Category: NSW News

The NSW Government today announced it will boost the number of specialist mental health bushfire recovery clinicians recruited since the crisis by nine, taking the total to 30 across the state.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Bushfire Recovery John Barilaro said as our immediate response efforts now transition to the next stage of recovery, the ongoing effects of the bushfire crisis will also change the way people require mental health assistance.
“The bushfire clean-up and recovery is well underway across the state, but this is an emotional and trying journey for many,” Mr Barilaro said.
“As our immediate response efforts now transition to the next phase of recovery, the ongoing effects of the bushfire crisis will require mental health support now and for a long time into the future.”
Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor said the positions will be spread across all bushfire affected local health districts, as communities work towards stability.
“Nine new fulltime specialist mental health clinicians will now join the 21 currently being recruited to bushfire affected communities to make sure we are continuing to address those specific needs, now and into the future,” she said.
“We will not stop, as our attention now turns to targeting people and groups at risk, and those who need specialist care,” she said.
The total NSW Government investment for bushfire mental health stands at $15.3 million to support hard hit communities across the state.
People suffering from trauma or stress as a result of the State’s bushfire crisis should contact their local health service via the NSW Mental Health Line on 1 800 011 511
The Disaster Welfare Assistance Line is staffed with counseling support and can be accessed by phone on 1800 018 444

Local Schools Local Decisions will be improved with schools earning the autonomy to make decisions around the allocation of funds and learning programs by hitting a range of numeracy and literacy targets.
There will also be changes to alleviate the administrative burden for principals as a matter of priority. This will allow schools to focus on what they do best – educating children.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there is room for improvement when it comes to our student’s performance across NSW.
“To ensure students receive the best education we must be able to enforce best teaching practice consistently across our schools,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Local Schools Local Decisions is a sound policy but we need to make sure it works as it was intended. Adjustments will make it easier for the NSW Government to provide support to schools that are underperforming.”
Schools will earn the autonomy to make funding, and educational decisions by hitting a range of targets, using criteria such as Bump It Up, HSC results and NAPLAN results.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the NSW Government is investing a record amount in education and the improvements to Local Schools Local Decisions will strike the right balance between autonomy, accountability and support for schools.
“Improving Local Schools Local Decisions is unashamedly about lifting performance in NSW through supporting evidence based best practice teaching and learning, Ms Mitchell said.
“It is fantastic that many schools have been able to excel under Local Schools Local Decisions, but other schools need more attention when it comes to improving outcomes. These changes to the policy will enable us to provide the support that these principals and teachers need.
“We want to help principals by removing unnecessary administration burdens and allowing them to spend more time leading their schools and supporting their students.”
The NSW Government will consult with education stakeholders on the reforms and will agree on targets with schools by the end of Term 4 2020. The changes will be implemented on Day one Term 1 2021.

Communities and first responders will benefit from increased mission critical communications coverage during emergencies, with a $217 million boost to expand the Government Radio Network (GRN), and build a Public Safety Network for Emergency Services Organisations.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the investment will strengthen community safety and better protect first responders, by consolidating about 70 separate agency radio networks into one, allowing vital information to be shared more efficiently.
“The radio network played a critical role in protecting communities and supporting the Rural Fire Service, Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance and the State Emergency Service during the recent bushfires,” Mr Dominello said.
“During emergencies such as bushfires and floods, every second counts. We are making life easier for first responders by providing them with a first class communications infrastructure that will help keep people and places safe.”
Mr Elliott said first responders risk their lives to protect communities, and the funding will give them greater certainty and confidence when working on the frontline.
“In Northern NSW, the coverage will expand to Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield and Ben Lomond and provide improved coverage for areas including Moree and Warialda,” Mr Elliott said.
“In Southern NSW, it is expanding across the Riverina to the Victorian border to provide greater coverage to the towns of Holbrook, Tarcutta, Gundagai and Albury.”
The funding will enable the NSW Telco Authority to accelerate the Critical Communications Enhancement Program to reach 96 per cent of populated areas.
This funding is in addition to the more than $401 million allocated to the upgrade of the GRN since 2016.

