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The NSW Government’s bill to criminalise coercive control in intimate partner relationships has passed the Lower House today with support across the Chamber.

Attorney General Mark Speakman said the NSW Government’s landmark Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Bill 2022 creates a stand-alone offence of coercive control, which will carry a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.

“Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse that involves patterns of behaviour that have the cumulative effect of denying victim-survivors their autonomy and independence,” Mr Speakman said.

“It is a proven precursor to domestic violence deaths. Our community has grieved with the families of too many domestic violence homicide victims.

“This bill is about supporting victim-survivors held hostage in their own homes and in their own lives by domestic terrorism,” Mr Speakman said.

“It is the product of many years of research, careful consideration and unprecedented consultation in the past two and a half years, including at least seven stages of development such as a discussion paper, a parliamentary inquiry, public exposure draft bill and roundtables.

“This bill is our bond, our commitment to taking action against this insidious evil that is coercive and controlling behaviour.

“In my second reading speech I called on all members of Parliament to stand with the NSW Government on tackling this insidious crime. I thank members of the Legislative Assembly for their support and for engaging with this reform in such a constructive, positive manner.

“The Legislative Assembly has sent a clear message – this reform is important, this reform is urgent and now is the time to act.

“To address feedback from some in the domestic and family violence sector, amendments have been added with unanimous support in the House to put beyond doubt that the implementation taskforce will include NSW Police Force, the chair of the Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council and a member from the sector with substantial expertise and experience in domestic and family violence service delivery.

“The NSW Government is also pleased to facilitate a further round of consultation on these reforms – the fourth consultation round on the provisions of the bill – to assist the Legislative Council to consider this important reform in November 2022. The Standing Committee on Social Issues will report on the provisions of the bill on 31 October 2022.”

Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward, who chaired the Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control, said the NSW Government’s extensive consultation has helped make sure the offence captures only conduct of the very serious standard that deserves criminal sanction and avoids overreach.

“This bill reflects a careful, cautious and measured approached to criminalising coercive control,” Mrs Ward said.

“We thank the many individuals, community members and stakeholders who have been on this journey with the NSW Government to better recognise coercive control and bring to justice those who perpetuate this horrendous, manipulative crime.”

Assaulting frontline health or emergency services workers will be met with tough new penalties, including up to 14 years in jail, under laws that came into force on Wednesday 19 October 2022.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the new offences will better protect a range of key frontline workers who commit their working lives to keeping our community safe.
 
“These new laws reinforce the NSW Government’s commitment to strengthening frontline services and supporting those who selflessly serve in these critical roles,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“This includes firefighters, paramedics, hospital medical staff, state emergency service workers, surf life savers and marine rescue volunteers.”
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said the new offences carry the same penalties as existing penalties for assaults on police officers and correctional officers.
 
“This law sends a clear message that assaults and acts of violence against frontline health and emergency service workers are reprehensible and will not be tolerated,” Mr Toole said.
 
“This law also clarifies and provides consistency in the coverage of existing laws for assaulting, hindering or resisting emergency services workers including police officers and correctional officers.”
 
Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the new legislation protects all paramedics, medical and security staff in hospitals, as well as pharmacists and their staff.
 
“Every person should be able to feel free and safe in their workplace,” Mr Hazzard said.
 
Attorney General Mark Speakman said this legislation is part of the NSW Government’s response to the NSW Sentencing Council’s report Assaults on Emergency Services Workers.
 
“The NSW Government supports all of the Sentencing Council’s recommendations in full or in principle and in this legislation has gone further in one critical respect,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“The NSW Government has ensured that firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, pharmacy staff, community health workers and NSW State Emergency Service frontline workers are covered by the new offences, in recognition of the significant work they do for our community.”
 
Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee welcomed the strengthening of provisions for frontline staff in correctional centres.
 
“Under three new aggravated offences, anyone who assaults a corrections officer or youth justice officer during a riot faces harsher penalties under three new aggravated offences introduced in the legislation. The definition of ‘Law enforcement officers’ has been expanded to include staff providing education, health or rehabilitation services to prison inmates and detainees in youth detention centres,” Mr Lee said.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said violence and assaults against frontline and emergency services personnel is unacceptable.
 
“Whatever the emergency, our frontline workers, especially our volunteers, give their all to help people through the worst of times. They deserve our gratitude and respect, and they also need to know we have their backs,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“These laws ensure that those who perpetuate disgraceful acts of violence on our dedicated emergency services personnel face the appropriate consequences.”
 
The new offences range from up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,200 fine, to a maximum 14 years’ jail for the worst offenders.

The future of Wollumbin National Park on the NSW North Coast will be guided by Aboriginal custodians after the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Wollumbin Consultative Group, which represents a range of Aboriginal groups and families with a connection to the site.         

Minister for Environment James Griffin said this will be the first step towards joint management between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Aboriginal custodians of Wollumbin National Park, as part of joint management reforms.
 
