Month: August 2021

The NSW Government has today released its first NSW Higher Education Strategy Action Plan to drive stronger and more effective partnerships between Government and the higher education sector.
Increasing post-school options for lifelong learning, improving participation in higher education and strengthening research partnerships are just some of the priorities the Action Plan addresses.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the Action Plan focuses on specific and measurable initiatives the NSW Government is doing to support the Higher Education Strategy released earlier this year.
“At the heart of this is a plan to elevate our higher education sector and ensure training and research remains cutting-edge for years to come,” Mr Lee said.
“The plan addresses how the NSW Government will support collaborations with universities and the VET sector, and develop agile and future-focused education models that puts industry, university and TAFE in the same classroom.”
“Across NSW, our agencies are working hard to harness the impact of our world-class tertiary education sector to deliver social, economic and environmental outcomes for NSW.”
Convener for the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, Professor Barney Glover AO said.
“The Action Plan builds on the wide range of partnerships, investment and collaborations already underway across universities and higher education providers.”
“I commend the NSW Government’s proactive approach in launching a landmark Higher Education Strategy Action Plan that works across government and with the sector to deliver on the Strategy’s vision.”
Key actions outlined in the plan include:
 

• Simplify procurement arrangements between the NSW Government, universities and VET training providers
• Incentivise and encourage partnerships between universities and the VET sector through a ‘Collaboration and Innovation Fund’
• Support new education models including the Aerotropolis Multiversity, and the Institutes of Applied Technology
• Increase participation of underrepresented regions and groups in higher education
• Support and fund the reskilling and upskilling of displaced workers
• Enhance experience of international students through a new integrated digital platform and promotion of global contributions of higher education providers beyond their educational offerings.

Two additional freight-friendly pop-up testing sites are opening along key regional freight routes to support the industry and keep drivers COVIDSafe.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said a pop-up site opening in Yass tomorrow and in Ballina on Monday were in addition to the six sites already set up across the state to make it easier for heavy vehicle drivers to get tested.
“The freight industry has stepped up during the challenging Delta outbreak and the NSW Government is doing all we can to keep freight moving and help drivers meet increased mandatory testing requirements across multiple jurisdictions,” Mr Toole said.
“Having seen unprecedented demand on our existing freight testing sites over the past few months, we’re rolling out the additional two sites on parts of the network where we see a high volume of interstate freight movements.
“The new sites, which will be supported by onsite pathology staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will make it easier for heavy vehicle drivers to get tested and get back on the road.
“We will continue working closely with industry to investigate more options for sites across the state that maximise accessibility for heavy vehicle drivers on their journeys and around key freight hubs.”
The NSW Government is continuing to work with the freight industry to ensure the safe movement and supply of goods to communities, and to support freight workers making those journeys.
To find out more, visit:
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/operations/freight-hub/transport-for-nsw-response-to-covid-19-for-freight-industry

Learning from home has become easier for parents and teachers of primary school students, with the introduction of guided learning packs in NSW public schools and additional training for teachers.
The guided learning packages are specifically designed for K–6 students and have been developed by a team of curriculum experts and designers to ensure they are easy to navigate for students, parents and carers.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the packs were helping teachers to keep their students engaged and connected.
“The packs are easy to use and cover all the essentials for teachers and students,” Ms Mitchell said.
“They include a full week of learning activities with stage-specific video content which includes teacher guidance, open-ended activities and wellbeing checks.
“All subjects within the K-6 curriculum are addressed on a weekly basis and each day begins with a student wellbeing activity, as well as a brain break during the day and additional activities for students who finish the work early.”
The packs are not mandatory but provide a great way for teachers to supplement what is already working for them.
Ms Mitchell said the department was also running new learning from home professional development courses designed using insights from last year and the current learning from home period.
“Teachers are committed to providing the best possible learning from home experience for their students, and thousands of teachers have engaged with the available professional development resources and webinars,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Teachers have told us that the support has been incredibly useful, helping to guide their students while learning from home and providing additional support for parents and carers navigating online systems.
“I know that learning from home can be challenging, and I’m incredibly proud of the work our principals, teachers, school staff and the department are doing to make this period as instructive, engaging, and supportive as possible.”
The Learning from Home Hub is also constantly being updated with great materials for students, teachers and parents with over 2 million visits last month.

