16 News

Penrith Beach trial has made a big splash since its mid-December opening with more than 150,000 people visiting to escape the summer heat.

Thousands of local families from Western Sydney and beyond are taking advantage of the free site, enjoying the golden sands, the lake’s tranquil waters and the world-famous views of the nearby Blue Mountains.

Penrith Beach or ‘Pondi’ as it’s become fondly known, has quickly become a firm fan favourite with residents.

Some 154,084 people have now visited the beach as of 28 January – a staggering 25,000 visitors on average every week since its opening four weeks ago.

Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure figures show residents from the Penrith and Blacktown LGAs are the most frequent visitors to the former quarry site turned beach.

Many of the beach’s visitors are from suburbs including Penrith, Werrington, Castlereagh, Cranebrook, Glenmore Park, St Marys, Mount Druitt, Willmot and Marsden Park.

Penrith Beach’s trained lifeguards from Royal Life Saving Society NSW are on patrol every day between 10am and 7pm, monitoring the beach and providing first aid.

The beach has facilities including toilets, adult accessible change rooms, a fresh-water drinking station, a café and access for people with a disability.

Penrith Beach will remain open seven days a week until the temporary activation concludes on March 3. Until then, on-site parking using free car park passes are available online.

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“I am pleased that more than 150,000 people have had the chance to experience the sun, sand, and scenic mountain views at Penrith Beach. 

“This free beach has been a huge success, and throughout summer, it has been embraced by the people of Western Sydney, especially families.

“If you haven’t visited yet, there’s still plenty of time to bring your friends and family down to Penrith Beach for a swim, a coffee and a day by the water.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Western Sydney residents have been asking for a beach of their own for decades now. It’s fantastic to say that we’ve that we have delivered this trial within 9 months of coming to Government.

“Previously, Western Sydney residents needed to travel 40 km to swim in Lake Parramatta, 63 km to Bondi Beach, or 75 km to visit either Cronulla or Manly.

“These days are thankfully now long gone and Western Sydney residents can cool off for a refreshing dip much closer to home.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown:

“After waiting many years for this area to be unlocked, it’s exciting that more than 150,000 Penrith locals have embraced this free facility over the summer to cool off.

“Seeing this beach flourish has been fantastic for our community, and I look forward to having more to say about this in the future.”

From 1 July 2024, venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements will be required to have a Responsible Gambling Officer on duty while poker machines are in operation, in the latest initiative by the NSW Labor Government to reduce gambling harm.

Responsible Gambling Officers will help identify patrons at risk of harm or displaying concerning gambling behaviour, refer them to gambling support information and services and facilitate requests for self-exclusion.

All hotels and clubs with gaming machines will also be required to keep a Gambling Incident Register and a Gaming Plan of Management as part of a suite of reforms being implemented to reduce risk of gambling harm and support people who may need help.

The new requirements are being implemented through amendments to the Gaming Machines Regulation 2019.

A position paper on the incoming requirements for pubs and clubs will be published online today. Industry stakeholders and harm minimisation organisations have been extensively consulted during the development of the paper and the Government’s approach.

 This will provide industry with certainty about the new harm minimisation measures, timeframes for implementation and enable staff to undertake the necessary training. 

Clubs with more than 100 gaming machine entitlements will be required to have additional Responsible Gambling Officers, to ensure enough sufficiently trained staff are available to support patrons and to ensure they have a reasonable workload across larger gaming floors.

 Responsible Gambling Officers and other people with specified roles will also need to complete Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) training under the proposed changes. 

 The proposed new requirements would be implemented in stages to allow NSW venues, staff, management, and training providers time to adjust. 

Read the position paper on Responsible Gambling Officers

The GambleAware phoneline 1800 858 858 is open 24 hours a day for anyone needing support. It is free and confidential.

Visit gambleaware.nsw.gov.au for more information.

The NSW Labor Government has already implemented a number of reforms to reduce gambling harm and prevent money laundering in NSW pubs and clubs including:

• reducing the cash input limit from $5000 to $500 for all new gaming machines
• reducing the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements by approximately 3000
• banning political donations from clubs involved in gaming
• establishing the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform to oversee a comprehensive trial of cashless gaming in NSW across 4430 electronic gaming machines – far exceeding the government’s election commitment of 500 machines
• banning external gaming-related signage, and internal gaming-related signage that can be seen from outside the venue.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:   

“The NSW Government is committed to gambling reform, reducing gambling harm and stopping money laundering and criminal activity associated with poker machines.

“Harmful gambling not only impacts individuals, but also their loved ones and the broader community.

“We know there is no single solution to address harm from gambling, which is why we are implementing a range of gambling reforms.

“In NSW, gaming machines represent the highest risk of gambling harm.

“One in three people who gamble regularly are considered to be moderate or high-risk gamblers according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index.

“The introduction of Responsible Gambling Officers is the next important step in supporting people who may be experiencing gambling harm.

“They will be across pubs and clubs where gambling is happening, and be alert to patrons at risk of harm or displaying concerning gambling behaviour and link them in to the support they need, such as the GambleAware hotline.

“It is great to have industry on board with our gambling reform agenda as well as harm minimisation organisations. Together we are making a real difference in tackling gambling related harm.

“The NSW Labor Government is committed to evidence-based gambling reform and has delivered more in 10 months than the previous government managed in 12 years.”

An ambitious reform and key election commitment to tackle the state’s housing crisis has been delivered with the official launch of Homes NSW, putting people back at the heart of housing and roofs over their heads.

This marks a once-in-a-generation reform to largest public housing agency in the southern hemisphere and an important first step to rebuild a broken public housing system.

