Month: January 2022

Parents and carers of children enrolled in all primary schools in NSW will benefit from a new $155 million program for Before and After School Care (BASC) services to provide greater support and access to BASC services.
The $500 voucher will assist families who use BASC services by covering the parent gap fee component of their session fees.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said BASC services were more important than ever as families retuned to work following the holidays.
“It’s been a challenging past couple of years for parents of school-aged children. Many have had to juggle the demands of supervising their kids’ education at home while working remotely, or even foregoing paid work,” Mr Perrottet said.
“These vouchers for before and after school care will help alleviate some of the financial pressures on NSW families and provide greater flexibility and more options for those who need to work.”
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said that both providers and users of BASC would benefit from this announcement.
“These vouchers are all about providing affordable access to care for families, particularly after a tough two years that have disrupted access to school and BASC,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Every family with children at a NSW primary school is eligible for one voucher per child, which will provide each child with approximately 60 sessions of free BASC.”
The NSW Department of Education has partnered with Service NSW to roll out the program, which will be delivered through Service NSW and will follow a similar premise to the current Dine and Discover Vouchers.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said BASC providers will be able to register to redeem the vouchers from 7 February and parents will be able to apply for, and utilise, the vouchers from 28 February.
“This is a win for families as they can apply for, store and redeem their new vouchers via the Service NSW app, similar to Dine & Discover and other vouchers like Active Kids and First Lap,” Mr Dominello said.
“Eligible families will receive their vouchers in their app just like the Dine & Discover program with providers able to quickly scan the QR code on the spot or use the unique voucher code to redeem.”
Providers and customers can register and apply online via a MyServiceNSW account, in the app, or by visiting their nearest Service Centre.

Supporting the legal profession, with a particular focus on regional NSW, and ensuring access to justice for all, as we continue to live with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be major priorities in 2022 for the new President of the Law Society of NSW, Joanne van der Plaat.
While this week marks the traditional Opening of Law Term in NSW, many official events, religious services and ceremonies, including the Law Society’s annual Opening of Law Term Dinner, have been postponed due to the current Omicron outbreak.
Ms van der Plaat will now deliver her Opening of Law Term Presidential Address at the 2022 Law Term Dinner on Monday 28 March 2022.
In the meantime, Ms van der Plaat, a regional solicitor from Cooma in the state’s Snowy Mountains region, has outlined her five main priorities for 2022:
supporting the legal profession’s health and wellbeing
finding ways to better support the profession, courts and clients in rural and regional NSW
human rights in NSW
responding to the impacts of COVID on the justice system
judicial resourcing.
Ms van der Plaat said that, as the state continues to adjust to living with the pandemic, she will work hard to actively champion a legal profession of more than 37,000 NSW solicitors, to government and the wider community.
“My experience, starting out as a legal secretary in a small Sydney firm, to working as a paralegal and licensed conveyancer in a large international firm, to the last 13 years as a lawyer in rural NSW, has given me an invaluable insight into the joys, challenges and opportunities we each face in the profession,” Ms van der Plaat said.
“We have learned some valuable lessons during COVID-19 and there are more lessons to be learned and opportunities to be taken.
“I want to ensure all solicitors continue to have access to practical, applicable information and services that will help them run their practices or move forward in their careers – as has been the Law Society’s mission since its inception 180 years ago.
“I am looking forward to engaging with the legal profession, the government and the courts in navigating the ongoing challenges of COVID to ensure we continue to thrive and succeed in our professional and personal lives and provide the best service possible to our clients,” she said.
“This includes advocating for ongoing investment in the justice system (as is regularly seen in the health, education and transport sectors), which will provide long term economic benefit for our state and ensure the rights of civil society are met.
“Through the Law Society’s Thought Leadership program, I want to explore a number of issues relating to human rights in NSW.
“As our profession grapples with a fast changing legal landscape, we have an opportunity to participate in a meaningful debate about the role that human rights can play in a modern society, and the impact that the pandemic has had on human rights awareness and expectations.
“I also believe there is an appetite to look positively towards our future and for the Law Society to lead the profession in supporting mental health and wellbeing.
“Our individual and collective wellbeing, in terms of what brings us joy, keeps us connected and allows us to remain engaged and thrive professionally and personally is something we now talk about in the workplace.
“The three values that guide me each day are being kind, being humble, and having a sense of humour.
“Having that direction and motivation keeps me feeling positive and purposeful,” she said.
Improving awareness and perceptions of legal career opportunities in regional NSW is another priority Ms van der Plaat’s plans to focus on this year.
“As a country lawyer, I am keen to promote and raise awareness of rural practice, not as an alternative career, but as a challenging and rewarding career,” she said.
Ms van der Plaat nominated President’s Charity for 2022 is Sober in the Country, a grassroots rural charity leading social impact and change across rural Australia.
“Like many Australians, I have witnessed the devastating impact excessive consumption of alcohol has on individuals and their relationships with family and work,” Ms van der Plaat said.
“It can be difficult to reach out for assistance with everyone knowing who you are, more so in the country.
“I hope to use my time as President to raise awareness for the incredible support Sober in the Country provides and raise vital funds for them to continue their work.”
Ms van der Plaat said she is humbled to be representing the state’s solicitors as President in 2022.
“I look forward to leading, supporting and growing a legal profession which has given so much to me over the years,” she concluded.

