Category: NSW News

More people will be allowed to gather both at home and in outdoor public spaces, and smaller hospitality venues can increase their capacity under a major easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the people of NSW have demonstrated that by working together and following COVID-Safe protocols restrictions can safely be eased.
“The community has done an incredible job this year under trying circumstances,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I hope these changes provide a boost to the hospitality industry and give people certainty in how they can celebrate safely with family, friends and colleagues over the Christmas and New Year period.”
From Tuesday, 1 December:

• Up to 50 people (currently 20) can visit a residence as long as an outdoor space is being utilised, however, it’s recommended no more than 30 people gather if the residence has no outdoor area.
• Up to 50 people can gather outdoors in a public space (currently 30).

• Small hospitality venues (up to 200 square metres in size) will be allowed to have one person per two square metres indoors.

From Monday, 14 December:

• The Public Health Order requiring employers to allow employees to work from home (where it is reasonably practicable to do so) will be repealed.

As employees return to the office, workplaces are encouraged to have COVID-Safe plans. Employers are encouraged to stagger staff starting and finishing times to reduce the impact on public transport. Customers using public transport are strongly encouraged to wear a mask.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the increased capacity at smaller hospitality venues would make a big difference to cafés and small restaurants across the State.
“We won’t let this be the COVID that stole Christmas. An increase for gatherings at home and a return of the 2m2 rule for smaller hospitality venues, I hope, will be welcome news across the State. We want the people of NSW to have a proper festive season, they deserve it,” Mr Barilaro said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the NSW Government has worked closely with the experts at NSW Health to ease restrictions safely for end of year celebrations.
“It’s important we work together to keep the community safe; so where possible gather together outdoors, get tested if you have any symptoms and if you are elderly or have underlying health issues you should be particularly cautious,” Mr Hazzard said.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said as we head into the festive season there would be more people moving around the community, which means it is vital people continue to come forward for testing.
“More people will be hosting gatherings in their homes, going out for lunches and dinners and socialising – so if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, however mild, please come forward for testing,” Dr Chant said.

More than 1,200 extra services will help keep customers COVID safe across the Sydney transport network, as people continue to return to the CBD and move around this summer.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the new summer timetable will kick off from December 1, and will allow more people to get to popular public places like shopping centres and beaches.
“More than 1,000 bus services will be added to the 3,300 extra services we added during the COVID pandemic, to help commuters enjoy all the city and surrounds have to offer this summer,” Mr Constance said.
“900 of the weekly services will be added on Friday and Saturday nights to help support Sydney’s night time economy, which is still recovering from the COVID crisis.
“An extra 236 weekend services will run to Bondi, Coogee and Manly beaches, while ferry frequency will also increase to meet current physical distancing requirements.”
Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said hundreds of extra staff will be retained for the summer to help customers move safely around the network.
“We are continuing to do everything we can to support customers travelling on the public transport network, with increased cleaning, green physical distancing dots, and additional staff all still in place,” Mr Collins said.
“I thank all the commuters and businesses who have worked with us from day one and continue to work with us to keep services safe and moving.”
Breakdown of the extra summer services:

• 600 weekly night bus services between 9pm and 1am on Friday and Saturday.
• 300 weekly Nightrider services from midnight to 4.30am on Friday and Saturday.
• 236 extra weekend services will run to Bondi, Coogee and Manly beach.
• 70 weekly light rail services on the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford Lines from 7pm on Wednesday to Sunday.
• Manly Ferry Service uplifted from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes during the day until 6pm.

More than 170 planning rules, policies and guidelines have been ripped up to simplify the planning system, speed up assessments and boost productivity as part of the NSW Government’s agenda to reform the system.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said repealing the 156 planning circulars, 16 referral requirements and two ministerial directions will make the system more efficient without compromising standards.
“We are bonfiring a lot of our regulations which will make the planning system easier to navigate,” Mr Stokes said.
“The removal of redundant or duplicated policies, guidelines and rules will also reduce backlogs and bottlenecks and cut costs for applications.
“Over the next three years, we aim to slash the number of cases we refer to other government departments by 25 per cent to reduce assessment times and simplify the planning system.”
Planning rules, guidelines and policies removed from the system include:

• 156 out of 203 (77 per cent) planning circulars spanning more than 15 years that are redundant, outdated or superseded;
• 16 planning referral requirements;
• Two ministerial directions relating to the defunct strategic plan for Greater Sydney and home occupations that have been superceded or made redundant by newer plans and policies.

