16 News

The Minns Labor Government has slashed in half the planned and fully funded $500M redevelopment of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo.

Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope said the Minns Government is prioritising its deal with union bosses over funding for infrastructure and transport projects, supporting the arts and helping people across the community.

“Before the election Chris Minns promised to roll over Active Kids, deliver Metro West, and continue to deliver important community projects – now with funding for Powerhouse Utlimo slashed in half, just like with Active Kids, Labor cannot be trusted to deliver for the people of NSW.”

Shadow Minister for Arts Kevin Anderson said the former Coalition government had backed this project and the arts sector, committing to a $500m refurbishment after extensive planning and community consultation.

“This is huge blow for the Arts sector who will now have to settle for less. The Government is walking away from an opportunity to build a new purpose-built museum on the site,” Mr Anderson said. “This will be a blow not only to the arts and tourism sectors, but also to the education and training sector that was anticipating subsidised studios and workspaces, including more than 5000 dedicated design and fashion study spots for regional and remote NSW students.”

“Many new features could end up in the dust bin, including a more user-friendly Haymarket street entrance, 30 percent more exhibition space and a promised four-story building with street level access. I’m calling on the Minns Labor Government not to waste this opportunity, and guarantee that the main entrance will be from the Haymarket side to remove the longstanding problems with the Harris Street entrance that create a barrier to entry.”

“The Liberals and Nationals left a proud legacy in the arts – the greatest investment since the Opera House – delivering investment of more than $1B for world class institutions, including the Parramatta Powerhouse, Castle Hill world class storage facility and the planned redevelopment of the Powerhouse at Ultimo.”

Damien Tudehope said the former Coalition Government was able to deliver record investment in health and education, as well as funding new transport and infrastructure and projects like the Powerhouse redevelopment, because of its strong Budget management.

“Our economic management earned the state two Triple A credit ratings and had our budget on the path to surplus in 2024-25, despite having to manage a once-in-a-century crisis in the  COVID pandemic,” Mr Tudehope said. “Chris Minns promised billions of taxpayer funds to his union bosses, and now we’re finding out what has to be cut to pay for them.”

The NSW Government has today confirmed that NSW government owned sites around the Sydney Harbour foreshore will be free for the public this New Year’s Eve, fulfilling an election commitment.

The announcement comes as six thousand front row positions for the world-famous fireworks atop the Cahill Expressway go up for grabs from Tuesday with the launch of a free ticket ballot.

The move will allow more than 60,000 Sydneysiders and visitors to once again access some of the harbour’s best vantage points free of charge.

The Government is making fireworks viewing free again across Barangaroo Reserve, West Circular Quay (including First Fleet Park), Campbells Cove, Hickson Road Reserve and locations in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and The Domain, including the renowned Mrs Macquarie’s Point. Tickets at these locations last year ranged in price from $12.50 to $520.

Most of these vantage points will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, with monitored capacity limits in place. Each vantage point will be closed once capacity is reached.

Further NSW Government public domain venues within Sydney Harbour will also be free, with access managed through a ticket system. This includes NSW National Parks and Wildlife’s Bradleys Head, Strickland Estate, and the idyllic Clark Island, Me-Mel (Goat Island) and Shark Island.

Tickets at these NSW National Parks and Wildlife venues last year cost between $24 and $286. Instead, people who secure tickets this year will only pay a modest fee covering their return ferry voyage.

The Transport for NSW ‘NYE on the Cahill Expressway’ will remain the same as 2022, with free access managed through a ticket system. The family-friendly, alcohol and smoke-free celebration boasts live music, entertainment and an amazing view.

People can nominate their preference to attend either the 9pm or midnight session, with a maximum of five tickets available per ballot entry. Around 3,000 can take in the fireworks display at each session, with a dedicated accessibility viewing area available to up to 200 people.

The ballot for tickets to NYE on the Cahill Expressway 2023 opens at 9:00am Tuesday 5 September and will close on Friday 6 October at 11:59pm, with people invited to enter the draw to attend one of two sessions. 

Successful applicants will be informed by email between Monday, 16 October and Friday, 8 December 2023.

Enter the ballotlaunch

The Government has provided limited exemptions to two charities, the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia and the Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation, allowing their annual New Year’s Eve fundraisers to continue. The not-for-profit events underpin the conservation and scientific work of the two important NSW public institutions.

The Royal Botanic Gardens’ limited exemption allows its Foundation and Friends Picnic, established in 1996, to take place once again on the Mare and Foal Lawn. The picnic also serves as the Royal Botanic Gardens’ designated accessible viewing area, with complimentary tickets issued via a public ballot to people with a disability.

Planning in all precincts is now underway. Access arrangements, including free tickets, will be made available over time via the City of Sydney’s website.

City of Sydney will continue to put on the world-famous firework display on December 31, ensuring Sydney maintains its globally recognised reputation as the New Year’s capital of the world.

Sydney Harbour will once again be the focal point with two fireworks shows, the 9pm fireworks followed by the dazzling midnight show.

NSW Government agencies including the NSW Police are already working together to ensure appropriate safety and security measures will be in place across the city to ensure revellers can welcome in 2024 safely.

This Child Protection Week, the NSW Government is recognising and celebrating the unsung heroes of our child protection system – the dedicated caseworkers and frontline staff who keep children safe.

Child Protection Week begins today and serves as an important reminder that safeguarding our children requires collective effort, urging every Australian to recognise their role in nurturing a safe environment for the younger generation.

