16 News

With voters heading to the polls for local government elections in September, the NSW Government is providing support to encourage more women to consider running for their local council.   

The Office of Local Government and Women NSW have jointly committed $160,000 in funding for 2 women’s organisations to host a series of candidate information workshops targeted at underrepresented groups of women.

The Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) NSW Branch and Women for Election will deliver workshops covering leadership skills, how to run a successful campaign as well as the roles and responsibilities of elected councillors.

Aimed at empowering women with the knowledge to run as candidates, these workshops will be delivered by women with lived experience as political candidates, as well as facilitators who have served or worked in local government.

They will be held at multiple locations in Sydney and in regional and rural areas to ensure women around NSW have access to these valuable training opportunities.

These will include dedicated workshops run by First Nations trainers to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to run for local government.

Providing funding for these organisations is part of a wider campaign by the Office of Local Government to encourage greater diversity in candidate representation at the upcoming elections.

The most recent Candidate and Councillor Diversity Report shows the number of female councillors rose from 31.2% to 39% at the 2021 Local Government elections.

The report also shows 3.9% of councillors were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, 10.1% of councillors were linguistically diverse and 4.2% of councillors were aged 18 to 29.

The Office of Local Government’s Candidate and Councillor Diversity Report can be viewed on the Office of Local Government website.

Find information about the Women for Election workshops.

Find information about the Australian Local Government Women’s Association workshops.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“One of the real strengths of our state is the diversity of our communities, and we need to see this diversity better reflected in the make-up of our councils.

“A lack of confidence or information about what it means to be a councillor can hold a lot of people back from putting their hand up, especially women.

“We hope with this support, these workshops can encourage more women and people from diverse backgrounds to take the plunge and represent their communities in the elections this September.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“By increasing the number of women serving in local government, councils will better reflect the communities they represent.

“These workshops provide women with pathways to grow their careers in politics. We want to see more women elected to bring NSW closer to its goal of gender parity on councils and inspire the next generation of women in politics.

“Speaking from experience, being a councillor is an incredibly rewarding job, so I encourage women across NSW to get involved and consider running for election in September.”

CEO, Women for Election Licia Heath said:

“Extensive work was done in 2021 to inspire and equip women of all backgrounds to run in the local government elections, which resulted in an unprecedented lift in the number of women elected to councils in NSW.

“Women for Election are excited to build on that work in 2024. Our events in Western Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Tamworth will inspire women to see themselves as future political candidates as we run into the September council elections.

“Importantly, our partnership with the Turnstone Collective will see First Nations women getting access to dedicated training workshops to support their local government ambitions and campaigns.”

President, ALGWA NSW Branch, Cr Penny Pedersen said:

“For too long women have been underrepresented in local government – as mayors, councillors and in senior management.

“Given more women than men live in NSW, we must encourage and support a greater number of women to take their place in local government.

“ALGWA’s forums introduce women, many of them already leaders in our community organisations, to elected women councillors, who can pass on the detail of their election journey and the importance of their role in local government.”

Today the NSW Government is launching a new pilot program to help 20 Community Housing Providers (CHPs) navigate the planning system to support the delivery of more affordable and community housing.

The Community Housing Concierge program will assist CHPs to build planning capability and efficiently work with the planning system to support the delivery of more than 3,600 affordable homes in the next five years.

Across NSW there are 169 registered Community Housing Providers (CHP) who oversee more than 54,000 properties.

Community Housing Providers deliver secure and affordable rental housing for people on very low to moderate incomes.

This pilot is part of the Government’s effort to assist CHPs as they have said they lack the necessary planning expertise to move projects through the planning system effectively.

As the Government continues in its efforts to address the housing crisis, Community Housing Providers have a major role to play by providing homes for those on very low to moderate incomes.

This Government has taken significant steps to improve and expand affordable and community housing services.

This has included a new bonus Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of up to 30 per cent and a height bonus of up to 30 per cent where a proposal includes a minimum of 15 per cent of the gross floor area (GFA) as affordable housing.

New affordable housing reforms are expected to increase the number of CHPs engaging in the planning space.

