The NSW Government is providing extra support to the hospitality industry by extending free refresher courses into next year, in a bid to address staff shortages.
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said hospitality venues are doing their best to encourage workers to the sector, but are facing major staff shortages with many skilled hospitality staff leaving the industry during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
“Many who left the sector have seen their mandatory certifications lapse. We want to make it easy for those people to quickly and freely renew those certifications and remove any barriers that are preventing them from re-entering the hospitality sector,” Mr Anderson said.
“It’s not just bar and wait staff who require a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate – others who work or volunteer where alcohol is sold also need it, including security, crowd control and promotional staff.
“The same goes for the Responsible Conduct of Gambling certificate (RCG) – if you work around poker machines you need to have specific training to identify and minimise gambling harm.”
Australian Hotels Association NSW Director of Liquor and Policing John Green said pubs right across NSW are still struggling with staff shortages so this initiative is greatly appreciated.
“Reducing red tape makes it easier for those who worked in the industry to come back and pick up a few shifts at their local – we would especially encourage older workers with their years of experience to step back behind the bar,” Mr Green said. Anyone whose certification expired from February 2020 can renew their RSA, or RSA and RCG together, for free, until February 2023 without having to retrain in full.
Since February this year more than 16,000 people have completed free RSA and RCG refresher courses through Liquor & Gaming NSW.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it’s good to be here in Madrid for the NATO summit. This is an important meeting at a critical time for the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has broken international law. What we know is that this brutal invasion is having real consequences for the people of Ukraine. And the people of Ukraine are inspiring the world with struggling to defend their national sovereignty, struggling against this brutal invasion. But this invasion is also having an impact on the world, and it’s a reminder that even an island continent like Australia, across the other side of the world, has been impacted by this, with rising petrol prices and the difficult issues relating to the supply chains as a result of the disruption from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So over the next days I will have important meetings, including as a part of the AP4. The presence of Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Australia, who have all been invited to the summit, signifies that this is not just an issue for Europe, but there are also issues in our own region that need to be dealt with. And the Russian invasion of Ukraine, of course, came just after the arrangement was made of the special relationship between Russia and China. That reinforces the need for us to be engaged, and I’m very pleased to be here representing Australia at this NATO summit.
JOURNALIST: What message do you want to hear from the NATO members about China?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that I’m sure that the NATO members know that China is more forward leaning in our region. We’ve seen actions from China against Lithuania, for example. China has been prepared to make sanctions not just against Australia, but to be more aggressive in its stance in the world and it requires the world to move towards peace and security, but to do so in a way which says that we are prepared as democratic nations to ensure that when something happens, like the invasion of Ukraine, the world is prepared to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and provide practical and real support.
JOURNALIST: What’s the importance of there being insistent and long term pressure on Russia over this given that Xi Jinping might think that if people relent, he can wait too.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is critical. We know that the invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic disaster for Vladimir Putin. He was expecting to march into Ukraine and for it to be all over well before now. But he underestimated the courage and the resilience of the Ukrainian people. He also underestimated what the impact would be on the world. What Vladimir Putin has done with this invasion is to unify NATO and to unify democratic nations against this action, and we know that Sweden and Finland are considering joining NATO. So what this invasion has done, far from weaken NATO, it’s actually strengthened it, and that’s why this NATO summit comes at such a critical time.
JOURNALIST: Will you be joining the call from others to (Inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re not members of NATO, but Australia regards a strong NATO as being absolutely critical. NATO has grown from its original composition up to 30 countries now. And the more countries that are involved, the stronger the message is of solidarity and unity against any aggression against any member countries.
JOURNALIST: PM I believe you spoke to Manasseh Sogavare in recent hours. What was the tone of that conversation? Did you reach out or did he reach out?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it was a very constructive discussion. I’ve had talks with the Pacific leaders, I received a congratulations from the Prime Minister, as I have from other Pacific leaders. We talked about the Pacific Islands Forum that will be coming up and the important agreement that has been made, led by the Fijian Prime Minister to make sure that the Pacific Islands Forum can remain united and strong. That’s an important breakthrough and it was a very constructive discussion. We both look forward to having a meeting during the Pacific Islands forum one-on-one as well as participating in that conference and as well, Prime Minister Sogavare reconfirmed his position that Australia remains the security partner of choice, a statement that he made of course, to Foreign Minister Wong.
JOURNALIST: Jens Stoltenberg is saying that nations now have to be behind Ukraine for the long haul. Are you coming here with additional commitments from Australia to support Ukraine in a humanitarian sense?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australia has already made substantial commitments. We are in fact the largest non-NATO contributor to the defence of Ukraine. We need to make sure that those commitments are realised. All of them haven’t been delivered on the ground yet. We’ll make sure that happens. And we will, of course, listen to any request which is made. It is important that the world don’t tire of this. This is a struggle in which the Ukrainian people are showing incredible courage and resilience on what they deserve, what they deserve, and indeed the world needs to do is to make sure that the resilience of the world and the commitment is just as strong and long lasting as the Ukrainian people have shown themselves to hold. Thank you very much.
