Month: January 2021

Eligible businesses across the state can now register to take part in the NSW Government’s major economic stimulus program, Dine & Discover NSW.
The program will create an economic boost for dining, arts and tourism businesses, which have been impacted by COVID-19, and encourage customers to get out and about safely.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet encouraged businesses to register and get ready so they can hit the ground running when the program goes live.
“We’ve heard loud and clear just how tough it has been for businesses across NSW. This program will reinvigorate local economies and provide customers with hip pocket relief,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Encouraging people to support local businesses in a safe way through this program will provide an important boost for the state.”
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said Service NSW is launching a specialised app for participating businesses, so they can scan and track voucher usage over the life of the program.
“After applying online, NSW businesses will be able to track the progress of the application through their MyServiceNSW Business Profile. Business owners will then receive a step-by-step process on how to get ready,” Mr Dominello said.
“With a high uptake of the vouchers expected across the state, the Business Profile provides one, easy to use location for businesses to stay on top of voucher transactions.
“Businesses will be automatically paid typically within 5 business days for the value of vouchers redeemed.
“All eligible businesses will receive an email from Service NSW with details on how to register. I also urge residents to do yourself a favour and download the Service NSW app now in anticipation of the rollout.”
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the program would be a boost for small businesses after a challenging time.
“We want people to get out there, support their local businesses and get spending,” Mr Tudehope said.
“The program will be rolled out in a few steps to ensure a seamless customer experience.
“Phase one will include a pilot at The Rocks and in Broken Hill in early February. The pilot will then be expanded to the Northern Beaches, Sydney CBD and Bega Valley Shire Council, which is expected to commence in late February.
“The findings from the pilots will inform the state wide rollout, expected to commence in March, that will run until 30 June 2021.”
Every NSW resident aged 18 and over will be eligible for four $25 vouchers worth $100 in total, to spend in participating businesses. The vouchers will be divided into two categories:

• Two $25 vouchers to be used for eating in at restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs from Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays.
• Two $25 vouchers to be used for entertainment and recreation, including cultural institutions, live music, and arts venues, available 7 days a week, excluding public holidays.

The vouchers can only be used within businesses that have implemented a COVID Safety Plan and are registered as COVID Safe.
For more information on Dine & Discover NSW business registration and eligibility, visitwww.nsw.gov.au

Major construction works have commenced at the site of the $673 million Tweed Valley Hospital, delivering up to 650 construction jobs for the local community in addition to a world-class health facility.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new Tweed Valley Hospital is the largest regional capital health investment by a NSW Government and would be a game-changer for the region.
“The new Tweed Valley Hospital will almost double the capacity of the existing facility to meet the current and future health needs of the growing Tweed-Byron community,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“This will ensure more than 5,000 patients each year will not have to travel outside of the area and away from their families and support networks to access life-saving treatments.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said planning and designing the hospital has been, and will continue to be, a highly collaborative process, involving clinicians and operational staff as well as the community.
“To date, there have been over 500 project user group meetings to ensure we are building a hospital designed by and for the community, and one that is future-proofed,” Mr Hazzard said.
“And the economic benefits of this project to the region, particularly in the midst of a pandemic when we know so many businesses and families have been struggling, cannot be overstated.”
Local MP Geoff Provest said the Tweed Valley Hospital Development is scheduled to open in 2023.
“Our region’s population is forecast to grow by 17 per cent over the next decade and this new hospital will service that increased demand as well as offer education and training opportunities,” Mr Provest said.
“Building it near NSW TAFE Kingscliff campus will allow the partnership between TAFE NSW and the Tweed Valley Hospital to develop and deliver improved education and training opportunities for the people of the Tweed.”
The new hospital will include:

• more operating theatres and recovery spaces;
• expanded emergency department;
• enhanced medical, surgical and mental health services;
• enhanced ambulatory care services including more outpatient clinics;
• new interventional cardiology service; and
• new radiotherapy service as part of a new integrated cancer care service.

