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28,000 Permanent Teachers Have Left NSW Public Schools Under the Liberals

28,233 permanent teachers have left NSW public schools between 2010 and 2021 according to new data from the Department of Education.

Since 2011, NSW permanent teaching positions have increased by a mere 0.17 per cent, from 52,873 positions to 52,963 positions.

However, over the same period the number of temporary teachers ballooned by 71 per cent, or 11,461 additional temporary positions.

There is no doubt the increase in temporary positions has contributed to the teacher shortage crisis facing New South Wales.

The increase in temporary positions is causing job insecurity for teachers who are choosing to leave the profession and as a result schools and students will continue to experience teacher shortages, and merged and cancelled classes.

To add insult to injury under the NSW Liberals watch, teacher resignations have overtaken retirements.

For example in 2017, 649 teachers resigned from public schools while 1,836 retired.

However, in 2021 there were 1,159 teacher resignations from public schools compared with 1,142 retirements in 2021.

This is an increase of more than 78 per cent in just 5 years.

These concerning statistics come on the heels of the Upper House Education Committee survey which revealed 60 per cent of teachers surveyed intend on leaving the profession in the next five years, with 92.6 per cent attributing their exit to unmanageable workloads caused by the teacher shortage.

Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader said:

NSW needs more permanent teachers who are incentivised to stay and teach in our schools.

‘This data puts in black and white the failure of the NSW Liberal Government to effectively retain teachers.

‘Teachers are leaving in droves due to this governments failure and it is our children’s education which is suffering as a result.

Prue Car, NSW Deputy Labor Leader and NSW Shadow Minister for Education said:

‘The NSW education system is at breaking point, the teacher shortage crisis brought to you by the Perrottet Government is causing teachers to walk away in record numbers due to unmanageable workloads.

‘Educational outcomes in this state are going downhill under the Perrottet Government which has failed to support the education workforce.

Coal miners decide on strike action

Coal miners at four major Queensland mines will decide today which industrial action to take via a Fair Work Commission ballot.

Miners at Saraji, Peak Downs, Goonyella Riverside and Blackwater mines, covered by the biggest Enterprise Agreement in the Queensland coalfields, are set to vote on taking industrial action after BHP failed to make commitments to support permanent jobs.

Mining & Energy Union Queensland President Stephen Smyth said negotiations had not reached the point of discussing wage increases as the focus was on conditions, especially relating to job security.

“We had over a year of negotiations with BHP, then months more assisted by the Fair Work Commission, but BHP just aren’t listening,” said Mr Smyth.

“Job security is the biggest issue at BHP coal mines and our members will fight for permanent jobs. They’ve seen jobs around them axed and replaced by insecure, lower paid work.

“They’ve watched for a decade while permanent EA jobs declined to be replaced by labour hire. Then they’ve witnessed the shameless contrivance of BHP’s in-house labour hire provider, Operations Services.

“They’re not willing to settle for hollow promises anymore. They want hard protection built into the agreement around EA job numbers, redundancy protections and career progression.

“The BMA (BHP Mitsubishi Alliance) Central Enterprise Agreement is the biggest agreement in the Queensland coalfields and it sets the standard across the broader industry. BHP needs to come to understand the determination of our members to stand up for permanent jobs now and into 2023,” said Mr Smyth.

The Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO) is a ballot of all members asking them to nominate what sort of industrial action they are willing to take, including consecutive full-shift stoppages, part-shift stoppages, overtime bans, training, performing step-up duties and taking meal breaks at designated times.

Voting commences on 14 October 2022 and ends 24 October 2022.

David Tune to Lead Capability Review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Mr David Tune AO PSM has been appointed as the independent reviewer to lead the capability review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Minister for Aged Care the Hon. Anika Wells said Mr Tune’s appointment builds on the Albanese Government’s commitment to ensure the safety, dignity and wellbeing of every older Australian using aged care services.

Mr Tune was the former Secretary of the Department of Finance and Deregulation and has undertaken several reviews, including the Legislative Review of Aged Care (2016), and Removing red tape and implementing the NDIS Participant Service Guarantee(2019).

