Category: NSW News

Individuals and organisations can help shape the future of volunteering in New South Wales by having their say in developing the third NSW Volunteering Strategy.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward today urged anyone interested in volunteering to take part in a public consultation survey aimed towards boosting volunteerism in our State.
“The NSW Government is committed to supporting our State’s valuable volunteers and the organisations to which they freely dedicate their time,” Mr Ward said.
“In developing this important Volunteer Strategy, we want to hear what’s working well and what can be improved, to ensure we maintain a vibrant volunteering sector.”
The NSW Volunteering Strategy will support the 2.1 million volunteers across the state and will be guided by the views and ideas expressed through the online consultation.
It will build on the work of the previous strategy and provide the blueprint for work in the sector over the next decade.
“Volunteers in NSW contribute a combined 240 million hours of their time each year. This contribution needs to be recognised and supported in the best way possible.” Mr Ward said.
“Responses to the surveys will directly help us to develop the next strategy, and influence how we invest in and support volunteers.”
“The new strategy will help reduce barriers to volunteering, improve volunteer recognition and make volunteering attractive to a greater number of people.”
The survey will be open to members of the public and another available to organisations today. The online surveys will close at 5pm on Friday 6 September 2019.
To complete the surveys or to find out more information about the current NSW Volunteering Strategy, visit www.volunteering.nsw.gov.a

In a major milestone for the Light Rail project, trams have travelled along the length of George Street from Central Station to Circular Quay.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance today inspected the first light rail vehicle to reach the end of the line at Circular Quay.
“It was an historic moment last night with light rail travelling along the wire-free section on George Street for the first time,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The vehicle will now spend the day at Circular Quay, giving hundreds of thousands of ferry, train and bus commuters the chance to have a look.
“By the end of the year this exciting project will be open and those customers will be able to jump on the light rail as part of their daily commute.”
Mr Constance said trams are going to be a common sight in the CBD from now on.
“Today’s milestone means there will be regular testing on George Street from Town Hall to Circular Quay at night, before daytime testing begins in the CBD within weeks,” Mr Constance said.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corby reminded people to keep their heads up and be aware around the new light rail corridor.
“We have had a few near misses during the tram testing as people get used to having trams around. Mobile phone distraction and people crossing in front of trams are particular dangers,” Mr Corby said.
“The message for all road users is the same; ditch the distraction, follow the road rules and pay attention.”
Transport for NSW’s “Heads Up, Play it Safe around Light Rail” safety campaign will continue to be rolled out as tram day testing expands to Circular Quay.

The first of thousands of kids are today getting their teeth checked for free in new mobile clinics that will visit primary schools, setting them up for a lifetime of good dental health.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell officially launched the NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Program at Penrith South Public School.
Ms Berejiklian said 35 mobile dental clinics will provide checks and basic dental care to up to 136,000 primary school children, made possible by an investment of $70 million over four years.
“The mobile dental program builds on existing NSW public dental services that make  dental care available to all Medicare eligible children for free,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This program will bring NSW Health dental practitioners into NSW primary schools, to make it easier for children to access vital services.”
Mr Hazzard said thousands of children are admitted to NSW hospitals every year with potentially preventable dental conditions and this program could reduce presentations.
“Children’s oral health can influence their general health,” Mr Hazzard said.
“A healthy mouth ensures kids can eat, speak and socialise without discomfort and embarrassment, so it’s important that we treat and teach them about oral health early.”
Ms Mitchell said dental problems can make it very hard for school children to stay focused in class and complete their homework, and it can also lead to school absences.
“Dental problems can disrupt a child’s sleep, so they arrive at school tired making it difficult to concentrate. It can also affect their chewing and swallowing,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Children are like sponges in primary school; so educating them on the importance of regular health check-ups when they’re young will hopefully transpire to later in life as well.”
Primary school children will be offered a dental check-up, teeth clean and x-rays to look for dental decay under the program, which will initially focus on Western Sydney, the Mid North Coast and the Central Coast.
For more information on the NSW Primary School Mobile Dental Program click here.

