

Ms Kane said a further six councils will receive a share of $2.6 million through the Organics Collections grants program, which means they will be able to introduce FOGO services or trial food-only services in multi-unit dwellings.

“These grants are the latest in the NSW Government’s investment to transform organics recovery in NSW. They include funding for regional councils like Hay Shire Council and Kyogle, as well as metropolitan councils like Bayside and Canada Bay in Sydney.”

Across NSW, the Organics Collections grant funding helps recover more than 200,000 tonnes of food and garden waste each year and reduces CO2 -e emissions by 350,000 tonnes a year.

The Organics Collections grants are delivered via a partnership between the EPA and the NSW Environmental Trust. They provide up to $1.3 million per grant for infrastructure like bins and kitchen caddies to help transition to the new services.

Meanwhile, the Scrap Together grants provide $10,000 for each council to deliver EPA-designed content, including videos, radio ads, mailbox drops and print advertising.

But these grants are just the beginning of a campaign to reduce food waste from entering landfill.

Ms Kane said the NSW Government had allocated an additional $69 million over the next five years to further expand FOGO services and support councils to meet new requirements under the Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, which aims to provide FOGO services to all NSW households by 2030.

For more information and links to detailed program summaries, visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/fogo

The successful Scrap Together projects are:

Council name
Amount
Comments

Dubbo Regional Council
$30,000
Includes Mid-Western Regional and Narromine Shire Councils

Kempsey Shire Council
$10,000

Wagga Wagga City Council
$10,000

Shellharbour City Council
$9,650

North East Waste
$50,500
Includes Byron Shire, Ballina Shire, Lismore City, Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley and Tweed Shire Councils.

Canberra Regional Joint Organisation
$50,000
Includes Bega Valley Shire, Goulburn Mulwaree Snowy Monaro Regional, Snowy Valley Shire and Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Councils

Lake Macquarie City Council
$10,000

Penrith City Council
$10,000

Kiama Municipal Council
$10,000

Broken Hill City Council
$10,000

NetWaste
$40,000
Includes Parkes and Forbes Shire Councils and Bathurst and Orange Regional Councils

The successful Organics Collections grants are:

Council name
Amount
Project title

Hay Shire Council
$106,102
Hay Shire Council FOGO Collection Program

Port Macquarie Hastings
$25,000
CSU Organics Recovery Project

Canada Bay Council
$235,626
The Rhodes to FOGO: FOGO Trial in MUDs

Penrith City Council
$521,824
Penrith MUDS FOGO implementation and trial

Bayside Council
$1,255,768
Bayside Council Organics Collections Harmonisation

Kyogle Shire Council
$503,324
Kyogle Council FOGO Collection

Construction of the new Allianz Stadium has now reached the 90 per cent mark following the installation of the final roof fabric, with the Stadium ready to host its first event in September.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said once fully complete, the new Allianz Stadium will ensure NSW continues to attract world class sporting and entertainment events.
 
“The new Allianz Stadium will be a fitting home for some of Australia’s biggest sporting and entertainment experiences, and we can’t wait to open it to the public in time for the first event in September,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“With the roof now finished, you can truly get a sense of what fans, athletes and performers will experience when this stadium opens the gates.
 
“The new SFS will not only help attract the world’s most exciting events to Sydney but also deliver a great boost to local tourism and create additional jobs for NSW.” 
 
More than 4000 individual pieces of steel make up the new stadium roof, with a combined weight of 2000 tonnes of steel used in the fabrication.
 
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Tourism and Sport and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said about 1,100 jobs have been supported on site during the build, with thousands more offsite and many more to come once the stadium is open.
 
“Along with creating jobs we are also making sure we support local businesses throughout this project. The steel from the now completed roof has been fabricated in Western Sydney by S&L Steel, the same company that built the roof of the original stadium in 1988,” Mr Ayres said.
 
“This stadium will give NRL, A-League and rugby fans a phenomenal viewing experience, closer to the action in a rectangular stadium that will become the envy of sporting fans across the country.”
 
Minister for Infrastructure, Cities, and Active Transport Rob Stokes said the stadium façade was also complete and that work would continue on the stadium fit out and stadium surrounds.
 
“This stadium will not only provide a stunning arena for sports and entertainment, but also create a fantastic new precinct nestled between some of Sydney’s finest public spaces,” Mr Stokes said.
 
“Unlike the old gated SFS, the new design of the stadium fosters an open atmosphere and welcoming public open space that is no longer limited to just game day activity.”