Category: NSW News

After a year of exceptional challenges for our frontline agencies, 20 Police and Emergency Services personnel and volunteers have received awards today as part of the 2021 Australia Day Honours for their commitment and dedication to protecting the people of NSW.
The Australian Police Medal was awarded to eight members of the NSW Police Force, the Australian Fire Service Medal was awarded to seven volunteers from the NSW Rural Fire Service and three Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters, while two members of the NSW State Emergency Service and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association received the Emergency Services Medal.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott congratulated the men and women who have been honoured for their service.
“Over the past year we have seen exceptional heroism from our Police and Emergency Services who were on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic and the catastrophic bush fires,” Mr Elliott said.
“This is an opportunity to recognise those who have put their lives on the line to protect the community – and this honour is a reflection of our gratitude and thanks for their professionalism and selflessness.
“These recipients exemplify the resilience and mateship that are integral to our community.
“On behalf of the people of NSW, I’d like to thank our police officers, emergency services personnel and volunteers for their ongoing service, and reinforce the Government’s commitment to providing our frontline agencies with the resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
Australian Police Medal
Detective Superintendent Jonathan Andrew Beard, NSW Police Force
Inspector Gary John Coffey, NSW Police Force
Sergeant Lisa Marie Green, NSW Police Force
Chief Inspector Joseph Anthony McNulty, NSW Police Force
Sergeant Brett Raymond Samuel, NSW Police Force
Detective Superintendent Paul Andrew Smith, NSW Police Force
Chief Inspector Peter Francis Volf, NSW Police Force
Sergeant Scott David Weber, NSW Police Force
Australian Fire Services Medal
Group Captain Darren Breust, NSW Rural Fire Service
Inspector/Firefighter Guy Roland Duckworth, NSW Rural Fire Service
Group Captain Glen Vincent Howe, NSW Rural Fire Service
Captain Thomas John Marshall, NSW Rural Fire Service
Group Captain Kenneth Arthur Pullen, NSW Rural Fire Service
Captain Dennis Andrew Stannard, NSW Rural Fire Service
Captain Alice Joyce Strutt, NSW Rural Fire Service
Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell, Fire and Rescue NSW
Superintendent Norman Buckley, Fire and Rescue NSW
Captain John Dun, Fire and Rescue NSW
Emergency Services Medal
Matthew Chifley, NSW State Emergency Service
Glenn Hinton, NSW Volunteer Rescue Association
You can find a full list of the Australia Day Honours List here.

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor congratulates the 2021 Australian of the Year recipients, acknowledging their inspiring achievements and contribution to society.
For only the second time in the history of the awards, women have won all four Australian of the Year categories.
“These women have shown remarkable bravery in breaking down barriers to drive positive change and it’s fantastic that their achievements have now been recognized nationally.” Mrs Taylor said.
“These awards shine a light on the enormous efforts of women to make our communities a better place, whether it be in the city, regional or rural areas.”
Local Hero Rosemary Kariuki, of Oran Park in Sydney’s southwest, has worked tirelessly to help migrants fleeing domestic violence as well as helping migrant women to make social connections in their new home.
Australian of the Year Grace Tame, of Tasmania, is a sexual abuse survivor who has advocated for legal reform and raised public awareness about the impact of violence against women and girls.
Senior Australian of the Year Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM, of the Northern Territory, is an artist, activist, writer and public speaker who has devoted her energy to bridging the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal culture.
Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall, of South Australia, has used her business skills for social change by improving access to female hygiene products and improving education for women and girls in Sierra Leone and Uganda.
“Women are often quiet achievers, giving so much of themselves and asking for so little in return so it is wonderful to see these four women recognised for their significant contribution,” Mrs Taylor added.
“I congratulate the winners, finalists and nominees in the Australian of the Year Awards and thank them for their dedication to improving society and changing lives.”

A woman has been charged with domestic violence and assaulting police officers, following an incident in Sydney’s south-west yesterday.
About 5pm (Monday 25 January 2021), a woman allegedly drove her vehicle into another car at a shopping centre in Bradbury, causing extensive damage.
The woman then left her vehicle and removed the windscreen wipers from the other car, allegedly using them to assault the other driver, a woman who is known to her.
The woman then assaulted a man, also known to her, who was a passenger in the other car.
Responding to calls, officers attached to Campbelltown City Police Area Command attended the scene a short time later. The woman allegedly struck out at the officers, who eventually apprehended her.
The 49-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where she was charged with predatory driving, common assault (DV), armed with intent commit indictable offence, and assault police officer in execution of duty whilst occasioning actual bodily harm.
The Rosemeadow woman was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court today (Tuesday 26 January 2021).
No police officers were injured.