“Wollumbin holds deep significance for the Bundjalung people and this step recognises the importance of protecting its cultural value,” Mr Griffin said.    

“The Wollumbin Consultative Group has been providing guidance to NPWS on the management of the national park since 2000, and its long-standing view is that public access to the summit is not in line with the cultural values of the area.
 
“We’re committed to putting Aboriginal land management and stewardship at the heart of our efforts to conserve our precious environment and care for Country, which is why any future decisions about Wollumbin will be guided by Aboriginal custodians.
 
“While the summit track at Wollumbin remains closed, there are alternative trails for visitors and hikers to choose from in the region, with new visitor infrastructure being developed as part of the largest investment in the history of national parks.
 
“The $7.35 million Tweed Byron Hinterland Trail, for example, will be a stunning new 38km, four-day hiking trail, and cement the North Coast of NSW as a premier destination to visit.”
 
In addition, plans for two new walk experiences are being finalised:

• Caldera Rim Walk – a 7.2 kilometre walk with rainforest, caldera rim and mountain views
• Mount Chowan Link – a 2.5 kilometre walk linking the Tweed Byron Hinterland Trail and potentially the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

 
National parks are a key driver of the visitor economy on the NSW North Coast, generating $974 million per year and supporting more than 600 jobs.
 
Wollumbin Mountain was declared an Aboriginal Place above 600m to the summit by the NSW Government in 2014 to protect its cultural values and formally recognise it as a place of special significance to Aboriginal people.
 
The development of an MOU will provide a framework for Aboriginal decision making about the national park, including any future decisions regarding the summit track and the installation of new visitor infrastructure.
 
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Tourism Ben Franklin said the decision reflects the importance of the site to Aboriginal people of the far North Coast.
 
“Wollumbin Aboriginal Place is a sacred place of great spiritual significance to the
Bundjalung and Githabul countries with cultural connections to many Aboriginal communities around the nation,” Mr Franklin said.
 
“The Wollumbin Consultative Group is clear in its wishes for this site, and I welcome the partnership with NPWS for the future management of this significant cultural site.”
 
In a statement, Wollumbin Consultative Group said:
 
“Wollumbin is of the highest significance to the Aboriginal nations, particularly the Bundjalung nation in northern NSW, as a sacred ceremonial and cultural complex that is linked to traditional law and custom. Wollumbin is interconnected to a broader cultural and spiritual landscape that includes Creation, Dreaming stories and men’s initiation rites, of deep antiquity.
 
Bundjalung beliefs illustrate the spiritual values embodied and evoked in Wollumbin and its connections to a broader cultural landscape. These connections are important to the spiritual identity of the Bundjalung nation, many other nations and families connected to Wollumbin, predominantly men and also women.
 
We have a responsibility for caring for Country, our environment, plants, animals, water, earth, and sky. As the oldest living culture in the world, we are sharing our cultural knowledge and entrusting this knowledge with the broader community so that our values, tradition, and law are respected, understood and acknowledged.”
 
Wollumbin National Park has been closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19, public safety risks and further consultation with the Aboriginal community.
 
The NSW Government is delivering $450 million towards more than 200 visitor infrastructure projects across the state by 2024 as part of the largest investment in national parks history, including new visitor infrastructure on the North Coast.

For more information, visit http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wollumbin-national-park

Real time traffic information is now available to motorists using local roads across 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in regional NSW.
 
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway welcomed the launch of the first expansion to the Live Traffic NSW website, which will see the addition of local road information alongside any impacts on the state-managed road network.
 
“This marks a new era in traffic data, with regional motorists now armed with the latest information so they can make informed decisions in real time,” Mr Farraway said.
 
“During emergencies like floods or bushfires, Live Traffic NSW will be the go to for motorists to help them make informed decisions and travel safely.
 
“The new technology improves the reach and detail of information on Live Traffic NSW, which means we can provide more reliable data to more drivers.
 
“And there’s more to come. By 2024, we’re aiming to have Live Traffic capture every road across every council in the state.”
 
Called OneRoad, a backend portal into Live Traffic NSW allows councils to feed their data in so road impacts across local and state roads are in the one place.
 
The technology is a response to feedback from communities and recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Report. The initial 22 LGAs were chosen in consultation with the NSW Police, Rural Fire Service and NSW State Emergency Service.
 
The local councils onboarded in this first phase are: Ballina, Bellingen, Bega, Byron, Central Darling, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Gwydir, Inverell, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Maitland, MidCoast, Moree Plains, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie Hastings, Richmond Valley and Tamworth.
 
LGAs will continue to come onboard in stages, with the priority given to the regional councils who have been impacted most by bushfires and floods.
 
Live Traffic NSW data is available on the Transport for NSW Open Data Hub for third-party apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and TomTom

Health professionals will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skillset in older people’s mental health thanks to an additional $50,000 scholarship investment by the NSW Government.
 
The funding builds on previous investments of $300,000 over three years for older people’s mental health education scholarships for NSW Health staff.
 
