Category: NSW News

The NSW Government will enhance Sydney’s night-time economy with extended trading hours for venues and bottle shops, a relaxation of after-midnight drink rules and other changes to be introduced from January.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the initiatives introduced five years ago had undoubtedly made Sydney safer, but now was the right time for change in the CBD, particularly with light rail services commencing soon.
“Sydney has transformed dramatically over recent years, and we need to ensure we have a strong and vibrant night-time economy that reflects our position as Australia’s only truly global city,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Following a detailed review of the Joint Select Committee’s recommendations, we will implement changes over summer to ensure Sydney has a thriving, safe and diverse night life that can be enjoyed by all.
“While the extended trading hours will provide a boost for the night-time economy, community safety will always be a focus.”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the changes would stimulate the economy and attract more businesses into the CBD.
“We are working to ensure the NSW economy grows and provides an improved standard of living for our citizens and a big part of this is stimulating growth in the night-time economy,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The NSW Government’s changes will help drive investment, grow jobs and attract more businesses to the CBD.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said an enhanced night time economy would provide a huge boost for tourism, providing another incentive for people to visit Sydney.
“It’s time to embrace a 24 hour economy that creates jobs, fosters arts, culture, live performance and safety on our streets. You don’t have to trade safety for liveability but we all need to take responsibility for making Sydney the best it can be,” Mr Ayres said.
“Sydney is Australia’s number one tourism destination, with the world’s most iconic harbour, scenic beaches, world-class transport, and a vibrant arts and culture scene.”
The following changes will occur from 14 January 2020:

• Remove 1.30am last entry for all venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, including those on Oxford Street (see map).
• Remove restrictions on serving cocktails, shots and drinks in glass after midnight in this precinct.
• Extend ‘last drinks’ at venues with good records in this precinct by 30 minutes.
• Extend bottle shop opening hours across NSW until midnight from Monday to Saturday, with 11pm closing on Sunday.
• Increase small bar patron capacity from 100 to 120 across NSW.

Consistent with the Joint Select Committee’s recommendations, existing arrangements will be maintained in the Kings Cross precinct.
The Joint Select Committee consisted of members from all sides of politics working in consultation with police and health authorities, and taking feedback from community, and entertainment and live music stakeholders to develop the recommendations.
The lockout laws were introduced by the NSW Government in 2014 following a number of alcohol-fuelled violent deaths and attacks in Sydney.
The Government will monitor the impact of these changes and conduct a review after 12 months. Minister Ayres will be responsible for the implementation and review of the NSW Government response. To view the Government’s full response to the Committee’s recommendations, visit this link.

Construction sites, hazardous chemical facilities and sites with mobile plant equipment are some of the workplaces targeted in a new High-Risk Workplaces Strategy launched by the NSW Government today.
The strategy utilises current and historical data to identify risk trends within industries, which will then allow SafeWork to run targeted programs so that there is a better chance of intervening before an incident occurs.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said the strategy is part of a commitment to reduce fatalities and serious injuries at work.
“The High-Risk Workplaces Strategy is a game changer in the fight to reduce workplace fatalities and serious injuries,” Mr Anderson said.
“Using state-of-the-art data science, SafeWork NSW can better identify businesses most at risk of having a workplace incident, and then work with those businesses to remove or reduce the risk before someone gets seriously injured or killed.”
The SafeWork NSW High-Risk Workplaces Strategy uses a predictive model that generates a risk score for each business. When applied against last year’s data, the model has an 80 per cent success rate in predicting whether or not a business will have an incident.
“We’ve seen the devastation workplace deaths and serious injury can have on the community, which is why SafeWork NSW continues to find new and innovative ways of addressing unsafe work practices, so that everyone makes it home at the end of their shift,” Mr Anderson said.
SafeWork NSW’s compliance, prevention and regulatory function is guided by the Work Health and Safety Roadmap for NSW 2022. The six-year strategy commits NSW to a 30 per cent reduction in work related fatalities and a 50 per cent reduction in the incidence of serious injuries, illnesses by 2022.  To date NSW is exceeding national targets and is the only state to increase its targets.
The full strategy is available via www.safework.nsw.gov.au. To watch a short clip about predictive modelling to generate a WHS risk score visit Using Predicative Modelling to Generate a WHS Risk Score

