Month: July 2023

The first round of the new Towards Zero Safer Roads Program has kicked off with the NSW Government investing $41 million to improve road safety across the state’s regional areas. 

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The program’s opening round, which will run until the 2024/25 financial year, will initially prioritise planning of 27 new projects and the roll out and completion of a further 11 safety upgrades in regional NSW.

These projects will deliver important road infrastructure at high-risk locations that can help save lives. This includes wide centre lines, safety barriers, rumble strips and shoulder widening.

The Towards Zero Safer Roads Program aligns with the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan, reflecting the government’s dedication to achieving this goal.

The new program builds on the success of the previous Safer Roads Program, which is estimated to have saved up to 1550 serious injuries and lives over the lifetime of the program.

For info on the projects funded see the Round 1 – Regional Projects (PDF 176KB)launch.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“Regional drivers make up one-third of our road users, yet nearly 70% of fatalities occur on country roads. In our country towns everyone knows everyone – any death or serious injury echoes through the entire community. They are not just numbers, they are people we know and love. 

“Reducing road trauma on country roads is a key focus for the Minns Labor Government. This initial $41 million investment for 38 projects will help make the journeys on regional state roads safer, now and into the future, as we strive towards our goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on NSW roads.

“Road safety infrastructure, such as wide centre lines are estimated to reduce head-on crashes by 50% and run-off road crashes by up to 25%. Additionally, safety barriers can reduce the severity of a crash by up to 95%, minimising the chances of a death or a serious injury.

“We want drivers to get home safely each night to their loved ones and this investment will ensure we are heading in the right direction to achieve that.”

Street sweeping vehicles in regional NSW and the south-west of Sydney are using dashboard-mounted cameras linked to a machine-learning program to assist councils better maintain local roads.

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Designed and built in NSW by Deloitte, Asset AI software will highlight and eventually predict critical safety issues like damaged signage, faded line markings, potholes and rutting, and escalate them based on severity and safety risk to council maintenance planners.

As it develops over time, the artificial intelligence software will draw on weather data and learn to predict issues like potholes or cracks before they even form.

The NSW Government is backing the next phase of the Asset AI pilot project as preventative road maintenance can slash costs for councils by reducing the reliance on time-consuming and costly road audits while also extending the lifespan of asphalt and bitumen roads through timely intervention.

Traditionally, councils carry out road audits every 3 to 5 years, but Asset AI has the potential to deliver a snapshot of the condition of the NSW local road network every fortnight in future. 

Canterbury-Bankstown and Griffith have been chosen for the trial to ensure the platform meets the needs of both regional NSW and metropolitan areas. An earlier phase of the pilot used Transport for NSW vehicles. 

Based on the success of data capture in Griffith and Canterbury-Bankstown, the technology could be rolled out to more councils from 2024.

Asset AI received a $2.9 million funding co-contribution through the NSW Government’s Smart Places Acceleration Program, a special reservation under the Digital Restart Fund.

Other councils that have expressed interest in being involved in the development of Asset AI as it progresses include Georges River, Blayney, Central Coast, Liverpool, Wingecarribee, Warren Shire, Liverpool Plains, Tamworth, Wollongong, Murray River, and Shoalhaven.

Minister for Roads John Graham:  

“Keeping roads safe and in good condition are some of the biggest challenges for local councils. This platform will help cut costs, accelerate maintenance and prioritise safety.

“The data to fuel the machine-learning will be gathered from Canterbury-Bankstown and Griffith so that we are sure the software meets the needs of regional and metropolitan councils in NSW.

“One of the most exciting aspects is that the system will begin to draw on weather data and learn to predict issues like potholes or cracks before they form and help councils prioritise repairs based on potential future risk. 

“This will keep NSW at the forefront of technology-led solutions to what are some of the most essential services for all communities. No one wants to see potholes on the roads and this could be part of seeing fewer of them in future.” 

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:

“Regional councils have large sprawling road networks that are built differently to city roads and can be particularly challenging to audit and maintain. 

“Last year’s extreme rainfall highlighted the battle regional councils face tracking and prioritising work in the wake of natural disasters. With this platform they can get a snapshot within a day of what has been impacted, as well as a recommendation of where to send crews first.” 