Find out more about the program

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This initiative will help Community Housing Providers deliver a strong supply of social and affordable homes in NSW so that more people have access to a safe place to live in a more timely way.

“By establishing a dedicated Community Housing Concierge, CHPs will have the necessary support to navigate the planning system and have a greater capacity to deliver more homes to those who need it most.

“The new service builds on our recent social and affordable housing reforms aimed at speeding up the delivery of more housing.”

Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:

“Under the National Housing Accord, NSW has committed to deliver 377,000 new, well-located homes between 2024-2029. We want to see a good proportion of these as social and affordable homes.

“It means we need to work in partnership with Community Housing Providers to improve their capacity to deliver. The pilot program will offer end-to-end planning support to resolve issues and referrals between the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), councils and other State agencies.

“CHPs provide safe and secure housing and wrap around support for some of our most vulnerable. It is important that we are doing everything we can to streamline the planning process to help secure more approvals for social and affordable housing.”

The NSW Government will launch a new incentive to make household batteries more accessible and affordable for NSW residents.

Households and businesses with solar panels on their roofs will be able to buy a cheaper, subsidised battery to store solar energy generated when the sun is shining.

This will help get the most out of their solar, by allowing them to use it around the clock. It will also reduce their energy bills and boost the reliability of the state-wide electricity grid.

The new incentive is part of the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme and includes:

• Between $1600 and $2400 off the up-front installation cost of a household battery for homes and business with existing solar.
• For homes and businesses wanting to install solar, the incentive will be considered in the quote for a new solar and battery system installation.
• A $250 to $400 incentive for connecting a battery to a Virtual Power Plant. It can be claimed a second time, 3 years on.

By connecting batteries in Virtual Power Plants, households and businesses can collectively share capacity across the energy grid.

The incentives will be available from 1 November 2024 and will be accessed through approved suppliers, which will become accredited over the coming months.

The expansion of the scheme follows extensive consultation with companies who specialise in the orchestration of household batteries, like Reposit Power in the Blacktown electorate.

Find out more information about the NSW Government’s household battery incentive program.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:

“More than 1,000,000 NSW households have solar panels on their roofs and adding a battery will see them benefit around the clock, not just when the sun is shining.

“We are bringing down the upfront cost of batteries for households and businesses to make them more accessible.

“This is a targeted action to support those with solar to take the next step to lowering their bills by using renewable energy. It also supports the state’s transition to renewable energy.”

Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali said:

“This is a fantastic initiative for the households and businesses of western Sydney.

“Rooftop solar is already so popular and I know this saving will help people bring down their power bills and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Reposit Power CEO Dean Spaccavento said:

“The NSW Government’s expansion of the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme to include household batteries is a win-win for residents and the electricity grid.

“Home batteries are now playing a crucial role in a cleaner, more secure energy future for NSW and earning money for their contribution.

“Homeowners can maximise the benefit they get from a battery system at their home by shopping around for deals that offer guaranteed bill reductions for at least 5 years.”

Further information

What is a virtual power plant?

• Virtual Power Plants group the power produced by rooftop solar and stored in batteries, so it can be released into the grid where and when it’s needed.
• Energy from virtual power plants is released into the grid to address frequency and voltage imbalances, local disruptions or disturbances and keep the network stable. Read more about virtual power plants and why they matter. 

What is peak demand?

• Peak demand is when electricity usage is at its highest, such as in the middle of summer when millions of households turn on their air conditioners.
• The electricity grid is designed to be capable to meet that peak demand.
• If the level of peak demand can be lowered, we can reduce the amount of renewable energy infrastructure that needs to be built to keep the lights on.
• Building only the infrastructure we need saves NSW money.

The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to ensure places of worship across the state are safer and more secure through the Safe Places for Faith Communities Program.

The Safe Places for Faith Communities Program will see 103 community and faith organisations share in $5 million of grants to ensure the places where our faith communities gather and practice remain safe.

The program takes a resilience-based approach to safety and security by supporting prevention, preparedness, response and recovery measures at places where faith communities gather.

Funds from this program will go towards upgrading security and surveillance systems as well as initiatives such as managing challenging behaviour training and multi-faith grief support.