Police officers, firefighters, ambulance officers and SES volunteers have come together to share their stories about mental health and the unique challenges of working on the frontline during a launch for ‘Are They Triple OK?’
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott today joined representatives from these agencies to launch the campaign at Fire and Rescue NSW’s station at The Rocks. The campaign aims to increase peer and social support for emergency services workers across NSW to highlight that an R U OK? conversation can be life changing.
“Our first responders go out there on the frontline every day, putting community safety above their own, and they deserve the respect and support of each and every person they are sworn to protect,” Mr Elliott said.
“Police and emergency services workers give so much of themselves in the line of duty, and it’s our job to ensure they have the best possible tools and support to look out for each other.”
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said it was vital the community understands the challenges faced by our police, firefighters, ambulance offices and other emergency services.
“My message to first responders struggling with the pressures of work is this: we thank you and we are here for you,” Mrs Taylor said.
R U OK? CEO Katherine Newton said the organisation was extremely grateful to the emergency services personnel who have shared their stories.
NSW Police Senior Constable Tracy Bloomfield and Fire and Rescue NSW firefighter Max Cottingham are two of five NSW first responders featured in the campaign.
“It’s hard sometimes to tell your family, who aren’t in the services, how you struggle. They just don’t realise the repercussions and the dreams, all the ongoing things that can happen even after an incident,” Ms Bloomfield said.
Mr Cottingham said he wanted the campaign to empower colleagues and family members to take that step and ask the question.
“You don’t have to be an expert to ask, ‘Are you OK?’ We’re always there to help. Let’s make sure we help each other and ask ‘R U OK?’,” Mr Cottingham said.
R U OK? will provide free resources to foster a supportive work culture and address high rates of self-stigma identified within the services.
Please click here for more information.

The NSW Government will transform the State’s planning system with major reforms to create thousands of new jobs and supercharge the economy.
Speaking at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) State of the State address, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes outlined the Government’s vision to boost the timeliness, certainty and transparency of the State’s planning system.
“The current system does not give investors certainty – some planning proposals are taking years to determine and there are too many layers of bureaucracy – which is unacceptable,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Under the new reforms, we will deliver the simplest and most effective planning system in Australia that creates thousands of jobs and improves the way people live and work, right across the State.”
Mr Stokes said a series of reforms would be introduced to the planning system over the coming months to slash assessment timeframes, reduce red tape and fast-track projects in high growth areas.
“This is about demystifying and restoring confidence in the planning system so we can get on with the job of delivering fantastic new places right across NSW,” Mr Stokes said.
“We have already made significant changes to the planning system over the past few years and these changes will keep driving our State forward.”
The planning reforms will:

1. Cut red tape, increase transparency, reduce assessment timeframes and make e-planning mandatory for metro councils;
2. Supercharge new hubs across NSW to ensure people can live in communities close to their work;
3. Fix the uncertainty of developer contributions to boost investment; and
4. Preserve our heritage, create beautiful new public places, and promote good design.

More details on the planning reforms will be outlined in the new year following consultation.