Bus customers will be able to tap their credit cards on Opal readers as a simple new way to pay under the NSW Government’s latest Australian-first innovation in transport payments.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance today announced contactless transport payments will be rolled out on Opal-enabled buses from August.
“Launching this technology on buses marks the final piece in the contactless payments puzzle and we expect all buses on the Opal network to be able to accept credit and debit cards by the end of September,” Mr Constance said.
There will also be more savings for existing customers who choose to tap on with their credit or debit card, with full fare parity with Adult Opal cards.
“A credit card will now qualify for the same fare and travel benefits of an Adult Opal card on trains, light rail, ferries and buses once fully-implemented.
“From tomorrow, the weekly travel reward, the transfer discount and off-peak pricing, will be available for all contactless transport payments. This is a huge win for regular commuters who now have another convenient payment option with all the benefits of Opal,” Mr Constance said.
Customers wanting to pay for their trip using contactless will continue to have the option to tap on and off using mobile wallets on smartphones, tablets and wearable devices that are linked to their American Express, Mastercard or Visa card.
“Opal remains the foundation for customers to access the transport network in a digital world and contactless transport payments are just another piece of our expansive Opal network,” Mr Constance said.
“For the NSW Government, the drive towards technology and digital products is part of turning Sydney into a smart city.
“In 2017, we became the first state to accept contactless transport payments and today only a handful of transport networks around the world offer similar options in this space.”
To date, 6.5 million contactless transport payments have been recorded across the Opal network – which is an average of one million a month, or roughly 250,000 per week.
ROLL OUT OF CONTACTLESS TRANSPORT PAYMENTS ON BUSES
(in order of location)

LOCATION	NUMBER OF BUSES
Outer Metro – Wollongong	16
Seven Hills	672
Blacktown Further areas of Wollongong	513
Central Coast Terrey Hills Western Sydney Inner West	1,378
Hunter Valley Newcastle Leppington Punchbowl Burwood	1,046
Campbelltown Blue Mountains Northshore, Eastern Suburbs & Inner west	1,648

NSW residents are being encouraged to check whether they are owed any of the millions of dollars waiting to be claimed with Revenue NSW.
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said more than $146 million in “forgotten money” was sitting with Revenue NSW, including money from share dividends, trust accounts, deceased estates, overpayments and a range of other sources.
“The value ranges from $20 in share dividends to a trust fund worth more than $1 million, Mr Tudehope said.
“Cost of living is a major issue facing families and households across the State, which is why we want people to check their eligibility. It only takes a few minutes and you could walk away with extra money in your pocket.”
Revenue NSW holds more than 414,000 unclaimed items from private companies, State Trustees, local councils and government agencies that can’t be returned to owners because their contact details are out of date and they cannot be tracked down.
“Finding out if you are eligible is quick and simple. If you enter your name into the free search tool on the Revenue NSW website you can see if you have an eligible claim. If you do have a claim, notify Revenue NSW and collect your money,” Mr Tudehope said.
“You can also make an appointment at a Service NSW centre with a cost of living specialist and they can help you check your eligibility for any unclaimed money, as well as other rebates and incentives including Active Kids vouchers, CTP refunds, and free registration for regular toll users.”
The NSW Government will hold the money indefinitely until it is claimed.
To find out if you are eligible for any unclaimed money, click here.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals in Government have today delivered on their election commitment to address attacks on farming families, such as those carried out by Aussie Farms, with the introduction of tougher penalties for activists who illegally enter farmers’ properties from next month.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall today announced a major shakeup of the State’s Biosecuity Act.
A new offence has been created that will see illegal trespassers on farms, creating biosecurity risks, handed an immediate on-the-spot fine of $1,000 and further fines of up to $220,000 per person and $440,000 for corporations.
The new penalties will kick in from 1 August 2019 and are the first stage of a broader suite of measures being developed by the Liberals & Nationals in Government to protect NSW farmers’ right to farm.
“Vigilantes who are entering our farmers’ property illegally are nothing short of domestic terrorists – our farmers have had a gutful. They don’t deserve, nor have time, to be dealing with illegal trespass and vile harassment from a bunch of virtue-signalling thugs,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals in Government are putting in place the harshest penalties in the country and sending a strong warning to those who think it’s okay to illegally invade farms and harass our hard-working farmers.
“But we aren’t stopping there. We are also looking at ways we can further deter this kind of behaviour, including introducing legislation and potential gaol time for offenders.”
Mr Marshall said the government was determined to clamp down on illegal farm invasions and was working on additional changes with further penalties, including gaol time, for those committing criminal acts associated with farm trespass.
“Today we are putting these vigilantes and thugs on notice – your time threatening our primary producers by illegally trespassing and creating biosecurity risks is done,” Mr Marshall said.
“The agricultural industry and community have had a gutful of this vile behaviour. These thugs are not only harassing and traumatising hard-working farmers and their families, they’re also posing serious biosecurity risks by potentially bringing contaminants and diseases onto properties that could wipe out an entire farming operation.
“Today’s announcement complements the work the Commonwealth Government is doing in targeting the online incitement of farm trespass.”
Member for Albury Justin Clancy said: “I welcome today’s announcement and look forward to further work from the NSW Government to protect farmers’ right to farm in the Albury electorate.”
Under the changes to the Biosecurity Regulation 2017 it will become mandatory for site visitors to comply with a Biosecurity Management Plan.
Anyone who enters a designated biosecurity area without permission and without complying with the plan’s requirements may be guilty of an offence under the Biosecurity Act 2015, and subject to the new, harsher penalties.
To access the new offence, farmers will need to have a biosecurity plan in place and appropriate signage. Farmers are encouraged to contact the Department of Primary Industries or their Local Land Services office for more information.

