Month: September 2020

The NSW Government is seeking feedback on proposed guidelines to promote mentally healthy workplaces in NSW.
Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson, said a draft SafeWork NSW Code of Practice for managing the risks to psychological health is being developed to provide simple and practical guidance for workplaces to promote improved mental health.
“Mitigating and managing mental health risks at work can be complex, that’s why we’ve drafted a practical guide for employers, making it easy for them to create a mentally healthy workplace,” Mr Anderson said.
“Mental health is everybody’s business and it is vital that every single workplace in NSW has the tools to create a positive and healthy environment.”
NSW will be the first state in Australia to develop a code of this kind that encompasses a broad overview of risks to psychological health covering all NSW workplaces.
“We want to hear from the public as to how clear and effective the draft code is. Once the consultation period has ended, every submission received will be considered,” Mr Anderson said.
Minister for Mental Health, Bronnie Taylor, stressed the importance and benefits of having a mentally healthy workplace for employers and employees.
“Most of us spend about one-third of our waking lives at work. It’s a huge part of what we do and can have a huge impact on our mental health in a positive or negative way,” Mrs Taylor said.
“Knowing how to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of staff, is more important than ever, and can also make a big difference to workplace morale and productivity.”
Individuals and organisations are invited to comment on the consultation paper. Submissions can be made at www.safework.nsw.gov.au

The NSW Government is cutting red tape to help homeowners affected by the devastating 2019-20 bushfire season get back on their feet by allowing them to clear land and rebuild without doing koala habitat surveys.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the changes to the Koala SEPP have been shaped by feedback from councils and fire-affected local communities and were necessary to facilitate the safe and timely rebuilding and repair of homes.
“What those people went through was devastating and while protecting the habitat of our koalas is vital, we must make it easier for those who lost everything in last summer’s traumatic bushfires,” Mr Stokes said.
“What we have done is include a provision in the Koala SEPP to allow homeowners impacted by the bushfires to clear the land around where their home previously stood in order to rebuild more quickly.
“It’s the role of government to change things for the better when and where we can and there is a clear need to support these people right now. By allowing them to clear and develop their land without considering these requirements, it will save them much-needed money and time.”
The change is supported by a number of checks and balances to ensure development does not impact koalas, including requiring any rebuilding of homes destroyed by fire in the last five years to occur on the same site.
The amendment will enable an Asset Protection Zone to be created around the damaged or destroyed home and any clearing and development within this area will not need to consider the Koala SEPP, saving applicants time and money in the development application process.
“NSW has faced an unprecedented series of catastrophic events from flooding, bushfires to COVID-19. Our regional communities are doing it tough and we need to support them in any way we can.”
The Guidelines to the Koala SEPP were recently exhibited. The Department Of Planning, Industry and Environment is now carefully reviewing the 2,200 submissions made. The draft will be revised taking into account issues raised in submissions.

More than 700 HSC teachers at 300 schools across NSW have already benefitted from the NSW Government’s Best in Class team of teachers.
The team has spent the last six months supporting HSC students and will now expand to support more teachers with mathematics and writing across all secondary years.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell announced 16 new teachers will be hired to join the Best in Class team.
Ms Berejiklian said the NSW Government is focusing on the core subjects of literacy, numeracy and STEM in implementing its new curriculum.
“The ‘Best in Class’ team have done an excellent job supporting teachers with remote learning techniques during the pandemic and offering easy-to-access teaching materials online.
“The team will now expand to ensure teachers across NSW are equipped with the best skills to support students, with a focus on writing and mathematics.
“The teachers selected to deliver the program stand out and we want to replicate these great teaching methods across the all the State’s classrooms.”
Ms Mitchell said the team has proven invaluable during the pandemic, developing on-demand professional learning materials and supporting staff remotely.
“The ‘Best in Class’ team directly supported teachers during the pandemic. This effort was supplemented by the HSC Hub which has had over 33,000 user visitors since going live on July 1,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The teams and these additional streams will continue to grow, developing and delivering the best teaching practices to teachers across the state as we continue our focus on lifting student performance statewide.”
Best in Class is a team comprising 66 of the state’s best teachers who will share their classrooms skills directly with those teachers and students who need it most, while also developing a new ‘best practice’ teaching package.

