Category: NSW News

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.”
 

Before and after school care will be made available to all parents with children at public primary schools by 2021 under a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the Government will invest $120 million to dramatically expand before and after school care, providing working families more access to affordable, convenient and flexible services.
“We know a major challenge for working families is accessing affordable and convenient before and after school care,” Ms Berejiklian said. “I want to ensure that care is available to everyone who needs it and at a location that is convenient.
“It isn’t good enough for there to be growing waiting lists for before and after hours school care while community resources remain under-utilised. This will ensure we provide the support that modern family life demands.”
Under the new policy, public primary schools in Sydney, Newcastle, Illawarra and the Central Coast as well as major regional centres, will be required to open their playgrounds, halls or classrooms for before and after school care and school holiday care from 7am to 6pm to make life easier for families. Before and after school care services are available to primary school aged children.
For smaller or remote schools where onsite services may not be an option, the NSW Government will provide transportation for students to and from offsite providers or to locations at other schools so that the communities in that region or area can be fully serviced.
The NSW Government will also reduce the cost of before and after school care by up to $225 per child per year, through a capped rental subsidy of up to $15,000 for providers who use school grounds to provide services.
Education Minister Rob Stokes said the policy will also make life easier for schools, with the creation of a new specialist team in the Department of Education to coordinate services and manage leases to relieve this burden from principals.
“This is about making life easier for parents and carers, teachers and principals, by ensuring our students are well cared for before, during and after the school day,” Mr Stokes said. “We want to free principals and teachers up so they can get back to focusing on teaching and learning.
“We’ll work with our schools, P&Cs and principals to make sure they have the equipment and resources they need to provide the high quality out-of-school care that families expect in every local community.”
Minister for Early Childhood Education Sarah Mitchell said the move will provide families with greater choice and flexibility when it comes to school drop-offs and pick-ups.
“We’re making daily life easier for parents and carers by giving them better options for before and after school care that is most convenient for their individual circumstances,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The Liberals & Nationals will work closely with the before and after school care sector to implement the roll-out of these initiatives.”
The $120 million strategy includes:

• $50 million over four years to help schools buy new equipment and expand their facilities;
• $40 million over four years to provide rental subsidies to service providers located at public primary schools if they can demonstrate savings have been passed on to families;
• $20 million over four years for an implementation fund focused on schools where a standalone service may not be viable, including smaller schools and rural and remote communities;

• $8.5 million over four years for a team of specialists to help coordinate services and resources on an area or regional basis, to make it easier to setup and maintain a service and to take the hassle out of managing contracts with providers for principals; and
• $2 million for a new website and mobile app to allow parents and carers to search for and book student places online.

A Metro rail line to the new Western Sydney Airport will be complete in time for the Airport’s opening in 2026 under the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said because of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s strong economic management more than $2 billion will be invested in the North South Rail Line over the next four years.
“We know the Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis are the future of Sydney and that is why we are making the investment now for construction on the rail line to begin in 2021,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The North South Rail Line will run from St Marys through to the Airport, connecting Sydney in a way that has never happened before.
“At the same time we are building the crucial road links and are investing $3.6 billion to build the new M12 motorway and upgrade existing roads including the Northern Road and Bringelly Road.
“The Aerotropolis will create 200,000 jobs and only the NSW Liberals & Nationals can be trusted to build the transport links needed to support this growing region.”
The development of a business case for the North South Rail line is already progressing.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said only the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has the track record to deliver the Metro rail line to the Airport from day one.
“During its time in office Labor promised 12 rail lines, but did not deliver a single one in full,” Mr Constance said.
“This Government has a track record of delivering. The Metro Northwest rail line is due to open within months, while tunnelling is underway on the Metro City & South West projects.”
The North South Rail line will link up with the existing Sydney Train T1 Western Line at St Marys and form the start of a future rail line across Sydney.
Stage 1 will run from St Marys Station through Western Sydney Airport to the new Aerotropolis – this will provide a convenient interchange with the existing Sydney Trains T1 Western Line.
The NSW Government will fund half of the cost of the line, with the remainder to be funded by the Commonwealth under the Western Sydney City deal.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will redevelop Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on a new site, to deliver comprehensive healthcare for south-western Sydney, including the latest in emergency medicine, surgical services and critical care.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this $1.3 billion investment was only possible because of the strong economic management of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government.
“We have a strong track record when it comes to delivering health infrastructure, having already built or upgraded more than 100 hospitals and other health facilities across the State, with another 100 on the way,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The redeveloped hospital will include enhanced emergency, critical care, medical and surgical services.  There will also be expanded and integrated ambulatory care services, including cancer treatment and community health services.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the redeveloped hospital would transform the delivery of healthcare in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs.
“We are committed to building new, and improving existing, hospitals and health facilities across the state. Since we were elected, the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has invested nearly $10 billion in health infrastructure with another $8 billion committed over the next four years,” Mr Hazzard said.
Planning for the project, along with early works construction, will commence during the next term of government.
Liberal candidate for East Hills Wendy Lindsay said the redeveloped hospital would increase capacity for local communities, ensuring people can get the care they need close to home.
“Only a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will ensure the local community gets a world-class hospital to meet its needs,” Ms Lindsay said.
In the immediate term, a $25 million expansion of the existing Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital emergency department is due be completed next year, to ensure the community is well served while the hospital is redeveloped.

Women will have greater choice around IVF services with the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government providing up to a $500 rebate for pre-IVF fertility testing and greater access to lower cost treatments.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said the $42 million package was only possible because of the Government’s strong economic management.
“We will provide assistance with out-of-pocket medical expenses related to IVF pre-screening which is often an expensive and emotionally challenging experience for women,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Pre-screening tests can determine whether a woman is likely to experience a positive result through IVF.
“We will also make IVF an option for more women who previously may not have been able to afford it by expanding the number of NSW Government-supported IVF clinics,” Ms Berejiklian added.
Under the plan, the NSW Government will provide lower cost IVF treatments for around 6000 women through services at Royal Prince Alfred, The Royal Hospital for Women and Westmead hospitals.
Costs at Government-supported facilities are substantially less than many private facilities, which can charge up to $10,000 per cycle.
Mr Hazzard said thousands of women would benefit from greater access to lower-cost fertility services in NSW.
“Not knowing why you can’t fall pregnant is stressful enough without the added worry of how you are going to manage the ongoing cost of fertility treatment,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Needing to take time off work for treatment creates an even bigger financial burden for women trying to conceive, so our IVF package will offset some of those costs.”
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard also announced a partnership with UNSW for the first statewide fertility preservation service for young cancer patients at The Royal Hospital for Women.
“Using cutting edge research, technology and treatment, the service will help young cancer patients across the State have children in the future if their fertility is impacted by chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Felicity McLaren, who has had two babies born through IVF at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital who are now three-years and nine-months-old, welcomed the announcement.
“Anything that can relieve some of the cost burden of going through IVF is wonderful – particularly in the early stages of testing when you don’t even know if you can have a baby,” Ms McLaren said.
Fertility experts say about one in every 25 Australian babies are born following some form of assisted reproduction support.
Women undergoing IVF fertility testing will be able to claim their rebate through Service NSW. Medicare and private health insurance rebates are also available to couples and singles to subsidise the cost of IVF procedures.