Month: December 2020

A bold rescue-and-return mission by the NSW Government has successfully seen more than 60,000 Murray Cod released back into the Darling River near Menindee today, two years after severe drought triggered fish deaths.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW Adam Marshall at Menindee to oversee the restocking of the Darling River.
Ms Berejiklian said the return of the Murray Cod to the waterway was part of the NSW Government’s ambitious plan to help restock the Darling River.
“This is a historic day for the Menindee community and the Barkindji people in particular,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Two years ago widespread fish deaths were caused by high temperatures and record low rainfall so it gives me great joy to see these Murray Cod returned home and swimming through our healthy waterways.”
Mr Marshall said the fish were offspring of 70 Murray Cod rescued after the NSW Government last year took unprecedented action to launch the State’s largest-ever breeding program.
“Fast-forward to today and our virtual ‘Noah’s Ark’ has docked home, returning a massive 60,000 Murray Cod to their native river, a major milestone in the NSW Government’s $10 million Fish Rescue Strategy,” Mr Marshall said.
“The iconic Murray Cod is particularly special to both the Menindee region and local indigenous communities, so to stand here today with key community members and First Nations representatives as these fish are returned to country is very moving.
“This is just the start of something special. These 60,000 Murray Cod are only the first of more than 400,000 fish to be stocked across the State this month alone, and we will continue breeding 2.5 million native fish species each year to keep our rivers stocked.”
Mr Marshall said the Murray Cod restocked today were the offspring of fish rescued by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fisheries from Menindee in the sweltering summer of 2019, and more saved the following summer.
“The rescued Murray Cod were taken to the NSW Government’s flagship fish hatchery at Narrandera, where they stayed until conditions improved,” Mr Marshall said.
“DPI has done a phenomenal job in breeding these offspring. This program ensures the survival of our fish species, no matter how severe future summers might be.”

New targets for NSW public schools announced today as part of the School Success Model will ensure that improving student outcomes sits at the heart of the NSW education system.
The School Success Model replaces the Local School Local Decisions policy and will use targets to ensure shared responsibility for student success – from principals right through to senior executives at the Department of Education.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the success of every student is at the heart of what we do as an education system, and that responsibility needs to be shouldered by everyone.
“The School Success Model provides the transparency and support mechanisms for schools to successfully manage their record funding and make decisions that will benefit their students,” Ms Mitchell said.
Schools will be given individual targets benchmarked against similar schools for HSC, Student Growth, Phonics, Attendance, NAPLAN, Wellbeing, Aboriginal Education, and Pathways.
Schools that exceed their targets will provide a database of best practice – with the Department of Education to explore whether their teaching methods can be scaled across NSW.
Schools that fail to meet their targets will trigger intervention – with the Department providing additional support. This will range from looking at whether teaching practices and learning programs reflect evidence based best practice, to exploring whether a school’s unspent additional funding might be better used on providing extra staff in an area of educational need.
“Schools are receiving record funding, and many have used this funding to build truly incredible places to learn. These are the schools the system can learn from. These are the schools whose teaching practices can be scaled across similar schools who are not meeting their targets,” Ms Mitchell said.
Ms Mitchell said that schools are diverse and complex places, and these targets will reflect that complexity.
“From 2021 we will begin collecting data on the different components of the School Success Model, allowing us to work with schools to have individual targets in place from 2022,” Ms Mitchell said.
“While the Department will be held accountable for ensuring that schools across NSW meet their targets, they will also have their own targets based around reducing the administrative burden for principals and teachers.
“The School Success Model will drive systemic improvement; it will champion our best schools and help those who are struggling. At its heart lies an understanding that  principals, directors, executives and the Secretary have a responsibility to deliver the very best education to each NSW public school student.”

