16 News

The NSW Government will assume responsibility for the provision of healthcare at Hawkesbury Hospital after St John of God Health Care advised it would not renew its contract to provide services at the facility.

As a result, services provided by SJHC will transition to Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (NBMLHD). It is expected the transition of Hawkesbury Hospital to the NSW Government will be completed by 30 June 2024.

The NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park says patients at the Hawkesbury District Health Service – known as the Hawkesbury Hospital – can rest assured they will continue to receive high quality, safe, and compassionate care.

The Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District will ensure the skill, knowledge and expertise of the hospital’s staff will be absorbed under the new arrangements with the NSW Government.

NSW Health will work with staff and their relevant unions to transition their employment from St John of God to the public health system.

The hospital will remain open throughout the entirety of the transition period.

This will include its 24-hour emergency department, operating theatres, community health services and outpatients’ clinics.

Public patient appointments and clinic hours will not be impacted.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“NSW Health and the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District is well placed to continue to provide high quality healthcare to patients.

“I want to assure the community that the excellent care and services at Hawkesbury Hospital will remain unchanged.

“And I want to assure staff that NSW Health will engage closely and regularly with you throughout this period to provide for as smooth a transition as possible.

Blue Mountains Local Health District Chief Executive, Lee Gregory said:

“We deliver world-class, innovative health care from our 4 hospital campuses and 9 community health centres, providing 24-hour comprehensive care to over 380,000 residents across the Nepean, Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Hawkesbury region.

“NBMLHD is proud of our enduring and deep connection to the community and we look forward to continuing to build on our 150 years of health care service.”

ANZAC Day is one of the most important days on the Australian calendar, when we remember the selfless sacrifice made by our service men and women in operations across the world.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said it is beyond comprehension how the Minns Labor Government allowed the situation around the Pandemonium music festival to be so badly handled.
 
“It is a clear leadership failure by Chris Minns and his inept government that an event which has been advertised for weeks and reportedly in contract negotiations for months had not been appropriately handled,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Having had to scramble today, Chris Minns has now said that it would not be appropriate for major rock concerts to be held anywhere in NSW on the day, making it unclear whether he supports the NRL and other sporting fixtures planned for ANZAC Day.”
 
“Chris Minns needs to be upfront and explain whether taxpayers’ money will now have to be paid in compensation to the festival, because of the Labor Government’s mishandling of this situation.”
 
Shadow Minister for Veterans Robyn Preston said the lack of awareness by the Minns ministers of this situation shows once again that they are out of their depth.
 
“Chris Minns has once again had to clean up after his team, while his Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Minister for Veterans and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy all seem to be missing,” Ms Preston said.
 
“ANZAC Day is a solemn day to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our service men and women. Australia has lost over 100,000 lives in wars and peacekeeping roles, and we owe them and their families our deepest respect.”
 
“I hope all communities across NSW join us in honouring this day.”

The 2024 NSW Women’s Week series of events, set to kick off from Monday 4 March to Sunday 10
March, will focus on inclusivity and celebrating the achievements of women across NSW.

Funded by the NSW Government, this year’s events will showcase the remarkable stories and accomplishments of women from diverse backgrounds, including:

• regional/rural/remote NSW
• LGBTIQA+
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• living with disability
• culturally and linguistically diverse.

The NSW Women’s Week grants program provided 16 organisations with a share of $300,000 in government funding for activities that celebrate, connect, and pay tribute to the state’s women and
girls.

The week-long celebration will culminate with the announcement of the winners of the NSW Women of the Year Awards 2024 at a ceremony on Thursday 7 March.

Find out more about NSW Women’s Week 2024 and register for an event. 

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“NSW Women’s Week is a time to bring communities together to work towards gender equality and inclusion.

“The week is all about shining the spotlight on the women and girls whose determination, bravery, skill and passion should be celebrated and shared, inspiring others to achieve great things.

“Advancing gender equality in NSW is a key priority for my government which we highlighted in the 2023-24 Budget – from creating economic opportunities through participation and empowerment, to providing essential healthcare and appropriate support services.

“I look forward to seeing the exciting line up of NSW Women’s Week events unfold and meeting the remarkable women and girls nominated for the Women of the Year Awards.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“NSW Women’s Week is a time to celebrate women and girls in NSW, their contributions to our families and communities, their strengths and achievements in social, cultural and political life.

