16 News

One of the largest providers of affordable rental housing in NSW, Hume Community Housing, is responding to the housing crisis, today announcing they will expand their footprint to the Central Coast following a significant land purchase in Wyong.

Hume has purchased a 3,160m2 block on Jennings Road and will look to build up to 20 townhouses offering both Social and Affordable rental housing.  

The land purchase was made possible thanks to a partnership with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, who have contributed a grant from the Community Housing Innovation Fund (CHIF). This grant scheme encourages community housing providers such as Hume to invest in delivering projects to increase affordable housing supply in key areas of need. 

Hume CEO Brad Braithwaite says the organisation is stepping up its role as a developer of affordable housing in the Greater Sydney and Hunter Regions.

“Hume has undergone extraordinary growth over the past five years, nearly doubling in size since 2019. Our recent growth has largely come through taking on the management of Government social housing in the Hunter Region. As a result, Hume now has a very large customer base in both Sydney and the Hunter, and we are keen to do what we can to support people on the Central Coast as well. Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a what we hope will be a significant pipeline of new developments between Sydney and the Hunter to support greater rental affordability.” 

The Wyong location geographically connects Hume’s Sydney metropolitan operations with their Maitland and Port Stephens regional offices. The prime site is centrally located close to amenities, and is walking distance to Wyong Station, supermarkets, a medical centre, and Wyong High School. 

Hume will demolish two existing cottages and seek Development Approval to build up to 20 townhouses, available under both Affordable and Social rental housing programs.

“The Central Coast, like many regional areas, is struggling with a severe under supply of affordable rental housing. This development aligns perfectly with our commitment to creating thriving communities through access to affordable quality housing,” Mr Braithwaite said.  

Official data reveals that the waiting list for public housing has grown by 30 per cent in some areas as the costs of private housing and rent skyrocket across the Coast. Department of Communities and Justice data has revealed the number of residents seeking public housing in the Wyong area has increased by 15 per cent with close to 2,000 people on the wait list with up to 10 years in wait time. This is coupled with significant spikes in the cost of housing and rent across the Coast last year, with house prices increasing by 39.3 per cent in Wyong and rents up by 8.9% last year. 

Minister for Housing, Rose Jackson, said the development will make a big difference to the lives of Wyong locals. 

“The NSW Government is determined to ease the housing crisis, especially for communities like those on the Central Coast where there is a high number of essential workers. People performing vital roles in aged care, hospitals and cleaning should be able to live in a reasonable proximity to their work and communities suffer when they priced out of the rental market. 

“Once complete, these townhouses will provide stable and modern housing for individuals and families in the Wyong area.” 

Hume will release more information regarding the scale of the development and expected start date in the coming months. 

SafeWork NSW has fined a food delivery company for not adequately training more than 1,000 food delivery riders in hazard and fatigue management, road safety, the use of PPE and work health and safety duties and obligations.

This comes as the NSW Government introduced a bill to parliament that, if passed, paves the way for increased penalties for non-compliance with Work Health and Safety regulations.

SafeWork NSW Inspectors recently met with representatives from Fantuan to discuss rider safety trends identified in recent compliance activities and assess Fantuan’s compliance with Part 4.11 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017.

Under 4.11 of the WHS regulations, platforms must supply high-vis personal protective equipment to food delivery riders (FDR), provide food delivery induction training to FDRs and ensure FDRs have successfully completed training.

SafeWork NSW issued Fantuan with a number of improvement notices in relation to induction training provided not being adequate or completed, and failing to keep records of training in accordance with regulations. Fantuan were also issued with four penalty notices worth a total of $13,600.

Safework will be following up with the corporation on the matter and failure to comply with any future improvement notice can result in a penalty of up to $332,611 for the corporation.

There have been eight fatalities involving food delivery riders in NSW since January 2018. Two of those fatalities occurred in 2023.

Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis said:

“We have put the onus on food delivery platforms to ensure the riders they engage are trained properly and have systems in place that ensure riders are trained and this is recorded”.