David Elliott, CEO of Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia NSW & ACT: 

“We are excited to be at the forefront of this transformative project. The introduction of Asset AI represents a massive leap forward in how we manage and maintain our roads in NSW. 

“This initiative will significantly reduce the time and cost associated with traditional road audits, freeing up valuable resources for councils across the state. It’s a game-changer for the way road maintenance will be approached.”

Bilal El-Hayek, Canterbury-Bankstown Council Mayor:

“City of Canterbury Bankstown is pleased to be the first metropolitan Council involved in the initial trial and council will now install cameras on its street sweepers. This new technology will help inform the program of works to manage the conditions of the road network more effectively.” 

Find out more about Asset AIlaunch

The NSW Government is calling on artists and other creative industries practitioners across the state to help craft the first-ever Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Policy for NSW.

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Minister for the Arts John Graham today released a discussion paper, A New Look At Culture, which focuses on how to grow the Arts and Cultural sector – an employer of almost one in ten people in Greater Sydney – in a way that is led by the people involved in the arts and creative industries. 

The discussion process seeks to understand what’s working, what’s not working and what fresh ideas will propel the sector forward.

To achieve this, an extensive consultation process will be undertaken across the state, including at least 11 in-person townhall meetings from Bega to Dubbo, Lismore to Tamworth and across Greater Sydney, with meetings in Liverpool, Penrith and Newcastle, as well as online meetings.

The discussion paper outlines 3 considerations for the sector to respond to:

• A new look at people: How can we create better, more inclusive, support and pathways for practitioners in the arts, culture and creative industries?  
• A new look at infrastructure: How can we create and improve sustainable access to spaces, programs and other support for all aspects of artistic and cultural activity?  
• A new look at audiences: How can we grow local, national and international audiences for cultural experiences, for the benefit of our community and the broader economy?   

Minister for Arts, John Graham said:

“It’s time to bring our arts and creative industries together with 1 policy. Australia’s cultural and creative activity contributes $122.3 billion to Australia’s economy. In Greater Sydney the creative industries account for 9% of the workforce. It should be a bigger part of our state’s story, our economy and sense of itself. 

“The principal priority will be to deliver a strategy that aims to grow the arts and creative industries sector in NSW. Our arts and cultural sector is still reeling from the most disruptive period in modern times. Having survived a decade of lockouts and lockdowns, the industry is now beset by serious economic headwinds. A vision to grow the arts sector in NSW and propel us forward must account for these impacts and include effective strategies to address them.” 

“Creative workers build and support the foundations of our established ‘traditional’ arts institutions. This consultation is an opportunity to participate in the discovery of a new culture for this state, identify specific issues, share lived experiences and offer novel solutions to bring the cultural economy to life.” 

“A series of public in-person and online discussions will take place right across NSW to ensure individuals and organisations in the creative industries can get involved and have their say. Whether you’re a novelist in country NSW who is yet to be published, or the CEO of a major arts company in inner Sydney, we want to hear from you.”

“What you say will help shape this new policy and in turn, our state.  We understand that artists and workers haven’t got the time to consult just for consultation’s sake. This is not about generating a report that will just sit on a desk somewhere.  We will report back to you by the end of the year, and we want to know what is working, what isn’t working, and your big ideas for us to consider.”

Individuals and organisations from the arts and creative industries are encouraged to join the conversation and share their ideas by:  

• submitting a written, audio or video submission onlinelaunch
• attending 1 of the many in-person or virtual town hall discussions across Greater Sydney and regional NSW
• submitting a response to the discussion paper by post
• submitting a response to the discussion paper by email.

Submissions are open until 31 August 2023. Read the discussion paper and submit your feedback onlinelaunch.

Patients suffering from hard-to-treat bacterial infections across NSW will soon have better access to limb and life-saving therapy known as phage therapy.

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Minister for Medical Research David Harris today announced the NSW Government will invest $3.5 million over the next 2 years to urgently address an ongoing global manufacturing bottleneck in delivering phage therapy.

