Category: NSW News

Michael Daley and Labor today released a $95 million ‘Community Sports First’ package to invest into local teams, local facilities, communities and programs.

Mr Daley said while the Berejiklian Government’s top priority was to spend $2.2 billion on stadiums, Labor’s ‘Community Sports First’ package would fund initiatives that benefit local communities.
This includes $40 million to install and improve lighting at sporting fields across Sydney. This will open up ovals, fields and courts that currently lie empty at night and during winter – while others often just around the corner are at full capacity.
An audit by Football NSW has already identified a large number of fields where capacity could be increased with improved lighting.
Labor’s package also includes $20 million to upgrade access to facilities for those with a disability and the elderly. This is much needed funding for many places in regional NSW, where often a simple ramp or pool hoist can make a life changing difference.
Michael Daley and Labor will commit $10 million for a Basketball Centre of Excellence in Western Sydney.  While basketball is one of NSW’s fastest growing sports with 55,000 registered players, all basketball courts in the Sydney Metropolitan basin are at capacity.
Australian players are now regulars in national and overseas basketball Leagues, such as the NBA, and we want more NSW youngsters to follow in their footsteps.
This follows Labor’s commitment to cover all six courts for Merimbula Basketball.
A Daley Labor government will allocate $15 million to improve netball facilities in Sydney and Country NSW. This includes $5 million to Southern Districts Netball to build an indoor netball facility, $5 million to deliver a multi court facility in Ryde and $5 million to create the only regional 32-courts competition field in Maitland.
Michael Daley and Labor will also provide $1million to Surf Life Saving NSW for a groundbreaking Adult Swim Safe program. This comes in response to the tragic drowning of nearly 30 people in NSW since July 2018.
This unique program will take surf lifesavers to communities that are over-represented in drowning statistics. Surf safety and survival skills will be taught in local aquatic facilities to adults who are not experienced in the surf or with swimming.
“While the Berejiklian Government gives major stadiums a golden hand out, Labor will give local sports a helpful hand up,” Michael Daley said.
“At the moment we have kids and sporting teams who can’t find fields to train on because of shocking overcrowding. Parents are often stuck in traffic taking their kids across the city because their local oval is full.
“You have Netball and Basketball teams playing on courts that are outdated – some have been crumbling for years.”
“And our unsung heroes – NSW surf life savers – who want to do even more to make our beaches safer, aren’t getting that little bit of extra help to do so.
“Our 77,000 Surf Life Savers do a magnificent job. What this program does is bring them into communities that need the extra help,” Mr Daley said.
“We are about Footballers, Netballers, Basketballers and more. This government is obsessed by wrecking balls,” NSW Shadow Minister for Sport Lynda Voltz said.
As part of the Community Sport First package Michael Daley and Labor have also recommitted to:

• $2 million to a Neuromuscular Training Program aimed at reducing the incidences of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries in 12-25 year olds.
• $1 million to establish a ‘Gymnastics First’ Fund to provide assistance to Gymnastics Clubs across NSW.

Michael Daley and Labor will extend funding for early childhood education to benefit every three and four-year-old as part of the single largest investment in early childhood education in NSW history.
Mr Daley and Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Kate Washington, made the announcement today as part of a $500 million package for early childhood education in NSW.
Mr Daley said that under the Liberals and Nationals fewer than 20 per cent of three-year-olds receive state government funding for early childhood education.
Mr Daley said: “The experts tell us that early childhood is one of the most crucial periods for a child’s learning and development. It is the time when teachers can assess a child’s learning difficulty or other issues.   Labor will ensure that young kids in these vital years are given the best chance of success.”

Ms Washington said: “Participation in a preschool program, whether in a community preschool or long day care centre, is the strong foundation needed for success in school and in later life. We’ve consulted with the sector and with experts to develop these policies. We are focused on improving quality early learning outcomes, increasing access, driving greater participation and reducing fees for families.”
Labor’s package will be jointly funded with Federal Labor and will make early education and preschooling a priority by:

• Immediately increasing three-year-old funding in community preschools – doubling the Berejiklian Government’s proposed funding for three-year-olds in 2019-20. This will reduce fees and support services. Currently, three-year-olds are only due to receive one quarter of the funding that four-year-olds receive in community preschools.
  
