Category: NSW News

A select committee on mental health and suicide prevention has been established to consider a range of strategic reviews of the current mental health system, and whether the recommendations are fit for purpose to address the fallout from bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chair of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Dr Fiona Martin MP said, “While the bushfires were catastrophic, it was the emergence of COVID-19 that has changed everything.”
“Over the last year, COVID-19 has had a significant effect on the mental health of many Australians through increased isolation, job loss and financial stress. In addition, there has been a reduction in access to face-to-face mental health services, with many changing to telephone support models, while crisis organisations and suicide prevention services experience higher demand. However, it has also seen innovation prioritised and communities rally to support one another.”
The Committee will begin the inquiry by reviewing the findings of the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Mental Health, the Report of the National Suicide Prevention Officer, the Victorian Royal Commission and the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy. It will then turn its attention to the experiences and successes of mental health and suicide prevention stakeholders, from grassroots services through to international initiatives.
The Committee is accepting written submissions addressing one or more of the terms of reference and invites individuals and organisations to share their views with the Committee. The closing date for submissions is 24 March 2021. A guide to making a submission can be found on the website.
The Committee will also hold hearings as part of this inquiry so that it can hear from people who have relevant experience or expertise. The dates and locations for the Committee’s hearings will be published on the inquiry website.
The Committee is unable to intervene or provide advice in relation to individual circumstances. If you are in immediate danger, please contact 000. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact one of the services below:
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467
Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
BeyondBlue 1300 224 636
eheadspace 1800 650 890

Netball NSW is delighted to announce that Tain Drinkwater has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer.
A highly experienced and respected sports administrator, Drinkwater will join Netball NSW from the Brisbane Broncos where she has been a senior member of the club’s Executive Team for the past five years as General Manager of HR, Risk & Compliance as well as head of the club’s National Rugby League Women’s Program.
A Newcastle native, Drinkwater played a key leadership role in the design and delivery of the inaugural NRLW competition and helped secure three consecutive Women’s Premiership titles for the Broncos, expanding the financial and commercial portfolio of the club in the process.
Prior to the Broncos the 43-year-old held senior and executive management roles in the Australian mining industry for 16 years, leading major operational and business transformation projects in remote and regional communities.
Hailing from a passionate netball family, Drinkwater is no stranger to the game. She played representative netball for both Westlakes and Charlestown while her father is also a successful NSW State Titles coach.
Drinkwater said she was excited to be returning to the sport and outlined some of her vision: “I am energised by the opportunity to build on the all-important foundation of community netball and perpetuate the on-court success of both the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball into financial self-sustainability.
“By enhancing the commercial footprint of our professional clubs, we can bring our elite players and coaches the recognition and reward they deserve which will place Netball NSW in a strong position to offer our grassroots and volunteers even more support to continue to thrive.
“I can’t wait to be a part of Netball NSW, a prestigious organisation with such a rich history across the state. I thank the Board for their confidence in me and feel privileged by the opportunity.”
Speaking on behalf of the Netball NSW Board, President Louise Sullivan congratulated Drinkwater on her appointment.
“We are delighted to have Tain join us as we look to bounce back stronger than ever from a COVID-interrupted 2020,” she said.
“Tain has a lifelong connection to netball and is deeply passionate about the sport with a sound understanding of the challenges associated with participation and facilities.
“Pre-COVID-19 we had two consecutive record-breaking grassroots participation years above 115,000 and we are determined to get back to those levels and build on them.
“Tain has done wonderful things for the development of women’s rugby league and we are very happy to have secured her expertise as we look to not only consolidate netball’s place as the clear leader for women in sport, but also widen our horizons to ensure it is a game for all.
“She is a people-focused leader and strategic thinker who we are confident will bring together the many hard-working and valued stakeholders of netball in this state to reach our shared goals.”
Drinkwater’s appointment follows an extensive and thorough independent Executive search process. She will commence in her role in early April 2021.
ABOUT NETBALL NSW
Netball NSW is the peak state sporting organisation responsible for the governance, development, promotion and administration of netball throughout New South Wales and is affiliated to Netball Australia.
The proud home of the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball who compete in Suncorp Super Netball, Netball NSW also provides the framework for the state’s grassroots Clubs and Associations to enjoy the sport at all levels.
Netball is proudly the No.1 team sport for women and girls in both NSW and Australia, and Netball NSW aims to be innovative to retain this position state-wide and nationally, while also seeking to expand its reach.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet today released the 2020-21 Half-Yearly Review with the State’s recovery on track following the unprecedented economic shocks of 2020.
The steady reopening of the NSW economy, recent easing of domestic border restrictions, and the first COVID-19 vaccinations delivered this week, have all boosted confidence since the NSW Budget was handed down in November.
“We are starting to see both consumers and businesses returning to more normal patterns of behavior and this is helping drive economic activity,” Mr Perrottet said.
“More than 80 per cent of jobs lost in the peak of the pandemic have returned, and each new step we take in reopening the economy improves people’s lives and helps business which feeds through to the bottom line.”
The forecast deficit for 2020-21 had been revised down by $2.7 billion from $16 billion to $13.3 billion.
Mr Perrottet said while the forecasts were encouraging the economic impacts of COVID-19 would continue to be felt well into the future.
“The roll out of the vaccine this week has provided more good news, but there are still thousands of people who are out of work and businesses struggling,” Mr Perrottet said,
“Conditions remain challenging, and any improvements in the Budget will allow us to continue to invest in our record $107 billion infrastructure program and support more jobs.”
Mr Perrottet said reform remained on the agenda with consultation on possible changes to stamp duty ongoing, with community feedback open until mid-March.
“Stamp duty is one of the biggest barriers to home ownership and allowing people to buy and sell without a big upfront cost is a key reform proposal,” Mr Perrottet said.
Read the Half-Yearly Review here.
Find out about the proposed stamp duty reforms and have your say here. 

