Category: NSW News

A clearer and simpler rating system for early childhood services was announced today, making it easier for parents to understand how their service rates under the National Quality Framework (NQF).
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the change is something both parents and services have been calling for.
“All providers will be required to display their National Quality Standard (NQS) rating in the format of four stars that correlate to their NQS rating level,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Services will display the stars where parents can see them clearly, and will be requested to provide more detailed rating information to parents and families at enrolment from July 1, 2020.
“A fifth star can be obtained through an additional application to Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
“We have worked with the sector and families to find a better way for promoting and understanding the quality ratings, and have set aside a further $8 million to support providers to improve the quality of their services, building on the $5 million already invested.
“Ensuring parents and carers understand the rating of their early childhood service is essential for families, and also for maintaining and improving quality.”
Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page said the Quality Ratings Guide will be a great way for families to start a conversation with services.
“Parents should play an active role in communicating with services about all aspects of quality, and the star graphic invites them to learn more about quality improvement,” Ms Page said.
“It also gives services the opportunity to pro-actively engage and focus on quality as an ongoing priority.”
The new four star format will display a service’s NQF rating as:

• Exceeding NQS = 4 stars
• Meeting NQS = 3 stars
• Working towards NQS = 2 stars
• Significant Improvement Required = 1 star

For more information on the new Stars system visit the website: https://www.education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-quality

People who lose important identity documents in the bushfires can have them replaced for free to help them recover as quickly as possible, Attorney General Mark Speakman and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello announced today.
“The fire emergency has wreaked untold havoc on many people’s lives and we want them to be able to get back on their feet with a minimum of fuss,” Mr Speakman said.
“Anyone who has lost paperwork such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate can apply to have them replaced at no cost as a priority.”
“The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (BDM) can assist people who have lost documents in the fire to quickly re-establish their identity,” Mr Dominello said.
“For those who were born or married interstate, BDM will coordinate with other Australian State and Territory registries to obtain replacement certificates.”
Those affected can visit their nearest Service NSW  where the team will assist them in applying for their official certificates.
Customers requiring a new driver’s licence will be issued with an interim licence on the spot allowing them to get back on the road immediately, with the new licence card being delivered 7 to 10 days after the transaction.
Service NSW’s Mobile Service Centres have visited bushfire affected communities to assist customers with government transactions, including replacement identity documents.
Useful contacts:
Please visit Service NSW website for resources on dealing with bushfire. For bush fire information and updates contact the Public Information Enquiry Centre on 1800 222 228.
Office of Emergency Management information is available here evacuation centres.
Fire updates are available at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information.

23 new metro trains will be ordered as part of a contract package to extend and operate Sydney’s first driverless Metro railway beyond Chatswood – into the city and on to Bankstown, delivering a 66 kilometre line by 2024.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced the NSW Government has approved Sydney Metro exercising a pre-agreed extension to the existing Northwest Rapid Transit Public Private Partnership contract, which was awarded in 2014.
The contract has been extended to deliver a seamless customer experience on the new metro, with Northwest Rapid Transit (NRT) to operate and maintain the full metro line from Rouse Hill to Bankstown – in total 66 kilometres of rail and 31 metro stations.
The contract package includes $1.7 billion for new metro trains and core rail systems as well as a $2 billion operations and maintenance component for NRT to operate the combined Northwest and City and Southwest lines for a period of 15 years until 2034.
Metro Trains Sydney, the railway operator appointed by NRT, will operate the metro railway in accordance with strict operational requirements set by Sydney Metro.
The NSW Government will own all the metro rail infrastructure, including the stations, tracks and trains.
Five years ago, following a competitive procurement process, NRT was awarded a contract to operate and maintain the North West Metro Line between Rouse Hill and Chatswood for 15 years. It included a pre-agreed option to operate the line beyond Chatswood to Bankstown

