Young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) will benefit from extended funding for the successful Ladder Step Up Sydney Program, which sees education, employment and mentoring given to young people.
Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Services Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the program run by community organisation Ladder and supported by AFL players from the GWS Giants had seen huge success since it began in 2017.
“Since its launch the Ladder Step Up Sydney program has been doing excellent work, which can clearly be seen in the recently published impact report and independent evaluation,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
“The program is making a real and tangible difference to the lives of young people in out-of-home care and meeting a genuine gap in the sector.”
Minister for Western Sydney David Elliott said he is looking forward to seeing the work of Ladder continue to grow in Western Sydney.
“Sport has an important role to play in addressing social change in this community and
making a difference in the lives of young people,” Mr Elliott said.
Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the program, through its community partnership with the AFL, is providing young people with opportunities and access to positive role models.
“We all know that sport is a positive vehicle for social change, especially for young people and this program is enabling AFL players to provide mentorship and guidance, with the aim of instilling a strong self-belief in our next generation,” Mr Henskens said.
Ladder CEO Stephanie De Campo said she was proud of what the program participants had achieved and welcomed the funding extension to June 2023.
“The program is delivered across Western Sydney and complements the work of service providers in supporting young people in out-of-home care,” Ms De Campo said.
GWS Giants player Phil Davis is one of many from his AFL team who have contributed time to the program.
“It is great being a mentor to help change the lives of young people,” Mr Davis said.
“There’s always more work to be done and we’re committed to continuing our support of the program into the future.”
Tim* is a graduate of Step Up and is now one of the mentors, passing life skills he learned from the program on to others.
“I want to tell other young people to take this as a great opportunity to learn a lot of new things and new skills,” Tim said.
“It helped me budget with my money, make smarter spending decisions, learn how to cook delicious home cooked meals, improved my fitness by participating in sports, boxing classes and gym sessions, and it also given me the chance to make new friends which I have done.”
*Not his real name
Author: admin
NSW surfers call on Prime Minister to uphold PEP11 gas drilling ban
Surfers for Climate and the local community are calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to honour his pre-election commitment and rule out Pep-11 licence once and for all, giving the local community certainty.
Serious concerns have been raised about the potential impacts of offshore gas exploration and drilling on marine environments, marine life including whales, seafood and the local community. Renewable energy should also be the preferred source of new energy given the need for urgent climate action to reduce emissions and global warming.
Belinda Baggs, Newcastle surfer and co-founder of Surfers For Climate said, “I grew up surfing in these pristine waters off Newcastle, the saltwater binds my family together. I have cousins and friends who rely on a healthy ocean for their livelihoods.
“The community has made its opposition to Pep 11 clear over the past few years, we simply don’t want to risk marine life, our own well-being and livelihoods for gas drilling.
“Newcastle has already experiencing climate impacts from fires to floods and now many of the beaches I grew up surfing on including Bar Beach are suffering from extreme erosion.
“We must keep all new fossil fuels in the ground, including gas, and instead invest in a renewable future.
“It’s right to investigate Morrison’s methods when in government but that doesn’t change the fact that drilling for gas between Newcastle and Sydney, Australia’s most populated coastline, is a terrible idea.
“We are calling on Prime Minister Albanese to honour his commitments opposing PEP 11. He stood on the beach at Avoca and stated “A Labor government that I lead will rule out PEP 11 full stop”.
“Now the community needs certainty that the Prime Minister will rule out Pep-11 once and for all,” she said.
Surfers for Climate is a sea-roots movement dedicated to positive climate action.
Australia-India Council grant recipients
A space start up exchange, research identifying drought-resilient chickpeas and a disability‐inclusive virtual healthcare pilot are among the recipients of this year’s Australia-India Council (AIC) grants.
The announcement comes as we celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, as well as thirty years of the AIC.
Over that time, the AIC has helped advance Australia’s foreign policy and trade interests – strengthening the people to people and institutional bonds between Australia and India.
The grants program is key to fostering understanding and encouraging collaboration between our two countries.
There are nine successful projects that will receive a share of $935,000 of funding, including:
- The University of South Australia’s space start-up exchange and trade visit, which will connect deep technology space companies and their respective research, industry and investment networks and fast-track market entry and investment.
- The University of Western Australia’s mapping of fish biomass on the continental shelves of India and Australia, which will generate data on blue carbon storage capacity.
