March 2023 – Page 11

Millions of NSW households could save by switching energy plans

Up to three million households and small businesses across NSW could be saving on their energy bills by switching to a cheaper deal, according to new Government analysis of retail performance data from the Australian Energy Regulator.

The percentage of customers switching their electricity plans in NSW each quarter has hovered at a low average of 5 per cent over the last year, leaving up to 3 million customers potentially paying more than they should by staying with their provider and not shopping around.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s Energy Bill Saver program would help millions of families and small businesses across the state.

“Our program will help millions of hardworking families and small businesses save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills just by shopping around for a better deal,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We will provide an immediate $250 saving for every household, while helping them potentially save hundreds of dollars more by switching to a cheaper plan.

“Only a Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver bill relief for families because of our long-term economic plan to support NSW families and keep our state moving forward.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said this type of cost of living support was only possible because of the Liberal and Nationals Government’s strong economic management and responsible stewardship of the State’s finances.

“This cost of living relief is not bipartisan – the Labor party has announced that it will cut the Energy Bill Saver if it is elected, denying households a guaranteed $250 in energy bill relief and up to $400 more in potential savings the Coalition will deliver,” Mr Kean said.

“The Labor Party does not have a long term economic plan to manage the State’s budget and so they are coming after the budgets of NSW families, denying them cost of living relief that they cannot afford to lose.”

NSW lagged far behind Victoria, where the average switch rate was 22 per cent higher than NSW’s over the same period, representing thousands of customers that had saved on their bills by finding a cheaper alternative.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said that under a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government the $250 payment would be offered via Service NSW from July to eligible account holders who use the Energy Switch comparison tool.

“Customers will be able to claim their $250 payment using the MyService account, making it as seamless as possible to prove your eligibility when completing an online application,” Mr Dominello said.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has the most comprehensive cost of living program in the country. Using Service NSW as the platform, our goal is always to ensure everyone who is eligible knows about these great initiatives and when they go to apply it’s intuitive and simple.”

Source: Energy Made Easy, February 2023

New ambulance station for Northern Beaches community

Liberal candidate for Wakehurst, Toby Williams, has welcomed a major boost to frontline emergency care for residents on the Northern Beaches, with a new ambulance station set to be built near Dee Why.

“A new ambulance station in Dee Why will significantly boost access to frontline health care. It is a gamechanger for our community. As the brother of a paramedic, I have enormous admiration for the amazing work paramedics do in our community,” Mr Williams said.

“A new station in Dee Why will ensure our paramedics have the state of the art infrastructure they deserve, while improving access to care for local residents. This crucial investment is only possible because of the Perrottet Liberal Government’s strong financial record and plan to keep NSW moving forward”.

Minister for Health and Member for Wakehurst Brad Hazzard said the announcement forms part of a record $1.76 billion NSW Government investment which will transform NSW Ambulance services over the next four years with more than 2,000 extra staff, including 1,858 paramedics, and 30 new ambulance stations across NSW.

“Ambulance services are experiencing unprecedented demand and this new station will not only keep us ahead of the curve but provide our hardworking paramedics with first-class facilities as they assist communities in their time of need,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The NSW Government is investing in ambulance stations right across the state to ensure communities continue to receive emergency care when they need it, no matter where they live.”

Member for Manly James Griffin welcomed the news which he says will ensure that the local community has improved access to emergency care when and where they need it most.

“Not only will this new ambulance station boost local health services and bring more jobs to the local area, it will also provide a better working environment for our paramedics who are doing their utmost to serve our community,” Mr Griffin said.

“The new station will feature internal parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, vehicle wash facilities, multipurpose spaces to support staff education and rest, logistics and storage spaces, an office area for administration as well as staff amenities.”

NSW Ambulance identifies suitable locations to improve ambulance response times for patients using best practice modelling software that maps Triple Zero call demands

Mr Griffin said the exact location for the new ambulance station at Dee Why will be determined once further planning is completed which includes working with key stakeholders to identify a suitable site.

“We will shortly commence a process to identify potential sites for the new ambulance station. This process will ensure we best meet the needs of the Northern Beaches community and our emergency staff.”

The NSW Government is committed to increasing the capacity of NSW Ambulance. In total, more than $1 billion is being invested across three major NSW Ambulance infrastructure programs, with more than 100 projects announced since 2014.

The NSW Government’s $1 billion investment in NSW Ambulance infrastructure includes:

Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy ($184 million) – 19 projects – 18 projects completed to date with one due for completion late 2023. Program began 2014
NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program ($615.5 million) 30 projects – 8 in early planning. Program announced in 2022-23 State Budget.
RAIR program Stage 1 & 2 ($232 million) – 54 projects – 39 complete, 15 underway. Program began 2015.