Homes NSW will bring together the housing and homelessness services of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) with NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) and key worker housing all under one roof – making the system more efficient and accessible.

Homes NSW has also been tasked with turbocharging the construction, maintenance and repair of social and affordable homes across our state.

This transformation will help those who need it most, at a time when the need for social and affordable housing has never been greater.

Homes NSW will:

• turbocharge and streamline the building and maintenance of all publicly owned and operated social homes across NSW.
• simplify and fix tenancy services, including maintenance, support, allocation of properties and transfers to improve outcomes for tenants and the tenant experience.
• focus on providing important homelessness services, with the goal of creating a state where experiences of homelessness are rare, brief, and not repeated.
• drive collaboration between the NSW Government, the Federal Government, sector experts and peak bodies, local councils, and Community Housing Providers to work closer together than ever before to address the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. This work will include:
  • ensuring NSW is in the best position to make use of the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund that provides funding to create thousands of new social and affordable homes across the state
  • bringing the housing maintenance call centre back into public hands – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul the way maintenance is administered across the state’s social housing properties and slash unnecessary bureaucracy
  • addressing the rising number of rough sleepers in NSW by better incorporating homelessness services and a clear commitment to the principles of housing first – you can’t solve homelessness if you don’t have homes for people to live in.

Since March 2023, the NSW Government has shown that is willing to work across all levels of both the public and private sectors, as well as the ability to think outside the box in addressing the state’s housing crisis, which includes:

• the creation of a pilot project for 3 sites at North Parramatta, whereby the NSW Government put to tender the search for a Community Housing Provider as a development partner, a process that mirrors one of the ways we will partner with CHPs in NSW for the HAFF
• immediate use of the Federal Government’s Social Housing Accelerator Fund, which has already seen hundreds of vacant homes refurbished and brought back online
• a state-wide audit of public and crown land to find surplus land that can be used to deliver much-needed homes for those in need
• significant planning reforms to cut through red tape at both local and state levels to slash delays and get the construction industry moving and building homes for people in need.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“You can’t tackle the housing crisis if you don’t have a strong social and affordable housing system – we need safe, good quality, accessible homes for people who need them most. Homes NSW is a crucial part of this work.

“Adequate housing is a basic human right and Homes NSW will be the driver of much needed and long overdue reform to the social and affordable housing sector.

“For too long, social housing in this state has been neglected – simple issues such as a leaking tap or even the ability to register on the waitlist have been unnecessarily complicated.

‘’That’s why this overhaul is needed. We’re breaking the chains of bureaucracy and empowering our tenants, as well as those who are in need of emergency housing, or on the social housing waitlist.

“I am sick and tired of public housing being the ‘worst house on the block’. NSW will rebuild a broken system, properly repair homes and better support our people which means we can build better communities and neighbourhoods.

“The creation of a single agency to manage social and affordable housing and homelessness services is a common sense approach and is positioned to provide support to the people who need it most.”

Homes NSW Chief Executive Rebecca Pinkstone said:

“I look forward to the challenge of building a thriving social and affordable housing sector in NSW.

“Homes NSW will deliver on the promise of more and better social and affordable housing in NSW. Our aim is to create the best social housing system in the country. We will work in partnership to maximise homes on the ground, reduce instances of homelessness and deliver a quality housing service for our residents.”

Sex Crimes Squad detectives have charged a Newcastle man following an investigation into alleged child grooming and the accessing of child abuse material under Strike Force Trawler.

Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.

As part of ongoing inquiries, a 26-year-old man was identified allegedly using a number of social media platforms to allegedly groom underage girls for sex, and to access and share child abuse material.

About 11.30am yesterday (Thursday 1 February 2024), strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a home in Waratah where they arrested a 26-year-old man.

The man was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with eight offences, including use carriage service to groom under 16 years for sex, use carriage service to send indecent material to person, use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, possess/control child abuse material-use carriage service, possess prohibited drug and three counts of use carriage service to access child abuse material.

He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 2 February 2024).

Inquiries under Strike Force Trawler continue.

The Australian Government has today imposed additional targeted sanctions on five entities with direct links to the Myanmar military regime.

These sanctions are designed to limit the regime’s access to the funds and materiel that enable it to continue to commit atrocities against its own people.

Two banks that enable the regime’s activities, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank, will be subject to targeted financial sanctions.

Three entities that supply jet fuel to the Myanmar military, Asia Sun Group, Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd, and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Co Ltd, will also be subject to targeted financial sanctions.

These sanctions are a response to the regime’s ongoing repression of the people of Myanmar, escalating violence, and the continuing deterioration of the political, humanitarian and security situation.

They send a clear message of Australia’s deep concern for the regime’s ongoing actions, and its continued disregard for international efforts, particularly those of ASEAN, to seek a resolution to the crisis.

Australia will continue to closely monitor the regime’s actions and look for improvements on the ground. We will continue to use every lever at our disposal to press the regime for the cessation of violence, the release of those unjustly detained, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a return to the path of democracy.

In this context, we will continue to keep our targeted sanctions toward Myanmar under review.

We maintain our strong support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, including the constructive efforts of the ASEAN Chairs and Special Envoys. We call on the military regime to implement the Five-Point Consensus and engage meaningfully and positively with ASEAN representatives.

Critically, we remain resolute in our support for the people of Myanmar. They have demonstrated their courage and commitment to democracy, with determined resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities. We will continue to ensure our humanitarian and development assistance reaches the most vulnerable.

For further information on Australia’s sanctions settings, please visit the sanctions regimes page on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.