Mr Stokes said the NSW Government’s Planning Reform Action Plan is a clear message that NSW is open for business and a great place to invest.
“The planning system is a vital economic lever to boost productivity and help drive the nation’s economic recovery,” he said.
“We have  $570 million allocated over the next four years to create a more timely, certain and transparent planning system as part of our sweeping reforms.”

The NSW Government has today released a strategic statement outlining its ongoing support for the domestic gas industry, as a driver of new jobs and industry opportunities in regional NSW.
The release of the Strategic Opportunities for Gas in Regional NSW statement coincides with the government’s commitment to investigate a potential Narrabri Special Activation Precinct (SAP), which would streamline planning processes, create new jobs and fuel regional economic development.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said with the recent Independent Planning Commission’s approval of the Narrabri Gas Project and investment around the Narrabri Inland Port, now is the right time to investigate a Narrabri precinct.
“Today we are releasing the NSW Government’s statement of support for the future growth of the gas industry, backing investments like the Narrabri Gas Project that will provide a $3.6 billion economic boost and create around 1,500 new jobs,” Mr Barilaro said.
“This gas project opens up a wide range of industry growth opportunities in manufacturing everything from plastics to fertiliser and construction materials.
“This is great news for the local economy, and it is why the Government will now start investigating a potential Special Activation Precinct in Narrabri.
“We want to create a thriving energy hub in Narrabri focused on value-added production and manufacturing to power long-term job opportunities across the region.”
The NSW Government will work closely with Narrabri Shire Council and local stakeholders on its investigations into a potential Narrabri precinct.
Narrabri Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ron Campbell, said the Narrabri Gas Project gives the potential Narrabri precinct a clear point of difference.
“This commitment is a great win for our region – a Special Activation Precinct would give potential investors confidence to commit to Narrabri and be innovative with the opportunities available here to do business with the world,” Cr Campbell said.
The NSW Government’s Strategic Opportunities for Gas in Regional NSW statement outlines the government’s support for the domestic gas industry, with a comprehensive Future of Gas Strategy to be delivered in 2021.
Gas statement: https://www.nsw.gov.au/gas-statement
SAP page: https://www.nsw.gov.au/narrabrisap

Drivers in Sydney are today using the State’s first smart motorway on the M4, after it was switched on for a month long trial.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the $600 million M4 Smart Motorway project will provide safer and more reliable trips.
“Crews have been working hard since December 2017 to build the infrastructure needed for this amazing system, which will improve travel times for more than 150,000 vehicles using the M4 each day,” Mr Constance said.
“This morning we saw the overhead gantries activated between Penrith and Parramatta, with the rest of the new technology being switched on over the next month to allow drivers to get used to the changes.
“Journeys along the M4 will now look different so we really need drivers to be aware of the changed traffic conditions and are encouraging drivers to take extra care.”
Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said the new ramp signals and overhead gantries will improve traffic flow.
“This technology will ensure less stop-start traffic and sudden braking at some of the most congested points along the motorway,” Mr Collins said.
“Once all systems are switched on, they will talk to each other and automatically adjust to incidents without a manual operator intervening which is the way of the future.
“When the entire M4 Smart Motorway is operational, journey times along the M4 between Penrith and Parramatta are expected to be reduced by up to 15 minutes in the morning peak.”
The trial will run through to Sunday 13 December, with the M4 Smart Motorway on schedule to be fully activated later this year.

A Byron Bay restaurant has been issued with a $5,000 fine for an alleged breach of Ministerial Directions under the Public Health Act at the weekend.
As a part of ‘Operation Summer Safe 2020’ and ‘Operation Schoolies 2020’, licensing police from Northern Region conducted a deployment to Byron Bay between Saturday 21 and Monday 23 November, assessing venue compliance with regards to the Public Health Orders.
As a result of inquiries, police attended a restaurant on Jonson Street, where they observed more than the designated one person per four square metres inside the venue, over a two-day period.
Following further inquiries, police contacted the business owner yesterday (Monday 23 November 2020) and issued a $5,000 Penalty Infringement Notice for “Fail to comply with noticed direction in relation to Section 7/8/9 – COVID-19 – Corporation”.
Tweed/Byron Police District Commander, Superintendent Dave Roptell said as thousands of school leavers arrive in Byron this week, venues need to be aware of their responsibilities in maintaining a COVID-Safe environment.
“There are Year 12 students coming to Byron Bay from all across Australia, including Victoria, Queensland and Greater Sydney.
“Our specialised licensing police will continue to conduct business inspections and compliance checks throughout the entire ‘Schoolies’ and ‘Summer Safe’ operations, to ensure venues have their COVID-Safety plans up-to-date and are doing their bit to protect the Northern NSW community,” Supt Roptell said.
Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any ministerial direction or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