• Funding three-year-olds in Long Day Care centres for the first time, and then doubling the current funding per three and four-year-olds in Long Day Care centres – allowing providers to reduce fees, increase wages, and improve quality learning outcomes.
• Investing $292 million into a ‘Little Kids Big Futures’ fund – driving a massive increase in early childhood education access and participation across NSW. This fund will support communities with critical service gaps, improve access for disadvantaged students, boost mobile preschool services in rural and remote areas, and invest in Playgroups NSW services as a pathway to preschooling.
• Launching an $18 million ‘Specialist Early Intervention’ trial program – ensuring young children receive the support they need. Increasingly, early education services are crucial to the identification of learning difficulties, disabilities and other health-related issues. This trial program will boost access to allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and psychologists for three and four-year-olds in early education.
• Starting a $10 million ‘Early Childhood Education Professional Development’ program – providing support and training for early childhood education teachers and educators.

• Establishing an additional $15 million capital grants fund to address critical service gaps throughout NSW – increasing access and participation through additional and expanded services.

• Boosting funding for assessment and rating experts by $4 million – slashing the Liberal Government’s dangerous assessment and rating backlog. The Government’s failures have led to early childhood education providers waiting more than five years between assessment and rating. Labor will rebuild confidence in the assessment and rating scheme, and support centres to deliver high quality education for students.

Labor has already committed to saving parents from the “double drop off” by ensuring all new public primary schools have preschool, long day care or out-of-school-hours services on site.

“Labor will always prioritise education, from preschool to school to TAFE. We won’t splurge billions on Sydney stadiums,” Mr Daley said.

The current Liberal-National Government has a long list of failures in the early education sector, with NSW having the highest fees and lowest participation rates in the country.
Labor will also:

• Establish a Ministerial Advisory Panel with broad sector representation to meet at least quarterly;
• Review and improving Before-and After-School Care and mobile preschool tender processes; and
• Develop a long-term early childhood education sector road-map in consultation with the sector.

NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley has announced that Labor will invest $395 million to upgrade St George Hospital and give it the capacity to perform state-of-the-art robotic precision surgery.

Mr Daley made the commitment today alongside Shadow Minister for Health, Walt Secord, Kogarah MP, Chris Minns, Rockdale MP, Steve Kamper and Labor candidate for Oatley, Lucy Mannering.
As part of the hospital upgrade, the major trauma centre at Kogarah will receive a new ambulatory care unit, outpatient and day surgery services, a new day rehabilitation unit and additional subacute inpatient beds Mr Daley said:
“If Labor is elected in March, St George Hospital will get a full hospital upgrade with robotic surgery. Unlike the Liberals, we’re putting hospitals and patients before stadiums.”
In addition to the $385 million announcement, Labor will allocate an additional $10 million for robotic precision surgery at St George Hospital. The robotic surgery will focus on urology, general surgery, gynaecology, thoracic and ear, nose and throat surgery.

• Benefits of robotic precision surgery include:
• The required length of stay for patients is reduced;
•  Studies have identified better overall health improvements;
• Patients suffer less bleeding during surgery; and
• Reductions in complications and infection rates.

The robotic surgery facilities would establish St George Hospital as the referral hospital for specific surgeries within the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.
Mr Minns said: “Labor can invest more money into St George Hospital because we aren’t proceeding with the Liberals $2.2 billion stadium splurge.”
Mr Kamper said: “St George Hospital is under enormous pressure and that’s why we need innovative solutions like robotic surgery to help improve healthcare for local patients.”
Ms Mannering said: “Bringing robotic surgery to St George Hospital will improve patient outcomes, save money in the long term and help bring our hospital into the 21st century.”
St George Hospital facts St George Hospital has one of the State’s busiest emergency departments seeing more than 81,000 patients a year, with 37 per cent of patients waiting longer than four hours. As of September 31, there are 1,459 patients on the official elective surgery waiting list.
In the last reported quarter, St George Hospital is performing 12.7 per cent more surgery than at the same time the year before (1,317 surgeries in the third quarter 2018 compared to 1,168 in the same period in 2017). In the last year, there were 1,117 urology elective surgery procedures completed at St George Hospital and it is expected a portion of these would be completed through robotic surgery in an attempt to improve outcomes, reduce complications and reduce the length of hospital stays.
Currently, the median wait for elective surgery is 188 days with 10 per cent of patients waiting longer than a year. Emergency department patients at St George Hospital also face long waits, with 37 per cent of patients still in the emergency after waiting four hours or more.

