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Assistance for agricultural processing businesses to re-establish operations following the February and March 2022 floods continues, with round 2 of the $22 million Supply Chain Support Program now open for applications.

Businesses in 62 local government areas are eligible, with support available to help long-term recovery efforts.

The program is jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said support is available to rebuild, repair and improve the resilience of eligible first receivers and processors, or harvesters of primary produce that operate within the fisheries, horticulture and agriculture sectors.

“Round 1 of the Supply Chain Support Program has already helped to repair premises and support employers to keep their employees in jobs at multiple flood-impacted operations across NSW, including dairies, distilleries and seafood suppliers,” Minister Watt said.

“Under round 2 of the Supply Chain Support Program, eligible businesses and cooperatives that experienced direct flood damage can apply for up to $2 million to support projects such as the replacement of damaged plant and machinery, for business and product diversification, or for transporting product from outside the area.

“Processing businesses and cooperatives indirectly impacted by floods through major supply chain disruptions can apply for up to $250,000.”

Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said the NSW Government is making sure no one is being left behind, including those who work to get our agricultural products from paddock to plate.

“From berry and dairy processors to fishing cooperatives, the Supply Chain Support Program is strengthening primary industries by assisting companies to modernise their operations to reduce workforce disruptions and build industry sustainability,” Ms Moriarty said.

“The program has delivered vital support in the form of building and roof repairs, replacement equipment and freight assistance, which has helped to keep local people in work during the ongoing flood recovery.

“Reducing the impact of future natural disasters is essential to keeping specialised jobs and skills in regional areas and helping businesses to become more resilient.”

For further information and to apply, visit the Supply Chain Support Program website.

The Supply Chain Support Program is designed to complement existing recovery measures in disaster-declared regions.

The 2024 NSW Seniors Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better, with the theme ‘Reach Beyond’.

Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison said the NSW Seniors Festival is the biggest gathering for seniors in the state and provides an opportunity for older Australians to celebrate and connect. 

“The NSW Government is looking forward to delivering a festival that embraces everybody and recognises the important contributions seniors play in our community,” Minister Harrison said. 

“We want to see NSW seniors taking advantage of the many activities, that include the popular signature events – the Premier’s Gala Concerts and Expo.

“The NSW Seniors Festival is a great time for older Australians to ‘reach beyond’, to seek out new experiences and make new friends by participating in the festivities.”

Next year’s NSW Seniors Festival will run from 11-24 March 2024, with the Expo and Gala concerts taking place between 13-14 March. Each year the festival provides a full program of events and entertainment, with a huge variety of exciting activities across the state.

Discounted early bird applications for prospective Seniors Festival Expo stallholders are now open and will run until 22 September 2023. Prospective Seniors Festival Expo exhibitors can visit, https://seniorsfestival.info/be-exhibitor. 

The Premier’s Gala Concerts will be live-streamed so people can watch no matter where they are. Further details on the Premier’s Gala Concerts will be announced later this year.

Find out more about the NSW Seniors Festival

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway ramp will feature a prominent design that honours the important Aboriginal history of the area, as plans for the cycleway pass the final hurdle before construction.

The artwork concept, developed by Aboriginal artists Maddie Gibbs and Jason Wing will represent the eels that travel up the Harbour and the coming together of the Gadigal and Cammeraygal peoples.

The ramp will also be given a name that reflects the significance of this area to the Gadigal and Cammeraygal peoples.

The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) has now been determined, following a comprehensive review of submissions made during the public display of the document earlier this year.

Construction on the cycleway ramp is scheduled to begin early next year.

The three-metre-wide bike ramp extends from Bradfield Park North, near Burton Street, connecting with the Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway south of the existing stair access.

Bypassing the existing stairs, the new ramp will make the Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway much easier for kids, and people with e-bikes and cargo bikes to use every day.

The ramp will connect to an improved cycle route connecting Middlemiss Street and the existing bicycle network. The street works will include a new zebra crossing on Alfred Street South for pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross the street.

The ramp design has had significant input from the community, including a design competition that selected ASPECT Studios team as the winning concept.

Following additional consultation with the community during the REF, the design has been further developed to respond to stakeholder and community feedback. This includes ramp refinements to minimise visual impacts of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Milsons Point Railway Station, shortening the ramp length, and changes to lighting and design to improve safety.

The design will now be finalised and Transport will continue to consult with Aboriginal knowledge holders and other key stakeholders on naming the ramp and to engage with the community and stakeholders before and during construction.

Find out more about the cycleway ramp and read the REF reportlaunch

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“This project will be a game changer for kids, people on e-bikes, or people using cargo bikes. The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway will finally be accessible for anyone riding a bike.

“We received submissions from over 1,000 community members and worked with schools, businesses, North Sydney Council, Heritage Council, Heritage NSW and the Government Architect to finalise this design that enhances Sydney’s most iconic landmark.

“The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway spans two Aboriginal lands – the Cammaraygal and Gadigal – and this ramp will feature a design and be given a name that reflects the immense culture of these people.

“The design of the ramp has been developed in consultation with Aboriginal knowledge holders, and important themes that emerged from this consultation have been incorporated into the design.

“The artwork, featuring interconnected eels, will be a striking symbol of reconciliation from the ground and air, and will run the full length of the 200m long ramp.

“The Minns Labor Government wants to make it easier for anyone who can walk or ride a bike, to walk and ride. It frees up space on the roads and on public transport for others, it’s a lot of fun, and you get to enjoy one of the world’s best views as you zoom along the deck of the Harbour Bridge.

“I look forward to seeing work begin early next year.”

