Senator Steele-John’s response to NDIA Leadership changes

After years of campaigning with a united voice of Nothing About Us Without Us, the disability community and Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John welcome the appointment of more disabled people into leadership positions in the NDIA. 

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Disabled Person and Australian Greens spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services said:

“Today, like many in our community, I am feeling relief that finally, we have some more disabled people in leadership positions within the National Disability Insurance Agency.

“Many are pleased to see Kurt Fearnley take on the Chair of the Board for the NDIA. His experience as a physically disabled person will add a great perspective, and I hope that he continues to listen to people with a range of disabilities and advocate for major, transformative change in the culture and operations of the NDIA. 

“The appointment of the new CEO is progress, it’s good to have a woman with a background in public service take on the role. I see it as a missed opportunity to have a disabled person as CEO. 

“It remains that two of the three leadership roles; the Minister, the CEO and the Chair, who make decisions every day that impact the lives of disabled people do not have lived experience of being a disabled person.

“The Australian Greens continue to call on the new leadership team to make big changes to the culture of the NDIA, ensuring that the scheme is no longer one of fear for participants.  Disabled people, wherever they are across the country, regardless of how old they are, must be able to get the supports they need through the NDIS.  

Newcastle leading race to host a FIFA Women’s World Cup team

Newcastle’s premier No. 2 Sportsground has been short-listed as a dedicated team base camp training site during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

More than 30 nations will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand for the month-long tournament kicking off on 19 July through to 20 August 2023, and Newcastle’s No. 2 Sportsground could become a home-away-from-home for one of the teams.

For the first time in FIFA Women’s World Cup history, 35 short-listed team base camp options are available for selection by Participating Member Associations to be used as a dedicated training site during the competition for their entire delegation.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle has cemented its reputation as a major sporting and events host destination and would jump at the chance to welcome a FIFA Women’s World Cup team.

“City of Newcastle is committed to elevating women in sport and we are excited at the prospect of welcoming some of the world’s best female footballers to Newcastle in their preparation for a month of elite and exciting international competition,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Newcastle’s No. 2 Sportsground is a world-class facility, home to the A-league Womens’ Jets and regularly welcomes elite-level sporting fixtures like the USA national soccer team who trained on the grounds in preparation for their games against the Matildas last year.

“In 2019, No. 2 Sportsground also played host to a women’s international rugby game between the Wallaroos and Japan.

“As the world’s biggest women’s sporting event, it is expected that more than one billion people across the world will tune in to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, and City of Newcastle would be thrilled to welcome one of the teams for their preparations.

“Hosting a team would provide an invaluable opportunity to showcase Newcastle’s broader attractions to players and their large support contingent whilst offering invaluable flow-on effects for the city’s local economy.

“In the event that Newcastle is selected by FIFA as a team base camp, City of Newcastle will work closely with impacted user groups.”

FIFA are expected to confirm team base camps by 15 December 2022.

City of Newcastle presents vision for sustainable waste future

Summerhill Waste Management Centre will be transformed into an innovative regional recovery hub under a 20-year vision to reduce waste, increase recycling rates, strengthen the economy and create new jobs in Newcastle.

The vision has been outlined in City of Newcastle’s (CN) draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy, which will be tabled at tomorrow’s Council meeting ahead of a proposed six-week public exhibition period.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said developing a sustainable solution for waste was crucial for the future of our planet, our people and our prosperity, while also ensuring we’re able to manage the waste generation associated with ongoing population growth.

“During the next 20 years, Newcastle’s population is expected to grow by more than 15 per cent, which in turn will lead to an increase of almost 18 per cent in waste generation,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our Sustainable Waste Strategy focusses on reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and changing the way we return, reuse, repair and recycle resources.

“Our draft Strategy will deliver significant benefits to the planet by preserving our finite resources and reducing emissions, while also protecting and creating new jobs in Newcastle and unlocking economic opportunities for local businesses and industry through the circular economy.”

“This is an important milestone for City of Newcastle in our journey to reduce our emissions, protect our environment and implement our commitments to sustainability under our adopted Climate Action Plan and Community Strategic Plan.”

Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said the Strategy proposes a mix of infrastructure and service provision supported by educational campaigns and includes construction of the planned material recovery facility and organics processing facility at Summerhill.

“We’re committed to increasing our capabilities for the recycling and reuse of products in order to meet the State and Federal targets of diverting 80% of recycling and 50% of food waste from landfill,” Cr Clausen said.

