August 2023 – Page 17

Improved social housing waiting list data

The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to improve transparency of the social housing waiting list by providing up-to-date data.

Under the previous government, information about the number of people on the social housing waiting list was published on an annual basis.

This made it incredibly hard for the community to understand the extent of the crisis as often the data was out of date by the time it was published.

The current published data is more than a year old. Data covering both the general and priority waiting list will now be published monthly to give stakeholders, the sector and people waiting for social housing a clearer picture of need.

This means the NSW Government to identify trends over time to meet the demand for social housing.

Median waiting times for priority and general applicant households will be published on a quarterly basis to provide an accurate indication of how long applicants can expect to wait for housing in certain areas.

Previously, median waiting times were only published on an annual basis.

This initiative is part of a suite of NSW Government reforms to improve the social and affordable housing sector and address homelessness and housing insecurity.

Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:

“Providing accurate and timely data about the number of people on the social housing waiting list and the median waiting times for particular locations is critical to understanding current and future demands.

“This is part of our commitment to transparency and being open with the community about the problems with the current social housing system.

“This is the harsh reality of our housing crisis. Everyday thousands of vulnerable people wait for the day they have a secure roof over their head. The only way we’re going to get them off the housing waitlist is by getting people into homes.

“Delivering more housing is crucial we’ve introduced as suite of planning reforms and commitments to deliver more social and affordable housing as a start, but there is so much more to do.

“Everyone deserves access to safe and secure shelter. We need to highlight the depth of housing crisis we’re in to keep the pressure on for the need to deliver more homes.”

See the social housing waiting list datalaunch.

Statewide public consultation begins on Vocational Education and Training Review to re-skill NSW

A comprehensive review of the state’s vocational education and training (VET) sector has kicked off today with the launch of public consultation around the state.

The launch of the VET Review delivers on a key election commitment of the Minns Labor Government to rebuild TAFE.

The Reviewlaunch will address how to put TAFE at the heart of a thriving VET system in NSW. It will also identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for improvement in skills development and training and look at ways of attracting, retaining and supporting the VET workforce.

The expert Review panel, comprising chair Dr Michele Bruniges AM, The Hon. Professor Verity Firth AM and Jason Ardler PSM, will embark on a series of roundtables and a regional tour to ensure it is hearing all voices and seeing the breadth of VET provision across NSW.

The first roundtable will run in Tamworth today at the Bush Summit, bringing together community leaders and policy makers to discuss challenges and opportunities facing regional and remote communities.

Further roundtables will be held in Wollongong, western Sydney, Dubbo, Cobar, Hunter/Central Coast, Ballina, and Albury throughout August and September.

The expert panel will also visit Coffs Harbour, Moree, Moruya, Bega and Sydney during the regional tour in September.

The panel has launched a discussion paper that will guide the consultation, posing questions to prompt feedback and engagement across four key themes:

Boosting student success
Placing TAFE NSW at the heart of the system
Delivering VET in NSW
Preparing VET for the future

Consultations will also focus on five industry areas:

Primary industries
Care economy
Manufacturing, construction and engineering
Educators
Digital

The consultation period will be open to the public, who can take part in a ‘Have Your Say’ survey or make a written submission in response to the discussion paper through an open submission process.

Stakeholders can learn more about the Reviewlaunch, the consultation approach, read the discussion paper and share their experiences.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Prue Car, said:

“A strong TAFE makes for a strong VET Sector, better skills and an economy better prepared for the future.

“One million learners enter the NSW VET Sector every year through more than one thousand registered training organisations. Getting this system right is vital for our State.

“We’ve made a commitment to rebuild TAFE and fix the system. TAFE is the country’s leading provider of vocational education and must be at the heart of a future workforce that is highly skilled and competent. We must secure TAFE’s future to boost future opportunities for the community.

“We want to hear every voice, from industry leaders to past and current students, educators, employers and other key stakeholders to discuss their concerns and insights.”

“Listening to the people at the heart of the vocational education and training sector will equip us with the tools to deliver the best results for our learners and the economy.”

Chair of the VET Review panel Dr Michele Bruniges AM said:

“Public consultation is key to informing the Review’s recommendations about how to improve equitable access to VET and support for learners across the state.

“The Review is looking at everything that creates a vibrant VET sector in NSW and what needs to be done now to help address skills shortages.

