October 2022 – Page 8

COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT DELIVERS $6 MILLION TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S TELETHON

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today announced the Commonwealth Government has committed $6 million towards this year’s Western Australia Telethon fundraising appeal.

Telethon is an annual televised fundraising appeal in Western Australia and is broadcast live for 26 hours.

Now in its 55th year, over the past five decades Telethon has raised more than $457 million for sick and disadvantaged children.

The funding supports medical research, children’s hospitals and critical services for children with a disability. Key beneficiaries include the Telethon Kids Institute, a medical research institute based at Perth Children’s Hospital, WA Child Research Fund and Lions Eye Institute.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Telethon is a Western Australian institution and it was an honour to attend today and announce the Commonwealth’s contribution to this worthy cause.

“Just a few weeks ago I met Emily and Ari, two of this year’s Little Telethon Stars, and I was blown away by their enthusiasm and excitement despite the individual challenges they have faced.

“Telethon wouldn’t happen without the generosity of Western Australian’s who dig deep every year.

“Thank you to the organisers and volunteers, Little Telethon Stars Ari, Emily and Leo, the WA Government, and businesses and the Western Australian community for donating to this very special cause.”

Australia-European Union Framework Agreement enters into force

The Framework Agreement between the European Union and Australia, which provides a platform for closer collaboration across our full strategic relationship, enters into force today.

The Agreement has now been ratified by Australia, the European Union and all EU member states, after being signed in 2017.

Today is a significant milestone, as the Agreement will help advance negotiations of an Australia-EU Trade Agreement and pave the way for closer collaboration on key bilateral and multilateral issues.

These issues include climate change and the environment, sustainable development, human rights and democracy, education, culture, research and innovation, trade and investment, tourism, and security.

Our partnership with the EU has never been more important.

Australia and the EU are united in our response to Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. We continue to work together to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold Russia accountable for its actions.

We cooperate closely in the Indo-Pacific to promote a region that is peaceful and stable, governed by accepted rules and norms, and where all countries and peoples can cooperate, trade and thrive.

The EU is Australia’s third largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign investment. Enhanced links will contribute to energy security and facilitate investment in renewable energy and the development of secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chains.

Australia particularly welcomes the opportunity to work even more closely with the EU on addressing the climate crisis. We share an unwavering commitment to ambitious domestic and international action to implement the Paris Agreement, support energy transitions and climate resilience globally.

Ending pay secrecy alone won’t close gender pay gap

The Greens welcome the announcement this week that the government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill will include new rules to end pay secrecy clauses to stop employees from discussing how much they get paid, something the Greens have previously sought to legislate for.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson for Women, Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Pay secrecy has been an ongoing contributor to the gender pay gap.

“Abolishing mandatory pay secrecy is what my 2015 Fair Work Amendment (Gender Pay Gap) Bill proposed, and we are glad that the new Government has now adopted that approach.

“Employment contracts that insist on pay secrecy have been used to hide the gender pay gap. Removing employee pay gag clauses will create a more level playing field for women in the workplace.

“However, this move is not the panacea to close the persistent gender pay gap. The latest gender pay gap stats released yesterday show we need to ensure women-dominated occupations are remunerated in a way that better reflects their value to society.

“The easiest way to close the gender pay gap is to pay women more. The government could legislate for above average wage increases over 10 years in women-dominated industries, which would provide a much-needed boost to women’s economic security and ensure we can attract and retain staff in these critical sectors.

“The Workplace Gender Equality Agency should also be given more powers to tackle gender inequality in the workplace, including preventing companies who are not working to reduce their pay gap from getting government contracts, and requiring organisations to report on the volume of sexual harassment complaints (including actions taken) and use non-disclosure agreements.

“We welcome this first step, but women still have to work an extra 60 days to earn the same average salary as men, and the gender pay gap won’t close just because workers are allowed to talk about it,” concluded Senator Waters.