Travelling under Sydney’s famous harbour is a step closer to being faster and more reliable with the first stages of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link Program moving to the next stage of the planning process.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance confirmed the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade will go on public display in early January 2020, allowing the community more time to have their say.
“The Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link Program is an important part of the NSW Government’s vision to create an integrated transport network and listening to the community will help inform the final outcome,” Mr Constance said.
“This is a program of works our city desperately needs to ease congestion. Currently  4.3 million passenger trips are made across Sydney Harbour each week, making the Warringah Freeway one of the busiest and most complex roads in the country.
“This program will help to ease pressure on the road network and commuters, with a direct connection to WestConnex it will also bust congestion on the Anzac Bridge, Western Distributor and Sydney Harbour Bridge corridor.”
Mr Constance said travel times will be slashed once this part of the work is complete. “The first part of the program will deliver huge time savings, both for drivers and for public transport customers,” he said.
“Commuters travelling from Leichhardt to North Sydney will save 20 minutes off their trip. It’ll also save 15 minutes for anyone travelling from North Sydney to the Airport and up to 25 minutes off a trip between Parramatta and Manly.
“Bus customers will also experience time-savings with a continuous southbound bus lane on the Warringah Freeway from Miller Street to the Sydney Harbour Bridge plus new direct connections to the Victoria Cross Metro station at North Sydney.
“Access will also improve for cyclists and pedestrians across the project, including new and enhanced paths along and across the Warringah Freeway and Wakehurst Parkway.”
The NSW Government has also committed to enhancing public spaces upon completion of the project and delivering quick wins for locals along the way. At Berrys Bay improved public access to the beach will be delivered before construction begins.
“We’ve already received some really important feedback on the program and I want to thank the local community for helping us with that,” Mr Constance said.
“We will be working with the original landscape architect for Yurulbin Park to deliver some really great outcomes there. We’ve also heard the community’s views on Berrys Bay and we can confirm a new public space will be developed at that site once this project is complete. We’ll also be working closely with local council and the community to deliver new and improved recreational and sports facilities at Balgowlah.”
The planning process for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link Program will be staged, in line with other infrastructure projects of this scale, such as Sydney Metro. The EIS for the Beaches Link is expected to be available for public exhibition from mid-2020.
The program includes:

• Western Harbour Tunnel – The Western Harbour Tunnel includes a new western bypass of the Sydney CBD, which will take pressure off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Anzac Bridge. The 6.5 kilometre twin tunnels will link Rozelle to the Warringah Freeway with three lanes in each direction.
• The Warringah Freeway upgrade – An upgrade to four kilometres of the Warringah Freeway, which is one of Australia’s busiest roads, to make space to connect the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link tunnels. The upgrade will streamline the way the road operates, reduce merging, provide a continuous dedicated bus lane, and provide connections to the new tunnels.
• Beaches Link – A new motorway tunnel connection from Seaforth and Balgowlah, under Middle Harbour, to the Warringah Freeway near Cammeray and the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. The tunnel will be over seven kilometres long, and will be three lanes in each direction. Beaches Link is an integrated transport solution that will improve car and bus journey times to and from the Northern Beaches. It will also provide new connections to St Leonards and Macquarie Park linking people with jobs, education and services.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro, along with the entire State Cabinet, today travelled 770km from Sydney into outback NSW to hold a Cabinet meeting in Bourke.
Ms Berejiklian said it is the first time in the State’s history a formal cabinet meeting has been held in Bourke.
“I want to thank the Mayor of Bourke Barry Hollman and the entire community for inviting the NSW Cabinet to the outback, and undertaking the huge task of hosting the NSW government in town for the day,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I know that these communities are suffering through this devastating drought.
“The most critical issue in Bourke right now is of course access to water and so, today we are announcing $2 million in immediate funding for the construction of an additional bore and pipeline in Bourke to increase the towns’ long-term water supply.”
Mr Barilaro said Bourke fortunately fell under a rain cloud earlier this month, receiving 100ml, extending the town’s water supply in the immediate future but more urgent measures are still needed to guarantee the town’s long-term water security.
“Bourke was facing the prospect of running out of water in the near future but fortunately Mother Nature intervened and extended their water supply for six months,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The $2 million in emergency water funding for Bourke, announced by the Premier and I today, is one example of the emergency measures we are undertaking across the state to prevent towns and cities from running out of water.
“Recent rain has brought a green tinge to the region and a pulse down the Darling River but this drought is pushing our country resilience to the edge. I want Ministers to roll up their sleeves and get dust on their boots today to see first-hand what we need to do to keep our regional communities going.
“NSW needs towns like Bourke to grow and to continue to carry on the tradition of strong outback communities contributing to our State’s history and prosperity.”
We have committed close to $3 billion to drought relief and water security since 2017, which includes funding for 60 bores across 23 communities and 14 pipelines, such as that from Wentworth to Broken Hill.