The new ambulance station at Dee Why is being delivered as part of the $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure program, and is additional to local health investments including the Australian-first $19.5 million Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice completed in December and the $600 million Northern Beaches Hospital opened in late 2018.

PM VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to the United States from 11–14 March to meet with the President of the United States, Joseph R Biden, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, in San Diego.

The Prime Minister’s discussions with both leaders will focus on AUKUS, the importance of ensuring an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, and of upholding an international order based on respect for international norms and rules, particularly amidst the global challenges posed by Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.

They will also continue discussions on strong climate change action and its link to global economic growth and job creation, as well as challenges to the global economy, including inflation and energy prices.

This is the first official visit by Prime Minister Albanese to the United States. This year President Biden will also visit Australia for the Quad Leaders’ Summit.

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“Australia has long understood that partnerships and alliances are key to our security – that’s why I’m visiting the United States for this important announcement.”

“Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have a shared interest in preserving peace and upholding the rules and institutions that secure our region and the world.”

“This will be the fifth occasion that I have met with President Biden. This visit comes ahead of the President’s visit to Australia later this year for the Quad Leaders’ Summit. Our discussions in San Diego will focus on AUKUS cooperation and action to address climate change.”

“This will be the second occasion that I have met with Prime Minister Sunak to discuss progress under AUKUS, the implementation of our free trade agreement and our continued support for Ukraine. I look forward to visiting the United Kingdom in May for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.”

Trailbike rider dies in crash – Port Stephens-Hunter Police District

A trailbike rider has died in a two-vehicle crash in the state’s Port Stephens-Hunter Police District yesterday.

About 7.30pm (Friday 11 March 2023), emergency services were called to the intersection of McKeachie Drive and Oakhampton Road at Abberglassyn, near Maitland – after reports a trailbike rider had collided with another vehicle.

Witnesses rendered first aid to the rider – a man believed to be aged in his 20s – before the arrival of NSW Ambulance paramedics; however, he died at the scene.

The driver and single occupant of the other vehicle – a silver Nissan Dualis – a 17-year-old female – was not injured and was taken to Maitland Hospital for mandatory testing.

Officers from the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District established a crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

WORK AND CARE REPORT

A landmark Senate report has called for a major overhaul of Australia’s workplace laws to fix the crisis affecting workers with caring responsibilities.

In the first report of its kind, the Senate Select Committee on Work and Care, chaired by Greens Senator Barbara Pocock, has released key reform recommendations supported by the majority of the committee, including Labor members.

The report recommends:

A right to disconnect from work outside paid hours;
Examine the case for a shorter working week
Moving toward 52 weeks Paid Parental Leave
Childcare: steps towards universal, quality, early childhood education
Lifting pay for care workers in childcare, disability and aged care;
A right to predictable, stable rosters;
Paid sick, carers and holiday leave for casuals

“Australia is mired in a work and care crisis which demands bold reform to fix an economic, gender equity and workforce crisis,” Committee Chair and Greens Senator Barbara Pocock said.

“The committee’s report gives the Government the blueprint it needs to revolutionise our workplace laws so Australians, and particularly women, can find a balance between working and caring responsibilities,” she said.

“Australia is an international outlier in terms of our support for workers with caring responsibilities. We have slipped too far behind. And we are paying a price in labour supply, stressed workers, and gender inequality.

“It is time for a new social contract, fit for the 21st Century workforce, that does not put the burden on workers juggling care responsibilities around their jobs,” Senator Pocock said.

“Our economy now relies as much on women workers as men, and we need a new approach that recognises that nearly all workers at some point in their lives will need to provide care for children, the elderly and disabled.

“We need more than a right to work, we need a right to both work and care,” Senator Pocock said.

Some employers are already seeing the benefits of more flexible working arrangements and are moving to give workers a bigger say in rostering and ensuring the right to disconnect.

“We heard evidence from several employers, including one conducting a trial where workers maintain their full-time wage while working a 4 day week, that giving workers greater control over their rosters can enhance productivity,” said Senator Pocock.

‘Without action, we are loading up women and carers, lowering their earnings, increasing their stress and leaving too many in poverty after a life-time of work and care’.

‘Work-life balance is a remote dream for too many. Especially those living the nightmare of last-minute shift changes which make finding care for loved ones or kids impossible. Unpredictable ‘just in time’ shifts don’t work for workers who look after others.