Households across NSW are expected to save $40 per year on their electricity bills and the State will have one of the highest reliability targets in the world under the NSW Electricity Strategy, released today.
Energy Minister Matt Kean said the Strategy will ensure reliable and affordable electricity supply for the people of NSW, particularly in peak summer periods.
“We want to create a competitive, low-cost market that delivers resilient energy supply while putting downward pressure on electricity prices,” Mr Kean said.
“Not only does this Strategy help us achieve that, it will attract $8 billion in investment for emerging energy technologies in NSW, diversifying our energy supply and creating jobs for the future.”
The Strategy includes a new Energy Security Safeguard to drive the roll-out of energy efficiency technologies and smart appliances that use electricity when it is cheap and off-peak, and an Energy Security Target to ensure there is enough capacity in the electricity grid on the hottest days, even with the two largest generating units offline.
It will also include a plan to deliver Australia’s first coordinated Renewable Energy Zone in the Central-West to support the new generation needed to get energy bills down.
“As our existing power generators approach the end of their lives, we need to ensure low-cost alternatives are coming online,” Mr Kean said.
“By focusing on reliability, we can ensure that we can get the benefits of renewables without the reliability problems we have seen in other states.
“While there will always be extreme events which impact the grid’s reliability, our Electricity Security Target will mean that changes to the State’s energy mix do not come at the expense of our system’s reliability.”
The NSW Electricity Strategy is available here and is published ahead of today’s COAG Energy Council meeting in Perth.

Sydney, Blue Mountains and the Illawarra will soon experience Level 2 water restrictions from 10 December to continue to protect Greater Sydney’s water supply from drought conditions.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Water Melinda Pavey announced the restrictions will take effect when the dam levels in the region reach 45 per cent which is expected around mid-December. To give the community certainty, the water restrictions will be in place from 10 December.
Ms Berejiklian said dam levels are currently close to 46 per cent and continue to drop every week.
“Usually, we would expect to have Level 2 water restrictions come into effect when dam levels reached 40 per cent. But given the rapid rate of decline of our dam levels we have decided to enact the next level of restrictions sooner than planned,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’re experiencing one of the most severe droughts on record and we expect introducing Level 2 restrictions to save 78.5 gigalitres of water per year.
“We all need to do our bit to ensure we are using water wisely and these restrictions will help secure water for Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra.”
More than 85 per cent of Greater Sydney’s water is supplied by captured rainfall and because of the current drought dam levels have reached the lowest levels seen since the Millennium drought.
Under the new Level 2 water restrictions people will be required to use a bucket or watering can to water their gardens between approved times, cars can only be washed with a bucket or taken to a commercial car wash and topping up of pools and spas is limited to 15 minutes a day with a trigger nozzle.
Ms Pavey said the Bureau of Meteorology has predicted another hot summer ahead with on-going dry conditions.
“We’re doing the work to save as much drinking water as we can to ensure there is enough if the drought persists,” Ms Pavey said.
“Businesses who rely upon outdoor water use as part of their operations need to get an exemption.
If a business applied for and received a permit under the previous level of restrictions, they’ll need to contact Sydney Water to confirm it’s still valid.”
Fines will still apply for breaches of water restrictions – $220 for residential breaches and $550 for businesses. For up-to-date information on Level 2 restrictions visit lovewater.sydney/restrictions

Paramedics will be fitted with high-tech body cameras from tomorrow as part of the NSW Government’s $48 million reform package to improve the safety of frontline health staff.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said paramedics from Liverpool, Sydney Ambulance Centre at Eveleigh, and Hamilton in suburban Newcastle will be part of a 12-month voluntary trial.
“We need to look after the people who look after us and if this technology can help deter abuse and assaults against frontline paramedics, we need to give it go,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Hopefully, agitated individuals will modify their behaviour when they realise their actions are being recorded because our paramedics are not a punching bag for anyone’s frustration.
“Paramedics are there to help us and it is never OK to abuse them. Assaults carry heavy penalties and, if needed, bodycam footage will be used as evidence when prosecuting people.”
NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan said 60 body cameras will be used in the trial by paramedics and if it is successful, more could be rolled out state-wide.
“When the idea of body cameras was raised at the paramedic roundtable, the NSW Government listened and worked with us to introduce the technology,” Dr Morgan said.
“The cameras will be another set of eyes for our paramedics and in addition to hopefully deterring abuse, there is scope to use them for training purposes further down the line.”
The body cameras pilot follows additional NSW Government reforms introduced over the past 12 months to improve paramedic workplace safety including:

• $24 million for a technology upgrade including:

1. upgrade of mobile data terminals to pinpoint the location of paramedics.
2. new in-vehicle radios to ensure enhanced reception.
3. enhanced duress procedures and reporting.

• $3.3 million for face-to-face occupational violence training.
• $ 4 million for high-tech smartphones to overcome radio blackspots.