NSW drivers have more than two million reasons to download a Digital Driver Licence (DDL), with the significant milestone achieved only a year since its launch.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the DDL is safe, secure and can be used as proof of age and ID at a range of venues and police roadside checks.
“Two million people (36 per cent of all driver licence holders) can’t be wrong. Drivers simply love the technology, with 95 per cent giving it the thumbs up,” Mr Dominello said.
“Most State borders have reopened and many people will be traveling and visiting venues during the festive season, so do yourself a favour and download the DDL.”
Customers have used the DDL to sign into venues more than 562,000 times.
In September, NSW Parliament passed legislation that expanded the use of the Digital Driver Licence, giving it the same legal status as a plastic driver licence card. The DDL is now accepted by Police in every Australian State and Territory.
Mr Dominello encouraged customers to download a DDL in advance of the NSW Government’s Dine and Discover program going live.
“To download a DDL you need to create a MyServiceNSW Account, which is also a requirement for Dine and Discover. So the sooner you create an account, the sooner you can reap the rewards,” Mr Dominello said.
The DDL is hosted securely on the new Service NSW app, locks with a PIN and can be accessed offline. It provides additional levels of security and protection against identity fraud, compared to the plastic driver licence.
To get a DDL, licence holders will need to create a MyServiceNSW Account at www.service.nsw.gov.au and download the Service NSW mobile app on their smartphone. The digital licence will always be opt-in only.
Licence holders are recommended to carry their plastic card as a backup when travelling interstate.

NSW has welcomed 1,000 new police officers at a special ceremony paying tribute to the ‘Classes of 2020’, who joined the Police Force to protect our State during the catastrophic bushfire season and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NSW Police Force Attestation Parade was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground today to officially welcome four classes of graduating officers in front of friends and family members.
The ceremony also recognised the work of the other emergency services during 2020, including NSW Health, Ambulance NSW, Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and the Australian Defence Force.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Police Force, alongside our other emergency services, has played a pivotal role in protecting our State.
“Every member of the NSW Police Force deserves our State’s greatest thanks after a year that saw Police play an unprecedented role in keeping our community safe,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“On behalf of the State, congratulations to our newest recruits and thank you to our police officers and emergency service workers for their incredible effort over 2020.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott welcomed the new recruits and said the NSW Government is committed to supporting them throughout their careers.
“Our Police cadets have faced exceptional challenges this year, but they have shown they can overcome difficult circumstances to complete their training, and they will now use the same resilience to push them forward in their new careers,” Mr Elliott said.
“Police put their lives on the line every day to protect our community and I thank and congratulate each and every one of these officers for choosing to join the Force, I wish them all a long and successful career.”
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller APM said the ‘Classes of 2020’ attestation ceremony acknowledges the efforts of all serving officers over the course of this year.
“It has been a challenging year for NSW and Police have taken on an extraordinary role in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic threat, alongside the other critical issues we have faced this year,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“I am proud to be able to honour our newest recruits and all of the ‘Classes of 2020’ recruits in this official parade – an unprecedented and significant event.”
The NSW Government has committed $583 million to introduce 1500 extra Police over four years and recently announced a $60 million upgrade to Goulburn Police Academy.

Police have conducted a review after two German Nationals flew to Melbourne after arriving in Sydney on an International flight in contravention of Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order 2020.
The pair – a 53-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy – arrived into Sydney International Airport about 9.45am yesterday (Saturday 5 December 2020) on a flight from Tokyo, Japan, and were screened by NSW Health.
After being cleared, all travellers were directed to board a bus to hotel quarantine before the pair advised police that they were booked on a flight to Melbourne.
Police made inquiries as to travel and exemptions, which subsequently allowed the pair to travel to Melbourne on a domestic flight under standard protocols for exempt travellers.
On arrival in Melbourne, Victoria Health advised NSW Health that the pair were not in possession of an approved exemption and had been escorted to hotel quarantine, where they remain.
The NSW Police Force has since conducted a review into the circumstances of the incident and identified police had incorrectly allowed the two travellers to proceed to Melbourne.
Police practices and systems at the airport have also been reviewed and strengthened as a result of this incident.
Since Sunday 29 March 2020, more than 100,000 people have entered the NSW hotel quarantine program, with more than 5500 currently in 17 police-managed hotels across Sydney.

A Lithgow woman has been charged after allegedly posing as a volunteer firefighter to claim relief funds of more than $190,000.
Detectives from Chifley Police District initiated inquiries after multiple submissions were allegedly made between Friday 17 January 2020 and Saturday 20 June 2020, applying for the bushfire volunteer firefighter payment.
Police will allege a 49-year-old woman submitted 522 claims online and was paid for 34, for a total of more than $190,000.
Following inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant at a home on Calero Street, Lithgow, shortly after 9am on Wednesday (2 December 2020), and arrested the woman at the scene.
Several items – including clothing, electrical items and identification – were also seized.
The woman was taken to Lithgow Police Station where she has been charged with 34 counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, and four counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception (attempted).
She was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Lithgow Local Court on Thursday 28 January 2021.
Under this scheme, each volunteer could claim up to $6000.
The woman is not – and never has been – a volunteer firefighter.