Category: NSW News

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today announced an independent expert inquiry into the 2019-20 bushfire season to provide input to NSW ahead of the next bushfire season.
Dave Owens, former Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police, and Professor Mary O’Kane AC, Independent Planning Commission Chair and former NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, will lead the six-month inquiry, which will review the causes of, preparation for and response to the 2019-20 bushfires.
“Professor O’Kane and Mr Owens have an extraordinary breadth and depth of experience into the matters they will be examining. I am confident their inquiry will be comprehensive and robust,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“NSW is incredibly proud of the efforts of all our emergency services personnel and volunteers throughout this ongoing bushfire season, but the scale of these fires has been unprecedented and we must leave no stone unturned.
“This inquiry will allow NSW to learn from this season and the catastrophic conditions we’ve faced, and apply these learnings for the future.”
Ms Berejiklian said recovery efforts are ongoing and remain the NSW Government’s focus, as we work to ensure communities are supported as they begin to rebuild.
“Unfortunately the fire season is not over. Whilst we are focussed on the rebuilding process we are mindful of the remaining fire threats,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The inquiry will commence within days and accept submissions from the public.
A report will be submitted to the Premier at its conclusion.

The NSW Government has offered a boost to women in business, with Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee and Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor launching a free online mentoring program.
The landmark $7 million Women in Business program provides practical resources for women running small businesses, micro-businesses or start-ups.
New ABS data has revealed more than a third of the nation’s small businesses are headed by women, with 12.1 per cent of the nation’s 5.9 million female employees now their own boss.
Mr Lee said the NSW Government, through TAFE NSW, was determined to support this entrepreneurial spirit by providing as much support as possible to women in business.
“Women now have access to a range of free online information, advice from leading Australian entrepreneurs, as well as events and workshops,” Mr Lee said.
The Women in Business program connects business owners with a range of resources and support services provided by the NSW Government.
Mrs Taylor said the NSW Government wants to ensure that women-led businesses have the best possible opportunity to succeed.
“The Women in Business program will ensure entrepreneurial women across the state are supported, regardless of where they live,” Mrs Taylor said.
“It also allows businesswomen to select the resources that best suit their needs, at a time that is convenient to them.”
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said women-led businesses play a vital role in the State’s economy.
“The NSW Government wants to see even more women succeed in small business which is why we are giving them the support they need to get ahead,” he said.
The program is part of the NSW Women’s Strategy for 2018-2022. Participants can access training topics such as creating a business plan, keeping your business cyber-safe and leveraging social media.
To register for the free program visit tafensw.edu.au/womeninbusiness or call 131 601.

Term 1 2020 will see the largest investment made in public school infrastructure across NSW, with 7 new and 17 upgraded schools opening their doors in Term 1.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell visited students at Gledswood Hills Public School, Preston Public School, Epping Public School and Parramatta Public School.
Ms Berejiklian said the new and upgraded schools will benefit more than 20,000 students across NSW.
“It is set to be another big year for public schools with 24 new and upgraded schools opening this term,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The state of the art schools include new classrooms, performance studios, sports facilities, outdoor learning areas, halls and libraries to ensure students are receiving the best education.”
The NSW Government is investing $6.7 billion over four years to deliver more than 190 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.
Ms Mitchell said the new and upgraded schools were part of the NSW Government’s commitment to education and ensuring that Australia’s largest education system is world class.
“Schools in both regional and metro NSW are benefitting from this historic $6.7 billion investment in school infrastructure,” Ms Mitchell said
“These 24 new and upgraded schools represent a $974 million investment in our children’s education for generations to come.
“Along with our fantastic teachers and staff, these new buildings will be an asset to children who learn in them.”
New and upgraded schools opening in Term 1 across NSW:

Day 1 Term 1 Arthur Phillip High School Parramatta Public School Ashbury Public School Byron Bay Public School Carlingford Public School, Stage 1 Epping Public School, Stage 1 Gledswood Hills Public School Greenwich Public School – Greenwich Road campus relocation Gwynneville Public School Newcastle East Public School Oran Park High School Prestons Public School Riverbank Public School Smalls Road Public School Wamberal Public School Willoughby Girls High School Yagoona Public School (SSP)

