The countdown is on to the start of work on the Little Hartley to Lithgow section of the Great Western Highway upgrade with Ausconnex awarded the contract to carry out early works at Coxs River Road.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said a new-look interchange at Coxs River Road, with a road bridge over the upgraded highway will be the first phase of the west section of the upgrade and is set to transform travel in and around the western base of the Blue Mountains.
“The Great Western Highway upgrade is a transformative project that will deliver safer and more efficient journeys for the thousands of people who travel through the mountains every day,” Mr Toole said.
“A better road over the mountains has been talked about for years – and we’re making it a reality with the project on track to see shovels in the ground early next year.
“The NSW Government is working closely with the local community on the final design to deliver a better, safer highway for all users.”
Later this month, work will start at Coxs River Road and involve an upgrade of about 2.4 kilometres of existing highway at Little Hartley to create a four-lane divided carriageway.
A new interchange will carry local traffic over the new highway and work will also include realigning parts of the existing highway to create a local service road and upgrades to the intersections with Browns Gap Road and Baaners Lane.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said early work relocating utility assets is expected to get under way soon.
“The upgrade will undoubtedly make a tangible difference to daily life for the thousands of people living in and travelling through the Blue Mountains on the highway,” Mr Farraway said.
“I’m excited that we have awarded the early works contract for this section and we will soon be a step closer to our first sod turn on this game changing project.
“As part of early works around four kilometres of overhead power lines and underground assets will be moved so we can build the new highway.
“The contract for the major work is currently out to tender and we’re aiming to award in late 2022, with work scheduled to start in early 2023.”
The Australian Government and NSW Government are investing more than $4.5 billion towards duplicating the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow.
For more information, visit the Transport for NSW website.
Live Traffic NSW turns 12 with big plans for the future
The NSW Government is embarking on an ambitious plan to cover every road across the state through Live Traffic NSW as the platform celebrates 12 years helping drivers get from A to B safely and on time.
Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the milestone is a significant reminder of the work undertaken so far to establish a network that provides real-time traffic data, so motorists can plan their daily commutes.
“Live Traffic NSW has played a critical role over the past 12 years in providing real time information to help people move safely around state roads,” Ms Ward said.
“We update Live Traffic NSW 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as we monitor and manage the 18,000-kilometre NSW state road network.
“This includes publishing live shots from 155 cameras every minute, and details of 500 incidents per day on average.
“This has helped state road users and now we’re planning to gather incident data on every road in the state by 2024.
“This update will mean Live Traffic NSW will be able to inform drivers across the state of the best route to take anywhere, any time.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said one of the most important things people need to be able to rely on is accurate and timely road information to make travel easier and safer.
“With a record of up to 660,000 visits a day on the Live Traffic NSW website and apps during the natural disaster events of 2021, a spike in traffic 33 times higher than usual, demand has never been higher for timely and accurate information, and we expect this demand to increase as more councils come on board,” Mr Farraway said.
“Thanks to the upgrade the NSW Government is rolling out, Live Traffic will be a one stop shop bringing all of the state’s traffic information into one central hub.
“Providing a better service for users will be valuable during emergencies like floods or fires, with more detailed information available to help protect communities and save lives.”
All councils in NSW will be given free access to OneRoad, the new backend platform that powers Live Traffic NSW. Data input through OneRoad will also be available on the Transport for NSW Open Data Hub for third-party apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and TomTom.
New information from 22 LGAs, most from regional Northern NSW, will be available on Live Traffic NSW and third-party apps from October.
LGAs will continue to come on board in stages, with priority given to regional councils most impacted by bushfires and floods. All 128 LGAs across the state will be given the opportunity to use OneRoad by 2024.
Bengaluru route takes off thanks to Aviation Attraction Fund
A new Qantas route between Sydney and Bengaluru has taken to the skies today thanks to the NSW Government’s Aviation Attraction Fund, marking the first direct connection between Australia and Southern India by any airline.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the new service will deliver more than 44,000 inbound international seats to Sydney up to 30 June 2023.
“This is the second international service announced through our $60 million airline war chest, which is aimed at turbocharging the State’s tourism pandemic recovery,” Mr Kean said.
“As a direct flight to India, there is potential to support more than 100 jobs and generate more than $19 million in overnight spending for the NSW visitor economy.”
Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said that India is a significant trade partner for NSW with huge potential for future growth.
“This partnership between Qantas and the NSW Government, through the Aviation Attraction Fund, opens up a new direct route between India and NSW, as well as fantastic opportunities for the NSW visitor economy,” Mr Franklin said.
“In 2019 India was the fastest growing market to NSW. We welcomed 175,000 visitors, with travellers spending an estimated $444 million. In July 2022, India was the third largest source of visitors to NSW, with those numbers expected to surge in the coming months due to pent-up demand.
“Our airports are the gateway to our state, so supporting the return of airlines to them through the Aviation Attraction Fund is key to achieving our goal of making NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.”
Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said this new direct flight route solidifies Sydney’s standing as a global city.
“This direct route will be a benefit to our rich multicultural society, particularly the Indian Diaspora, which represents Australia’s second-largest country of birth,” Mr Coure said.
“It has also come at an excellent time, with Diwalli celebrations happening next month—many will be looking to head to India and even come to NSW to join family and friends for this major cultural celebration.”
Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said this new route would provide greater connectivity between the two nations with both the outbound and inbound inaugural flights between Sydney and Bengaluru sold out in all cabins.
“The addition of Bengaluru to our route map deepens our ties with India and follows the launch of direct services from Australia to Delhi last year which have also proven popular,” Mr David said.
“Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia’s two largest cities and the north and south of India.”
The new flights will offer corporate and leisure travellers a non-stop flight to the city, with connections to other destinations beyond Bengaluru.
Widely regarded as India’s Silicon Valley, many Australian and global fintech organisations have established major operations in Bengaluru.
QF67 will cut nearly three hours off the current fastest travel time between the two cities and significantly boost connectivity between India and NSW.
Qantas will fly an A330 aircraft from Sydney to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport four times per week on a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Aviation Attraction Fund, managed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government, is open until 30 June 2023. For more information or to submit an application visit www.destinationnsw.com.au/aviation-attraction
Health Records Broken for all the Wrong Reasons
Under Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals and Nationals, people in NSW have to wait longer to get an ambulance, longer to be treated in an emergency department and longer for important non-urgent surgeries.
This is the scathing picture presented by the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released today, shining a light on 12 years of under investment in the NSW health system under this Liberal and National Government.
Across the state, 76,117 patients left emergency without completing treatment – or one in 10. This is the highest number on record and a 68 per cent jump in just three years. To add insult to injury, one in five of those who left, had to re-present within three days.
If a patient did wait in emergency to seek treatment, one in 10 emergency department patients spent an astonishing 21 hours and 16 minutes in the waiting room of an emergency department – again the longest on record.
Almost half (48.4 per cent) of patients with the highest category emergency – patients who require immediate help – did not start treatment on time, again the worst result on record. For all emergency department presentations, four in 10 (38.2 per cent) did not start on time.
These figures show the dire state of our health system. It’s not fair on our hardworking healthcare professionals to have to manage a system that is stretched to its limits.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said:
This is a sobering read, that is a wake-up call for every single political leader and political party in our state. The latest BHI data shows a system that is failing.
“Under Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals and Nationals we have longer waiting times, a stretched hospital system, and over worked front line health workers.
“A world class health system is not one where people choose to leave emergency departments before they get treated or when people have to wait almost 24 hours to be seen.
“Our hospitals need more resources, our health staff need more support and the people of NSW deserve better.”
NSW Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park said:
“This is a damning report on the health crisis right across NSW.
“Twelve years of understaffing and under resourcing our health and hospital system means communities now wait longer than ever before for an ambulance to arrive, longer to get treated at their local emergency department and longer to get essential surgery.
“When more than 76,000 people walk out of their local emergency department before they get treated highlights the extent of the crisis.
“We have a Government who has been focused on cutting ribbons instead of ensuring our hospitals and health services are safely staffed and resourced.”
Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Australia and Vietnam today reaffirmed their strong partnership during the Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Canberra.
The visit, by Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, is the first visit to Australia by a Vietnamese minister since 2019.
Australia and Vietnam are strong partners and friends. Our relationship is underpinned by close economic and trade links, our growing peacekeeping relationship, and longstanding people-to-people ties.
We share a commitment to ASEAN centrality and a strategic interest in maintaining a region which is peaceful, stable and prosperous, in which sovereignty is respected.
Australia and Vietnam have supported each other throughout the pandemic. In this spirit, Australia will provide Vietnam with a further 4.2 million adult Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses, in addition to the 22.2 million doses delivered to date.
Foreign Minister Son and I had warm and productive discussions about how we can further expand our Strategic Partnership. We also discussed ways to strengthen our climate change cooperation as both countries work towards meeting our commitments to net zero emissions by 2050.
Australia and Vietnam will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. Throughout 2023 we will reflect on our relationship and look forward to what we can achieve together.
Greens call on Labor to shut down seismic blasting off WA coast
The Greens call on the Labor Government to immediately shut down plans for seismic blasting that could impact the Mermaid Reef and Rowley Shoals Marine Parks – which the Australian Government and the West Australian Government recognise as ‘one of the most remote and pristine marine areas in the world’.
“Humpback whales, hammerhead sharks, turtles, 200 species of coral, 600 species of fish, and the livelihoods of small business owners could all be impacted by reckless seismic blasting in this area.
“It’d be absolutely hypocritical of Labor not to shut down plans that could negatively impact these precious marine ecosystems and the lives and livelihoods that depend on them.
“Anthony Albanese promised he’d stop exploration associated with the PEP-11 project on Australia’s east coast because he thought it was a ‘bad idea’ and it’d be completely contradictory for him not to do the same here in WA.
