NSW Government calls on Jobs and Skills Summit to prioritise hospitality

NSW Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson has joined with key stakeholders to ensure the staffing crisis facing the hospitality sector is a priority at the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra.

Mr Anderson said the hospitality sector was one of the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic and as we look to the future, solving the staffing crisis must be a priority.

“I welcome the Jobs and Skills Summit being held in Canberra and am calling on the Commonwealth Government and all in attendance to address the staffing issue in hospitality as a matter of priority,” Mr Anderson said.

“These businesses suffered the most during the COVID pandemic and now, as the community is regaining the confidence to return to venues, we need to find a solution to issues around staffing and empower them to stay open and continue serving their communities.”

Australian Hotels Association NSW CEO John Whelan said the hospitality sector in NSW has been suffering from worker shortages.

“There’s been a chronic shortage of hospitality workers in NSW for a long time – and that’s only been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Mr Whelan said.

“It’s good to see the issue on the national agenda after years of inaction and particularly pleasing to see the AHA representing the hotel sector at the summit.”

Clubs NSW CEO Josh Landis said worker shortages are hurting clubs in NSW.

“There are tens of thousands of vacant hospitality jobs across the country and the worker shortage is having a devastating impact on not-for-profit clubs,” Mr Landis said.

“Clubs are crying out for workers, with many having to close their restaurants or alter their opening hours because they simply don’t have enough staff to operate at full capacity. 

“This matter is urgent and it requires decisive action by the Federal Government. Overseas job seekers should be allowed to complete their application and appointment process prior to arriving in Australia in order to provide relief to hospitality businesses, fast. 

“While we welcome this week’s jobs and skills summit, if we don’t find a solution to get workers here soon, it will have been for nothing.”

Restaurants and Caterers Association CEO Belinda Clarke staffing shortages are hurting the hospitality sector and called on the Summit to address the issue.

“The Jobs and Skills Summit needs to come back with practical solutions that will alleviate one of the worst staffing shortages this country has faced in decades,” Ms Clarke said.

“Whilst we’re concerned about the lack of hospitality voices at the summit, we are all still hoping that there will be more action than talk when it comes to tackling this enormous skills and staffing crisis the industry faces.

“We will need to see more support for local jobs as well more support for people looking to come to this country from overseas to work here or we will risk losing more and more businesses and all the problems that brings.”

Trial on song for late night music lovers

Venues offering live entertainment will be able to stay open later, as part of a three month trial of the State’s first special entertainment precinct at Enmore Rd in Sydney’s inner west.
 
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said Inner West Council’s trial will run from September to November and aims to support live music and further promote Enmore Rd to be a thriving entertainment and cultural precinct.
 
“The NSW Government is pleased to support this trial which will see venues in the Enmore Rd precinct that offer live music and other entertainment, able to stay open an extra 30 minutes,” Mr Anderson said.
 
“Liquor & Gaming NSW has partnered with the council to extend liquor trading for participating venues, ensuring patrons can indulge in their favourite tipple as they enjoy listening to a live band or singer later into the night.”
 
Some venues may also be eligible for a 60-minute liquor trading extension, if they already have planning approval to keep their doors open later.
 
Mr Anderson said the trial is all about getting more people out enjoying live entertainment in this precinct later at night.
 
“We want to see the NSW night-time economy grow while ensuring it’s diverse safe and inclusive. A strong, vibrant live music scene is critical to a strong, vibrant night time economy,” Mr Anderson said.
 
Mr Anderson said special entertainment precincts are part of a new pilot program with input from the Department of Planning, Hospitality and Racing, Office of Local Government, Office of the 24-Hour Commissioner and NSW Police.
 
“All live music and performance venues are eligible for an 80 per cent discount on their annual liquor licence fees, under the 24-hour economy reforms, providing thousands of dollars in savings,” Mr Anderson said.
 
Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said this announcement builds on a series of recent changes made to the planning system to boost entertainment and live music across the State.
 
“From extending alfresco dining measures for another 18 months, allowing businesses to host performances without additional approval and making it easier to convert shops into small art venues – we are committed to giving the hospitality industry greater certainty to recharge the economy and lift community spirits,” Mr Roberts said.

$750 million RPA Hospital unveiled

The designs for the $750 million new Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital have been released, showcasing the biggest transformation in the hospital’s 140-year history.
 