Research and development will become a key jobs creator in NSW as the Government launches a bold new plan to make the State an R&D world leader.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian today launched the Turning Ideas into Jobs – Accelerating Research & Development in NSW Action Plan.
The report, which was delivered to the Premier by her Parliamentary Secretary Gabrielle Upton, is the NSW Government’s first significant step towards reforming the R&D sector.
“The pandemic has reinforced to us the power of collaboration,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The private sector, academia and the NSW Government collaborated to unlock crucial supplies and to solve difficult problems on behalf of the people of NSW.
“We are now bottling that spirit of collaboration and applying it to how we support R&D across the State. This is only the start of the commitments we will be making to R&D.
“R&D will be a powerful jobs creator during our economic recovery. For every dollar invested in R&D there can be an economic benefit of 14 dollars in return.”
Ms Upton worked with an Advisory Council of eminent leaders chaired by David Gonski AC and undertook broad public consultation to finalise five priority actions.
The NSW Government has already committed $26 million from the NSW 2020/21 Budget to fund two of the priority actions in the report including launching a Small Business Innovation Research program and establishing an R&D matchmaking platform.
Ms Upton said the Advisory Council conducted extensive consultations with leaders in large, SME and start-up businesses, investors, educators, researchers and innovators across all sectors.
“Their message to our Government was 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 Upton said.
“In a post–COVID-19 world, this means that the NSW Government’s record  investments in ‘hard’ infrastructure such as roads and public transport needs to be complemented by strategic investment in ‘soft’ infrastructure – R&D, research translation and infrastructure – which drives these growing and emerging industries.”
Mr Gonski welcomed the report and thanked the wide range of people and organisations who contributed to it.
“This report comes at a critical time. The devastating impact of COVID-19 on investment in R&D and the downstream impacts on economic growth and job creation makes this task an urgent one,” Mr Gonski said.
“Decisive government action to attract and leverage investment, improve cross-sector collaboration and rapidly translate ideas into new products and services will be integral to our recovery from this crisis.”
NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said the Action Plan’s focus is on implementing its five Priority Actions in a coherent, integrated and sustainable way to accelerate the translation and commercialisation of research in NSW.
“Another crucial aspect is the recommendation of the launch of a program of NSW R&D Missions aimed at solving the state’s long-term strategic challenges in areas including bushfire response, drought resilience, health and the transition to renewable energy.”
The NSW push to turn ideas into jobs is already underway, with the homegrown AgTech pioneer, Agerris, developing robotic and AI technologies to increase on-farm operational productivity.
Agerris technology was partially supported by a $1.3m grant from the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer to develop and deploy an Agricultural Robotics STEM program.
Agerris can trace it origins to the world-class Australian Centre for Field Robotics based in Sydney and recently raised $6.5 million in new funding to commercialise its research. Agerris currently has 13 employees and is using these funds to build and scale their innovative robots here in NSW, providing high quality jobs.
Given the size of Australia’s agricultural sector, the opportunities for applying cutting edge technologies to increase productivity are huge.
To read more on the report and the five-point Action Plan, click here:https://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/accelerating-r&d

The youngest learners in NSW will benefit from additional educators, thanks to 40 scholarships awarded today to early childhood educators.
The 40 scholarships are worth up to $20,000 each, awarded under the 2020-21 Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program, making it easier for more people to commence or upgrade their qualifications to a bachelor degree in early childhood teaching.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the scholarships would help promising preschool and early childhood employees deepen their knowledge of early education.
“Education in the first years of a child’s life are some of the most important. They develop skills crucial to success in school and later life,” Ms Mitchell said.
“It also is an important time for the child’s health, educators and parents can pick up early signs of various conditions early.
“Our early childhood educators are key to this and these scholarships will help some of our best become even better.
“We recognise that these scholarship recipients will deepen their understanding of early childhood environments, and gain additional skills and capabilities which will be passed on to the children they teach.
“Congratulations to the scholars on their commitment to education, and I wish them every success in their studies and future careers as qualified early childhood teachers.”
Further details about the scholarships are available on the department’s website https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/working-in-early-childhood-education/professional-development-and-scholarships