“Stakeholder consultation is critical to make sure we put in place the right settings to attract, support and retain our valuable VET teachers, while providing students and trainees with the best possible opportunities to achieve rewarding outcomes.

“As a panel, we particularly want to hear your practical ideas and solutions to the challenges we have outlined in the discussion paper.”

Minns Government announces Star Casino outcome

The Minns Labor Government will overhaul the former government’s changes to casino taxes to prevent The Star Sydney turning into an unviable operation.

The new arrangement will see the introduction of a ‘transitional’ levy for the next 7 years. Star will be required to pay more tax on its poker machines as its gaming revenue rises until the new duty regime commences from 1 July 2030.

Changes to the table game rates will proceed as proposed in December 2022.

Star will also be required to protect more than 3000 jobs at The Star for the next 6 years as it transitions to a sustainable business model.

Under the revised approach:

Transitional tax arrangements on poker machines will apply until 1 July 2030.
The final poker machine duty rates will then be set to the same effective rates as in Victoria.
If The Star’s financial performance before 1 July 2030 is stronger than assumed in its forecasts, adjusted rates will result in the government collecting more taxes.
The Star will be legally bound to maintain more than 3000 jobs between now and 2030.
The Star will participate in the NSW cashless gaming trial, with 50 poker machines and eight gaming tables in high traffic areas to go cashless by 31 October 2023.
All gaming machines at The Star will be cashless by 30 August 2024.

The overall casino duty rates are expected to generate $2.7 billion over 10 years from The Star, more than $529 million than would be generated under the existing rates.

The increased casino duty rates are forecast to raise an additional $54 million over four years compared to current casino duty revenue.

The NSW Government and The Star will finalise the agreement over the next few weeks.

The agreed jobs guarantee will be overseen by the United Workers Union and monitored closely by the government.

The government will seek agreement with Crown to ensure parity on table gaming rates with The Star. If the government is unable to reach an agreement with Crown, it has the option of legislating changes to table gaming duties.

The Minns Government has been in talks with The Star since being sworn in after the March election.

The negotiations for this successful result have been led by Ron Finlay AM, one of Australia’s leading infrastructure and governance specialists.

Mr Finlay has provided advice and services on major projects to the NSW, Tasmanian, Victorian and Federal Governments as well as to major private sector owners.

He also serves as the independent chair on the WestConnex board.

The former government had made the surprise announcement in December 2022 of a planned hike on poker machine duties at The Star to match rates applied in Victoria.

The Star said this posed a significant threat to its business.

It was later revealed Mr Kean had not consulted with The Star on the plan.

Subsequently, The Star announced a $1.3 billion write down on 23 February 2023 indicating they were in financial difficulty.

As well, the former government failed to legislate the increases as required, despite writing an anticipated $360 million in subsequent revenue into the budget.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“The Government has listened to workers, unions and management and has negotiated an agreement that will protect the jobs of thousands of workers while also seeing The Star pay more duty.

“The previous government’s casino duty hike was unrealistic, poorly developed and put thousands of jobs at risk. It was announced without consultation or consideration for the viability of the business and the thousands of workers they employ.

“The advice I received from NSW Treasury is that absent this agreement, if the Government proceeded with the announced rates, The Star would be unviable.

“The Star now also has an opportunity to demonstrate that it has an ongoing role to play in the NSW business community.”

Labor stand by their mates in jobs for the boys scandal

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen has been accused by the Opposition of showing remarkable arrogance, as she defends the appointment of Josh Murray as Secretary of Transport for NSW.

“Despite the Government making integrity in politics a key election commitment, we’ve seen a string of broken promises and now a breathtaking case of jobs for the boys which the Government has tried to cover up,” Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said.

“Labor argued against releasing key documents that would shine light on Mr Murray’s appointment. The Premier must explain why he thinks it’s ok for a Minister to handpick a candidate and manipulate a recruitment process to get her way – is this an acceptable standard in the Minns Labor Government?”

It has been revealed that Mr Murray was not shortlisted for the position until Minister Haylen’s Chief of Staff added Mr Murray’s name prior to his appointment by the Minister.

“The new Minister met with Mr Murray within days after taking office and then appointed her underqualified Labor mate to one of the most senior public sector roles in NSW,” Shadow Transport Minister Natalie Ward said.

“When trying to defend her decision to overlook multiple qualified candidates, Minister Haylen arrogantly declared that she could have appointed him without even conducting a process –this is a government handing out jobs for the boys.”