The New South Wales and Victorian governments are working together to build a new emergency department and the first short stay unit at Albury Wodonga Health to meet the future health needs of the community.
NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard, Victorian Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jenny Mikakos and NSW Member for Albury Justin Clancy visited Albury Wodonga Health today to announce the almost $36 million redevelopment.
Mr Hazzard said the strong relationship between the NSW and Victorian governments will help ensure the Albury-Wodonga community receives world-class healthcare close to home.
“The NSW Liberal & Nationals Government has committed $30 million to expand Albury Wodonga Health’s emergency department from 16 to 42 treatment spaces to provide the community with high quality emergency care now and into the future,” Mr Hazzard said.
Ms Mikakos said the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority will work closely with NSW Health and NSW Health Infrastructure to successfully deliver the project.
“The Andrews Labor Government is providing almost $6 million to build a 16 bed short stay unit which will help reduce wait times in the emergency department, so local patients can get the very best care, sooner,” Ms Mikakos said.
Mr Clancy said the $36 million investment is welcome news for the local community.
“With one of the busiest emergency departments in regional Australia, this funding is crucial to enabling Albury Wodonga Health to meet demand,” Mr Clancy said.
Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the redevelopment of the emergency department together with the short stay unit will ensure the region has access to critical health services.
“It will support almost 80,000 patients projected to go through the emergency department by 2031,” Ms Symes said.
The NSW Government has invested $10 billion on health infrastructure statewide since 2011, and is investing $10.1 billion more over the next four years, including more than $900 million for rural and regional areas in 2019-20.
The Victorian Government has committed $7 billion on health infrastructure since 2015, delivering the largest health building program in the state’s history.
The project will begin this year and is expected to be completed by 2022.

Hornsby Hospital will benefit from major energy efficiencies as part of the NSW Government’s $8.1 million solar package for hospitals.
Energy Minister Matt Kean and Health Minister Brad Hazzard today announced the NSW Government will spend $1.5 million on the installation of solar panels on available roof space at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.
“The NSW Government is committed to delivering a secure, modern and affordable energy system for our State and I am thrilled Hornsby Hospital is at the centre of this initiative,” Mr Kean said.
“This initiative shows the benefits of using solar energy to save our hospitals money and reduce our carbon footprint.”
Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the $8.1 million package will also be used to fund solar panel installations at Fairfield, Canterbury and John Hunter hospitals.
“The $3.2 million solar panel installation at John Hunter Hospital will be the biggest hospital solar project in Australia, with solar panels covering 12,000 square metres of the hospital’s roof space,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Hospitals use a sizeable portion of the state’s total energy consumption, so using our roof space to generate power is a smart way to reduce our dependency on the grid.
“By making our hospitals more energy-efficient, these solar projects will help bring our costs down, freeing up funds that can be invested back into the health system.”
Port Macquarie Hospital was the first in NSW to have solar panels installed under this program. Around $224,000 has been saved on electricity costs since June 2018. Solar panels are being installed at Blacktown Hospital and are due to go live in February 2020. They are expected to save $194,000 every year in electricity costs.
The 2019-20 budget for Northern Sydney Local Health District is $1.7 billion, an increase of $57 million on last year.