The $632 million Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment has reached a major construction milestone, with the 12-storey Clinical Services Building reaching its highest point.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard visited the new building and met with nursing graduates who are among 264 nursing and midwife graduates starting at hospitals across Sydney’s south-west next month.
“The new Clinical Services Building will be the centrepiece of the Campbelltown Hospital Redevelopment and will boost bed capacity across the hospital by more than 50 per cent,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Construction of the redevelopment is supporting around 700 direct jobs helping stimulate the economy, a key part of the State’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the redevelopment will also deliver a new maternity unit almost double in capacity, as well as significantly expanded cancer and mental health services.
“The NSW Government’s record investment in south-west and western Sydney public hospitals will ensure people living in the fastest growing region in our state will have access to state-of-the-art health services closer to home,” Mr Hazzard said.
“I’m also so pleased to welcome a total of 264 nurses and midwives to the South Western Sydney Local Health District in coming days and weeks, 51 of which will work at Campbelltown and Camden hospitals.”
The $632 million Stage 2 Campbelltown Hospital will include:

• New state-of-the-art digital operating theatres and procedure rooms;
• Dental and oral health department for the first time;
• Double the ICU bed capacity;
• Expanded cancer therapy centre;
• Almost double the number of maternity beds;
• New and expanded surgical services including interventional radiology; and
• Expanded specialist mental health services.

Member for Camden Peter Sidgreaves said the new hospital reflects the NSW Government’s commitment to meet the needs of the growing south-western Sydney community.
“This $632 million investment is a tremendous boost for health services in the region, ensuring we are well placed to welcome the 133,000-plus new residents expected to call our south-western community home in the next 12 years,” Mr Sidgreaves said.
Member for Wollondilly Nathaniel Smith said the Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment is a huge win for the Macarthur Region.
“Top class healthcare services, a strong economy and jobs growth are vital for our Macarthur region community to flourish as it grows, and the Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment is delivering on all counts,” Mr Smith said.
The $134 million Stage 1 redevelopment was completed in January 2016. An additional $34.1 million was invested for a multistorey car park completed in early 2020, providing more than 800 spaces.

