Category: NSW News

The NSW Government is undertaking unprecedented recovery work to ensure the 178 schools in bushfire affected communities are repaired and cleaned for staff and students for Day 1, Term 1.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the work will be a mammoth task, with the repair bill sitting at approximately $20 million.
Ms Mitchell and Member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead, toured the reconstruction of Bobin Public School today which is on track to be ready for students on the first day of term.
“Communities in both Northern and Southern NSW have experienced an absolutely harrowing bushfire season, impacting many of our local schools,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We have seen school damage ranging from critical in the communities of Bobin and Wytaliba, to lost fences, burnt outdoor play equipment and contamination from ash and fire retardant across other parts of the State.”
“We know schools are at the heart of communities, and will play an important role in the recovery from these fires.”
“It’s crucial for students to be reconnected with friends, share stories and return to their school routine after what has been a traumatic time.”
“Thanks to the efforts of department staff, emergency services, RFS and local tradies we expect all schools to be open for the first day of term.”
Ms Mitchell also welcomed the announcement of additional funding from the Federal Government, and said the payments will mean families have one less thing to worry about as Term 1 approaches.
“This funding will ease the pressure on families when it comes to back-to-school preparations, with the payments helping out with school necessities like stationery, school shoes, uniforms and backpacks, all of which may have all been lost in the fires.”
The NSW Government will also be implementing a number of additional strategies to support staff and students as they return back to school.
“We are very aware of the emotional impacts these bushfires have had on students across the State, so we will be focusing heavily on ensuring appropriate mental health support is available at every affected school,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We’re also looking at support for Principals and teaching staff to ensure they are properly equipped with the knowledge and skills to deal with recovering school communities.”
For more information, visit the NSW Department of Education website.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers who have spent more than ten days fighting fires and helping with the recovery effort can apply for loss of income payments from today.
Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said the community was deeply grateful for each and every volunteer who has sacrificed their time to protect life and property.
“Our volunteers are a treasured resource who have shown tremendous dedication and bravery by helping local communities in trying circumstances,” Mr Littleproud said.
NSW Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said the payments would go some way to help ease the financial stress for volunteers who have spent weeks on the frontline.
“Primary producers and small businesses are the backbone of many bushfire-affected regions and we want to ensure they don’t need to choose between protecting their communities and protecting their livelihood,” Mr Elliott said.
“We want these payments to get in the hands of dedicated volunteers as quickly and easily as possible, so we’re ensuring red tape and onerous processes don’t get in the way.”
Volunteers who have provided more than ten days service and are self-employed or employees of small or medium-sized businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million will be eligible for $200 per day up to a total of $6000 without evidence of income loss. A maximum payment of $300 per day will be provided with proof of income loss through pay slips or previous tax statements.
Drought-affected primary producers will be able to claim a payment of $200 per day without evidence of income loss. Payments are tax-free and are not means-tested.
“Many large organisations have leave provisions for emergency volunteers which is why this program is designed for volunteers who are self-employed or work for a small or medium-sized business,” Mr Elliott said.
Payments to NSW volunteers will be administered by Service NSW through a convenient and secure process requiring a volunteer membership number and employer’s business name. Most applicants will receive their payment within five days of the application.
For more information, visit a Service NSW Centre, go online to www.service.nsw.gov.au or call 13 77 88.

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro will be the Minister responsible for disaster recovery, leading recovery efforts following the recent bushfires across NSW.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the unprecedented scale of the 2019/20 bushfire season requires additional arrangements to be put in place to ensure impacted communities recover and rebuild as quickly as possible.
“Our emergency services personnel and volunteers have been outstanding in dealing with the bushfire emergency to date but the scale of these bushfires has never been seen before and the recovery process will be unprecedented,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Our Government focus is to get the clean-up underway, ensure residents and businesses receive the support they need and to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed or damaged.”
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said these bushfires have had a devastating impact on families, communities and a number of industries across NSW.
“The people of regional NSW are hurting. The drought is unprecedented and now these fires have devastated communities across the state,” Mr Barilaro said.
“From apple orchards in Bilpin, timber mills in northern and southern NSW, through to tourism operators in the Blue Mountains, Snowy Mountains and the north and south coasts, the impact has spread far and wide.
“Our priority is to support those families, communities and businesses affected, to make sure they have everything they need to recover, rebuild and get back on their feet.”
Minister Elliott will continue to lead the emergency response across New South Wales.
“Unfortunately the bushfire season is far from over. Bushfires continue to burn and some will take months to put out and our focus has to remain on protecting life and property,” Mr Elliott said.