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“Aboriginal culture is a living, dynamic culture and integral to Aboriginal identity. It has the ability to attribute places with meaningful identity and connection to Country.

“Initiatives such as this bring the oldest living culture in the world to life in meaningful ways, for all of us to share.”

Artist Jason Wing said:

“The incredible life cycle of eels symbolises the resilience, survival, and adaptation of Aboriginal people.

“Eels symbolise the past and present endurance of Aboriginal people overcoming barriers, new landscapes, seascapes, social changes, and more.

“Our contemporary artwork is inclusive of all Aboriginal mobs around Australia while acknowledging and focusing on local Gadigal and Cammeraygal place.”

Artist Maddie Gibb said:

“The eel’s journey up and down the cycle ramp references the freshwater to saltwater journey.

“The two different coloured eels symbolise the salt water and freshwater transition as well as the physical transition of the eels.

“The contemporary imagery is a reclamation of physical, spiritual, and cultural place, connecting sky, land, and water.

“The eels’ epic migration has a deep memory and celebrates its lifelong cyclical journey, always returning to where its life began.”

Train services are back running to a regular timetable this morning after an Ashfield signal box was vandalised overnight, causing significant delays for Matilda fans and concert goers getting home from Sydney Olympic Park. 

Police allege two men broke through security fencing and into a relay room at Ashfield just after 10pm, where cables were cut and critical equipment including modems were damaged.

The Ashfield signal box operates six signals on six lines between Summer Hill and Ashfield, a critical part of the network to move passengers between Olympic Park and Central Station.

Specialist engineers repaired infrastructure and brought services back online within 90 minutes, and crowds had cleared Olympic Park Station by midnight. 

The signalling system is designed to be fail-safe, when there’s an issue with signalling infrastructure, all signals in the relevant area turn to a default red, meaning trains cannot move safely through that area.

NSW Police have made two arrests in relation to the incident overnight. Those individuals have been charged with several offences including endangering passengers on the railway and will appear in Burwood Local Court today. 

Sydney Trains has over 1,000 signalling equipment locations across the network, typically secured by lock and key, many of which are inside the rail corridor or protected by high security fencing including barbed wire. 

Sydney Trains already has a security enhancement program underway for those sites to bolster security including replacing lock and key access with secure swipe cards. 

Minister Haylen has instructed the Transport for NSW Secretary to review the security of critical rail infrastructure, including the prioritisation of security upgrades, and report back to the Minister.

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Last night the system was not broken, it was broken into and destroyed in a deliberate act.

“I understand this is not the way football fans wanted to end the night, and I apologise to everyone and thank passengers for their patience.

“I want to make it very clear that this was not some minor act of vandalism, this act significantly damaged critical rail infrastructure.

“Tampering with critical rail infrastructure has the potential to have significant safety impacts for passengers and is an extremely serious crime.

“I want to thank all of the Sydney Trains staff who worked through the night to fix the issue and to make sure 45,000 people got home safely from the game.”

Sydney Trains Chief executive Matt Longland said: 

“It’s disappointing something like this could occur on the rail network during one of the biggest events our city has ever seen. Our staff worked hard to communicate information to passengers and keep them safe, as they have been doing throughout this event.

“We would usually clear a massive crowd like the Matilda’s semi-final fans from Sydney Olympic Park Station within one hour, last night it took us two hours, I want to personally apologise to all our passengers impacted and thank them for their patience.”

Orange Hospital is about to become home to the second largest solar PV installation in any government facility in NSW.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said more than 3,300 solar panels will be installed on the roofs of buildings across the Orange and Bloomfield Hospital campus which will result in the reduction of almost 2,300 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

“The NSW Government is committed to doing everything possible to improve the sustainability of the NSW Health system and this installation at Orange is another example of that commitment,” Mr Park said.

“These solar panels will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 500 homes.

“NSW is a world leader in harnessing solar energy for public healthcare with almost all of our major hospitals using roof space for solar installations.”

Installation of the solar panels at Orange and Bloomfield Hospitals is now underway and should be completed in the coming weeks.

Minister for Energy and Climate Change Penny Sharpe said this project is positive on all fronts.

“We’re tackling Climate Change, and we’re using government facilities to generate clean renewable energy and help keep prices low in the long term.” Ms Sharpe said.

Jeff Morrissey, Director of Corporate and Services & Clinical Support for the Western NSW Local Health District, said the Orange Health Service solar project was a key component of the LHD’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

“Health services have historically been large consumers, with a substantial carbon footprint. At the Western NSW LHD we are committed to doing our bit to make all our services more sustainable,” Mr Morrissey said.

“More than half our vehicle fleet is now hybrid, we have solar installed in 20 locations, including 14 hospitals, and we have a commitment to stop using Desflurane, a gas used in anaesthetics which make up a significant portion of our carbon emissions, by 2024.”

Work to install the panels may cause some temporary disruption to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Any on-site changes will be clearly marked to minimise any inconvenience to patients, staff and visitors.

Arrangements have been made for helicopter retrievals to be appropriately managed while the installation is underway.

Member for Orange Phil Donato said it is a great example of the community being at the forefront of renewable energy.

“I am so proud that our community gets to host this fantastic initiative,” Mr Donato said. 

NSW health now has a total of nearly 20 megawatts of solar in its network, spread out on previously unused roof space. This covers the equivalent of about 20 soccer fields – or a large-scale solar farm if built as a ground-level system.

Solar energy has reduced NSW Health’s electricity bill by $4.2 million a year, with projected savings of $15 million a year by 2030.

The program has already reduced carbon emissions by around 33,000 tonnes – the equivalent of removing about 18,000 cars from the road.