The outstanding service of four Corrective Services NSW officers at Long Bay, Goulburn, Leichhardt and Silverwater has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.
The Australian Corrections Medal was awarded to Jean Dally, Rebecca Edwards, Amandeep Singh and Albert Torrens for their distinguished service and leadership.
Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts congratulated the four officers for their commitment to making the community safer.
“These officers should be very proud to be the recipients of this prestigious medal and I thank them for their service to NSW,” Mr Roberts said.
“Corrections is a challenging area to work in, and a difficult one, but these officers have shown true leadership, hard work and a strong motivation to make our communities safer and reduce reoffending.”
CSNSW Commissioner Peter Severin said the four officers inspired others.
“Jean, Rebecca, Amandeep and Albert are great representatives of Corrective Services NSW and we are proud to have them working for us,” Mr Severin said.
“They demonstrate all the best traits of correctional officers and provide a good role model to other staff. They are also doing their best to improve practices at the department and the rehabilitation prospects of offenders.”
The Australian Corrections Medal for distinguished service and leadership was introduced in 2018 and is awarded in the Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday Honours lists. The four recipients will be invested with their medals at NSW Government House in May.
Regional Support Manager Jean Dally, Offender Services and Programs, Goulburn
Ms Dally joined Corrective Services NSW in 2004 and has been pivotal in providing services and programs in custody and the community, which support behavioural change in offenders.
She has been vital to developing programs for young offenders, ensuring access to specialist services, particularly for those with medical or mental health issues.
She has also established relationships with local agencies to deliver best practice programs and support services for inmates pre-release.
She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the structured day routine to ensure offenders have daily access to programs, education and industries to reflect their case plans.
Ms Dally’s commitment and dedication to assisting offenders with complex needs involves travelling to 15 correctional centres and 25 Community Corrections offices across the state.
“This medal definitely does make me feel proud, but also humbled and surprised that I’m recognised for the work I do. It’s more than a just a job for me – I enjoy my work so much and every day is exciting, challenging, rewarding and actually enjoyable,” Ms Dally said.
Rebecca Edwards, Acting Manager of Governance and Compliance – Security and Intelligence, Silverwater
Ms Edwards joined CSNSW in 2005 and has worked at Silverwater Women’s and Dawn De Loas correctional centres.
She later joined the Corrections Intelligence Group with her work involving the management of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) offenders, who have been identified as a significant risk to the security of NSW prisons. Her efforts have contributed to reducing the risk of incidents at CSNSW locations and the community.
The management of OMCG members in custody and the community requires a unique knowledge, not only of a correctional environment, but also of the highly complex nature of these gangs.
Through her work, she has established and strengthened relationships with law enforcement bodies, which have contributed to a safer community.
Ms Edwards said she was “honoured and humbled” to receive the Australian Corrections Medal.
“None of this would’ve been possible without the commitment, dedication and support of those who worked in this field before me, and for my team members past and present who share the drive and passion to do our bit to disrupt gang activity,” Ms Edwards said.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside people who’ve worked tirelessly to detect and disrupt gang activity, as well as managing the threats from all crime types. I am inspired by those who think outside the box and seek real life solutions in this field.”
Amandeep Singh, First Class Correctional Officer, Long Bay
Mr Singh joined CSNSW in 2014 and currently works at the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre at Long Bay. His job involves managing inmates and working at the reception desk at the internal visits centre.
During his own time he designed a user-friendly computer dashboard application, to assist staff in performing their daily duties.
The dashboard provides direct links to current policy and procedures, and templates and forms, regularly used by custodial staff and business partners.
The dashboard application is now being rolled out to other centres across the state, allowing staff to focus on business-as-usual operations and perform their duties more effectively.
Mr Singh continues to liaise with individual correctional centres to establish programs tailored to their specific needs to improve outcomes for Corrective Services NSW.
Mr Singh said: “I feel honoured. I wasn’t expecting this. I share this award with my team.”
Albert Torrens, Aboriginal Client Service Officer, Leichhardt
Mr Torrens joined CSNSW as an Aboriginal Client Service Officer in 2000 and has been instrumental in developing Community Corrections engagement models with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island offenders and their families.
The Bundjalung man has been a tireless advocate and champion of Community Corrections within the community and shows dedication and commitment to reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for Aboriginal offenders.
He is an acknowledged subject matter expert on engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders, and their families, and his use of culturally appropriate methods is significant.
In 2002 he was involved in the implementation of the ‘Walking Together Program’ aimed at addressing Aboriginal offenders’ criminogenic needs within a culturally appropriate setting.
He also was pivotal in rebuilding relationships with the criminal justice community and the Aboriginal community following the Redfern Riots in 2004.
Mr Torrens said of receiving the medal: “I feel elated. It was a bit of a surprise. I am trying to reduce recidivism. It’s my hope that one day we come close to really driving it down.”

Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott has today congratulated 21 first responders recognised in the 2020 Australia Day Honours.
Eight NSW Police officers have been awarded the Australian Police Medal, one NSW Police civilian employee has been awarded the Public Service Medal, six Rural Fire Service members and three Fire and Rescue personnel have been awarded the Australian Fire Services Medal, while three members of the State Emergency Service and Volunteer Rescue Association have received the Emergency Services Medal.
Mr Elliott said the men and women on this year’s Honours List exemplified the Australian values of mateship and community service.
“Over the past few weeks and months, the community has seen more of our heroes in Police and Emergency Services than they have ever seen before,” Mr Elliott said.
“It’s been a horror bushfire season and as a community we are grieving for the lives, homes and memories that have been taken away from us.
“But today is a day to recognise the service and sacrifice of the men and women who well and truly stepped up to the plate and put the safety of others before their own.
“It is also a day to pause and reflect on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
“To the families of the fallen, both in NSW and in the United States our message is this: thank you – thank you for raising and supporting the kind of people who put others first in our darkest hour.
“On behalf of the NSW Government, I’d like to thank all of our police officers and emergency services personnel and volunteers, and reiterate our commitment to providing them with resources they need to keep communities across NSW safe.”
Australian Police Medal Nominees:
Detective Superintendent Anthony Cooke, St George PAC
Detective Superintendent David Darcy, Northern Beaches PAC
Detective Superintendent Gavin Wood, Sydney City PAC
Detective Superintendent Kerrie Lewis, Campsie PAC
Detective Superintendent Peter McKenna, Orana Mid-Western PD
Superintendent Daniel Sullivan, Lake Macquarie PAC
Detective Chief Inspector Robert Allison, St George PAC
Sergeant John Rayment, Burwood PAC
Public Service Medal Nominees:
Mr Christopher Beatson
Australian Fire Services Medal Nominees:
RFS Group Captain Robert Graham, Goolmangar Rural Fire Brigade
Group Captain Raymond Hill, Curlwaa Rural Fire Brigade
RFS Group Captain John Stuckings, Gidgell Rural Fire Brigade
RFS Captain Michelle Thornley, St Georges Basin Rural Fire Brigade
RFS Group Captain Owen Tydd, Kelvin Rural Fire Brigade
RFS Deputy Captain Graham Williams, Sussex Inlet Rural Fire Brigade
FRNSW Chief Superintendent Brett Davies, Green Point
FRNSW Captain John Bevan, Lightening Ridge
FRNSW Station Officer Dawn Maynard, Port Macquarie
Emergency Services Medal Nominees:
Ms Allison Flaxman, NSW SES, Penrith
Mr Warren Turner, NSW SES, Burradoo
Mr Richard Rooke, NSW VRA, Wagga Wagga

NSW BUSHFIRE RELATED UPDATES
NEW ONE-STOP SHOP CUSTOMER CARE SPECIALISTS FOR BUSH FIRE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES

• Bush fire affected families and businesses can now access all available assistance being offered by local councils, the State Government and Federal Government, through the NSW Government’s new Bush fire Customer Care program.
• The one-stop shop service, administered by Service NSW, connects affected people with a Customer Care specialist, who can check their eligibility for assistance and help them access it.
• The Customer Care specialists will operate like case managers and connect bush fire affected customers with services and support information including:
  • Accommodation advice;
  • Relevant charitable services;
  • Mental health and wellbeing services;
  • Support for businesses;
  • Clean-up services;
  • Financial assistance;
  • Insurance and legal support;
  • Replacing lost ID; and
  • Volunteer RFS and SES payments.
• To connect with a Customer Care specialist call Service NSW between 7am and 7pm on 13 77 88. The Contact Centre hours have been extended to include weekends while communities recover.

DOORS OPEN FOR $75,000 PRIMARY PRODUCER GRANT

• Primary producers affected by bush fires can now apply for a Special Disaster Grant of up to $75,000 to help pay for recovery costs.
• The Special Disaster Grant is administered through the NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) and available to eligible, fire-affected primary producers within Category C declared Local Government Areas (LGAs) since 31 August 2019.
• To apply for the Special Disaster Grant visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au or call 1800 678 593 to speak to the RAA. Service NSW Service Centres are able to assist producers with information.

PROTECTING BUSHFIRE VICTIMS FROM UNLICENSED BUILDERS

• The NSW Government is taking action to protect bushfire victims from unlicensed builders performing illegal work.
• In NSW, tradespeople need a licence for any residential building work valued at more than $5,000, and all specialist work regardless of the value.
• The Government has made it easy to know whether someone is qualified or not by developing an online licence check tool, so be vigilant, verify their licence, ask for references and request a written contract for any work over $1,000.
• To check the licence of a NSW tradesperson, please visit http://bit.ly/NSWLicenceCheck.