“Safework inspectors in NSW are meeting with other food delivery platforms and more fines and penalties will be coming for platforms who can’t demonstrate that they’ve met these requirements”.

“This is a message to other food delivery companies who don’t follow the rules, you are on notice”.

The new and improved Redfern Station has officially opened, providing major accessibility upgrades for one of Sydney’s oldest and busiest railway stations.

As part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program, the inner-city station has been transformed to improve safety and convenience for people with a disability or limited mobility, and passengers travelling with prams, luggage or bikes. 

The upgraded station features a new southern concourse with six new lifts and stair access to Platforms 1 to 10, as well as two additional entrances, drop-off areas, accessible toilets, and improved streetscaping.

The location of the pedestrian bridge provides easier access to arts and employment precincts like Carriageworks and South Eveleigh.

In response to a community campaign, the new concourse also provides barrier-free access so people can move freely between Little Eveleigh and Marian Streets.

Transport for NSW engaged heritage architects and Aboriginal community members to ensure the upgrade reflected the station and surrounding area’s unique and rich cultural heritage. 

This project was delivered under the Transport Access Program, which saw a funding boost of $300m in the most recent budget, ensuring more communities across NSW will soon have access to safe and accessible public transport options.

Chris Minns, Premier of NSW said:

“Given its close proximity to education, health, employment and cultural precincts, we know how important Redfern Station is for people accessing local services and attractions, so it’s great to see these accessibility upgrades completed.

“I am pleased to mark the completion of this project, which will benefit so many rail commuters and visitors travelling on our states rail network.

Jo Haylen, Minister for Transport, said:

“Redfern Train Station is the fifth busiest train station in the state, but for the 140 years it’s been serving passengers it hasn’t been accessible.

“That changes today as this much-needed upgrade opens, breathing new life into this beautiful old station and ensuring it has better capacity and accessibility into the future.

“The upgrade of this station was years in the making, with people advocating for this project for decades. I want to thank the more than four thousand workers who contributed to this project, as well as the community for their patience during construction.

“Now with an additional $300m in the budget for further station accessibility upgrades, I look forward to seeing even more communities across NSW making the most of these vital station upgrades.”
 
Kate Washington, Minister for Disability inclusion, said:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to making our communities more inclusive and accessible for all.”

“These six brand new lifts at one of our State’s busiest train stations will open up new opportunities for people with disability, parents with prams, and anyone with mobility issues.”

“This vital upgrade at Redfern Train Station means more people can get around our city easily and safely.”

The memory of five volunteers who lost their lives in the past year has been honoured at the 23rd annual NSW Emergency Service Volunteers Memorial Service today.

The volunteers’ families and representatives of NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service, Marine Rescue NSW, VRA Rescue NSW, and other emergency services gathered at Mrs Macquaries Point to honour the five volunteers.

Paul Norton, Randall Macarthur, Bruce Holz, Michael Holland and Tony Hardy all served their communities as NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers, and all died as a result of illnesses associated with their firefighting duties.

The men have been added to the Memorial’s Honour Roll, which now has the names of 115 volunteers who gave their time to help and protect communities across the state.

The Memorial was established in 1999 to honour fallen men and women from the State’s volunteer emergency services.

There are 90,000 volunteers in NSW who give their time to serve communities right across the State.

The ceremonial lead of the annual Memorial Service is rotated between the four volunteer emergency service agencies, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service, Marine Rescue NSW, VRA Rescue NSW. The 2023 Memorial Service was led by Marine Rescue NSW.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“Today is an important day to pause and honour the memory of the men and women whose names are inscribed on the Volunteers Memorial. Their service to this state will never be forgotten.”

“It is with great sadness that today we mark the loss of five volunteers, who had given a combined 183 years’ service to the RFS and to keeping our community safe.”

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to the thousands of volunteers who selflessly put service above self to help and protect our community in times of emergency, whether in bushfires, floods, storms, on the water or accidents on our roads.”

RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said:

“Today was a day to mourn the loss of the five RFS volunteers lost over the past year and all those who had made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the community.”

“I also acknowledge their loved ones, who have paid a great price. It is important for us to thank the families of all our volunteers, whose support is so important.”

“While the annual Memorial service is a time for solemn reflection, it is also a time to take great pride in the fact that across NSW, members of the community still selflessly commit themselves to helping their neighbours.”

Blue Mountains National Park has retained its top spot as the most visited national park in NSW. 

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2022 Park Visitor Survey shows 6.4 million domestic visits were made to the World Heritage-listed national park, which is home to 260,000 hectares of bushland, including the Three Sisters, Meehni, Wilmah and Gunnedoo.

The second most visited national park in NSW is the world’s second-oldest national park, Royal National Park on Sydney’s southern coast. 5 million visits were reported.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in Sydney’s north sits third on the list, with 4.4 million visits to its winding creeks, rainforest, rocky cliffs, mangroves and Aboriginal sites.

Number four is Lane Cove National Park which has bushland reaching to East Ryde, Pennant Hills, Wahroonga and West Chatswood, and in fifth place is the alpine wonderland Kosciuszko National Park.

The top 10 most-visited national parks in 2022:

1. Blue Mountains National Park, 6.40 million visits
2. Royal National Park, 5.05 million visits
3. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, 4.40 million visits
4. Lane Cove National Park, 2.61 million visits
5. Kosciuszko National Park, 2.48 million visits
6. Sydney Harbour National Park, 1.93 million visits
7. Eurobodalla National Park, 1.41 million visits
8. Garigal National Park, 1.18 million visits
9. Cape Byron National Park, 1.03 million visits
10. Brisbane Water National Park, 929,000 visits

Across the state, there were more than 53 million domestic visits to national parks in 2022. That’s an increase of 49% in the past ten years. In addition to these domestic visitors, many international travellers also enjoyed our parks.

A record 12.5 million of the visits were made by children. Research has shown that building a meaningful connection with nature at an early age delivers far higher levels of connection and advocacy. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service focuses on younger visitors through dedicated education programs and by fostering fun experiences.

The Greater Sydney region set a record with more than 20 million visits to its 49 National Park reserves. Five of the top ten parks are in Greater Sydney.

Around 1.8 million nights were spent in a campground, cottage, cabin or lighthouse within national parks.

The 895 reserves in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service system conserve around 10 per cent of the state, protecting unique ecosystems across deserts, Alpine regions, World Heritage Gondwanaland rainforest and Ramsar-listed wetlands.

The Park Visitor Survey started in 2008 and is undertaken every two years to better understand visitor use patterns and enable the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to plan for the future.

The survey reports on the total number of visits, rather than the number of people who visited parks. It considers people who live in Australia.

Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“National parks are one of NSW’s greatest public assets, which are loved by people from within our state, across Australia and internationally.

“In a post-Covid world it is clear that visits to national parks are growing.

“Across the state there are 895 national parks, nature reserves, state conservation areas and regional parks. These are places to be in nature, to swim, to seek adventure, to understand Aboriginal and other heritage and to appreciate the beauty of our natural environment.

“The NSW Government is investing $74 million to upgrade visitor infrastructure in NSW national parks so people can enjoy unforgettable experiences, from camping trips in the bush to coastal getaways and alpine adventures.”

The NSW Government is committed to the fight against pests and weeds, and supporting work to minimise their impacts to primary industries.

Current estimates suggest the annual costs of damage by these invasive species is approximately $25 billion nationwide, with the cost to NSW agriculture $2 billion every year.

That’s why the NSW Government has engaged the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to consult on the impacts and risks of invasive species with stakeholders and the public encouraged to have their say online.

This review will enable the government to set a baseline for the extent and impact of invasive species and measure progress in combating pests and weeds. This will inform work with farmers and the community in undertaking coordinated and cost-effective action to manage pests and weeds.