Parramatta’s transformation into a cultural, economic and education precinct is another step closer thanks to the NSW Government’s approval of a new Engineering Innovation Hub in the heart of the CBD.
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the new 19-storey education hub will be shared by Western Sydney University and the University of NSW.
“The hub will be used by 1,600 engineering and architecture students and will bring world-leading research and innovation to Sydney’s second CBD,” Mr Stokes said.
“The hub will also create almost 1,000 construction jobs and more than 1,300 full-time ongoing jobs close to the ferry, train station, main bus routes and the future light rail.
“Open space in Parramatta will be improved with new public space in the form of terraces and a ground level plaza that connects Hassall Street to Lancer Barracks.”
Skills and Tertiary Education Minister and Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said education and innovation opportunities are soaring in Parramatta.
“This will be the third high-rise education building approved in the Parramatta CBD, following Western Sydney University’s campus at Parramatta Square and the nearly completed Arthur Phillip High School,” Mr Lee said.
“A shared vision and collaboration is crucial to delivering great results and this innovative partnership between two universities will see Parramatta continue to develop into an economic and knowledge-based powerhouse.”
Construction of the new education facility will continue from the early works approved by Council and is expected to be welcoming students in 2021.

ASSISTANCE FOR BUSHFIRE DISASTER CLEANUP

• The NSW Government is committing up to $25 million to facilitate the cleanup of homes and properties damaged and destroyed by the recent bushfires.
• The funding will help pay for the cleanup of hazardous materials including the removal of asbestos-contaminated material released as a result of the fires, concrete slabs and all dangerous debris including destroyed homes and trees.
• Waste levy fees for residents disposing of bushfire-generated waste will be waived, saving households thousands of dollars.
• The NSW Government will be part of the disaster recovery for the long term and more support will be made available as the extent of the damage becomes clear.

LEVEL TWO WATER RESTRICTIONS FOR GREATER SYDNEY AND THE ILLAWARRA

• Sydney, Blue Mountains, and the Illawarra will soon experience Level 2 Water restrictions from 10 December to continue to protect Greater Sydney’s water supply from drought conditions.
• Dam levels are currently close to 46% and continue to drop every week.
• Under the new restrictions, people will be required to use a bucket or watering can to water their gardens between approved times, cars can only be washed with a bucket or taken to a commercial car wash and topping up of pools and spas is limited to 15 minutes a day with a trigger nozzle.
• Fines will apply for breaches of water restrictions – $220 for residential breaches and $550 for businesses.
• For up-to-date information, visit lovewater.sydney/restrictions.

REPLACEMENT IDENTITY DOCUMENTS FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY BUSHFIRES

• People who lose important identity documents in the bushfires can have them replaced for free to help them recover as quickly as possible.
• Anyone who has lost paperwork such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate can apply to have them replaced at no cost as a priority.”
• The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (BDM) can assist people who have lost documents in the fire to quickly re-establish their identity
• Customers requiring a new driver’s licence will be issued with an interim licence on the spot allowing them to get back on the road immediately, with the new licence card being delivered 7 to 10 days after the transaction.

BLUEPRINT CHARTS TRILLION DOLLAR FUTURE FOR NSW

• The NSW Government has released the NSW 2040 Economic Blueprint, a landmark document designed as a roadmap for continued success.
• The Blueprint forecasts NSW will continue to power the nation, with our State economy tripling in size to be worth as much as two trillion dollars by around 2040.
• The billions we are pouring in to infrastructure are helping drive the economy and create jobs now, but also positioning the State for ongoing growth.
• For more information, visit treasury.nsw.gov.au/nsw-economy/nsw-2040-economic-blueprint.

AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE POWER FOR NSW

• Households across NSW are expected to save $40 per year on their electricity bills and the State will have one of the highest reliability targets in the world under the NSW Electricity Strategy.
• The Strategy will ensure reliable and affordable electricity supply for the people of NSW, particularly in peak summer periods.

23 METRO TRAINS ON THE WAY FOR SYDNEY’S SOUTHWEST

• 23 new metro trains will be ordered as part of a contract package to extend and operate Sydney’s first driverless Metro railway beyond Chatswood – into the city and on to Bankstown, delivering a 66 kilometre line by 2024.
• Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced the NSW Government has approved Sydney Metro exercising a pre-agreed extension to the existing Northwest Rapid Transit Public Private Partnership contract, which was awarded in 2014.