NSW GOVERNMENT BUY REGIONAL CAMPAIGN EXPANDED TO HELP BUSH FIRE AFFECTED BUSINESSES

• Shoppers wanting to directly support businesses in towns impacted by bushfire or drought can connect with sellers via the NSW Government’s Buy Regional webpage, which is now taking new business listings after delivering substantial sales in the lead up to Christmas.
• Business owners in both bushfire and drought affected areas across regional NSW can register for free by visitingwww.nsw.gov.au/buyregional, which currently has more than 350 businesses listed and 435,000 page views.
• Buy Regional features links to charity organisations and advocate partners such as Buy from the Bush, Thankful4Farmers and One Day Closer To Rain.

BUSHFIRE DISASTER STATE MEMORIAL

• A State Memorial for those impacted by the recent bushfires to be held on Sunday, 23 February at Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park.
• The event will give members of the public from across NSW an opportunity to come together to recognise the lives lost, the sacrifices made and to think of those directly impacted by the fires.
• There will be a separate opportunity to formally thank volunteers and emergency services workers in the near future.

FUTURE OF SOUTH WEST SLOPES FORESTRY INDUSTRY STRONG WITH BUSH FIRE RECOVERY OPERATIONS UNDERWAY

• The SW Slopes forestry industry has begun salvage operations in burnt softwood plantations, with most of the merchantable burnt timber expected to be recoverable over the coming year.
• Salvageable pine trees need to be harvested within around 12 months, however finished product can be stored for years under the correct conditions.
• For more information please visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au.

OTHER NSW GOVERNMENT UPDATES
NSW GOVERNMENT INVESTS $42 MILLION TO LOWER IVF COSTS

• Women seeking fertility treatment can now apply for a $500 rebate under the NSW Government’s $42 million election commitment to cut costs for IVF services.
• The NSW Government is also expanding publicly supported IVF services in three public hospitals, making fertility treatment much more affordable for up to 6,000 women.
• For more information go to www.health.nsw.gov.au/affordable-ivf.

PLANS UNVEILED FOR THE FUTURE OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

• Dodgy developments will be a thing of the past under NSW Government plans that will see the implementation of ratings systems for professionals in the building industry and strong new powers to prevent occupation certificates from being issued on suspect developments.
• The new rating system will help the building regulator determine who the risky players are in the industry and prevent dodgy apartments from being sold to unexpecting buyers
• The changes form part of the NSW Building Commissioner’s work plan which, for the first time, outlines publicly how the government plans to overhaul the building and construction industry in NSW under Six Reform Pillars.
• The six reform pillars cover legislation and regulations changes, ratings systems, improving skills within the industry, ensuring contracts help meet standards, digitising the industry and establishing NSW as a leader in modern construction methods.

EXPERT PANEL ANNOUNCED FOR REGIONAL ROADS RECLASSIFICATION

• The NSW Government has established an expert panel to identify up to 15,000 kilometres of council-managed roads in rural and regional areas to hand back to the state, easing the burden on local ratepayers.
• The Panel will conduct a review of the road classification framework and recommend roads for transfer to the State Government.
• The Panel is expected to meet this month and will prepare a discussion paper and consultation strategy for public release shortly afterwards.
• The draft Terms of Reference will be distributed directly to councils for their consideration and feedback.

MORE ENROLMENTS THAN EVER BEFORE IN 2020

• Public schools across the State will open their doors to the largest cohort of students ever recorded on Day 1, Term 1 this year
• Approximately 497,000 primary school students and 318,000 high school students are enrolled so far for 2020, with 71,000 alone starting kindergarten.
• The NSW Government is rolling out the largest ever investment in public education in the history of NSW, with $6.7 billion over four years to deliver 190 new and upgraded schools, $1.3 billion on school maintenance over five years and $500 million to provide schools across the State with new air conditioning.
• The Government will continue preparing for growing enrolments over the coming years, with more than 130,000 extra students expected to be in NSW public schools by 2036.