A group of North West primary producers are a step closer to unlocking their full business potential by expanding into farm-based tourism, thanks to an innovative NSW Government pilot program.
NSW Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope today joined 10 farmers at a property in Premer for the last of six workshops under the Agritourism pilot program, which has been underway in the Liverpool Plains Shire Council area since March.
“This program is all about mentoring and up-skilling farmers so they can innovate and diversify, with a particular focus on tourism expansion,” Mr Tudehope said.
“The farmers here today are in the final stage of developing their chosen venture, which includes everything from farm stays, Indigenous cultural tours, roadside stalls, on farm camping and wedding receptions.”
Mr Tudehope said farmers were doing it tough with the ongoing drought crippling the state, with those in the North West particularly hard hit.
“Initiatives such as the Agritourism pilot can help keep primary producers on the land while boosting regional jobs and economies. Agritourism is a growing sector. Between 2015 and 2018 an average of around four million tourists visited a farm in Australia each year – that’s an increase of more than 50 per cent in just over a decade.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment and Tourism Stuart Ayres said pilot programmes like these boost visitors and expenditure in regional communities when they need it most.
“Regional tourism in NSW directly employs more than 90,000 people, and we are committed to continuing to help grow opportunities for those who have helped generate record numbers of visitors to NSW this year.”
The Agritourism pilot – a joint partnership between the NSW Small Business Commission and Service NSW – will soon expand to include the Wollondilly Shire Council and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Local Government Areas.

More than 250,000 Creative Kids vouchers have been downloaded in just six months, saving thousands of NSW families $100 per child off the cost of creative and cultural learning activities.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello joined Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee at Creator Academy in Carlingford today to announce the milestone.
“Parents simply love Creative Kids and have given it the thumbs up. This voucher helps parents plan for creative and cultural activities, which can really add to a household budget,” Mr Dominello said.
“This is a significant milestone to help ease the cost of living, representing more than $25 million of savings going back into the pockets of NSW families.
“This program complements the hugely popular Active Kids vouchers which were doubled to two vouchers per child from July 1. For a family with two children, Creative and Active Kids vouchers combined will save you $600 per year.”
Mr Lee said involvement in creative and cultural learning activities is critical to a child’s growth and development – but enrolment costs can be expensive.
“School holidays are almost over and parents will be enrolling children in activities. This voucher can help unlock a child’s creative talent,” Mr Lee said.
Creative Kids brings a range of creative and cultural activities under the one umbrella, from creative arts and speech to drama, languages, digital design, coding as well as music. There are over 2,800 approved Creative Kids providers across over 2,600 locations in NSW.
There are more than 70 NSW Government cost of living rebates and savings available, including Active Kids vouchers, Toll Relief, CTP refunds and Energy Switch. The average saving from Service NSW’s cost of living appointment service per customer is $550, with households eligible for up to $2000 in savings.
Over the last year, more than $800 million in savings has been delivered to people across NSW through the Cost of Living program. More than $1 billion in savings is expected to be given back to households across NSW over the next year.
The following table lists the Sydney suburbs (north, south, east, west) with the most downloads.

