Category: NSW News

The first NSW Ambulance Superstation in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs has been officially opened at Randwick as part of a $184 million ambulance infrastructure boost.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Local Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton toured the new facility today, located at the corner of Darley Road and King Street, Randwick.
“The NSW Government has invested heavily in these state-of-the-art facilities which are designed to help our paramedics get out on the road faster,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The facility will have a make ready logistics team on hand to ensure paramedics aren’t tied up cleaning and re-stocking vehicles, freeing them up to be on the road saving lives.
“Vehicles are ready for paramedics as they start their shift which helps our hardworking ambos to do what they do best – provide expert care to patients in need.”
The new Randwick Superstation includes:

• rapid roller door, which allows for faster response times (Randwick is the first ambulance station to have one)
• parking bays for up to 20 ambulance vehicles – doubling previous capacity
• on site staff parking
• an internal wash bay

The NSW Government has now completed 10 NSW Ambulance Superstations, including the new station at Randwick.  Superstations are operational at Artarmon, Caringbah, Haberfield, Northmead, Bankstown, Blacktown, Kogarah, Liverpool and Penrith. Planning is underway for a new Central Sydney Ambulance Superstation.
Ms Upton said the new Superstation replaces the old Barker Street Randwick station which had been operational since the 1960s and was no longer fit-for-purpose.
“This wonderful facility will significantly enhance out-of-hospital care for local communities and we wish the Randwick paramedic team all the very best in their new base,” Ms Upton said.
The NSW Government’s Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy (SAMIS) is the single biggest investment in Sydney’s ambulance infrastructure in the organisation’s 126-year history.
In addition to this, the State Government has invested $232 million to deliver the Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration (RAIR) Stages 1 and 2.

Specialised training to support the introduction of electric buses in Australia will form the basis of a new partnership between TAFE NSW and Volvo Bus Australia.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance today announced the NSW Government, through TAFE, will develop short courses with Volvo to help mechanics upskill and work safely with industry-leading bus technology.
Mr Lee said the training will play a key role in helping NSW transition to a zero emissions bus fleet by 2030.
“The adoption of electric buses introduces a new range of skills needs that we must address such as working with high voltage systems and understanding the way
vehicles are built, operated, and serviced,” Mr Lee said.
“We’re proud to be partnering with Volvo Bus Australia, to ensure the safety of people working in this industry.”
Mr Constance said the training will provide a framework as more businesses adopt new products in bus assembly, servicing, driving, and managing emergency service
responses.
“With the NSW Government’s commitment to introduce more electric buses, the number of workers who need to be retrained and upskilled to support these vehicles
is growing.
“Volvo is well known for its commitment to safety and I’m pleased to see this collaboration between industry and TAFE,” Mr Constance said.
General Manager of Volvo Bus Australia Mitch Peden said the courses developed with TAFE will set a standard in the industry.
“We see the need for a national approach to training, skills and certification of staff, and are delighted to be partnering with TAFE NSW on these new programs.
“Our operator partners and industry have done a fantastic job in recent years delivering safe public transport – now we have an opportunity to lift safety standards even
further,” Mr Peden said.
Member for Holsworthy Melanie Gibbons said the training was a win for local jobs.
“This training will ensure local mechanics have the ability to upskill as the industry advances so they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow,” Ms Gibbons said.
The training will be delivered nationally as part of TAFE’s Micro Skills strategy, where targeted skillsets are designed with industry to meet current or emerging skills needs
in a range of jobs.

