Month: August 2023

Sydney hosted 603,957 footballing fans at the 11 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 games played in NSW over the past month – a third of the 1.9 million fans who attended matches during the biggest tournament of its kind to date.

The final was played at Stadium Australia on Sunday night, with the match attracting a sell-out crowd of 75,784 attendees.

Each of the 5 games played at Stadium Australia – including Australia’s opening match versus Republic of Ireland and the semi-final against England – reached the venue’s maximum tournament capacity.

Across the event, the average attendance at Sydney venues was 54,905 fans per match – a tournament high.

The FIFA Fan Festival site in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, was also the largest FIFA Fan Festival across the 9 host cities, attracting 250,084 attendees.

The Sydney site was opened for 209 hours and 15 minutes across 25 days for fans to enjoy every match live streamed, along with delicious food and free, live entertainment. This included performances from Jessica Mauboy, Jack River, Jacoténe, Tones and I, BIA, Diarra Sylla, Mia Wray, Steph String and Nina Las Vegas.

FIFA has reported 777,000 fans attended FIFA Fan Festival sites across the 9 host cities in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The NSW Government supported additional public viewing events as interest in the tournament reached unprecedented levels, opening Sydney Football Stadium, Western Sydney Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground to the public for free match viewing on venue big screens.

Sydney Olympic Park was also a hub for the knockout rounds of the tournament with additional screens and entertainment in the precinct throughout the final weeks.

Other public viewing sites across Greater Sydney and regional NSW hosted thousands of fans over the month.

According to financial infrastructure platform Airwallex, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 has seen a $2.98 billion rise in travel and retail spending in NSW directly linked to the event, by comparing consumer spending in specific months to the average for that year.

FIFA has reported that US$570 million in revenue was generated throughout the tournament, allowing the event to break even for the first time.

The NSW Government has also committed to commissioning a giant mural at Stadium Australia to celebrate the Matildas’ historic success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

The permanent mural will capture some of the Matildas’ greatest moments during the tournament at the scene of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 final.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“NSW has a lot to be proud of in delivering a world class event.

“The Matildas’ campaign captured the imagination of NSW, Australia, and the footballing world.

“This was a once-in-a-generation moment in Australian sport.”

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“On every level, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 has exceeded our hopes and showcased Sydney to the world.

“This is one of the biggest events in Australia since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and was a record-breaking World Cup that will be remembered for generations to come.

“The tournament has brought together a diverse range of visitors and Sydneysiders breaking all attendance records and creating a vibrant, engaging atmosphere enjoyed by all.

“Our stadium crowds averaged 97% capacity across the 11 Sydney matches, showing unprecedented support for women’s sport and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

“There was a community feel across the tournament as people were out and about across Sydney, across NSW, supporting women’s football and their chosen country.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“This tournament has been a defining global moment for women’s sports and for Sydney – a city that is rightly earning its place as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific by breaking records and offering memorable experiences for visitors and locals alike.

“We have seen an unprecedented amount of support for our Matildas – they have truly captured the hearts of the nation.

“Their heroic performances have seen stadiums and fan sites full, and television records broken.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“The Matildas have made history not just for women’s sport but have etched an indelible new milestone into the Australian history books.

“This team of mothers, daughters and sisters have been watched by the largest audiences in the history of women’s sport, and they are role models for every woman and girl in Australia and around the world.

“Every achievement on that football pitch helps kick goals for women and girls in sport for the long term.”

The Minns Labor Government will work with Inner West Council and Transport for NSW to undertake a new masterplan for Rozelle Parklands to salvage the project.

A new masterplan is necessary after the former government left behind a parklands project that was not going to provide the sporting facilities, accessibility and car parking that the community had been promised.

This included the failure to deliver on a promised facilities including:

• An all-weather sporting field for use by local sporting clubs
• Sufficient car parking to allow for the utilisation of the park
• Four multipurpose sports courts
• Toilet facilities for the inclusive playground

All-weather sporting fields benefit local clubs and communities as they can be used all year round in various weather conditions and had been the preference of local sporting clubs and Inner West Council.

The former government’s Rozelle Parklands plan placed the field above a power cable that would cost more than $57 million to relocate to safely install the field.

The review will also consider disability parking near the Parklands, which had not been planned for previously.

The Minns Labor Government has agreed to address this failure through a new masterplan for the Parklands.

The parklands are due to open with the Rozelle Interchange of WestConnex later in the year.

With the park due to open in only a few months, the masterplan will identify ongoing improvements that will need to be made to the parklands after it has opened.

The masterplan will finalise next steps and ensure the inner west community is getting the best possible outcome from Rozelle Parklands.

The community, who weren’t consulted properly by the previous government, will be involved in the development of this masterplan. The recurrent costs of maintaining the parkland will be transparently disclosed so that Inner West Council can take care, control and management of the site in the future.

Plans are also being developed to ensure an accessible toilet is provided in the children’s play area and a review is underway to assess how to progress plans that had promised up to 150 new car parking spots around the perimeter of the parklands on Lilyfield Road.

People in NSW are doing it tough right now with the cost of living rising sharply all over Australia, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for families in NSW to make ends meet. The last thing our community needs is more disruptions and delayed plans.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“The Inner West, and specifically the Rozelle community, has accepted much more than its fair share of disruption during the construction of WestConnex.

“The former government promised their reward would be a new parkland that met the wishes of the community.

“What was left behind was not that – and what is worse is that the previous government had given up on communicating directly with the community.

“We are working with council to salvage this project and make sure the community really does get the best facilities as promised.

Mayor of Inner West Council Darcy Byrne said:   

“The former Government promised the Rozelle Parklands as compensation to our community but now we know they were planning to off-load a half-finished park to us.

