Students shine as HSC First in Course results awarded to the Class of 2023

Students, families and teachers will gather in Western Sydney to celebrate today as 128 students from 89 schools are awarded for achieving first or equal first place in a 2023 HSC course.

Among those top performers are 59 students from 37 NSW public schools, who achieved First in Course for HSC courses including Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies, Society and Culture, and English Extension 2.

The annual First in Course ceremony this year brings together a diverse group of students from areas including Orange and Albury in the state’s central west, Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern NSW, Wollongong in the Illawarra and Newcastle in the Hunter, and Sydney including Strathfield, Cabramatta, Liverpool, the Eastern Suburbs, Auburn, the North Shore and Campbelltown.

Some 136 awards will be handed out to 128 students from across the three sectors today, with six students topping more than one course and 28 students achieving equal first place, as the ceremony gets under way in Parramatta.

Five students have topped the state for an English course and 18 achieved first place positions for a Mathematics course, including 12 students who shared top marks in the state for Mathematics Standard 2.

Six students topped the state for Creative Arts courses including Music, Drama, Visual Arts or Dance and 10 received top results for Science courses including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental Science, and Science Extension.

Twelve students achieved top marks in vocational education courses, including Tourism, Travel and Events, and Automotive, Construction and Hospitality and Financial Services.

All Round Achievers, Top Achievers and Distinguished Achievers will be published on the NESA website at midday tomorrow.

All 67,234 students will receive their results by SMS, email and online from 6am tomorrow.

The community are welcome to join in and watch the First In course celebrations online via the NESA website from 1pm today.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“Congratulations to every HSC student who has excelled in 2023, achieving a First In Course mark.

“Our First in Course students should feel proud of the dedication they have shown and the skill they have displayed throughout this year.

“Reaching a First In Course mark is a fantastic achievement, and I hope all our students can take time to celebrate their work over the summer break.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“I am delighted to share in the excitement and congratulate not only those who have achieved First in Course in VET subjects, but all our graduating students who have completed a vocational course as part of their HSC.

“Celebrating these talented students reinforces Labor’s commitment to rebuilding our VET system to ensure it can deliver the skilled workforce we need for a prosperous future.

“I would encourage all students embarking on their post-school journey to explore the wealth of options available, including apprenticeships, traineeships and TAFE.”

CEO of the NSW Education Standards Authority Paul Martin said:

“Topping an HSC course is no small feat and one that deserves celebration.

“It brings me great pride and satisfaction to see young people excelling in such a diverse range of subjects – from English and Mathematics to Languages. Construction and Automotive – to Physics and Biology.

“The HSC has something for everyone to follow their passions and future goals – and you never know where that may take you.”

Minns Government to deliver safety, security and resilience for faith groups across NSW

The Minns Government is delivering on our commitment to protect our multifaith community. Faith groups can now apply for a share of $15 million to upgrade safety and security at their places of worship thanks to the NSW Government’s Safe Places for Faith Communities Grants Program.

Under the program, grants of between $5000 and $250,000 will be available for eligible groups to protect important sites where they gather, improve risk mitigation and build the social cohesion and resilience of faith groups.

Funding can be used anywhere in NSW at eligible faith-based centres including places of worship, seminaries, religious museums, religious community centres, religious retreats and places of religious significance, including shrines, faith-based cemeteries or memorials.

This program has been developed in collaboration with key government and faith stakeholders, as well as the NSW Community and Resilience and Response Plan (COMPLAN) Committee.

Successful grants recipients will also have the opportunity to join a Community of Practice to share knowledge with other faith groups and participate in workshops and information sessions aimed at fostering interfaith collaboration on community safety and wellbeing. 

Find further information about the Safe Places for Faith Communities Grants Program and to register for an Information Sessionlaunch.

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said:

“It’s important that all faith groups across NSW feel they can practice their beliefs in safe space. Especially during times of conflict, everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their place of worship.”

“NSW is the most successful multicultural and multifaith state in the world. This is a great point of pride, but it is also something that must be actively protected.”

“This program delivers on our election commitment to our multifaith community and has been designed to promote community wellbeing and resilience, as well as interfaith harmony and social cohesion.”

“We need to make sure that everyone, no matter their beliefs, feels safe in this state. We will continue to work with our multifaith communities to ensure this promise is felt.”