Bacteriophages or ‘phages’ are viruses that selectively infect bacteria and can kill them. With increasing concern of antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide, phage therapy research is taking place as an alternative or addition to traditional antibiotics.

Mr Harris said the NSW Government investment will increase phage therapy access for patients with serious bacterial infections, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), sepsis and prosthetic infections.

“NSW is a world leader in the development of phage therapy, however, we know there is a global manufacturing bottleneck due to the very few facilities worldwide that can manufacture high-quality phage products. This is severely limiting supply which impacts the delivery of this treatment.” Mr Harris said.

“This significant investment will allow NSW experts to increase manufacturing capabilities right here in NSW via the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) and bypass the international issues that are slowing down access.

“This is a win for patients and a boost for our local clinical research bodies.”

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the investment will help drive innovation in the development of phage therapies.

“Phage therapies are an exciting field of medicine and could be the answer to the rapidly growing problem of antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases,” Mr Park said.

“We know that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing global health systems and can lead to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.”

Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology at WIMR and founder of Phage Australia, Professor Jon Iredell, welcomed the announcement.

“Phage Australia opened a new clinical trial last year to treat patients around Australia and we are thrilled to have treated 30 patients so far. However, we have had to restrict the size of the trial due to limited access to high-quality phage preparations,” Prof. Iredell said.

“These funds will increase local manufacturing capability at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, which until now has only been able to treat 1 patient per month.

“This means we can double current capacity and begin to address the growing demand from around Australia and from overseas, for NSW-manufactured phage therapies.”

Mr Harris announced the funding at a meeting with visiting international Professors interested in the research on phage therapy being undertaken by Phage Australia.

Hosted by senior executives within the NSW Health Division of Clinical Innovation and Research, the meeting showcased the work of Phage Australia and included discussions about how best to collaborate and innovate in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Phage Australia are world leaders in the development and manufacture of phage therapy. It is a national consortium and key NSW members include Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and the University of Sydney. So far, patients have been treated in NSW at hospitals including within Western Sydney Local Health District and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.

The work to implement stage 2 of the Minns Labor Government’s landmark rental reforms is underway, with consultations open across the state. 

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After 12 years without a voice, the Minns government is asking renters – along with owners and industry – for their views on critical changes to make renting fairer.

Through this process, people in NSW can comment on changes that will help transform the system and bring it into the 21st century, including;

• ending no grounds evictions by requiring a reason to end a lease
• making it easier for renters to have pets
• protecting renters’ personal information and privacy
• making it easier to transfer rental bonds from one property to another
• other ways to improve conditions for renters and take the pressure off.

The move paves the way for legislation to be introduced by the end of the year.

Aside from rental reforms, the Minns Government is taking steps to increase housing supply across the state with high-quality new homes to put downward pressure on rents.

That work includes an audit of surplus public land that could be rezoned for housing, speeding up project approvals and establishing the NSW Building Commission.

People in NSW can have their say on the rental reforms until August 11 2023.

Get more information and Have Your Say on the improving NSW rental lawslaunch

Minister for Fair Trading and Better Regulation Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Renters are under extreme pressure in a tight market, but they’re also saddled with unfair and outdated rules that make life even harder.

“We’re getting on with our commitment to rebalance the equation, give renters more protections and let them get on with their lives.

“We want to hear from everyone because renters and owners need each other, and they both need a fair set of rules.

“This consultation will give people across the state a voice on what they think of changes to improve stability and fairness in the current rental environment and into the future.”

The Broken Hill community has been given a first look at designs for the new purpose-built Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit which will provide a modern and contemporary therapeutic space for people with mental health needs, their families, carers and staff.

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Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said the new co-designed facility will be built on the Broken Hill Base Hospital campus in Thomas Street, and will provide safe and reliable care for vulnerable people now and into the future.

“Having a space which complements recovery and is close to other related health services is essential. The design of this facility shows the future of mental health care in Broken Hill,” Ms Jackson said.

“We want to ensure communities in regional areas have access to comprehensive facilities and services to provide elevated support for those with mental health needs.”

The Mental Health Inpatient Unit will be built to the south-west of the current facility and adjacent to existing community mental health related services which received positive feedback during the master planning process.

