Month: August 2019

A new social housing app will save time, drastically reduce paperwork and improve customer service for thousands of tenants in NSW.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the new mobile phone app would revolutionise customer service in the housing space.
“Having to queue up in an office or wait on the phone is frustrating and time consuming,” Mr Ward said.
“Thanks to this new technology, our customers will be able to easily access services at the touch of a button.
“This means time savings for them and more time for our staff to focus on helping people with the greatest needs.”
The MyHousing app provides tenants with a simple way to manage and view accounts including rent and water, as well as to make payments, lodge maintenance requests and connect to a range of support services.
The Department of Communities and Justice manages 100,000 tenancies and 60,000 applications for social housing assistance. A survey of 14,000 clients, conducted last year, revealed 98 per cent of them owned a smart phone.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the app is an example of how the NSW Government is putting the customer at the centre of its service delivery.
“Customer service is about putting more time in your day and this one-stop shop app will make life easier for customers by giving them access to necessary services at their fingertips,” Mr Dominello said.
“It is important that face-to-face services still exist, but having a smart phone app will allow tenants to engage with services anywhere, anytime.”
The app has been trialed extensively with a customer satisfaction rating of 94 per cent. You can download the free app from the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

Shovels are in the ground for the sixth and final stage of The Northern Road Upgrade at Luddenham, Eaton Road and Littlefields Road.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the new and improved road would support integrated transport in the region and improve access, safety and travel times for road freight in Sydney’s west and southwest.
“The Australian Government has committed $1.2 billion towards The Northern Road Upgrade and we are getting on with the job of delivering new and improved transport for the residents and motorists of Western Sydney,” Mr Tudge said.
New South Wales Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the works at Luddenham were Stage 6 of the broader upgrade of The Northern Road.
“Once complete, the entire 35-kilometre upgrade of The Northern Road between Narellan and South Penrith will provide a high-quality connection with the M7 and M12 motorways and support Western Sydney’s growing population,” Mr Constance said.
Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said all the upgrades were part of the Australian and NSW governments’ $3.6 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan to improve safety, reduce travel times and bust congestion.
“This is just another piece of the massive Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, which will support future growth and benefit local communities in southwest Sydney for years to come,” Mr Taylor said.
Federal Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh said once Stage 6 was complete, motorists would be able to travel on a four-lane divided road, improving their journeys to and from the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport at Badgerys Creek.
“More than 15,000 vehicles use these sections of The Northern Road each day and this number is expected to significantly increase once the new airport opens in 2026, so it is important to get on with the job now,” Mrs McIntosh said.
Work will also be carried out to install new traffic lights and build a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.
The 35-kilometre upgrade of The Northern Road between The Old Northern Road and Jamison Road is expected to be completed in 2022, weather permitting.
The Australian Government has committed $1.2 billion towards the $1.6 billion The Northern Road Upgrade project, with the NSW Government committing the remainder.

The NSW Government has commenced further work to secure water for Greater Sydney with preliminary planning for the expansion of the Sydney Desalination Plant (SDP) commencing as Greater Sydney dam levels continue to drop at record pace.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said all of NSW is experiencing the worst drought on record and Sydney’s Desalination Plant is playing a significant role in maintaining Sydney’s water supply.
“We are experiencing one of the worst droughts in living memory. Our State is under pressure, city and country,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Sydney storages have dropped from around 90 per cent to 50 per cent capacity in approximately two years, with Sydney’s dam levels currently at 50.3 per cent.
“The SDP reached full production at the end of July – two months ahead of schedule.
“The Plant is now producing an average of 250 million litres a day – approximately 15 per cent of Sydney’s supply.”
Mrs Pavey said since the Plant was turned on, the current dam depletion rates have improved by around 0.2 per cent per week.
“By undertaking this Planning work, should the drought worsen and water levels continue to drop, we will be ready to act immediately to increasing water supply,” Mrs Pavey said.
“This is on top of the work already underway to preserve Sydney’s water supply, including the Sydney Water ‘Love Water’ campaign, leakage reduction and increasing the beneficial uses of treated wastewater.
“This government has worked hard to ensure that Sydney residents pay the lowest rates in the country, however as Sydney grows, it is critical that we continue to ensure that our water security continues to grow as well.”

The NSW Government has commenced further work to secure water for Greater Sydney with preliminary planning for the expansion of the Sydney Desalination Plant (SDP) commencing as Greater Sydney dam levels continue to drop at record pace.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said all of NSW is experiencing the worst drought on record and Sydney’s Desalination Plant is playing a significant role in maintaining Sydney’s water supply.
“We are experiencing one of the worst droughts in living memory. Our State is under pressure, city and country,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Sydney storages have dropped from around 90 per cent to 50 per cent capacity in approximately two years, with Sydney’s dam levels currently at 50.3 per cent.
“The SDP reached full production at the end of July – two months ahead of schedule.
“The Plant is now producing an average of 250 million litres a day – approximately 15 per cent of Sydney’s supply.”
Mrs Pavey said since the Plant was turned on, the current dam depletion rates have improved by around 0.2 per cent per week.
“By undertaking this Planning work, should the drought worsen and water levels continue to drop, we will be ready to act immediately to increasing water supply,” Mrs Pavey said.
“This is on top of the work already underway to preserve Sydney’s water supply, including the Sydney Water ‘Love Water’ campaign, leakage reduction and increasing the beneficial uses of treated wastewater.
“This government has worked hard to ensure that Sydney residents pay the lowest rates in the country, however as Sydney grows, it is critical that we continue to ensure that our water security continues to grow as well.”

The new Redfern Police Station is the third police station opened in 11 days by the NSW Government.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott unveiled the refurbished station at Tower 1B, Lawson Square after moving from Tower 1A. This follows Mount Druitt opening on Monday and Bay and Basin last week.
Mr Elliott said the NSW Government had refurbished the bottom three floors with state of the art infrastructure.
“The new Redfern Police Station will help our police better serve the local community and continue to drive down crime. It provides the space and resources to accommodate the growing number of sworn and unsworn officers,” Mr Elliott said.
The station has been fully operational since 28 July this year and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Commissioner Fuller said this opening follows the recent formation of the South Sydney Police Area Command, which incorporated the former Redfern and Botany Bay Police Area Commands.
“The realignment of South Sydney Police Area Command better distributes resources to address crime trends, local development, population growth and the needs of the South Sydney community,” he said.
The station includes a customer service area, interview rooms with family break out areas and facilities, operational and specialist policing areas, CCTV, an audio-visual link room and modern meeting facilities.
South Sydney Police Area Commander Superintendent Andrew Holland acknowledged the local community’s help in setting up this new station including local children who designed the artwork featured inside.