A planetarium, aged care facilities and thousands of new homes are among $17 billion worth of development approved by independent planning panels in the last financial year that will aid NSW’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said streamlining independent planning panels were part of reforms to reduce assessment times that had paved the way for approximately 27,000 new homes and 52,000 jobs across the State.
“Hundreds of new projects are in the pipeline because of these vital reforms which have helped independent planning panels clear their backlogs without compromising rigorous assessment processes,” Mr Stokes said.
“Collectively, Sydney, regional, and local planning panels approved 1,497 development applications during the 2020-21 financial year – worth $17 billion to the NSW economy.
“Resolving uncertainty in the planning system has been an important focus for the Government, and over the past 12 months regional planning panels and local councils worked together to clear the decks of DAs that had been stuck in the system for too long.”
Planning Panels are made up of independent experts in fields including planning, architecture, heritage, environment, urban design, economics, traffic and transport, law and government, and public administration. Panels also include representatives from local communities to ensure issues and considerations important in those places are captured in the Panel’s deliberations.
Panels help to safeguard against corruption and provide the community with more certainty of panning decisions.
“These fantastic results are a testament to the fact we’ve kept the planning system moving to provide new homes, jobs and great public spaces, despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Stokes said.

Proposed new planning rules will cut red tape, making it easier for homeowners to install solar batteries and for telcos to install technology to improve mobile and internet coverage.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the proposed changes to the Infrastructure State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) are now on public exhibition and aim to  remove hurdles in the planning system for more sustainable energy and faster telecommunications.
“More people are working from home than ever and many of them want their homes to be powered by renewable energy,” Mr Stokes said.
“These changes to the Infrastructure SEPP will help telcos provide more fast, reliable telecommunications and make it easier for homeowners to power their homes with renewable energy.
“This will help homeowners save time and money, cut their future energy bills, reduce demand on the electricity network and contribute to lower energy prices.”
There are already around half a million homes in NSW harnessing power from the sun and it’s anticipated that 1,000 megawatts of batteries will be installed by 2035.
Proposed changes mean that planning approvals will no longer be required for:

• The installation of household-scale solar battery systems;
• The installation of NBN cables, speeding up its delivery;
• The repair or upgrading of existing technology;
• The installation of solar panels to power telecommunications facilities; and
• Site inspections, providing the location is not unnecessarily disturbed.

The changes support the NSW Government’s net zero emissions by 2050 target.
To view the proposed changes and have your say by Monday 13 September visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/isepp

Dapto and Shellharbour Junction train customers will benefit from longer and more accessible station platforms as part of an additional multi-million dollar upgrade to rail infrastructure on the South Coast Line.
Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said the investment is in addition to an initial $600 million infrastructure upgrade package announced last year.
“We’re full steam ahead in getting our stations and other key infrastructure ready for the Mariyung fleet (New Intercity Fleet) which will provide an improved level of comfort, convenience and reliability for South Coast customers,” Mr Constance said.
“As our plans have progressed, we’ve identified some further improvements we need to deliver to ensure customers continue to get a smooth ride once our state-of-the-art new train fleet hits the tracks.”
The upgrade package is currently being delivered across the rail network, including on the South Coast, as part of the NSW Government’s $5.3 billion More Trains, More Services Program.
“The improvements at Dapto and Shellharbour Junction will include platform extensions to enhance accessibility for the new 10-car fleet of trains. Lighting, line markings and tactile paving work will also be carried out at both stations to boost customer safety,” Mr Constance said.
The multi-million dollar package of work includes upgrades to signalling, overhead wiring and the construction of a new maintenance facility at Dapto. Improvements will be delivered to enable train turnbacks at Wollongong, Thirroul and Port Kembla which will increase the efficiency of rail operations. An existing rail siding at Kiama will also have track, signalling and overhead wiring upgrades.
Work will begin on these projects within the coming weeks and be completed by late 2022.
The work will complement other rail upgrades already in delivery across other South Coast stations including at Thirroul, Bellambi, Wollongong, Coniston, Port Kembla and Kiama.
Planning is also underway to deliver an accessibility upgrade at Dapto Station as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program.