“With no parking provided and multiple sporting facilities and basic amenities deleted, our community was being ripped off.

“The Inner West will now undertake a Masterplan with the new Government to clean up this mess and ensure that the high-quality park that was promised is actually delivered.”

The first Auslan (Australian Sign Language) syllabus for primary and secondary students has been released to NSW schools by the Minns Labor Government.

Developed in consultation with the Deaf community, teachers, students and parents, this new syllabus will give NSW students the opportunity to experience a unique part of Australia’s linguistic heritage and learn a valuable communication skill.

Teachers will have up to a year in extra time to plan and prepare before the syllabus is taught in classrooms at the beginning of 2026, as part of the Minns Labor Government’s decision to extend the Curriculum Reform delivery timeline.

Giving schools extra time to deliver these reforms to the curriculum is key to improving outcomes for teachers and students in NSW, after the previous government ignored advice from teachers and experts that curriculum reform timelines were unworkable and had been hastily rushed through the system. 

Auslan is an optional course and decisions about teaching the syllabus will be made by schools and education sectors in consultation with the Deaf community.

The clear and explicit presentation of the Auslan syllabus supports teachers to plan their lessons and new evidence-based support materials, including teaching advice, will be available online through the NSW Curriculum website.

The syllabus enhances the languages offering in NSW schools following the redevelopment of the Aboriginal, Classical and Modern Languages syllabuses into frameworks covering all languages. 

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

“As well as beginning learners of Auslan, this new syllabus will give students who are first language Auslan users the opportunity to formally study the language of their community, and I am delighted to see it being released to NSW schools.

NSW offers one of the most comprehensive school languages curriculum in the world and I am committed to exploring how we can make that even better, in a way that is accessible for all students.

“Studying a language at school gives students the skills to participate in our linguistically dynamic world and improves broader communication and literacy skills.”

Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:

“This is a really exciting initiative, where students will have the opportunity to learn Auslan at school.

“By rolling out a K-10 Auslan syllabus, we’re delivering on our commitment to create a more inclusive community.”

Armidale locals will soon be able to scoot to their destinations, becoming the newest location in NSW to welcome a trial of shared scheme e-scooters.

The trial, which is expected to run for 12 months from Thursday 7 September, allow e-scooters, hired through Beam Mobility, to be ridden across most of Armidale, including from The University of New England to the city centre. 

The scooters are limited to a maximum of 20km/h on bicycle paths, or roads with a speed limit up to 50 km/h, and a speed limit of 10km/h for shared paths. E-scooters are not permitted for use on footpaths.

Riders must adhere to the rules of the trial, wear a helmet, remain below the speed limits and must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths and bicycle lanes.

Find out more about the trial in Armidale and other trials operating in NSWlaunch

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“This e-scooter trial will open up a new mode of transport for the people of Armidale, giving people the option of a convenient, low cost and low emission journey.

“These scooters will be a great option to jump on and get to your destination or to get out and explore this beautiful city.

“We look forward to seeing how the e-scooters are used and enjoyed by locals and visitors over the next 12-months.”

Armidale Regional Council Mayor Sam Coupland said:

“Trialing e-scooters across the city is a step in the right direction to our region achieving its Zero30 carbon emissions goals.

“The use of e-scooters is gaining momentum across the globe and provides a cheap and accessible mode of transportation and importantly a sustainable one that cuts back on our Co2 emissions.”

Beam’s General Manager (ANZ) Tom Cooper said:

“We have seen shared micromobility take off in other cities and towns across the country, with data showing a shift from cars to our climate neutral e-scooters for shorter trips under 5 km, and we look forward to seeing the same modal shift benefits in Armidale.

“As we prepare to commence the city’s first shared micromobility service, we are committed to forming partnerships with local community members and organisations, and engaging in discussions around the safe operation of e-scooters to ensure the safety of riders, pedestrians and other road users.

“Our e-scooters feature safety-first technology that will support both rider education and enforcement, including GPS tracking, geofencing and speed limiting technology to ensure micromobility’s safe integration into the city’s transport network.

“We know e-scooters are new to the community, and we are committed to working closely with the local community to ensure riders know their responsibilities when on an e-scooter.”

The Opposition will move an amendment in Parliament this week to provide an immediate exemption from payroll tax on payments to GPs and other health practitioners to ensure that essential medical clinics are not forced to close.

Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope said some GP clinics are facing demands for retrospective payroll tax bills of a half a million dollars or more, and many medical clinics are now discovering that operating in a particular way made them liable to additional payroll tax.

“Retrospective audits leading to demands for payments of payroll tax covering five years of operation are creating a crisis for these clinics that must be addressed,” Mr Tudehope said. “The best solution to this urgent problem is to provide an amnesty from all such payroll tax for the past five years and an exemption for the next two years while a satisfactory solution is found.”

Shadow Minister for Health Matt Kean said he was concerned about the impacts on hospitals.

“Combined with other pressures on the health system there is a real danger that these clinics may need to close,” Mr Kean said. “This will put serious additional pressure on emergency departments and could result in patients having to wait even longer to receive care.”

Shadow Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said “the Government is offering $20,000 to get health workers to move to the regions while simultaneously threatening some regional medical clinics with massive tax bills that will force them to close, leaving people in regional NSW without needed health services.”

Shadow Minister for Finance Eleni Petinos said that local GP clinics provide invaluable community services across the state, and the immediate tax relief will help ensure survival of many clinics. “With growing waiting lists across NSW hospitals and ongoing industrial chaos in the health sector, NSW should be seeking to support medical clinics, not imposing a retrospective tax that will see a number wiped out.”