December 2023 – Page 9

New stats show homelessness remains shockingly high

The NSW government must urgently build more social housing and fully fund homelessness services after new statistics showed homelessness remaining shockingly high.

Data released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed 68,400 people used homelessness services in NSW in the most recent financial year.

Demand was so high that less than half (49%) of people who needed emergency accommodation were able to receive it.

Only 21% of people needing long term accommodation were helped.

“This situation is shocking, heartbreaking and simply should not be happening in a state as wealthy as New South Wales,” said Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe.

“Homelessness services are so stretched they are having to turn away one in two people who knock on their doors. And there are many more people who don’t ask for help at all.

“Frontline services do the best they can to keep people housed, but there are not enough homes and inadequate funding to keep up with demand.

“This Christmas there will be women and children experiencing domestic violence who are forced to choose between homelessness or remaining in an unsafe home.

“The government could easily solve this by investing just an extra $152 million a year into homelessness services so they can meet demand.

“It must also urgently build more social housing which is at historically low levels. This will provide stable homes to people in need, take heat out of the private rental market and ease pressure on our schools, hospitals and community services over the long term.”

The latest AIHW stats revealed:

	2022/23	2021/22 (for comparison)
Total # people who were supported by SHS	68,400	68,500
Main reasons for seeking assistance:1. Housing crisis2. Financial difficulties3. Family and domestic violence	1. 40%2. 38%3. 35%	1. 40%2. 36%3. 35%
People who were homeless when they first presented for support (as opposed to people at risk of homelessness)	50%	47%
Clients’ housing situation when they first presented1. No shelter or improvised/inadequate dwelling (‘sleeping rough’)2. Short-term temporary accommodation3. Couch surfing	1. 7.8% 2. 22%3. 15.3%	1. 6.7% 2. 21.9%3.14.6%
% of SHS clients who were Indigenous	32%	32%
Unmet need for (% of people who needed help but couldn’t get it):1. short-term/emergency accommodation2. medium-term/transitional3. long-term	1. 51% 2. 64%3. 79%	1. 53% 2. 65%3. 77%
Supported to maintain housing (ie. where people were at risk of, but not yet homeless)	90%	90%

ALBANESE’S MIGRANT BASHING REEKS OF DESPERATION

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cynical pivot against migration shows just how far he has ceded his decision making to Peter Dutton, the Greens say.

“Labor mindlessly blaming migration for Australia’s housing crisis just shows that there is very little difference between the major parties,” Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim said.

“Engaging in a race to the bottom on migration with Mr Dutton will not end well for migrants.”

“This reeks of desperation by a Prime Minister who is being led by the nose by Peter Dutton.”

“Appeasing Peter Dutton on migration issues hasn’t worked for the past decade and it will not work now.

“He will pocket whatever concessions he gets and take another giant step to the right.”

“Australia’s housing crisis has been caused by 40 years of deliberate underinvestment in social housing by both major parties.”

“The people of this country voted the Liberals out of office last year – it seems everyone except Mr Albanese has realised this fact.”

City of Newcastle swings into action with million-dollar investment into playgrounds

Families across the city will have more reasons to plan a trip to their local park thanks to City of Newcastle’s million-dollar investment into upgraded playground equipment and new amenities.

Recreational areas such as Rawson Park at Stockton, Adamstown No.2 and Waratah’s Coolamin Reserve will receive new equipment as part of City of Newcastle’s annual improvement program, while Islington and Lambton Park playgrounds will be upgraded with new rubber softfall and equipment respectively.

An artist's impression of the playground upgrade planned for Waratah's Coolamin Reserve

Designs for the playgrounds are currently being finalised, with construction expected to start early in the new year.

City of Newcastle is also enhancing the experience of families visiting Newcastle’s largest playground, with new amenities now open at the $2 million Wallsend Active Hub.

Wallsend Active Hub has become one of Newcastle’s most popular playgrounds and multi-purpose recreation spaces since opening in November 2022, catering for community members of all ages with a bike pump track, climbing walls, multi-sport courts, rebound wall and fitness equipment. Future stage two works will include a barbecue area, shelter and seating.

Councillors Elizabeth Adamczyk and Deahnna Richardson outside the newly opened amenities at the popular Wallsend Active Hub

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says City of Newcastle has invested more than $10 million into playground projects over the past five years as part of its commitment to delivering enhanced recreational opportunities for the community.