“If this Government is going to have any credibility when it comes to integrity in politics, then the Premier and Minister Haylen must front up and explain how this appointment was allowed to happen.”

Despite Labor’s attempts to withhold key information, documents will be presented to Parliament next week.

Labor’s half-baked BASIX deferral not enough to build more homes

With reports today that the Government is granting an exemption for increased BASIX standards for contracts signed before October 1, Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow, has re-iterated the calls of the NSW Opposition for the Government to defer the introduction of increased BASIX standards for twelve months in line with other States.

“Industry and the Opposition have called on the Government to defer the implementation of increased BASIX standards for twelve months, in line with other States, because both Industry and the Government are simply not ready for this to roll out on 1 October” Mr Farlow said.

“Reports that the Government will exempt contracts signed before 1 October from the higher standards is half-baked and simply won’t address this fundamental problem.”

“A twelve-month deferral will allow supply chains sufficient time to adjust and for the most cost effective solutions to be achieved for purchasers and it would bring NSW into line with other States and not jeopardise home construction in NSW.“

“The DIY tool from the Department of Planning is still not available to industry to be able to properly cost and design the right materials to comply with the regulation with the increased standards seven weeks out from the Government’s planned implementation.”

“The feedback from industry is clear – if these changes are implemented on 1 October they will threaten the supply of housing and add significant additional costs to purchasers at a time when they’re already being impacted by the largest interest rate rises in a decade.”

“The construction industry has seen costs escalate by more than 12% in the last year, if these changes are implemented on 1 October, purchasers will be footing additional bills that they simply can’t afford, all at a time when the Government has just introduced a new tax on the construction of new homes.”

“This is in addition to some first home-buyers having to foot additional stamp duty costs of up to $66,000 on median priced houses as a result of Chris Minns’ repeal of the First Homebuyers Choice scheme.”

“The Opposition remains committed to the Sustainable Buildings SEPP but call on the Government to defer its implementation to ensure these reforms will be achievable and not jeopardise new homes in NSW,” Mr Farlow said

“Lengthy” Uluru statement still worth a read

Anthony Albanese has been tearing his hair out because the more extreme activists who relish forcing the voice on Australia can’t stick to his sales pitch.

Part of the Prime Minister’s pitch is that the Uluru Statement represents a plea by every indigenous Australian for a voice in Parliament, and it “fits on an A4 page”.

The statement is much more than that, and it’s no wonder the ‘yes’ mob are keen to play this down. It’s 26 pages full of demands for money, racially-exclusive access to Australian land and water, special race-based rights, and self-government – an independent indigenous nation entirely by Australian taxpayers. It’s recommended reading for anyone concerned about enshrining racial inequality in the Constitution.

Prominent voice extremist Megan Davis, one of the authors of the Uluru Statement, has since 2017 said repeatedly it’s a lengthy document of “18 to 20 pages”. This week she’s been forced to write a newspaper column pretending she never said anything of the kind, but it’s too late.

This issue has been a trainwreck for the ‘yes’ mob this week. Labour and the ‘yes’ extremists spent years talking to sympathetic audiences in the voice bubble. They allowed this sympathy to convince themselves the voice would sail through a referendum with solid support.

Now they’re beginning to realise that the Australian people at large – to whom the pitch must be made because changing the Constitution is our prerogative – are not so gullible.

When the Prime Minister finally musters the courage to set a date for the racist referendum, I suspect that’s when you’ll see the big money behind the ‘yes’ mob flow into a blitzing campaign about ‘listening’ and ‘better outcomes’ with no mention of what the voice really is: a vehicle for a treaty and special rights that will make non-indigenous Australians second-class citizens in their own country.

VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to the United States from 23 to 26 October for an official visit hosted by President Joseph R Biden Jr in Washington DC.

The Australia-United States relationship is unique in scale, scope and significance, reflecting more than 100 years of partnership between our nations. This visit will be an opportunity for the Prime Minister and President to strengthen this important relationship and look ahead to the future.

Prime Minister Albanese and President Biden will build on discussions held in Hiroshima, Japan in May, including advancing ambitious climate action and the transition to clean energy under our historic Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact.

The leaders will look at ways the economic relationship between Australia and the United States can be made fit for the opportunities of the future to the benefit of workers and businesses in both countries. They will also discuss regional stability and security, AUKUS, strengthening cooperation in science and technology and the importance of together shaping an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

This will be the Prime Minister’s first official visit to Washington DC as Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“I am honoured to accept President Biden’s invitation to undertake an official visit to Washington DC.