NSW Labor Leader, Michael Daley, has announced Labor’s plan to better support students with specific learning needs, including hiring an additional 150 support education teachers and frontline professional support staff.
Mr Daley was joined by Shadow Minister for Education, Jihad Dib, Labor’s candidate for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill, as well as Delta Society General Manager, Hollee James, at Clovelly today.
“I want all kids in NSW to have the same chance at school and to have access to the support they may need,” Mr Daley said.
There are more than 134,000 students in NSW who require personalised learning and support because of a disability or other specific learning need. They make up approximately 14 per cent of the public school population.
Mr Dib said: “Whilst teachers will always try their best to teach and to ensure every student has the best education possible, a large proportion aren’t trained on how to best support a student with a disability or specific need.”

Labor’s Every Child Counts policy will include additional training for teachers as well as improvements to the school travel program, a trial of therapy dogs in Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) and a dedicated team to support students with specific learning needs and disability to transition into post-school employment or further study.
If elected later this month, Labor will:

• Employ an additional 100 Specialist Teachers to support students with a disability or specific education need while in mainstream schooling – allowing schools to run additional integrated and support model classrooms.
• Employ an additional 30 Disability and Specific Learning Support Staff to work with teachers in schools – to further develop and support customised teaching and learning programs for students with a disability or specific needs.
• Employ 20 additional Support Teachers Transition (specialists to assist students with disability and additional learning and support needs) in Department of Education District Offices – to work with students and families in SSPs to guide students into post-school employment and/or further study.
• Pilot a program of therapy animals in SSPs – animal-assisted therapy has been proven to help students physically and emotionally and has been found to improve physical mobility, reduce anxiety, and improve social and emotional literacy.
• Expand teacher training – so that all teachers have additional skills to better support students with specific needs.
• Improve access to the Assisted School Travel Program (ASTP) – to reduce the unreasonable financial burden currently experienced by families of children with disabilities.

Acting Shadow Minister for Disability Services, Kate Washington, said: “A consistent message I’ve heard from families and schools, is that children with disabilities desperately need more support – Labor will ensure they have the support they need to thrive at school.”
Mr Daley said: “Labor will put students and families first instead of spending $2.2 billion on stadiums.”
Mr Dib added: “Today’s announcement is a Daley Labor Government starting point. Our long term commitment is to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn in the most inclusive education system we build.”

A Daley Labor Government deliver an additional 4,900 health and hospital workers – including paramedics, allied health workers, security staff, cleaning and support staff – to support existing staff so they can provide the best patient care.
NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley made the announcement alongside Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord and Health Services Union NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes.
The more than 4,900 additional health workers will include:

• 1,500 additional paramedics;
• 2,240 additional cleaning and support personnel – and allied health workers including audiologists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, orthoptics and radiographers;
• Filling 900 vacant staff positions;
• 250 additional hospital security staff with special powers to detain and equipment including handcuffs; and
• 15 allied health directors – one in every local health district – to coordinate health workers.

In addition, Labor committed to:

• Keeping all public health services in public hands – and no privatisations;
• Capping hospital parking fees for hospital staff at $10 per week – after current contracts end;
• Removing the salary-packaging fee for health and hospital workers with a salary under $70,000;
• Establishing an independent review to examine issues affecting health workers; and
• Reviewing and examining NSW health and local health district purchasing practices to identify opportunities to improve patient care.

