Month: October 2022

Paramedics, police officers, teachers and other public sector workers across the state will be supported to spend more precious time with their young babies, with major changes to NSW public service parental leave entitlements now in effect.

Every mother and father in the NSW public sector is now entitled to 14 weeks’ paid parental leave as part of groundbreaking changes to remove the distinction between a ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer in the NSW Government’s paid parental leave scheme.

Parents can now also use their leave up to two years after the birth, adoption, surrogacy or permanent out-of-home care placement of their child.

An additional two weeks’ ‘bonus leave’ is now also available where parents more equally share childcare responsibilities between partners, allowing public sector employees to take up to 16 weeks’ paid parental leave.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said NSW was leading the way on parental leave in Australia because giving parents more choice about how they juggle care and careers helps strengthen families and women’s career and economic opportunities.

“Giving parents the support and real options to share care in the early years of their child’s life, lets families choose what works for them and delivers equal opportunity for NSW Government employees,” Mr Perrottet said. 

“Giving fathers the option to spend more time with their young ones and mothers the option to return to work when it suits them will build strong foundations for families and benefit the whole community.”

As part of the 2022-23 Budget, the NSW Government committed $16.5 billion over 10 years to level the playing field for women, with $4.9 billion committed over the four years to 2025-26, the biggest investment in the State’s history to support women and families. 

Treasurer Matt Kean said the updated public sector parental leave scheme is one of the first of its kind in the country, and encouraged other governments and the private sector to follow suit.

“The NSW Government is the largest employer in Australia and we are leading the way by ensuring families of all shapes and sizes will benefit from these pioneering changes,” Mr Kean said.

“Caring for children is one of the most important jobs in our society and it’s only right that we value it appropriately.”

Public sector workers undergoing fertility treatment now also have access to up to five days’ fertility leave per year.

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the NSW Government is committed to ensuring NSW is the best place in the country for women to live, work and raise a family.

“Strong parental leave entitlements play a major role in supporting women’s economic opportunity and career progression,” Ms Taylor said.

“Paid parental leave created with gender equality at its core will contribute to increased participation in the workforce, improved economic opportunities and greater financial wellbeing for women.”

The updated parental leave scheme came into effect on 1 October 2022.

A Minns Labor Government is vowing to modernise New South Wales laws and respond to the rise of the ‘gig economy’ and precarious work by introducing worker’s compensation entitlements and a portable entitlement scheme for gig and other key New South Wales workers.
 
The proposals form the next planks of Labor’s long-term plan to rebuild the New South Wales economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
They follow the tragic deaths of four food-delivery riders who were killed on New South Wales roads in late 2020. All of their families fell prey to an out-of-date workers compensation system that denied them any type of statutory compensation because no gig platform chose to hire the riders as employees.  
 
Similar schemes have already been establish in Queensland and Victoria. They’ve also recognised the need for greater workers compensation protection for gig workers.
 
The policies also respond to the rise of insecure and precarious work in the disability, community and home care sectors in New South Wales. 
 
The Commonwealth government recently found that one-in-four disability workers quit to look for a new job every year – more than the three times the turnover of the rest of the health care and social assistance sectors. Most care workers on online platforms are also denied the leave an ordinary worker is entitled to accrue.   
 
 
 NSW Labor’s plan will see a Minns Government:
 

1. Introduce a scheme that provides workers compensation benefits to gig platform workers akin to those currently provided to employees injured in New South Wales workplaces; and
2. Create a portable entitlement scheme for gig, disability, home care and other precarious workers such as those in the community services sector that would allow all workers in these industries to accrue annual leave, long-service leave and other entitlements regardless of whether or not they are classified as employees; and 
3. Extend Chapter 6 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 to include gig workers in the transport industry like rideshare and food delivery workers as well as those engaged to deliver bread, milk and cream so they too have access to minimum rates and conditions; and 
4. Establish discrete and enforceable codes of conduct for WHS work performed by on-demand platforms in the rideshare, food delivery, parcel delivery and disability and home care sectors of the gig economy; and
5. Review the grouping provisions of the Payroll Tax Act 2007 to ensure that on-demand platforms are not obtaining an advantage over other businesses who do not trade in the gig economy. 

 
Labor will tap the expertise of Unions, gig platforms, the state’s major business groups, as well as academics and other independent experts to roll out its plan. They will assist with preparing any necessary legislation, as well as the industry education packages associated with the reforms. For the disability and community service sector, Labor will use the knowledge of disability community representatives and the sector’s peak employer bodies.
 
These initiatives build on the Select Inquiry into the Future of Work NSW Labor set up in the Legislative Council in 2019. The Perrottet government responded by saying they would introduce a workers compensation scheme for gig workers. But their promise vanished after it unleashed a wave of Cabinet leaks and infighting. 
 
Labor Leader Chris Minns said:

The rise of the gig economy has revolutionised the way people can access work. But that shouldn’t mean workers should be left more vulnerable.

“Every single worker in New South Wales has the right to feel safe and supported at work. 

Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for the Gig Economy Daniel Mookhey said
 
“Work has changed, but our laws have not. 
 
“If we have another decade of drift, more New South Wales workers will come home injured. They will go without the support they need to go back to work.” 
 
“We need to act. We need to modernise our laws so they suit how people are working today.”
 
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Workplace Safety, Sophie Cotsis said:
 
“After 12 years of this Liberal and National Government we have seen an erosion of basic rights and entitlements of a growing segment of the working population, particularly women in these key care sectors.
 
“For many have felt abandoned by this Government which has created employment insecurity and hardship and feel deprived of basic entitlements which affects their ability to get a loan, secure rental accommodation and support their families.  
 
“NSW Labor’s policy provides security, dignity and acknowledges the significant contribution of these workers to our society.”    