Labor must establish National Energy Transition Authority in Budget

The Greens say coal workers and communities deserve a National Energy Transition Authority in Tuesday’s budget in the wake of Queensland and Victoria announcing plans to bring forward the closure of coal-fired power plants.

Greens spokesperson on Industry, Transition and Regional Development Senator Penny Allman-Payne says the workers and community members she recently met with in the Latrobe Valley, Hunter region and her own hometown of Gladstone were unanimous in their support for the urgent establishment of a National Energy Transition Authority.

Senator Allman-Payne introduced the Greens’ National Energy Transition Authority Bill to parliament in September. It has been referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics which will report on 14 March next year.

Greens spokesperson on Industry, Transition and Regional Development Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

“Recent announcements by Queensland and Victoria show that Australian governments are finally calling time on coal-fired power. But we can’t afford to let the transition to a renewable energy economy happen in a disjointed and haphazard way.

“We need a national body to help coordinate and fund this potentially national-building transformation. The Greens’ National Energy Transition Authority would work with communities, workers, unions, energy companies and governments at all levels to plan the pipeline of clean energy projects, and ensure a bright future for former coal workers and regional communities.

“I’ve met with many of these workers and communities and they all say the same thing. The ground is shifting rapidly under their feet, they can see the writing on the wall and they want the government to help them plan their futures.

“We know from similar energy transition bodies in Europe that if you plan the transition, workers can move into new well-paid jobs, be redeployed through industry-wide pooling or benefit from early retirement.

“The Greens are ready to negotiate with Labor to deliver a National Energy Transition Authority. We know that there is support in the Parliament for it, and we know that coal communities are keen to see it happen.

“The clock is ticking. The government needs to show that it’s listening to workers and regional communities by establishing a National Energy Transition Authority in next week’s budget.”

Capital works top $100 million as City of Newcastle confirms outcome of financial year

City of Newcastle (CN)’s annual financial report confirms the city invested more than $100 million into infrastructure projects last year, as part of a stimulus program to buffer the local the economy during the pandemic.

Audited financial statements for the financial year 2021/22 show CN delivered $100.6 million in key infrastructure projects, following on from $102.3 million spent the year before, again as a response to the economic impact of COVID-19.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said last year’s budget was strategically boosted to address the economic impacts of COVID-19 on the local community, a move made possible by CN’s strong financial record.

“There’s no doubt COVID-19 placed significant strain on our community and our budget, however as a Council we understand the importance of providing targeted responses and support for those in need,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Council unanimously voted in August 2021 to spend an extra $10 million on additional COVID support measures to stimulate the local economy and help create more than 100 new jobs.”

“This decision, which was made in the midst of a pandemic-enforced lockdown that would ultimately last for more than two months, was only possible due to our strong financial position, a legacy of delivering six consecutive operating surpluses prior to the pandemic.”

While the capital works boost resulted in CN running a $12.5 million deficit if revenue from capital grants and contributions are excluded, CN still recorded a $20 million turnaround in its financial performance from the year before.

In addition to the impacts of the three-month lockdown of Newcastle from August last year was the Wickham fires, which cost $2.5 million in clean-up costs, and to date remains outstanding by the owners of the two demolished buildings.

The Newcastle Airport, which is 50 per cent owned by CN, also suffered a $2.3 million loss versus a forecast profit of $4.0 million.

However, with the impacts of COVID-19 continuing to reduce, CN is forecasting a budget surplus this year of $1.3 million despite a record $132 million infrastructure spend.

The City remains in a strong financial position with net assets of $1.91 billion and total cash reserves of more than $363 million, including unrestricted reserves of $26.6 million.

Cr Nelmes said CN would continue to deliver high-quality services and projects in a financially responsible way.

