Month: April 2020

The NSW Government today announced a $140 million Bushfire Industry Recovery Package to support forestry, horticulture and agriculture industries impacted by the recent bushfires.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said the package will help industries significantly impacted by bushfires to rebuild, recover, regrow and remain the heartbeat of regional economies.
“This funding will support the recovery and resilience of key industries by backing projects that retain and create jobs, strengthen local supply chains and support a return to production,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Regional NSW relies on these key driver industries to help generate jobs and economic activity and this funding will provide the direct help many businesses need to recover from devastating losses, which in turn will help their wider industry remain viable.”
Mr Barilaro said regional NSW is the backbone of this State and it is critical to support the key regional industries which keep our economy thriving.
“Our farmers feed this State and this Nation, and not only have they endured the worst drought on record, but many have suffered horrific bushfires and now COVID-19 is affecting our regional economies,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Bushfire impacted towns cannot afford to suffer further job losses and economic downturn, which is why we are delivering this funding to keep our key regional industries in business.
“Industries with the greatest impact will be given the greatest share of this funding. The program will focus on recovery in the short term and will support valuable investments to help these sectors plan for recovery in the longer term.”
Details of funding criteria including amounts available for businesses under this package will be made available with the release of program Guidelines in the coming weeks.
Other bushfire support measures include the NSW and Australian Governments sharing the cost for the clean-up of residential and small business properties, the NSW Government’s $1 billion fund to replace vital state infrastructure, $75,000 grants for bushfire affected primary producers and $50,000 grants for bushfire affected small businesses.
For a full list of all available bushfire support, go to www.service.nsw.gov.au.

NSW will be a safer state with 250 additional police to be assigned to local stations and specialist commands over the next 12 months to protect communities and fight crime at a time when many officers are on the frontline in the war against COVID-19.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the Government’s $583 million investment will see the NSW Police Force’s strength increase by an extra 1500 permanent police positions over four years.
“These extra officers are needed now more than ever, as we see police take on an even bigger role to not only fight crime, but also other threats to community safety such as bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Elliott said.
“Be it facing criminals, natural disasters or a pandemic, our frontline police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the community.
“They deserve the finest resources NSW has to offer and the NSW Government will stop at nothing to ensure they have whatever they need to get the job done.”
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller said the positions had been allocated after extensive consultation with region commanders, commanders and the Police Association of NSW.
“These officers couldn’t have come at a better time,” Mr Fuller said.
“These fully funded positions are being placed in the areas most in need – in police area commands and police districts as well as in specialist commands, such as the Regional Enforcement Squads, the Child Internet Exploitation Unit and Cybercrime Squad.
“This increased capacity within our specialist commands, and in areas such as aged crime prevention and child protection, will dramatically improve our ability to respond to emerging crime threats and protect our most vulnerable community members.”
Areas of NSW receiving extra police positions in 2020-21 include:

• Murray River Police District (7);
• Coffs-Clarence Police District (5); and
• Manning-Great Lakes Police District, Mid North Coast Police District, Nepean Police Area Command, Oxley Police District, Richmond Police District, Tweed-Byron Police District (4 each).

Other highlights include 10 additional police for Child Abuse Squad, 8 additional police for Cybercrime Squad, 8 additional police for the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and 2 additional police for the Child Exploitation Internet Unit.
Future allocations of positions will be determined based on resource requirements and how best to prevent, disrupt and respond to emerging crime issues.

NSW school students will gradually transition back to the classroom during Term 2 as the Government continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell outlined the plan for students attending NSW public schools to progressively return to face-to-face learning in week three of Term 2.
Ms Berejiklian said health advice continues to be that schools remain open, and parents, teachers and students can be confident that school is safe place.
“We are grateful to all families who kept their children home from school at the end of Term 1 and to teachers who worked tirelessly to deliver education online,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This allowed us critical time to prepare our schools to develop better online learning options and for considering additional hygiene measures to allow schools to return.
“We know that nothing is more important than a child’s education, and we must begin to return our students to their classrooms in a considered way.
“Under these changes, from week three of Term 2, every student will be attending school for one day a week.
“We will look to increase the number of days students are at school in a staged way and hope to have all children back at school full-time by Term 3.
“I’d like to thank the Catholic and Independent schools for working with the NSW Government at this time, as well as staff, including teachers, principals and cleaners, for working so hard to prepare for a resumption of school.
“I’d also like to thank parents for what has been a tough month, often juggling working from home and caring for children. We hope the partial resumption of on campus learning will provide some much needed relief to those families.”
During the first stage of on-campus learning, parents will be encouraged to keep their children home except on their allocated day of face-to-face learning. Initially, about a quarter of a school’s students are expected to be on site at any one time. The specific days students will be required to attend school each week will vary from school to school and will be clearly communicated to parents.
Classes will be split across schools, allowing schools to appropriately social distance students and teachers.
As always, schools will remain open for students who need them and no child will be turned away from school.
Ms Mitchell said careful consideration had been given to support the school community, providing clarity and certainty on the path forward.
“This plan provides a clear path that balances community concerns with a need to deliver continuity of quality education,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Hand sanitiser will be available in all classrooms and provisions are in place for at-risk teachers to work from home. Drop off, pick up, recess and lunchtimes will also be staggered to ensure social distancing.”
In addition to the staged return to school, the NSW Government has committed up to $95.7 million to help keep casual and temporary school staff engaged in active work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our casual and temporary teachers and other non-teaching staff across NSW schools are critical to our education system, and will help ensure the educational outcomes for our students during this staged return,” Ms Mitchell said.
A cross-sector working group of teachers will also be established to report back to the Minister on recent innovations and educational developments assembled during the COVID-19 period that are suitable to support future educational delivery.
“It’s important that we have an inventory of the cutting edge teaching solutions and recognise the best efforts of our amazing NSW teachers during a difficult time,” Ms Mitchell said.
Teachers will have an additional day to prepare for Term 2 on Tuesday 28 April making the first day of term for students Wednesday 29 April.