Early this morning, Sydney’s “lockout laws” were repealed in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct bringing in extended trading hours for venues and bottle shops and a relaxation of after-midnight drink rules, with existing arrangements maintained in the Kings Cross precinct.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said while the extended trading hours will provide a boost for the night time economy, community safety will always be a focus.
“There’s been a cultural shift in the city’s night life since 2014, and it’s time to look towards a bright, safe, diverse Sydney after dark, by improving liquor laws and enhancing access to arts, entertainment, shopping and sporting activities that are inclusive and family friendly,” Mr Ayres said.
“Sydney is Australia’s only truly global city and can evolve to embrace an economy which is cranking around the clock, particularly now that light rail services have been running for a month.
“Stimulating the 24 hour economy is a joint effort and we’re working with the City of Sydney Council and the Committee for Sydney, as well as NSW Government agencies, council, businesses and the community to get this right.”
Existing arrangements are being maintained in the Kings Cross precinct and will be reviewed next year along with the following changes which came into effect overnight:

• Remove 1.30am last entry for all venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, including those on Oxford Street.
• Remove restrictions on serving cocktails, shots and drinks in glass after midnight in this precinct.
• Extend ‘last drinks’ at venues with good records in this precinct by 30 minutes.
• Extend bottle shop opening hours across NSW until midnight from Monday to Saturday, with 11pm closing on Sunday.
• Increase small bar patron capacity from 100 to 120 across NSW.

To view the Government’s full response to the Committee’s recommendations, visit this link.

The NSW Government is concentrating its efforts on ensuring dam storages critical to Sydney’s water supply are protected from ash and debris, following the recent fires.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said WaterNSW has already deployed silt curtains and booms at Warragamba Dam to mitigate the inflow of ash to the system in the event of significant rainfall.
“Our priority is protecting Sydney’s drinking water supplies,” Mrs Pavey said.
“The recent fires threatened significant water infrastructure at Warragamba. While much of the catchment has been affected by fire, work by WaterNSW along with the RFS, helped prevent damage to the infrastructure.”
Following bushfires, water quality impacts are typically triggered by significant rainfall events. Low intensity rain is forecast for the next 7 days which does not pose a risk to water quality as the rainfall is not considered sufficient to wash material into dam storages.
“WaterNSW are on-site at Warragamba deploying silt blankets and floating booms to ensure key water inflow points to the dam storage are safe to access,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Silt curtains and floating barriers help to mitigate the inflow of ash into dams, reducing additional pressure on water treatment plants. WaterNSW has an additional 1,000m of silt curtains in case they are needed in either Nepean or Tallowa Dams.”
Water quality in key metropolitan supply storages, such as Warragamba and Tallowa, are being monitored by highly experienced scientists using sophisticated, real-time technology pioneered by WaterNSW.
“We have worked closely with the RFS to ensure fire retardant chemicals used near Warragamba Dam are appropriate, and that exclusion zones were in place to avoid the use of retardants in close proximity to water where possible,” Mrs Pavey said.
“The NSW Government is also assisting local councils as the utility providers in areas affected by the recent fires by deploying resources to help with the management of their water supplies, including carting water where necessary.”

Early this morning, Sydney’s “lockout laws” were repealed in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct bringing in extended trading hours for venues and bottle shops and a relaxation of after-midnight drink rules, with existing arrangements maintained in the Kings Cross precinct.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said while the extended trading hours will provide a boost for the night time economy, community safety will always be a focus.
“There’s been a cultural shift in the city’s night life since 2014, and it’s time to look towards a bright, safe, diverse Sydney after dark, by improving liquor laws and enhancing access to arts, entertainment, shopping and sporting activities that are inclusive and family friendly,” Mr Ayres said.
“Sydney is Australia’s only truly global city and can evolve to embrace an economy which is cranking around the clock, particularly now that light rail services have been running for a month.
“Stimulating the 24 hour economy is a joint effort and we’re working with the City of Sydney Council and the Committee for Sydney, as well as NSW Government agencies, council, businesses and the community to get this right.”
Existing arrangements are being maintained in the Kings Cross precinct and will be reviewed next year along with the following changes which came into effect overnight:

• Remove 1.30am last entry for all venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, including those on Oxford Street.
• Remove restrictions on serving cocktails, shots and drinks in glass after midnight in this precinct.
• Extend ‘last drinks’ at venues with good records in this precinct by 30 minutes.
• Extend bottle shop opening hours across NSW until midnight from Monday to Saturday, with 11pm closing on Sunday.
• Increase small bar patron capacity from 100 to 120 across NSW.

To view the Government’s full response to the Committee’s recommendations, visit this link.

Netball Australia, supported by Netball NSW and other Member Organisations, has today announced a bushfire relief fundraising showcase match between the Australian Diamonds and a Suncorp Super Netball All Stars team at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sunday 1 March.
The Australian Diamonds will come together outside of official scheduled duties to take on the All Stars and raise funds to support those affected by the Australian bushfires. Further information on this match including match time, how to purchase tickets and how the All Stars team will be selected will be made available in the coming weeks.
In addition to the match, and in partnership with its state and territory-based member organisations, the Suncorp Super Netball league and clubs, the Australian Netball Players Association, corporate partners and NetFit, Netball Australia will utilise a range of initiatives to support fundraising for bushfire relief and recovery including:
The Suncorp Super Netball pre-season competition, the Suncorp Team Girls Cup, will be dedicated to raising funds to support the rebuilding efforts. More details on this event will be announced in coming days.
Netball’s elite athletes will donate a “volunteer day” outside of their contracted requirements to work with Netball Australia, member organisations and/or Suncorp Super Netball clubs on relief and recovery initiatives. Netball Australia staff will also donate two days.
The annual Give for a Goal initiative, coordinated by the Confident Girls Foundation, will run throughout 2020 and will raise funds through a range of netball events and competitions including Suncorp Super Netball and this year’s International Test Series.
Netball Australia’s member organisations will continue to work closely with communities to understand the full impact of the disaster and how Netball Australia can support recovery efforts.
Netball Australia CEO Marne Fechner has acknowledged that the entire Australian netball community has rallied to support those in need.
“The bushfires that have ravaged large parts of Australia over the past few months have been truly devastating, and netball is committed to providing both immediate and sustained relief for bushfire-affected communities,” she said.
“The Australian netball community has a wonderful resilience and determination. We’ll do everything we can to assist both the broader Australian community and also grassroots netball-specific recovery efforts around the country.”
Australian Diamonds captain Caitlin Bassett has been moved by the devastating events and is excited to be bringing her team together for such a good cause.
“Our entire squad has seen these devastating events unfold over the past few months and our hearts go out to those affected. As a group, we’re eager to do anything possible to help and looking forward to getting out there in front of a packed house in Sydney.”
Former Australian Diamond, Swift and Giant Susan Pettitt grew up in a bushfire-affected region and is proud to see her sport come together at such a crucial time.
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact that these fires have had on communities with parts of my parent’s property on the south coast of NSW being burnt out. The emergency threat for some communities isn’t over yet and the recovery for affected regions will take years so it’s great that the Australian netball community has come together to support such a worthy cause.”
All funds raised through Netball Australia’s initiatives will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal and a Natural Disaster Relief Fund which has been established through the Confident Girls Foundation with the purpose of supporting netball-specific bushfire relief and recovery projects.
Netball Australia’s response to this disaster will continue to evolve and the sport looks forward to working closely with stakeholders, partners and grassroots communities to ensure netball has a real and sustained impact on community relief and recovery.