“We know how much our community values open spaces and their local playgrounds, which provide local children and families with the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and engage in an active and healthy lifestyle,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Not only does City of Newcastle upgrade up to five playgrounds a year through its annual improvement program, we also invest additional funding into district level projects such as the new $3 million inclusive playspace at Hamilton’s historic Gregson Park, which will begin construction early next year.

“I’m also glad to see the addition of the new toilet amenities at Wallsend Active Hub, which will enhance the comfort and experience of local residents and visitors from across the region who travel to enjoy its diverse offering of recreational opportunities.”

Newcastle has more than 116 playgrounds across the Local Government Area and has an ongoing program of upgrading and renewing the facilities. Five playgrounds were upgraded under the program during the past 12 months including Beresfield’s Vera Wilson Park, Loch Ness Drive Park in Fletcher, Harold Myers Park in Birmingham Gardens, Avon Street Reserve in Mayfield, and Waratah Park.

Visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works to stay up to date with progress on playgrounds and other projects in your area.

Funding boost for Newcastle Museum and Art Gallery

Local stories and ambitious exhibitions will continue to take centre stage at two of Newcastle’s key cultural institutions thanks to an extended multiyear funding allocation from the NSW Government.

Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery’s existing three-year agreements with Create NSW have both been extended for an additional 12 months, bringing the combined total investment in the facilities to almost $850,000 over four years.

City of Newcastle's Director Museum Archive Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, at the Newcastle Museum. Create NSW has also recognised the leading industry knowledge and expertise of City of Newcastle’s Director Museum Archive Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, appointing her as Chair of the Museums and History Artform Advisory Board.

Ms Baird is the first Director of a regional museum appointed to the highly respected role and will follow on from the tenure of Australian Museum Director Dr Kim McKay AO.

She has also recently been reappointed as Vice President of the National Council for the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Incorporated (AMaGA).

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes congratulated Ms Baird on her appointment and welcomed the funding from the NSW Government, which reflected the quality of exhibitions, collections and programming produced by both the Museum and Art Gallery.

“Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery are vibrant, award-winning cultural attractions, which play an important role in interpreting and preserving our city’s fascinating history and providing a time capsule of Australian art dating back to the earliest days of Newcastle,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Their respective collections and exhibitions also add to the rich diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city.

“Julie’s appointment reflects her expertise, innovative leadership and years of dedication to the Australian galleries, libraries, archives, and museums sector. It acknowledges the importance of Local Government funded museums in the cultural landscape.”

Ms Baird said the Create NSW funding had allowed Newcastle Museum to expand its program of self-curated exhibitions to tell more local stories.

“Newcastle Museum’s vast collection allows visitors to gain a sense of Newcastle’s unique identity by exploring the city’s past, present and future, while our exciting annual program of self-curated and touring exhibitions are on the cutting edge of contemporary museum practice,” Ms Baird said.

“This funding has supported our ongoing commitment to serving the city with diverse and inclusive programs and award-winning exhibitions that tell the story of Newcastle.

“This has included everything from the award-winning 1×4, which we have now toured to seven other museums and galleries across three states, to the community-led insight into Newcastle’s skateboarding culture, Shralp, and celebrating the talent of Newcastle’s diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives through FIRST.

“I was also blown away by my appointment – to have a regional museum Director as the head of the Advisory Board acknowledges the professionalism and skills within our regional areas and recognises that a significant portion of the cultural innovation and leadership in our industry is coming from centres outside of Sydney.”

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said the additional funding would continue to support the Gallery’s ambitious programming and future plans for the reimagined Art Gallery’s reopening.

“Having been a member of the Create NSW Visual Arts Advisory Board over the past four years, I have seen first-hand the incredible quality on offer across the state’s visual arts institutions, so I am absolutely delighted and extremely grateful that Newcastle Art Gallery has continued to be supported given the record number of funding recipients in the Visual Arts funding category,” Ms Morton said.

“Newcastle Art Gallery is held in high regard across the Australian arts community, home to a nationally significant collection worth more than $126 million and with an award-winning artistic program drawing local, national and international audiences to our city.

“This esteem will grow further as we progress with our long-awaited Art Gallery expansion project, which will significantly increase the Gallery’s capacity to present even more exhibitions and programming that showcase our incredible collection while supporting contemporary practice and artists’ groundbreaking ideas that engage and broaden our audience.”

Hydrogen bus trial arrives in the Illawarra this week

The state’s newest hydrogen bus will enter service in the Illawarra on Monday as it starts doing the rounds on Wollongong’s popular free Gong Shuttle loop.

The bus will start its six-month trial on the Gong loop, before being trialled on a number of other routes throughout the Illawarra to test its capabilities.

