Month: August 2023

The government is continuing its bid to increase the number of major concerts at Allianz Stadium and this week released the planning modification for public exhibition.

With music superstar Sir Paul McCartney confirming that he’ll play back-to-back concerts at the new $828 million stadium in October, Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the cap must be lifted so more people can make use of the best new entertainment venue in Australia.

Concerts at Allianz Stadium are estimated to be worth $7 million per night to the NSW economy and create some 1500 direct and indirect jobs. This is in addition to attracting attendees from all over Sydney, NSW and Australia.

Concertgoers are also the biggest users of the public transport network, which is included with any ticketed event at Allianz Stadium and the SCG. In January, more than 70% of attendees at Elton John’s concerts travelled to and from Allianz Stadium on the public transport network.

The planning amendment to the stadium’s State Significant Development Application (SSDA) goes on public exhibition on Saturday 12 August with people invited to have their say. This follows extensive public consultation led by Venues NSW, which reached 35,000 local residents and businesses, through email, phone, letter drops, community engagements and public stalls.

The SSDA includes a concert cap that was first created in the mid-1990s that today restricts the SCG and Allianz Stadium to a maximum of 6 concerts per year, with a 5-year rolling average of 4 concerts a year.

Allianz Stadium is the third venue to sit alongside the Sydney Cricket Ground (est. 1851), adding to the precinct’s history of hosting major sporting and entertainment events, including concerts, major opera spectaculars, motor racing and all manner of sporting events. 

More information and have your say about the concert cap modificationlaunch 

NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“We’ve seen record crowds roll through for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and now is the time to continue the momentum by removing this concert cap and working with all the major concert promoters to bring the biggest and best music artists and shows to Sydney.”

“We need to put the entertainment back into the entertainment precinct.”

“Sir Paul McCartney will play two shows at Allianz Stadium in October, that’s 50% of the stadiums yearly allowance.”

“We need to unlock this stadium, we want to see as many NSW residents as possible enjoying this world class venue.”

NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“Our goal is to bring live music back to NSW. The state lost half of all music venues over the last decade and we are addressing this.

“There could not be a bigger symbol of where the new government wants to head than lifting the concert cap.”

The NSW Government is doubling the incentives offered to healthcare workers to relocate to remote and rural areas, from $10,000 to $20,000 as part of its commitment to attract and retain more skilled staff in hard to fill and critical roles in regional and rural areas.

Attracting health workers to regional and rural and remote locations is a challenge for all health jurisdictions and governments.

Most regional health districts have nursing shortages, particularly around nurses with emergency skills for smaller facilities.

This was exacerbated by the former governments’ wages cap as well as the pandemic impacts on the health workforce in rural areas.

Workforce and skill shortages are contributing to inequitable health outcomes, which is why it is crucial to grow the workforce in rural, regional and remote areas.

The Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme provides a range of financial and non-financial incentives above typical remuneration packages for candidates in eligible roles and locations.

Incentive packages include a range of additional benefits including salary boost, sign-on bonuses and retention payments of up to $20,000 per annum, relocation assistance and housing, additional leave, and access to training and education.

Doubling the incentive to $20,000 for our hardest to fill positions will encourage more workers to take up opportunities in remote communities with critical staff vacancies.

Packages are scaled and increase in value in more remote locations.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“No matter where you live in NSW you should have access to vital services but that isn’t possible without our essential health workers.

“I’m confident that by doubling the incentives on offer, we can attract more health staff to our regions.

“We know there are staffing challenges across the system. It’s why my government is making responsible decisions so that we can ensure when you turn up to a hospital there are health workers there to help.”

Health Minister Ryan Park said:

“I’m confident today’s announcement, together with our recently approved expansion of the Single Employer Model, will result in more clinicians choosing to further their careers in regional NSW.

“I’m determined to tackle some of the key healthcare issues facing our regional communities including prioritising the regional health workforce.”

Residents and visitors have had safe road access restored after the NSW Government completed more than $85,000 in flood repairs on 2 Crown roads in the Ballina and Lismore regions.

Crown Lands invested $60,000 to repair a damaged road and bridge abutment at Coopers Lane West at Main Arm, near Mullumbimby, which were heavily damaged during last year’s floods, restricting vehicle access.

