Category: NSW News

The NSW economy grew 1.4 per cent in 2020-21, reflecting the State’s improved economic conditions following the bushfires, drought and the pre-Delta lockdown.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the State Accounts, issued by the ABS yesterday, showed the NSW economy was more than $18 billion larger in 2020-21 than pre-COVID, highlighting the State’s strong economic recovery to the end of June 2021.
“Even though COVID-19 has caused one of the worst economic contractions in the State’s history, the ABS data shows the fundamentals of our economy are strong and the Government’s economic stimulus measures are working,” Mr Kean.
“NSW business confidence hit a record high of +29 in October, as we achieved our 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination milestones quicker than expected and restrictions eased.
“By keeping people safe and rolling out around $45 billion in health response and economic support programs since March 2020, we invested in the fundamentals of our economy – our people, our businesses and our workers.
“Now we are seeing the returns of that investment, demonstrating the power of making sure the State’s finances are working for our economy and our people, not the other way around.
“The NSW Government is continuing to invest in the State’s future with our $2.8 billion Economic Recovery Strategy helping to accelerate the recovery.”
In the most recent payrolls summary, NSW reported the largest gain in weekly payrolls of all states, with a 3.5 per cent increase for the fortnight to 16 October.
While the nation lost 46,000 jobs in October, NSW employment rose by 22,000 people as NSW businesses increased staffing in the lead up to restrictions easing.
In November, consumer sentiment rose by 4.4 per cent to 107.9 index points to record the highest consumer sentiment in the country.

Perpetrators of sexual violence and other criminals who’ve evaded the criminal justice system for years, or even decades, will now face the prospect of tougher sentencing from NSW courts, which will no longer be bound by outdated sentencing practices.
Attorney General and Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Mark Speakman said the Government was drafting a bill that would require courts to apply current sentencing practices to all crimes, regardless of when they were committed.
“Right now, except for child sexual abuse, courts must apply sentencing patterns and practices related to the offence that were in place at the time the offence was committed, instead of at the time of sentencing,” Mr Speakman said.
“But sometimes those guideposts don’t reflect our community’s current stance on crimes – this is especially so for heinous acts like sexual assault or domestic violence.
“Asking courts to put themselves in the shoes of a judge years or decades earlier can be impractical, inefficient and produce inconsistent outcomes. Our bill will change this so people who committed offences years ago will be sentenced according to current practices.
“It’s unacceptable for an offender to get more lenient treatment, just because they’d dodged police detection, or their offence had not yet been reported by an often traumatised victim.
“While courts will still be guided by the maximum penalty and any standard non-parole period that existed at the time of the offence, historical offenders will now face the prospect of tougher penalties, particularly for crimes like sexual assault that are often reported later.”
The proposed reform comes after a NSW Government review of historical sentencing practices, which engaged legal experts, victims’ rights groups and law enforcement.
The move also follows 2018 legislation that ensures child sex offenders are sentenced according to contemporary practices. The 2018 Act came after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended legislation to ensure sentences for child sexual abuse are imposed according to practices that exist at the time of sentencing.
“This applies consistency to all offending so we won’t perpetuate any past errors by using old practices, which don’t align with contemporary attitudes or our current understanding of serious crimes like sexual assault and domestic violence,” Mr Speakman said.
Key stakeholders will be consulted on a draft exposure bill this year. Feedback will then be considered and a final bill will be introduced to NSW Parliament in 2022.

The Sydney Modern Project, set to almost double the exhibition space of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and attract exhibitions from across the globe, has reached a construction milestone.
Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for the Arts Don Harwin visited the site to mark the construction reaching its full height with a “topping out” ceremony today.
The Premier said the $344 million expansion would attract the world’s biggest touring collections and divert tourists from Brisbane and Melbourne to our city.
“Sydney is the cultural capital of Australia, this major expansion of our art gallery will attract tourists from around the world,” Mr Perrottet said.
“New York is synonymous with The Met, this investment will make our gallery a similarly iconic global attraction.
“Sydney Modern ensures our state remains on everyone’s ‘must see’ list, bringing jobs and business opportunities for our tourism industry, forming a key part of our vision for the future.”
The expansion will allow many warehoused artworks to be displayed and also provides a prominent new destination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks.
Mr Harwin said the transformation that is taking place at the Art Gallery of NSW is extraordinary.
“We are investing in our future by creating a world-class destination for art and culture. The remarkable Sydney Modern Project cements our city’s position as Australia’s arts capital,” Mr Harwin said.
“The project is a major investment in art, artists and culture and sends a strong signal of confidence for a vibrant and exciting future.”
Together with the NSW Government’s $244 million in funding, the Art Gallery has raised more than $100 million to support the expansion project.
It is the largest government and philanthropic arts partnership of its kind in Australia to date.
Art Gallery of New South Wales director Dr Michael Brand said it’s exciting to see the building take shape.
“We’re creating an indoor-outdoor campus set in the stunning landscape overlooking Sydney Harbour, on Gadigal Country, with exceptional art experiences for everyone to enjoy and only possible in Sydney,” Dr Brand said.
The Sydney Modern Project is Australia’s first museum to be awarded the highest rating for sustainable design with a 6-Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.
The project is expected to inject more than $1 billion into the NSW economy over 25 years and is expected to double the number of annual visits from one million to two million per year.