Economic indicators are proving that the post-coronavirus recovery is well under way in NSW
CONFIDENCE is an enigma, a way of being rather than an emotion. US quarterback and seven-time Superbowl champ Tom Brady exudes it in spades.
Despite falling short at the Australian Open last week, tennis star Ash Barty is the living embodiment of “quiet confidence”.
For much of his career, golfing great Greg Norman was confidence personified, but when it evaporated, as it did a quarter of a century ago at the 1996 US Masters, the Shark’s implosion and loss of confidence was tragic to behold.
So it was in 2020, with COVID-19 leaving the global economy out in the cold, like a rejected suitor left holding a bunch of roses on Valentine’s Day.
For consumers and businesses, the shock of lockdowns, border restrictions and ongoing uncertainty was a disaster for confidence.
As the horrors of 2020 begin to recede in the rear-view mirror, NSW looks to be on the up-andup once again.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index climbed 3.5 per cent in February to reach 111.7 index points. When compared to the same time last year, the index has climbed 20 per cent in NSW.
The NAB business confidence index is also firmly positive, after the pandemic drove it down to the lowest levels since records began.
This is extraordinary. Barely eight months after the most severe economic contraction in three decades, confidence in economic conditions for the year ahead is higher than at any point in the past seven.
The latest jobs figures released last week offer more hope. Although 53,144 people are still out of work compared to a year ago, the current unemployment rate in NSW last week dropped to 6 per cent.
This is lower than the national rate of 6.4 per cent, and considerably below the double digit figures which were feared when the pandemic first struck.
Many challenges remain, and jobs is a top focus for the government, but a renewed sense of optimism is a testament to the indomitable spirit of the people of NSW.
Confidence is a vital driver of economic activity. So the rebound is good news for the bottom line, but it hasn’t just happened by chance.
Australia is among a select group of countries to have kept the spread of the COVID- 19 virus relatively under control. In Europe, the US and various other hot spots, daily new cases are still being counted in the thousands, while here we fret about one or two.
In NSW the prowess of our health system — and, most importantly, the amazing NSW Health personnel who have kept raising the bar for testing and contact tracing — has undoubtedly boosted confidence, demonstrating a consistent ability to contain outbreaks as they arise such as on the northern beaches at Christmas.
The approach taken by our government in tackling both the health and economic challenges has been very much geared towards giving the people of our state as much confidence as possible in the most uncertain period in living memory.
The impact of a snap five-day lockdown in Victoria was a stark reminder of the constant challenges of COVID and how far and wide decisions made by governments are felt.
Metung is a picturesque town in East Gippsland about 300km from Melbourne’s quarantine hotels. It was once a favoured bolt hole for country legend Slim Dusty back in the day.
When local publican David Strange was interviewed by Melbourne radio station 3AW, his frustration at being locked down again was palpable.
“We are going to have outbreaks of this thing for the next 12 months, I’m sure, and you can’t just say ‘The science says close the state’ and we close it,” he said.
Sky News reported that on day one of the Victorian lockdown, Lifeline received the third highest number of daily calls in its 60-year history.
The challenge for every government remains the need to balance the health response with the social and economic consequences with every decision we make.
That’s what is driving our approach and it’s an important factor in ensuring the people of NSW can face the future with optimism, determination and confidence.
Dominic Perrottet
NSW Treasurer.
 

Restrictions will be eased from 12.01am Friday, 26 February across Greater Sydney and NSW:
 

• 50 visitors will now be allowed in the home;
• 30 people allowed to dance at weddings, with rotation on and off the dance floor;
• Increased class limits for gyms to 50 people (currently 30) subject to the 4sqm rule;
• Number of performers singing indoors increased to 30 (currently 5) subject to physical distancing requirements;
• Singing by congregants allowed in places of worship if masks are worn and subject to one person per 4sqm (currently no congregant singing allowed, with one per 2sqm permitted in places of worship);
• Increase capacity for cinemas to 100 per cent; and
• If current trends continue, drinking while standing up at indoor venues will be allowed in three weeks’ time (from Wednesday, 17 March).

 
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the easing of restrictions was due to the support of the NSW community.
“With the rollout of the vaccine now underway, and no new locally acquired cases in NSW, we are able to make further changes towards a new ‘COVID normal’,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I thank the community for following the health advice to keep the virus at bay. However, we cannot become complacent.”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said today’s announcement was another step forward for NSW.
“Each time we are able to further ease restrictions it’s another shot of confidence for the NSW economy,” Mr Perrottet said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said NSW has come a long way since the virus arrived here and we should be proud of the position we are in.
“This week NSW started rolling out the vaccine across the state and now we are further easing restrictions, which is a fantastic achievement,” Mr Hazzard said.
Dr Chant said while household gathering restrictions have been eased, people are urged to remember COVID-19 can be transmitted more easily in crowded indoor settings.
“Don’t attend these types of events if you have COVID-19 symptoms – instead get tested immediately and self-isolate. If holding these gatherings, please use outdoor settings and well ventilated spaces where available and avoid overcrowding to reduce the risk of COVID transmission,” Dr Chant said.
For the latest information and COVID-19 testing sites please visit:
www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
 

Sydney’s busiest rail lines will benefit from hundreds of extra weekly services thanks to an additional $1 billion investment from the NSW Government.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the next wave of funding through the More Trains, More Services program will continue the rail revolution as part of the integration of Sydney Metro City & Southwest in 2024.
“$1 billion in funding ensures we’re future-proofing the existing rail network to keep pace with demand, but at the same time getting on with the job of building the next stages of Metro,” Mr Constance said.
“Moving Bankstown Line services to the new standalone metro system removes an existing bottleneck and frees up capacity to deliver more services on other lines where it’s needed.”
Key service improvements for customers as part of the program will include:

• More services for the T8 Airport Line, including an 80 per cent increase at the International, Domestic, Mascot and Green Square stations during the morning peak, as well as extra services from Revesby and Campbelltown in south west Sydney.
• A 30 per cent increase in peak services on the T4 Illawarra Line, with extra services from Cronulla, Waterfall and Hurstville, providing space to carry 6,000 more customers.
• More services on the T2 Inner West Line, with an extra four services in the morning peak hour providing space for more than 4,800 more customers.
• More services on the South Coast Line, meaning a service every 15 minutes instead of every 20 minutes in the peak, and a service every 30 minutes instead of every hour between Wollongong and the Sydney CBD in the off peak.