The first contingent of Ruby Princess crew members will begin the process of repatriation to their home countries today (Tuesday 21 April 2020), as a multi-agency operation led by NSW Police Force begins.
NSW Police Force has worked closely with Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police, NSW Health, Aspen Medical, Carnival Cruises and government officials from numerous overseas jurisdictions to ensure the safe movement and eventual return of the crew members to their countries of origin.
Officers from the Marine Area Command, assisted by Transport for NSW, NSW Health and the Australian Defence Force, will today disembark at least 49 crew members from six countries.
One of the 49 crew members has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon disembarkation, the crew member will be taken to a NSW Health-managed hotel to undertake a strict 14-day quarantine period.
Stringent protocols are in place to ensure the movement of this person does not pose a risk to the public.
Once the 14-day quarantine period is exhausted, subject to a medical clearance by NSW Health, the crew member will be transported to Sydney Airport to fly back to their country of origin.
The remaining 48 crew members have tested negative for COVID-19. They will be disembarked this morning, and arrangements are being made for flights to return them to their home countries.
More crew members will be disembarked from the Ruby Princess over the coming days, and details of those operations will be provided to media in due course.
A significant number of crew members will remain on the Ruby Princess and return with the ship to its port of origin.
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller praised the co-ordinated effort to keep those on and off the ship safe.
“Today’s operation is the culmination of a significant joint effort by a number of agencies, and that effort will continue until we have ensured the safety and movement of every crew member, in line with their wishes,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“The health of those on board and protecting the people of NSW always has been – and will continue to be – our number one priority.
“The movement of the first crew contingent today is an important milestone, and has us one step closer to the Ruby Princess leaving Australian waters.”
Investigations under Strike Force Bast surrounding the docking and disembarking of the Ruby Princess at Sydney Harbour on Thursday 19 March 2020 are continuing.
Anyone who has information relevant to the investigation, including details of symptoms, illness, or medical advice during the voyage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
The community is reminded that their information is treated in strict confidence.

Two people are due in court today charged with assault after they allegedly spat on workers in separate incidents in Sydney.
A 32-year-old woman has been charged after she allegedly spat on a bus driver after he asked her to stop smoking on his bus.
Officers from the Police Transport Command have been told the woman was on a State Transit bus on Darlinghurst Road at Potts Point about 2.45pm on Sunday (19 April 2020), when she was told she couldn’t smoke on the bus. Police will allege the woman abused the driver before spitting in his face. She left the bus and police were alerted.
Following inquiries, the woman was arrested at a home unit in Surry Hills about 1.45pm yesterday (Monday 20 April 2020), and taken to Kings Cross Police Station where she was charged with common assault.
In a separate incident, a 41-year-old man was refused bail overnight after allegedly biting and punching hospital security, then spitting blood on a nurse at an Inner West hospital.
Officers from Inner West Police Area Command had been called to a unit in Missenden Road at Newtown about 11pm Sunday (19 April 2020), investigating a breach of a Personal Violence Order.
The man was found unconscious inside and an ambulance was called to take him to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for treatment.
Police have been told while at the hospital, the man punched one security officer in the face and bit a second on the forearm; he then allegedly spat blood and saliva into the face of a female nurse.
The man was arrested on his release from hospital last night and was taken to Newtown Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate with intent to cause fear (two counts), common assault (three counts), and contravene AVO.
Both are due to appear in Central Local Court today (Tuesday 21 April 2020).
These people have been charged with common assault in relation to the spitting offences rather than being issued with a fine; both have been refused bail overnight.