Australia will provide additional emergency relief of $1 million to support the people of Afghanistan, following the devastating earthquake on the 22nd June.
This is on top of the $140 million in assistance pledged to Afghanistan since September 2021.
The earthquake has caused extensive loss of life, homes and livelihoods, with the full effects still to be determined. This tragedy comes at a time when the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are greater than ever.
Our support will be delivered through UN agencies already operating in the affected area, and will go towards providing shelter, food and medical support for those in need.
The Australian Government extend its deepest condolences to the people of Afghanistan, and the Afghan-Australian community.
A Dutton government would support older Australians, who choose to work more, by doubling the amount of income age pensioners and veteran service pensioners can earn without reducing pension payments.
This change will make it more worthwhile for older Australians to pick up an extra shift or work extra hours and help small and regional businesses deal with labour shortages.
The Leader of the Opposition the Hon Peter Dutton MP calls on the Albanese Government to implement the policy immediately to help relieve pressure on a very tight labour market.
“Employers can’t find staff – thousands of jobs across hospitality, agriculture, tourism and retail remain open,” Mr Dutton said.
“This policy ensures that pensioners and veterans, who want to work, are not financially penalised. It puts more money into their pocket.
“There are around 80,000 age pensioners and veterans who are choosing to work who will likely benefit from this change,” Mr Dutton said.
Currently, age pensioners and veteran service pensioners can earn $300 of income each fortnight without impacting pension payments. Under the proposed change, age pensioners will be able to earn up to $600 a fortnight and still receive the maximum pension payment. Pensioners will continue to accrue unused pension work bonus amounts up to a maximum of $7,800, which can exempt future earnings from the pension income test.
Well targeted policy, designed to increase labour supply, will ease workplace shortages and put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates.
Labor’s big spending agenda, which includes $18.3 billion of direct spending, and $45 billion in off-budget funds, and ill designed policies, which discourage Australians from working and earning more, will achieve the opposite: put upward pressure on inflation and interest rates.
The proposed change is expected to have a cost to the Budget of $145 million in 2022-23.
A Dutton government would review, on an annual cycle, the merits of extending the policy change to future years taking into account changes in overseas net migration levels, the unemployment rate and the workforce participation rate.
The Labor Government must outline its plan to ease cost of living pressures and put downward pressure on inflation. Australians can’t afford to wait for Labor to get its act together.
Families are celebrating City of Newcastle’s (CN’s) ongoing investment in recreational spaces, with two new playgrounds opened in the western corridor and plans for five more across the city unveiled.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joined residents to officially open upgraded playgrounds at Minmi Reserve and McCauley Park in Tarro as part of CN’s annual playground improvement program.
“Our local parks and playgrounds are places that our community can come together to relax and interact, and I’m delighted that these two upgraded playgrounds at Minmi and Tarro are ready for play in time for the school holidays in July,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The turnout at our community openings reinforces the important role these public spaces play within local neighbourhoods, which is why we’ve invested more than $9 million in playground projects during the past five years.
“We will continue to deliver improved recreational opportunities for children across the local government area in the next 12 months, with $750,000 allocated through the 2022/23 Budget to install new and upgraded equipment at Waratah Park, Highland County in Fletcher, Harold Myers Park at Birmingham Gardens, Vera Wilson Park in Beresfield and Avon Street Reserve at Mayfield.”
Four playgrounds were included in the 2021/22 upgrade program, with the existing Minmi Reserve playground replaced with new features including a balancing trail, swings and sensory bridge, while new equipment at McCauley Park includes swings, slides, and climbing components. These improvements all cater to a broad age range of children.
Kotara Park has also been refreshed with a new design while the neighbourhood playground at Bernborough Avenue in Maryland will benefit from a full equipment upgrade in the coming months.
To stay up to date with the progress and to find out about works in your neighbourhood visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works
Tomorrow I will depart for a visit to Vietnam and Malaysia, my second trip to Southeast Asia since becoming Foreign Minister one month ago.
Australia’s future is tied to the future of Southeast Asia, a region we share.
It’s more than geography that binds us – we have genuine links in Vietnam and Malaysia: family, business, education and tourism.
My visit seeks to deepen these ties, building on our existing partnerships for the benefit of our countries and the region.
It’s important we work closely together to capitalise on shared economic opportunities, strengthen regional security, and address climate change.
In Vietnam I will meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn.
Ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, our discussions will focus on climate change cooperation, our shared trade and investment ambitions and Australia’s continued support for Vietnam’s COVID-19 recovery.