Phone power to the people – Liverpool Station leads the charge

The NSW Government is delivering on a key election promise, charging ahead with a new program delivering free, convenient phone chargers at Sydney train stations, with the first stand now switched on at Liverpool.

Designed and built in Sydney for Transport for NSW, the charging stands offer a mix of wireless, USB-A and UBC -C options, and can provide power to 7 devices at once.

The $1 million Power Spots Project will see the stands rolled out at 15 key transport hubs. The first has been unveiled and switched on at Liverpool Station, followed by Campbelltown later this week.

Power spots will be installed at Bankstown, Hurstville, Lidcombe, Penrith and Wynyard, while larger stations including Central, Town Hall and Bondi Junction will get 2 per site. All power spots will be up and running at 15 transport hubs across Sydney by late 2024.

Where possible, power spots will be installed outside ticketed areas to ensure they are accessible to anyone in the community 24/7.

Liverpool Station’s power spot is outside the pay gates on the concourse, opposite the entrance ramp to Bus Stands A to C. It is free to access and use for anyone who needs it, including people travelling to and from the nearby hospital, schools and TAFE.

Station staff have worked closely with the project team to choose sites across the network that have high foot traffic, are easy to find, well-lit and monitored by CCTV.

Electricity use at each power spot will be monitored and the data analysed to help understand the popularity of different wireless and USB charging solutions, and the average time people spend using them.

The Power Spots Program is funded through the Transport Access Program (TAP). Since the TAP started, the NSW Government has committed more than $2.2 billion to upgrades, with more than 520 projects either completed or currently underway across NSW.

Find out more about the Transport Access Programlaunch.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Our power spots are giving power to the people – providing peace of mind and a sense of security when they need it most.

“Sydney is a world-class city and it should have world-class public transport infrastructure, so I’m delighted to make people’s lives a little easier with this common-sense addition.

“We’re delivering on our key election promise for the people of NSW, with an investment we know will make life easier and safer for millions of public transport passengers.

“In the modern world, our phones are our lifelines. They act not only to keep us connected, but as our wallets, maps, travel passes, and staying informed and entertained, so this is a no-brainer.

“Initially there will be 18 power spots at 15 locations across the network, which offer fast, free, convenient charging that supports all types of phones, with the aim of increasing that number at more locations.”

Member for Liverpool Charishma Kaliyanda said:

“It’s great to see that the Minns Labor government is delivering for the people of Liverpool. Installing charging stations at train stations is a great common-sense policy.

“A powered-up mobile offers a real sense of safety and security for students, parents, and people riding on our trains at night.

“This is going to be especially convenient for all the students who travel to our local schools, our university campuses, our TAFE campus, and to the many people who use the train to get to Liverpool Hospital.”

Transport for NSW Executive Director Rachel Simpson said:

“A flat phone can leave you feeling stranded. So many of us feel anxious when our phones are running low and rush to make a call, asking someone to come and pick us up.

“Pulling up a map or public transport timetable in the palm of your hand can be the difference between confidently getting to your destination on time or not.

“If your device can charge wirelessly, you can simply roll up and power up, and there are USB-A as well as USB-C ports on offer for those who need a charging cable.”

Minns fails to stand up for NSW

New South Wales needs a Premier who will fight for it, rather than surrendering key decisions to Canberra.
 
Chris Minns has now repeatedly failed to stand up to the Albanese Labor Government, leaving the fate of our infrastructure projects and population growth up to the federal government.
 
We still don’t know the fate of major infrastructure projects across the state that have had their federal funding pulled by the Albanese Government, because Chris Minns has not told us if he plans to cancel them or will seek to find funding from other programs.
 
It’s disappointing Chris Minns has ignored the opportunity to work with the Opposition on advocating for a better targeted and more sustainable immigration program that serves NSW needs and eases pressure on our housing and infrastructure – rather than piling on additional pressure.
 
Chris Minns could have fought for our communities and their needs, but instead he has failed to stand up to Canberra, leaving the NSW Opposition to call for migration to be reined in. The NSW Opposition called for a migration slowdown which would reduce pressure on rents and improve access to home ownership. We await the details of how far Anthony Albanese has heeded these calls, but Chris Minns has failed to do so.
 
Immigration has enriched our society and strengthened economic growth, but our current record pace is vastly outstripping our ability to keep up with housing supply, which is leading to record rents and record unaffordability for home buyers.
 