NSW BUSHFIRE RELATED UPDATES
$1 BILLION TO REBUILD BUSHFIRE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES IN NSW

• Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet yesterday announced $1 billion over the next two years to rebuild bushfire impacted communities across NSW.
• The additional funding will prioritise the repair and rebuilding of vital infrastructure, such as roads, rail-lines, bridges, schools, health facilities and communications facilities, which have been damaged or destroyed by bushfires.
• This announcement is on top of the NSW Government’s disaster assistance funding for this bushfire season of up to $231 million already committed.
• This includes;
  • $166 million to fight fires on top of the record 2019/20 RFS Budget.
  • $25 million to facilitate the clean-up of both insured and uninsured homes damaged or destroyed by the fires.
  • $23 million for grants of up to $15,000 for primary producers and small businesses to assist with clean-up and the replacement of infrastructure.
  • $6 million for additional mental health services for individuals, community groups and emergency services personnel.
  • $11 million to fund the Economic Recovery and Community Resilience Grants Program.

MOBILE CUSTOMERS TO RECEIVE UNLIMITED ACCESS TO EMERGENCY SERVICES WEBSITES

• At the request of the NSW Government, major telecommunications providers including Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have committed to providing unlimited access to emergency service websites for customers in bushfire-affected areas.
• This initiative will provide reassurance to those in bushfire affected areas who are able to check emergency service websites and apps via their mobile as many times as they need to.
• The initiative is in response to reports of a large number of customers receiving notifications that they were approaching their mobile data limits due to increased internet usage.

HOUSING SERVICE TO ASSIST BUSHFIRE RESPONSE

• A dedicated housing assistance service has been launched to support the urgent housing needs of residents impacted by the bushfires.
• Housing assistance available includes access to emergency accommodation, private rental bonds and advance rent payments.
• People impacted by the fires can access the service by:
  • calling the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line (DWAL) on 1800 018 444; or,
  • contacting or visiting a local Department of Communities and Justice Housing office.
• For more information about the Bushfire Housing Assistance Service, visit www.dcj.nsw.gov.au/families-and-communities/bushfire-housing-assistance-service/.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT DURING BUSHFIRE CRISIS

• The NSW Government is deploying teams of mental health clinicians to support people suffering from the bushfire crisis to help rebuild their lives.
• Specialist Bushfire Recovery Clinicians will work right across NSW to support individuals, carers and families. The clinicians are easily identified by their NSW Health fluorescent vests and add to the Disaster Welfare Services already being provided at Evacuation Centres throughout bushfire-affected areas.
• Encouraging people to turn to their friends, family and community for support is also critical. Maintaining social connections, having conversations and debriefing with community members is a crucial part of the recovery process.
• If day-to-day functioning is affected, local General Practitioners (GPs) and Mental Health Professionals are there to assist. A GP can formulate a Mental Health Treatment Plan which allows Medicare rebates for up to 10 mental health services per year under the Better Access scheme.
• The Mental Health and wellbeing of children may also be affected. The Australian Psychological Society has published guidelines for parents and caregivers https://www.psychology.org.au/Australian-bushfires-2020.
• The Disaster Welfare Assistance Line is also staffed with counselling support and can be accessed by phone on 1800 018 444.

COMMUNITY RECOVERY ASSISTANCE EXTENDED FOR BUSHFIRE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN NSW

• Community recovery assistance has been extended for bushfire-hit communities in the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Mid-Western council areas.
• This will give farmers and small businesses in those LGAs recovery grants of up to $15,000.
• To apply for a recovery grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au.

ASSISTANCE ROLLS OUT AS STOCK LOSSES CONTINUE TO MOUNT

• The NSW Government has distributed more than 880 tonnes of fodder to bushfire affected farmers in south-east NSW, as the number of livestock reported killed or euthanised as a result of the fires rose to almost 5,200.
• Producers can report stock losses and infrastructure damage, or request animal assessment, or emergency fodder or water for stock, by calling the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.
• For assistance regarding the transport of donated fodder contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593.

NEW FREE LEGAL SERVICE FOR BUSHFIRE VICTIMS

• Thousands of NSW residents impacted by the State’s devastating bushfires will be offered free legal help with the launch of the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW.
• Legal Aid NSW will operate the service, which will be available via its helpline 1800 801 529.

SPECIAL AUTHORITY TO BYPASS THE 3 DAY LIMIT FOR EMERGENCY PRESCRIPTIONS

• NSW Health has signed a special authority to bypass the 3 day (limit) rule for emergency prescriptions. This will mean pharmacists can supply normal pack sizes of non-PBS medicines. Opioids and other high-risk drugs still a need prescriptions via a doctor.
• Pharmacists can prescribe Ventolin based on their professional judgement.