The program is an election commitment and is part of a wider $15 million pledge over four years. It was developed in consultation with faith and religious groups and experts across the state, as well as Multicultural NSW’s Community Resilience and Response Plan (COMPLAN) Committee.

For more information on the program, please visit Safe Places for Faith Communities Program – Multicultural NSW.

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said:

“NSW is the most successful multifaith state in Australia, our respect of the many faiths and cultures that make up this state enriches our society and our communities.

“Places of worship must always be havens where faith members can gather in peace and prayer,  knowing they are safe.

“The NSW Government is proud to be delivering on our election commitment and we know these projects will deliver real, tangible benefits for faith communities across NSW.”

Chair of NSW Faith Affairs Council Michael Stead said:

“As faith leaders across NSW, we are very thankful that the NSW Government has listened to our requests to improve the safety and security of our places of worship.

“We are proud of our status of one of the most successful multicultural jurisdictions in the world and know that that diversity is reflected in the many faith groups that practice in NSW.

“Our churches, mosques and synagogues are central to our communities and we know this program will help make them safer for generations to come.”

Hunter communities will soon be able to enjoy improved access to public transport infrastructure thanks to a more than $245,000 funding injection that will deliver dozens of better bus stops across the region.

The NSW Labor Government’s $1.6 million Country Passenger Transport Infrastructure Scheme will see 149 regional bus stop improvement programs rolled out across the state, including 54 in the Hunter.

Maitland City Council will receive $77,250 from the latest round of the Scheme and this will go towards funding construction of a new bus shelter in East Maitland and the upgrade of 26 bus shelters across the local government area.

Port Stephens Council will use $80,500 in grant funding to build two new shelters and upgrade 12 existing shelters.

Cessnock City Council will benefit from $88,000 which will be used to build two new bus shelters and upgrade 11 existing shelters.

Upgrade works will include a mix of treatments including:

• Installation of tactile indicators to help people with vision impairment
• Establishment of safer boarding points
• Erection of new signage and support poles
• Construction of connecting paths

For a full list of NSW councils and funding amounts they have received.

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:

“If we want people in the Hunter using public transport we need to make it an attractive option.

“Bus stops are a window to a crucial part of our integrated transport system in the Hunter.

“These stops need to be user-friendly for everyone including older passengers and those with a disability. This funding will vastly improve 54 stops in the Hunter.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The NSW Labor Government is delivering improved public transport infrastructure across the state and I’m happy to see Hunter communities have benefited.

“Better bus stops make public transport more accessible and attractive as an option to get around our community so these investments are very welcome.

“Whether it’s upgrades to improve safety, travel experience, or new shelters to protect people as they wait for public transport; these investments will deliver a range of positive benefits to all transport users and future generations for many years to come.”

Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:

“The NSW Labor Government is injecting $1.6 million to improve public transport infrastructure across regional NSW and Port Stephens is a big beneficiary.

“Port Stephens will be getting two new bus shelters, and twelve will be made more accessible, enabling local residents to catch buses more easily.

“By investing in better bus stops we’re delivering on our commitment to make NSW more accessible and inclusive – one bus stop at a time.”

Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said:

“It is great to see the Cessnock City LGA receive two new bus stops and upgrades to a further 11 existing shelters.

“The investment into infrastructure will make it more accessible and inclusive for everyone to use public transport.”

Maitland City Council bus stops to receive upgrades:

• 108 South Seas Dr, Ashtonfield NSW 2323
• 99 South Seas Dr, Ashtonfield NSW 2323
• 42 Norfolk St, Ashtonfield NSW 2323
• 14 Highland Way, Bolwarra NSW 2320
• 37 Corina Ave, Bolwarra Heights NSW 2320
• 65 Cumberland St, East Maitland NSW 2323
• 31 Turnbull Dr, East Maitland NSW 2323
• Cessnock Rd, Gillieston Heights NSW 2321
• 343 Cessnock Rd, Gillieston Heights NSW 2321
• 18 Belmore Rd, Lorn NSW 2320
• 321 High St, Maitland NSW 2320
• Ken Tubman Dr, Maitland NSW 2320
• 5 Dunkley St, Rutherford NSW 2320
• 39 Avery St, Rutherford NSW 2320
• Hillview St, Rutherford NSW 2320
• 59 Weblands St, Rutherford NSW 2320
• 34 South St, Telarah NSW 2320
• 27 Taylor Ave, Thornton NSW 2322
• 1 Purdom Cl, Thornton NSW 2322
• Raymond Terrace Rd, Thornton NSW 2322
• 11 Woodlands Dr, Thornton NSW 2322
• 28 Government Rd, Thornton NSW 2322
• 1 Taylor Ave, Thornton NSW 2322
• Lawson Ave, Woodberry NSW 2322
• 114 Lawson Ave, Woodberry NSW 2322
• 118 Lawson Ave, Woodberry NSW 2322

