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Sixty-six events given the chance to become next Deni Ute Muster

Sixty-six regional communities across NSW have been awarded funding from a program that supported the emergence of the Deni Ute Muster and the Parkes Elvis Festival.

Founded in 1999, the Deni Ute Muster has become one of regional NSW’s most unique and exciting events. Initially conceived as a response to the hardship of drought, the annual event now attracts around 20,000 people, thousands of utes, and millions in visitor spending to the remote regional community of Deniliquin. From its first year, the event was supported by the NSW Government’s Regional Events Fund which began in 1996 and has funded over 470 events.

The Regional Event Fund first started supporting the Parkes Elvis Festival in 2004, when it was attracting a few hundred people. It now attracts an estimated 25,000 attendees and generates $13 million in revenue. In 2024-25 a new selection of sixty-six music, sports, food and cultural events will be awarded $1.3 million of grants of up to $50,000 each.

The program provides an important economic boost in regional areas, creating jobs, injecting vitality and supporting accommodation providers, restaurant owners and tourism operators.

This year’s list of recipients includes:

  • The Tamworth Barbeque Festival where meat and motorbikes combine for a four-person[1]team BBQ competition event and a motorbike rally.
  • The Gum Ball, a three-day festival on 100 acres of bushland in Lower Belford in the Hunter Valley with a huge line up of live music and a kids program called “The House of Big Dreams.”
  • The Orange Wine Festival, a two-week wine and food crawl through some of Australia’s most beautiful wineries and restaurants.
  • The Festival of W sees the main street of Wagga Wagga transformed into a winter wonderland with ice skating, light and sound projections, live music; and premier dining experiences showcasing the produce from the regions agricultural sector.
  • Sporting events across the state, including the Pilliga Ultra, the Mount Panorama Punish, the National Freestyle Mountain bike Championships in Shellharbour and the Let’s Surf Lake Mac event at Lake Macquarie.

The Regional Event Fund The fund, managed by Destination NSW, bolsters event organisers with equipment hire, venue hire, market research, photography, videography, publicity and marketing to attract out-of-region visitors.

The fund is a key contributor to the continued growth of the NSW visitor economy, which is now worth more than $50 billion to the state.

It has three streams designed to support event organisers to progress their offering and grow in scale, with the goal of replicating high-profile success stories including the Deni Ute Muster:

  • Incubator Event Stream: supports the establishment of events in their first or second year of operation, providing seed funding of up to $20,000.
  • Flagship Event Stream: supports the marketing of emerging events to increase their profile and encourage visitation. This stream offers an annual grant of $20,000 or a triennial grant of $30,000 for events that have already received the maximum of three annual grants.
  • Event Development Stream: supports the strategic development of events that are proven visitor economy drivers, that have completed their third year of the Triennial Flagship Event stream funding, are eligible for grants of up to $50,000.

To view the full list of successful recipients of the 2024/25 Regional Event Fund and for more information on the program, click here.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Arts, Music and the Night-Time Economy John Graham said:

“We know that regional events and event owners are faced with significant challenges in this current environment and these grants will help alleviate some of that financial pressure.

“We want to help these events reach the heights of the Deni Ute Muster or the Parkes Elvis Festival, events that are now highlights of the NSW calendar. These unique events reflect the personalities of their communities and draw visitors from all over the country.

“The NSW Government is committed to growing a vibrant visitor economy across the state by supporting a diverse range of events, driven by locals, who know their communities best.”

Minister for Agriculture, Regional New South Wales, Western New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:

“These events will bring fun, colour and a big economic boost to the towns that host them.

“Creating these unforgettable experiences will keep visitors coming back to regional New South Wales again and again, all year round.

“I congratulate the successful sixty-six recipients. These events will create great experiences for their local communities and drive vibrancy in local towns and communities across the state.”

A budget boost for Orange health

Orange and communities across the Central West are expected to benefit from a range of health investments in the 2024-25 NSW Budget recently announced by the Minns Labor Government aimed at creating more pathways for people needing health services and reducing hospital emergency department (ED) wait times.