“We must recognise – and measure – the essential value of unpaid care to our economy and our wellbeing,” Senator Pocock said. “It’s worth at least half the value of GDP. The economy can’t exist without care, without reproduction of the workers of the future,” she said.

“It’s time to give new parents more paid leave when a baby arrives, and to recognise that childcare is an essential part of economic infrastructure, like the roads we use to get to work. Quality, universal care narrows inequality. At present it is too expensive and hard to find in too many places. It should be free,” Senator Pocock said.

“This report argues for a holistic not piecemeal approach. We need to look after carers better, rather than punish them with poverty and punitive work tests. And we need to respond to the changing nature of work by making sure our jobs and technology don’t eat our lives. Many other countries have put limits on working time creating the right to disconnect.

“These measures will help alleviate the pressures of working and caring in Australia. We have been moving in the wrong direction – with fraying job security and increasingly unpredictable working time for too many. It’s time for action in the opposite direction,” said Senator Pocock.

Further support for Vanuatu’s cyclone response

The Australian Government will provide an additional $4.35 million to support the Government of Vanuatu’s response to Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin.

This includes $3.5 million to partners in Vanuatu through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership and Australian Red Cross. This will support people currently in evacuation centres and provide essential items and services for affected communities.

The Australian Government will also provide additional logistics expertise to support the Government of Vanuatu’s coordination of further assessments, response and immediate recovery plans.

HMAS Canberra has arrived in Port Vila, with 600 Australian Defence Personnel, Chinook helicopters, medical facilities and humanitarian supplies, to support the Government of Vanuatu’s response.

Two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft are already in Vanuatu assisting with aerial surveillance and assessments.

Australia’s response is being delivered in close coordination with the Government of Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office, ensuring Australian support and supplies are delivered where they are needed most.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong said:

“This announcement and deployment builds on Australia’s longstanding disaster preparedness and humanitarian assistance activities in Vanuatu and across the region.
“In times of crisis, the Pacific family can rely on Australia to work with them.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP said:

“Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu as the devastating impact of the cyclones becomes clearer.”
“By coordinating closely with the Government of Vanuatu, and delivering support through respected agencies on the ground, this additional assistance will reach those in Vanuatu who need it the most.”

Funding boost for women’s safety in parramatta electorate

Liberal candidate for Parramatta, Katie Mullens, welcomes today’s announcement that public spaces, parklands and transport hubs across the state will undergo a safety overhaul under a re-elected Liberal Government as part of a $30 million boost to the Safer Cities program to ensure women and girls feel safe in public.

“This investment means women in Parramatta will benefit as the Safer Cities program is doubled to deliver important safety upgrades right across NSW.” Ms Mullens said.

“Every single person in Parramatta has the right to feel safe in public and that is why the Perrottet Liberal Government is doubling its investment to boost safety infrastructure in our parks and on our streets so that everyone, but particularly women, feel safe.”

“This funding builds on the Liberal Government’s $787 million investment to deliver important initiatives that boost the safety of women and girls across our state and new initiatives, including the ‘Right to Ask’ scheme.”

Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward said the program was important to improve safety and reduce harassment on our streets.

“This is not a one-off fix and it is critical we continue to engage with women and girls to identify areas that can be improved so women and girls can feel safe in our cities, especially after dark,” Mrs Ward said.

“That’s why a re-elected Liberals and Nationals Government will work with the Women’s Safety Commissioner to roll out a reporting system so women can identify places that feel unsafe.

“I have also instructed the Secretary of Transport undertake a review to consider how existing practices and infrastructure could be bolstered to improve the safety, comfort and confidence of women who use public transport.”

The Safer Cities Program has three goals, which are aligned with the UN Safer Cities for Girls program:

Increasing women and girls’ safety and access to public spaces
Enabling women and girls to move freely and alone in their community
Increasing women and girls’ engagement with how the spaces around them are designed and managed

Final locations to receive funding will be recommended by NSW Government agencies based on a range of factors including BOCSAR data.

These announcements build upon the NSW Liberal’s recent commitments to boosting women’s safety, including:

$20 million for up to 200 additional electronic monitoring devices to monitor domestic violence offenders;
Rental bonds to help victim-survivors of domestic violence to help rebuild their lives;
Reviewing all sentences for domestic violence related offences;
Funding a specialise Domestic and Family Violence list in three locations and give additional magistrates; and,
Undertaking a feasibility study into establishing a dedicated Domestic and Family Violence court.

The NSW Liberal Government has also introduced the ‘Right to Ask’ scheme, where people can find out if their partner has a history of domestic violence offences.