To ensure that these challenges are not left in the too hard basket, our state needs a Premier who will put NSW first.

Joint statement by the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand

Australia, Canada, and New Zealand mourn every Israeli and Palestinian innocent life which has been lost in this conflict and express our condolences to all families and communities affected by the violence.

We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel on October 7, the appalling loss of life, and the heinous acts of violence perpetrated in those attacks, including sexual violence. We condemn Hamas’ unacceptable treatment of hostages and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.

We recognise Israel’s right to exist and right to defend itself. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians. 

We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained.

The recent pause in hostilities allowed for the release of more than 100 hostages and supported an increase in humanitarian access to affected civilians. We acknowledge the persistent diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker this pause, and we regret it could not be extended.

We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms. 

There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.

We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination. We oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory, and any use of siege or blockade. We emphasize that Gaza must no longer be used as a platform for terrorism. We reaffirm that settlements are illegal under international law. Settlements and settler violence are serious obstacles to a negotiated two-state solution.

We recommit ourselves to working with partners toward a just and enduring peace in the form of a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.  

We remain concerned about the impact of the conflict spilling across the region and urge all governments in the region to work towards containing the conflict. We call on the Houthis to cease immediately their attacks on international shipping and crew operating in the Red Sea.

We condemn rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiment in our countries and around the world and remain firmly committed to combatting prejudice, hatred, and violent extremism.

New stats show homelessness remains shockingly high 

The NSW government must urgently build more social housing and fully fund homelessness services after new statistics showed homelessness remaining shockingly high.

Data released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed 68,400 people used homelessness services in NSW in the most recent financial year.

Demand was so high that less than half (49%) of people who needed emergency accommodation were able to receive it. 

Only 21% of people needing long term accommodation were helped.

“This situation is shocking, heartbreaking and simply should not be happening in a state as wealthy as New South Wales,” said Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe.

“Homelessness services are so stretched they are having to turn away one in two people who knock on their doors. And there are many more people who don’t ask for help at all.

“Frontline services do the best they can to keep people housed, but there are not enough homes and inadequate funding to keep up with demand. 

“This Christmas there will be women and children experiencing domestic violence who are forced to choose between homelessness or remaining in an unsafe home.

“The government could easily solve this by investing just an extra $152 million a year into homelessness services so they can meet demand. 

“It must also urgently build more social housing which is at historically low levels. This will provide stable homes to people in need, take heat out of the private rental market and ease pressure on our schools, hospitals and community services over the long term.” 

The latest AIHW stats revealed:

 2022/232021/22 (for comparison)
Total # people who were supported by SHS68,40068,500
Main reasons for seeking assistance:1. Housing crisis2. Financial difficulties3. Family and domestic violence 1. 40%2. 38%3. 35%  1. 40%2. 36%3. 35%
People who were homeless when they first presented for support (as opposed to people at risk of homelessness)50%47%
Clients’ housing situation when they first presented1. No shelter or improvised/inadequate dwelling (‘sleeping rough’)2. Short-term temporary accommodation3. Couch surfing   1. 7.8% 2. 22%3. 15.3%   1. 6.7% 2. 21.9%3.14.6% 
% of SHS clients who were Indigenous32%32%
Unmet need for (% of people who needed help but couldn’t get it):1. short-term/emergency accommodation2. medium-term/transitional3. long-term  1. 51% 2. 64%3. 79%  1. 53% 2. 65%3. 77%
Supported to maintain housing (ie. where people were at risk of, but not yet homeless)90%90%

ALBANESE’S MIGRANT BASHING REEKS OF DESPERATION

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cynical pivot against migration shows just how far he has ceded his decision making to Peter Dutton, the Greens say.

“Labor mindlessly blaming migration for Australia’s housing crisis just shows that there is very little difference between the major parties,” Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim said.

“Engaging in a race to the bottom on migration with Mr Dutton will not end well for migrants.”

“This reeks of desperation by a Prime Minister who is being led by the nose by Peter Dutton.” 

“Appeasing Peter Dutton on migration issues hasn’t worked for the past decade and it will not work now.

“He will pocket whatever concessions he gets and take another giant step to the right.”

“Australia’s housing crisis has been caused by 40 years of deliberate underinvestment in social housing by both major parties.”

“The people of this country voted the Liberals out of office last year – it seems everyone except Mr Albanese has realised this fact.”

