Month: November 2023

The Minns Labor government is tuning in to the challenges faced by musicians, artists and venue providers as part of its commitment to revive a thriving music scene in NSW.

For the first time, the NSW Government will conduct a survey of artists and professionals working in the music industry in a bid to build a picture of the challenges faced and what can be done to restore the live scene to a position of strength in our cultural fabric.

NSW has lost half its live music venues over the past decade, with just 137 remaining, according to current Liquor and Gaming data.

As part of the music revival, the government will seek to ensure the survival of these venues as the recently established Sound NSW begins its work with the live music industry.

Launching during Australian Music Month, participants will be asked to assess the strengths of the industry as well as the factors that might be holding the industry back, from noise restrictions, venue closures, COVID-19 and cost of living pressures.

The survey forms part of a wider research project that will combine economic analysis, venue mapping data and audience research to inform the NSW Government’s first ever strategic policy for contemporary music and create a vision for a vibrant arts and cultural scene in NSW.

The survey is completely anonymous, with no personal information collected.

The data will lead the decision-making process to revolutionise the live music industry in the state and spearhead new policy that centres on supporting and invigorating NSW’s music scene.

People working in the industry are strongly encouraged to provide insights, including artists, managers, promoters, venue operators, roadies, audio engineers, lighting and technical teams, ticket and merchandise retailers and more. This feedback will shape policy decisions and have a direct impact on the future of the sector.

Participate in State of the Scene – Live Music Surveylaunch. The survey will be open until 15 January 2024.

Minister for Music John Graham said:

“The NSW Government is committed to reviving live music across NSW.

“The last decade of lockouts and lockdowns has led to a grassroots music venue crisis in this state. We know the live music sector is facing many challenges, and this research will help identify from firsthand experience of musicians and industry participants themselves what those challenges are.

“From artists and music workers to record labels, promoters, and managers, if you work in music, we want to hear from you. This consultative research will help us tune in to the policy priorities that will restore live music in NSW.

“I encourage all music industry professionals to share their ideas and insights to help us put together an evidence-based strategy for the future.”  

Acting Head of Sound NSW, Emily Collins said:

“Sound NSW’s mission is to see a new era when NSW’s musicians, live music venues and festivals can thrive, creating greater job opportunities, injecting vibrancy to our state, and exporting NSW-grown music across Australia and to the world.” 

“The data and insights from the Live Music Survey will help us better understand and support venues.”

“Following the launch of the NSW Arts, Culture and Creative Industries policy later this year, Sound NSW will develop and deliver the state’s first-ever 10-year contemporary music strategy. Just as Screen NSW does for film and TV, this is about bringing a cohesive and coherent government approach to growing the sector.”

The NSW Government is rolling out up to 900 fee-free vocational training placements across the state to tackle the shortage of skilled water operators in NSW.

Over the next four years there is expected to be a deficit of 1,476 qualified water technicians but this program will help to bridge the gap. The investment ensures there are trained staff to manage our water and sewerage systems, avoiding taps running dry, toilets not flushing, or water services being disrupted.

This program also supports our regional workforce, by delivering ongoing opportunities to train, upskill and secure quality employment, while ensuring skilled operators remain at the helm of our critical water and sewerage infrastructure.

Training Services NSW has already invested in training for 683 leaners at a cost of over $4.7 million to support the $32.8 million Town Water Risk Reduction Program run by the Department of Planning and Environment.

The fee free placements cover a range of programs, including: Certificate III traineeships; Certificate IV placements; school-based traineeships; choice of elective subjects as a single unit of study; Aboriginal placements; pre-employment skills programs and trade pathways for experienced workers.

Find out more about water skills and traininglaunch

Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“The water skills shortage is an ongoing challenge for remote areas and even larger regional areas like Dubbo.

“Water operations staff are the unsung heroes of their local towns and cities, working quietly in the background so residents and businesses have continuous access to safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater services.

