Month: January 2024

The NSW Opposition has called on the Minns Labor Government to ensure that the Electrical Trades Union industrial action does not drive up energy costs for NSW households and small businesses.
 
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Damien Tudehope condemned the energy union for a power grab at the expense of families and businesses across New South Wales. 
 
“After raiding the public coffers for unfunded public sector wage rises totalling $9.5 billion, the unions are going after private businesses, and they risk holding the people of NSW hostage in the process,” Mr Tudehope said.
 
The Union rejected a pay rise of 13% last year and is now striking in a way that will affect and delay crucial renewables and transmission projects. Any such delays ultimately hurt households and small businesses through energy shortages and increased power bills.
 
“Families and small businesses across our State are doing it tough, and the last thing they need is to be caught up in the crossfire of a union power grab. 
 
“Chris Minns needs to tell his union mates to stop using NSW people and businesses as pawns in their games.
 
“The Minister for Energy needs to urgently guarantee that union disruptions will not lead to delays and cost blowouts for critical energy projects,” Mr Tudehope said.

NSW Health is advising people who have been in the Sydney CBD area in the past 10 days to be on alert for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease after 7 people who have developed the disease spent time in the area in the last 3 weeks.

The 3 women and 4 men, ranging in age from their 20s to 70s, independently visited locations in the CBD between Bathurst Street, Sussex Street, Elizabeth Street and Circular Quay in the 10 days prior to their symptoms. All have been admitted to hospital for treatment of pneumonia.

All 7 people have been identified with the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, which is often associated with contaminated cooling towers of large buildings.

People can be exposed to the bacteria if contaminated water particles from a cooling system are emitted into the air and breathed in. Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread from person to person.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can develop up to 10 days from the time of exposure to contaminated water particles in the air and include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.

People who develop this disease are diagnosed by a urine or sputum test and chest X-ray and usually require antibiotic treatment in hospital. Those most at risk are people with underlying lung or other serious health conditions and people who smoke.

NSW Health environmental health officers are working closely with the City of Sydney Council to inspect cooling towers. Review of maintenance records of cooling towers in the CBD area will also help determine further towers to be inspected and sampled. 

Managers of buildings with cooling towers are being contacted and informed of the cluster. Building owners should ensure that their cooling towers are operated and maintained in compliance with the NSW Public Health Regulation 2022.

Public health units in local health districts across NSW follow up cases of Legionnaires’ disease and work closely with local councils in the management of cooling towers.

Routine monthly testing of cooling towers allows the early identification of contaminated towers and allows for prompt additional cleaning and corrective actions.

For more information about water cooling systems management contact your local public health unit on 1300 066 055 or visit the Legionella controllaunch page.

For more information on Legionnaires’ disease access the Legionnaires’ disease fact sheetlaunch.

Volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards are reminding people to take care on our waterways and swim at patrolled locations, with more than 646 rescues conducted since Christmas eve.

Since the start of the patrol season in September, Surf Life Saving NSW volunteers have conducted 1360 rescues, with almost half (646) of those since 24 December 2023 during the busy holiday period.

As people head to coastal waterways over the warmer months, the NSW Government is also urging people to practice water safety like swimming at patrolled beaches and between the flags.

To support lifesavers, 14 new jet skis have been deployed to NSW beaches, following the Minns Labor government’s record $23 million investment in Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW).

Accounting for roughly 13% of rescues conducted by SLSNSW volunteers last year, jet skis play a key role in keeping people safe. The arrival of these new jet skis supports an expected surge in beachgoers this summer.

Jet skis can be used in a range of rescue missions, including offshore searches for missing persons and rescues in proximity to rock platforms.

In September 2023, the NSW Government announced the biggest funding commitment ever made to SLSNSW, pledging an additional $23 million over 4 years to help keep NSW beaches safer.

As part of this package, $18 million will be allocated through the NSW Rescue Capability Grant for additional resources and equipment, including 67 new jet skis to be delivered over 4 years.

The new jet skis will replace a large part of the current fleet, ensuring standardisation across NSW and providing modern watercraft for surf life savers.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The festive season is one of the busiest times of the year for surf lifesavers, and I’d like to thank our volunteers who help keep beach goers safe.

“We want to ensure a day at the beach is safe and enjoyable, and I’d encourage swimmers to follow the advice of lifesavers and swim at patrolled locations.

“With 14 new jet skis, our 300 trained Surf Life Saving NSW jet ski operators will also be better equipped to keep our shores safer during the festive season and beyond.

“As more and more people head to the beach, the Minns Labor government is committed to helping volunteer organisations like Surf Life Saving NSW focus on their important work.”

Surf Life Saving NSW Chief Executive Steve Pearce said:

“We’re just really urging potential beachgoers to take heed of those basic safety messages; don’t swim at unpatrolled locations – look for the red and yellow flags because if our lifesavers can’t see you they can’t save you, and understand your limits when entering the ocean.

“Jet skis are the backbone of our support operations response capability, especially away from patrolled locations and in search and rescue situations.

“It’s great to see our operator numbers expanding and in particular more female jet ski drivers coming on board.”

Beach safety tips

• Always swim between the red and yellow patrol flags, for your nearest patrolled beach check the BeachSafelaunch app or website
• Read the safety signs for information about the beach and ask a lifesaver or lifeguard for safety information.
• Always swim with someone else so you can look out for each other, and always supervise children around the water.
• Never swim under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• If you need help in the water, stay calm and attract attention by raising one arm.
• In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000).