An artificial intelligence (AI) strategy released by the NSW Government today will create jobs and deliver smarter and better services to citizens across NSW.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the strategy will create thousands of jobs across NSW including demand for IT professionals, cyber security experts, data scientists, and engineers.
“This is great news for citizens, researchers and businesses. We know how important AI is and this strategy puts us at the forefront of this emerging space,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Science, technology, engineering and mathematics will play a pivotal role in shaping our State’s future economy and we cannot be spectators on the sidelines. We must lead and be the engine room for future jobs.”
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the strategy sets a bold roadmap for the trusted, tested and transparent use of AI in government services.
“Whether it’s at home, online, on the road or at the supermarket, the use of AI is becoming more prevalent in day-to-day life and is often deployed in subtle ways to make customer interactions and services more seamless,” Mr Dominello said.
“This strategy brings together the three key pillars of privacy, transparency and security, within the prism of ethics.”
A new body, the NSW Government AI Review Committee, will be established to oversee the use of AI across government. The Committee will be chaired by the NSW Government Chief Data Scientist, Ian Oppermann and work with all government agencies.
The strategy also prioritises the development of AI skills in government and will strengthen industry partnerships through a consistent approach to procurement of AI products and services.
Current examples of the use of AI in NSW Government include:

• Transport for NSW’s use of AI and machine learning to anticipate required maintenance and proactively schedule downtime for maintenance, which helps increase passenger safety and equipment reliability.
• NSW Health’s use of algorithms from deidentified medical records, to assist with the early detection and treatment of sepsis in emergency department waiting rooms, which helps to save patient lives and improve service levels.
• NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment use drones and AI to identify and protect threatened plants and animals which is part of the Saving our Species program.

The AI Strategy is the third pillar of the State Government’s commitment to making NSW the digital capital of the southern hemisphere, having recently launched policies on the Internet of Things and Smart Infrastructure.
The digital suite is secured by the record $240 million State-wide investment in cyber security, announced in June.
For more detail on the NSW Artificial Intelligence Strategy go to https://www.digital.nsw.gov.au/policy/artificial-intelligence-ai

Further to the updates sent over the weekend, NSW Police have issued five individuals with Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) for not complying with Public Health Orders.

• Just before midnight on Friday (4 September 2020), officers from Bankstown Police Area Command were conducting proactive compliance checks when they attended the home of a 22-year-old man that had been instructed to self-isolate for 14 days. Police will allege the man was not self-isolating when they visited and was subsequently issued a $1000 PIN.

• About 8.20am on Saturday (5 September 2020), officers from Murray River Police District stopped a taxi at a border checkpoint in South Albury and spoke with the passengers, a 23-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman. They presented permits to police, and subsequent checks revealed they were not valid for the reasons they provided. The pair were escorted back to Victoria; however, a short time later they returned to the checkpoint and claimed they obtained the correct permits, which they had not. They were each issued $1000 PINs for give false details on request – COVID-19.

• About 11.30pm on Saturday, officers from Murray River Police District stopped a Toyota Corolla with Victorian registration that was travelling through Deniliquin. The driver, a 34-year-old woman, presented police with a permit, which subsequent checks revealed she was allegedly in breach of. She was issued a $1000 PIN for fail to comply with notice direction in relation to s 7/8/9 and instructed to return to Victoria.

• A 36-year-old man was issued a $1000 PIN on Saturday for failing to comply with a noticed direction after allegedly exiting NSW and attempting to re-enter at several border crossing checkpoints.

Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any ministerial direction or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community.

A man will face court today charged with allegedly attempting to enter NSW from Victoria on numerous occasions without a valid permit.
About 1am today (Monday 7 September 2020), a 27-year-old man attempted to enter NSW at the Saddle Flaps Road border checkpoint at Rockton.
The man, who did not possess a valid permit, was denied entry and returned to Victoria.
About 2.45am the same day, the man allegedly attempted to enter NSW via the Princess Highway at Timbillica, south of Eden.
Inquiries revealed the man’s permit was invalid and he was directed to return to Victoria.
It’s alleged the man failed to comply and began verbally abusing officers at the checkpoint, before exiting his vehicle.
As police attempted to arrest him, he allegedly assaulted a male senior constable. The senior constable did not sustain any physical injuries.
The Western Australian man was arrested and taken to Eden Police Station, where he was charged with not comply with noticed direction re section 7/8/9 COVID, offensive language, assault officer in execution of duty and resist officer in execution of duty.
The man was refused bail and is due to appear in Batemans Bay Local Court today (Monday 7 September 2020).
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.