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University’s investigation into mango cultivars and their pollinators which will inform industry recommendations to both India and Australia to respond to the impacts of climate change.
- Flinders University’s collaboration with Murdoch University and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics which will identify high-performing chickpea variants with low water and nitrogen requirements for increased drought tolerance and reduced fertiliser use.
- The Nossal Institute’s “Virtu-Care” which will produce a tele-health care model that specifically meets the health and rehabilitation needs of people with disability.
The full list of successful grant recipients is available on the AIC website.
Greens urge Labor to recommit opposition to PEP-11
The Greens urge Labor to publicly recommit its opposition to PEP-11 after revelations of the former PM’s extraordinary intervention to kill the unpopular project.
Reports that Scott Morrison secretly swore himself in as resources minister and used the power to roll his own frontbencher over PEP-11 have led to the project’s proponent indicating it may seek to overturn the government’s decision.
If Labor remains serious about stopping PEP-11 it should bring on and vote for the Greens’ Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Fight for Australia’s Coastline) Bill, which would put the demise of PEP-11 beyond doubt and prohibit any future petroleum exploration or production in the area for good.
Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said:
“We knew at the time that the former PM’s unprecedented intervention to stop offshore oil and gas drilling in PEP-11 was a political decision, given the strong community opposition to this project in several blue-ribbon federal electorates under threat from climate-conscious independents.
“What these latest revelations demonstrate more than anything are the extreme measures the former PM was willing to take to retain power, and in turn that drilling for fossil fuels off our coastlines is a significant matter of public interest that is deeply unpopular.
“While Anthony Albanese seeks legal advice on this matter, he should put the minds of those in Northern NSW at ease by immediately recommitting opposition to PEP-11.
“It’s deeply concerning that Advent Energy and subsidiary Asset Energy have indicated they may seek to overturn the government’s decision to reject the PEP-11 project.
“If Labor remains serious about stopping PEP-11 it should bring on and vote for the Greens’ Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Fight for Australia’s Coastline) Bill, which would stop PEP-11 beyond any doubt, and prohibit any future petroleum exploration or production in the area for good.”
Valuation delivers multimillion-dollar boost to Newcastle Art Gallery collection
Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection has been independently valued at $126 million, an increase of $11 million since key works were last reviewed.
The $126 million value means the collection is now the most valuable of any gallery in Australia not located in a capital city.
The Gallery was closed in February 2022 to allow for the collection to be prepared for relocation to secure storage ahead of the building’s $40 million expansion.
As part of the decanting process, key works were revalued, with Joseph Lycett’s Inner view of Newcastle and Russell Drysdale’s The crow trap recording the most significant increases, with more than $1 million added to each of their valuations. Five other iconic paintings including William Dobell’s renowned Portrait of a Strapper rose by more than half a million dollars each.
Significant female artists in the collection were also among works whose values have risen substantially, with two of Cressida Campbell’s works on paper more than doubling in value. Notable increases were also recorded for works by important artists including Eugene von Guérard, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Brett Whiteley, Grace Cossington Smith and Arthur Streeton.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the long-awaited expansion of Newcastle Art Gallery would allow the community to view and appreciate even more of these iconic artworks.
“City of Newcastle is proud to be the custodian of one of Australia’s most significant public collections of art, however only 1% of Newcastle Art Gallery’s works were able to be displayed in any year due to a lack of space in the existing building,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The expansion project includes an additional 1,600 square meters of exhibition space with dedicated areas on the lower level for our collection, offering the ability to share more of these wonderful works with the community.
“By more than doubling the size of the Gallery and delivering a suite of modern facilities, this project will deliver an expanded and upgraded gallery of international standing that will offer a valuable cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter.”
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said the collection was significant and diverse, providing a time capsule of Australian art dating back more than 200 years.
“Thanks to the generosity of Dr Roland Pope, whose initial bequest in 1945 formed the genesis of the collection, and subsequent donations from major benefactors, artists, the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation, Newcastle Art Gallery Society and our community we are honoured to be the custodian of the city’s collection with works of art of local, national and international importance,” Ms Morton said.
“We are also proud to share this incredible collection with the rest of Australia through a touring loans program to regional, state and national institutions. During the past four years alone, many of our works of art have travelled to galleries around the country and have been viewed by approximately one million people, with 39 works of art currently involved in 11 exhibitions across Australia.”