“During the 2022 floods, there were regional water operators in NSW who slept at water and sewage treatment plants, away from their families, to support residents and businesses which is an extraordinary example of community service.

“It doesn’t matter what corner of the state you live in we want to make sure there are enough skilled technicians available on the ground to fill vacant spots and help improve water quality and security in NSW.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“Fee-free placements remove the financial barriers for people to access the training they need to do their jobs.

“The program is designed to boost opportunities for regional NSW school leavers, Aboriginal students, industry trainees and workers, along with existing water operators.

“There are some great regional employment opportunities in this sector – councils, water authorities, and irrigation districts all crying out for trained staff. Labor’s approach is all about addressing training needs and building our future workforce.”

Chair of the Orana Water Utilities Alliance in Western NSW, Doug Moorby said:

“We desperately need to upskill more people in water operations. Everyone is always scratching for skilled staff, there are currently vacancies across the board that we are struggling to fill which is why we need more training.

“Orana councils already support each other by providing operators when there are shortages. For example, this month we had an operator from Narromine support Cobar and a technician from Brewarrina pitch in to help Walgett.”

“But at the end of the day, this is not enough to fill the gaps. It will make a huge difference having the NSW Government on our side by addressing the issues that are impacting the water utilities workforce in regional NSW.”

The NSW Government is expanding its Urban Development Program (UDP), which includes a housing insights dashboard, following a successful pilot program.

The expanded UDP is aimed at helping to boost housing supply by prioritising infrastructure for development-ready land, removing roadblocks and enabling more homes to be built in the right places, faster.

The dashboards are already operating successfully in the Lower Hunter, Newcastle, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and the Western Parkland City.

The program is now being introduced to the Central River City and will be expanded to the Eastern Harbour City next year.

Through online dashboards, the program monitors housing supply in each area, tracking key housing data and supporting annual audits of land for housing.

It also helps inform the NSW Government’s new infrastructure contributions scheme which better connects housing growth and state infrastructure delivery, including schools, hospitals, roads, and parks.

For more information, visit the NSW Planning Portallaunch.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Urban Development Program helps to unlock more housing land and helps put the right infrastructure in the right places at the right time.

“The program is key to the delivery of infrastructure so that people moving into a new home are also moving into a well-connected community with supporting infrastructure.

“Timely delivery of schools, hospitals, roads, and parks is critical to the success of suburbs and regions and this program helps ensure we have a robust development pipeline in NSW.

“The program uses detailed, current and accessible data on housing, land supply, development activity and constraints to housing delivery.

“Regional audits will capture detailed information on the status of land identified for future housing and allow it to be tracked as it progresses through the housing supply pipeline.”

The Minns Labor Government has launched an operational review into icare to cut excessive spending, waste and salary costs.

The review comes after the NSW Government had to top up the insurer with a $669 million transfer shortly after coming to government.

The number of senior executives and their remuneration will be scrutinised as part of the review, in line with the NSW Government’s commitment to freeze the pay and cut the number of senior executives across the government. Medical, income and other support provided to injured workers are not impacted by this review.

The review will be led by Treasury, after the Minns Government passed new laws to provide it with powers to obtain information and records on icare spending.

Savings identified in the review will flow through to individuals and businesses across New South Wales by putting downward pressure on workers compensation premiums and protecting benefits to injured workers.

The review is expected to report in time for icare to identify permanent savings in its net cost of operations by 1 March 2024. 

The review follows previous reforms to icare implemented by the Minns Government, including the passage of new laws in August to put worker and business representatives onto the icare board.

Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis said:

“Sadly, it will take years to correct the workers compensation mess that we inherited and I don’t want to give anyone false hope.

“We will remain unrelenting in our pursuit of best practice and best governance at icare, this review continues the long but necessary road of reform that began within weeks of Labor coming to government.

“Businesses need access to a scheme with affordable premiums and workers need to be supported when things go wrong at work”.