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The NSW community, environment and economy will be better protected against growing biosecurity threats with a record $163.9 million in the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said focusing on biosecurity measures is critical when it comes to the protection and ongoing strength of regional communities.
 
“The regions continue to make a remarkable recovery after a really difficult few years, however a biosecurity incursion that could put our agricultural industries in jeopardy could reverse all of the hard work that has been done to get our communities back on their feet,” Mr Toole said.
 
“Our farmers dedicate their lives to making sure we are clothed and fed; this is about making sure we have their back and are safeguarding their businesses from biosecurity threats.
 
“Being on the front foot when it comes to biosecurity is absolutely essential to ensure we can keep our reputation of being world class producers of quality food and fibre.”
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said a global increase in the volume, complexity and severity of biosecurity outbreaks requires early intervention and investment in new techniques and technologies.
 
“We are bolstering biosecurity to support NSW families that rely on the $21 billion primary industries sector for their livelihoods,” Mr Kean said.
 
“Tackling the rising global threat of pests, weeds and diseases will underpin the health of our planet and people, and underwrite our economic prosperity.
 
“That’s why we’re scaling up our early detection and emergency response capacity to mitigate outbreaks before they take hold.”
 
Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the NSW Government is on high alert against destructive biosecurity threats that have reached our national borders.
 
“My top priority as Minister for Agriculture is to protect our $21 billion primary industries sector and strengthen it into the future,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease in Indonesia means we can no longer rely on our geographic buffer to keep our primary industries sector safe, and we cannot afford to wait for an incursion before acting,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“Today’s record biosecurity funding will invest in active surveillance, rapid diagnostics and effective traceability systems to monitor, track and respond to any threats. It builds on the NSW Government’s previous record investment in the biosecurity space of $125 million in 2021-22.
“Investments in biosecurity measures will help future-proof one of the state’s biggest industries, which is absolutely crucial for the prosperity of NSW.”
 
The funding will strengthen the work undertaken by the NSW Government. It includes:

• mRNA vaccines for emergency animal diseases
• Automatic predator baiting
• Mass mortality carcass management
• Diagnostic tools for rapid herbicide resistance testing
• Aquatic disease response capacity
• Invasive ant surveillance and response
• Modernising our connection to the National Livestock Identification System

 
For more information, visit https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity 

The state’s rich multicultural society and its communities are set to benefit from a record level budget spend.

A $28 million package, secured through the upcoming NSW Budget, will support whole-of-Government Language Services, boost community cultural events and festivals, and increase engagement with multicultural and multi-faith communities.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the multi-year funding will benefit the state’s diverse cultures by providing important information in many languages, and bringing different communities together to celebrate their shared values.

“One of the key takeaways from the pandemic is the critical role of multicultural and faith communities in ensuring we are all connected, engaged and supported,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We are now acting on those learnings and investing in areas that will enable a stronger and brighter future for multicultural communities across the state.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said today’s announcement represents the single biggest budget allocation any government has provided to support Multicultural NSW, and was only possible because of the government’s strong economic management.

“This is investing in the state’s greatest asset, its people. We want to respect cultural diversity while at the same time celebrating the values we all share,” Mr Kean said.

Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the financial boost to the Government’s Language Services alone is a massive win for the state’s multicultural society.

“This will greatly improve our Government’s translation capabilities, which in turn will make sure vital information is accessible to everyone no matter the language they speak.

“Importantly, we will also be investing in a scholarship program, which will secure our state’s translation and interpreting capabilities into the future.”

As part of the initiative, the NSW Government will establish a Religious Communities Advisory Council. Its first order of business will be addressing concerns regarding the safety and security of places of worship, which is a priority for the faith communities.

It will be faster and more convenient to travel in New South Wales with a $567.9 million investment in upgrades to the Opal system funded through the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
Treasurer Matt Kean said travellers will be able to put the Opal card on their digital wallets as part of the Opal Next Gen upgrade which ensures we will have a modern, reliable, world-leading ticketing system.
 
“Since 2012 more than four billion trips have been taken using Opal, which has transformed the way we travel and it is now time to invest in keeping this system in line with our evolving needs and expectations,” Mr Kean said.
 