He also served as Chair for the former Aged Care Sector Committee from early 2015 until July 2021.

Mr Tune’s review will consider if the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has the necessary resources, workforce, clinical knowledge and the regulatory, investigation, assessment and enforcement skills required to meet its regulatory responsibilities.

The review will commence in October 2022 with the final report expected to be delivered the first half of 2023.

The Terms of Reference for the capability review have been finalised with input from key stakeholders within the sector including the National Aged Care Advisory Council, the Council of Elders, Council on the Ageing, Older Persons Advocacy Network, Aged and Community Care Providers Association and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council.

Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells said

“It was critical we appoint the right person, with the right expertise and knowledge of the sector to deliver this important piece of work.

“I have full confidence that Mr Tune, a former Australian Public Servant of 38 years, has the independence and expertise to undertake this review.

“The Commission’s activities will continue as normal while the review is being implemented.

“We will continue to work closely with the Commission to deliver significant reforms to aged care.”

To read the Terms of Reference, and for further information on the review, please visit the Capability Review webpage on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

20th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings

Australia today marks 20 years since the 2002 Bali bombings and tragic loss of 202 lives, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians.

Together, on what will be a difficult day for many in Australia, Indonesia and around the world, we honour the lives of the victims and the courage and resilience shown by survivors and their families.

We also pay tribute to the first responders and volunteers who assisted efforts in the wake of the attack.

To commemorate the anniversary, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP will attend a service at Coogee in Sydney.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, will host a memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra.

There, victims’ families, survivors and first responders will be joined by the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Hon David Hurley AC DSC, and former Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard OM AC.

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, will attend a commemorative ceremony at the Australian Consulate-General in Bali.

Australia’s thoughts are with those whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

We recommit to the ongoing work shared by Australia and Indonesia to counter the scourge of violent extremism, and reaffirm the respect and cooperation between our peoples.

Visit to Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Nauru

This week I will travel to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Nauru to further strengthen Australia’s ties with our Pacific family.

In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, I will officially open Australia’s embassy which commenced operations last year.

I will also be putting to air the first Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio programme on the Republic of the Marshall Island’s national broadcaster in six years.

I look forward to meeting His Excellency President David Kabua, Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua, other Members of Parliament, and community leaders to discuss climate action and enhance our security, environmental, cultural and economic partnerships.

In Nauru, I will meet newly elected President His Excellency Russ Kun to discuss our shared priorities such as climate-resilient infrastructure, connectivity, economic opportunities and pandemic recovery.

I will also launch a new partnership with Nauru and the Australian Football League (AFL) to support young athletes in Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

This will be my eighth visit to the Pacific as Foreign Minister, and the first ministerial visit to the Republic of the Marshall Islands since 2018, demonstrating the priority the new Australian Government places on our region.

Penny Wong

Plibersek must stick to Murray-Darling Basin Plan at Water Ministers meeting tomorrow

The Greens are calling on Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to stick to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting in Canberra, and pull NSW and Vic into line and announce voluntary buybacks are back on the table.

Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Water and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has been calling for a MinCo to be held as a priority under the new Labor Government.

Senator Hanson-Young said Labor had committed to implementing the Plan in full and on time at the election and including delivering the 450GL to South Australia. She said doing deals with upstream states and corporate irrigators tomorrow would be a broken promise.

“New South Wales and Victoria are demanding less water for the environment because they have failed to live up to their end of the bargain. It’s hard to believe they ever intended to deliver the environmental water required under the Plan,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Minister Plibersek must hold the line. The water required to be returned under the Plan is necessary for the health of the entire river system. States cannot just opt in and out as they please, it puts South Australia and our drinking water in jeopardy and the long-term future of all river communities, small family farms and the environment at risk.

“It’s clear the only way to return enough water to the system quickly and cost-effectively is to start buying water back and Minister Plibersek should announce tomorrow that she is taking this action.

“After nearly a decade of mismanagement and billions of dollars spent by Barnaby Joyce and the National Party, there is is no time to waste.