Region	Suburb	Downloads
North	Carlingford	1,890
South	Engadine	1,526
East	Clovelly	1,410
West	Baulkham Hills	2,774

For more information on the Creative Kids program visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/creative-kids

Police have established a secure perimeter inside a juvenile justice centre at Kariong following a disturbance, which has left seven detainees injured.
About 8.30pm (Sunday 21 July 2019), officers from Brisbane Water Police District were called to the facility following reports a number of detainees assaulted other juveniles.
An 18-year-old, who suffered stab wounds and facial injuries was transported by NSW Ambulance paramedics to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition.
Another 18-year-old suffered stab wounds to his head and hands; a 20-year-old suffered facial and hand injuries; a 17-year-old had facial and head injuries; while another 20-year-old suffered injuries to his hand, leg, and arm.
Another 17-year-old dislocated his ankle after jumping off a roof.
They have all been taken to Gosford Hospital for treatment.
A seventh juvenile was later treated at the scene for a broken nose.
Additional resources have been deployed from neighbouring police districts, as well as the Public Order and Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Dog Unit, PolAir, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, and other specialist resources.
Police have established a cordon, restricting the armed detainees to a building within the complex, as negotiations continue.
Investigations into the assaults are underway, with a number of crime scenes established within the centre.
All detainees have been accounted for, and the external security of the facility was not compromised.

The NSW Police Force has announced the establishment of a new unit to investigate and coordinate long-term missing persons cases.
In 2017, as part of re-engineering, NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller initiated a comprehensive review and analysis of the Missing Persons Unit (MPU) functions.
The review identified various areas for improvement and recommended significant structural and procedural changes to meet current and future demands.
Commissioner Fuller has announced Project Aletheia, a State Crime Command-led initiative, to dissolve the MPU and implement a new structure that will draw on the expertise of specialist detectives and analysts.
“It is clear that change is needed, and I have delegated responsibility to the State Crime Command to ensure we can do everything we can to put policies, procedures, and checkpoints in place to rectify past problems and create solutions for now and into the future,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“To have a loved one go missing has a devastating impact on the person’s family and friends and while police do an outstanding job in providing support for the families, we are committed to providing outcomes.
“It needs to be acknowledged that families of missing persons have not been given the answers they have been seeking, and this is not acceptable.
“We owe it to the people of NSW to deliver better outcomes for families of missing persons and vulnerable people who are most at risk of going missing – those living with a mental illness, young people, and older people with dementia or memory loss – to ensure every opportunity is explored to find loved ones – wherever they may be,” Commissioner Fuller said.
Project Aletheia will involve the formation of the Missing Persons Registry (MPR) within State Crime Command in a new state-of-the-art facility, which is currently under development.
A team of seven detectives and four analysts – including those with qualifications and expertise in psychology and data matching – will work to resolve current long-term missing person cases and provide assistance to frontline police to improve the initial response to missing persons reports.
State Crime Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, said the MPR will utilise cutting edge technology and leverage techniques used in the investigations of serious and organised crime.
“Project Aletheia – meaning seeker of truth – is the largest missing persons data matching project in Australia and will revolutionise the way missing persons cases are managed and investigated,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
“The first process – which is expected to take months – is to digitise existing records and implement new systems.
“We are going to use every technological advancement available to us – whether that be ancestral mapping or biometric photos – that are capable of generating matches – to locate people and provide answers in cases which date back more than 60 years.
“With technology advancing every day, we will be innovative in the way we pursue investigations and continue to seek new developments in the future to solve cases,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
In recent months – and through the implementation of new systems under Project Aletheia – more than 30 cases have been resolved, with 13 people located offshore or interstate.
In addition, a joint-agency project between officers from the NSW Police Force and forensic and scientific experts from NSW Health Pathology, which was established in March 2018, will continue to progress the resolution of unidentified human remains cases.
“This is a complex project, which begins with the reconciliation of records – many of which are historic and in hard copy – followed by various forensic processes and inquiries to find a match,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
‘We are committed to ensuring the most effective and efficient allocation of resources in order the maximise our capability and provide answers to families of missing persons.”
The MPR will be a stand-alone investigative unit, reporting directly to the Director of Crime Operations, and will draw upon the expertise of specialist investigators across the NSW Police Force and law enforcement and intelligence partners both here and abroad.