More than 17,000 jobs are expected to be created with the proposed transformation of more than 850 hectares of land near Kemps Creek into a commercial industry hub, connected to the future Aerotropolis.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the finalisation of the Mamre Road Development Control Plan (DCP) includes significant controls to preserve the local environment.
“These planning controls provide businesses in Western Sydney with the opportunity to be thriving by the time the first plane lands at Badgery’s Creek,” Mr Stokes said.
“We’ve also established targets that require 10 per cent tree canopy to be provided on each site, as well as limits on the amount of hard surfacing on individual lots, and guidelines to ensure South Creek remains protected.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the site would capitalise on its location near the future airport.
“Western Sydney is growing and we’re ensuring that there’s plenty of jobs for current and future residents to choose from,” Mr Ayres said.
“The site is ideally located to enable freight to be moved from Port Botany via the proposed Western Sydney Freight Line and transferred onto trucks that deliver to businesses in Western Sydney and the Aerotropolis.”
Member for Mulgoa Tanya Davies said the new precinct would establish an important link between Port Botany and the Aerotropolis.
“We’re thankful to the community for the feedback during the consultation and drafting process, and we believe that together we’ve shaped a sustainable way for Western Sydney’s industrial sector to trade for decades to come,” Mrs Davies said.
“We already have 11 different State Significant Development Applications at various stages of the assessment process, for projects which bring jobs in industries such as warehousing and distribution, manufacturing and IT.”
To view the finalised Mamre Road DCP, visit: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/Priority-Growth-Areas-and-Precincts/Western-Sydney-Employment-Area/Mamre-Road-Precinct

The NSW green hydrogen industry is set to boom with the legislation underpinning the NSW Hydrogen Strategy passing Parliament today.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said NSW is leading the nation in developing a hydrogen industry, which is projected to attract over $80 billion in private investment, support 10,000 jobs and open up new export markets.
“We are leading the nation when it comes to emerging technologies and seizing the opportunity to attract national and global investment in this future industry to grow our economy,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Our hydrogen energy industry will allow us to develop new export markets with our core trading partners, including Japan, creating new jobs in the Hunter and Illawarra, while also helping to secure our energy needs into the future.”
Treasurer and Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean said the legislation will allow NSW to capitalise on the growing hydrogen export market, with green hydrogen set to become a leading fuel source in the Asia-Pacific by the end of the decade.
“Our Hydrogen Strategy is expected to increase the size of our economy by more than $600 million each year, while helping the State to halve emissions by 2030,” Mr Kean said.
“Hydrogen will help to reduce our carbon emissions in sectors like heavy transport and industry, create jobs and open up new export markets for NSW.”
The NSW Hydrogen Strategy includes:

• $70 million to develop hydrogen hubs in the Illawarra and Hunter regions;
• Exemptions for green hydrogen production from government charges;
• 90 per cent exemption from electricity network charges for green hydrogen producers, who connect to parts of the network with spare capacity;
• Funding for infrastructure assessments for large-scale production; and
• A hydrogen refuelling station network roll out across the State.

The Energy Legislation Amendment Bill also includes reforms to allow renewable energy projects, like wind turbines, in the State’s softwood pine plantation estate.
“Renewable energy projects will help to create regional jobs, attract investment in the bush and diversify Forestry Corp’s revenue, at the same time as providing sustainable timber supplies for decades to come,” Mr Kean said.
Any forestry land used for renewables would be required to be replaced on a two-for-one basis to ensure the harvestable forestry estate continues to expand.
More information on the NSW Hydrogen Strategy is available here: https://bit.ly/3Fu6rmX