Police will issue four Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) following an alleged breach of Ministerial Directions under the Public Health Act in Sydney’s east overnight.
About 12.30am today (Sunday 22 November 2020), officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command, with assistance from the Central Metropolitan Operations Support Group (OSG), responded to reports of a loud party at Malabar Headland National Park.
On arrival, police observed at least 150 people inside a disused military bunker, before the group scattered and attempted to run from the area.
Officers spoke with the organisers, four men – aged 34, 28 and two aged 25 – who will all be issued $1000 PINs for fail to comply with noticed direction in relation to s 7/8/9 – COVID-19.
Eastern Beaches Police Area Commander, Detective Superintendent Rohan Cramsie, said police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches which may impact on the health and safety of the community.
“It is the responsibility of everyone in this state to follow the rules and keep our community safe from further exposure to COVID-19,” Det Supt Cramsie said.
“Not only are events like this illegal, this particular party was extremely dangerous for partygoers and emergency service personnel due to the location and terrain.
“With summer and the Christmas season approaching, we urge the community to listen to the advice of our health professionals to keep our family and friends safe and well,” Det Supt Cramsie said.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related Public Health Order is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

The NSW Police Force will re-open the NSW/Victorian border at midnight tonight, following an unprecedented four-month police operation that facilitated the movement of more than five million vehicles.
On Wednesday 8 July 2020, the Public Health (COVID-19 NSW and Victorian Border) Order 2020, under section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010, directed that no one could enter NSW from Victoria, unless they fulfilled specific exemption criteria.
Over the past four-and-a-half months, more than 14,000 police officers from across the state have travelled to various locations across the NSW/Victorian border in support of the operation.
The high-visibility operation included General Duties officers from across NSW, as well as Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and other specialist units, such as the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and Dog Unit.
At the commencement of the operation, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller APM appointed Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte as the Operation Commander and Superintendent Paul Smith as the Forward Commander.
Police were assisted by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), with 1200 personnel from all three services – Army, Navy and Air Force – deployed from Thursday 9 July 2020 to Friday 30 October 2020.
The operation also benefited from the assistance of other NSW Government agencies, including Transport for NSW, and other law enforcement jurisdictions, including Victoria Police.
During the operation, police and ADF members manned 27 border checkpoints within five Police Districts across both Southern and Western Region.
More than 100,000 police shifts were completed, with an average of 500 police officers manning checkpoints along the border each day.
More than 80 per cent of vehicle movements were undertaken by local residents within border towns.
However, seventeen Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) and seven charges were laid in relation to border control directions during the operation.
Almost 800 traffic infringements were issued, and more than 70 charges were laid for a range of offences, including drug supply, weapon possession and drink driving.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the government has been focused on responding to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic since the start of this crisis.
“All of the public health orders have been consistent with our commitment to keep the people of NSW and particularly our border communities safe,” Mr Elliott said.
“The border closures have been an extraordinarily difficult decision to make, but I cannot commend highly enough the dedication and professionalism of both NSW Police officers and our Australian Defence Force officers who have implemented the operational responses to limit the spread of the virus between NSW and its surrounding states.”
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller said the operation had undoubtedly saved lives, by preventing the spread of COVID-19 into NSW.
“From day one we said this would be a dynamic operation, and I am proud of the job our officers, in partnership with ADF members, have done in protecting the people of this state,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“Some have travelled long distances to be here, often for weeks at a time in difficult conditions, manning dozens of checkpoints, while acting in line with the health advice and making sure our community is protected.
“Today marks a new chapter in our fight against COVID-19, but I want to be clear – police will continue to enforce all public health orders as this pandemic evolves.”
Superintendent Paul Smith said the support of local communities from the coast to the South Australian border throughout the operation had been a major contributing factor to its success.
“I would like to extend my thanks to those border communities who were patient and complied with our directions over the past four months,” Superintendent Smith said.
“Police worked closely with local Members of Parliament and the mayors of border communities to minimise disruption to everyday lives.
“Not only was the community’s patience appreciated, but many of our officers have reported stories of their generosity, kindness and gratitude – which will not be forgotten.”
Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any public health order, or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