The proposed location takes into account key considerations including options for future expansion, proximity to the Emergency Department which is also being expanded as part of the Broken Hill Health Service Redevelopment Project, and impact to hospital operations.

The new designs showcase the exterior of the building, including key features such as the front entry and main courtyard.

“Safe and secure outside spaces are an important consideration in the design, with the availability of natural light and fresh air, as well as Indigenous influenced landscaping, contributing to a therapeutic and culturally safe environment for all people in our community,” Ms Jackson said.

“Internally, the unit will be used flexibly to care for a range of mental health consumers including the most vulnerable and those with very high needs.”

FWLHD Chief Executive Mr Brad Astill said extensive consultation with staff, carers and the community, including Aboriginal representatives, has enabled the project team to take on feedback on various aspects of the building design to ensure it best supports clinical and staffing needs.

“Co-design has been crucial in providing valuable input into the infrastructure so that it meets the needs of Broken Hill and surrounding communities.”

“I encourage everyone in the community to view the concept designs and speak directly with the project team at a series of information sessions in July,” Mr Astill said.

Pop-up sessions will be held as follows:

Monday 10 July 2023, 3.30pm to 5pm  
Outside Coles Supermarket, South St, Broken Hill  

Tuesday 11 July 2023, 9am to 10.30am
Westside Plaza, 5 Galena St, Broken Hill  

Tuesday 11 July 2023, 11am to 12.30pm 
Main Foyer, Broken Hill Health Service, Thomas St, Broken Hill  

The Broken Hill Health Service Redevelopment also includes a $10 million upgrade to the hospital’s Emergency Department, which will be reconfigured to better meet the critical health needs of the region and includes tailored treatment spaces for children and those requiring mental health services.  

Construction is expected to start in early 2024.

As people across NSW celebrate NAIDOC Week 2023, Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper met with an Aboriginal business owner in Redfern today to discuss the opportunities and challenges for building a small business.

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Hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and small business owners across NSW have received free, culturally safe and inclusive business coaching and advice through the Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative (ABAI).

Support is exclusively for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who own a business or are thinking about starting a business in NSW. The ABAI provides independent, tailored advice face-to-face or over the phone.

The free advisory services are delivered by independent Aboriginal advisors who bring their own lived experience, knowledge of small business operations and strong community connections to the coaching sessions.

The Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative can help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at every stage of their business journey by supporting businesses start-up, encouraging business expansion, providing access to training and building capacity through greater connectivity to NSW Government procurement.

Arts, recreation and construction are some of the top industries supported by the Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative, with the majority of people seeking advice on business planning and start up.

The Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative is complemented by the Service NSW Business Connect program which has more than 100 independent business advisors, including multiple who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, who have experience running their own business and have qualifications in business-related disciplines such as business and commerce.

The program moved from Training Services NSW under the NSW Department of Education to Service NSW for Business on 1 October 2022.

Find more information on the Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiativelaunch

Find out more information about Service NSW Business Connectlaunch or by phoning 13 77 88launch

NSW Minister for Small Business Steve Kamper said:

“The NSW Government is focused on removing barriers for small business owners at every stage of their business journey and is committed to seeing more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples build a small business.”

“The Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative provides free, culturally safe and inclusive business coaching and advice face-to-face or over the phone.”

“More than 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across NSW have received independent, tailored advice from the Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative and we want to see this number continue to grow.”

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said: 

“We know that economic advancement contributes to Closing the Gap outcomes, which is why NSW specifically developed a fifth Priority Reform to focus on Aboriginal employment, business growth and economic prosperity – the Aboriginal Business Advisory Initiative supports this vision.”

“The NSW Government supports a flourishing Aboriginal business sector under NSW Closing the Gap Priority Reform 5 – Aboriginal economic prosperity, jobs and businesses.”

“Investing in strong Aboriginal businesses not only benefits all communities in NSW but creates lasting impacts in Aboriginal communities through wealth creation and employment.

“The NSW Government is committed to investing the $10 million over 4 years associated with the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth into strong partnership and collaboration with Aboriginal businesses in this state.”