More than 1,140 of the state’s most disadvantaged young people will be supported to achieve their academic aspirations and training goals through $1,000 cash grants as part of a NSW Government scholarship program.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Alister Henskens said the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) Scholarships would help lift the load for students in their final years of high school and early years of tertiary education.
“A good education provides the foundation for the future and these scholarships are about giving young people a helping hand to pursue education or work,” Mr Henskens said.
“We want to see young people growing up in social housing or out-of-home care break the cycle of disadvantage and live long, happy and healthy lives. These scholarships are one of the ways the NSW Government is helping to make that happen.”
The program is available to young people living in social housing or on the housing register, students receiving private rental assistance, or those living in crisis, supported accommodation or out-of-home care.
This year, 727 new and 414 returning students will benefit from the scholarships. Young people can receive the scholarship for up to three years, providing they are still studying and meet eligibility criteria.
Recipients can use their funds for education-related expenses such as textbooks, IT equipment or internet access.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the aim of the program is to improve school completion rates, boost vocational and tertiary qualifications for disadvantaged young people and develop work readiness.
“These scholarships are about removing barriers for young people to finish the HSC or to go on to tertiary education. More than 2,290 students have been supported by these scholarships since they were established in 2017 and hundreds more will benefit this year,” Ms Mitchell said.
The scholarships are funded under Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW, a ten-year plan to drive better outcomes for social housing tenants.

Work on the pilot initiative to deliver new specialist VET facilities at two NSW public high schools is progressing with the first artist’s impressions released to the community last week.
Seven Hills High School and Tweed River High School will benefit from the construction of specialist learning spaces, supporting students who want to further their studies in vocational education.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the new facilities will be an opportunity for students to gain practical skills while gaining qualifications for their future careers.
“We want our students to be inspired when they come to school and be excited to engage in learning that is relevant to them and where they want to go in their post school lives. The schools will be a place for these students to get hands on experience,” Ms Mitchell said.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the future focused learning spaces will support pathways to apprenticeships, traineeships and trade qualifications, as well as pathways to higher education.
“Integrating vocational training into schools is a game changer for students who are looking to take advantage of the pipeline of skills-related jobs created from major projects like the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and other industries this will attract,” Mr Lee said.
Member for Seven Hills Mark Taylor said he was looking forward to seeing students benefit from the new facilities, focusing on the industries of construction, logistics and health services.
“It is very exciting to see the concept designs finalised for the upgrade at Seven Hills High School and that we can provide the best for our teachers and students,” Mr Taylor said.
Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest said he was pleased the NSW Government is delivering this important upgrade for the Tweed Heads community.
“Tweed Heads is a growing regional centre, and investments in educational facilities that build skills in the areas of construction, hospitality, primary industries and business will further build the capability and strength of this region while supporting economic growth,” Mr Provest said.
The NSW Government is investing $7 billion over four years, continuing its program to deliver more than 200 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.

The NSW Government’s Defence Innovation Network (NSW DIN) is funding a world leading technology project for civilian and military intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) applications.
The $850,000 initiative is being funded by the NSW Government, through Investment NSW, and the Commonwealth’s Next Generation Technology Fund.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the project was an example of critical cyber infrastructure that will lead to job creation opportunities.
“This will lead to greater collaboration between the NSW defence industry and industry experts to commercialise the next generation of cyber technologies for Defence,” Mr Ayres said.
“The project has a variety of software applications to deliver highly reliable data analysis for defence, government, business, emergency and health services.”
NSW DIN Director Professor Bradley Williams said the initiative exemplified the DIN’s drive to accelerate the commercialisation of new technologies by connecting NSW industry and academics within high-priority projects.
“This ground-breaking project will have significant implications for both technical and economic sustainability of cyber infrastructure across Australia.”
NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, said the DIN was facilitating collaboration to provide world-class solutions for tomorrow’s problems.
“This innovative project will leverage untrusted and partially compromised distributed systems to provide timely and robust ISR solutions across civilian and military networks without propagating risks and vulnerabilities that would normally occur.”
NSW Defence Advocate Air Marshal (Ret) John Harvey AM PhD said the NSW DIN Strategic Investment Initiative is an excellent opportunity to connect defence and industry with the vast capabilities of NSW universities.
Further details about Investment NSW are available at www.investment.nsw.gov.au, and for Defence NSW at www.defence.nsw.gov.au.