Under the Liberals and Nationals, the health and hospital system has lurched from crisis to crisis. It has been plagued with staff shortages, unfilled positions and dangerously low staffing levels across suburban and regional NSW.
In this term, the Liberals and Nationals have tried unsuccessfully to privatise five regional hospitals – including Wyong, Goulburn, Shellharbour, Bowral and Maitland. They only shelved the plans due to pressure from the local community, unions and local Labor MPs.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley said that NSW Labor will be delivering the largest increase to hospital staffing in a generation.
“After eight years of misplaced priorities and neglect by the Liberal-National Government, our hospitals are under enormous pressure”, Mr Daley said.
“Only Labor will deliver enough health and hospital staff to fix the chronic under-staffing and under-resourcing of the state’s hospitals.”
The 1,500 paramedics will be deployed across the State – over the next eight years –to bring down emergency response times which have become the second slowest in Australia – after Tasmania.
Mr Secord said: “Make no mistake, the Liberals and Nationals are scrambling to undo the damage of their eight years of neglect of the health and hospital system.”
“While the Liberals and National splurge $2.2 billion on stadiums, Labor will invest in the health and hospital system. Labor will support doctors, nurses and health and hospital workers rather than splurging on stadiums.”
Today’s announcement builds on:

• New hospitals in Sydney’s North West, Eurobodalla; and the Tweed;
• Various hospital upgrades and expanded services across the State including St George, Wollongong, Nepean, Bankstown, Taree, Bathurst, Yass, Cooma, Goulburn, Milton-Ulladulla, Children’s Hospital Randwick, Delegate and Bombala;
• A plan to fix Northern Beaches Hospital;
• 5,500 extra nurses – under Labor’s nurse-to-patient ratios;
• A drug summit;
• 24 hour pharmacies;  and
• Q Fever vaccinations.

Because Tanya Davies and the Liberals refused to act, Western Sydney is once again under threat from the developer of the toxic Western Sydney Incinerator

Next Generation, the developer of the toxic Western Sydney Incinerator is taking the Government to Court to get the incinerator approved.

Because of the NSW Liberal’s broken planning laws, the developer can continually reapply for approval, meaning under the Liberals this toxic incinerator will eventually be built.

Labor’s candidate for Mulgoa, Todd Carney slammed Liberal politician Tanya Davies for doing nothing to protect our community from this toxic incinerator.

“Western Sydney is not a dumping ground. But the Liberals are treating us this way. Why won’t Liberal politician Tanya Davies do anything to stop this toxic incinerator?”

Three weeks ago Liberal politician Tanya Davies accused Labor of scaremongering after their Leader Michael Daley visited Western Sydney to commit to an incinerator ban.

“Tanya Davies is the worst kind of politician, she doesn’t even fight for Western Sydney when there’s an election on.” Mr Carney said.

“If Tania Davies had any self-respect, she would apologise to locals doing nothing and finally get off her backside and act.”

If elected, A Daley Labor Government will introduce legislation within its first 100 days to once and for all ban the proposed Western Sydney Incinerator. Labor is the only major party at this election committed to stopping an incinerator being built.

“No incinerator means no incinerator. Labor will ban this project.” Mr Carney said.

A Daley Labor Government has declared war on waste announcing it will ban single-use plastic bags, phase out single-use plastic and invest an additional $140 million into local recycling initiatives that also generate local jobs.
The bold plan was announced today at Clovelly by NSW Labor Leader, Michael Daley, and Deputy Labor Leader, Penny Sharpe, and Labor’s candidate for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill.
NSW is the second highest per capita waste producer in the world. Every person in NSW generates two tonnes of waste each year. The NSW waste system is in crisis with the ban on recycled products going to China, rapidly declining sites for landfill, a collapsing market for recycled material and a current state government that has failed to engage with key stakeholders to solve the problems.
A Daley Labor Government will tackle these issues head-on. Labor’s plan will:

• Ban single-use plastic bags and develop a long term single-use plastic phase out plan for NSW;
• Establish a Circular Economy and Job Creation Investment Fund to provide an additional $140 million over four years to support investment in recycling and resource recovery facilities in NSW and generate local jobs; and
• Establish a Recycling, Resource Recovery and Waste Council with all key stakeholders to provide advice to the Minister for the Environment, including moving NSW towards a truly circular economy where waste is avoided, reduced, reused and recycled.