Highlights of the capital works program delivered in 2021/22 include:

$16.6 million on renewal and maintenance of the city’s roads
$14.1 million on waste management including planning for the organic waste processing facility
$11.3 million on transport projects
$10.6 million on city centre and urban centre revitalisation
$8.8 million on recreation parks, sporting facilities and open spaces including the $1.5 million Wallsend Active Hub
$7 million on the environment including $3.6 million on coast, estuary and wetlands
$4.9 million on renewal and maintenance of the stormwater network
$4.3 million on coastal revitalisation
$3.7 million on aquatics facilities including the first stage of the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade project
$3.5m on fleet renewal
$1.8 million on the expansion of the Newcastle Art Gallery

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said while COVID-19 had caused obvious financial challenges, prudent economic management had allowed CN to increase its support for the community without risking its track record of financial sustainability.

“Our financial statements have been audited by the NSW Audit Office who issued an unqualified opinion for the 2021/22 financial year, which is an outstanding result. CN also outperformed the benchmarks in all but one of the six financial key performance ratios set by the Office Local Government,” Mr Bath said.

“Prudent financial management again enabled us to cope with the economic impacts of COVID-19 and support our community when they needed it most,” Mr Bath said.

“Increasing our works program to $100 million for the second consecutive year helped stimulate the local economy and create new employment opportunities, with every one million dollars we spend generating about 10 new local jobs.

“Importantly, the works were fully funded from the City’s cash reserves, which have been built on the back of six years of strong financial management and surpluses.

“While we’ve felt the enormous impacts of the past three COVID-affected financial years, the underlying financial strength of our organisation and hard work of our staff has ensured we are well positioned to support existing services and invest in new and upgraded infrastructure to improve the livelihood and wellbeing of our community.”

Libs: Labor backs illegal strikes

Tonight NSW Labor voted against proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act which sought to impose bigger penalties for unions taking illegal strike action in breach of orders made by the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).

Under the proposed amendments, the maximum penalty that could have been imposed on unions or employers for contravention of dispute orders would have been aligned with those available in Queensland and in the federal industrial relations jurisdiction.

Minister for Employee Relations Damien Tudehope said that it was disappointing that Labor chose to support industrial disharmony and chaos for the people of NSW by voting against the proposed amendments.

“In recent times, unions have repeatedly chosen to ignore orders of the IRC prohibiting industrial action. The amendments proposed by the NSW Government were intended to deter unions from flouting IRC orders and disrupting essential services for the people of NSW,” Mr Tudehope said.

“This kind of illegal action interferes with the lives and livelihoods of ordinary workers and small business owners and should not be cheered on by the Labor party.

“These unions have deep pockets and consider the current penalties as a minor cost of doing business. Without increasing penalties, we can expect Labor’s year of the strike to continue.”

Labor’s position follows their conference over the weekend where parliamentarians gave Rail, Tram and Bus Union boss Alex Claassens a standing ovation after a speech promising to continue his political campaign of strikes.

Last week, the Supreme Court of NSW handed down a $60,000 fine to the NSW Teachers Federation for industrial action organised and promoted by the union in breach of dispute orders made by the IRC. The Court noted the union’s annual revenue from memberships alone is $37 million.

The Court held the breaches were ‘inimical to the orderly conduct of the conciliation and arbitration system established by the [Industrial Relations] Act’.

Penalties for breaching dispute orders can only be applied against industrial organisations or employers and not against the individuals or workers participating in industrial action.

Tech Central Scaleup Hub opens its doors

Sydney’s Tech Central has further cemented itself as the country’s premier technology innovation district with the official opening today of a new scaleup hub on Pitt Street.

Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens said the Tech Central Scaleup Hub, run by Stone & Chalk, is designed to help Australian technology scaleups and startups grow, create jobs and attract world-leading companies to NSW.

“The Scaleup Hub is right in the heart of Sydney’s Tech Central District and is at the forefront of the NSW Government’s strategy to attract investment, accelerate growth and ensure the jobs of the future are created here in NSW,” Mr Henskens said.

“Set across six levels and 8,000 square metres of open and flexible space, the hub will help draw companies to Sydney and continue our push to make Sydney the major technology hub of the Asia Pacific.”