Regional Health Minister Ryan Park toured local health facilities and met with staff in the central west this week alongside Member for Orange Phil Donato, to talk about what the NSW health budget means for them and the local community.

The latest Bureau of Health Information data for the March 2024 quarter shows attendances to the ED at Orange Health Service increased by 4.1 per cent from the same period last year, to almost 8,000.

Hospitals across the state including in Orange are facing enormous pressure.

The 2024-25 NSW Budget includes funding boosts to connect more people with high quality, accessible and timely care, by expanding alternatives to the ED through investments in urgent care services, expanding services accessed via Healthdirect through the Single Front Door, and a Bulk Billing Support Initiative for GPs.

Urgent care services across NSW will receive $100 million in funding to continue supporting the community for a further two years, providing a pathway to care outside of hospitals. The Orange Urgent Care Service has already seen around a thousand visits since opening in March this year, helping many avoid a trip ED.

A $171.4 million investment will expand the ‘Single Front Door’, introducing additional virtual care services to the Healthdirect service accessible on 1800 022 222 – meaning that the community in Orange and the Central West can access the same quality care that they do around the state. Access to mental health services will now also be available through Healthdirect for the first time.

The Single Front Door is a single point of advice, assessment, triage and referral for people in NSW with urgent non-life threatening conditions, helping thousands avoid a trip to the ED.

The Minns Labor Government is also supporting GPs with an estimated $188.8 million investment as part of the Bulk-Billing Support Initiative, ensuring that primary health care services remain accessible to families and households.

This will protect the cost of seeing a GP for families and households, reduce the strain on emergency departments and save hundreds of clinics from closure.

The bulk billing rate across the Western NSW Public Health Network is currently 82.2%, well above 70% threshold for clinics with contractor GPs to receive the new, ongoing rebate.

The investments in the 2024-25 NSW Budget build on the NSW Government’s work to deliver the long-term repair and structural reform of healthcare across NSW, including:

  • making 1,112 temporary nurses permanent including hundreds in rural and regional NSW;
  • delivering an extra 500 regional paramedics. Of the first 125 rolled out this year, 15 are based in Parkes;
  • abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest wage increases for health workers in over a decade;
  • doubling rural health incentives for our hardest to fill and most critical roles; and
  • boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said:

“No matter where you live in across the state you should have access to essential healthcare.

“Our emergency departments across NSW including here in Orange face significant challenges, so we are making the necessary investments to relieve that pressure and provide more alternatives for the community.

“Whether it be through our urgent care services, expanding virtual care through the Single Front Door or protecting access to bulk billing GP services, the NSW budget’s investment into health will be acutely felt in Orange and the Central West region.

“I want to thank Phil for welcoming me in his electorate and acknowledge his strong advocacy on behalf of his community.”

Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

“The Orange Urgent Care Service provides an excellent alternative for people in my community with health issues that are urgent, especially if means they can avoid attending a busy ED.

“I’m also really pleased the expansion of virtual care from the NSW Government will especially benefit those in Orange and the communities of the Central West receive the care they need.”

Boosting Hunter workforce with high-quality vocational training

NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan has visited the impressive WesTrac Institute, a leading training provider offering comprehensive trade and post-trade training to support the construction and mining industries.

Funded under the NSW Smart and Skilled program, the collaboration between the NSW Government and WesTrac Institute is benefiting hundreds of apprentices and trainees in the Hunter region.

The collaboration underscores the NSW Government’s steadfast dedication to revitalising and empowering regional communities – the powerhouses of our state.

At WesTrac Instutite, up to 300 students annually hone their skills within state-of-the-art facilities, boasting 14 classrooms, 2 laboratories, and a spacious 5-bay workshop. Currently, the Institute hosts 99 WesTrac apprentices, 59 post-trade students, and over 140 external students and customers.

Offering qualifications such as Certificate III in Automative Electrical Technology, and Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology, alongside specialised courses such as Certificate II in Automative Air Conditioning, the Institute plays a pivotal role in upskilling the workforce.