Flooding eroded the road, blocked and damaged drains, and scoured the bridge abutment. Repairs included fixing the road, cleaning out and repairing drains, and reinstating the bridge abutment with rock fill and geotextile fabric.

More than $25,000 has also been invested to repair a flood damaged section of Cawongla Road at Larnook, in the Lismore area. 

Work included filling a gully caused by flooding which made driving conditions unsafe, constructing a new vehicle crossing, cutting approach ramps and batters along the creek, and importing rock to construct a basin to control water flow and protect against erosion.

The projects are part of ongoing work Crown Lands is undertaking across the State in response to the 2022 February flood event.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“Crown roads provide important access links for many regional areas so repairing these roads will deliver immediate benefits for residents and visitors.”

Minister for the North Coast Rose Jackson said:

“Residents on the North Coast have suffered immensely over the past 12 months because of flooding so these are the sorts of community projects that are small in stature but big on impact.”

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:

“As we continue our long recovery, projects like these are critical in moving the dial and helping our communities get back to normal life.”

Keen local anglers, farmers, land managers and community groups are invited to apply for the latest round of the Habitat Action Grants to see their local waterways flourish with more than $850,000 available, Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty announced today.

Habitat Action Grants are open from 8 August 2023 to 29 September 2023. 

Ms Moriarty said that recreational fishing groups, community organisations, local councils and natural resource managers across the state would have until September 29 to apply for funding for their projects to improve habitat for native fish.

“These grants will see up to $40,000 awarded per project for both our inland waterways and our coastal systems,” Ms Moriarty said.

“The Habitat Action Grant program is a fantastic opportunity to improve your local creek, river, estuary or surrounding area to promote healthy waterways and to encourage more native fish, naturally.

“I encourage as many submissions as possible – so we can improve fish habitat to give our local fishers some great opportunities to make a difference in their area.

“As locals, you know your waterways better than anyone, so it’s time to float your ideas and come up with some fantastic ways to enhance our aquatic environments. We are particularly interested in your concepts for rehabilitating Trout cod and their freshwater habitats.”

Habitat Action Grants are supported by the Recreational Fishing Trusts, with funds being raised by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fees.

“This is your opportunity to put your recreational fishing fees to work to make more fish”

In the past, habitat rehabilitation projects which have been funded have included:

• removal or modification of barriers to fish passage
• rehabilitation of riparian lands (riverbanks, wetlands, mangrove forests, saltmarsh)
• re-snagging waterways with timber structure
• the removal of exotic vegetation from waterways and replacement with native plants
• bank stabilisation works
• fencing to exclude livestock.

“There are some long-term benefits for completing this work and ultimately, it’s about making sure we have functional fish habitat and happy native fish here in NSW.”

Since 2009, the Recreational Fishing Trusts have invested nearly $8 million into the Habitat Action Grants program, seeing significant improvement to fish habitat across NSW.

Find out more about applying for the Habitat Action Grantslaunch

Residents living in aged care facilities across the Illawarra can now get more tailored and timely medical care in their home environment and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department, with the launch of the Aged Care Outreach Service.

The Aged Care Outreach Service (ACOS) will help ease pressure on the Illawarra’s busy emergency departments by providing in-home medical care and clinical support to elderly people living in residential aged care facilities.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the new service will enable aged care residents to access timely, effective assessment and appropriate clinical care in the comfort of their own environment.

“The outreach service allows a team of specialist clinicians to attend residential aged care facilities and provide direct intervention to residents with acute illness,” Mr Park said.

“The service will run from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, and means many aged care residents will avoid having to attend a hospital emergency department and can instead receive the care they need at home.

“This model not only provides faster care to older people in aged care facilities, but also helps maintain their health and independence by enabling them to remain in an environment that is more comfortable and familiar.”

Patients will be referred to the Aged Care Outreach Service by their residential aged care facility or NSW Ambulance, where clinically appropriate.

They will then be linked with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse consultants and a geriatrician who can provide the care they need.

The Aged Care Outreach Service is currently operating in 10 aged care facilities in the Illawarra, after being launched in July.

The service is being rolled out across the Illawarra Shoalhaven in a staged approach and is expected to be operating in all 42 residential aged care facilities across the region by the end of the year.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Chief Executive Margot Mains said, “the service is already seeing great results and feedback from residents, their families and aged care operators has been extremely positive.”