HISTORIC REFORMS FOR BETTER TRANSPORT

• Customers and the community are set to benefit from historic reforms to the NSW Government’s transport agency, which will result in better planning, thinking, and delivery of services now and into the future.
• Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) ceased to exist following the passage of the Transport Administration Amendment (RMS Dissolution) Bill 2019 through the NSW Parliament.
• The RMS functions will now be transferred into a new, fully integrated Transport for NSW.
• With $55.6 billion being invested in transport and roads infrastructure over the next four years, an integrated transport agency that meets the needs of the community is vital.
• Changes enabled by the Bill’s passage will strengthen the NSW Government’s focus on delivering integrated transport solutions across the entire state.

PARAMEDIC SAFETY PROMPTS BODY CAMERA TRIAL

• Paramedics will be fitted with high-tech body cameras as part of the NSW Government’s $48 million reform package to improve the safety of frontline health staff.
• Paramedics from Liverpool, Sydney Ambulance Centre at Eveleigh, and Hamilton in suburban Newcastle will be part of a 12-month voluntary trial.
• 60 body cameras will be used in the trial by paramedics and if it is successful, more could be rolled out statewide.
• The cameras will be another set of eyes for our paramedics and in addition to deterring abuse, there is scope to use them for training purposes further down the line.

REFORMS PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN

• Offenders convicted of certain crimes against children who fail to comply with reporting obligations will be better held to account under reforms that passed NSW Parliament.
• Offenders on the Child Protection Register who claim to have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for not complying with their reporting obligations will now have to prove that excuse in court.
• The reforms will also improve legal procedures in certain cases for children under the age of 14 who are victims or alleged victims of sexual offences.
• The amendments will enable a ‘suitable person’, like a parent or guardian, to consent to the child’s counselling records to become evidence in court.
• In the past, these records would have been inadmissible because of sexual assault communications privilege, which protects the relationship between a counsellor and a victim of sexual assault.

A clearer and simpler rating system for early childhood services was announced today, making it easier for parents to understand how their service rates under the National Quality Framework (NQF).
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the change is something both parents and services have been calling for.
“All providers will be required to display their National Quality Standard (NQS) rating in the format of four stars that correlate to their NQS rating level,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Services will display the stars where parents can see them clearly, and will be requested to provide more detailed rating information to parents and families at enrolment from July 1, 2020.
“A fifth star can be obtained through an additional application to Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
“We have worked with the sector and families to find a better way for promoting and understanding the quality ratings, and have set aside a further $8 million to support providers to improve the quality of their services, building on the $5 million already invested.
“Ensuring parents and carers understand the rating of their early childhood service is essential for families, and also for maintaining and improving quality.”
Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page said the Quality Ratings Guide will be a great way for families to start a conversation with services.
“Parents should play an active role in communicating with services about all aspects of quality, and the star graphic invites them to learn more about quality improvement,” Ms Page said.
“It also gives services the opportunity to pro-actively engage and focus on quality as an ongoing priority.”
The new four star format will display a service’s NQF rating as:

• Exceeding NQS = 4 stars
• Meeting NQS = 3 stars
• Working towards NQS = 2 stars
• Significant Improvement Required = 1 star

For more information on the new Stars system visit the website: https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-quality

A new digital data service will record information relating to rough sleepers in real-time to better facilitate collaboration between service providers for those experiencing homelessness in NSW.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said global tech giant Microsoft has partnered with the NSW Government and the Act to End Street Sleeping Collaboration to bring the project to fruition.
“Every day more than 37,000 people in NSW experience homelessness and this new initiative will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the challenges they face,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“By using technology to collect a range of social and demographic data on rough sleepers, we can improve the way we respond to homelessness.”
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the launch of the initiative comes during the inaugural Connections Week, which aims to create a by-name list of people sleeping rough in Sydney’s CBD.
“The homelessness targets our Government has set require an innovative approach as well as collaboration with our non-government partners,” Mr Ward said.
“By compiling a database of rough sleepers, our assertive outreach teams and NGOs will be able to better collaborate towards a common goal.”
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the data will be captured using a mobile device and include geolocation technology.
“We are using digital technology to make life easier for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.”
Act to End Street Sleeping Convener Graham West said the aim is to create a vulnerability index of rough sleepers across the state, to determine risk and help prioritise specialist services.
Data collected this week will be used to inform potential expansion of the program across the state.