The new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport has hit another major milestone with construction now underway on the world-class passenger terminal.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today’s announcement marked a significant step in this once-in-a-generation, city-shaping infrastructure project for Western Sydney, and Australia.
“The delivery of the Western Sydney International Airport proves once again our Government’s ability to get things done,” the Prime Minister said.
“We have made this happen. It is already delivering major benefits for Western Sydney, as we knew it would, and it only gets better from here.
“The Coalition will continue to invest in job-creating infrastructure that drives investment and secures Australia’s economic recovery.
“Our total $14 billion investment in the airport and transport links is transforming this powerhouse region, attracting investment and supporting jobs for generations to come.
“Around 11,000 jobs will be supported during construction alone, and currently around one in two workers are from right here in Western Sydney, driving income and opportunity for families across the region.
“Tens of thousands more jobs will be created when the airport is up and running in 2026, and millions of travellers are arriving into Sydney’s newest airport every year.
“The airport will also play a crucial role in the nation’s aviation future, delivering dynamic global connections for the region and opening up even further possibilities for new routes and services.”
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said construction on one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Australia was now around one quarter complete.
“Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, work has continued to progress with nearly 22 million cubic metres of earth now moved to date across the site – which is about three times bigger than the Sydney CBD – and the airport on track to open in late 2026,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Today we announce another important milestone has been reached, with work now underway on the new state-of-the-art integrated passenger terminal, which will have the capacity to handle up to 10 million passengers a year once open.
“With this unique opportunity to build an airport from the ground up, we are able to roll out cutting-edge technology to make the passenger experience smoother and easier than at existing airports, and the security systems more effective but less intrusive.
“The new airport will not only be a state-of-the art piece of infrastructure but is an integral element of the surrounding aerotropolis and the broader Western Parkland city.
“In its own right, Western Sydney would be Australia’s fourth largest city and third largest economy, which is why the Morrison Government has committed $14 billion to the airport and vital metro rail and road links that will transform the region.”
Minister for Finance Simon Birmingham said construction of Western Sydney International’s world-leading innovative domestic and international airport had fastened its seatbelt and was ready for take-off.
“One of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects is now visibly taking shape and is delivering long-term jobs and economic benefits to Western Sydney,” Minister Birmingham said.
 
“Economic stimulus and job creation in Western Sydney is critical right now. Start of construction on the world-class terminal will see more jobs begin to flow in the coming months.
“Acting to build a second Sydney airport has been in the too hard basket for many years but our government is delivering this critical piece of infrastructure that will lift productivity and growth for decades to come.”
Federal Member for Lindsay, Melissa McIntosh welcomed the airport exceeding its local employment targets, saying the project would continue to create local jobs, for local people.
“Over $100 million has already been injected into businesses in Western Sydney, supercharging our local economy,” Ms McIntosh said.
“The airport will continue to provide more opportunities for local small businesses, opening up new markets and opportunities across Australia and beyond.
“This will drive more job creation for generations, particularly in the emerging industries recognising Western Sydney is at the forefront of fields including advanced manufacturing, research, and space, as a result of the Morrison Government’s investment.”
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said the airport would boost economic activity and provide employment opportunities for the Western Sydney region.
“This new airport integrates with our vision for Western Sydney and the future of how people will live, work and travel,” Mr Perrottet said.
“It means jobs for Western Sydney and will create new, convenient travel options for those who live in our west.”
The contract for the airside pavements package, which will include the 3.7-kilometre runway and rapid-exit taxiways, was awarded in September, with construction due to begin next year. Bulk earthworks are around 75 per cent complete.
In addition to the $5.3 billion investment in Western Sydney International, the Morrison Government has committed another $9 billion for the vital rail and road links that will transform the Western Sydney region.
This includes the $3.5 billion investment to deliver new major road infrastructure and upgrades under the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan and $5.25 billion towards the first stage of the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail link.

New data released by the NSW Government, on the eve of National Ag Day, reveals primary industries output has charged past all previous records and is now an estimated $20.9 billion industry.
Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall released the 2021 NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Performance Data and Insights (PDI) report today, which showed Industry increased its Gross Value of Production from $15.7 billion in just 12 months.
“Our farmers overcame every challenge thrown their way to smash the record books and grow agriculture by $5.2 billion to a $20.9 billion industry,” Mr Marshall said.
“Underpinned by a record winter crop, and bolstered by both strong commodity prices and primary producers committed to delivering safe and high-quality produce, this is an outstanding recognition of the capabilities our industry can achieve.
“Wheat headlines this year’s bumper harvest and is the star of this more than $5 billion increase in primary industries GVP. The crop’s value produced actually rose 541 per cent on the year before to $4 billion.
“Primary producers are still recovering from drought by rebuilding herds from historic lows, but international demand remained high and is only expected to increase.
“While this has been a year to remember for agriculture, we realise it’s been a devastating week for our Central West farmers. It’s still too early to see the full extent of flood damage, but we’ll be with them through the aftermath.”
Mr Marshall said the agricultural industry had exceeded NSW DPI’s long-term strategic target two years ahead of schedule.
“COVID-19 and labour shortages, bushfires, drought, mice, floods and trade tensions all presented challenges, but the ag industry still exceeded its goal,” Mr Marshall said.
“While the NSW Government provided financial aid, including $4 billion in drought support, $150 million to tackle mice, and even $3 million in hotel quarantine subsidies for foreign workers, the real hard work was done by farmers.
“We’re well on our way to being a $30 billion industry by 2030.”
The 2020/2021 PDI report is available from the NSW DPI website.
2020-21 Fast Facts: 