The 2020-21 NSW Budget could bring the great Australian dream of owning your own home one step closer to reality for thousands of people, with a public consultation process commencing to seek the community’s view on tax reform to reduce the upfront costs for buyers.
The community will be asked if they want the stamp duty system overhauled to allow buyers to opt out of stamp duty and instead choose a smaller annual property tax.
Stamp duty is one of the biggest financial barriers to home ownership.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the current stamp duty system was centuries old and in need of an overhaul to give NSW residents a modern tax system.
“This is the single most important economic reform we can tackle to turn the Australian dream into NSW’s reality,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This is a reform proposal for NSW where more people can own their home and have more freedom to choose the right property for their family at every stage of life.
“This is a vision for every person and family in NSW – from first home buyers trying to get a foot on the property ladder, to frontline workers moving to service our regional communities, and retirees who are ready to downsize.
“The NSW Government will work with people and communities to shape any reform over the coming months to ensure it is tailor-made for the current and future needs of our State.”
The consultation process will kickstart with a proposed model that would:

• Give people purchasing a property the choice between paying stamp duty upfront or opting for the smaller annual property tax;
• Enable people who opt-in to the system to also eliminate any land tax liability;
• Ensure that the current property owners who are not buying or selling are not affected;
• Replace the current stamp duty concessions provided to first home buyers with a new grant; and
• The proposed model includes a property tax rate that would support and incentivise home ownership with a lower rate for owner-occupiers and higher rates for investors and commercial properties.

Mr Perrottet said the model proposed could bring tens of thousands of dollars of relief to the average home buyer and turbocharge economic growth.
“This model may inject more than $11 billion into the NSW economy in the first four years and boost NSW Gross State Product by 1.7 per cent over the long term,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Reform of the inefficient stamp duty system could also create and support thousands of jobs to boost the economy and kick-start our recovery for a prosperous, post-pandemic NSW.”
The reform could be set in motion in the second half of 2021 after seeking community feedback over the coming months.
To find out more and have your say on the proposed model, visit: treasury.nsw.gov.au/property-tax-proposal.

The NSW Government is investing almost $7 billion, as part of the 2020-21 NSW Budget, to help people across the State break the cycle of disadvantage.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the Budget reinforced the Government’s commitment to early intervention services and evidence-based programs, which have proven to deliver great outcomes.
“This Budget doubles-down on the work we are doing to address longstanding social challenges in homelessness, child protection and youth justice,” Mr Ward said.
“This Budget also aims to prevent and respond to the ongoing pressures of the pandemic, by investing in support for the most vulnerable people in our community.
“These are essential investments to deliver quality services for those most in need.”
The NSW Government will invest $29 million over two years to expand the Together Home initiative, to help rough sleepers into secure housing and break the cycle of homelessness. This expansion of Together Home is on top of $1.1 billion over four years for specialist homelessness services.
This year, NSW will invest $3.5 billion in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, enabling people living with disability in NSW to receive the best possible support.
Reinforcing the NSW Government’s commitment to supporting all people with disability, the Budget commits more than $112 million over four years to fund disability advocacy programs and inclusion services.
A further $17 million will be invested to boost jobs in the rapidly growing disability support sector, to ensure service providers can attract and upskill staff.
Investment in evidence-based early intervention services is the cornerstone of support for vulnerable children and families in this year’s Budget, with a total of $1.4 billion in 2020-21 to support the safety and welfare of vulnerable children, which includes initiatives to help drive down the number of children entering out-of-home care.
The Budget also includes more than $14 million over four years to continue the Government’s reform of the youth justice system, with investments to strengthen security and infrastructure in the State’s six centres.
Another $8.6 million will be invested in early intervention programs that help reduce youth crime and divert young people away from the criminal justice system.