“Upstream states have wriggled out of every commitment they possibly could, with the environment and South Australia left begging.”

Miner’s have the right to a safe workplace

St Ives gold mine has suspended activity following the tragic death of an underground mining contractor yesterday. A second contractor has since been released with minor injuries.

Gold Fields, who own the mine, have said they won’t resume operations until an independent investigation by WA mining regulators is complete.

Greens spokesperson for resources, Yamatji-Noongar Woman Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“Our deepest condolences are with the victim’s family, friends and colleagues.

“Every worker has the right to go to work and return home safely at the end of the day.

“Gold Fields must work together with the investigators to determine the cause of this tragedy and implement changes to ensure worker safety.

“Gold Fields must ensure any recommendations from the investigation are also implemented at their other sites: Agnew, Granny Smith and Gruyere.

“The mining industry has the third highest fatality rate of any industry in Australia. It is critical findings from previous investigations are implemented and enforced so that these tragedies can be avoided.

“The Greens ‘National Energy Transition Authority Bill 2022’ currently before the Senate will establish an independent public authority to guide Australia’s shift to renewable energy. The body will have law reform and advice functions to improve harm minimisation in the sector.”

Methane Pledge means no new coal & gas mines: Greens

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has welcomed hints that the Labor Party is considering the long-standing Greens call to sign Joe Biden’s ‘Methane Pledge’ to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, but said it could only be met by halting massive new gas projects like Betaloo and Scarborough. Further, existing projects simply ‘offsetting’ their emissions would not be enough to meet the pledge, said Mr Bandt.

Mr Bandt said that the real issue is not cows and agriculture, but the coal and gas industry. The gas industry is the country’s biggest user of gas, and with methane being 86 times more potent as a climate gas than CO2, meeting the pledge’s goals would require an end to the coal and gas industry’s expansion, whether under the Safeguard Mechanism or via other means.

With the East Coast of Australia being battered by heavy rain triggering flooding today, Mr Bandt also said the alternating pattern of summer floods and bushfires was clearly becoming more severe, underscoring the need to stop opening coal and gas mines.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt said:

“I’m glad the government is listening to the Greens’ long-standing calls for Australia to join US President Biden’s global methane pledge, but putting it into practice means stopping new coal and gas mines.”

“Labor can’t sign the methane pledge today and then open up new coal and gas mines tomorrow.

“The issue isn’t cow burps, it’s coal and gas. The pledge is aimed at the tax-dodging coal and gas corporations, not cows and agriculture.

“Signing Joe Biden’s methane pledge means stopping new coal and gas projects, whether through the Safeguard mechanism, a climate trigger or some other means.

“The heavy rain and predicted flooding across much of the east coast is devastating communities, and the coal- and gas-fuelled climate crisis is making it worse.”

“My office has been inundated with messages from people worried about the heavy rain, including from people in central Melbourne who are now wondering if they need to invest in sandbags.

“This is not normal. Unprecedented rainfall in Sydney, warnings of a month’s worth of flooding in Victoria, entire towns decimated in the Northern Rivers: this will all get worse if Labor keeps opening coal and gas mines.”

A closer look at Newcastle’s southern beaches

Significant damage and loss of sand caused by several storm events this year has put the spotlight on future-proofing Newcastle’s southern beaches – the stretch of coastline between Nobbys Beach and Burwood Beach.

Executive Director Planning and Environment Michelle Bisson said that the coastline is changing and that the community have an important role in deciding how to manage these changes into the future.

“Significant weather events, combined with long-term sea level rising, means that waves are now reaching higher on the shoreline, exposing both bedrock and man-made structures more frequently – not just here but along the entire east coast,” Ms Bisson said.

“The City is spending $1.1 million now to reinstate safe access at Bar Beach, and also looking to the future to develop a longer-term strategy for this hugely important stretch of our coastline.”

City of Newcastle is working with coastal experts to better understand the impacts over the short and long term and what that means for the future use of these beaches and assets located along the coast.

Recent studies include an assessment of coastal inundation and erosion hazards, and follow earlier studies in 2018 that found unprotected areas of coastline are at a higher level of risk for erosion than previously thought.