The collection is also available to view online via the Newcastle Art Gallery website, while key works are represented in the Night Galleries project at sites throughout the city including Market Street Steps, Kuwumi Place and Pacific Park.
Accelerating world class cyber security solutions in NSW
The nation’s only dedicated cyber security accelerator, CyRise, has been selected to operate the NSW Government’s $1 million Cyber Security Accelerator program, to be based within Sydney’s Tech Central district.
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens said CyRise is a champion of startups in the Asia Pacific region and will help cement NSW as a leading global destination for cyber innovation, providing superior skills for businesses.
“CyRise is a proven cyber security startup accelerator with a strong record of helping fast-track businesses to grow, diversify and attract investment,” Mr Henskens said.
“The global cyber security industry is expanding rapidly and presents a significant opportunity for local businesses to upskill their staff.”
Sydney is Australia’s leading city for cyber security, hosting over 120 businesses. Through the program, CyRise will offer three-day boot camps, a 14-week accelerator program for startups, and a new scale up program for later stage scaling businesses.
“This program will help companies sharpen their products, fine-tune business models and boost their connections with international investors,” Mr Henskens said.
“It will support businesses to ‘go global’ faster and attract cutting-edge talent to NSW, which will grow the economy and help secure a brighter future for our State.”
CyRise CEO Scott Handsaker said the world-class and innovative program will make NSW a beacon to the cyber security industry globally.
“We are thrilled to deliver a program that accelerates a startup’s growth trajectory and delivers connections, customers and advice at the right time. We will work together to provide an unparalleled go-to-market for NSW cyber startups,” Mr Handsaker said.
New SES campaign in six languages
A new public information campaign focused on diverse communities in flood-prone areas has been launched by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES).
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the new messaging includes video content and covers social media, radio and multicultural community newspapers.
“The campaign has been developed in the six languages of Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin and Punjabi to help culturally and linguistically diverse communities around the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley understand what to do in the event of a flood,” Ms Cooke said.
“It’s important people in flood-prone areas understand SES advice so they’re aware of the dangers of severe weather events and are ready to respond when flooding does occur.”
Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the campaign was another example of the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring everyone has access to important information.
“As a multicultural society, it’s crucial we provide clear and concise information about what they should do in an emergency, which ultimately helps them become more resilient,” Mr Coure said.
The campaign’s key messages include:
- It’s not safe to stay at home when subject to an evacuation order;
- It’s not safe to drive through floodwater;
- It’s important to listen to SES warnings and keep up to date with advice; and
- Know how to prepare an emergency ‘get ready to go’ kit.
SES Commissioner Carlene York said the campaign covers a variety of media channels to keep people safe.
“This campaign is really important to target locals in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley who speak languages other than English, and some of whom have experienced multiple floods in the past 18 months,” Commissioner York said.
“It’s great we now have tailored content in multiple languages so that it is as accessible and relevant as possible. This is just one of the steps we have taken to communicate how to prepare and keep safe during a flood.”
This campaign builds on previous public information campaigns delivered to communities in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and is being delivered under the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Flood Risk Management Strategy coordinated by Infrastructure NSW.
More information is available at www.ses.nsw.gov.au/languages and www.ses.nsw.gov.au/yourfloodplan.
Aerotropolis gets ready for takeoff as work begins on first substation
The first step in Western Sydney’s Aerotropolis development kicked off today with work beginning on the first critical piece of energy infrastructure for the area.
Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said the start of work on the new $38.8 million Bradfield Zone substation marks the beginning of the once-in-a-generation development that will change the face of Greater Sydney.
“This new 90-megawatt substation is an important step in building the backbone of electricity supply for the Bradfield Estate, providing capacity to power the equivalent of 20,000 homes,” Mr Roberts said.
“This is just the start of a huge investment in infrastructure for the Aerotropolis, including for roads, public transport, health facilities and schools that will support our growing population.
“Having the right infrastructure in place will be vital to the success of the Western Parkland City, ensuring it is a great place to live, work and invest for generations to come.”
The NSW Government released the final Precinct Plan for the Aerotropolis in March this year, paving the way for the development of around 6,500 hectares of land surrounding the Nancy Bird Walton Airport.
Member for Mulgoa and Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Tanya Davies said Aerotropolis will be the catalyst for the biggest ever jobs boom for Western Sydney.