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government’s investment in RPA will deliver first-class health care to the local community, with state-of-the-art health facilities in a new building as well as an upgrade of existing spaces.
 
“This major redevelopment of RPA is part of the Liberal and National Government’s record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure over four years right across NSW, ensuring everyone receives the very best health care possible,” Mr Perrottet said.
 
“This is the most significant investment in RPA’s 140-year history and will support excellent health care for the 700,000 people who live in Sydney Local Health District and the more than 1 million people who visit it for work, study or to see loved ones.”
 
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new hospital was fast-tracked as part of the NSW Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan and will be delivered a year ahead of schedule.
 
The designs will now be taken on a roadshow via a series of presentations and pop-up stalls where the community can provide feedback.
 
“Importantly, Health Infrastructure has consulted extensively with clinicians, staff, patients, consumers and the local community, to ensure the redevelopment meets the healthcare needs of the rapidly growing area both now and in the future,” Mr Hazzard said.
 
“Now is the opportunity to have a say in the final design for one of Australia’s leading hospitals, renowned for its excellence in providing innovative health care and education.”
 
Led by Health Infrastructure and Sydney Local Health District, in partnership with the Government Architect NSW, a competition saw three leading architects invited to present their designs for the RPA campus. Bates Smart, Neeson Murcutt + Neille  were announced the winning team and have been incorporated into the project to work alongside Jacobs, the lead architect for the hospital redevelopment.
 
Following further consultation and design development, the plans will be lodged with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment via a State Significant Development Application.
 
When complete, the RPA Redevelopment will deliver:

  • Expanded and enhanced Emergency Department and Intensive Care Units
  • State-of-the-art operating theatres and interventional cardiology
  • Expanded and improved adult inpatient accommodation
  • Increased interventional and imaging services
  • Expanded women’s ambulatory and neonatology services
  • Facilities and capabilities for integrated research, education and training
  • Additional adult and paediatric inpatient beds

 
Enabling works began last year and main works construction is due to begin in coming months.
 
To view the designs and to provide feedback visit the RPA project: www.rparedevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au 
 
Construction is also underway on a RPA HealthOne at Green Square, which will deliver a range of services focused on early intervention, health promotion and prevention including services that would traditionally be provided in a hospital setting at RPA. 

Sydney Metro West given green light for tunnelling

Sydney Metro has received the green light for tunnelling between The Bays and Sydney CBD, completing plans for the 24 kilometre twin tunnels from Westmead to Hunter Street in the heart of the city.
 
Minister for Planning and Homes Anthony Roberts said planning approval has been granted for Sydney Metro to deliver 3.5 kilometre twin tunnels from The Bays into the CBD, under Johnstons Bay and Darling Harbour, as well as excavating Pyrmont and Hunter Street stations.
 
“Two major tunnelling contracts have been awarded for tunnelling between Westmead and The Bays.” Mr Roberts said.
 
“Starting at The Bays, tunnel boring machines will cross under the harbour, alongside Anzac Bridge, before heading to the new Pyrmont Station, then under Darling Harbour before reaching Hunter Street Station in the Sydney CBD.”
 
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said we are another step closer to delivering world-class transport infrastructure for the people of NSW.
 
“This is the final tunnel section for the new 24 kilometre metro line on this game changing project that will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.” Mr Elliott said.
 
“Sydney Metro West will significantly cut crowding on three major train lines, take tens of thousands of cars off the roads every day and support the creation of 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs in western Sydney.”
 
Sydney Metro has shortlisted three consortia to deliver the third and final tunnelling section between The Bays and Sydney CBD. This tunnelling package is expected to be awarded in late 2022.
 
Future planning approvals for Sydney Metro West will consider rail infrastructure, station buildings and precincts and over and adjacent station development at various locations. These will be subject to further community and stakeholder engagement.
 
Construction started on Sydney Metro West in 2020, with the project on track to be completed by 2030. In 2030, Sydney will have a network of four metro lines, 46 stations and 113 kilometres of new metro rail.

MEETING OF NATIONAL CABINET

National Cabinet met in Sydney today to discuss COVID-19 settings and key joint-actions for the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd provided an update on the pandemic and outlined strategies for combating potential COVID-19 waves.