Port Stephens Council new bus shelter site:

• South St, Medowie NSW 2318
• 2129 Nelson Bay Rd, Williamtown NSW 2318

Port Stephens Council bus stops to receive upgrades:

• 6 Frost Rd, Anna Bay NSW 2316
• 35A Blanch St, Boat Harbour NSW 2316
• Fullerton Cove Rd, Fullerton Cove NSW 2318
• 77 Government Rd, Nelson Bay NSW 2315
• 152 Benjamin Lee Dr, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
• Rees James Rd, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
• 141 Mount Hall Rd, Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
• Port Stephens Dr, Salamander Bay NSW 2317
• Sandy Point Rd, Salamander Bay NSW 2317
• Ridgeway Ave, Soldiers Point NSW 2317
• 112 Soldiers Point Rd, Soldiers Point NSW 2317
• 24 Moxey Clos, Williamtown NSW 2318

Cessnock City Council new bus shelter site:

• 93 Main Rd, Heddon Greta NSW 2321
• Alexandra St, Kurri Kurri NSW 2327

Cessnock City Council bus stops to receive upgrades:

• Allandale Rd, Cessnock NSW 2325
• 15 Main Rd (Main Road opp 20 stop id) Cliftleigh NSW 2321
• 4 Lake Rd, Kearsley NSW 2325
• 2A Lake Rd, Kearsley NSW 2325
• 16 Triton Blvd, North Rothbury NSW 2335
• Bendeich Dr (opp Slattery Rd), North Rothbury NSW 2335
• 24 Bendeich Dr, North Rothbury NSW 2335
• 44 McGann Dr, North Rothbury NSW 2335
• McGann Dr, North Rothbury NSW 2335
• 124 Triton Blvd, North Rothbury NSW 2335
• 8 First St, Weston NSW 2326

Services providing frontline support to women and children experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) will receive a share of $47.8 million in Commonwealth Government funding under the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence National Partnership Agreement 2023-25 (NPA).

These include early intervention initiatives, specialist services, innovative pilot programs, and workforce capability development projects.

From the age of 15, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member.

In NSW, there are around 2,500 reports of domestic violence to the police every month.

Last year, there were 36,072 incidents of domestic violence related assault and 19 domestic violence related murders of women and children in the state.

Aboriginal women and children are also over-represented as victim-survivors of family violence.

The NPA 2023-25 includes:

• $25.6 million for response, recovery and healing initiatives
• $15.9 million for early intervention initiatives
• $6.3 million for workforce and sector capability building

Funding under the 2023-25 NPA will be put towards projects that help to achieve Target 13 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap: to cut the rate of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by 50 per cent by 2031. This round of funding will invest in vital, culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal women and children.

Workforce capability projects will focus on training specialist frontline DFV workers to identify and respond to the dynamics of coercive control, and activities to support faith, community and sporting leaders when engaging with people who disclose experiences of DFV.

The funding will also continue some grants awarded to DFV service providers that were funded under NPA 2021-2023.

This includes 10 organisations delivering tailored men’s behavioural change programs for Aboriginal people, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with cognitive impairment and the Aboriginal Wellbeing and Family Violence Prevention Program in Tamworth.

Youth Justice NSW will receive funding to continue to deliver a range of programs including support services for young people to understand Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) conditions, court processes and bail conditions. The funding secures the continuation of DFV Family Workers in key locations across NSW to provide therapeutic and practical support to families and young people, support additional psychologists and improve court resources.