Stone & Chalk CEO Michael Bromley said several innovative tech companies working in advanced manufacturing, Fintech and education are already in place and working from the hub, with opportunities for more to join.

“This is Stone & Chalk’s second hub in Sydney and builds on our mission to help transform NSW into a sustainable technology-driven economy,” Mr Bromley said.

“We are calling on cutting-edge companies looking to expand and grow to set up in the scaleup hub and take advantage of all the exciting opportunities that Tech Central has to offer.”

Country manager of new resident 3D printing company Nano Dimension, Omer Tangi, said the hub’s proximity to leading industry experts and institutions such as the University of Technology was a major drawcard.

“As an international scaleup this is our first location in Australia and we are excited to be around other innovative scaleups as we use advanced 3D printing technologies to reshape and redefine the future of electronics production,” Mr Tangi said.

“Proximity to world-class universities such as UNSW and UTS plus other Tech Central residents including Atlassian, Commonwealth Bank and Cicada Innovations is great for our growing company.”

The new Scaleup Hub will support the NSW Government’s target of bringing 25,000 future-focused innovation jobs to NSW.

For more information, visit https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/living-working-and-business/tech-central-scaleup-hub/.

More school choice for growing South West Sydney community

Schools in a growing community of South West Sydney will be part of an innovative approach offering families the choice of attending one of three local primary schools. 

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said three public schools in Denham Court, Leppington and Edmondson Park will have a shared intake area from 2023 to maximise the use of the local school facilities. 

“The new intake model will allow the rapidly growing area to better utilise the new schools being delivered,” Ms Mitchell said.  

“This responsive approach allows us to be more flexible in how schools take students in through their enrolment boundaries, while still providing certainty to families. 

“In order to make sure every family in the area has a place at a great local school for their child, from next year they will have the option to send their child to either Denham Court Public School, Edmondson Park Public School or Leppington Public School.”

Ms Mitchell highlighted how more than $1 billion of investment into public school infrastructure has been delivered or in the pipeline in South West Sydney.

“This approach is about balancing enrolment demand in the growth area. We will continue to work with communities as the local area changes and grows.”

A unique legislative cap is in place at Denham Court Public School which places a limit on the number of students and staff allowed onsite. Siblings of current Denham Court Public School students will be prioritised for the 2023 intake.

Next year is the first year of operation for the new Edmondson Park Public School. An upgrade at Leppington Public School has also been funded as part of the NSW Government’s historic school building program.   

An enrolment panel, made up of the local school leadership, teachers and school community members, will determine applications. 

The NSW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This builds on the more than $9.1 billion invested in projects delivered since 2017, representing an overall public education infrastructure program of $17.7 billion.

State’s toughest ever organised crime laws pass parliament

The NSW Government has armed law enforcement with new powers to confiscate unexplained wealth and the proceeds of crime with tough new laws targeting organised crime passing NSW Parliament.

The laws are part of a suite of game changing reforms introduced by the NSW Government that target organised crime, including tougher penalties for money laundering and new offences to target the use of dedicated encrypted criminal communication devices.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said the NSW Government has acted swiftly to provide law enforcement with exactly what it needs to tackle the changing face of organised crime.

“These are the State’s toughest ever organised crime laws and will cut organised criminals off at the source, incapacitating them financially so they can no longer reap the benefits of their insidious crimes,” Mr Toole said.

“In the last six months alone we have introduced world-leading legislation, tougher penalties and new powers to put our police and law enforcement agencies in the strongest position yet to fight organised crime.

“Gone are the days when criminal gangs can slip under the radar and hide their ill-gotten gains. If you are living the high life off the proceeds of crime, expect a knock at the door from police with a warrant to seize your most prized possessions.

“The NSW Government is backing our police every step of the way and these reforms are exactly what police they tell us they need to attack the very core of these criminal networks and keep our communities safe.”