Police are continuing to see risky-driver behaviour on Day 3 of Operation Safe Return with one woman stopped twice by police and charged with successive high-range PCAs and another allegedly caught drink-driving with a child in the car.
The high-visibility policing operation began on Friday (24 January 2020) and concludes at 11.59pm tonight (Monday 27 January 2020) and is targeting drink-and-drug-driving among other poor driving behaviour.
About 6.50am (Sunday 26 January 2020), police stopped a black Toyota Aurion on James Street, Redfern and subjected the 26-year-old female driver to a roadside breath test, that returned a positive result.
The woman allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.163. Police also observed three young adult passengers inside the vehicle, despite the woman holding a P1 licence.
Her licence was suspended, and she was issued a Field Court Attendance Notice for high-range PCA and an infringement notice for not display P-plates.
Just before 7.30am on the same morning, police observed the 26-year-old woman driving southbound on Regent Street, Redfern. She was stopped and participated in a second roadside breath test that allegedly returned a positive result.
She was arrested and taken to Mascot Police Station where a subsequent breath analysis allegedly returned a reading of 0.153.
The woman was charged with drive with high-range PCA (second offence) and drive motor vehicle while licence suspended.
She was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday 2 March 2020 for all charges.
Later in the day at 11.25am, officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command were conducting stationary road side breath testing on New South Head Road, Bellevue Hill when they stopped a 49-year-old woman driving a Range Rover SUV with a 5-year-old passenger inside.
The woman, from Potts Point, was after returning a positive result to roadside breath test. She was taken to Waverley Police Station where she underwent a breath analysis which allegedly returned a reading of 0.086.
She was issued with a Future Court Attendance Notice for mid-range PCA to appear at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday 18 February 2020.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, reminds the public that this type of driving behaviour will not be tolerated by police.
“It is alarming to see the number of people getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol, endangering not only themselves but their passengers and other people on the road.
“Do not make the mistake of pushing yourself while driving over the weekend. Know your limit, take your time, take a break and look after people around you.”
Other items of interest on day three (Sunday 26 January 2020) of Operation Safe Return include;

• Around 3.30am, police stopped a 41-year-old woman on Parkes Street in Wellington, near Dubbo, where she participated in a roadside breath test, returning a positive reading. She was arrested and taken to Wellington Police Station where a breath analysis returned a reading of 0.214. She will be issued a Court Attendance Notice and appear at Dubbo Local Court on a later date.

• At 5.30pm, a 37-year-old man was observed failing to stop at a stationary roadside breath test on Henry Lawson Drive, Georges Hall. He was stopped by police nearby on Haig Avenue and submitted to a roadside breath test that returned a positive reading. He was arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station where a breath analysis allegedly returned a reading of 0.210. He was issued a Future Court Attendance Notice to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Thursday 27 February 2020.

• At 5.30pm, a 21-year-old man with a UK driver’s licence was stopped for a roadside breath test on Bessemer Street, Mittagong where he allegedly returned a positive result. He was taken to Southern Highlands Police Station where he allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.253. He was issued a Field Court Attendance Notice for drive with high-range PCA and will appear at Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday 3 March 2020.

Key statistics (progressive total):
Speed infringements: 3,164
Breath tests: 141,974
PCA charges: 214
Major crashes: 217
Fatalities: 2

Millions of commuters are taking advantage of contactless payments when taking trains, trams, buses and ferries across the Opal network.
Acting Minister for Transport and Roads Paul Toole said a major milestone had been reached with more than 30 million journeys taken using debit or credit cards, or linked devices, since the first trial on the Manly Ferry in 2017.
“The NSW Government is powering ahead with more innovative payment options for those using our Opal network as people continue to move away from cash, and even more recently cards,” Mr Toole said.
“We know digital wallets are becoming more common, so being able to pay a fare with a mobile phone or smart watch is just another added convenience for commuters.
“Rolling out contactless payments is an Australian-first innovation and is one of the biggest advancements in ticketing technology in generations, with around 1.5 million journeys paid for without an Opal card in an average week.”
Mr Toole said while new payment options were growing in popularity among commuters, there was still demand for pre-loaded Opal cards.
“It’s easier than ever to pay for public transport and through our innovative payment platforms we’re aiming to create more digital products including the digital Opal card which we plan to roll out in a trial phase in 2020,” Mr Toole said.
“This follows the activation of contactless payments on all public transport modes on the Opal network, and introducing the same fare and travel benefits of an Adult Opal card last year. Transport for NSW continues to offer Opal cards.”

Date	Milestone
July 2017	Trialled on the Manly Ferry
November 2018	Expanded to Sydney Trains network and NSW TrainLink services
July 2019	Adult Opal card fare and travel benefits extended to contactless payments
September 2019	Extended to entire Opal network (inc. Buses)