Category: NSW News

People with disability who come into contact with the justice system will be better supported back into the community under a landmark agreement struck at the COAG Disability Reform Council today.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the decision to introduce Justice Liaison Officers (JLOs) will contribute to achieving the Premier’s priority of reducing recidivism in the prison population.
“We know that a significant number of offenders in both adult prison and juvenile detention have disabilities and don’t necessarily get the support they need when exiting the justice system,” Mr Ward said.
“As part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, JLOs will provide a coordinated approach to supporting people with disability, to help them transition to a life free of crime.”
An interstate working group will produce an implementation plan for the roll out and report to the Council in December. At today’s meeting the Council also agreed to:

• Improve the Information, Linkage and Capability Building (ILC) component of the NDIS to better target all people with disability, their families and carers
• Develop an approach to improve the access and experience for participants with psychosocial disability in the NDIS
• Continue work to provide greater transparency and accountability around how the NSW Government’s contribution to the NDIS is spent

“The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will continue to lead national reform when it comes to the disability sector,” Mr Ward said.
“As a partner with the Commonwealth, we are committed to helping improve the NDIS so it delivered great outcomes for people across our state.”
The NSW Government contributed $3.3 billion to the NDIS in the 2019-20 NSW Budget.
More than 100,000 people are benefitting from the scheme across the state. Close to 40,000 of them are receiving services for the first time.

Tram testing is ramping up in the CBD – and will soon begin for the first time in Kingsford and Kensington – as Sydney counts down for the commencement of commuter services in December.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for Transport Andrew Constance, NSW Police and the NRMA today reminded road users to be alert around the new light rail corridor as testing steps up.
“As we get ready for services to start in December, Sydneysiders will see more trams every day. Driver training extends into the CBD this week and there will be up to 12 trams out testing day and night, seven days a week,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I’m also pleased to confirm that trams will soon start testing in Kingsford and Kensington.
“It’s an exciting time for Sydney as the countdown begins to the first passenger services from Randwick to Circular Quay, but it’s also a timely reminder for pedestrians and drivers to be vigilant.”
Mr Constance said new safety videos, launched today by Transport for NSW, will remind drivers to be aware around the light rail as part of the “Heads Up, Play It Safe around Light Rail” campaign.
“We have a number of busy intersections along the light rail route, particularly in the CBD, such as George and Bathurst streets. We remind drivers not to queue across these intersections and always follow traffic signals,” Mr Constance said.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians have mistakenly entered the tram corridor at busy intersections, including those around Pitt Street and Eddy Avenue at Central, and at Devonshire and Bourke streets in Surry Hills.
“We know people are getting used to having trams around, but we really need everyone to be mindful of the tram corridor when turning at intersections, and if you end up on the tracks, drive or ride carefully to the next cross street and exit safety,” Mr Constance said.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy reminded drivers they must stay off the cement tram corridor and stick to the asphalt roads.
“Drivers and operators of heavy vehicles must follow the new traffic signals and always stop on the red. Never turn in front of a tram and do not queue across intersections. Food delivery operators and couriers are also reminded to not ride in the tram corridor,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
“The message for all road users is the same; ditch the distraction, follow the road rules and pay attention.”
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said pedestrians also need to change their behaviour.
“The NRMA report released in July, Look Up, found over one third of pedestrians crossed busy intersections while distracted by their smartphones or wearing earphones,” Mr Khoury said.
“Taking this sort of risk around the new Light Rail can have devastating consequences. Trams are quiet and too many pedestrians have yet to adjust their behavior around this new mode of transport in the heart of Sydney – this needs to change now.”

Environment Minister Matt Kean was pleased to release the annual State of the Beaches report which has returned great results for beaches across the NSW.
Minister Kean said 2019 is one of the cleanest years of recreational water quality on record since monitoring began in 1989.
“Clean beaches are great news for the community and encourage more people to get out and about as we head into the start of the swimming season,” Mr Kean said.
“This year, 86 per cent of the State’s swimming sites are rated ‘very good’ or ‘good’ which is a significant achievement and great news as we head into beach season.
“Estuarine swimming sites have never been this clean, with a record breaking 82 per cent listed as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
“This is in addition to the 98 per cent of ocean beaches shown to be clean and safe, as were four of the five ocean baths.”
Mr Kean said that while these figures are welcome, they also show there is still work to do.
According to the report, coastal lakes, lagoons and estuarine swimming spots were adversely affected by heavy rain, with the number of clean lake and lagoon swimming sites declining.
Lower levels of flushing in coastal lakes, lagoons and estuaries means these swimming sites take longer to recover from stormwater events.
The NSW Government committed $500,000 to address water quality at Terrigal Beach and surrounding lagoons, and $200,000 to establish an expert panel to determine the best way to improve water quality in Tuggerah Lakes.
“Terrigal Beach has already shown signs of improvement, having been upgraded to good, from a poor grade last year, which clearly demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to improving the environment,” Mr Kean said.