“This includes investing in the infrastructure needed at Summerhill to allow residents to easily increase their recycling rates, with a recent kerbside waste audit showing that more than half of the waste in our red-lidded bins has the potential to be recovered in an organics processing facility, which can then be processed into compost for reuse in agriculture, landscaping and home gardens.

“By capturing more of the value from more of our waste, we’re localising a new resource steam, which may have significant benefits to local businesses and industry, kick-starting a local circular economy.

Pending approval from Councillors at tomorrow night’s meeting, the draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy will be placed on public exhibition for six weeks before returning to Council later this year for adoption.

Regional Roadshow gives cricket fans a taste of the World Cup action

From Woolgoolga to Murrumbateman, and everywhere in between, cricket fans in regional NSW will kick off the countdown to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with the help of a ‘biggest hit’ virtual reality experience.
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the T20 World Cup Regional Roadshow will make 11 stops over the next month and include a range of interactive activities and displays, plus a number of prizes will be up for grabs.
 
“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport’s most exciting format and the Regional Roadshow gives cricket fans across the State the chance to experience the buzz of the tournament first-hand,” Mr Toole said.
 
“This is about giving cricket fans in the bush a taste of the action. With Sydney hosting six World Cup matches including a semi-final, the Regional Roadshow brings the action to  fans   who mightn’t otherwise be able to travel to matches and gives students a chance to get involved during the school holidays.”
 
Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the Regional Roadshow will start by taking the T20 World Cup silverware to northern NSW, and is an example of the benefits of the NSW Government’s 10 World Cups in 10 Years initiative.
 
“Regional NSW is the heartland of cricket in our State, and the Regional Roadshow has hit the sweet spot by providing entertainment and inspiration for bush cricket fans across NSW ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“Despite having a smaller population than Sydney, regional NSW accounts for around half of the state’s registered players, more than 250 adolescent cricketers in the Cricket NSW pathway system, and produces over 50 per cent of NSW’s contracted professional cricketers.”
 
With less than a month to go until the first game of the tournament, the Regional Roadshow was launched to cricket fans at Curryfest in Woolgoolga today.
 
Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said with 16 national teams competing, the T20 World Cup would bring communities and cultures together through sport.
 
“Sport has the power to unite communities, and the T20 World Cup will bring fans from many cultural backgrounds together in a celebration of sport,” Mr Singh said.
 
“What better place to launch the Regional Roadshow and celebrate the amazing communities that make up the tournament than here at Curryfest.”
 
More information on the T20 World Cup can be found online.

Focus on first home buyers this Super Saturday

Around 700 homes are expected to go under the hammer on Super Saturday today as first home buyers will soon be able to choose between paying upfront stamp duty or a smaller annual property fee.
 
First Home Buyer Choice, which was announced in the 2022-23 NSW Budget as part of the Government’s integrated $2.8 billion housing package, is scheduled to start in January.
 
On the busiest auction day of the year, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said eliminating the upfront cost of stamp duty can help first home buyers shave years off the time it takes to save a deposit.
 
“This is all about giving first home buyers the power to choose an alternative to upfront stamp duty,” Mr Kean said.
 
“We want to remove one of the barriers to entering the property market and help first home buyers realise the great Australian dream of home ownership sooner.”
Under the First Home Buyer Choice, eligible first home buyers will have the choice of a traditional upfront payment or a smaller annual property fee for properties with a purchase price of up to $1.5 million.
 
Around 84 per cent of residential property transactions across NSW are below the $1.5 million threshold. 
 
First home buyers who opt into the property tax will pay an annual fee of $400 plus 0.3 per cent of the land value of the property for the time they occupy the property as their principal place of residence. The property will not be locked into the scheme if it is sold.
 
Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said the stamp duty reform for first home buyers is part of a broader $2.8 billion housing package announced in the NSW Budget.
 
“The NSW Government is also looking at different ways we can boost housing supply,” Mr Roberts said.
 
“We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to initiatives that will help more people in NSW enter the market and own their own home.” 
 
First Home Buyer grants, duty exemptions and concessions will continue alongside the stamp duty option.
 
In the year to 31 July, 2022, the NSW Government assisted first home buyers with $566,730,403 in grants, duty exemptions and concessions.
 