In addition, it can cater for up to 4,000 students annually in post-trade courses, ensuring continuous upskilling of the workforce.

Since its inception in 2012, WesTrac Institute has invested in vocational education, achieving a high completion rate amongst its apprentices – a testament to its unwavering commitment to excellence and fostering a resilient, skilled workforce crucial for regional prosperity.

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

“It was great to visit the WesTrac Institute and see firsthand how a collaboration between government and industry can improve vocational education and drive industry excellence and regional growth.

“The Institute’s dedication to training not only its own apprentices and trade workers but also supporting the broader mining and construction industry is truly commendable.

“Its high completion rates and extensive post-trade training programs underscore Its dedication to excellence in education and workforce development.”

Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington said:

“The impressive Westrac Institute is an incredible asset to Port Stephens. They set a very high standard for vocational training in NSW, not only training their own apprentices but also supporting the wider mining and construction industry.

“The high completion rates at the WesTrac Institute and their extensive post-trade training programs are a testament to their commitment to excellence. This ensures a well-trained, resilient workforce that is crucial for the prosperity of our region.”

WesTrac Institute NSW/ACT chief executive Adrian Howard said:

“WesTrac continues to invest in our facilities, the institute, and our trainers to provide the best possible training in an innovative learning environment for the students attending the institute.”

“As part of our Employee Value Proposition, ‘made for more than just today’, we are training and upskilling our people to be experts in the field today, and skilled for tomorrow, to meet the needs of our customers.”

The show goes on for White Bay Power Station, with walking and cycling improvements the ticket in

Sydney’s iconic White Bay Power Station is enjoying a renaissance as the city’s newest arts, cultural and community hub.

After welcoming 180,000 visitors through its doors for the Biennale of Sydney, the Power Station will open its doors again next month, when it hosts two Saturday nights of Ministry of Sound dance parties in the Boiler House and Turbine Hall.

To improve access to this cultural space, planning is underway to deliver more than $17 million in upgrades to surrounding footpaths, nearby traffic lights and public spaces.

The work will include an $11.9 million investment to install new signalised intersection at Roberts Street and Mullens Street, an additional pedestrian crossing on Roberts Street and new landscaping.

The popular shared path along Victoria Road that connects people walking and cycling to the Anzac Bridge will be widened as part of a $3.9 million investment. Bounded by Victoria Road to its West, and a sharp cliff face to its east, the widened path will cantilever toward the White Bay Power Station, giving people more room to walk or ride their bikes.

An additional $1 million will provided through the reVITALise Program to build a new walking and cycling link between the precinct, Rozelle Parklands and onto the Light Rail, which includes seating, lighting, signage and landscaping.

Work will also be done to reserve future walking connections to the White Bay Metro Station, which will open next door in 2032.

With a further $100,000 will be spent to improve shading, furniture and lighting throughout the White Bay Power Station precinct.

Design works are underway with works due to be complete at the end of next year.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen:

“The inner west is loving this incredible new arts space, but we’ve heard getting in and out is still a big challenge.

“We’re getting in there and providing new safe routes for people to walk or ride their bikes, which will connect people to nearby public transport options.”

“This is include small changes, like improvements to traffic lights, to dramatic interventions like the widening of the shared path on Victoria Road, which will cantilever over power station land to give people more space to walk or cycle.”

Mayor Darcy Byrne:

“Our longstanding vision of White Bay Power Station as a great arts and cultural venue for Sydney is really coming to life.

“These pedestrian and active transport improvements are a vital step in making the Power Station accessible for concerts, exhibitions and events.

“The hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Biennale saw the incredible potential of the Power Station.

“Making the site more accessible will help bring hundreds of thousands more patrons through the doors of this unique asset.”

Major milestones in disaster recovery for Northern Rivers

Australia’s largest disaster adaptation project on the Northern Rivers has moved into its next phase, with tailored home assessments available to make homes more resilient against flooding.

Under the Home Raising and Home Retrofit stream of the $790 million Resilient Homes Program approximately 370 homeowners have been identified as eligible for home raising or retrofit.