“This gives us a window into the future, setting up the Opal network to keep pace with our changing needs whether that be a train, bus, e-bike, e-scooter, rideshare or even electric vehicle charging.”
 
Investment into Opal Next Gen will also enable the trial of a new world leading Mobility as a Service app, known as Opal Plus.
 
Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes said 10,000 people would also be selected to take part in the 12-month trial, which allows subscribers to bundle together public transport, rideshare, ebike rental, taxi and parking.
 
“This app will revolutionise the way we travel in NSW because it factors in first and last mile journeys, making it simpler and easier to leave the car at home and get from door to door,” Mr Stokes said.
 
“Opal Plus will free up people to choose their own adventure when it comes to transport, laying the ground work for an even more intelligent transport system that puts the citizen at its heart.”
 
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said the NSW Government’s investment into Opal Next Gen will see services tailored to better meet the needs of commuters.
 
“This state-of-the-art new Opal system will enable commuters to travel from A to B a whole lot easier, it will allow families to seamlessly plan, book and pay for a range of different transport services in one place,” Mr Elliott said.
 
“The current Opal system has delivered an exceptional service for nearly a decade, but it is time to take it to the next level.”
 
Transport for NSW will be running competitive tender processes starting in the next two months.

More than 260 regional, rural and remote schools will have access to a dedicated local pool of relief teachers they can call on to help cover when teachers are away.
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the expansion of the Casual Supplementation Program was a win for schools in the bush.
                                                                                                    
“As a former teacher, I know that regional schools can often struggle to source relief teachers at the last minute to cover absentees. This has been exacerbated during COVID-19,” Mr Toole said.
 
“The NSW Government is addressing this need through an innovative program that offers teachers a three year, full-time role as a relief teacher with the benefits of job security, professional learning and leave entitlements.”
 
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the program was already proving a big success.
 
“Staffing our schools, particularly our regional ones, is complex and I am very pleased to say that we are seeing great results where the program is already up and running, including in very remote areas across the state that are traditionally hard to staff,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
The program groups schools in geographic clusters with a commute time of around an hour from a central ‘hub’ school where the relief teacher is based.
 
The program is being implemented in schools with the highest need for casual teachers in regional and rural areas from the North Coast to the Central West and the Riverina, as well as in hard to staff areas on the outskirts of Sydney.
 
The Casual Supplementation Program is part of the NSW Government’s $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy to create new pathways into teaching, place high-quality teachers where they are needed most, and ensure a steady pipeline of teachers entering the workforce, now and in the future. The strategy is on track to deliver its commitment to recruit an additional 4,600 teachers over the next four years.
 
Subject to eligibility, teachers in rural and remote locations are able to access a suite of financial and non-financial incentives, including up to $40,000 on top of their base salary annually and an additional $20,000 if the position is eligible for a recruitment bonus.

Three state-of-the-art High Clearance Vehicles are now in permanent operation for the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), expanding flood rescue capability by helping volunteers get to hard-to-reach places. 
 
The vehicles, known as Unimogs, have been handed over to the SES by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) after being used on deployment in military operations.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the delivery of the Unimogs means the SES now boasts the most advanced fleet of flood operations vehicles in Australia.
 
“These high clearance vehicles will allow our SES volunteers to go where they haven’t been able to go before when helping people in floodwaters,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“The Unimogs have been refurbished, in partnership with the ADF, and have already been put to good use in the recent floods and storms across NSW. They’re able to operate in more than a metre of water and can also function as a mobile communication hub, which makes them well-suited to flood response.
 
“An additional three vehicles are also on the way, and securing these specialty vehicles helps improve the SES’s ability to respond to future flooding emergencies and better protect our communities.”
 
SES Commissioner Carlene York thanked the ADF for their support in helping boost rescue capability.
 
“These vehicles have already proven to be life-saving when they were used by our volunteers to assist with the rescue of people during the catastrophic Northern Rivers floods earlier this year,” Commissioner York said.
 
“One example was when a Unimog was used to rescue 12 people trapped in their house by rising floodwaters. The two families, including a young baby and their pets, were all rescued by SES volunteers who could only access the property using the specialty vehicle.”