The Service NSW app is the latest tool to be used in the NSW Government’s push to rollout the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly and as safely as possible.
From today people aged 40-49 will be able to register their interest for the vaccine directly on the Service NSW app, with other age groups to follow when it is their turn.
People who register will be contacted to book via email when appointments become available.
These invitations can be targeted by location depending on booking availability and supply of the vaccine in their local area.
Those aged 50 and over should visit nsw.gov.au to book their AstraZeneca vaccine now.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Service NSW app is used by five million people across NSW.
“The Service NSW app has been a game changer during the pandemic and will now play an important part in our vaccine rollout,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“It will now be even easier to register your interest for the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said this is another example of the NSW Government using technology to strengthen our state’s response to the pandemic.
“In a pandemic you need to respond with speed and accuracy and the Service NSW technology will bring millions of customers a step closer to receiving the vaccine,” Mr Dominello said.

The NSW Government today launched a new initiative for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), which will receive $24 million in funding over its first two years.
The establishment of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was the first Priority Action recommended in the Turning Ideas into Jobs – Accelerating Research & Development in NSW Action Plan, launched by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on 25 January 2021.
“The Action Plan stressed the increasing need to be proactive in supporting and attracting new businesses, especially in future industries that will sustain economic growth, productivity and employment,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The SBIR program will provide competitive grants for SMEs to find and commercialise innovative solutions to NSW Government agencies for five well-defined problems”.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier Gabrielle Upton MP encouraged business to get involved.
“The program will tackle important challenges including assisting vision-impaired customers navigate the public transport network, increasing the resilience of regional and remote communications networks, quantify the number and extent of koalas in NSW, reduce contamination in wastewater and reducing PPE waste in the health system,” Ms Upton said.
“The SBIR program will not only support NSW SMEs to develop innovative solutions to government challenges, but the challenges have been specifically chosen to ensure that the successful SMEs can also sell their solutions to other customers in local and international markets.”
David Gonski AC, Chair of the Advisory Council of eminent leaders who guided the NSW Action Plan, welcomed the SBIR program launch.
“The impact of COVID-19 on economic growth and job creation makes the task to commercialise more R&D an urgent one,” Mr Gonski said.
“Rapidly translating ideas into new products and services will be integral to our recovery from the pandemic.”
The NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said research and development was the key to delivering problem solving solutions.
“Like the Medical Devices Fund and Physical Sciences Fund, the SBIR program is an excellent example of the NSW Government’s commitment to leverage the capacity of SMEs’ NSW-based R&D to address the state’s most pressing problems and provide solutions which deliver a social, environmental, health or economic benefit,” Professor Durrant-Whyte said.
Further information including the guidelines and how to apply can be found here.

Construction on the new Sydney International Speedway has passed the half way point and is on track to be operational by the start of the 2021 racing season.
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance today inspected construction at the Eastern Creek site.
“This is an exciting and revolutionary addition to motorsport in Sydney which will bring in interstate and overseas competitors, crews and spectators, delivering a boost to our economy,” Mrs Ward said.
“Motorsport fans can look forward to more world-class motor racing in Western Sydney with the new speedway on track to be operational for the 2021 racing season.”
Mr Constance said the project was a win for the sport and for the local economy.
“The project is boosting investment with more than 325 workers onsite, 60 per cent of who are local to Greater Western Sydney. The project is also using the services of 58 local small to medium businesses, further spreading the benefits.”
Construction began in December last year and has included:

• Excavating 1 million tonnes of soil and rock at the site to support construction
• Constructing a 500m long reinforced retaining wall using almost a 1000 precast concrete panels and 40,000 tonnes of recycled sandstone from the WestConnex project
• Work on the construction of a 1,200,000 litre storm water retention tank. The tank’s capacity is the equivalent of 60 per cent of a standard Olympic-size swimming pool and is one of two water retention tanks being built for the project
• Construction of new dedicated car park for speedway competitors and an additional car park for dragway events also under construction.