A key recommendation of the NSW Flood Inquiry, home raising reduces risk by raising homes to reduce the frequency of potential flood related damage, while home retrofits reduce risk by refurbishing homes to better withstand flooding.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is working with leading architect for flood resilient design, James Davidson from JDA Co, to establish the program and develop guidance for home raising and retrofit work. After receiving their free in-home assessment report, homeowners can appoint their builder of choice to deliver works suitable to their home to make it more resilient to future flooding.

Eligible homeowners will be granted up to $50,000 for a home retrofit and $100,000 for a home raise with a dollar-for dollar co-contribution between the RA and homeowners, up to a maximum of $100,000 for retrofits and $200,000 for home raising.

In addition to this program, the highly anticipated North Lismore development has been announced as the latest site to be released through the $100 million Resilient Lands Program and will deliver around 85 home sites.

This follows previous announcements at East Lismore, Goonellabah, Brunswick Heads, Casino and Lennox Head, with more than 2,800 housing sites now in the planning pipeline across the Northern Rivers.

North Lismore will be master planned and developed in consultation with the community, taking into consideration the site’s environmental, biodiversity and cultural significance.

As part of the supporting infrastructure program, to assist primary producers, up to 100 drains that support agricultural properties across the Northern Rivers are being repaired and cleaned out through the $5 million Northern Rivers Agricultural Drainage Reset Program.

Vegetation build-up presents a serious problem with large drains unable to channel water away from the land.

The program will drive long-term resilience and ensure farmers and communities are better equipped to withstand and recover from future floods. It is being delivered by the RA in partnership with Soil Conservation Service and in cooperation with local councils.

The recovery program is being informed by feedback from the community and the Northern Rivers Community Leaders Forum which was established 12 months ago.

Between August 2023 and January 2024, the RA doorknocked more than 4880 homes across seven LGAs. Pop-up information offices continue to be an important conduit between the RA and the community, with more than 4,339 visitors as of late June.

These changes are expected to lead to better outcomes as the region moves into medium to long-term recovery phase from the 2022 floods.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“What we’re doing in the Northern Rivers is not a simple rebuilding exercise – we’re making significant long-term changes to where people live, how we plan for climate change and how we mitigate future disasters.

“As part of our commitment to disaster mitigation, there’s already been significant progress with the Resilient Homes Program, but there is still more to do.

“As of June 28, 788 buyback offers had been approved and 656 offers accepted, which represents an 83 per cent take-up rate.

“Today we’re announcing that North Lismore is the sixth site for more homes through the Resilient Lands Program and there are more to come.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“During our many visits to the area we have seen the community working together to maintain the unique identity of the region and the strong desire to build back better.

“We established the community leaders forum to guide decision-making and local engagement is informing projects supporting flood recovery efforts and making communities more resilient.

“Across the region a wide range of projects are underway including improvements to evacuation routes which will provide better access for emergency workers and supplies during disasters.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said:

“As chair of the Community Leaders forum I am enormously pleased to see input from that group included in announcements like today.

“Feedback from the community has helped the NSW Reconstruction Authority to develop a more people-friendly, place-based approach to determine eligibility for key programs like the Resilient Homes Program. That is a good thing.

“Repeat visits by my parliamentary colleagues show the reset is progressing in the Northern Rivers and the NSW Government is in this recovery for the long haul.”

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said:

“I am pleased that the NSW Government agreed to Council’s call for a ‘reset’ a year or so ago and developed a more community centric approach that has seen the pace of our recovery pick up, although as we all know. We still have some way to go.

“I welcome the announcement on North Lismore that will allow disaster-affected families to build new houses or relocate their existing timber home. The commencement of the Raise and Retrofit program will also be very welcomed by the community.”

Muslim political movement targets Sydney electorates

For many years, Pauline Hanson has been warning about the danger of allowing unchecked immigration from predominantly Muslim countries where the population has been exposed to fundamentalist Islamic ideology completely out of step with Australian values of democracy, freedom and separation of church and state.

In her first speech upon her return to Parliament in 2016, Pauline said ‘political’ Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism was being imported to Australia by the major parties too paralysed by woke accusations of ‘islamaphobia’ to restrict or ban immigration from such places.