At the heart of the NSW child safety system are more than 2,300 specialised caseworkers and frontline personnel who respond to the hundreds of child safety reports received by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) every day.

DCJ’s Child Protection Helpline is the first touch point of the NSW child protection system. Helpline staff assess reports and work swiftly to ensure children are kept safe and families are supported.

The Helpline:

• operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• answers more than 140,000 calls each year
• answered more than 10,000 calls in July this year alone
• completed more than 16,500 assessments in July this year (including assessments in response to e-reports).

The NSW Government is committed to supporting and celebrating the thousands of dedicated frontline staff who keep children safe across NSW.

Child Protection Weeklaunch runs from 3 to 9 September.

Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said:

“Child Protection Week is an opportunity to recognise the vital work caseworkers and frontline staff do every day to support children.”

“Caseworkers offer invaluable support to at-risk children and families, work that is often extremely complex and incredibly challenging.”

“Protecting our state’s most vulnerable children is not possible without the efforts of these workers.”

“I’ve been so impressed by the caseworkers I’ve met right across the state, including the team at the Child Protection Helpline in South West Sydney. They approach their difficult work with big hearts, driven by the desire to see children and families receive the support they need.”

“Thank you to our incredible Helpline staff at Liverpool and the tireless efforts of all child protection workers across DCJ and NSW.”

Western Sydney residents are one step closer to catching fast metro rail services, with TBM Peggy smashing through at the future Airport Terminal station in a major milestone for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.

The 1,066-tonne mega-machine completed the first leg of its 5.5-kilometre journey to the Aerotropolis, following TBM Eileen, who made her historic first breakthrough last month.

Peggy has worked around the clock at an average speed of 120 metres per week to build the fully lined 1.26-kilometre tunnel from the Airport Business Park, excavating around 112,000 tonnes of rock – enough to fill about 18 Olympic swimming pools.

In preparation for Peggy’s arrival, approximately 293,000 tonnes of rock (about 48 Olympic swimming pools) have been excavated from the 25-metre-deep Airport Terminal station box.

The enormous machine will now traverse the station box before being relaunched, to tunnel under the future Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, with the TBM expected to arrive at the Aerotropolis metro station site in 2024.

TBM Peggy is named after Peggy Kelman OAM, an Australian aviation pioneer and adventurer.

Peggy Kelman was a friend of Nancy-Bird Walton, the namesake of the new international airport.

A total of four TBMs will build the 9.8-kilometre-long twin tunnels for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport railway line between St Marys and the Aerotropolis.

TBM Eileen is carving the metro tunnel alongside TBM Peggy from Airport Business Park to the Aerotropolis. TBM Catherine and TBM Marlene have begun their 4.3-kilometre journey from Orchard Hills to St Marys.

A joint venture between CPB Contractors and Ghella was awarded the $1.8 billion Station Boxes and Tunnelling contract in 2021 to deliver 9.8 kilometres of twin metro tunnels, five station boxes and two services facilities shafts for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.

The line will be operational when Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport opens for passenger services in 2026, with an expected travel time of 15 minutes from St Marys metro station to the Airport Terminal Station and a further five minutes to the Aerotropolis Station.

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said:

“The spectacular arrival of TBM Peggy marks the fantastic progress underway on this vital 23-kilometre transport link, which will not only benefit Greater Western Sydney residents, but for those visiting from around the globe.

“We are thrilled to be shaping the future of this vibrant and growing region with reliable and fully accessible metro services, ready for when planes start taking off at the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.”

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“This city-shaping project is supporting the local economy with more than 14,000 jobs generated during construction, including 250 new apprentices and at least 20 per cent of the contract workforce coming from Greater Western Sydney.

“This project is making Western Sydney the doorway to the rest of the world, and we can’t wait to see it continue to take shape.”

Member for Werriwa Anne Stanley said:

“The community benefit, as the Western Sydney (Nancy – Bird Walton) International Airport continues toward completion, are immense.

Our residents are looking forward to the opportunities, jobs for the future, as well as the construction jobs which support families and the economy in Western Sydney.”

The NSW Government is delivering on its election commitment to save the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo and preserve the Wran legacy.

The Government is committing $250 million for a heritage revitalisation to the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo.

The iconic and much-loved 1988 Wran building will be saved.

The Powerhouse Museum was established in 1879 as the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum of New South Wales. In 1978 an investment by the NSW Wran Labor Government investment transformed it into the modern Powerhouse Museum.

There has been no significant capital investment into Ultimo Powerhouse Museum since the museum opened in 1988.

The former government allocated $481 million for a Powerhouse renewal project.

NSW families are facing rampant inflation, as well as rising energy and housing costs. The $230 million balance from this decision will support the construction of new school and hospital projects as part of a new era of responsible long-term budget repair.

Independent engineering advice is that there are significant systems that need to be replaced to meet operation and building code requirements.

The NSW Government will undertake further consultation with current staff as well as the arts and culture sector, business and creative industries groups, the education sector, peak bodies, expert advisors, local communities, and the public on the details and timing of this heritage redevelopment.

Minister for Arts John Graham said:

“We promised at the election that we would preserve the Wran legacy and keep the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo open. We are doing just that.

“The area around the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo has changed extensively since the museum opened in 1988. It is now a major hub for creative industries, technology, innovation, education, and research. This prudent investment allows us to save the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo and preserve the Wran legacy in a tough fiscal environment.

“We have responded to community calls for a more modest redevelopment, saving the Powerhouse Museum and preserving the Wran legacy with a $250 million heritage redevelopment.”