City of Newcastle swings into action with million-dollar investment into playgrounds

Families across the city will have more reasons to plan a trip to their local park thanks to City of Newcastle’s million-dollar investment into upgraded playground equipment and new amenities.

Recreational areas such as Rawson Park at Stockton, Adamstown No.2 and Waratah’s Coolamin Reserve will receive new equipment as part of City of Newcastle’s annual improvement program, while Islington and Lambton Park playgrounds will be upgraded with new rubber softfall and equipment respectively.

An artist's impression of the playground upgrade planned for Waratah's Coolamin Reserve

Designs for the playgrounds are currently being finalised, with construction expected to start early in the new year.

City of Newcastle is also enhancing the experience of families visiting Newcastle’s largest playground, with new amenities now open at the $2 million Wallsend Active Hub.

Wallsend Active Hub has become one of Newcastle’s most popular playgrounds and multi-purpose recreation spaces since opening in November 2022, catering for community members of all ages with a bike pump track, climbing walls, multi-sport courts, rebound wall and fitness equipment. Future stage two works will include a barbecue area, shelter and seating.

Councillors Elizabeth Adamczyk and Deahnna Richardson outside the newly opened amenities at the popular Wallsend Active Hub

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says City of Newcastle has invested more than $10 million into playground projects over the past five years as part of its commitment to delivering enhanced recreational opportunities for the community.

“We know how much our community values open spaces and their local playgrounds, which provide local children and families with the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and engage in an active and healthy lifestyle,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Not only does City of Newcastle upgrade up to five playgrounds a year through its annual improvement program, we also invest additional funding into district level projects such as the new $3 million inclusive playspace at Hamilton’s historic Gregson Park, which will begin construction early next year.

“I’m also glad to see the addition of the new toilet amenities at Wallsend Active Hub, which will enhance the comfort and experience of local residents and visitors from across the region who travel to enjoy its diverse offering of recreational opportunities.”

Newcastle has more than 116 playgrounds across the Local Government Area and has an ongoing program of upgrading and renewing the facilities. Five playgrounds were upgraded under the program during the past 12 months including Beresfield’s Vera Wilson Park, Loch Ness Drive Park in Fletcher, Harold Myers Park in Birmingham Gardens, Avon Street Reserve in Mayfield, and Waratah Park.

Visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works to stay up to date with progress on playgrounds and other projects in your area.

Funding boost for Newcastle Museum and Art Gallery

Local stories and ambitious exhibitions will continue to take centre stage at two of Newcastle’s key cultural institutions thanks to an extended multiyear funding allocation from the NSW Government.

Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery’s existing three-year agreements with Create NSW have both been extended for an additional 12 months, bringing the combined total investment in the facilities to almost $850,000 over four years.

City of Newcastle's Director Museum Archive Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, at the Newcastle Museum.Create NSW has also recognised the leading industry knowledge and expertise of City of Newcastle’s Director Museum Archive Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, appointing her as Chair of the Museums and History Artform Advisory Board.

Ms Baird is the first Director of a regional museum appointed to the highly respected role and will follow on from the tenure of Australian Museum Director Dr Kim McKay AO.

She has also recently been reappointed as Vice President of the National Council for the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Incorporated (AMaGA).

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes congratulated Ms Baird on her appointment and welcomed the funding from the NSW Government, which reflected the quality of exhibitions, collections and programming produced by both the Museum and Art Gallery.

“Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery are vibrant, award-winning cultural attractions, which play an important role in interpreting and preserving our city’s fascinating history and providing a time capsule of Australian art dating back to the earliest days of Newcastle,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Their respective collections and exhibitions also add to the rich diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city.

“Julie’s appointment reflects her expertise, innovative leadership and years of dedication to the Australian galleries, libraries, archives, and museums sector. It acknowledges the importance of Local Government funded museums in the cultural landscape.”

Ms Baird said the Create NSW funding had allowed Newcastle Museum to expand its program of self-curated exhibitions to tell more local stories.

“Newcastle Museum’s vast collection allows visitors to gain a sense of Newcastle’s unique identity by exploring the city’s past, present and future, while our exciting annual program of self-curated and touring exhibitions are on the cutting edge of contemporary museum practice,” Ms Baird said.

“This funding has supported our ongoing commitment to serving the city with diverse and inclusive programs and award-winning exhibitions that tell the story of Newcastle.