The top 20 suburbs according to benefits received:
 

  1. Schofields
  2. Liverpool
  3. Wentworthville
  4. North Kellyville
  5. Box Hill
  6. Parramatta
  7. Austral
  8. Mount Druitt
  9. Campbelltown
  10. Homebush
  11. Wollongong
  12. Blacktown
  13. Penrith
  14. Googong
  15. Kogarah
  16. Lidcombe
  17. Gobbagombalin
  18. Bankstown
  19. Gosford
  20. Kingswood   

New $2.5M truck lifts rescue capability

A new $2.5 million aerial pumper has arrived at St Andrews Fire Station, one of 11 state-of-the-art fire trucks being rolled out across NSW.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke was joined by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Acting Commissioner Megan Stiffler to hand over the keys to the specialist Compressed Aerial Pumper (CAP).
 
“It’s important that our firefighters can keep up with the rapidly growing South Western Sydney skyline,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“This state-of-the-art appliance is equipped with a compressed air foam system and 2,000 litre water tank. Its ladder can extend 10 metres further than the old appliance, with a vertical reach of 24.5 metres and load bearing capacity of 330 kilograms.
 
“Stationing this truck at St Andrews increases the capability of our firefighters during large-scale fires such as those in shopping centres, industrial complexes and multi-storey residential buildings. It will also be used to undertake rescues and other non-fire operations including evacuations.”
 
The appliance is fitted with an intelligence-gathering thermal imaging camera which detects heat signals and transmits images from the scene of an emergency to critical locations like the FRNSW Command Centre.
 
Acting Commissioner Stiffler said the aerial fleet is being delivered to FRNSW as a result of a $37 million Budget commitment which ensures firefighters have the best tools to do their work and protect the irreplaceable.
 
“We are always on the lookout for new equipment and technologies to help our crews adapt to the changing needs of the communities they serve,” Acting Commissioner Stiffler said.
 
“The addition of the CAPs to the FRNSW fleet allows firefighters to quickly reach the scenes of multi-storey blazes and extinguish them more efficiently and effectively.”
 
FRNSW now boasts 25 aerial appliances in operation across NSW.
 

Wellbeing support to ensure student success

World-leading child health researchers have been tasked with looking at the mental health and wellbeing of NSW primary school students and helping to create innovative social and emotional support measures for our youngest learners.   
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet says the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute will undertake the work and propose a suite of new social and wellbeing initiatives. 
   
“The unprecedented challenges of the past few years have certainly been tough and we’ve heard from teachers and parents right across our state how they’ve noticed an impact on student capacity to focus, social interactions and general happiness,” Mr Perrottet said.   
 
“This research is vital to find the best ways of providing support in our schools. We’re already reforming curriculums to give students the best educational start in life and wellbeing is another important component to help set them up for success.”  
 
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said when it comes to student wellbeing, early identification and prevention is key.       
 
“The NSW Government has invested significantly in health and wellbeing support, services and personnel in our high schools over the last few years, and we want that same high calibre of support in our primary schools,” Ms Mitchell said.   
 
“We need to think holistically, whether that’s introducing student support officers into every primary school or helping schools make better choices about the wellbeing programs they offer to their students – there are endless possibilities.    
 
“The work the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute will be ground-breaking, and will help deliver a tool and evidence-base for us to choose between those possibilities, and support our schools, and our kids, in the best possible way.”   
 
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor echoed the importance of prevention in the wellbeing of young people.   
 
“This partnership will complement the NSW Government’s successful School Wellbeing Nurses Program and create a web of support around our students – ensuring they have the support and resources they need no matter their age or where they live,” Mrs Taylor said.   
 
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s work will be completed by February 2023.  
 
“We know how important it is to have a variety of supports for our children– one size doesn’t fit all,” said Sharon Goldfeld, Professor at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.   
 
“We’re excited to work with the NSW Government to support schools and kids right across NSW.” 
 
Since 2015, the NSW Government has invested more than $290 million to provide mental health and wellbeing professionals and services in NSW public schools, along with a series of programs to connect students and families with support in their community.
 

Alfresco Restart Rebate Claims Open for Business

NSW small and medium hospitality operators can now claim the State Government’s $5,000 Alfresco Restart rebate, enabling them to create or expand their outdoor dining offerings.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the rebate would reinvigorate communities and change the way customers dine.
“After a cold winter and now that spring is here, the NSW Government’s broader $66 million Alfresco Restart package is helping to boost local hospitality and ensure customers can enjoy new outdoor dining experiences at some of their favourite venues,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Whether you’re a café in Western Sydney, a restaurant on the Northern Beaches or a pub on the Central Coast, this is about giving businesses and customers more choice and convenience.”