 

NSW public schools have been provided with updated guidelines to help them manage the 2021 return to school in a COVID-safe way.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the main update to the guidelines is that parents and carers of children in Kindergarten, and Years 1, 2 and 7 will be able to enter school grounds on the first day to drop off their children in a COVID-safe way.
“The first day of school is an incredibly important day, especially for those children starting Kindergarten. I am so thrilled that despite the challenges of the pandemic, parents and carers will be able to take part in this milestone event in their child’s life in a COVID-safe way,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The NSW Government has worked hard to get the balance right for day one of school to ensure we provide a sense of normalcy whilst keeping people safe.
“Parents and carers attending on day one and beyond are urged to follow COVID-safe practices, which include physical distancing, hygiene practices and not to mingle in or outside the school.”
Schools will provide relevant information to families about the processes for their school prior to the first day.
Parents, staff and students are not required to wear face masks at school but in line with Public Health Orders, masks must be worn by those aged 12 years and over on any public transport.
Similarly, students aged 12 and over must comply with the Public Health Orders around masks at all other relevant locations within the community, and also during external school activities.
Parents are asked to avoid coming onto school grounds unless the visit complies with the current school guidelines, such as volunteering at the school canteen or visiting the uniform shop.
Schools can still plan for sporting carnivals, excursions and overnight camps, and special events such as concerts, with a COVID Safety Plan in place.
Materials and support for planning are available to schools. https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

A new roadmap outlines the NSW Government’s bold plan to make NSW the premier visitor economy of the Asia-Pacific by 2030.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres launched the Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 today to aid recovery and turbocharge visitor economy growth through securing world-class events, boosting regional visitation and building new tourism icons and visitor experiences for the future.
“If COVID-19 has shown us anything it’s that the visitor economy is everyone’s business – it accounts for almost 300,000 jobs and 110,000 businesses, and is integral to our state’s economy,” Minister Ayres said.
“Once health advice allows, NSW will bounce back as a result of a $200 million a year investment to help get the tourism sector back on its feet; we have shown how agility and resilience will keep our State open for business throughout this challenging pandemic.
“NSW is the largest visitor economy in Australia and this strategy is a roadmap to rebuild our $43 billion visitor economy and grow it to $65 billion by 2030 to become the premier visitor economy of the Asia-Pacific.
“From regions to roads, planning to precincts, the strategy provides a framework to guide investment and decision-making in the areas of marketing, events, business support, regulations, training and tourism infrastructure.”
The strategy – prepared by the Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW through extensive stakeholder consultation with industry and government stakeholders – features these 2030 targets:

• To reach $65 billion in total visitor expenditure, up on the previous overnight visitor expenditure target of $55 billion by 2030 which was set in 2018
• A new focus on the day trip market, worth an estimated $10 billion by 2030
• Growing opportunities in regional NSW as a key to the future, to contribute $25 billion total
• The domestic market will be the primary focus until international travel resumes

“The Visitor Economy Strategy is not just about recovery, it’s about the future,” Minister Ayres said.
“The NSW Government is already charging ahead to create new tourism experiences and icons such as the new Sydney Fish Market, new sporting stadiums and cultural institutions and world-class walking tracks in regional NSW.
“We will bolster our reputation for staging premier events including the Australian exclusive production of Hamilton, Vivid Sydney, Disney’s Frozen and we are close to securing the full suite of 10 World Cup sporting events for NSW in 10 years.”
A Senior Officers Group will be established to coordinate funding and government services relating to the visitor economy while Destination NSW will lead a coordinated, whole of government approach to implementing the strategy.
Simon McGrath, CEO Accor Pacific, said the Visitor Economy Strategy was a solid roadmap which demonstrates the NSW Government’s understanding of how valuable tourism is to our state.
“From an industry point of view the Visitor Economy Strategy is prepared in a very collaborative way, with a focused approach. As a result it has delivered an incredibly dynamic and strong platform which gives confidence to investors, operators and the industry as a whole. The result of this is that it will bring renewed interest from the private sector into tourism in NSW,” Mr McGrath said.
The Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 is now available at: www.destinationnsw.com.au/VES2030

Work is underway on a series of projects that will breathe new life into Parramatta Road, revitalising  the area between Camperdown and Auburn as part of the NSW Government’s $198 million improvement program.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program would transform the 20 kilometre corridor with new parks, cycleways, plazas and public art.
“Parramatta Road has become a scar through the heart of Sydney – and we have seized the opportunity to heal it,” Mr Stokes said.
“This investment of almost $200 million will renew and revive the corridor and draw people back into the area with new parks, footpaths and cycleways to create green, usable and welcoming space for residents and visitors alike.”
Projects as part of the program include:

• $20 million for Inner West Council to deliver new cycleways, shared paths, trees, benches, lighting, public art and a new 300 square metre pocket park;
• $17.8 million for Cumberland Council for new footpaths, crossings, cycleways, trees, public art and the upgrade of Melton Street pedestrian cycle connection
• $2.4 million for Burwood Council to deliver three new cycleways including a north/south cycle link from Burwood Park to Queen Elizabeth Park;
• $42 million for Canada Bay Council for the redevelopment of Concord Oval into a world-class sporting, recreation and community hub;
• A new Public Art Framework, which will release funding for public art projects along Parramatta Road and allow councils to consult experts in Create NSW.