Data collected from the bus trial will be used by Transport to make decisions about the best electric and hydrogen technology for our regional bus operators, passengers, and communities.

Built by ARCC in Western Sydney, the bus can drive for 16 hours and cover 515km on just 32kg of Hydrogen. A similar diesel bus would consume 170 litres of diesel to travel the same distance.

The bus will be refuelled at the Coregas hydrogen refuelling station at the Port Kembla Hydrogen Hub.

The bus will be operated by Premier Illawarra and will cover existing routes in line with existing timetables.

It follows a hydrogen bus trial on the Central Coast where the bus outperformed expectations on the road.

More information about Zero Emission Buseslaunch

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“We’re committed to transitioning the state’s fleet of 8,000 diesel and gas buses on our public transport network to zero emissions technology. That means rolling out electric buses onto roads in Sydney and Newcastle, and trialling technology like hydrogen buses in other parts of the state.

“It is great to see this new hydrogen bus roll out here today in Wollongong.

“It will provide Transport for NSW with important data needed to inform any future roll-out of Hydrogen technology on our bus and transport networks.”

Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said:

“The fare-free Gong Shuttle Loop is one of the most popular routes in NSW.

“This Hydrogen bus trial will give passengers a unique opportunity to experience a greener, quieter, and more comfortable journey on the loop between Wollongong station and the university.

“Illawarra is well placed to play an important role in the new clean energy economy which will bring significant economic and social value for the community.

“We’re looking to the future and supporting the creation of local jobs and opportunities in this growing region.”

Member for Wollongon Paul Scully said:

“I have been advocating for the Gong Shuttle and Illawarra bus routes to be used for a trial to power buses with hydrogen for years.

“Transport is a way that we can help develop both the supply and demand for hydrogen in the region as it is looked at as a cleaner, greener industrial fuel source in the future.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

“It’s exciting to see zero emission bus trials making their way out of Central Sydney, into the Central Coast, now Wollongong and in the future, more regional centres across NSW.

“This demonstration will help Transport for NSW better understand how hydrogen buses perform in the Gong and what infrastructure is needed to then roll them out in more corners of our state.”

John King, Director, Premier Transport Group said:

“Premier Illawarra is proud to collaborate with bus manufacturer ARCC and Transport for NSW on this innovative demonstration, and give our local passengers a cleaner, greener journey on the Illawarra bus network.

“The convenience of the local Port Kembla Hydrogen Hub gives us a unique opportunity in the Illawarra to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions across our services.

“We’re thrilled to play our part and cultivate strong partnerships between local manufacturers like ARCC, bus operators, and the NSW Government for the benefit of our communities and passengers.”

Bankstown CBD announced as location for new hospital

The Minns Labor government has confirmed the new Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital will be located at the TAFE campus in Bankstown’s CBD, delivering a brand new hospital to Western Sydney residents.

The location provides convenient access to public transport links for patients, staff and visitors, including bus, rail and the future metro.

It also provides opportunities for future expansion for research and education to create a new ‘health neighbourhood’ for integrated health care.

The Canterbury-Bankstown local government area is expected to grow by about 20% to nearly half-a-million people by 2036.

To meet the health needs of the rapidly growing community, the NSW Government has committed $1.3 billion for the planned hospital as part of its 2023-2024 budget.

The scope for the hospital will be determined through the planning process which will take place in 2024 in consultation with staff, clinicians and patients.

Services are expected to include:

expanded emergency services
intensive care
surgery and interventional procedures
women’s and Children’s Health
rehabilitation
aged health
mental health
cancer services
ambulatory care services

TAFE NSW will consult with employees and students about temporarily relocating TAFE NSW facilities during construction of the new hospital.

The new hospital will integrate with the existing hospital site to allow contemporary models of care and deliver an improved healthcare experience.

This investment in a new and upgraded hospital for Bankstown and Lidcombe is possible because the Minns Labor government is making responsible decisions to repair the budget and reprioritise spending on essential services.

The Minns Labor government is setting out a long-term plan to repair the budget so we can deliver essential healthcare services for families across the state, reduce waiting times and improving access to timely, high-quality healthcare.

Health Minister Ryan Park said:

“We were elected with a clear mandate to rebuild essential services and are getting on with the job to deliver South Western Sydney communities a new state-of-the-art hospital.

“The new hospital will significantly enhance healthcare in Bankstown and surrounding areas and ensure people can access the care they need, closer to home.

“We are ensuring that growing communities receive the health infrastructure they need and deserve.

“Everyone should be able to access world class health care where they need it.