Funding boost for grassroots sport in Riverstone

Liberal candidate for Riverstone Mohit Kumar has met with Schofields Junior Rugby League Club to talk about the benefits they’ll receive from more than $8,000 in funding thanks to the NSW Government’s Local Sports Grants Program.

Funding for the popular rugby league club would help turbocharge participation across all age groups and bring the community closer together.

“It is so important we continue supporting our local sporting clubs. They are the life-blood of our communities and key to ensuring our kids live a healthy and happy lifestyle,” Mr Kumar said.

The Local Sport Grant Program aims to support grassroots sporting clubs to increase participation, host events, improve access, and enhance sport and recreation facilities.

Grants of between $2,000 and $10,000 per project were available with up to $50,000 available in each electorate.

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the program will encourage people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of sport and active recreation.

“This funding will provide a cash injection to help improve sport facilities, enhance accessibility and hold new and exciting events and development programs,” Mr Henskens said.

“No government has invested in community sport like the Liberal and Nationals, and this program is another example of the more than $2 billion we’ve pumped into grassroots community sports infrastructure and programs.”

Schofields Junior Rugby League Club President Robert Mckinlay said the funding would help to lead training initiatives and purchase field equipment to attract and support premier coaching staff.

“We want to make sure we continue attracting the best coaching talent in the area to support our junior players in their athletic development and their appreciation of the game,” Mr Mckinlay said.

More information about the program is available online.

$100,000 announced for North Ryde & Gladesville libraries

Liberal candidate for Ryde, Jordan Lane, welcomes the NSW Government’s announcement today that North Ryde and Gladesville libraries will receive $100,000 in funding thanks to the NSW Liberal Government’s Public Library Infrastructure Grant program.

“Funding will be used to upgrade furniture and shelving at both North Ryde and Galesville libraries.” Mr Lane said.

“Thanks to the Perrottet Liberal Government, our Ryde electorate will have upgraded Library facilities in both North Ryde and Gladesville that will continue to offer services to the local community.

“I am delighted that see the continued investment of the Perrottet Liberal Government in the local Ryde community.”

NSW Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said 21 local councils across the State will share in $6 million in funding for infrastructure projects this year to extend and improve public library buildings, spaces and information technology for local communities.

“Well-resourced libraries contribute to community resilience with quality facilities, great collections and access to the Internet, and we are pleased to help councils to upgrade these critical services,” Mr Franklin said.

“An overall record investment of over $40 million will be provided to councils this year in support of libraries, with further increases locked in for next year and beyond. This is in addition to the record $165 million that the NSW Liberal Government has committed for the next four years, ensuring that our libraries can continue to thrive

$55,000 in creative capital funding to deliver improvements to north Ryde school of arts

Liberal candidate for Ryde, Jordan Lane, is delighted with the Perrottet Liberal Government’s announcement today that Ryde will benefit from $55,000 for the refurbishment of the North Ryde School of Arts thanks to the NSW Government’s Creative Capital program.

The refurbishment of the North Ryde School of Arts is one of 82 projects sharing in a total of $11.7 million funding under the second round of Minor Works and Equipment Projects. These projects are the latest to receive funding as part of the $72 million Creative Capital initiative launched in 2021.

“The North Ryde School of Arts is the primary community performance space in Ryde.” Mr Lane said.

“Refurbishment will include stage, lighting, audio systems and performer facility upgrades that will increase the functionality of the venue to accommodate a greater range of performance and creative activities for the people in the Ryde electorate and surrounds.

“I welcome the NSW Government’s investment to improving arts and cultural venues to be fit-for-purpose for the Ryde community, enhancing access and supporting the local economy.

“This funding will help us deliver state-of-the-art improvements and ensure our local audiences and visitors enjoy high quality cultural experiences. I am delighted the Perrottet Liberal Government has made this possible for Ryde.”

Minister Franklin said this Creative Capital funding will pay dividends for the community of Ryde by delivering a much-needed facility upgrade.

“The NSW Government’s $72 million Creative Capital program aims to boost equity and access to arts and culture facilities for the people of NSW. With 165 projects across the state, more people will have access to top-class arts and cultural experiences,” Mr Franklin said.

“NSW is known for producing world-class arts and cultural experiences. It’s critical that the cultural infrastructure in our state matches our artistic aspirations, and we have gold-standard facilities to showcase this extraordinary creative talent,” Mr Franklin said.

“Everyone deserves access to high-quality creative experiences, and the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s ongoing commitment to creating world-class arts and cultural infrastructure ensures the NSW creative sector has the capacity to innovate, reach new audiences and develop skills.”

Further details on the Creative Capital program are available on the Create NSW website at www.create.nsw.gov.au.