“The area most at risk is the currently unprotected section of coastline from Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club at Bar Beach south to the cliff line at Dixon Park,” Ms Bisson said.

“Along this stretch there is no natural cliff line or man-made structure in place. The results of the coastal hazards assessment indicate a future reduction in shore width, and risk of damage to built assets including the Cooks Hill Surf Lifesaving Club building and adjacent roads and parking areas.”

“Our team is working with these coastal experts to develop a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for this area, which will consider the increasing exposure to coastal hazards and explore long-term management options for this highly valued stretch of coastline.”

Consultation on the potential impact of these predictions and possible management options has already begun with key stakeholders including Surf Lifesaving clubs along this stretch of coast and will continue with the broader community over the coming months.

The CMP will ultimately be placed on public exhibition and then brought to the Council for support. It will then be forwarded to the NSW Minister for Local Government for certification.

City of Newcastle reminds the community to follow safety warnings and to adhere to any accessway closures or hazard notices that impact use of the beach while the emergency repair work is completed.

Community invited to join the party on Darby Street

An outdoor stage with live music, roving performers and pop-up stalls will ensure an unforgettable street party along Darby Street this Saturday.

The community event will run from 10am to 8pm, with performances designed to entertain diners making the most of the large outdoor dining platform installed between Sanctum and Goldbergs restaurants and activate the revitalised Headphones Courtyard.

City of Newcastle Project Manager Bianca Field-Vo, Greater Newcastle City Commissioner Matt Endacott, New South Wales Minister for Infrastructure Rob Stokes and Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen take a look at some of the exciting changes implemented as part of the Streets as Shared Space trial on Darby Street.

Council Street will be temporarily closed between Darby and Dawson streets to create an authentic street party atmosphere with live music on an outdoor stage as well as a pop-up bar and food stalls. Shoppers enjoying Darby Street’s renowned eateries and boutiques will have the chance to win tickets to see Elton John perform in Newcastle.

The free event is being hosted by Canvas Event with support from City of Newcastle. Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said it was the perfect way to encourage more people to enjoy everything on offer along one of Newcastle’s most iconic streets.

“We’re committed to providing safe, shared open spaces for our community while supporting local businesses and this event is a fantastic way to achieve this vision in conjunction with the initiatives being trialled through the Streets as Shared Spaces program,” Cr Clausen said.

“Darby Street’s rich connections to art, culture, music and food ensure this precinct is much loved by locals and visitors alike. This trial will allow us to gain valuable feedback to guide more permanent changes as part of a potential future upgrade of this precinct under City of Newcastle’s Local Centres Program.”

The Darby Street trial has been made possible with a $500,000 grant from the NSW Government through the Streets as Shared Spaces program (Round 2) and funding from City of Newcastle’s Urban Centres Revitalisation Program.

The second round of Streets and Shared Spaces program is providing funding for councils across NSW to undertake temporary intervention projects that improve local streets and pavements as shared spaces, to trial innovative ideas that test and build the case for more permanent changes.

“These innovative and creative projects will allow people to dine under the stars and create spaces to relax and connect, which will support local business operators as they bounce back from the pandemic,” New South Wales Minister for Infrastructure Rob Stokes said.

“We’re reimagining our streets as better places for people, which will drive an increase in foot traffic and bring the community together to enjoy the vibrancy our state has to offer.”

The street party will also deliver a boost for local retailers and hospitality venues. Shoppers who spend $50 or more at participating venues will be given the chance to win one of two double passes to see Elton John when he performs at McDonald Jones Stadium in January next year.

Nici Palmer, owner of Blackbird Corner on Darby Street, said she is excited for the street party and hopes its success will allow the event to grow in the years to come.

“We really hope that this trial will help improve foot traffic along our fabulous street, and I’d love to see the Street Party become an annual event, celebrating all of the unique things Darby Street has to offer.”

The City of Newcastle is supporting a number of events along Darby Street throughout the six-month Streets as Shared Space trial. Details of upcoming events can be found at whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au