“Our Women’s Week events focus on supporting accessibility and activities that reflect the diversity of our communities.

“In particular, we wanted to make sure the events aligned with the objectives of the NSW Women’s Strategy which is to help improve the economic, social and physical wellbeing of women and girls across the state.

“NSW Women’s Week is a great opportunity to get together to share knowledge and work towards gender equality, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

“There is something for women of all ages and backgrounds, and I encourage you to find out what is happening in your community this NSW Women’s Week and get involved.” 

Young people are being reminded ‘every vape is a hit to your health’, as part of a new campaign launched by the NSW Government today.

Developed in consultation with young people and medical experts, the campaign amplifies the voices of people aged 14 – 24 who have experienced the harms of vaping.

The campaign also uses powerful advertisements to encourage young people to consider the proven health harms of vaping, such as nicotine addiction, lung damage, breathlessness, nicotine poisoning and burns from exploding vapes.

It comes as the latest NSW Population Health Survey shows current vaping among people aged 16-24 has significantly increased to 16.5% in 2021-2022, up from 4.5% 2 years prior.

The ‘Every vape is a hit to your health’ campaign builds on NSW Health’s successful ‘Do you know what you’re vaping?’ campaign and Vaping Toolkit and provides a range of support pathways for young people.

For support and advice about quitting vaping young people are encouraged to contact their general practitioner, download a quit vaping app, or call Quitline on 13 78 48.

The NSW Government is committed to addressing the growing issue of vaping through ongoing collaboration with our Commonwealth and state counterparts, including contributing to the National Vaping Working Group established by the Federal Government in November 2023.

In 2023-2024, the NSW Ministry of Health will invest $25 million on tobacco and e-cigarette control in NSW. This includes an investment by Cancer Institute NSW of more than $3 million in the new vaping campaign.

An additional $2.5 million is also being invested over the next 12 months to increase services to help young people quit vaping, including a new digital platform, enhancements to the iCanQuit platform and an online learning module for youth services across the state.

This comes after the NSW Government convened a round table last year to address the growing issue of vaping in schools.

Since then, the NSW Department of Education is continuing to update the curriculum resources so they better address the dangers of vaping.

An online training module for school staff is also being created to have conversations with students, and webinar resources will soon be available for parents and carers.

For more information on the campaign, developed by Cancer Institute NSW, visit the Every vape is a hit to your health campaign website.

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

“Vaping is a serious issue and it is having a significant impact on students and young people.

“It is important that as we work together to tackle the scourge of vaping, we lead with an evidenced-based approach, and bring the experiences of young people to the forefront.

“This is part of our strategy to tackle vaping, particularly addressing the impact on young people.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“We are listening to the concerns of young people when it comes to vaping. By putting their stories and experiences at the forefront of this campaign, we can encourage more young people to seek support.

“This is very important because we know regular nicotine consumption can cause changes to a young person’s brain development, learning and memory, and may worsen stress, depression and anxiety.

“I want to thank the young people who have come forward to share their stories and their experiences in grappling with vaping, in the hope that they can help others.

“It took us over three-quarters of a century to reduce smoking among men from around 72%t to 14%.

“We have an opportunity to stem the tide of another emerging public health crisis that could have a lasting impact for generations of young people to come.”

Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O’Brien said:

“Vapes can be highly addictive, with many vapes containing even higher levels of nicotine than cigarettes. Even vapes labelled as nicotine-free often contain this highly addictive substance.

“Not only are vapes full of harmful chemicals that have been known to cause cancer, there is also growing evidence that non-smokers who vape are more likely to take up smoking, which can significantly increase their cancer risk.

“We are very concerned that a new generation of people will become addicted to smoking if vaping use continues to increase in young people.”

The NSW Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment announcing it will implement a review of the financial model for local government to address rising cost pressures facing councils across the state.

The Government has asked the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to examine the financial model for councils and key factors impacting councils’ financial sustainability.

The review will assess the resources currently available to councils, their capacity to cover ongoing expenses and ability to fund core council services and infrastructure for their communities.