For information about patrol times, weather, and beach locations visit the Beachsafelaunch website or download the applaunch.

The new jet skis will be stationed at key locations across the NSW coastline, including:

• Brunswick Heads
• Nambucca
• Scotts Head
• Blackhead
• Pacific Palms
• Hunter – Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie
• The Lakes
• Dee Why
• Freshwater
• Malabar
• Coledale
• Windang
• Tuross Beach
• Tathra.

Public transport was the way to go to ring in the new year, with data from Transport for NSW revealing more than 700,000 journeys were made to and from Sydney’s CBD on train, bus, ferry and light rail services for the big night.

With most harbour vantage points not ticketed this year, Sydneysiders and travellers flocked into the city to watch the world-class New Year’s Eve fireworks. 

The vast majority of revellers caught public transport to and from the CBD, as passengers took the operational advice to leave the car at home, leave plenty of travel time,  and hop on services to get  where they needed to go.

Transport for NSW had an extra 1000 trains running day and night on New Year’s Eve, plus an extra 1200 buses, and light rail services were running every 10 minutes until 4am.   

Metro services  doubled in frequency with services running until 4am.

Key statistics

From 4am on 31 December 2023 to 4am on 1 January 2024, there were 416,049 trips into Sydney’s CBD and surrounding precincts, based on Opal data:

• Bus – 59,873
• Ferry – 22,158
• Light Rail – 44,794
• Train – 289, 224
• Total – 416,049

From 4am on 31 December 2023 to 4am on 1 January 2024, there were 325,613 trips out of Sydney’s CBD and surrounding precincts, based on Opal data:

• Bus – 46,510
• Ferry – 22,279
• Light Rail – 45,443
• Train – 211,381
• Total – 325,613

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“New Year’s Eve is by far the biggest day on the Transport calendar. This year, we saw a 20% increase in the number of people arriving into our city by train, compared to last year’s celebrations.

“Moving hundreds of thousands of people in and out of the city over a small period of time isn’t easy, but everyone was patient, in good spirits and listened carefully to our staff on the ground.

“I want to thank the thousands of Transport for NSW staff at stations, on trains, buses, ferries and light rail who kept people moving. I also want to thank the Maritime teams who were out on our harbour, ensuring everyone on the water could enjoy the incredible display safely.

“New Year’s Eve was a big test for Sydney’s public transport and follows months of important work our Government has been doing to improve reliability and performance. I’m thrilled to say our New Year’s Eve public transport network, like the incredible fireworks display, was a roaring success.”

Secretary of Transport for NSW Josh Murray said:

“The big crowds that built up over more than 12 hours on Sunday were safely dispatched home in around an hour and a half from city stations, with 1000 extra trains and 1200 extra buses.

“Revellers overwhelmingly caught public transport and we want to thank our passengers for leaving the car at home, for treating our transport workers with patience and respect as they worked through the night to get everyone to their parties or vantage points and back again.”

NSW Health is reminding people to protect themselves from mosquitoes when they are out and about during the summer holidays.

NSW Health’s Acting Director of Environmental Health, Paul Byleveld, said with more people spending time outdoors, it was important to take steps to reduce mosquito bite risk.

“Mosquitoes thrive in wet, warm conditions like those that much of NSW is experiencing,” Byleveld said.

“Mosquitoes in NSW can carry viruses such as Japanese encephalitis (JE), Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), Kunjin, Ross River and Barmah Forest. The viruses may cause serious diseases with symptoms ranging from tiredness, rash, headache and sore and swollen joints to rare but severe symptoms of seizures and loss of consciousness.

“People should take extra care to protect themselves against mosquito bites and mosquito-borne disease, particularly after the detection of JE in a sentinel chicken in Far Western NSW.

The NSW Health sentinel chicken program provides early warning about the presence of serious mosquito borne diseases, like JE. Routine testing in late December revealed a positive result for JE in a sample from Menindee. 

A free vaccine to protect against JE infection is available to those at highest risk in NSW and people can check their eligibility at NSW Healthlaunch.

People are encouraged to take actions to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of acquiring a mosquito-borne virus by:

• Applying repellent to exposed skin. Use repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Check the label for reapplication times.
• Re-applying repellent regularly, particularly after swimming. Be sure to apply sunscreen first and then apply repellent.
• Wearing light, loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts, long pants and covered footwear and socks.
• Avoiding going outdoors during peak mosquito times, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Using insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units and mosquito coils to repel mosquitoes (mosquito coils should only be used outdoors in well-ventilated areas)
• Covering windows and doors with insect screens and checking there are no gaps.
• Removing items that may collect water such as old tyres and empty pots from around your home to reduce the places where mosquitoes can breed.
• Using repellents that are safe for children. Most skin repellents are safe for use on children aged three months and older. Always check the label for instructions. Protecting infants aged less than three months by using an infant carrier draped with mosquito netting, secured along the edges.
• While camping, use a tent that has fly screens to prevent mosquitoes entering or sleep under a mosquito net.

Remember, Spray Up – Cover Up – Screen Up to protect from mosquito bite. For more information go to NSW Healthlaunch.