Environment Minister Matt Kean was pleased to release the annual State of the Beaches report which has returned great results for beaches across the NSW.
Minister Kean said 2019 is one of the cleanest years of recreational water quality on record since monitoring began in 1989.
“Clean beaches are great news for the community and encourage more people to get out and about as we head into the start of the swimming season,” Mr Kean said.
“This year, 86 per cent of the State’s swimming sites are rated ‘very good’ or ‘good’ which is a significant achievement and great news as we head into beach season.
“Estuarine swimming sites have never been this clean, with a record breaking 82 per cent listed as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
“This is in addition to the 98 per cent of ocean beaches shown to be clean and safe, as were four of the five ocean baths.”
Mr Kean said that while these figures are welcome, they also show there is still work to do.
According to the report, coastal lakes, lagoons and estuarine swimming spots were adversely affected by heavy rain, with the number of clean lake and lagoon swimming sites declining.
Lower levels of flushing in coastal lakes, lagoons and estuaries means these swimming sites take longer to recover from stormwater events.
The NSW Government committed $500,000 to address water quality at Terrigal Beach and surrounding lagoons, and $200,000 to establish an expert panel to determine the best way to improve water quality in Tuggerah Lakes.
“Terrigal Beach has already shown signs of improvement, having been upgraded to good, from a poor grade last year, which clearly demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to improving the environment,” Mr Kean said.

Pyrmont and the Western Harbour precinct will be transformed into the next jobs hub and economic driver of Sydney under a NSW Government plan to revitalise the key inner-city precinct.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the announcement following the release of the Greater Sydney Commission’s (GSC) review into the area’s planning rules.
“Today we are sending a clear message that Pyrmont is open for business and ready to be taken to the next level,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We are, for the first time, treating Pyrmont and the Western Harbour precinct as the gateway to the CBD.
“For our city and State to continue to be the jobs capital of the nation, we need this area to be revitalised. We have successfully transformed Barangaroo into a spectacular waterfront precinct and are in the midst of revitalising Central.
“Pyrmont is the next frontier.”
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the NSW Government would immediately move to amend the planning controls with a focus on jobs and economic activity to better support proposals to develop the area.
“We can support larger-scale development and maintain the unique heritage nature of Pyrmont – it’s not an ‘either/or’ choice,” Mr Stokes said.
“However, we must plan for the precinct strategically, rather than on a site-by-site basis, to ensure the long-term liveabilty and sustainability of the area.”
The NSW Government will fast-track work to investigate the feasibility of building a Metro station in Pyrmont to support greater density and jobs in the area.
Mr Stokes said the Government would also ensure there is greater coordination of large scale developments in Pyrmont, including the Powerhouse, Bays Precinct, Harbourside Shopping Centre, University of Technology Sydney expansion, the Star casino and the existing and future Fish Market sites.
“This is our opportunity to work together to develop a vision and collaboratively plan for the future of Pyrmont, which hasn’t been done in more than 20 years,” Mr Stokes said.
“This is a prime jobs and tourism precinct on the fringe of the CBD which will become increasingly important as our city grows.”
The NSW Government has accepted the three key recommendations of the GSC report, which can be found here: www.greater.sydney/project/pyrmont-planning-review

A 30 tonne beam has been craned into place completing the final bridge on the new M5 project – the Super-T girder is the finishing touch on the new Gardeners Road bridge across the Alexandra Canal.
Minister for Roads Andrew Constance said the bridge would provide drivers with a direct link between Gardeners Road, Mascot and the St Peters Interchange.
“After more than 80 years, the community around St Peters and Mascot will soon have access to two new connections across the Alexandra Canal,” Mr Constance said.
“The Gardeners Road bridges are an important connection and will help alleviate congestion on local roads. They’ll also allow drivers to directly connect to the New M5 and M4-M5 Link Tunnels from Mascot via the St Peters Interchange.”
Mr Constance said the completion of the ten bridge structures was a significant milestone for the project and had also provided an economic boost to regional communities.
“The bridge pieces, including the 17 metre-long T-shaped ‘Super T’s’, were made at the Hunter and Coffs Harbour precast yards and all materials were locally supplied,” Mr Constance said.
“Production of these segments helped to create around 200 jobs over the past two years in regional communities stretching all the way to the mid-coast.
“Work on site has now turned to the construction of a major retaining wall within St Peters Interchange to help create the six hectares of new open space being delivered as part of the New M5.”
Drivers will be able to test out the bridges when the New M5 opens in 2020.
WestConnex is being delivered in four major stages, including the New M4 (now open), the New M5, opening in 2020 and the M4-M5 Link, opening in 2023.
When complete, WestConnex will provide drivers with a 33km, traffic-light free network.