The organised crime reforms the NSW Government has introduced in the last six months include:

New powers for law enforcement to confiscate unlawfully acquired assets of major convicted drug traffickers
Enhanced powers for law enforcement to target and confiscate unexplained wealth
Expanded powers for law enforcement to stop and search for unexplained wealth and more effectively investigate organised crime
New money laundering offences for those dealing with and caught trying to disguise the proceeds of general crime.
A new offence that prohibits the possession of a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device (DECCD) – and orders to target high risk individuals likely to use them
New powers to enable police to direct a person to provide access to a digital device, which is akin to gaining the keys to a safe
New laws for the security industry to target industry integrity and safeguard against misconduct and organised crime
New laws for the scrap metal industry to strengthen registration requirements and make it harder for illegitimate dealers who pay criminals cash in exchange for stolen parts and property to operate
New laws making it illegal for members of a criminal organisation to hold a tattoo licence.

New South Wales Acting Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the reforms will target organised criminals from every angle and are a huge asset in the fight against organised crime.

“We will seize their illegally acquired assets, take away their loopholes, and ban their methods of communication,” Acting Commissioner Lanyon said.

“We are committed to using every power available to us in the dismantling of criminal networks across this State.”

Major work kicks off at new Sydney Olympic park metro station

Large-scale excavation has kicked off at the new game-changing Sydney Olympic Park Metro Station, one of nine underground railway stations on the future 24-kilometre Sydney Metro West line.

Sydney Metro West is fully-funded by the NSW Government. The NSW Government is investing $12.4 billion over next four years, including $3.2 billion in 2022-23 to support major construction.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott today visited the Sydney Olympic Park site today, where major work is starting on the station.

Mr Perrottet said the new Sydney Metro West line would provide a vital transport link to a growing Western Sydney and deliver world-class metro services to more communities.

“Our Government is transforming the way that people move around Sydney, investing more than $76 billion in transport infrastructure across the state, including more than $16 billion in Western Sydney alone,” Mr Perrottet said.

“The centerpiece of this investment is Sydney Metro, the biggest public transport project in Australia.

“Work is now underway to excavate 468,000 tonnes of rock and soil – the equivalent to 78 Olympic swimming pools – to make way for a state-of-the-art metro station at Sydney Olympic Park.

“This new transport link will further reinforce Sydney Olympic Park’s status as a premier events, sporting, and entertainment precinct, supporting the transit of more than 10 million people who visit or stay each year.”

Mr Elliott also announced that two mega tunnel boring machines are now on site at The Bays, which will carve out 11-kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels on the Sydney Metro West line.

“Two mega tunnel boring machines located at The Bays have the important job of carving out 11-kilometre twin tunnels from The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park, bringing Sydney’s booming west one step closer to a world-class rapid metro system in their own backyard.” Mr Elliott said.

“When passenger services start in 2030, Sydney Metro will open the door for more people to explore this dynamic destination, providing a major boost for the area.

“Enjoying a day out at this sporting and entertainment precinct will be more accessible than ever – a metro train will take you from Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park in just five minutes, and from the Sydney CBD it will take just 15 minutes.”

Sydney Metro Chief Executive Peter Regan said once the station box is complete, it will be used as the extraction site for four of the six tunnel boring machines used to construct the twin tunnels for Sydney Metro West.

“When this fully accessible station is complete it will provide increased capacity for customers during major events, including two dedicated event-mode entrances,” Mr Regan said.

“Sydney Olympic Park metro station will be located to the south of the existing Olympic Park Station and provide easy interchange with the planned Parramatta Light Rail, the T7 Olympic Park Line, and buses.”

Excavation of the station is expected to take around 13 months to complete and will include the installation of 114 active anchors and 467 passive bolts, and 2151 rock bolts to support the station box structure, as digging progresses to a depth of around 27-metres.

The excavation work has started on the station boxes for Sydney Metro West stations at The Bays, Burwood North and Sydney Olympic Park. The first tunnel boring machine will arrive at Sydney Olympic Park in late 2024.