The information and data provided by this review will be critical in supporting ongoing efforts to address the impacts of pests and weeds in NSW. Members of the public are invited to submit their feedback to the Have Your Say page on the subject. Consultation will run until Tuesday 31 October 2023.

Future stages of the review will:

• Identify future risks from invasive species
• Consider how existing programs could better contribute to improved management outcomes
• Audit state and regional invasive species management plans
• Provide advice to the Independent Biosecurity Commissioner on areas of further investigation regarding potential barriers to effective management. 

The review is part of a package of programs being delivered by the NSW Government relating to invasive species management.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

“We know that there is an increasing risk to agricultural productivity by invasive pest animals and weeds.

“This government is delivering on our election commitments to take the fight to invasive pests and weeds – including undertaking this review, establishing an Independent Biosecurity Commissioner and directing $10 million towards a Good Neighbour Program to tackle pest and weeds.

“We are committed to ensuring that this government is doing everything we can to support our farmers and communities in managing infestations.”  

The NSW Government is making vital investments in mental health with an additional 109 forensic mental health beds to be delivered in NSW to ensure more people with severe mental illness can get treatment.

Expanding the existing NSW network of forensic and mental health units is a crucial step to improving the system as part of a $700 million investment in mental health services.

Forensic mental health units are a key part of both the mental health and justice system, which ensures people receive comprehensive mental health care when engaged in the criminal justice system as a result of their ill health.

There’s currently a total of 209 beds in forensic mental health units across NSW so the government is delivering a 50% increase to ensure NSW facilities have the capacity to meet people’s needs and help them get on the road to recovery.

This investment from the NSW Government is an important first step, which includes:

• A new mental health intensive care unit (MHICU) located within the Forensic Hospital at Malabar (Freshwater Unit).
• Additional low secure and medium secure forensic beds located within the mental health precinct at Concord Hospital.
• Relocation of the Cumberland Bunya Medium Secure Forensic unit to Blacktown Hospital and the addition of new low secure forensic beds.
• Relocation of the Morisset Kestrel Medium Secure Forensic unit to the New Maitland Hospital and the addition of new low secure forensic beds. This includes the relocation of the adult acute and older persons services previously provided at Morisset to the New Maitland Hospital.
• The new beds will be delivered in Concord, Freshwater, Blacktown and Maitland over the next 4 years.

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said:

“The care provided in our forensic mental health units is vital in reducing the risk of repeat offending resulting from untreated mental illness and improves the safety of NSW communities.

“This investment will help to address statewide gaps in in-patient forensic services so that people get the right care, at the right time, in the least restrictive environment.

“We’re increasing the number of beds available in low, medium and high security facilities to ensure we can meet patients where they’re at and support their pathway to recovery.

“Our goal is to put people back on their feet and in the right head space so they can recover and transition back into the community to live meaningful, purposeful lives.”

The NSW Government continues to prioritise the future of our rail network, making major progress towards more reliable, resilient, comfortable and accessible journeys for passengers.

Commuters can now tap back onto the T3 Bankstown line after a two-week closure saw significant work completed in preparation for the line’s Metro City & Southwest conversion.

Approximately 500 workers were on site during this time, many around the clock, undertaking crucial track upgrades, installing security fencing and cables, excavating the future Bankstown Metro platforms and testing new infrastructure. The new pedestrian overbridge at Dulwich Hill Station is also complete and open to commuters from today.

Sydney Metro took advantage of the school holidays to complete this work, as train patronage is generally lower, meaning less disruption to passengers.

As Metro City & Southwest upgrades continue to ramp up, there will be additional closures and replacement bus plans during school holidays and weekend periods:

• Wednesday 27 December 2023 to Thursday 25 January 2024
• Saturday 13 April to Sunday 28 April 2024
• the target start date for the 12-month closure of the T3 Bankstown line is between July and October 2024.

Transport for NSW is developing detailed plans to support passengers during the final T3 conversion period and the community will be informed well ahead of time.

Rail Repair Plan passes halfway mark

Just four months in since the launch on 4 June, the Sydney Trains Rail Repair Plan has hit 60 per cent completion, 10 weeks ahead of schedule.