• NSW primary industries had an estimated total industry output of $20.9 billion
• Cropping achieved $8 billion output, including;
  • Wheat up 541% year-on-year, with an estimated GVP $4.2 billion
  • Cotton up 383% year-on-year, with an estimated GVP $847 million
  • Oilseeds up 527% year-on-year, with an estimated GVP $844 million
  • Barley up 170% year-on-year, with an estimated GVP $769 million
  • Pulses up 527% year-on-year, with an estimated GVP $359 million
• Poultry achieved $855 million output, up 1% year-on-year
• Dairy achieved $659 million output, up 2% year-on-year

A further $2.4 million will be delivered by the NSW Government to support the sports sector as it emerges from COVID restrictions, to help increase participation across the state.
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the Organisation Support Program (OSP) is on top of the recently-announced $25 million Sport and Recreation Recovery and Community Rebuild Package.
“The COVID-19 lockdown has had a major impact on everyone’s lives, including our  sport and recreation sector,” Mrs Ward said.
“We want to make sure all our sports lovers are getting back to doing what they love most across all codes, from cricket to football, netball to hockey, basketball to tennis.
“As restrictions ease, this funding package will help increase participation and improve community health and wellbeing at a time when it couldn’t be needed more.”
Ninety-four eligible State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) and State Sporting Organisations with a Disability (SSODs) will share in the ongoing funding package.
It will support the sector in holding competitions, activities and programs across NSW as it returns to full operation following the restrictions, and builds on the Sport and Recreation Recovery and Community Rebuild Package.
“The NSW Government’s comprehensive supports will ensure sports don’t just get back on the fields, courts and pitches but have sustained success into the future,” Mrs Ward said.
For further details, see: https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/grants/organisation-support-program.

A woman has been charged following a police pursuit in Forbes this morning.
About 3am (Thursday 18 November 2021), officers attached to Central West Police District were conducting patrols when they observed a Mazda 3 sedan make a right turn from Wyndham Street into Farnell Street at speed.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle; however, the driver failed to comply, and pursuit was initiated.
The driver turned into Forest Road – an unsealed road – and encountered minor flood waters, causing the Mazda to become bogged.
The driver – a 32-year-old woman – was arrested at the scene, while two passengers – a woman and a three-year-old girl – were removed from the vehicle uninjured.
The driver was subjected to a roadside breath and drug test, returning a positive indication for methylamphetamine (ice).
She was taken to Parkes Police Station and charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously, drive whilst licence cancelled and disobey road access sight.
The woman was refused bail to appear at Parkes Local Court today (Thursday 18 November 2021).

The capabilities of the NSW Police Force Marine Area Command have been significantly bolstered with the addition of four new purpose-built marine vessels, valued at more than $4 million.
Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon APM today to unveil the new Class 5 rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) as part of an ongoing commitment to provide safer waterways across the State.
Premier Perrottet said this investment forms part of the $29 million Marine Vessel Replacement program and will enhance tactical marine responses.
“These fast response vessels are multifunctional and will strengthen the police marine operational capabilities as we approach the busy summer months,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, police have played an integral role in keeping us all safe. As we return to a sense of normality it is vital police have the equipment to undertake policing, both on land and water.”
Minister Elliott said the Government continues to provide police with the resources they need to enhance operations in NSW and offshore waters.
“With a multi-purpose capability, the RHIBs will be used for criminal detection and counter terrorism operations, search and rescue, port and maritime security and high visibility policing,” Mr Elliott said.
“Importantly these vessels will enhance boarding capabilities and fast roping for police in operational settings.”
Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said officers attached to the Marine Area Command were instrumental in the design of these fit-for-purpose tactical vessels.
“These Class 5 RHIBs are highly-manoeuvrable and are fitted with the latest navigation and communication equipment, as well as surveillance and tracking systems,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said.
“Importantly these fast, agile and responsive vessels are a significant boost to our capabilities to prevent, disrupt and respond to crime on the water.”
Each vessel has two 400hp four-stroke outboard motors and can reach speeds of 53 knots. The vessels feature the newest technology including a forward looking infra-red (FLIR) camera to assist police crews search for lost mariners or detect crime threats. The navigation and electronics are supported by the NSW Police Force integrated telecommunication and satellite systems.
The 11 metre RHIBs were built by Sydney based Zodiac Milpro Australia Pty Ltd. They have a 10-person capacity and will be located in Sydney, San Souci, Newcastle and Port Kembla but can be deployed as far north as Tweed Heads, and Eden to the south.