She also noted Australia was actually exporting Islamic terrorists, and it was true. It was when some Australian citizens travelled to Iraq to join the barbaric Islamic State, or ISIS. Pictures of an Australian child holding a severed head with his terrorist father shamed the nation and horrified the civilised world.

In Australia, there are still radical Islamic preachers calling for ‘jihad’ against Australia and the West, for the genocide of Jews and the destruction of Israel. Due to the Prime Minister’s frailty and ambiguity regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, they are able to get away with it.

And thanks again to Albo’s weakness, a group calling itself ‘Muslim Vote’ has this week emerged to target seats in western Sydney with high Muslim populations, held by senior Labor figures like Tony Burke and Jason Clare. Their initial goal is to force Labor to back the Palestinian cause.

We can all agree it’s unlikely to stop there. Fatima Payman, the 29-year-old hijab-wearing Labor senator from Western Australia – has embarrassed Albo by crossing the floor (traditionally an offence that results in expulsion from the ALP) in support of recognising the non-existent state of Palestine. She’s quit Labor to be an independent, is now talking to infamous ‘preference whisperer’ Glenn Druery and there’s a lot of speculation she’ll be invited to join this ‘Muslim Vote’ group.

Minor political parties have been formed around religion in Australia before. They’ve all been Christian, like Family First, and never particularly successful at the ballot box. They’ve generally stood on a foundation of conservative values many Australians share.

However with 813,000 Muslims now calling Australia home, and Labor hopelessly compromised on religious freedom and the Middle East conflict, we’re now starting to see Muslims exercise political influence.

This influence could not have been brought to bear had Australia’s major parties listened to Pauline’s warnings. But here we are, and it doesn’t bode well for our nation’s future.

A Future Made in Australia Bill will build a stronger, cleaner economy

Today the Government will introduce the new Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 and Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024 to Parliament, a major step in making the Australian economy more prosperous and resilient.

This legislative package is a key part of putting our Future Made in Australia plan into action, so Australia makes the most of the major economic and industrial opportunities of the energy transition.

The Future Made in Australia legislation will bring together our policy work in this space to ensure it is an effective and practical strategy for Australia to seize this opportunity.

This legislation is all about unlocking private sector investment to build a stronger, more diversified and more resilient economy powered by renewable energy that creates secure, well-paid jobs around the country.

It embeds into law a disciplined and rigorous approach that will govern Future Made in Australia investments, to make the most of our net zero potential and ensure the benefits of these investments are widely shared and flow to local communities.

This package does three main things. It will legislate our new National Interest Framework, introduce a robust sector assessment process, and outline the Community Benefit Principles that will apply to investment decisions.

The National Interest Framework defines criteria for identifying sectors that will be key to the net zero transformation and where Australia could have a genuine comparative advantage, or where there is an economic security or resilience imperative to invest in domestic capability.

The package will enable Government to commission Treasury to undertake independent analysis of the extent that areas of the economy are aligned with the National Interest Framework, barriers to private investment in these areas and opportunities to address them.

It sets out five Community Benefit Principles that will be applied to Future Made in Australia supports identified in the Bill. To ensure the benefits of investment flow to local workers, industries and communities, decision makers will be required to have regard to how relevant investments can:

  • Promote safe and secure jobs that are well paid and have good conditions;
  • Develop more skilled and inclusive workforces, including by investing in training and skills development and broadening opportunities for workforce participation;
  • Engage collaboratively with and achieve positive outcomes for local communities, such as First Nations communities and communities directly affected by the transition to net zero;
  • Strengthen domestic industrial capabilities including through stronger local supply chains; and
  • Demonstrate transparency and compliance in relation to the management of tax affairs, including benefits received under Future Made in Australia supports.

The legislation establishes Future Made in Australia Plans. These are written plans that can be required by Government to help maximise the broader benefits of investment in a Future Made in Australia. The application of the Principles and Plans will be subject to further consultation.