With more than 1,150 high-priority defects removed across the network so far, Sydney Trains is on track to complete the 1,900 target ahead of the June 2024 forecast.

Weekend works were kept to a minimum over the Labour Day long weekend, to ensure the community could access major events including the NRL Grand Final.

Jo Haylen, Minister for Transport, said: 

“It’s fantastic to welcome commuters back to the T3 Bankstown Line, with services back up and running in time for everyone’s return to school.”

“Under our Rail Repair Plan, we’re ahead of schedule in 18 weekends of trackwork, set to improve reliability for passengers across our network and ensuring everyone has a smoother ride in 2024.”

“We know we still have a long way to go, but we’re pleased to see this progress. I want to thank the thousands of workers who have gotten us to this milestone, and passengers for their patience.”

Matt Longland, Sydney Trains Chief Executive, said: 

“This past month, our on-time running performance exceeded 92 per cent for the first time since May 2022, showing our hard work is starting to pay off.”

“While we are confident that the network will be more reliable with fewer incidents, it’s worth remembering this doesn’t mean there will be no issues. Our rail infrastructure is ageing and the network is complex.”

A month-long compliance blitz has found nearly 99% of pubs and clubs inspected in NSW are now free of external gambling-related signage, as the NSW Government begins its statewide reform on gaming room advertising.

During the compliance program, Liquor and Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) inspected over 1100 venues across 35 metropolitan and 8 regional Local Government Areas (LGAs). This represents just over 50% of all venues in NSW with an entitlement to hold gaming machines.

These inspections revealed 16 venues with prohibited external signage, which L&GNSW is investigating. This represents an overall compliance rate of almost 99%. 

This signage has been found to be triggering for those with gambling-related issues and were banned from 1 September 2023.

L&GNSW has directly communicated with industry on the changes, first announced in May, including issuing a compliance position paper and several communications on its website and to venues in the months and weeks leading up to the ban which came into place on 1 September.

Inspectors are currently assessing the instances of prohibited signage identified during the blitz, to determine the cause of delay in removing the signage. Those venues which are not able to produce clear evidence that the delays were caused by factors outside of their control will be fined.

L&GNSW Inspectors also identified some operators who have put in place signage in what appears to be an attempt to circumvent the restrictions. L&GNSW is investigating this signage and will determine whether further action, including enforcement or administrative action needs to be taken.

L&GNSW has clearly signalled those venues with existing non-compliant signage, or new signage that attempts to circumvent the restrictions in the legislation, will face escalated enforcement action, with a zero-tolerance approach from 1 December 2023. Failure to comply with these requirements carries penalties of up to $11,000, per offence.

Removal of all external signage is just one part of the NSW Government’s broader gaming reform to reduce harm including:

• Reducing the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for all new electronic gaming machines from 1 July 2023
• Capping the number of gaming machine entitlements in circulation
• Banning political donations from clubs involved in gaming
• Introducing Responsible Gaming Officers at venues with more than 20 machines
• Expanding a third-party exclusion register to the whole state
• Establishing an independent panel of expert stakeholders including industry, harm minimisation organisations, academics, law enforcement, cyber security and the union movement to oversee the cashless gaming trial and recommend an implementation roadmap for gaming reforms.

For more information visit Liquor and Gaming NSWlaunch.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

“Removing this signage for pubs and clubs is just one part of our commitment to reducing gambling harm in our community and I thank licensees and industry bodies for getting on board.

“We have been working positively and proactively with industry associations and venues across the state to educate, inform and support them through this process and ensure this high level of compliance.

“We welcome the positive impact this campaign has had on the exteriors of licensed venues which now solely feature advertisements for a diverse range of offerings such as food and beverage specials, live music and entertainment instead of signs designed to advertise the presence of gaming machines. It makes a noticeable difference to the amenity of our cities and suburbs.

“It’s great to see industry and government working together to prevent and reduce gambling harm in the community and we will continue to do so.”