“Australia and the United States have a longstanding relationship, based on deep friendship and trust and a shared commitment to peace, the rule of law and the values of democracy.

“My visit is an important opportunity to discuss our ambitious climate and clean energy transition, and shared goal of a strong, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

DROUGHT RESEARCH TO DELIVER FARMER CERTAINTY

Australian farmers and regional communities will benefit from a major, long-term investment into drought preparedness, with $38 million in federal innovation grants announced today.

Through the Future Drought Fund, the Albanese Government will invest in six research projects undertaking long-term trials of new and emerging agriculture practices around cropping, grazing and mixed farming, to help farmers be more drought-resilient.

The 6-year Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants aim to help farmers prepare for drought by equipping them with the data and confidence to invest in technologies and practices which have been proven across different landscapes and production conditions.

The successful projects are:

$6.23 million – Charles Sturt University will lead a consortium to investigate the interdependence and whole-system effects of cropping and livestock components and managing environmental and social impacts in response to seasonal variation, with trials to be undertaken across multiple sites in New South Wales.
$3.94 million – Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils – will lead a consortium to evaluate drought reliance in farming systems and soils through an established network of long-term trials across multiple sites in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
$4.32 million – NQ Dry Tropic Limited will lead a consortium to look at the effectiveness of virtual fencing to enable rangeland graziers to implement fine scale, drought resilient grazing systems over large areas, with trials to be undertaken in Charters Towers (Queensland).
$7.2 million – University of Melbourne will lead a consortium to consider the effectiveness of farming-systems adaptations thought to improve drought resilience of broadacre grains, grazing and mixed farming systems, with trials to be undertaken across multiple sites in Victoria and Tasmania.
$8 million – Flinders University will lead a consortium on the climate resilience of cropping, livestock, and mixed farms, assessed through a network of long-term trials across the pastoral, low, medium, and high rainfall zones of South Australia with trials to be undertaken across multiple sites in South Australia.
$7.99 million – Deakin University will lead a consortium to investigate the diversity in pastures to build resilience, and support 365 days of feed production in southern temperate grazing enterprises with trials to be undertaken across multiple sites in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

The program represents a new direction for the $5 billion Future Drought Fund in providing long-term funding to facilitate sustainable change in farming practices that will help strengthen the resilience of farmers to drought conditions and a changing climate.

For more information visit: Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants

Prime Minister Albanese said:

“Australian farmers are always gearing up for the next drought – it’s a matter of when, not if.

“And I’m proud to say that Australian farmers are some of the best in the world at preparing for and managing drought, which puts them at the forefront of climate adaptation.

“We’ve listened to the industry and we will continue to make sure farmers and rural communities are ready to face the next drought.

“Being prepared for drought is not just good for farmers, it’s also important for rural and regional communities, supermarket consumers and Australia’s trade industry.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said:

“This program is about advancing projects that we hope will make a real difference in a future droughts.

“These projects – like crop rotations, soil management, grazing techniques and infrastructure – will arm farmers with robust information to invest in technologies and practices that have been proven across different landscapes and conditions.”

PROVIDER SELECTED FOR TAMWORTH MEDICARE URGENT CARE CLINIC

The Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to Tamworth residents to help strengthen Medicare.

Following an Expression of Interest process, Northwest Health will be established as a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, treating patients from October 2023.

The Tamworth Medicare UCC will deliver on the Australian Government’s commitment to make it easier for people in New South Wales to get the urgent treatment they need – from highly qualified doctors and nurses – while taking pressure off Tamworth Hospital.

The Medicare UCC will be open extended hours, seven days a week and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk-billed.

Almost 63 per cent of presentations to Tamworth Hospital are for non-urgent or semi-urgent care.

The Tamworth clinic is one of 14 Medicare UCCs across New South Wales – located in Albury, Batemans Bay, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Lismore, Penrith, Randwick, Westmead, Wollongong and Wyong.

The Australian Government will continue to work closely with Primary Health Networks and the New South Wales Government to deliver the remaining Medicare UCCs, all of which will open this year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“The Tamworth Medicare UCC will make a big difference to patients in the region who will be able to walk in seven days a week and get free urgent care from a nurse or a doctor.

“The clinic will ease pressure on Tamworth Hospital, so that its hard-working doctors and nurses can focus higher priority emergencies.