The NSW Government is investing more than $1 billion in NSW Ambulance in 2019-20, including $27 million to employ 221 extra paramedics and call centre staff. These staff are the second tranche of a record workforce boost of 750 to be deployed over four years.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet today released the NSW 2040 Economic Blueprint, a landmark document designed as a roadmap for continued success.
The Blueprint forecasts NSW will continue to power the nation, with our State economy tripling in size to be worth as much as two trillion dollars by around 2040.
Prepared by NSW Chief Economist Stephen Walters, the Blueprint predicts a bright future for NSW on the back of our strong financial position, high levels of education, focus on innovation and growth, and proximity to the booming Asian middle class.
“The billions we are pouring in to infrastructure are helping drive the economy and create jobs now, but also positioning the State for ongoing growth,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The future success of NSW is unlimited if we are prepared to back ourselves, innovate, build our skills, and have both a domestic and global economic focus to attract investment and create the industries and jobs of the future.
“NSW is a leader not a follower – we are building success for future generations.”
Mr Walters said the Blueprint would continue to evolve with the initial document focused on both short and long-term strategies to grow the NSW economy.
“The Blueprint sets the tone for our continued success – it doesn’t shy away from the challenges, but highlights the opportunities we have to really grow our economy.”
The report outlines a range of aspirations for NSW to reach by 2040 including:

• The nation’s first trillion-dollar economy
• Healthy, productive people
• Liveable and connected cities
• Productive, vibrant regions
• Innovative and world class businesses
• A sustainable environment with reliable and affordable energy
• Enhanced performance of government

For more information: treasury.nsw.gov.au/nsw-economy/nsw-2040-economic-blueprint

A seamless trip to and from Sydney Airport is closer than ever with the proposed Sydney Gateway project moving to the next stage of the planning process.
The community can have their say on the project with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and draft Major Development Plan (MDP) now on public exhibition.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the NSW Government is focused on completing the motorway network’s missing links to keep Sydney moving.
“The toll-free Sydney Gateway will improve connections to Sydney Airport and Port Botany with the CBD and beyond,” Mr Constance said.
“The new roads will have capacity to carry 100,000 vehicles a day, which will cater for growth to support our communities and economy, while enabling people and goods to move more safely and reliably.
“Sydney Gateway will provide a new route for around 10,000 trucks a day. This will help remove trucks from Mascot, reduce travel times and congestion, and return local streets to the community.
“This project will improve public transport to and from the Airport by providing faster and more direct access for buses, giving people freedom to choose how they move.”
Community can make a submission on the EIS at the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s planning portal website. Submissions on the draft MDP, which is a Commonwealth requirement, will be managed by Sydney Airport.
For more information visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-gateway.

Offenders convicted of certain crimes against children who fail to comply with reporting obligations will be better held to account under reforms that passed NSW Parliament today.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said offenders on the Child Protection Register who claim to have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for not complying with their reporting obligations will now have to prove that excuse in court.
“The reporting obligations of these offenders is critical to community safety,” Mr Speakman said.
“Offenders who breach their obligations without reasonable excuse are liable to imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of $55,000. This reform clarifies that the onus is no longer on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt the absence of a reasonable excuse.”
The NSW Government’s reforms will also improve legal procedures in certain cases for children under the age of 14 who are victims or alleged victims of sexual offences.
“These children are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and to date they have been at a disadvantage, as they may be unable to provide consent to share potentially crucial information in the proceedings,” Mr Speakman said.
“We want to rectify this to avoid unnecessary delays in what can already be highly traumatic court hearings.”
The amendments will enable a ‘suitable person’, like a parent or guardian, to consent to the child’s counselling records to become evidence in court. In the past, these records would have been inadmissible because of sexual assault communications privilege, which protects the relationship between a counsellor and a victim of sexual assault.

New laws that give the Children’s Guardian greater authority and oversight to help protect children and young people have passed NSW Parliament.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the Children’s Guardian Bill 2019 brings religious bodies, and agencies that engage contractors who work with children, into the Reportable Conduct Scheme, with tough penalties for anyone who fails to comply.
“This legislation will provide the independent regulator with the powers they need to help detect, investigate and deal with those who behave inappropriately around children,” Mr Ward said.
“This legislation seeks to close existing loopholes and future-proof the Children’s Guardian to make sure the framework for protecting our kids is as strong as possible.
“When it comes to child protection, our Government makes no apology for taking a tough and necessary stance to keep children safe.”
The Bill will implement a number of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The NSW Government has had the most comprehensive response of any state or territory to the Royal Commission, strengthening measures to prevent child abuse, ensuring greater access to treatment and support services and toughening the criminal and civil justice response to child offence matters.
The Office of the Children’s Guardian is an independent Statutory Authority that works to protect children and young people by promoting and regulating quality, child safe organisations and services