It will also identify ways to improve budgetary performance and accountability within the sector so democratically elected councillors are empowered to make decisions for the effective running of their councils. 

This announcement follows changes made to the IPART rate peg methodology last year, which give councils greater certainty about the income they can generate through the payment of council rates, while protecting residents from significant rate increases. 

This financial modelling review will provide a holistic view of the challenges impeding the financial sustainability of the sector and ensure councils are delivering value to their communities through responsible fiscal decisions.

IPART will consider and recommend improvements on matters including: 

• The visibility of councillors and the community over the financial and operational performance of their councils;
• Whether the current budget and financial processes of councils are delivering value for money for ratepayers and residents;
• Whether the current funding model will sustainably support the needs of communities;
• Whether councillors and council staff have the financial capacity and capability to meet current and future needs of communities; and
• How better planning and reporting systems can improve long-term budget performance, transparency and accountability to the community.

Read the draft Terms of Reference and provide feedback

Have your say on the draft Terms of Reference until 15 March 2024.

IPART will consult with councils and the public to develop a report due to the Government 12 months’ after the Terms of Reference have been finalised. 

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“The financial sustainability of councils is one of the most significant issues facing local government in this state.

“With the cost of delivering core services to communities rising, it’s critically important councils are financially sustainable, but that needs to be balanced with the impact on tightening household budgets.

“That’s why we’ve asked IPART to make recommendations about whether the current financial model of councils enables long-term financial sustainability and whether councils have the financial capacity and mechanisms needed to deliver budget improvements.

“There needs to be a closer examination so that the solution to financial challenges is not increasing revenue through raising council rates or seeking financial support from the State Government.

“This review is a key election commitment and will help ensure this vital tier of government can continue to deliver essential services to NSW communities.”

Ferry passengers will now enjoy more trips on the iconic Freshwater vessels and extra services on the Parramatta River, with the NSW Government delivering an additional 60 services across the F1 and F3 routes during the week and another 36 on weekends.

Freshwater Class vessels will be permanently uplifted from operating every 2 hours to hourly, increasing from 5 services a day to 10, on weekdays and weekends.

As Sydney’s most popular ferry route, with vessels that can carry up to 1100 passengers, this is a major boost for passengers and a win for our city – doubling the options for a trip across the harbour.

The first services from Circular Quay will depart at 9:50am with the first service from Manly taking off at 10:30am. The last service departing Circular Quay will be at 6:50pm and the last from Manly departing 7:30pm.

An extra 7 services will operate on the F3 Parramatta River route each weekday and an extra 26 on the weekend.

Those heading to events on Sundays will also have more options and shorter wait times, with 8 trips that currently terminate and Meadowbank and Barangaroo now extending all the way to Sydney Olympic Park and Circular Quay.

On the busy L1 Inner West Light Rail, passengers will enjoy a more frequent timetable, as extra services join the weekday peak.

The new timetable will increase passenger capacity by 33% during peak times and see more frequent services on Friday nights when people are out and about.

These extra services are as a result of the new Urbos 100 light rail vehicles hitting the tracks, increasing the L1 fleet from 12 to 16.

For more information, visit Transport NSW info.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Adding extra services to key routes in Sydney will support the return to work and school, increasing capacity and decreasing wait times for thousands of commuters.

“We know the community wants more frequent trips along the Parramatta River, particularly on weekends and for major events, while our beautiful Freshwater Class ferries have never been more popular.

“Ferries are one of Sydney’s most beloved forms of public transport, so this is great news for our city – both in our West and between Manly and Circular Quay.

“We went to the election promising more ferry services at Drummoyne Wharf – and that’s exactly what I’m delivering now.

“Extra light rail services will make a big difference for those in the Inner West by cutting wait times and increasing capacity, with more than 200 extra services a week.”

Transport for NSW Coordinator General Howard Collins said:

“Extra services on the popular F1 and F3 routes is a major boost to those who are taking a ferry to work, to school or to events around Sydney.

“The uplift to a 6-minute frequency for the L1 Light Rail will be a huge benefit to those travelling through the Inner West to the business hubs of Pyrmont, Ultimo, Haymarket and the CBD.

“I want to thank our operators for working with us to provide more services that cut wait times and allow passengers to simply turn up and go.”