OTHER NSW GOVERNMENT UPDATES
DIGITAL DRIVER’S LICENCE GOES GANGBUSTERS

• More than 1 million NSW motorists have downloaded the Digital Driver Licence (DDL) since it was officially launched on 3 November, accounting for almost 19 per cent of all licence holders.
• Starting with Australia Post over-the-counter parcel collections, NSW residents can expect to have their DDL accepted in more places in 2020, with a ‘copy solution’ being built to provide an alternative for checkers in situations where they are currently required to take a photocopy of a plastic driver licence.
• To get a DDL, licence holders will need to create a MyServiceNSW Account at www.service.nsw.gov.au and download the Service NSW mobile app on their smartphone. The digital licence will always be opt-in only.

NEW SYDNEY SPEEDWAY GETS INTO GEAR

• Sydney Motorsport Park has been chosen as the preferred location for the new Sydney speedway.
• An in-principle lease has been agreed to build a new speedway to the south of the Sydney Dragway at Eastern Creek.
• In 2019, Sydney Metro notified the Sydney Speedway leaseholder about the need for the site to be acquired in 2021, to stable the new driverless train fleet.

Two Service NSW Mobile Service Centres, including a new community focused bus, have today hit the road, providing much needed help to bushfire affected communities.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the custom-fitted buses are about taking Service NSW to the people, helping them replace critical documents lost in the fires.
“The buses have been fast tracked to the South Coast to help people in this time of emergency,” Mr Dominello said.
“Our friendly staff will be able to help customers replace critical identity and business documents lost in the bushfires.”
The buses will visit affected towns on the South Coast including Lake Conjola today at the Community Centre from 10am to 3pm and St George’s Basin on Friday between 10am and 3pm at a location to be confirmed.
Staff will be ready to help customers apply for lost or destroyed documents including:

• Free replacement of birth, marriage and change of name certificates from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The registry will coordinate the replacement documents on a customers’ behalf, regardless of which state or territory in Australia, or New Zealand, they were born, married or changed their name;
•  Free replacement Transport for NSW products including driver licences, photo cards and boat licences;
•  Simplified proof of identity where customers no longer have all their identity documents;
•  Free replacement Fair Trading licences including those for contractors, the motor vehicle industry and the property licensing industry;
•  Free Owner Builder permits for customers who need to rebuild or repair their home due fire damage; and
•  In some instances, Revenue NSW may also refund stamp duty paid on replacement vehicles that were written off due to the fires.

There are four buses in total – one each for the northern, southern and western regions of the State, while a fourth bus launched today will be community focused and travel to areas affected by natural disasters.
The buses are cashless, with payment options including cheque, EFTPOS or credit card. The timetable will be updated on a regular basis and is subject to change. People affected by the bushfires can visit a bus, their local Service NSW Centre or call 13 77 88 on weekdays from 7am to 7pm.
Details on the bus timetables is at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/mobile-service-centres. There is also a dedicated page on the Service NSW website with links to various information and support services.
People can also contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance line on 1800 018 444 for immediate needs such as shelter, food or water. Further information is at https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/Pages/for-the-community/disaster-assistance/disaster-assistance.aspx

The NSW Government is deploying teams of mental health clinicians to support people suffering from the bushfire crisis to help rebuild their lives.
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said specialist Bushfire Recovery Clinicians will work right across NSW to support individuals, carers and families.
“We are delivering mental health support where and when it is needed most and we will be there for as long as it takes to help people recover from the devastating bushfires,” Mrs Taylor said.
“We want to ensure people in bushfire-affected communities can access appropriate and timely services to help with their mental health and wellbeing.
“I urge anyone suffering as a result of the bushfires to reach out to the clinicians on the ground for support.”
The clinicians are easily identified by their NSW Health fluorescent vests and add to the Disaster Welfare Services already being provided at Evacuation Centres throughout bushfire-affected areas.
The clinicians will help build community resilience and focus on vulnerable people.
The Disaster Welfare Assistance Line is also staffed with counselling support and can be accessed by phone on 1800 018 444.
More help can be accessed via:

• NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511
• Lifeline on 131114
• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• Mensline on 1300 789 978 or
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800