“This new substation will allow over one million square metres of warehouse, factories and office space to be developed, creating up to 10,000 new jobs in the Bradfield City Centre alone,” Mrs Davies said.
“Western Sydney is booming and we expect to around 1.4 million people will be living in the Parkland City by 2036. The development of the Aerotropolis will also support the creation of around 200,000 jobs.”
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens said the Western Parkland City, centred around the Aerotropolis, is an incredible opportunity for the people of NSW.
“Through the final precinct plan, we’ve laid the foundations for five new precincts that will not only see a boom in highly-skilled jobs in Western Sydney, but will also facilitate the building of around 11,400 new homes, beautiful new parklands and open space to create a world-class city.”
For more information on the Aerotropolis Precinct Plan and the Greater Western Parkland City visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/Priority-Growth-Areas-and-Precincts/Western-Sydney-Aerotropolis
Record school building program continues for Western Sydney
More than $2 billion is being invested in public education infrastructure across Western Sydney as the NSW Government continues its record school building program.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell and Member for Seven Hills Mark Taylor today turned the sod on the latest project to start construction on the multi-million dollar upgrade at Seven Hills High School.
Ms Mitchell said that the NSW Government is continuing to invest in growing community across Western Sydney.
“The NSW Government has invested more in public education infrastructure than any previous government, and communities in Western Sydney are seeing the benefits,” Ms Mitchell said.
“More than $2 billion is being invested in the planning and delivery of 50 new and upgraded school projects, thanks to the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government.
“This record funding will provide world-class learning facilities to Western Sydney students now and for generations to come, like what we will see here at Seven Hills High School.”
The upgrade at Seven Hills High School will provide new specialist vocational education and training (VET) facilities as part of the NSW Government Vocational Schools Pilot project initiative.Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the upgrade would help turbocharge the take-up of vocational education and training and prepare students for future jobs in important industries including community and health services.
“We’re delivering more opportunities than ever before to help people get the skills they need for the jobs they want and this specialist training facility at Seven Hills High School will provide a golden opportunity for students,” Mr Henskens said.
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said the NSW Government continues to invest in Western Sydney.
“We know that Western Sydney is one of the best places to live, work and raise a family, the NSW Government continues to invest in infrastructure to cater for our growing population.”
Mr Taylor said he was delighted to be there for the official start of construction and that the upgrade will be an exciting addition that will deliver modern resources to local students both now and for generations to come.
“The upgrade at Seven Hills High School is really exciting, it means the students will have new specialist VET facilities as part of the NSW Government Vocational Schools Initiative,” Mr Taylor said.
“Seven Hills is a growing community and the upgrade at Seven Hills High School is part of the government’s commitment to supporting families in this area.”
The NSW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This builds on the more than $9.1 billion invested in projects delivered since 2017, a program of $17.7 billion in public education infrastructure.
NGO roundtable to deliver Closing the Gap outcomes
The NSW Government will host an Aboriginal roundtable to discuss recommendations to achieve positive change for Aboriginal leaders, employees and services within non-government sectors across the State.
Aboriginal NGO leaders and stakeholders will meet with Government decision-makers and a panel of social services organisations on Tuesday 16 August at the Redfern Community Centre to exchange feedback and ideas on Closing the Gap priority reforms and targets.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said the roundtable will provide the opportunity to work closely with key organisations to contribute to targets and outcomes towards Closing the Gap.
“This important roundtable will bring social sector organisations together to discuss opportunities and challenges to further support Aboriginal community run organisations, improve service delivery for Aboriginal people in NSW and expand Aboriginal employment opportunities within the sector,” Mr Franklin said.
“I look forward to exploring these important topics which will lead to the design of new measures to support the NSW social services sector and improve outcomes for Aboriginal people across NSW.”
NSW Council of Social Service CEO Joanna Quilty said the social services sector is part of the fast-growing health care and social assistance industry.
“With thousands of government funded organisations working across NSW and with Aboriginal communities, this roundtable is a great opportunity to investigate how the sector can better support the growth of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations as well as Aboriginal employment and leadership in non-indigenous organisations,” Ms Quility said.
Hosting regular roundtables with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business owners, organisations and those providing services to communities is one of the NSW Government’s 2021-22 Closing the Gap commitments.