Category: NSW News

A Metro rail line to the new Western Sydney Airport will be complete in time for the Airport’s opening in 2026 under the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said because of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s strong economic management more than $2 billion will be invested in the North South Rail Line over the next four years.
“We know the Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis are the future of Sydney and that is why we are making the investment now for construction on the rail line to begin in 2021,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The North South Rail Line will run from St Marys through to the Airport, connecting Sydney in a way that has never happened before.
“At the same time we are building the crucial road links and are investing $3.6 billion to build the new M12 motorway and upgrade existing roads including the Northern Road and Bringelly Road.
“The Aerotropolis will create 200,000 jobs and only the NSW Liberals & Nationals can be trusted to build the transport links needed to support this growing region.”
The development of a business case for the North South Rail line is already progressing.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said only the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has the track record to deliver the Metro rail line to the Airport from day one.
“During its time in office Labor promised 12 rail lines, but did not deliver a single one in full,” Mr Constance said.
“This Government has a track record of delivering. The Metro Northwest rail line is due to open within months, while tunnelling is underway on the Metro City & South West projects.”
The North South Rail line will link up with the existing Sydney Train T1 Western Line at St Marys and form the start of a future rail line across Sydney.
Stage 1 will run from St Marys Station through Western Sydney Airport to the new Aerotropolis – this will provide a convenient interchange with the existing Sydney Trains T1 Western Line.
The NSW Government will fund half of the cost of the line, with the remainder to be funded by the Commonwealth under the Western Sydney City deal.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will redevelop Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on a new site, to deliver comprehensive healthcare for south-western Sydney, including the latest in emergency medicine, surgical services and critical care.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this $1.3 billion investment was only possible because of the strong economic management of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
“We have a strong track record when it comes to delivering health infrastructure, having already built or upgraded more than 100 hospitals and other health facilities across the State, with another 100 on the way,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The redeveloped hospital will include enhanced emergency, critical care, medical and surgical services.  There will also be expanded and integrated ambulatory care services, including cancer treatment and community health services.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the redeveloped hospital would transform the delivery of healthcare in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs.
“We are committed to building new, and improving existing, hospitals and health facilities across the state. Since we were elected, the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has invested nearly $10 billion in health infrastructure with another $8 billion committed over the next four years,” Mr Hazzard said.
Planning for the project, along with early works construction, will commence during the next term of government.
Liberal candidate for East Hills Wendy Lindsay said the redeveloped hospital would increase capacity for local communities, ensuring people can get the care they need close to home.
“Only a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will ensure the local community gets a world-class hospital to meet its needs,” Ms Lindsay said.
In the immediate term, a $25 million expansion of the existing Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital emergency department is due be completed next year, to ensure the community is well served while the hospital is redeveloped.

Women will have greater choice around IVF services with the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government providing up to a $500 rebate for pre-IVF fertility testing and greater access to lower cost treatments.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the $42 million package was only possible because of the Government’s strong economic management.
“We will provide assistance with out-of-pocket medical expenses related to IVF pre-screening which is often an expensive and emotionally challenging experience for women,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Pre-screening tests can determine whether a woman is likely to experience a positive result through IVF.
“We will also make IVF an option for more women who previously may not have been able to afford it by expanding the number of NSW Government-supported IVF clinics,” Ms Berejiklian added.
Under the plan, the NSW Government will provide lower cost IVF treatments for around 6000 women through services at Royal Prince Alfred, The Royal Hospital for Women and Westmead hospitals.
Costs at Government-supported facilities are substantially less than many private facilities, which can charge up to $10,000 per cycle.
Mr Hazzard said thousands of women would benefit from greater access to lower-cost fertility services in NSW.
“Not knowing why you can’t fall pregnant is stressful enough without the added worry of how you are going to manage the ongoing cost of fertility treatment,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Needing to take time off work for treatment creates an even bigger financial burden for women trying to conceive, so our IVF package will offset some of those costs.”
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard also announced a partnership with UNSW for the first statewide fertility preservation service for young cancer patients at The Royal Hospital for Women.
“Using cutting edge research, technology and treatment, the service will help young cancer patients across the State have children in the future if their fertility is impacted by chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Felicity McLaren, who has had two babies born through IVF at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital who are now three-years and nine-months-old, welcomed the announcement.
“Anything that can relieve some of the cost burden of going through IVF is wonderful – particularly in the early stages of testing when you don’t even know if you can have a baby,” Ms McLaren said.
Fertility experts say about one in every 25 Australian babies are born following some form of assisted reproduction support.
Women undergoing IVF fertility testing will be able to claim their rebate through Service NSW. Medicare and private health insurance rebates are also available to couples and singles to subsidise the cost of IVF procedures.