“Expanding the capacity of health infrastructure in growing communities right here in South Western Sydney is critical to improving wait times and access to care.”

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

“The NSW Government is committed to maintaining a strong TAFE NSW presence in Bankstown.

“During the planning phase of this project, TAFE NSW will work in partnership with NSW Health to plan co-location opportunities for TAFE NSW at the new hospital site.

“This will ensure TAFE NSW is well positioned to meet the learning needs of the local community, improve educational outcomes, and support the state’s priority skills needs.

“Consulting with employees and students about temporary relocation options will ensure the development of the new hospital causes as little disruption as possible to learners.

“There is sufficient space within the Bankstown CBD to accommodate TAFE NSW’s temporary relocation.”

Member for Bankstown Jihad Dib said:

“The population of Canterbury-Bankstown will grow to over half a million people by 2036.

“Today’s commitment to build a brand new state-of-the-art hospital ensures that our community has the health facilities it needs.”

Member for East Hills Kylie Wilkinson said:

“This is a win-win for the community with health services to remain on the existing site and a brand-new hospital with significantly improved health services.

“This is a long overdue announcement that the community has waited a long time for.”

Member for Auburn Lynda Voltz said:

“It has been a decade-long wait, but it is good to see our new state government getting cracking on a new Bankstown Hospital.

“So many residents rely on an accessible public hospital, and this addition to our local health services, close to public transport in the Bankstown CBD, delivers in spades.”

$17.7 million Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink upgrade and restoration works

The iconic Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink will get a major upgrade and restoration with the NSW Government executing a grant for $17.7 fmillion to ensuring the training ground for many Australian Winter Olympians will remain for many decades to come.

Funded through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program, the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink Roof and Amenities Upgrade Project will deliver:

a new roof structure
new change rooms
a concrete new modern ice floor and barrier system
new skate hire facilities
upgraded spectator seating areas.

The Canterbury Ice Rink has served as the home for more than 20 Olympic ice skaters, including short track Olympic gold medallist, Steven Bradbury, 2014 Ice Dance Olympians Danielle O’Brien and Greg Merriman, and Australia’s first indigenous Winter Olympics athlete, Harley Windsor.

The upgrades that are being undertaken will ensure this Western Sydney institution is one of the best ice rinks in Australia and provide the next generation of Olympic hopefuls with the facilities to fulfil their dreams. Over 120,000 visitors per year are expected to utilise the facility.

The government will now work with The Ice-Skating Club of NSW to deliver this much needed upgrade, with construction to commence in late-2024.

The NSW Government is committed to delivering transformation infrastructure across Western Sydney and south-west Sydney through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program.

Funding 191 projects through the $2 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program will help secure the best quality of life for families and communities across Western Sydney.

Steve Kamper, Minister for Sport said:

“We’re excited to restore this fantastic facility so it can serve as a rink for the Canterbury community for many years to come.

“This funding will get thousands of athletes performing incredible feats and scoring goals, while allowing patrons young and old a fantastic opportunity to learn to skate.

“This much-loved ice rink will allow The Ice-Skating Club of NSW to partner with state and national bodies in figure skating and ice hockey to host events at the state, national and international level.”

Sophie Cotsis, Member for Canterbury said:

“The project will deliver huge benefits, including local jobs, programs for local school students, as well as an inclusive skating program for skaters with intellectual and physical disabilities.

“Since the closure of the facility, skaters from the area have been travelling hours across Sydney, even to Canberra of a weekend, to train. Come mid-2026 this will no longer be the case, with this wonderful facility back up-and-running in our own backyard.”

“This is huge win, a big congratulations to our community for this hard-fought achievement”.

Jason Yat-Sen Li, Member for Strathfield said:

“Canterbury Ice Rink is an important, greatly loved facility for residents in my community, including local schools, skaters and ice-hockey players, and those who just want to have fun on the ice. It is also a facility that has given those who experience mental or physical challenges a place where they can be themselves. We are delighted to be able to save this critical piece of sport and community infrastructure.”

Get more information about the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program.

Co-operation key to Labor delivering for families and nation

On the last day of Parliament for 2023, Australia and Papua New Guinea signed an historic security agreement and our Government passed new laws to ensure more Australians get a fair go at work.

From now on, wage theft and industrial manslaughter will be criminal offences.

This will help make workplaces safer and it will make it clear that businesses can’t get away with stealing from their employees.

We’re also closing the loopholes in labour hire. Labour hire laws were designed to help employers bring in people with specialist skills or deal with temporary shortages.