Regions Currently Covered by GRN	Regions to Benefit from Funding
Sydney metro including Blue Mountains	Communities along the Hume Highway to the Victorian border areas around Holbrook, Tarcutta, Gundagai and Albury
Central Coast and Hunter	Communities along the New England Highway to the Queensland border including Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Ben Lomond, Moree and Warialda
Illawarra	Griffith
South Coast	Wagga Wagga
Central West including Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo	North Coast

Internationally renowned scientist Professor Maria Kavallaris AM has been named the 2020 NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year – the top honour at the NSW Women of the Year awards.
Prof. Kavallaris accepted the award from Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor at the WOTY Awards ceremony in Sydney today.
“Maria is a remarkable achiever whose ground-breaking research has led to more effective therapies for aggressive childhood cancers,” Ms Berejiklian said.
A further six outstanding women from across NSW took out the top spot in their nominated category, ranging from community heroes to lifetime achievers.
“Congratulations to all the incredible women who have deservedly been recognised; their achievements are an inspiration to women who want to make a difference.” Ms Berejiklian said.
Mrs Taylor said this year’s awards program attracted an unprecedented number of nominations and more than 7,000 votes in the publicly decided categories.
“Be it science, industry, business or community; every part of NSW has benefited from the outstanding contributions made by women,” Mrs Taylor said.
“You can’t be what you can’t see; so please join me in celebrating these women and sharing their stories of success to help improve the lives of girls and young women across our state.”
2020 NSW Women of the Year Award winners are:

• Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year – Professor Maria Kavallaris AM
• Aboriginal Woman of the Year – Kirli Saunders
• Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year – Krystaal Hinds
• First State Super Lifetime Achievement Award – Christine Strachan
• Harvey Norman Young Woman of the Year – Hannah Beder
• Community Hero Award – Justine Lorenz
• NSW Business Woman of the Year – Anneke van den Broek

The NSW Government will provide more than $1 million in relief to support bushfire affected commercial fishing businesses and charter boat operators, with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and the Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall announcing a major fee waiver today.
Mr Barilaro said the bushfires had taken a severe toll on the State’s primary industries, and NSW commercial fishers were no exception.
“Our communities in Regional NSW have copped enough with devastating bushfires and the ongoing drought.”
“Commercial fishing businesses employ thousands of local residents and it is vital we keep the local economy ticking and give them a hand up during the recovery phase.”
“The recent bushfires have not only hindered access to fishing grounds due to area and road closures, there have also been limitations on fishers’ ability to get products to wholesalers, markets and cooperatives,” Mr Barilaro said.
Mr Marshall said that under this waiver, fishing business owners will not have to pay the second instalment of management charges that would have otherwise been due on 28 February 2020.
“Almost 1,200 businesses will receive a fee waiver, providing essential financial relief for those experiencing the impacts of bushfires.
“Our fishing businesses play a vital role in the economic health of coastal communities throughout NSW and this is one way the government can support the industry during such a difficult time.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Fisher’s Association Tricia Beatty said the fee waiver was welcome relief for many fishers who have been through a tough time.
“Our industry have been struggling under the pressure of the ongoing drought and the more recent impacts of fires, floods and now the coronavirus,” Ms Beatty said.
“We welcome the NSW Government’s announcement to support our industry through a fee relief to reduce the burdens we face.”
Fishers who have already paid the management charges due for that instalment will receive a credit on their account with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
Commercial fishing business owners or charter boat owners with questions regarding fee relief are encouraged to contact DPI on 1300 720 662.