The highly successful pinch point removal program will be expanded under the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to remove even more known bottlenecks and keep drivers moving on roads across the State.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey said the $450 million investment to remove 12 pinch points is only possible because of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s strong economic management.
“We are making this investment to keep our roads moving so drivers can spend less time sitting in traffic and more time doing what they need to or what they enjoy,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ease congestion, whether it is through proven methods such as eliminating pinch points or new technology such as drones.
“Congestion costs Sydney around $6 billion each year and this is a critical long-term investment in our future, which can only be made because we have worked hard to repair our economy and the budget.”
Mrs Pavey said $25 million will also be invested in drone technology and virtual messaging so more of the road network can be monitored in real time and incidents can be reported and cleared faster.
“New traffic technologies will decrease congestion and provide more efficient trips for drivers across the existing road network,” Mrs Pavey said.
Pinch Points to be upgraded include:

• Pennant Hills Road / Carlingford Road, Carlingford;
• Pennant Hills Road, between M2 Motorway and Woodstock Avenue, Carlingford (Southbound);
• Traffic lights at Intersection of Baker Street and Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford;
• Forest Road and Stoney Creek Road, Beverly Hills;
• Forest Road at Boundary Road and Bonds Road, Peakhurst;
• The Horsley Drive / Polding Street, Fairfield;
• Henry Lawson Drive at Rabaul Road and Haig Avenue, Georges Hall;
• Linden Street, between River Road and The Grand Parade, Sutherland;
• Cumberland Highway at Horsley Drive, Smithfield;
• The Horsley Drive at Nelson Street, Fairfield;
• Princes Highway at Bates Road, Kareela; and
• Victoria Road, West Ryde at the rail bridge between West Parade and Hermitage Road.

The people of NSW have a clear choice at the election.
A NSW Liberals & Nationals Government that is committed to building the state’s future and providing opportunity for all, or a Labor Party that wants to cut, cancel and cripple NSW.
The Leader of the Opposition isn’t good at telling the truth, but the one thing he says which you can believe is that he will cut infrastructure projects and increase taxes, which will cripple the economy, cost jobs and take NSW backwards.
The choice is clear – world class schools, hospitals, public transport, roads, cultural and sporting facilities – or a Labor Party that says NSW doesn’t deserve the best.
I want the best schools, the best hospitals, the best roads, the best public transport system – and the best stadiums. The people of NSW deserve nothing less.
Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I won’t settle for second best.
This is a return to type by the Labor Party – only Labor could be proud of going to an election with policies to cancel projects.
Labor wants to cancel the South West Metro, the F6 extension, Western Harbour Tunnel and we know they don’t support the M4 and M5 extensions.
The community will remember what NSW was like under Labor – NSW was last, the slowest economic growth, high unemployment and nothing being built.
This Government has worked hard to manage the budget and deliver a strong economy.
Good governments are able to do many things at once.
It has taken this Government to deliver metro rail to Sydney, extend the M4, duplicate the M5, build new schools and hospitals across the State in places like Campbelltown, Blacktown, Dubbo, Tamworth and Gosford.
When Labor was in government, they put them all in the too hard basket because they didn’t have the will or the funds. They don’t deserve another chance.
Of course Labor think it’s a choice between schools, hospitals or stadiums – because they were so incompetent they couldn’t manage the budget so they never had the opportunity to build like we have.
I’m proud to stand on our record of delivery for this state and a vision for making NSW the best it can be.