First Ministers reinforced their commitment to continued collaboration between commonwealth, state and territory governments in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Cabinet agreed to reduce the isolation periods for COVID-19 positive cases from seven to five following a positive test, with the following caveats:

  • This would apply to people with no symptoms at five days.
  • Seven days isolation remains for workers in high risk setting including aged care, disability care, those providing care in the home.

This is a proportionate response at this point in the pandemic.

These changes will come into effect from Friday 9 September, with the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (PLDP) eligibility to reflect the changed isolation periods, effective the same date.

National Cabinet also agreed to remove the mandatory wearing of masks on domestic flights. This change will also come into effect from Friday 9 September.

Ahead of the Jobs and Skills Summit, First Ministers discussed ongoing workforce shortages impacting Australia’s economy and employers’ access to skilled workers. They agreed on the vision statement and guiding principles for a new National Skills Agreement.

First Ministers discussed the essential role of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as part of the education system and as a powerful lever for increasing participation of women in the workforce.

The National Cabinet agreed on the importance of delivering nationally significant energy transmission projects, and supporting regional communities and workforces to capture the opportunities emerging from Australia’s transition to a net zero emissions economy.

First Ministers agreed:

  • Commence work on a new National Skills Agreement in place from 1 January 2024 informed by the vision statement and guiding principles.
  • State and Territory Energy Ministers will work towards implementing reforms to accelerate the delivery of transmission projects. Regional communities will benefit from the investment, employment and training opportunities presented by the energy transition.
  • Work together on a long-term vision for ECEC to better support parents’ workforce participation and deliver improved early learning and child development outcomes as a national priority.
  • That Education and Early Years Ministers will work together to identify priority areas where governments can collaborate to support better outcomes across the system, with a particular focus on Early Childhood Education and Care workforce shortages, and with an update on progress to be provided to National Cabinet by the end of 2022.
  • Housing affordability issues will be discussed at the next in person meeting of the National Cabinet.
  • The National Cabinet also agreed to task the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to acceleration skills and qualification recognition in key sectors.

The National Cabinet remains committed to working together on national priorities and will meet again next month.

Appeal to locate wanted man – Lake Macquarie

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted in the Lake Macquarie area.

Bailey Wallis-Ahearn, aged 22, is wanted on a number of outstanding arrest warrants.

Officers from State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad have conducted numerous inquiries into his whereabouts but have been unable to locate him.

He is known to frequent Toronto and the surrounding areas of Lake Macquarie.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm to 175cm tall, of thin build, with brown hair possibly with a beard and moustache.

If sighted, members of the public are urged to contact local police immediately, otherwise information about his whereabouts can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

Appeal following jewellery store robbery in East Maitland – Strike Force Malwood

Police are appealing for public assistance following a jewellery store robbery in the state’s Hunter Region last month.

Just before 9.30am on Wednesday 6 July 2022, officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to a shopping centre on Molly Morgan Drive, East Maitland, following reports of a robbery at a jewellery store.

On arrival, police were told a male approached the store and used a Toolpro multi tool emergency hammer to smash the glass of a jewellery cabinet, before fleeing the scene with three items worth approximately $107,000. 

A crime scene was established, and initial inquiries were conducted by local police, before detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad took carriage of the matter under Strike Force Malwood.

As the investigation continues, detectives have released CCTV and an image of a male who may be able to assist with their inquiries.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 167cm tall, wearing a black hooded jumper, black tracksuit pants, black balaclava, black gloves and white coloured Nike TN’s.

It is believed he was travelling on a red coloured trail bike with “#51” sticker on the left side of the bike.

Labor’s Stage 3 Tax Cuts give richest 1% as much as the bottom 65%

New independent research from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that Labor’s Stage 3 Tax cuts will give Australia’s richest 1% as much as the bottom 65% of taxpayers in its first year.

Amid a cost of living crisis, the data confirms that the Stage 3 tax cuts will effectively dismantle Australia’s progressive taxation system, and overwhelmingly favour the nation’s richest people.

Women will get around 50c for every dollar a man receives, further increasing gender inequality, and a huge proportion of the $243.5bn will go to people in the top tax bracket. 