“This investment will improve Parramatta Road for the thousands of people who live or work in the area. The program will also support up to 27,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs in addition to new much-needed open space,” Mr Stokes said.
Transport studies are expected to be completed this year to allow the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy to be implemented.

Netball NSW is excited to launch a new campaign entitled Come and Play Netball which aims to help the sport rebound after a difficult 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign, which starts on Monday 18 January, will work with the organisation’s affiliated Clubs and Associations – as well as incorporated media and advertising platforms – in the hope of returning playing numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
Come and Play Netball can be broken down into three pillars – paid media, owned assets and local area marketing – and will have an estimated reach of over five million people, targeting key metro and regional areas.
Netball NSW has appointed agency Benedictus Media to help deliver the campaign which will feature state-wide radio and outdoor advertising as well as strategic digital placement. It will also incorporate the organisation’s two professional teams, the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball.
Swifts and Australian Diamonds midcourter Paige Hadley and fellow Diamonds Kiera Austin and Kristiana Manu’a from the GIANTS will feature in the campaign.
The vast NSW netball community will also play a key role with Netball NSW providing each Association with a suite of promotional material to ensure Come and Play Netball reaches all levels of the game across the state.
Netball NSW Executive General Manager of Community & Pathways Darren Simpson said the campaign was a huge, but necessary and exciting, undertaking.
“When you look at what the last 12 months have thrown at our netball community it’s very important that we put significant investment into helping the game bounce back,” he said.
“Netball across NSW had around a 15% drop in playing numbers in 2020 which compared to other sports was actually not a huge fall-off. However, when you note how much netball grew before COVID-19 we really want to get back on that path as quickly as possible.
“Netball’s grassroots numbers are among the biggest in the state but we should never rest on our laurels and we hope this campaign will help kick-start growth again in 2021.
“I would also like to thank our NSW netball community for committing to support Come and Play Netball, and our two elite teams in the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball for adding their voices too.”
Netball NSW Executive General Manager of Commercial & Marketing Steve Neal gave some more insight into how the campaign would work:
“In terms of radio in metro areas we’ll have a large presence on both Smooth FM and NOVA, while the campaign will also be heard on local radio stations from Wollongong to Orange, Lismore to Wagga Wagga and Newcastle to Dubbo, just to name a few.
“Our outdoor advertising will start in February and be placed on retail panels and outdoor furniture at a combined 145 locations across the state, which will rotate on a fortnightly basis.
“We will also be harnessing the full power of the Netball NSW, the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball’s marketing and social media platforms and providing all Associations with creative they will be able to use in their own environments along with suggested copy and helpful hints around sharing the campaign.”
Come and Play Netball will run for six weeks from mid-January to the end of February.
WANT TO PLAY NETBALL? Sign up HERE

More than 750km of new and upgraded walking tracks, 33 campground upgrades and 61 new and improved picnic areas are set to be delivered, as part of a record investment in community infrastructure in NSW national parks.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government is investing $257 million to deliver 170 new and improved community infrastructure projects across the national parks estate.
“Not only are our national parks good for the environment and our health and wellbeing, they are good for the health of the economy – injecting around $18 billion into the economy each year and supporting 74,000 direct and indirect jobs,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’ve seen a huge surge in visitation during the pandemic as people rediscover the joys of the great outdoors, and we want to do everything we can to make the national park visitor experience even better.”
Environment Minister Matt Kean said the record funding amount will be delivered over three years, with priority given to projects that benefit the community and boost eco-tourism across the State.
“Whether it’s improving accessibility with new walking tracks and trails, or new and improved places to share a picnic with family and friends, we are delivering the single biggest investment in community infrastructure in the history of our national parks,” Mr Kean said.
“Over this summer alone, more than 18.5 million visits are expected in the State’s almost 900 National Parks, providing a much needed boost for nearby small businesses and nature-based tourism operators.
“I urge each and every one of those visitors to jump online and head to the national parks website which is jam-packed with the information you need to know to keep yourself safe, your friends safe and your family safe in our national parks.”
Visitors to all NSW national parks are reminded to check the NPWS Alerts for up to date information on any track or precinct closures as well as current COVID-safe requirements.