Mr Daley said Labor’s plan will be good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for jobs.
“People cannot fathom why the Liberals and Nationals refuse to stop the carnage to wildlife brought about by single-use plastic bags. If elected, Labor will introduce legislation to ban the bag in our first 100 days of taking office,” Mr Daley said.
“It is a fact that recycling waste generates more jobs than sending waste to landfill, by a factor of four and half times. Labor’s war on waste will seize this opportunity and at the same time reduce waste and pollution. It’s a win-win.”
Labor’s new $140 million Circular Economy and Job Creation Investment Fund will supercharge support for the resource recovery and recycling industry and local government, such as investment in recycling facilities, material processing facilities, increasing community-based waste reduction and recycling, and providing seed funding for innovative solutions to dealing with waste.
It will be established by investing unallocated waste levy revenue and ensuring every dollar earned is spent on addressing waste and supporting recycling and environmental programs.
Deputy Labor Leader, Penny Sharpe, said: “Sending waste to landfill is an idea well past its use by date. It is time for NSW to invest in local recycling and resource recovery facilities and to drive our economy to ensure that waste is avoided, reduced and recycled.”
At today’s announcement, Labor also committed to separating the conflicting roles of the Chairperson and CEO of the NSW Environment Protection Authority. Labor will ask the Chief Scientist to examine and report on the energy from waste regulatory framework, including examining planning consent laws, health impacts, impacts on recycling, and emissions.

Michael Daley and Labor will set a target of 50 per cent of new appointments to government boards and committees to be women as part of a raft of policies to help women in the workplace.
Michael Daley and Labor will set a target of 50 per cent of new appointments to government boards and committees to be women as part of a raft of policies to help women in the workplace.
Labor also announced an innovative health screening and outreach program to improve early detection of breast cancer, heart disease and other serious health conditions in Women’s Health Centres.
The two measures form part of a comprehensive plan launched today by Mr Daley, on International Women’s Day. Mr Daley was joined at the launch by the Shadow Minister for Women, Sophie Cotsis, and Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jenny Aitchison who has been acting in the role as Shadow Minister for Women; both women have recently suffered the effects of breast cancer.
Labor’s Support for Women package will also set a target of 50 per cent of the state’s public sector workforce to be women by 2024.
The targets form part of a bold plan to promote gender equity, and include moving the Office for Women into the Premier’s Department, establishing a Premier’s Council for Women to advise government and publishing an annual Women’s Budget Statement to report back on progress.
Mr Daley said: “The Labor Party has led the way on women’s rights and we will continue to do more to make sure women are supported every step of the way in society.
“Whether it’s early detection of breast cancer, making sure women are treated fairly in the workforce, ensuring equitable funding for women’s sport, providing educational opportunities or helping victims-survivors of violence, Labor will be there for women.”
New money announced in the package includes:

• $7 million to trial health screening and outreach in four Women’s Health Centres;
• $625,000 for the Women’s Family Law Court Support Service;
• $500,000 for volunteer women’s groups;
• $500,000 for new mentoring and networking opportunities for women in business;
• Amending anti-discrimination laws to protect women at work and ensure employers reasonably accommodate flexible working arrangements; and
• Allowing pharmacists to provide emergency prescriptions for urinary tract infection medications when doctors’ surgeries are closed;

This is in addition to recently released packages across a variety of portfolios that have a positive benefit on the participation of women, including:

• $158 million to end domestic, family and sexual violence;
• $15 million to improve netball facilities in Sydney and Regional NSW;
• $4 million for school based development programs for Aboriginal Girls;
• $1 million for gymnastics clubs across NSW;
• Improved access to early childhood education for three and four year olds;
• Free TAFE places;
• Introducing Nurse and Midwife to Patient Ratios; and
• World Heritage Listing for the Parramatta Female Factory historic precinct, the oldest surviving women’s site in Australia.

Labor has a strong record in the representation of women in Parliament; 37 per cent of MPs in the State Parliament are female and 48 per cent of candidates for the forthcoming election are women.
Ms Aitchison said: “Labor believes that women should always be represented at the decision making table – in board rooms, in Parliament, in workplaces, on the sports field and in communities.
“Labor’s plan to support women covers the breadth of women’s everyday lives in health, education, employment, small business, the arts, heritage, sports, government and in the community. We will work to ensure women are safe from domestic, family and sexual violence.”
Ms Cotsis said: “Only Labor can truly deliver equality for women, because only Labor has a plan to ensure they are represented equally in our decision making and leadership positions, and that all Government agencies are accountable for delivering for women.”