“In the first 35 days, the Aged Care Outreach Service team saw 117 aged care residents, with only 8 needing transfer to hospital for a higher level of care,” Ms Mains said.

“By increasing the number of aged care residents able to receive medical care in their aged care facility and not requiring transfer to hospital, this service enables emergency department staff to focus on patients who require more complex emergency care.”

There were 42,714 attendances to emergency departments across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District in the first quarter of 2023, with a record number of patients in the 2 most urgent triage categories.

Minister Park said models of care like the Aged Care Outreach Service will help reduce the number of patients unnecessarily presenting to emergency departments.

“This offers our elderly patients a fantastic alternative, in many cases, to the stress of a trip to an emergency department,” Mr Park said.

“It also frees up our emergency departments to deal with critically unwell patients, ensuring everyone in our community can access better, faster medical care when they need it.”

The new service is modelled on South Eastern Sydney Local Health District’s Geriatric Flying Squad, which has been operating successfully for over a decade.

The landmark new Martin Place metro station is taking shape with the construction of the new station precinct nearing completion ahead of world-class metro services starting on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest line next year.

The metro platforms located 25 metres below ground level are almost complete. The tiles and wall panels are in place, with the finishing touches now being made, as workers install signage and seats on the 170-metre-long platforms.

The 25 escalators that will take commuters to their train are undergoing testing and commissioning, while the 14 lift shafts are ready to be fitted with elevators in October.

The new metro precinct has a footprint of more than an entire city block and will include 3000sqm of retail, dining and beverage outlets over three floors. Station shopfronts have been installed and tenants will be handed the keys to start their fit-out in early 2024.

Changing trains at Martin Place will be seamless, with direct access from metro platforms to the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line. A new all-weather pedestrian walkway will link Martin Place station with Hunter Street.

Above the station, the 39-storey building above the northern entrance topped out at the end of June 2023 and the 28-storey office building above the southern entrance is due to top out in September.

In the coming months, Metro’s construction partner Lendlease will focus on building the station entrances. Sections of Martin Place Plaza used during construction will start reopening to the public early next year.

When Sydney Metro services start running under the harbour and through the city, passengers will be able to travel from Martin Place to Central in four minutes, Victoria Cross in 5 minutes, or to Sydenham in just 11 minutes.

Read more information about Martin Place Stationlaunch.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“It’s full steam ahead to complete work at Martin Place as we work towards the opening of the new line between Chatswood and Sydenham to passengers next year.”

“50,000 people have worked on this project from start to finish, so the state-of-the-art station we’re take shape is a testament to their brilliant work.

“Metro will be a transformative project for Sydney, and this landmark station will offer passengers an incredible new transport hub, coupled with commercial, retail and dining options.”

Three thousand students will be able to attend two brand new schools from 2025 as the Minns Labor Government gets on with the job of fast-tracking schools in Sydney’s north-west growth area.

Local Elders officiated a smoking ceremony on Friday, to cleanse the area and commemorate site establishment works for Melonba High School, Melonba Public School and a temporary high school.

A temporary high school in Melonba will open on Day 1 of Term 1 in 2024, as an urgent stop-gap measure to meet north-west Sydney’s enrolment demand.

Contemporary facilities will be available in early 2025, including flexible learning spaces, specialist support class areas, multi-purpose halls and sporting amenities for both the high school and primary school.

The school is also set to host its first Parent and Community Meeting this Tuesday, August 15, with newly appointed Principal Leon Weatherstone.

Planned schools in Melonba will complement a series of other upcoming projects in planning and construction being overseen by the Minns Labor Government in north-west Sydney, including upgrades at John Palmer Public School, The Ponds High School, and the new Nirimba Fields Public School, Tallawong Public School and Tallawong High School.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“I am so grateful to the members of the local First Nations community, who officiated the smoking ceremony so we can begin works on these new schools.

“Building these two new schools will bring certainty to Melonba families, who badly needed investment in their educational future, but were neglected by the former Liberal National government.

“With room for 2000 students at the high school and a further 1000 at the primary school, we are committed to giving children in Sydney’s north-west world-class facilities, close to their homes, providing them with the best opportunities possible.”