A team of the state’s best teachers will roll out to targeted high schools to lift performance using proven and successful teaching methods.
The new ‘Best in Class’ Teaching Unit is made up of handpicked educators, chosen for being leaders and teaching experts in their respective fields.
They’ll share their classrooms skills directly with those teachers and students who need it most, while also building a new teaching package to build on existing ‘best practice’ research for NSW Schools.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell joined students to announce the teaching program.
“We’re investing millions of dollars in school infrastructure across the NSW and we are also committed to supporting students in the classroom,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The teachers selected to deliver the program stand out, and their results speak for themselves. We want to replicate these great teaching methods, and share them across all the state’s classrooms.”
HSC students will be the first to benefit from the new approach – with the Best in Class Unit beginning the job this week.
HSC results are already monitored closely as students are completing the last year of high school. Comparing these results will provide useful data to monitor the impact ‘Best in Class’ is having on school performance.
Ms Mitchell said Best in Class is a continuation of the NSW Government’s commitment to building excellence in the teaching profession.
“The Best in Class unit will effect real change – and will lift standards across the state,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We know that the biggest positive impact on students learning is the teacher standing in front of them.
“NSW has the highest entry standards for students wanting to become teachers, and now we are using very best teachers to grow the entire profession from the inside out.
“This is an exciting time for education in NSW, ‘best in class’ will allow us to help teachers deliver lessons and improved curriculum to the best of their abilities.”

The NSW Government will provide stamp duty relief for people who lost their homes during the bushfires and who choose to purchase a replacement home elsewhere rather than rebuild.
Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro, and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, said the latest NSW Government assistancewould enable people to get back on their feet and back into a new home faster.
“This is about ensuring people have the ability to buy a home to replace the one destroyed by fire and not have to worry about the substantial cost of stamp duty which can be tens of thousands of dollars,” Mr Barilaro said.
“While many people will want to rebuild their homes, there will be others who choose to buy in another location, and we want to ensure that can happen as quickly as possible – this is a big bottom line boost for people during a challenging time.”
Mr Barilaro said 2448 homes were destroyed during the bushfires, with the Government-funded clean-up now well underway across the State.
“We have boots on the ground, bulldozers on building blocks and now more bucks staying in your bank account,” Mr Barilaro said.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the stamp duty relief package would allow people much more flexibility and financial freedom as they made one of their most important decisions in the recovery process.
“Losing your home is one of the worst things anybody has to face, and deciding whether to rebuild or relocate is no doubt on a lot of minds,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This will allow people to weigh-up their options, and if they do decide to purchase a replacement home, they can do so without the added financial burden and stress of paying stamp duty.”
People purchasing replacement homes will only begin paying stamp duty once the amount payable exceeds $55,000.
Information on how to apply for a refund and eligibility requirements will be available from Service NSW and Revenue NSW websites from March 10. Eligible people who have already paid duty will be able to apply for a refund.
The NSW Government has made available funding for tourism, school repairs, mental health, small businesses and on the ground assistance including:

• $1 billion to help re-build critical NSW State-owned infrastructure damaged in the bushfires including roads, bridges and schools.
• The NSW Government is jointly funding 50:50 with the Commonwealth the clean-up of residential and commercial properties destroyed by the recent bushfires in NSW with costs estimated in the “hundreds of millions”.
• $10 million tourism package through Destination NSW.
• $30 million for on the ground services and assistance measures to support Primary Producers impacted by fires.
• $15 million for additional mental health services for individuals, community groups and emergency services personnel.
• More than $315 million of additional funds have been committed to fight fires on top of the record 2019/20 RFS Budget.
• $35 million for Economic Recovery and Community Resilience Grants Program, with payments of up to $250,000 for small scale local activities that will kick-start the social and economic recovery of their communities.

To celebrate World Wildlife Day, the NSW Government has announced six new koala habitat restoration projects, which include planting 50,000 koala feed tree seedlings, in the Northern Rivers and Far South Coast regions.
Environment Minister Matt Kean said he was pleased to provide up to $150,000 in funding to a wide range of organisations, including Lismore City Council, Friends of the Koala, Far South Coast Landcare Association, Border Ranges-Richmond Valley Landcare Network and Bangalow Koalas to restore koala habitat.
“While we’re still determining the full impact of this season’s bushfires on koalas and other wildlife, we know that more than 25 per cent of koala habitat in eastern NSW was affected by fires,” Mr Kean said.
“By planting more trees and restoring habitats, we can help our koalas and other native animals recover from these devastating bushfires.
“These projects also acknowledge the passion of our regional communities and local organisations, who spend their time and money caring for their local koala populations and getting involved in tree planting, weed control and site preparation activities.
“These grants are part of the $1 million investment to deliver local actions in partnership with the community under the NSW Koala Strategy.”
The NSW Koala Strategy, which provides $44.7 million in funding, is the biggest commitment by any State government to secure koalas in the wild. It sets out the NSW Government’s long-term goal to stabilise then increase koala populations across NSW.
The NSW Koala Strategy is supported by the Saving our Species program, which is working to secure the future of NSW threatened plants and animals, including the koala.
Further information on how the NSW Government is supporting conservation through community actions is available on NSW Koala Country, a website that celebrates some of the inspiring people and organisations who dedicate their time to helping protect our koalas.
Find out more about the NSW Koala Country website at www.koala.nsw.gov.au