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said the additional funding in older people’s mental health education would support the delivery of safe, high quality care across the sector and continue to futureproof the workforce.
 
“This additional funding for scholarships will increase access to professional development and training opportunities for staff and enhance the care they provide to older people with mental health needs.”
 
The scholarships are available to NSW Health staff and staff in partner services who provide mental health care and support for older people with mental health.
 
Minister for Seniors Mark Coure said the additional investment will support the state’s growing population of older people and their mental health needs.
 
“There are more than 1.9 million seniors living right across NSW, and that number will only continue to grow, which means potentially more people needing assistance with their mental health,” Mr Coure said.
 
“By investing in our health professionals, we will have more people for seniors to turn to when they need help with their mental health.”
 
People who wish to find out more about the scholarships and how to apply can do so via HETI OPMH scholarship. Applications will be assessed by the Health Education and Training Institute in partnership with NSW Health.
 
The scholarships will be available for study in semester one, 2023 and build on those offered in 2021-22, which have been distributed across metropolitan and rural areas.
 
More information is available online at https://www.heti.nsw.gov.au/Placements-Scholarships-Grants/scholarships-and-grants/older-peoples-mental-health-services-scholarships

The NSW unemployment rate has again reached a record low, falling to 3.3 per cent in September, the lowest rate since monthly records began in 1978.
 
The NSW jobless rate was down 0.1 percentage points from August and remains below the national unemployment rate of 3.5 per cent.
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said the bulk of the rise in employment was driven by 17,900 more people securing part-time roles in September.
 
“NSW is experiencing the State’s lowest monthly unemployment rate on record which is important when we’re seeing the challenges of interest rates climbing and inflation rising,” Mr Kean said.
 
“Employment growth is booming in NSW, driven by a rise in part-time employment and the robust NSW economy.
 
“It is also very pleasing to see the female participation rate up by 0.1 percentage points in September to 61.8 per cent, remaining above the pre-COVID level of 60.2.”
 
Monthly hours worked in NSW also rose by 0.2 per cent in September.
 
The State’s participation rate rose to 66.0 per cent and is 0.7 percentage points higher than pre-COVID levels.
 
Employment in NSW is now 157,500 above and around 4 per cent higher than its pre-pandemic level.

A Minns Labor Government will strengthen the support offered to victims of crime by appointing an Independent Victims Commissioner, and extending Victims Support Services to the families of victims killed by a road crime.
 
NSW Labor will also host a public forum at NSW Parliament today with these organisations to discuss the state of victim’s support in New South Wales.
 
On the 29th November 2021 over 60 members of the Victims of Crime Interagency (VoCI) co signed a letter to Attorney General Mark Speakman detailing concerns about the operation of victims’ services in New South Wales. One year later there has still been no response.
 
Appointment of an Independent Victims Commissioner
A Minns Labor Government will appoint an Independent Victims Commissioner, who will act as an independent advocate for victims.
 
Presently the commissioner is the administrative head of victims’ services, responsible for budgetary and management oversight of the delivery of services to victims.

The Commissioner is placed in the impossible situation of being responsible for the agency that delivers services to victims, while being expected to act as an advocate for victims groups when the services are inadequate or inappropriate.

Extend counselling services to the families of victims killed by a road crime

A Minns Labor Government will extend victim support counselling services to the families of a person killed in a road crime.
 
Currently, 22 hours of free counselling are available to family members of a homicide victim, however road fatalities are excluded as they are not categorised as a ‘violent crime’.
 
NSW Labor knows that the current system is not working for victim survivors or the families of victims.
 
We recognise that a death caused by a criminal act of a driver has the same devastating impact on a family that an act of violence does, and we recognise that victims deserve and need an independent advocate in this area.
 
Under Labor’s plan, this will mean approximately 200-300 additional New South Wales residents are able to receive counselling annually, on top of the 18,000 who already access these services.
 
Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader said:

Under Labor, victim-survivors and the families of victims will finally have the independent advocate they always argued for, the independent advocate they have always deserved.
 
“For too long, road crime has been treated differently from other forms of violent crime when it comes to the way the families of victims are treated. It is time to fix this.”

Michael Daley, NSW Shadow Attorney General said:

“We need to recognise that a death caused by the criminal act of a driver has the same devastating impact on a family that an act of violence does.

“Currently, support counselling is available to anyone who has experienced an act of violence in New South Wales. And it is available to family members of a homicide victim.
 
“However, the families of victims killed by a driver convicted of dangerous driving are not eligible for counselling, as this is not classified as a ‘violent act’.
 
“Under a NSW Labor Government those suffering family members will get the support they need.”

Ryan Park, NSW Shadow Minister for Health said:
 
“The anguish that is felt by victims and their families lasts not days and weeks but months and years after the incident.
 
“Injuries aren’t just physical. Social anxiety, depression and feelings of fear all need to be considered and support provided to victims and families who are often left behind.
 
“NSW Labor will make sure they are provided with the much needed support if and when they need it.”