The next generation of trades workers will be equipped with the skills fundamental to building the smart cities of the future, as part of the NSW Government’s revolutionary new TAFE NSW Institute of Applied Technology for Construction.
 
Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens today announced that Australasia’s leading construction company CPB Contractors and Western Sydney University will join forces with TAFE NSW to pioneer new ways of training at the state-of-the-art $84 million facility at Kingswood.
 
“This innovative partnership will pave the way for students to merge the knowledge gained through university study with the hands-on practical and technical skills acquired through vocational education,” Mr Henskens said.
 
“This is the future of skills and training and the NSW Government is leading the nation in investing in this critical infrastructure which will be a flagship educational centre, supporting the pipeline of major infrastructure projects which will grow the economy and help secure a brighter future for the people of NSW.”
 
Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said together, these partners will revolutionise education and training in Western Sydney by creating industry-led and embedded training programs which will rapidly upskill the local construction workforce.
 
“To have a leader in construction like CPB Contractors as a foundational industry partner for the IAT for Construction puts real muscle behind this venture and will ensure we have a sustainable workforce that will service Western Sydney’s fast-growing population now and into the future,” Mr Ayres said.
 
Managing Director of CPB Contractors Jason Spears said he recognised the need for businesses to leave a lasting skills legacy through innovative collaboration with education providers.
 
“We are seeing unprecedented levels of construction, and this state-of-the-art training facility will equip students with real-world skills to meet current workforce needs while futureproofing Australia’s construction capability,” Mr Spears said.
 
“We are proud to work with TAFE NSW and Western Sydney University to build a new educational model and learning experience that is flexible, scalable, accessible, and promotes greater diversity of thought across the industry.”
 
Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University Professor Barney Glover AO said the Institute will leverage the university’s world-leading expertise in engineering, smart construction, architecture, design, and advanced manufacturing.
 
“This is an exciting new model for education and training. With this Institute, we will co-design and co-deliver highly flexible education programs that integrate research-
led learning with advanced technical and industry-based skills,” Professor Glover said.
 
The Institute of Applied Technology for Construction at TAFE NSW Kingswood is due to open in 2023.
 
For more information, visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/instituteofappliedtechnology.

People across NSW are being urged to tune into their mental health and reach out to the many available services if they need support, this World Mental Health Day.
 
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor is encouraging people to pause and take a moment today to consider how they are feeling.
 
“We may often neglect our mental health to prioritise other areas of our busy lives, so this World Mental Health Day I’m encouraging everyone to take some time to check in with yourself,” Mrs Taylor said.
 
“By taking just a few moments out of the day to focus on yourself, your environment and how you are feeling, you’re already taking small but beneficial steps to support your mental health and wellbeing.”
 
NSW Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Murray Wright, said World Mental Health Day is also a good opportunity to refocus on the things we can do that are good for our mental health.
 
“Working on your mental health gets easier and better with practice, so it is really important to have an awareness of what you can do to feel better,” Dr Wright said.
 
“This could be doing some exercise, taking time for reflection, getting good rest and maintaining social connections with family, friends and colleagues.
 
“We know that once you begin to open up to a trusted person, small chats can lead to really important conversations. Most importantly, if you need help, make sure you reach out for it, whether through your family, friends or mental health services.”
 
More information about Mental Health services and support is available here.
 
The NSW Government announced a record $2.9 billion investment into mental health services as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget.
 
For anyone who is struggling, you can call the below helplines for support and advice: Lifeline 13 11 14 | Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 | Beyond Blue 1300 224636.
 
To be connected with specialist mental health services, call the NSW Mental Health Line 1800 011 511.

Farmers and landholders across the State are being urged to plan ahead and report any flood damage to their properties, with severe weather conditions predicted to surge over the next week.
 
Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said it is critical that landholders are prepared for the wet conditions and encouraged them to report damage using the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) disaster damage survey.
 
“The wet weather period we are experiencing continues to be a real challenge at a critical time for our $21 billion primary industries sector in NSW,” Minister Saunders said.
 
“That’s why it is important for landholders across the State to report any flood damage to their properties, including land, infrastructure and animals.
 
“The survey feedback helps the NSW Government and communities understand the scale and regional distribution of the impact of a disaster on agriculture and better target resources and assistance.”
 
With the forecast for further rainfall and increased flooding over the coming days, livestock producers are reminded that the NSW Government Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA) hotline, 1800 814 647, provides immediate assistance for affected farmers, landowners and communities in isolated areas.
 
“The AASFA hotline provides urgent support in the form of emergency fodder drops, aerial surveillance of your property and veterinary assistance for flood-affected animals and livestock,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“Since the heavy rain began last week, we have already assisted three farmers in Western NSW with emergency fodder drops because their livestock was stranded. We expect this number to increase in the coming days.
 
“I urge landholders needing help with animals to call the hotline so we send immediate help without any risk to their own safety.”
 
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin emphasised how important it was to report natural disaster damage so government assistance could be delivered where it was needed.
 
“Whether it’s flooding at Warren or hail damage at Mangrove Mountain, we need to report the situation to emergency services and NSW DPI to help get support moving as quickly as possible,” Mr Martin said.
 
“Emergency services, local land services and DPI have been very responsive to the needs of farmers and rural communities during the wild weather this year, it’s just unfortunate they’ve had so much practice.
 
“Ultimately we want to see people get through these situations safely and repair and rebuild as quickly as possible, so we can keep growing healthy food for people.”
 
To keep up to date with the latest flood information, visit www.nsw.gov.au/floods and to submit an online natural disaster damage survey, click here.
 
If you’re a beekeeper and have hives in an area described by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) as under a current flood warning, you can move the affected hives to higher ground under the Varroa Mite Emergency Group Permit. For more information, visit the Varroa mite FAQ page.