It will also establish the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund to support emerging technologies in industries like green metals, clean energy manufacturing and low carbon liquid fuels, and it expands the National Interest Account to better enable investment in Australia’s national interests. 

To promote investment certainty, these amendments reintroduce guaranteed statutory funding for ARENA, which was allowed to lapse under the previous Government.

The Government recognises that the best opportunities for Australia and its people lie at the intersection of industry, energy, resources, skills and our ability to attract and deploy investment.

The Future Made in Australia package improves our investment environment and encourages new industries that put us on a path to net zero and strengthen our economic resilience.

Australian Government partners with Amazon Web Services to bolster national defence and security

The Albanese Government will invest at least $2 billion over the next decade to bolster Australia’s cyber capabilities with the announcement of a strategic partnership between the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Australia to deliver a Top Secret (TS) Cloud for the Australian Government.

This landmark partnership will see AWS establish a sovereign TS Cloud in Australia to deliver resilient information, communication and technology (ICT) services for the Australian Government, generating up to 2,000 local Australian jobs.

AWS is the world’s most widely adopted cloud computing service with a longstanding presence in Australia and specialist expertise in delivering classified cloud services that provide world-class security, reliability and resilience.

The TS Cloud will be purpose-built for Australia’s Defence and National Intelligence Community agencies to securely host our country’s most sensitive information. It will improve our ability to securely share and analyse our nation’s most classified data at speed and at scale, and provides opportunities to harness leading technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The TS Cloud will bolster the resilience of Defence’s communications networks and is a critical enabling capability in supporting the Australian Defence Force’s military operations, and will also support greater interoperability and deeper collaboration with the United States.

This partnership with AWS is a major investment from the Albanese Government and is another important step in implementing the 2024 National Defence Strategy.

This significant investment is part of the $15‑20 billion to 2033-34 to enhance Defence’s cyber capabilities and the $8.5-11 billion to 2033-34 to bolster Defence’s enterprise data and ICT announced in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.

The joint initiative offers significant opportunities for Australian industry. It will see AWS engage Australian businesses to design and build the TS Cloud, driving innovation and job creation in cybersecurity, data analytics and cloud computing. Australia’s defence industry will see additional benefits with new opportunities to deliver and integrate new capabilities using these cloud services.

The TS Cloud builds on AWS’ planned $13.2 billion investment in Australian infrastructure to 2027 – the largest tech investment in Australia’s history, supporting the creation of 11,000 local jobs. This is in addition to the $9.1 billion AWS has invested in Australian infrastructure since its launch in 2011.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is bolstering our defence and national intelligence community to ensure they can deliver world leading protection for our nation.

“This important investment today will help enhance our national security capabilities while creating up to 2,000 local jobs.

“We face a range of complex and serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake on a daily basis to keep Australians safe. We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles

“The Albanese Government is enhancing Defence’s cyber capabilities as a matter of priority under the National Defence Strategy by investing at least $2 billion to establish and operate a Top Secret Cloud platform which is central to achieving this objective.

“This cutting-edge technology will enhance Defence’s resilience, improve the ADF’s warfighting capacity, strengthen interoperability with key international partners and deliver up to 2,000 Australian jobs.

“This significant investment is a reflection of the Albanese Government’s sensible approach to prioritising the enabling capabilities our Defence Force needs in order to address the complex strategic circumstances we face.”

Director-General Australian Signals Directorate, Rachel Noble PSM

“This is another fantastic example of what we can achieve for Australia when the private and public sector work together in partnership.

“The Top Secret Cloud with Amazon Web Services in Australia will provide a state-of-the-art collaborative space for our intelligence and defence community to store and access top secret data. This will transform how we work together as agencies and partners.

“For ASD, this capability is a vital part of our REDSPICE program which is lifting our intelligence and offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.”

Director-General of National Intelligence, Andrew Shearer

“The Top Secret Cloud represents a truly transformative capability boost for the National Intelligence Community.

“It will drive even closer integration, sharing and collaboration between agencies, greater resilience, and greater interoperability with our most important international intelligence partners.