Gladys Berejiklian

A man has died, and another man is undergoing surgery following a physical altercation in the Hunter region overnight.
About 3.30am today (Friday 8 March 2019), officers from Newcastle City Police District were called to Donald Street, Hamilton, following reports two men were fighting in the street.
On arrival, police were told the men left the area in a vehicle, which was possibly being driven by a third man.
A short time later, officers attended a home unit on Cody Street, Hamilton South, where they located the body of a 51-year-old man.
They also located a 23-year-old man with serious head injuries.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he is undergoing surgery.
Crime scenes have been established at the home and on Donald Street, which are being examined by specialist forensic officers.
Local detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will invest a record $500 million over the next four years into non-government schools to help them build more classrooms and cater for growing enrolments.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian today announced the additional capital funding will be used by non-government schools in NSW so they can build, extend or upgrade their school facilities to provide more student places in growing communities.
“We have provided record funding for the public school system, and we are providing record support for the Catholic and independent school sectors as well,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This additional funding is only possible thanks to the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s strong economic management.
“Parents can always rely on a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to support them – whether they choose to send their children to the local public school, or a Catholic or independent school.”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said NSW’s Catholic and independent schools will share in $500 million from the NSW Government, which is more than double the amount Labor invested in non-government school infrastructure in their last four years.
“The Liberals & Nationals take strong financial management and turn it into better schools for your kids – that’s the difference. No empty slogans – we secure the funding and get then job done,” Mr Perrottet said.
Education Minister Rob Stokes said the increased investment will be delivered through grants under the Building Grants Assistance Scheme, which directs funding towards areas of greatest need. The scheme takes into account fees, demographics and socio-economic characteristics of the school.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals recognise that funding for school infrastructure should be consistent with a needs-based sector-blind approach to support the schools who need it the most,” Mr Stokes said.
“This record funding announcement will continue to ensure that every student in NSW continues to receive the best possible education, in the best facilities – no matter where they go to school.”
This year’s funding for Catholic and independent schools includes St Francis Catholic College in Edmondson Park ($3.6 million); Australian Christian College – Marsden Park in Riverstone ($950,000); Nowra Christian School in Nowra ($800,000) and St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee on the NSW South Coast ($300,000).
The increased funding for non-government schools is in addition to the NSW Government’s $6 billion investment over the next four years to deliver more than 170 new and upgraded public schools across the State. This is the largest investment in public school infrastructure by any state government in Australian history.
As part of the “Gonski” schools funding agreement, NSW was also the only State to provide an extra $712 million to public schools to complement the Commonwealth’s $1.2 billion Choice and Affordability Fund.

Children needing specialist care will benefit from an extra $619 million for further upgrades to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, bringing the total investment in the world-class health precinct to $1.6 billion.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the additional investment will fund Stage 2 of the hospital’s redevelopment and comes on top of the $1 billion transformation of Westmead, the State’s flagship health, education and research precinct.
“This significant expansion to paediatric health services in Western Sydney will ensure The Children’s Hospital at Westmead continues to be a world leader in providing care for sick children right across the state,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This is a massive expansion to paediatric health services for NSW, made possible due to the Liberals & Nationals’ strong economic management of this state.”
This additional $619 million investment is estimated to create 6190 direct and indirect jobs during construction, further growing our economy.
Today’s announcement follows a commitment by the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to recruit an additional 8300 frontline hospital staff, including 5000 nurses and midwives.
The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is also building a $608 million Comprehensive Children’s Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick as part of a rebuild of the hospital, which will include a new emergency department.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the further investment for Stage 2 will greatly increase capacity at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
“This significant additional funding will deliver both new and expanded health services for our state’s sickest children, including intensive care, cancer services and mental health care services,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The NSW Government is transforming hospitals and health facilities right across the State in a record building boom, to ensure patients continue to receive world-class care.
“The Liberals & Nationals have invested nearly $10 billion in health infrastructure since 2011 and have committed more than $8 billion in the next term.”
The Stage 2 redevelopment will include a new Paediatric Services Building (PSB) and refurbishment of the existing facilities, including:

• Operating Theatres
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Paediatric Intensive Care Unit
• Cancer Services
• Pharmacy Department
• Expansion of Pathology services
• Mental Health inpatient and ambulatory care
• Car parking

The Westmead precinct includes Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Cumberland Hospital and Westmead Private Hospital, together with a number of world-leading medical research institutes, two university campuses and the largest research-intensive pathology service in NSW.
This investment follows the NSW Government’s funding of $95 million for Stage 1 of the redevelopment of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead currently underway.
Stage 1 includes a new children’s Emergency Department and paediatric short stay units, and additional pharmacy and medical imaging facilities within the Westmead Precinct Central Acute Services Building.
“As the population of Western Sydney continues to grow, the NSW State Government will ensure the health needs of this growing community are met both now and into the future,” Mr Hazzard said.
Early construction works on Stage 2 are expected to commence in 2020.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will invest another $960 million upgrading more of the Princes Highway – making the road safer and bringing new jobs and investment to the South Coast.
In the next term of government, the NSW Liberals & Nationals will:

• Duplicate sections of the Princes Highway from Jervis Bay Road to Sussex Inlet Road;
• Build the Moruya Bypass; and
• Start detailed planning work for the Milton and Ulladulla Bypass and upgrades for the Princes Highway from Burrill Lake to Batemans Bay.

The NSW Government already has $1.5 billion of work underway on the Princes Highway and today’s announcement will increase that total to more than $2.4 billion.
“Only the NSW Liberals & Nationals can deliver this type of major investment for the South Coast, thanks to our careful handling of the economy and the budget,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Upgrading the Princes Highway will improve safety, improve journey times and more efficient freighting will further boost our already strong state economy.”
The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has already made massive investments in upgrading the Princes Highway between Wollongong and Nowra.
Upgrades have been completed at Gerringong, and the Foxground and Berry Bypass has recently opened – both projects Labor promised in government, and failed to deliver.
A further $1.5 billion of work is proceeding now, including the Albion Park Rail Bypass, the Berry to Bomaderry Upgrade and Nowra Bridge project.
As well as improving safety for ordinary motorists, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the upgrade work will improve freight times.
“Upgrading the Princes Highway will be a major driver of economic development,” Mr Constance said.
“We are already delivering major road upgrades for the South Coast and our work in the next term of Government will continue those major investments.”
Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey said the program of works will also generate tens of thousands of jobs, primarily in construction and engineering but also will boost local economies by providing opportunities for suppliers and services that will be required to support such an enormous enterprise.
“The successful training hub program in place as part of the Berry to Bomaderry Princes Highway upgrade will be replicated right along the NSW South Coast, providing locals with priceless jobs and training opportunities that will transform communities for generations to come,” Ms Pavey said.
Ultimately, the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is committed to duplicating the entire Princes Highway between Nowra and the Victorian border.
It is expected the investment will be more than $15 billion across the next 20 years to upgrade the Princes Highway.
Between July 2012 and June 2017 there were 1494 crashes on the Princes Highway from Jervis Bay Road to the Victorian Border, resulting in 30 fatalities and 350 serious injuries.
Between December 2017 and June 2018, eight more people lost their lives on the Princes Highway south of Nowra.
The steady reduction in deaths on the Pacific Highway in the 20 years since the full duplication project started provided a strong case for similar work on the Princes Highway.
“This commitment is the result of the strong advocacy and persistence of South Coast MP Shelley Hancock, Kiama MP Gareth Ward and Bega MP Andrew Constance,” Mrs Pavey added.
“This program is on top of our record investment in highways across the state including the Pacific Motorway, the Newell Highway, the Kings Highway – we’re building them all.”