“Blasting marine life with seismic shockwaves is the reality of what happens when our Government opens up our ocean for more oil and gas – and let’s not forget that Labor has just opened up 46,758 square kilometres of new ocean acreage for fossil fuel companies to exploit.”
Greens spokesperson for resources and Yamatji Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox said:
“Successive governments continue to damage First Nations culture and heritage in favour of big corporations.
“Traditional Owners’ culture and spirituality is intrinsically connected to Sea Country, we shouldn’t be selling it to multinational coal and gas companies for private profit.
“If Labor wants to meet their own emissions target, we cannot keep opening up new coal and gas.
“Gas has no part to play in a green future. We need cleaner, greener, renewable energy sources and investment in a clean energy export industry.”
Greens call for National Cabinet to extend Pandemic Leave Payments
Greens social services spokesperson, Senator Janet Rice, has urged the Federal Government to extend Pandemic Leave Payments beyond September at tomorrow’s national cabinet meeting.
Senator Rice said:
“As much as we all wish it wasn’t, the pandemic is still with us, and national cabinet still has COVID isolation requirements in place.
“The state and territory premiers have called for pandemic leave payments to continue, and so we know that if national cabinet doesn’t grant this necessary extension, it’s Anthony Albanese who’s the blocker.
“If Albanese is happy to give $244b in tax cuts for the rich, he has no excuse to claim the federal government can’t hold up their end of the 50/50 bargain with the states to make sure that people who need to isolate or quarantine are financially supported.
“Amid the cost of living crisis, a pandemic that is still with us, and the fuel excise due to end this month too, people need support.
“The government can’t ask people to follow public health advice and then completely undermine that message by taking away the financial help they need to isolate, like the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment and the Crisis Payment for National Health Emergency.
“If national cabinet does not agree to the extension tomorrow, I will be moving an urgent disallowance in the next sitting of Parliament, to ensure that the crisis payment remains in place for people on income support who are forced to isolate or quarantine.”
A big thank you to foster and kinship carers
Foster and Kinship carers are critical individuals in our community ensuring our state’s most vulnerable children and young people have a safe and supportive place to call home.
Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Services Natasha Maclaren-Jones said this Foster and Kinship Care Week is a time to acknowledge the invaluable work that our carers do across NSW.
“Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and loving home,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
“To take a child who needs help into your home is the epitome of community spirit.
“We have 12,600 carer households across the state and I thank each and every one who ensure children and young people in need have a nurturing and supportive home.
“The work out-of-home care service providers do to recruit carers and provide safe homes for vulnerable children is crucial and I thank every one of our providers for the incredible work they do.”
Vikki Minard became a carer in 2009 and has had more than 30 children pass through her home.
“I thought I would be changing the lives of children, but the children changed me,” Ms Minard said.
“It made me a more flexible and open-minded person, handling the children and the various situations they were in.”
Simon Rowe and his wife Anne have been caring for children for more than three years.
“It’s not as onerous as people may think and it exposes you to a better side of yourself, helping you to become a more generous and understanding person,” Mr Rowe said.
To learn more about becoming a foster carer visit myforeverfamily.org.au/
Elective Surgery to continue on September 22 where possible
The NSW Government has invested almost $1 billion to fast track elective surgeries which have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To minimize disruption to this program, Health Minister Brad Hazzard has instructed NSW Health to encourage all local health districts to retain as much of their planned elective surgery on 22 September as possible, subject to staff availability.
“Obviously many of us feel great sadness following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II but as Health Minister, it is my role to ensure our hospitals continue to perform necessary activity where possible, while also respecting the protocols that have been put in place to mark this special day,” Mr Hazzard said.
Surgical activity has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at various stages in recent years – with suspensions and reductions in activity – and NSW Health is working hard, in collaboration with our private hospital partners, to ensure everyone receives the procedures they need as soon as possible.
Public Holiday declared for NSW for National Day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II
Thursday, 22 September 2022 has been declared a public holiday in NSW by the Minister for Employee Relations Damien Tudehope under section 5 of the Public Holidays Act 2010.
The Order will be published on the NSW Legislation website as soon as possible.
This follows the announcement made by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that the National Day of Mourning on 22 September 2022 will be recognised as a National public holiday across the country.
The day coincides with the National Memorial Service to be held in Canberra.
Shops and retailers can trade as they normally would on other public holidays such as Australia Day or New Year’s Day. This additional public holiday will not be a “restricted trading day” (such as Good Friday or Anzac Day) under the Retail Trading Act 2008.
For banks and other financial institutions it will be a “bank close day” under the Retail Trading Act 2008.
For employers and employees the provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 that deal with working on public holidays will apply. For more information, go to https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/public-holidays.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has instructed NSW Health to encourage all local health districts to retain as much of their planned elective surgery on 22 September as possible, subject to staff availability.