The $16 million revamp of one of Taronga Zoo’s most popular native animal enclosures is one step closer with the NSW Government giving the project the green light, paving the way for a conservation and visitation boost.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said significant upgrade works to the Australia Precinct would include; a canopy walk from which to view koalas, extensions to the kangaroo and wallaby “walkthrough experience”, underwater viewing of platypus and improvements to the nocturnal exhibition.
“Taronga Zoo is one of Australia’s most iconic tourist destinations and this revamp will place greater emphasis on some of our nation’s most iconic animals,” Mr Stokes said.
“This development will inject $16 million into the State’s economy and create more than 800 construction jobs while helping to make Taronga Zoo a more attractive tourist destination.”
Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean said Taronga Zoo has been an important part of Sydney Harbour’s landscape and NSW’s critical conservation work since 1916.
“The Australia Precinct at Taronga is home to some of our Aussie icons including the koala, platypus and bilby,” Mr Kean said.
“The project will see new life breathed into parts of the precinct that are more than 30 years old, improving the visitor experience and encouraging more people to get out and learn about the conservation of our iconic Aussie animals.”
Member for North Shore Felicity Wilson said the zoo is one of the most popular public spaces in NSW and this funding is great news for the local community and visitors alike.
“Our community is so proud to have Taronga Zoo in our local area and a revitalised Australia Precinct means greater focus on giving visitors the opportunity to interact with animals that are unique to Australia,” Ms Wilson said.
Works on the precinct upgrade are set to kick-off in the coming months, with the project expected to be completed by 2023.

The Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade has received planning approval from the NSW Government, in a major step towards delivering the third road crossing of Sydney Harbour.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the mega-project includes a 6.5 kilometre tunnel, with three lanes in each direction, which will help slash travel times from North Sydney to Sydney Olympic Park by up to 20 minutes.
“The Western Harbour Tunnel will take pressure off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Anzac Bridge and Western Distributor corridors to revolutionise transport capacity in and around our city,” Mr Constance said.
“The new tunnel will start at the new Rozelle Interchange and head under the Harbour to the Warringah Freeway, and will integrate new and existing public transport connections.
“This city-shaping piece of infrastructure will deliver a vital boost to the NSW economy, with the tunnel and freeway upgrade, along with Beaches Link, expected to support around 15,000 full time equivalent jobs.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the project will transform the way people move across our harbour, with traffic volumes to be reduced on some of Sydney’s busiest roads.
“Planning approval means the NSW Government can get on with delivering the first stage, which is an upgrade to one of Sydney’s busiest and most complex road corridors, four kilometres of the Warringah Freeway,” Mr Stokes said.
“Community feedback on the project has been valuable in helping understand and deliver positive changes to the design and plan, and we will continue to work closely with local communities as the project gets underway.
“Conditions of the project include an investigation of more footpaths and cycleways in the area and a requirement that any trees removed need to be replaced at a ratio of two-to-one.”
A survey of local residents and businesses will be carried out in early 2021, to ensure the project team understands and can mitigate the impact of construction.
Following the procurement process and contract awards, construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2021.
The community is also being reminded to have its say on the Beaches Link Environmental Impact Statement which is on public exhibition until 1 March 2021.
For more information and to see the interactive portal, visit: nswroads.work/whtbl

The NSW Government will provide a record $51.7 million from its Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF) to maintain and upgrade Crown reserves and community facilities across the State.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said this year’s fund has received a $40 million stimulus boost to support communities impacted by bushfires and COVID with infrastructure improvements to support jobs and local economies.
“Last year the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund supported about 345 projects across NSW and this year’s stimulus boost will more than double the number of projects to 705,” Mrs Pavey said.
“The Crown Reserves Improvement Fund will support projects right across NSW which will contribute to the cultural, sporting and recreational life of hundreds of communities.
“It will support residents with quality open recreational space by maintaining and improving reserves and supporting bushfire, noxious weed and pest control to keep Crown land safe and functional and to protect the environment.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said CRIF projects include improvements to nature reserves, public halls, surf life-saving facilities, Scout and Girl Guide halls, showgrounds, caravan parks, amenities blocks, PCYC clubs, racecourses, playground equipment and more.
“Crown land is for the people of NSW to use and enjoy, and to support organisations at the heart of our communities,” Mr Stokes said.
“Across the State, Crown land provides space for local parks and nature reserves and a home for community organisations like showgrounds, surf life-saving clubs, Scouts, Girl Guides, RSPCA, PCYC, Rural Fire Service and SES groups.
“This record $51.7 million investment will protect and enhance Crown land while stimulating local economies with work for tradespeople.”
For more information visit: https://reservemanager.crownland.nsw.gov.au/funding/crif