“The Tamworth Medicare UCC is just another way the Government is strengthening Medicare and making it easier to see a doctor.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said:

“The UCCs will offer high-quality care for people who need to see a medical professional for a health issue that is urgent and requires treatment but is not life-threatening and does not require attending the emergency department.

“The Tamworth UCC will ease pressure on the local emergency department, and be much more convenient for our community – closer to home, at short notice, and free under Medicare.

“This is another example of the Australian Government delivering better healthcare for New South Wales.”

NEWCASTLE AND LAKE MACQUARIE FAMILIES DROWNING IN POWER BILLS AS HOUSING CRISIS WORSENS

Almost half (45 per cent) of financially disadvantaged households in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie were unable to pay their utility bills on time in the past 12 months, according to new research.

Further, 67 per cent reported being in housing stress, defined as spending more than 30 per cent of your income on housing.

These findings are from peak advocacy body NCOSS’ latest Cost of Living in NSW 2023 research, undertaken by the University of Technology Sydney.

The survey was undertaken in April and May of this year, involving a representative sample of 1,134 households living on low incomes and below the poverty line in regions across NSW.

NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty said the survey reveals just how tough life is for low income and below the poverty line households in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie right now.

“These figures are stark and show the extent to which households are being hammered on multiple fronts,” Ms Quilty said.

“These are households who, in the main, are working and who are doing everything they can to cut costs and keep their heads above water.

“But the compounding effects of COVID-19, sky-high inflation, successive disasters and flatlining wages have had a devastating impact – pushing many to breaking point.”

Key findings for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie include:

62 per cent reported having no money set aside for emergencies.
40 per cent reported going without prescribed medication or healthcare.
35 per cent ranked housing as the number one area of household expenditure that has been put under pressure.
31 per cent reported being unable to travel for essential reasons due to cost.
22 per cent had used ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ (BNPL) services to afford essential goods three or more times in the last year.
33 per cent reported that they experience extreme housing stress, with more than 50 per cent of their income spent on housing in the last year

The survey exposes the steps people are taking just to get by.

“We knew things were bad, but this is the worst we’ve seen in many years. And the impacts are showing through the increased stress and strain that relationships are under and families are experiencing,” Ms Quilty said.

“People are hanging on by a knife edge – savings have been eaten away, the use of Buy Now Pay Later is more prevalent and borrowing from family and friends is a growing necessity.

“Our members – community organisations on the frontline – consistently report that they cannot keep up with demand, and that the needs of their communities are becoming more complex.

“New cohorts of people are appearing at their doors – families with two incomes who used to get by, but have now drained their savings and cannot put food on the table.”

Ms Quilty said NCOSS has put forward a set of recommendations to the NSW Government, developed in consultation with NCOSS members.

“Our recommendations are aimed at tackling the underlying causes of the cost-of-living crisis – most notably energy bills and housing affordability – and providing immediate relief,” Ms Quilty said.

“The NSW Government cannot quickly solve this crisis, but it can alleviate its most extreme impacts and help those who are doing everything they can to survive but have nothing left to give.”

Some of the key recommendations put forward include:

Improve the impact of NSW Government cost-of-living initiatives including permanently increasing EAPA vouchers to $2,000 pa and making the Low Income Household Rebate a fixed percentage of a person’s energy bill.
Build an additional 5,000 social housing residences each year, targeting unmet needs such as overcrowding for culturally diverse communities, and groups at greatest risk of homelessness.
Improve conditions and protections for NSW renters by urgently implementing: limits on rental increases so they are fair and reasonable; no-grounds evictions; and the elimination of rental bidding.
Strengthen the social service sector by developing a consistent approach to annual indexation that covers the real cost of service provision, and enhancing capacity of essential programs facing overwhelming demand.

For more information, and to read the full report, visit ncoss.org.au

Definitions:

Below the poverty line: defined as households living on less than 50 per cent of the median NSW household income after tax and housing costs (below $518 per week).
Low-income households: defined as households living on 50 – 80 per cent of the median NSW household income after tax and housing costs ($518 – $829 per week).
About the survey: the research, undertaken by the University of Technology’s Institute of Public Policy and Governance, involved stratified random sampling to engage a statistically representative sample of 1,134 NSW residents, living on low incomes and below the poverty line, through an online survey undertaken in April and May of this year. 23 people also participated in focus groups and interviews.