Families will have more access to influenza vaccinations with the NSW Government lowering the age pharmacists can administer flu jabs to children from 16 years to 10 years.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said giving families more options to protect their children against flu is sensible, with the likely convergence of a COVID-19 pandemic with winter flu.
“Last year was the longest flu season on record and in 2017 more than 650 people in NSW died from flu-related conditions, and now we have COVID-19,” Mr Hazzard said.
“While the flu vaccine won’t combat COVID-19, it will help reduce the severity and spread of flu, which can lower a person’s immunity and make them susceptible to other illnesses.
“By allowing pharmacists to administer privately purchased flu vaccines to people aged 10 years and over, families now have more choice when booking-in for a flu jab”.
The NSW Government has invested approximately $130 million in the 2019-20 Immunisation Program budget, including Commonwealth and state vaccines.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said this year’s flu vaccine is expected to be available from mid-April and she urges everyone who can be vaccinated to do so.
“Each year in NSW, we have hundreds of flu-related deaths and many of those who die were infected by the people they know and love who weren’t vaccinated,” Dr Chant said.
“Not only do you risk your own life by not getting vaccinated against flu but you can potentially spread the infection to others more vulnerable, like children and the elderly.
“This year’s flu vaccine will be specifically tailored to the strains we expect will pose the greatest risk but as always, call ahead to ensure your GP or pharmacist has your dose.”
Last year, around 2.5 million doses of Government-funded flu vaccines were distributed across NSW. This year, it is expected more than 2.6 million doses will be made available.
People aged 65 and over, pregnant women, Aboriginal people and those with high-risk medical conditions can be vaccinated for free by GPs under the National Immunisation Program. The free NSW-funded vaccine is available to all children aged six months to five years.
Amendments to the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 to lower the age that pharmacists can supply and administer a private market influenza vaccine to include people aged 10 years and over, are expected to come into effect by mid-March.

Water restrictions in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra revert to Level 1 from today, March 1, with Sydney dam levels over 80 per cent.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said easing back to Level 1 water restrictions would provide some relief to residents and businesses.
“People have been very patient and we appreciate that. The rain event that swept across the east coast of New South Wales earlier this month increased dam levels by 40 per cent, with total dam storages currently at 82 per cent,” Mrs Pavey said.
Mrs Pavey said while the rain was welcomed it was too early to ascertain if the weather was returning to some normality.
“The last time Sydney’s Dam levels were over 80 per cent was in April 2018. Since then they have been declining at the fastest rate on record at 0.5 per cent a week,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Until we are confident the weather patterns are normalizing, Level 1 restrictions will remain in place, so Sydney residents have some stability in their water habits.
“This drought is a reminder that water is our most precious resource and that saving water needs to be a way of life for us.”
Level 1 water restrictions include using a hose with a trigger nozzle only before 10am and after 4pm. Residents and businesses cannot leave hoses running unattended, or use standard sprinklers and watering systems at any time.
Mrs Pavey acknowledged people have been patient and applauded their efforts to reduce the amount of water being used annually – from 200L per person per day in 2017, to 180L today.
“Despite a 26 per cent increase in population, the total demand for drinking water remains lower than it did before mandatory restrictions were introduced in late 2003.”
Fines still apply for breaches of water restrictions – $220 for residential breaches and $550 for businesses. Exemptions will be available for non-residential customers. For a full list of requirements for Level 1 water restrictions visit: lovewater.sydney.