Month: November 2018

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Health Brad Hazzard announced today that the NSW Government would establish a Special Commission of Inquiry into ice (crystal methamphetamine).
They were joined at the announcement by NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller APM.
The Special Commission of Inquiry will inquire into, and report on:

• the nature, prevalence and impact of ice in NSW;
• the adequacy of existing measures to tackle ice in NSW; and
• options to strengthen NSW’s response to ice, including law enforcement, education and treatment/rehabilitation responses.

“Ice is a destructive drug that is ruining too many lives across NSW, especially in our regional centres,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We are establishing a powerful Special Commission of Inquiry because we want every option on the table to bolster our existing efforts to combat the evolving threat of this dangerous, illegal drug – and to get help for those who need it.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said, “Core business for NSW Police is the prevention, disruption and response to crime.
“Specifically, the more we can do to prevent and disrupt the manufacture, importation and dealing of crystal methamphetamine, the less crime we’ll have to respond to right across the board.
“This drug is destroying families and killing people across NSW and my officers are on the front line every day dealing with the damage and violence it causes.”
Subject to the Governor’s approval, Professor Daniel Howard SC will be commissioned to lead the Special Commission of Inquiry.
Professor Howard is a former President of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal and was a NSW Crown Prosecutor for 15 years. He is currently a Conjoint Associate Professor in the UNSW School of Psychiatry, and a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of Wollongong School of Law.
“The NSW Government is determined to lead Australia by getting the best health and justice minds to come together, draw on information available, decide on what other information may be needed, and then map out a forward strategy to attack this scourge on our communities,” said Minister for Health Brad Hazzard.
“Because the use of ice, and ice combined with other drugs, is impacting our cities and regional communities, the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has already allocated $225.3 million this year towards drug and alcohol services.
“This is NSW’s biggest ever annual investment to address these deadly addictions.”
Professor Howard will consult communities and other stakeholders in developing terms of reference for the Special Commission of Inquiry for the Government’s consideration. The Special Commission of Inquiry is expected to draw upon expert advice from drug policy, law enforcement, education and health experts.
The Special Commission of Inquiry into ice is expected to report in 2019.
The establishment of a Special Commission of Inquiry comes on top of the extensive measures implemented by the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to tackle ice, including:

• improving the ability of Police to confiscate the assets of serious criminals, including drug dealers and traffickers;
• tightening controls on pseudoephedrine – one of the main precursors used to make ice; and
• cracking down on drug driving by more than tripling the number of roadside drug tests in 2016-17, increasing to 200,000 roadside drug tests per year by 2020.

The NSW Government will further strengthen counter-terrorism laws to better protect the community from terrorists and other dangerous offenders.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Attorney General Mark Speakman and Minister for Counter Terrorism David Elliott announced that new laws would be introduced into the NSW Parliament today to bolster the state’s comprehensive counter-terror framework.
“NSW already has the toughest counter-terror laws in the nation and we will continue to work hard to strengthen our defences against the evolving threat of terrorism,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The new laws being introduced into the NSW Parliament today will:

• Enable law enforcement officials to use surveillance devices in inmates’ cells to gather evidence to keep offenders behind bars or under heavy supervision if they pose an unacceptable risk of committing a terrorist offence at the end of their sentence;
• Empower the State to apply to the Supreme Court to protect intelligence provided by intelligence agencies by limiting the access of offenders who may pose a terrorist risk, and their legal representatives, to that intelligence. This will be in accordance with strict security and confidentiality requirements; and
• Streamline the interaction between terrorism, parole and high-risk sex and violent offender laws to better protect the community.

“We are stepping up our surveillance of inmates in our prisons to ensure that we have the best chance to keep potential terrorists behind bars or under heavy supervision,” Mr Elliott said.
“These important reforms introduce extraordinary powers which can be exercised by the Supreme Court – with appropriate safeguards – to help keep the community safe,” Mr Speakman said.
“These reforms also ensure that our laws retain the flexibility required to protect the community against the state’s most dangerous offenders, including terrorists, high risk sex offenders and high risk violence offenders.”
The new laws strengthen the extensive counter-terror framework already implemented by the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government, including a presumption against bail and parole for anyone with links to terror, and the provision of certainty for Police who are required to use lethal force against terrorists.
The National Terrorism Threat Level remains at probable.
Community members should exercise caution and report any suspicious incidents to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400. Report life-threatening situations to Police on Triple Zero.

The iconic Sydney Markets have joined major international companies and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Government to contribute towards the creation of the 200,000 jobs in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Sydney Markets Chairman John Pearson today agreed to work together to enable the Sydney Markets to expand into the Aerotropolis.
“Sydney Markets are part of the fabric of Sydney and they have joined international businesses, including Northrop Grumman, Mitsubishi Heavy and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group racing to be a part of our Aerotropolis,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“It is not every day you get the opportunity to build a new city around a new airport from the ground up and we are doing what it takes to make it the best in the world.
“We are making the crucial investments now so that the Aerotropolis delivers families and communities across Western Sydney the best jobs, the best opportunities and the best quality of life right on their doorstep.”
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the Sydney Markets presence in the Aerotropolis will allow it to take advantage of the agri-business, freight and logistics opportunities that will develop in the area over the next decade and beyond.
“The business confidence in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis is skyrocketing and local and international companies will help to provide the skilled jobs Western Sydney needs to thrive,” Mr Ayres said.
Sydney Markets Chairman John Pearson said the company is excited to work with the NSW Government to expand the Sydney Markets Brand and be a part of this growth in the Western City. Time will tell whether the existing Markets move or a new Market is established.
“Over recent years, the SML Board on behalf of its shareholders has pro-actively initiated a range of strategic planning initiatives to secure the future of the Markets,” Mr Pearson said.
“Whilst we are at an early stage in this longer term journey with specific sites to be defined, the opportunity for Sydney Markets to be an anchor brand in the Western City should not be underestimated.”
There will be further signing of agreements in the coming days and weeks that will give confidence to the community that the Western Sydney Aerotropolis will deliver on its promise of 200,000 jobs and become an economic powerhouse for years to come.

New South Wales has experienced its biggest lift in annual wages growth in four years according to the latest data from the ABS released today.
The NSW Wage Price Index (WPI) rose 1.2 per cent in the September quarter to be 2.4 per cent higher through the year.
More than 70 per cent of NSW industries have seen wages growth accelerate over the past year.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said today’s data was encouraging news for people that wages were beginning to increase after a substantial period of stagnant growth.
“Wages growth has been subdued not just in NSW but right around the world, so today’s result is heartening for wage earners across the state,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The State’s unemployment rate is currently at a decade low of 4.4 per cent and that is one of the factors behind the positive news on wages today.”
Among the highlights, workers in the health care and social assistance industry in NSW saw their wages grow by 3.0 per cent followed by education and training at 2.7 per cent.
Wages in the public sector have increased by 2.6 per cent over the past 12 months with the private sector recording 2.2 per cent growth.
Mr Perrottet said the Government’s reforms such as cutting payroll tax and slashing red tape was having a positive benefit to businesses across the state.
“The Liberals and Nationals will always deliver better outcomes for the people of NSW, our Government promotes innovation and growth, unlike Labor who just want to slash projects and destroy jobs.”