The speedway circuit is also taking shape, while the grandstand, seating and corporate boxes will all be installed in the coming months.
Mrs Ward said investment in the new speedway comes on top of a $33 million upgrade of Sydney Motorsport Precinct which will enable the site to host some of the biggest motor racing events in Australia and provide a tourism and economic shot in the arm for Western Sydney.
“This is the first time in more than 20 years a Five Star speedway has been built in Australia with the last one being Perth Motorplex, which opened in 2000,” Mrs Ward said.
Greater Sydney Parklands is finalising the tender process to appoint the operator of the new speedway to prepare for the upcoming racing season.
The new speedway is expected to be operational by the start of the Speedway season in late September following the decommissioning of the previous speedway at Clyde, which was on land required to stable new metro trains for the mega Sydney Metro West project.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) are being encouraged to harness their future defence opportunities in NSW, with the launch of Adroita’s Partnering for Success white paper today at LAND FORCES 2021, the International Land Defence Exposition in Brisbane.
Veteran-owned defence and engineering consultancy, Adroita, is one of twenty-four NSW companies showcasing their products and services at the NSW stand. The launch of their Partnering for Success paper reinforces the need for companies to embrace change, leverage global markets and secure Defence opportunities for growth in NSW.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said the expo was an excellent opportunity for SMEs to connect with Government and senior partners in the defence industry.
“We want to bring together the Australian Defence Primes, SMEs and researchers to grow and strengthen our defence industry at every level and in doing so generate jobs for NSW,” Mr Ayres said.
Partnering for Success outlines the need for businesses to secure opportunities in Defence’s priority areas, such as shipbuilding, radar capability, information warfare, surveillance and intelligence, small arms, aerospace maintenance and complex systems integration.
Adroita CEO Sarah Pavillard said their core purpose was engineering success for sovereign capability.
“SMEs are the engine room of the Australian and the NSW economy, and there is much latent potential sitting in industry right now that is applicable to Defence – it just needs to be unlocked, and that can only occur through the right partnerships.”
Mr Ayres said the Government, through Investment NSW, was also providing $1 million to the Defence Innovation Network to seed collaborative projects between Defence Innovation Network universities and NSW SMEs that will lead to greater commercialisation.
LAND FORCES 2021 co-exhibitor DroneShield has previously received seed funding that supported their development of optical drone detection using deep learning and convolutional neural networks with the University of Technology Sydney.
DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornik said the project used recent improvements in computer vision, image processing and deep learning to develop an artificial intelligence based real-time optical drone detection system.
“The developed technology has been integrated into DroneShield’s counter-drone solutions and deployed at several high-profile customer sites around the world to detect, identify and track drones up to several kilometres away with the optical/thermal sensors.”
Further details about Investment NSW are available at www.investment.nsw.gov.au, and for Defence NSW at www.defence.nsw.gov.au.

Veterans and their partners will have access to free training to broaden their career opportunities and help transition to civilian life after service.
As part of the landmark Veterans Skills Program, eligible learners can study any course offered under the Government’s Smart and Skilled program from a Certificate II to Advanced Diplomas, including all apprenticeships and selected traineeships.
Veterans and their partners can choose between more than 450 Registered Training Organisations including NSW TAFE.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the free training was part of the NSW Government’s Veterans Strategy to support more than 200,000 former Australian Defence Force personnel across the State.
“The NSW Government understands it can be hard for some former Defence Force Personnel to navigate life and find work after their service,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We want to ensure our veterans enjoy a smooth transition from military service to civilian life, with opportunities to continue developing their skills and participate fully in society.”
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said Skills NSW was working with employers, industry and veterans groups to provide targeted training to assist veterans into jobs.
“A key area of the Veterans Strategy is Education and Employment, which aims to ensure our veterans find the right job or training post-service.
“In addition to our fee-free training for veterans, our NSW Veterans Employment Program has helped 1,094 veterans find new and meaningful roles in the public sector 18 months ahead of our target date.
“With fee-free training, we can now help even more veterans reskill in order to take advantage of jobs available in the market including in industries experiencing skills shortages.”
For more information on Veteran Skills, visit: https://education.nsw.gov.au/skills-nsw/veterans