Sports facilities across regional NSW will benefit from new and improved women’s change rooms and amenities thanks to $50 million in funding from the NSW Government’s $2 billion Regional Growth Fund.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Acting Minister for Sport Geoff Lee today announced that Round Four of the $100 million Stronger Country Communities Fund will have a regional sports focus, with up to $50 million to be made available for the delivery and enhancement of women’s sporting facilities, including change rooms.
Mr Barilaro said a lack of adequate facilities can be a barrier to female participation in sport and this funding will provide new and improved amenities to make it easier for girls and women to dominate on the field or courts.
“The NSW Nationals are building a safer and stronger regional NSW and these new facilities will increase participation and allow women and girls to receive the social and health benefits associated with sport,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Women have been flying the flag for Australian sport with our international teams achieving incredible status on the world platform, and many of these athletes come from regional communities.
“Too many women participating in local soccer, AFL, rugby or cricket matches in rural and regional locations don’t have access to suitable changing facilities so the NSW Government has committed this funding to level the playing field.
“Access to designated female change rooms will be of huge benefit to our future Matildas, Opals, Hockeyroos, Jillaroos and Wallaroos, as well as local athletes.”
Mr Lee said the provision of new and improved female change rooms is a step that will encourage more women to step out on the court or field.
“Some of Australia’s best sporting talents are women from regional NSW, and we want to see more females showcasing their talent at a grassroots level,” Mr Lee said.
“In many areas of regional NSW there is a shortage of female dedicated change facilities and amenities which can be off-putting, so this funding will be a huge win for women and girls who would have otherwise been deterred from playing sport.”
Minister for Women and Regional Youth Bronnie Taylor said women have been proudly stepping up to the plate, pitch or pool for years now and this next round of the Stronger Country Communities Fund will address a barrier for females when it comes to entering local and regional sport.
“I know this funding will be warmly welcomed by female athletes in regional communities who will now face one less barrier to taking up a sport,” Mrs Taylor said.
“Clubs and community sport provide friendship, fitness and a lot of fun and I’m delighted that this funding has been made available as a means of boosting participation in women’s sport.”
The remaining $50 million of the Stronger Country Communities Fund Round Four will be made available for further high quality community amenity and sports-related infrastructure projects to meet strong demand.
Applications for Round Four of the program will be open from 1 May. Guidelines and information about eligible applicants will be available on the Regional Growth Fund website in coming months.

A continuous green link connecting the Sydney Harbour foreshore is a step closer, with Callan Park set for a $14 million makeover under the new management of the Greater Sydney Parklands.
The new plans will see a missing link in the Bay Run fully pedestrianised and upgraded, the removal of two dilapidated buildings, new picnic areas, parks, accessible amenities, the protection of Indigenous cultural heritage and much more.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the major works represented a significant milestone for the new public parkland authority.
“Greater Sydney Parklands is the first body to have a Metropolitan-wide focus on the city’s green spaces, and these plans for Callan Park are the first step in our vision to connect Sydney’s stunning harbour foreshore with public parks and green links,” Mr Stokes said.
“These works will see a tricky section of the Bay Run fixed, meaning pedestrians and cyclists will no longer have to weave around motorists looking for parking in a space that will make better use of its prime position on the foreshore.
“We’re enhancing the best of Callan Park’s heritage while maximising public space to make this one of the true jewels in Sydney’s crown.
“I’d like to thank and acknowledge the Member for Balmain Jamie Parker, who has been a tireless advocate of Callan Park for more than 20 years.”
A development application for the first stage of improvements at the waterfront will be lodged in early March with work on site expected to begin later this year. The improvements will complement the $2 million upgrade to Waterfront Sports Ground undertaken by Inner West Council in 2019.
Greater Sydney Parklands will begin engagement on a Companion Animal Management Plan over the coming months to balance the needs of dog owners and other park users.