NSW businesses and employees have been put on notice about their obligations to make workplaces safer, following after a number fatalities and serious injuries in the lead-up to National Safe Work Month, which begins today.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said SafeWork inspectors have been called to incidents in recent times involving workers from a range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, agriculture and transport.
“We want everyone to make it home to their family at the end of the day, which is why we are reminding everyone of their obligations and responsibilities, not just from employers to their employees, but employees’ obligations to each other.
“It is clear that more needs to be done to get the safety message through to people, which is why this month the NSW Government will be rolling out a number of new initiatives which aim to protect workers from serious injury or death.”
To mark National Safe Work Month this October, inspectors will make the construction industry the focus of its next falls from height blitz with businesses and workers across NSW being reminded of their obligations of staying safe whilst working at heights.
“Since April this year, SafeWork NSW has been targeting unsafe scaffolds, visiting more than 700 construction sites and issuing 832 notices, including $109,000 in on-the-spot fines or falls risks,” Mr Anderson said.
“While inspectors have seen some improvement in scaffold safety recently, the level of risk is still unacceptable with 44 per cent of scaffolds having missing parts, while on 36 per cent of sites it appeared unlicensed workers had altered or removed scaffolding components,” Mr Anderson said.
“That is why we need to strengthen laws and change attitudes to target risky behavior, before someone gets hurt, or dies.”

The NSW Government will fast-track delivery of the State’s first technology-focused TAFE NSW campus by 12 months with thousands of students expected to benefit.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the NSW Government is investing in a world-class education precinct at Meadowbank.
“I am proud to announce the delivery of the new digital technology hub at TAFE NSW Meadowbank will be accelerated by 12 months to match the construction schedule of the two new schools,” Mr Lee said. “This means a new primary school, a new high school and new TAFE NSW facilities will all be delivered at the same time.”
Mr Lee said technology was at the forefront of the revitalised TAFE site, transforming training delivery to be more digitally interactive and industry focussed.
“The new industry standard training facilities will enhance the capacity of TAFE NSW to deliver technology-focussed, specialist training in emerging ICT areas such as cyber-security.
“The new state-of-the-art facilities will equip students with the job-ready skills employers are calling for – with industry collaboration and a digital focus embedded into the design.”
Member for Ryde Victor Dominello said fast-tracking the project and aligning construction timelines was great news for the Ryde community.
“Australia’s Silicon Valley is in our own backyard so it makes sense to have a technology focused TAFE in Meadowbank,” Mr Dominello said.
“Ryde is being transformed into an education and employment powerhouse and this new TAFE will prepare students for the jobs of the future.”
TAFE NSW will lodge a State Significant Development Application for the Multi-Trades and Digital Technology Hub in mid-October following consultation. The new TAFE NSW facilities are scheduled to be open alongside the school in 2022.

Minister for Energy Matt Kean has today announced the next stage in the $75 million NSW Emerging Energy Program, which encourages private sector investment in cutting edge large-scale electricity and storage projects through feasibility and capital grants.
Feasibility grants worth a total of $7.1 million have been awarded to 10 electricity projects to help get them shovel ready so that we can meet the States future energy needs. These projects are spread across seven locations in NSW, including Broken Hill, Yass and Armidale.
21 projects have also been shortlisted to receive capital funding to assist with the construction of on-demand electricity. The shortlisted projects include over 700 megawatts of on-demand electricity capacity across six technologies, including pumped hydro, gas, biogas, solar thermal, virtual power plants and batteries. The successful recipients will be announced in the first half of 2020.
“The NSW Government is committed to delivering affordable, reliable and cleaner power for NSW. The Emerging Energy Program does just that,” Mr Kean said.
“AEMO’s latest report identified that NSW is well placed to handle the summers up until Liddell’s retirement in 2023 but we’re planning for the future, looking at how we can harness tomorrow’s technology today by encouraging private capital to build the 21st century grid,” Mr Kean said.
“These projects will help show the way for new technology, making it easier for other projects to come online, increase competition and put downward pressure on prices,” Mr Kean said.
“The transformation of our electricity system is going to drive an energy construction boom, as the projects awarded feasibility grants could see almost $2 billion in private investment,” Mr Kean said.
Successful applicants can work with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for finance through its Dispatchable Power Program.
For more information about the Emerging Energy Program visit: energy.nsw.gov.au/emerging-energy

The NSW Government will fast-track delivery of the State’s first technology-focused TAFE NSW campus by 12 months with thousands of students expected to benefit.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the NSW Government is investing in a world-class education precinct at Meadowbank.
“I am proud to announce the delivery of the new digital technology hub at TAFE NSW Meadowbank will be accelerated by 12 months to match the construction schedule of the two new schools,” Mr Lee said. “This means a new primary school, a new high school and new TAFE NSW facilities will all be delivered at the same time.”
Mr Lee said technology was at the forefront of the revitalised TAFE site, transforming training delivery to be more digitally interactive and industry focussed.
“The new industry standard training facilities will enhance the capacity of TAFE NSW to deliver technology-focussed, specialist training in emerging ICT areas such as cyber-security.
“The new state-of-the-art facilities will equip students with the job-ready skills employers are calling for – with industry collaboration and a digital focus embedded into the design.”
Member for Ryde Victor Dominello said fast-tracking the project and aligning construction timelines was great news for the Ryde community.
“Australia’s Silicon Valley is in our own backyard so it makes sense to have a technology focused TAFE in Meadowbank,” Mr Dominello said.
“Ryde is being transformed into an education and employment powerhouse and this new TAFE will prepare students for the jobs of the future.”
TAFE NSW will lodge a State Significant Development Application for the Multi-Trades and Digital Technology Hub in mid-October following consultation. The new TAFE NSW facilities are scheduled to be open alongside the school in 2022.