On the 28th, I will travel onto Malaysia, where I look forward to meeting Minister for Foreign Affairs Dato’ Sri Saifuddin bin Abdullah, as well as Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Minister for International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali.
I will reaffirm our commitment as Comprehensive Strategic Partners and discuss economic recovery, climate action, education ties and health security.
I will also travel to Sabah. It’s a region with longstanding ties to Australia, and it’s the region where I am from. Having spent my early years in Kota Kinabalu, I look forward to the great honour of returning to the city as Australia’s Foreign Minister.
Newcastle Art Galley’s collection may have been put in storage while the building’s long-awaited expansion takes place, but that hasn’t stopped a passionate group of volunteers from creating new ways for young people to connect with the works of art.
The Gallery’s Youth Advisory Group has spent the past year working on their Youth to Collection (Y2C) Project, which will culminate this Saturday with the official launch of their interactive digital platform.
Designed to increase youth engagement with the most significant public collection of art in regional Australia, the project kicked off with the creation and publication of six zines. Each publication featured interviews with emerging local creatives alongside selected works from the Art Gallery collection that correspond to the Gallery’s collecting areas of ceramics, sculpture, prints and drawings, photography, painting and new media.
The group are now looking to expand that engagement online with the development of an interactive digital platform and video series that will allow the community to continue to connect with the collection while the Gallery undergoes its $40 million expansion.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it was fantastic to see these volunteers sharing their passion for the Gallery with other young people.
“By doubling the size of the Gallery, significantly increasing the exhibition space and delivering a suite of modern facilities, the $40 million expansion will deliver an upgraded gallery of international standing that will offer a valuable cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter,” Cr Nelmes said.
“While the doors of Newcastle Art Gallery are closed for the construction, we are committed to ensuring the community can engage with our collection in as many ways as possible, which is why this innovative project by our Youth Advisory Group is such a fantastic idea.
“It’s also testament to the passion and commitment shown by the dedicated volunteers, who have continued to look outside the box to find ways to stay involved with our Gallery throughout this time.”
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the Youth Advisory Group program had been running since 2018 and was designed to engage with people aged 18-30 to deliver youth-led programming while also providing early career learning opportunities.
This year’s group members are Aidan Gageler, Belle Beasley, Benji Crocker, Kar Mun Phoon, Molly McNeil, and Nicole Klaer.
“The six-member group is generally made up of tertiary students, practicing artists, writers or performers who are engaged and participating in Newcastle’s vibrant cultural scene,” Ms Morton said.
“They put forward a range of programs and activities they would like to see occur at the Gallery in their year of tenure, which they then deliver with assistance from Gallery staff.
“With much of our programming in the past few years being disrupted by COVID-19, the current Youth Advisory Group came up with an innovative project that simultaneously showcases the breadth of the Gallery’s collection and supports local emerging arts practitioners.
“The Y2C Project sees the creation of ‘by-youth, for-youth’ content and has been a wonderful means to promote conversation between Newcastle’s emerging artists and Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.”
Youth Advisory Group member Molly McNeil said they had enjoyed collaborating with the Art Gallery and the emerging artists on this project and were looking forward to launching it on Saturday.
“From the outset, we really hoped to engage with local emerging artists, and we ended up doing that by bringing them into conversation with the huge collection at Newcastle Art Gallery,” Molly said.
“By building an array of projects around that goal, we’ve created a platform where the Newcastle’s emerging artists can be considered alongside the esteemed and reputable works and practices found in Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.
“We’re so excited for the launch this weekend. Being able to see our teamwork come to life and to share that with others is going to be such a great experience.”
This project is supported by a $10,000 grant from Create NSW’s Audience Development Fund, a devolved funding program administered by Museums & Galleries of NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.
The Y2C launch party will take place at The Creator Incubator on Saturday 25 June from 6pm to 10pm, featuring a selection of Newcastle’s finest DJs, video installations featuring Y2C emerging artists, projections developed by David Lobb and Mikayla Nangle, artists stalls, a pop-up bar and food truck.
The event is free, but bookings are required. Visit www.nag.org.au to find out more about the Gallery’s expansion, Youth Advisory Group and the launch party.
Emerging artists who participated in the Y2C project included Gillian Adamson, Brigitte Beyer, Jaimie Carpenter, Jasmine Miikika Craciun, Ruby Hart, Jemima Hodge, Wolfe Jessie, Tegan Kinder, David Lobb, Holly Macdonald, Grace McMahon, Mikayla Nangle, Liz O’Brien, James Rhodes, Wednesday Sutherland and Emma Wilks.
The NSW Government has introduced a bill into Parliament today to ban the public displays of Nazi symbols and to provide further safeguards against hate speech and vilification.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said the Government’s Bill will amend the Crimes Act 1900 to create a new offence of knowingly displaying, by public act and without reasonable excuse, a Nazi symbol.