Businesses, workers and the performing arts across NSW are all set to benefit from a major financial support package of more than $1 billion to help those that have been hardest hit by the Omicron wave.
The package includes financial support for small business to buy rapid antigen tests (RATs) to help keep their workers safe and a new Small Business Support Program to assist businesses to help keep their workers employed.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said while case numbers are now declining, the NSW Government is determined to support those businesses that have been most affected during this wave of the pandemic.
“As part of the package, we are introducing the Small Business Support Program to help support businesses that experienced the worst effects of the Omicron wave,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We are also providing support to business to help reimburse the cost of rapid antigen tests for their workers, extending the Commercial Landlord Hardship Grant and delivering additional funding for the performing arts sector.
“This targeted package provides support for businesses who experienced cashflow issues and the immediate economic impacts of the Omicron outbreak.
“NSW is tracking better than expected and confidence is returning. And as we did with earlier recoveries, we will come through this recent challenge stronger than ever.
“We’ve got the backs of businesses, as we have throughout this entire pandemic.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the support package would provide a statewide response to the Omicron wave of the pandemic, targeting those businesses that need it the most.
“Our regions have felt the impacts of Omicron, and it’s critical we give them a helping hand to recover and get local economies humming again,” Mr Toole said.
“This package shows that the NSW Government continues to have the back of residents and businesses in the bush with practical measures to ensure they keep their workers safe and businesses open.”
Treasurer Matt Kean said we know some businesses in NSW have faced challenges and it is vital we get them the support they need to stay afloat and keep their workers in jobs.
“As we continue to protect the health and safety of our community, we have to ensure our economy is resilient and our businesses are supported so they bounce back from this most recent phase of the pandemic,” Mr Kean said.
“The Small Business Support Program helps those businesses with annual turnover of between $75,000 and $50 million with a decline in turnover of at least 40 per cent by providing a payment covering up to 20 per cent of their weekly payroll.
“By ensuring businesses keep their doors open and their employees paid, we are confident our economy will bounce back strongly as it did last year.”
Small Business Minister Eleni Petinos said the program was important to ensure small businesses have the resources and cash flow they need to survive this outbreak and bounce back.
“We know that the over 800,000 small businesses in NSW are the lifeblood of local communities and that many of these businesses experienced challenges due to the Omicron wave of the pandemic,” Ms Petinos said.
“This package will help relieve some of the costs of small business including keeping workers safe, assist with cash flow and support small businesses to continue trading.”
The Small Business Support Program provides eligible businesses a lump sum payment of 20 per cent of weekly payroll with a minimum payment of $500 per week and a maximum payment of $5,000 per week.
In addition, the existing Small Business Fees, Charges and RAT Rebate will be increased by 50% from the current $2,000 limit to $3,000 and employing businesses will be able to use the rebate to obtain RATs.  This will support worker availability by helping reduce costs to small businesses and enabling healthy staff who have been exposed to COVID-19, but test negative, to return to work.
For more information please visit nsw.gov.au.

A program helping veterans secure jobs in the NSW public sector has exceeded its employment target, and is 12 months ahead of schedule.
Minister for Veterans David Elliott said over 1,200 veterans have transitioned into civilian roles since 2018, thanks to the success of the Veterans Employment Program.
“When this terrific program was extended in 2018, a target was set to help 1,000 veterans secure public sector jobs in NSW by 2023,” Mr Elliott said.
“I’m delighted that we continue to exceed the original employment target and provide job opportunities for ex-service men and women that are looking for a new career path.
“This program is instrumental in helping our veterans enjoy a smoother transition from military service to civilian life, and means we retain the skills, knowledge and experience of our outstanding former service personnel.”
Developed by the NSW Office for Veterans Affairs, the program assists managers and veterans in understanding how defence force skills and experience align with roles within the NSW Government.
Former Army Captain Angie Holst, who served in the army from 2007 to 2016, said it can be difficult for transitioning members to articulate their Defence skills and experiences into language that the public sector understands.
“The Veteran’s Employment Program conducts workshops that provide information about applying for government roles, and advice on tailoring a resume to make it applicable to government positions. This is a valuable part of the Program that assists veterans,” Ms Holst said.
Leading Aircraftman Todd Robinson, who served for 15 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, has also benefitted from the program.
“Without the VEP program, I would not have the toolkit to apply for NSW Government roles. I had more confidence with the skills and capabilities that I had gained and the program set me up for success in my applications for roles within Justice.”
The program began in 2016 and recently won a Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Award. For more on the program visit Veterans Employment Program.