“As program sponsor on behalf of the National Intelligence Community, ONI considers the Top Secret Cloud will help lay the foundation for a connected, modern and resilient intelligence community. We look forward to working in partnership with Amazon Web Services, the Australian Signals Directorate and other National Intelligence Community agencies on this transformative capability.

the Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector for Amazon Web Services, Dave Levy

“Amazon Web Services is excited to embark on this strategic partnership with the Australian Government, to provide our most innovative, efficient and effective cloud services to help Australia enhance its national defence capabilities and protect its citizens.

“This partnership will enable the Australian Government and its defence and intelligence agencies to securely share information, speed up innovation, and achieve their missions faster. We look forward to supporting the Australian Government’s mission of protecting and advancing Australia’s interests, and remain steadfast in our long-term commitment to Australia, helping drive innovation and improving lives for its communities.”

the Managing Director, Public Sector, Australia and New Zealand, for Amazon Web Services, Iain Rouse

“AWS is uniquely positioned, as a trusted, long-term partner to the Australian government to deliver on this important partnership. This critical national security initiative allows AWS to demonstrate our commitment to not just deliver a fixed set of requirements, but to continuously adapt, enhance and innovate together over the years to come.”

Penrith and Baulkham Hills ready for Junior State Titles

The State’s most promising and up-and-coming netballers will descend on the Penrith District and Baulkham Hills Shire Netball Associations this weekend for the 2024 HART Junior State Titles.

A flagship event on the Netball NSW calendar, the three-day tournament showcases the strength of grassroots netball with young players from all over the state coming together to play the game they love.

In total 2,344 players from 234 teams and 900 officials will hit the court with over 2,087 games to be played before State Champions are crowned.

In 2024, Penrith will host the following Divisions:

14U Divisions 1 & 2
13U Divisions 1 & 2
12U Divisions 1 & 2
14U Male Division 1
Meanwhile Baulkham Hills will welcome:
14U Divisions 3 & 4
13U Divisions 3 & 4
12U Divisions 3 & 4
The winners of Division 1 in each category will be named State Champions at the end of play.

“It is hard to express in words how much planning and effort goes into running an event of this scale across two venues, but netball has always been a leader in this space,” Netball NSW Chair Sallianne Faulkner said.

“It is the game’s huge volunteer workforce that merits special mention here, not just in Penrith and Baulkham Hills but at each Association represented at this year’s event.

“Many will travel huge distances to be here. They will do so with players, coaches, volunteers and supporters in hand. Of course, the weekend is just the culmination of many months of training and teamwork bonding they have been doing back home.

“And while there can only be one set of State Champions crowned in each category and age group, that shouldn’t detract from anyone’s enjoyment of this celebration of our game.

“I know some of the players we’ll see out on court will go on to become future stars of the NSW Swifts and GIANTS, perhaps even the Australian Diamonds or Aussie Kelpies. However, what is most important for now is that everyone enjoys the game.”

Netball NSW would like to thank HART Sport – Naming Rights Partners of the Junior State Titles – for their continued support of the game across the State.

Further thanks go to Penrith City Council who have partnered with Netball NSW for the delivery of the event at Penrith District Netball Association.

Man charged over alleged drug supply – Lake Macquarie PD

A man has been charged with several drug supply offences following an investigation into the supply of prohibited drugs in the state’s north.

In February 2024, police from Lake Macquarie Police District formed Strike Force Picatinny, to investigate the alleged supply of illegal drugs in the Lake Macquarie area.

On Wednesday 3 July 2024, following extensive investigations, police executed search warrants at homes in Windale and Gateshead, where they located a quantity of illegal drugs including commercial quantities of methylamphetamine, and other quantities of cocaine, heroin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cannabis, an amount of cash and other items which police will allege are proceeds of crime. The seized drugs have a combined street value of $150,000.

A 43-year-old man was arrested near the Gateshead property and was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with thirty seven offences:

Thirty two counts of supply prohibited drug offences
Three counts of possess prohibited drug
Two counts of deal with proceeds of crime
He was refused bail to appear before Belmont Local Court today (Thursday 4 July 2024).