Key infrastructure upgrades and additional train fleet will also be delivered to enable the service improvements across the network. Further information about these two aspects are still being finalised as part of the full program of work.
The additional funding will build on improvements already planned across parts of the train network, providing more space for tens of thousands of train customers.
The extra rail services form part of the NSW Government’s $5.3 billion More Trains, More Services program that will deliver further improvements progressively from 2022.

The new Batemans Bay Bridge over the Clyde River will open to two lanes of traffic in late March, months ahead of schedule.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the early completion of the bridge was a win for the Batemans Bay community.
“Travelling to and accessing the beautiful South Coast is about to improve, providing an economic boost to our communities, and delivering a much-needed new link for the entire region,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Previously, the new bridge was expected to open by the middle of the year but the project has powered ahead despite the impacts of bushfires and COVID-19.
“The project has employed around 1,000 people so far and nearly half of them are local to this area.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole welcomed the early bridge opening saying it was another demonstration of the NSW Government’s commitment to safer and stronger regions that the work to complete the bridge was able to be accelerated ensuring it could open to traffic before the holidays.
“The benefits of the new bridge include fewer supports in the river, safer navigation and better connections in and around Batemans Bay for motorists, freight, river users, pedestrians and cyclists,” Mr Toole said.
“The two lanes on the western side of the $274 million project will be the first to open, operating initially with one lane in each direction.”
Member for Bega Andrew Constance said the project has created a safer and more efficient crossing over the Clyde River, particularly for emergency services.
“To be ahead of schedule and have the bridge open to traffic for the Easter school holidays is fantastic news for visitors and locals,” Mr Constance said.
“One of the real dividends of this bridge project is that the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Skills Legacy Program has provided improved opportunities for groups typically under-represented in construction. Around nine per cent of workers are female, 14 per cent are under 25 and more than 15 per cent are Aboriginal.”
Princes Highway northbound traffic will move onto the new bridge first, followed by southbound traffic a few hours later and the three metre pedestrian and cyclist path a few days after that.
Removal of the existing bridge will start within three days of the new bridge opening to two lanes of traffic.
Ramps and steps are continuing to be built to connect the bridge to the foreshore and the existing pedestrian network, and new fishing and viewing platforms will provide better amenity for recreational fishing and views of the area when the project is complete.
Old Punt Road will be widened and connected with Wharf Road under the bridge in the next stage of the project to improve access to the northern foreshore, and the Kings and Princes highway intersection upgrades will improve traffic flow.
The new bridge height allows uninterrupted access for boats requiring up to 12 metres height clearance at Mean High Water Spring.
For more information about the new Batemans Bay Bridge project, go to https://nswroads.work/batemansbaybridge.

More businesses and customers will benefit from the State Government’s Dine & Discover NSW program, with the second phase of the pilot commencing in the Northern Beaches, Sydney CBD and Bega Valley from today.
The expanded pilot follows successful and continual testing of the technology in The Rocks and Broken Hill.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the stimulus will bring much needed relief to businesses hit hard by COVID-19 and last year’s bushfires.
“These communities have been brought to their knees due to the pandemic and bushfires, and the vouchers will deliver a boost for businesses and encourage customers to get out and about safely,” Mr Dominello said.
“It’s not too late for eligible businesses to register. It can be done online and could bring more customers through the door. Customers should also download the Service NSW app now and reap the rewards.”
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the findings from the pilots will inform the state wide rollout, which will be progressively rolled out from March.
“About 700 businesses in Bega Valley, the Northern Beaches and Sydney CBD will take part in the second phase of Dine & Discover NSW, and more than 125,000 NSW residents have been invited to participate,” Mr Tudehope said.
“This stimulus is exactly what businesses need with summer ending soon. It will also put extra money in the pockets of households.”
Every NSW resident aged 18 and over will soon be eligible for four $25 vouchers worth $100 in total, to spend in participating businesses.
Dine & Discover NSW vouchers will be divided into two categories:

• Two $25 vouchers to be used for eating in at restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs from Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays.
• Two $25 vouchers to be used for entertainment and recreation, including cultural institutions, live music, and arts venues, available 7 days a week, excluding public holidays.

The vouchers can only be used at eligible businesses that have implemented a COVID Safety Plan and are registered as COVID Safe.
For more information on Dine & Discover NSW, visit www.nsw.gov.au