The Commonwealth funding under the NPA will complement the NSW government’s $230 million emergency domestic violence package.

Federal Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said:

“Ending violence against women and children is a national priority shared by all Australian governments.

“We are working in partnership with the NSW Government to end the cycle of violence and build the capacity of our frontline workforce.

“This investment is in line with our multipronged approach to fund initiatives across the four domains of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children – prevention, early intervention, response, and healing and recovery.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“Domestic violence has an awful impact on families, and it affects all sections of our society.

“I am really proud we have in place a number of measures within our healthcare system including prenatal screening, which will identify and protect some of our most vulnerable women and children.”

Minister for Youth Justice Jihad Dib said:

“Juvenile domestic and family violence offenders can often be victims or survivors of domestic and family violence themselves, and early intervention programs are vital to respond to young people using or experiencing violence in their homes. Initiatives like the DFV Family Workers are a practical way we can work with communities and empower families to make positive decisions, as well as help divert young people from the criminal justice system.”

Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said:

“Domestic and family violence is a cowardly crime and the NSW government is looking at every lever to keep women and children safe.

“We know many vulnerable children in the foster care system come from houses of violence, highlighting the importance of early intervention programs to support families to stay safely together.”

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“With Aboriginal women and children over-represented as family and domestic violence victim-survivors, this funding will boost on-the-ground support services in communities where they’re most needed.

“It will also contribute to efforts to meet the Closing the Gap target of halving rates of family and domestic violence in Aboriginal communities by 2031.”  

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“The statistics for domestic and family violence are shocking and tragic.

“Beyond the numbers, we know that family violence can have destructive consequences for women and children and can leave a devastating impact on the community.

“Our government is committed to seeing dramatic improvements in the rates of domestic, family and sexual violence, and what we need to focus on is delivering appropriate and effective, whole-of-community services for victim-survivors.”

Eligible venues can operate until midnight on these 3 Sundays as part of the NSW Government’s year-round trading extensions for special events.

Inner Sydney licensed venues can stay open an extra 2 hours on Sundays from 26 May to 9 June, allowing festival-goers to continue enjoying Vivid Sydney 2024 longer after dark.

Eligible venues can operate until midnight on these 3 Sundays as part of the NSW Government’s year-round trading extensions for special events.

Under the extensions, venues can open their doors longer for special cultural and sporting events, helping to boost local night-time economies.

In addition, hotels can now also apply to trade until midnight on Sundays permanently under the NSW Government’s Vibrancy Reforms.

As an added boost, Special Event Extended Trading allows venues to keep their doors open until midnight on Sundays regardless of whether they have applied for a permanent extension.  

As the year progresses, the NSW Government expects to list additional special events, further enriching NSW’s nightlife and cultural offerings across the region

For Vivid Sydney 2024, extended trading on Sunday nights is available to hotels, general bars, clubs, small bars and dedicated live music and performance venues in the CBD, The Rocks, Barangaroo, Pyrmont, Woolloomooloo and Potts Point in the City of Sydney local government area.

Get a full list of special events and more information on extended trading.

Get more information on the NSW Government’s Vibrancy reforms.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:

“Vivid Sydney is the biggest free festival of its kind in the southern hemisphere as families enjoy a night out that does not hit the hip pocket. Last year’s event attracted a record 3.48 million people and brought in $206 million in spending, the largest in its history.

“We are expecting another big event in 2024 and look forward to welcoming everyone back to enjoy the light, music, ideas and food.

“Hospitality venues are a vital part of the city and the Sydney economy, and they are always there to support major events such like Vivid Sydney, helping people make the most of a night out.

“Special event extended trading will provide more options for people to enjoy our live music and celebrate together for longer.”

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

“Having more late-night dining and hospitality options during major events such as Vivid Sydney is key to the NSW Government’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive and vibrant night time economy across NSW.

“The NSW Government is dedicated to creating additional opportunities for hospitality venues during special events, especially for the 23-night Vivid Sydney Festival.

“Allowing for extended trading hours across a diverse mix of special events helps locals and visitors to really soak up the atmosphere, delivering a better experience for everyone across our finest cultural and sporting events.”