“This has included everything from the award-winning 1×4, which we have now toured to seven other museums and galleries across three states, to the community-led insight into Newcastle’s skateboarding culture, Shralp, and celebrating the talent of Newcastle’s diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives through FIRST.

“I was also blown away by my appointment – to have a regional museum Director as the head of the Advisory Board acknowledges the professionalism and skills within our regional areas and recognises that a significant portion of the cultural innovation and leadership in our industry is coming from centres outside of Sydney.”

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said the additional funding would continue to support the Gallery’s ambitious programming and future plans for the reimagined Art Gallery’s reopening.

“Having been a member of the Create NSW Visual Arts Advisory Board over the past four years, I have seen first-hand the incredible quality on offer across the state’s visual arts institutions, so I am absolutely delighted and extremely grateful that Newcastle Art Gallery has continued to be supported given the record number of funding recipients in the Visual Arts funding category,” Ms Morton said.

“Newcastle Art Gallery is held in high regard across the Australian arts community, home to a nationally significant collection worth more than $126 million and with an award-winning artistic program drawing local, national and international audiences to our city.

“This esteem will grow further as we progress with our long-awaited Art Gallery expansion project, which will significantly increase the Gallery’s capacity to present even more exhibitions and programming that showcase our incredible collection while supporting contemporary practice and artists’ groundbreaking ideas that engage and broaden our audience.”

Hydrogen bus trial arrives in the Illawarra this week

The state’s newest hydrogen bus will enter service in the Illawarra on Monday as it starts doing the rounds on Wollongong’s popular free Gong Shuttle loop.

The bus will start its six-month trial on the Gong loop, before being trialled on a number of other routes throughout the Illawarra to test its capabilities. 

Data collected from the bus trial will be used by Transport to make decisions about the best electric and hydrogen technology for our regional bus operators, passengers, and communities. 

Built by ARCC in Western Sydney, the bus can drive for 16 hours and cover 515km on just 32kg of Hydrogen.  A similar diesel bus would consume 170 litres of diesel to travel the same distance. 

The bus will be refuelled at the Coregas hydrogen refuelling station at the Port Kembla Hydrogen Hub. 

The bus will be operated by Premier Illawarra and will cover existing routes in line with existing timetables. 

It follows a hydrogen bus trial on the Central Coast where the bus outperformed expectations on the road.

More information about Zero Emission Buseslaunch

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said: 

“We’re committed to transitioning the state’s fleet of 8,000 diesel and gas buses on our public transport network to zero emissions technology. That means rolling out electric buses onto roads in Sydney and Newcastle, and trialling technology like hydrogen buses in other parts of the state. 

“It is great to see this new hydrogen bus roll out here today in Wollongong. 

“It will provide Transport for NSW with important data needed to inform any future roll-out of Hydrogen technology on our bus and transport networks.” 

Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said:

“The fare-free Gong Shuttle Loop is one of the most popular routes in NSW.

“This Hydrogen bus trial will give passengers a unique opportunity to experience a greener, quieter, and more comfortable journey on the loop between Wollongong station and the university.

“Illawarra is well placed to play an important role in the new clean energy economy which will bring significant economic and social value for the community. 

“We’re looking to the future and supporting the creation of local jobs and opportunities in this growing region.”

Member for Wollongon Paul Scully said:

“I have been advocating for the Gong Shuttle and Illawarra bus routes to be used for a trial to power buses with hydrogen for years. 

“Transport is a way that we can help develop both the supply and demand for hydrogen in the region as it is looked at as a cleaner, greener industrial fuel source in the future.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

“It’s exciting to see zero emission bus trials making their way out of Central Sydney, into the Central Coast, now Wollongong and in the future, more regional centres across NSW.

“This demonstration will help Transport for NSW better understand how hydrogen buses perform in the Gong and what infrastructure is needed to then roll them out in more corners of our state.”

John King, Director, Premier Transport Group said:

“Premier Illawarra is proud to collaborate with bus manufacturer ARCC and Transport for NSW on this innovative demonstration, and give our local passengers a cleaner, greener journey on the Illawarra bus network.

“The convenience of the local Port Kembla Hydrogen Hub gives us a unique opportunity in the Illawarra to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions across our services.

“We’re thrilled to play our part and cultivate strong partnerships between local manufacturers like ARCC, bus operators, and the NSW Government for the benefit of our communities and passengers.”