Adam Bandt MP, Leader of the Australian Greens said:
“Labor’s Stage 3 tax cuts for billionaires and the wealthy will turbocharge inequality and widen the gender pay gap. 
“This week’s Jobs Summit must reconsider the Stage 3 tax cuts for the wealthy, or everyday workers will fall further behind.
“In their first year, these tax cuts will give the top 1% of income earners as much as the bottom 65% combined. 
“Labor’s Stage 3 tax cuts cost a fortune, and the wealthiest 20% get close to 80% of the money.
“Labor’s Jobs Summit and the October Budget must deliver cost of living relief for everyday people now, axing the tax cuts for billionaires and funding dental into Medicare, free childcare and affordable housing instead.”

Other major takeaways from the PBO costing released today include:

  • The cost of the tax cuts has blown out to $243.5 billion
  • $188 billion or 77% of the benefit of these tax cuts will go to the wealthiest 20% of the population (and over the coming Budget estimates period, the inequality is even worse, with the top 20% getting 80% of the money)  
  • $160bn will go to men, with just $80bn to go to women

Newsflash to Minister Rishworth: There’s room in the budget to raise the rate of Jobseeker

Australian Greens spokesperson for social services, Senator Janet Rice, has scoffed at Minister Rishworth’s assertion this morning that there is simply no room in the October budget to lift income support.

Senator Rice said:

“Poverty is a political choice.

“This ‘would that it were’ pretence of having no room in the budget to raise Jobseeker because of the former government, but that otherwise Labor would love to help struggling Australians, is as absurd as it is hypocritical.

“Labor can find plenty of room in the budget to give billions in welfare to people like Clive Palmer, but nothing for Jobseekers.

“Here’s an idea: instead of handing out over $243 billion in Stage 3 tax cuts for the rich, raise the rate of income support payments for people living in poverty. 

“We are in a cost of living crisis and people can’t even afford the basics to get by. Minister Rishworth is choosing to make life harder and more stressful for people on income support.

“Labor is about to host the Jobs Summit, yet they’re ignoring people on starvation-payments and have no plan to help people on Jobseeker cover the costs associated with looking for a job.

“There’s no daylight between Labor and the Coalition when it comes to the millions of Australians living in poverty. 

“Parliament must respond to the cost of living impacts for people on starvation wages and income support. The Greens are fighting for a livable income guarantee that would raise payments to $88 a day, above the poverty line.”

Greens lay the boot into weakening worker protections

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has expressed deep reservations about any weakening of the Better Off Overall Test, in light of demands by the Business Council of Australia.

Excerpts from Greens Leader Adam Bandt’s address to a pre-Jobs Summit event hosted by law firm Kingston Reid on Wednesday 31 August:

“With the Liberals sitting this one out, whatever deal is reached at the Summit needs the Greens support or it won’t pass the Parliament. The Greens hold the balance of power, and we stand ready to amend whatever comes across our desk so it lifts wages, improves rights at work, and reduces cost of living.

“The Greens are also very worried about recent calls to weaken the ‘better off overall test’, because this will lead to workers being worse off.

“The test protects workers, especially young and casual workers, from getting even less than the already low award minimum wages and conditions.

“Major supermarkets and fast food chains stole hundreds of millions of dollars from workers through agreements that left these workers worse off.

“These dodgy agreements saw already low-paid workers receive less than the award, and now the big corporations want to make this rip-off legal.

“It is deeply distressing to see even the Labor government now open to changing the Fair Work Act to endorse this illegal behaviour.

“The Greens cannot back the Summit striking deals that leave young and low paid workers worse off.

“The Greens want the Summit to agree on three fundamental areas of reform. 

  1. Take back some of the power of big corporations, and give it to everyday people. This starts by rebuilding union membership, removing the restrictions on bargaining and axing the unfair restrictions on industrial action. As we rebalance the relationship between work and care, we must also give people greater control over their own working hours and arrangements; 
  2. Government must lift wages. The floor of our wage system has rotted. We need to increase wages from the bottom up, and start re-regulating the wages of the lowest paid and women-dominated professions by requiring their wages grow faster than inflation. And we need to lift income support to $88 a day;
  3. Government must reduce the costs of essentials. Make childcare free, put dental and mental health into Medicare, cap rents and build affordable homes, all funded by axing the Stage 3 tax cuts for billionaires and the very wealthy.”