Examples of eligible expenses include generators, heaters, fans and misters, installation of outdoor power points and weather protection for shade and rain, including umbrellas.

Small and medium hospitality operators have from now until 30 September 2022 to claim their one-off Alfresco Restart rebate of up to $5,000, which is available to the first 5,000 eligible businesses to register.

Minister for Small Business Victor Dominello said there are still around 900 rebates available for businesses to register and claim for.

“This program will help businesses to bounce back from two years of interruption caused by the pandemic by reducing the cost of dining transformation,” Mr Dominello said.

“It is great to see so many businesses having already registered for the rebate program but there is still space available for more looking to go alfresco.”

The rebate is being delivered by Service NSW. Businesses must first register on the Service NSW website to confirm their eligibility. Customers will need a MyServiceNSW Account, proof of identity and a valid ABN to register.

Businesses considering kerbside dining but looking for additional support on how to do so can reach out to a Service NSW Business Concierge for guidance.

Hospitality businesses can also access free tailored business advice on how to find new customers, improve their digital presence, manage cash flow and pricing strategies by contacting Business Connect.

Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said alfresco dining has been such a success that its temporary measures have been extended for a further 18 months to further support the hospitality industry.

“The temporary alfresco dining measures has largely been in the CBD, which has been great, but we would love to see more regional venues take up this opportunity and consider permanent options that reflect the community’s desire to dine outdoors year-round,” Mr Anderson said.

Customers can speak to the Business Concierge and Business Connect teams by calling 13 77 88 or can get more information on these services by visiting https://www.nsw.gov.au/working-and-business/business-advice-and-support.

The program follows other measures from the NSW Government designed to boost outdoor dining. Another initiative is fast tracking approvals for venues wishing to extend their liquor licence boundary to include new outdoor dining spaces.

Powers To Stop Unsafe Health Practitioners

The Health Care Complaints Commission can now order unsafe health practices to immediately cease operating under significant changes aimed at better protecting patients.
 
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that changes to the Public Health Regulation means a prohibition order can be issued for a breach of a new code of conduct that applies to health practices offering services such as massage therapy, naturopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic and other alternative health care.
 
“These changes enable the HCCC to use their powers to prohibit health organisations from operating where they pose a risk to the health or safety of the public,” Mr Hazzard said.
 
“This is an important, additional step that enables the HCCC to take firm action to protect the community from health organisations which flout the rules and do not provide services in a safe and ethical way.”
 
It does not include public health organisations, aged care services, and licenced private health facilities, as they are already governed by other legislation that ensures quality assurance, and as such the HCCC is not responsible for taking action against these entities. 
 
This new code of conduct builds on the existing code of conduct for non-registered health practitioners and requires that health organisations:

  • Provide health services in a safe and ethical way
  • Have precautions for infection control
  • Ensure their employees conduct themselves appropriately in relation to treatment advice, including not dissuading a patient to see another health service
  • Do not financially exploit clients
  • Do not misinform patients
  • Keep client health information confidential
  • Safely secure and supply medicines
  • Display the code of conduct on their premises.

 
For more information about the new code of conduct, please visit the NSW Health website.

Bush fire tankers ready to roll out State-wide

Bush fire-battling capability across NSW is set for a major boost with 18 new Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) state-of-the-art tankers rolling out across the State ahead of peak danger season.
 
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the trucks are funded through the NSW Government’s response to the independent Bushfire Inquiry.
 
“Replacing Fire and Rescue’s existing 22-year-old fleet of bush fire tankers is a priority for the NSW Government, which is why we committed a further $9 million in this year’s Budget to take the total number of new appliances to 34,” Ms Cooke said.
 
“The trucks have been locally assembled by Isuzu and are currently being fitted out with equipment before being deployed to some of the State’s most at-risk locations.
 
“They will enable our firefighters to access bush fires in difficult terrain as well as be used for building fires, rescues and other emergency incidents.”
 
Each $530,000 multi-purpose four-wheel-drive truck features a water spray system to protect the crew, a compressed air foam system and a 3,500-litre water tank.
 
FRNSW Acting Commissioner Megan Stiffler said the new appliances will help firefighters where they are needed most.
 
“We welcome these new trucks as they will provide our firefighters with the best possible equipment and technology to protect life and property,” Acting Commissioner Stiffler said.
 
“The fleet of modern, advanced and environmentally-friendly appliances will also ensure our firefighters are safe while undertaking their vital role in the community.”
 
A total of $80 million has been provided to FRNSW in response to the Bushfire Inquiry’s 76 recommendations.