“Hateful and vilifying conduct is completely unacceptable in our community,” Mr Speakman said.
“This Bill recognises that the public display of Nazi symbols is generally considered abhorrent, except in very limited circumstances such as for education purposes, and causes profound offence and distress.
“Under the proposed amendments, the maximum penalty for the new offence will be 12 months’ imprisonment or a $11,000 fine or both for an individual; or a fine of $55,000 for a corporation.”
NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the Bill expressly states that the display of a swastika in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism will not constitute the display of a Nazi symbol.
“The swastika has been an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity and auspiciousness for these spiritual groups for thousands of years. This Bill reflects stakeholder feedback that the offence should not apply to a swastika displayed in connection with Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism,” Mr Coure said.
“Symbols that incite hate and are used to deliberately rally people to follow evil ideologies have no place in our multicultural society, or anywhere for that matter, and that is why this Bill will criminalise the displaying of Nazi symbols.”
In addition, the Bill provides that it is not an offence to display of a Nazi symbol where there is a reasonable excuse, including artistic, academic or educational purposes or any other purpose in the public interest.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton said the Government Bill will respond to reports of rising incidents of unacceptable anti-Semitic and far-right extremist activities in NSW.
“I have long advocated to the NSW Government that we take divisive action to stop such incidents and now, gratifyingly, the NSW Government has acted, Ms Upton said.
“Importantly, the Bill strikes a careful balance between protecting free speech in a robust democracy and the need to shield individuals and the community from hateful vilification and violent ideology.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said Nazi symbols “are a threat to the entire NSW community” and represent a “sinister underbelly” in our state.
“In recent years we have seen a surge in the use of these symbols by right-wing extremists and for other faith-based attacks, both in-person and online,” Mr Bark said.
“Hate has no place in our tolerant multicultural society.
“Nazi symbols are a gateway to violence and vilification, and this historic legislation will ensure those who are here to cause harm in our community are dealt with under the law.
“The Jewish Board of Deputies was incredibly proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hindu community to ensure this important legislation is passed.”
A new independent casino regulator is the centrepiece of the NSW Government’s landmark casino reforms to be introduced to Parliament.
Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government will introduce a suite of tough new measures which deliver on the Government’s commitment to support all 19 recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry.
These measures will reform the casino industry, including establishing a NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) which will have enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers.
“A dedicated Chief Commissioner will be appointed to lead the NICC. They will be supported by up to four additional Commissioners, including at least one with specialist anti-money laundering expertise,” Mr Anderson.
A multi-agency coordination committee will be set up to oversee and guide the regulatory efforts of the NICC, and identify collaborations with police and the Crime Commission, in areas such as money laundering.
In addition to the NICC, the NSW Government will introduce a series of regulatory measures which directly address recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry including:
A ban on casinos dealing with junket operators;
An independent monitor and auditor for every casino licence holder appointed by the NICC;
Requiring casino licence holders to submit suspicious activity reports to both AUSTRAC and the NICC; and
Strict new requirements for casino operators to monitor patron accounts for criminal activity and perform due diligence on customers including identifying the source of player funds before they can gamble.
“These reforms will ensure the people of NSW have confidence that casino operations are free from criminal influence. We are rebuilding the regulatory framework for casinos in NSW from the ground up with stringent new controls to prevent money laundering and other criminal activity,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Government has made it clear that casinos in NSW must strictly comply with the reforms and operate with the highest standards of integrity. Anything less than 100 per cent compliance will not be tolerated.”
Households are being reminded to spend any remaining Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers, with the 30 June deadline just around the corner.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the program has been a game changer for local businesses and families.
“The vouchers have been an overwhelming success, by getting more customers through doors of businesses and boosting household budgets,” Mr Dominello said.
“The program has served its intended purpose by supporting our local hospitality, cultural and entertainment businesses, all of which were hit hard by the pandemic.
“Across the State, almost half a billion dollars has been invested across 16,600 businesses, but there is still money to be redeemed.
“My message to the community is simple – don’t miss out. Check to see if you have any vouchers remaining and spend them now.
“Whether you’re going to a restaurant with friends, checking out a new movie or taking the kids to a museum, there is money to be saved.
“We thank all those businesses which have participated and the people of NSW for embracing the program and supporting local businesses.”
More than 5.4 million customers registered for the program, receiving three $25 Dine NSW and three $25 Discover NSW Vouchers.
After 30 June, Dine & Discover NSW Vouchers will move to the expired tab of the vouchers section in the Service NSW app but Discover NSW registered business can still accept Parents NSW Vouchers until 9 October 2022.
Stay NSW Vouchers, which assist the accommodation sector, are also available until 9 October.
Businesses with questions about the end of the program are encouraged to speak with their dedicated business concierge, call 13 77 88 or visit the Service NSW website.