But for too long, some companies have used labour hire to undermine enterprise bargaining and drive down wages.

These laws will put a stop to that.

Getting wages moving and boosting job security have been key priorities for our Government through 2023.

Of course, Australians understand that so many of the big challenges we face as a country are not confined to one level of government alone.

Whether it’s health, housing, the environment, TAFE and skills or the National Disability Insurance Scheme, our government knows that working for Australia means working with the states and territories.

I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve this year through the co-operation we’ve built at National Cabinet.

Our Government has made boosting housing supply, affordability and construction a priority right through 2023 and in August, National Cabinet came together to agree on the biggest set of housing reforms in a generation.

We’re working together to make it easier to build more homes by unlocking land, reforming zoning and speeding-up approvals right across Australia.

This will mean more affordable housing that’s closer to public transport, decent services and good jobs.

Together, we’ve also backed a better deal for renters and we’re driving national action to renovate and build public and social housing for Australians most in need of a roof over their head.

In 2023, over 300,000 Australians have enrolled in fee-free TAFE places and in October, every state and territory signed-up to the first National Skills Agreement in more than ten years.

Record new investments in public TAFE, in apprenticeships and in the facilities that will make it easier for Australians to learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future, from the clean energy economy to digital technology.

On Wednesday in Canberra, National Cabinet negotiated a landmark agreement that will guarantee proper funding for public hospitals over the next decade.

The new deal we’ve agreed around hospital funding is about ensuring every state and territory can plan with certainty for future.

It’s also designed to drive new action in the parts of the health system under the most pressure.

By the end of this year, we will have opened 58 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in regional centres and growing suburbs around Australia.

These clinics are open outside ordinary working hours and fully bulk-billed.

All you need is your Medicare card.

Already, tens of thousands of families have benefited from being able to get the urgent treatment they need, close to home, without having to wait around in a hospital emergency department.

Strengthening Medicare helps families with their cost of living, it also takes pressure off public hospitals and health care workers.

We know our healthcare workers do an extraordinary job and part of the agreement National Cabinet struck this week is about delivering better support to all those doctors, nurses and frontline carers, while boosting recruitment for the future.

Just as importantly, this week also saw a big breakthrough when it comes to securing the future of the NDIS.

By focusing on new support available through school and early education and cracking-down on fraudulent providers, we will ensure the NDIS is sustainable into the future and that every dollar invested delivers better services and opportunities for Australians with disability.

Speaking of sustainable, I’m so pleased that we were able to finish the year with new progress on restoring the Murray-Darling Basin.

This is a huge win for the environment and for farming communities, right along the river.

The final thing I want to mention goes all the way back to 1996.

In the aftermath of the Port Arthur Massacre, Prime Minister John Howard brought together the states and territories to take an essential first step on gun reform.

Last week in Canberra, we took the next step by agreeing to create a National Firearms Register.

This will mean police officers can track firearms and their owners across state borders and get vital information about potentially dangerous situations.

This will save lives.

Whether it’s gun reform, funding hospitals, building more homes or helping the environment, you can always achieve more through co-operation.

Working together, working for Australia.

That’s been our government’s focus this week and this year.

It’s what will drive us in 2024.

This opinion piece was first published in The Australian on Monday, 11 December 2023.

Youth dies when trail bike crashes – Muswellbrook

A youth has died, and a woman is in hospital in serious but stable condition, after a trail bike crashed in the Hunter yesterday.

About 5pm (Saturday 9 December 2023), officers from Hunter Valley Police District were called to the intersection of Maitland Street and Thompson Street, Muswellbrook, after reports of a crash.

Police were told the 17-year-old rider and his 22-year-old pillion passenger were thrown from a Yamaha YZ250 trail bike when the rider lost control at the intersection and the bike struck a median-strip guard rail.

They were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

The rider was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for treatment; however, died a short time later.

The pillion was also taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for multiple injuries. She was then airlifted to John Hunter Hospital for surgery. She is in a critical but stable condition.

The driver of a grey Isuzu D-Max, which had been entering the intersection on a green signal at the time, stopped to render assistance. He tested negative at the scene before being taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for mandatory testing. There was no contact between the bike and the truck.

A crime scene was established, and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Appointment of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls-General

Today I announce new appointments of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls-General, who will advance Australia’s interests abroad.

Our diplomats drive opportunities for closer cooperation, support Australians overseas and help uphold the norms and rules that underpin peace and prosperity.

I am pleased to announce the following appointments:

I thank outgoing ambassadors, high commissioners and consuls-general for their contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in these countries during their respective tenures.