Month: March 2024

Labor must act to resolve news media impasse

Meta’s refusal to renew deals made under the News Bargaining Code is highly disappointing.

The Coalition put the code in place to address bargaining power imbalances between multinational digital platforms and Australian media companies.

The News Bargaining Code is critical competition policy to ensure that global social media giants do not abuse market power and that Australian publishers are fairly remunerated for the content they create.

This is important to support Australian jobs, small businesses, and a competitive media market that delivers good outcomes to consumers.

The government must consider all options under the existing legislation to support Australian publishers and deliver a sensible outcome to support Australian media.

When Meta made similar announcements in the UK, France and Germany in September last year, the government should have immediately taken measures to prevent this from happening in Australia.

The recent experience of Canada’s negotiations with Meta were also a clear indication of its intentions.

If the government is serious about competition, they must not allow digital service providers to hold Australian jobs and publishers hostage to dominant market power.

This is a critical test about whose side the government is on: Australian jobs, media, and publishers – or large multinational tech giants.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Labor has been caught on the back foot.

“This is another example of a government that’s asleep at the wheel.

“This is a world leading competition policy, and the government needs to use it.

“The warning signs were there and the government ignored them.

“Labor has been all talk and no action.”

Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman said the government must take action.

“The News Media Bargaining Code was a world-leading initiative of the Coalition Government. It has played a vital role in ensuring that Australian journalism is properly valued online. The Albanese Government must ensure that all parties are fully compliant with the Code, now and in the future.”

Gallery takes art to the community as expansion continues

Art and storytelling of two local artists have launched a new year of off-site programming for Newcastle Art Gallery as the expansion of the cultural institution continues to progress.

Newcastle artist Izabela Pluta is helping transform the exterior of the construction site with a new work of art commissioned as part of the Gallery’s street hoarding project, while locally-based artist Lottie Consalvo shares insights into her career as part of the Gallery’s second podcast series, Conversations from the Collection.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton, artist Izabela Pluta and Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes in front of Izabela’s artwork on the construction hoarding around the Gallery.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said these projects provide opportunities for the community to stay connected with Newcastle Art Gallery and its nationally significant collection.

“Newcastle Art Gallery is held in high regard in the Australian arts community, home to a nationally significant collection worth more than $126 million and with an award-winning artistic program,” Cr Nelmes said.

“This esteem will grow further as we progress with our long-awaited Gallery expansion project, which will double the size of the Gallery and significantly increase the exhibition space to display artworks of local, national and international importance.

“In the meantime, however, it is important to give our community as many avenues as possible to stay connected to the Gallery, whether that is through works of art being displayed on the temporary construction hoarding, or by learning more about artists featured in our collection through the second season of the podcast series.”

Pluta’s work of art can be seen on the construction hoarding that runs along Laman Street, while proud Yuwi man Dylan Mooney from Brisbane has his work of art displayed along Darby Street.

Sydney-based artists Diana Baker-Smith and Agus Wijaya will also have their works of art on show to passers-by later this year, with the four artists selected from more than 300 applications from across Australia during an expressions of interest process last year.

The Gallery’s temporary street hoarding commission project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

NSW State Minister for the Arts Hon. John Graham MLC said we are lucky to live in NSW, a state rich in creativity. 

“The state’s first arts, culture and creative industries policy commits the government to advocating for the value of culture, to enabling and investing in culture with the whole of government,” Minister Graham said. 
 
 “The Create NSW funding is just one way the NSW Government is supporting our regional arts, culture and creative industries.”

Newcastle Art Gallery has also launched the second season of its Conversations from the Collection podcast, which uncovers the untold stories of six contemporary artists from across Australia who have contributed to the significance of the Gallery’s diverse collection.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said she was thrilled to feature internationally-exhibited, Newcastle-based artist Lottie Consalvo in the podcast.

“We can’t wait to be able to welcome the community back into our expanded Newcastle Art Gallery, which will significantly increase our capacity to present exhibitions and programming that showcase our incredible collection, while supporting contemporary practice and artists’ groundbreaking ideas that engage and broaden our audience,” Ms Morton said.

“The first series of the Gallery’s podcast was launched last year as a way to explore our collection through some of the artists featured within it. The podcast was highly regarded, reaching number two in Apple’s Australian Visual Arts podcast charts and being used as a learning resource for Hunter-based secondary and tertiary educators.

“We are thrilled to be able to share even more of these artist stories through this second season, which features episodes with Lottie Consalvo, Jemima Wyman, Lindy Lee, Janet Fieldhouse, Owen Leong and Tina Havelock Stevens.”

The six-part podcast is now available via the Gallery website and on all major podcast listening apps.

The Newcastle Art Gallery expansion project is supported by $5 million from the Australian Government under the Regional Recovery Partnerships and $5 million from the New South Wales Government under the Regional Recovery Package, as well as $12 million from the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation made possible through the Valerie and John Ryan bequest, Margaret Olley Trust, and community fundraising over many years. A further $1 million is currently being sought through the Foundation’s public fundraising campaign.

Most improved: Attendance shows promising lift in NSW public schools

With the 2024 school year in full swing, the NSW Government has launched a new phase of its campaign to remind parents and carers of the critical importance of good school attendance as figures from 2023 show a promising lift above the improvement rates of other states.

Student attendance increased from 85.2% in 2022 to 88.1% in 2023, a nation-leading improvement of 2.9%, but schools are continuing to work hard to make further progress.

The Department of Education’s latest ‘Every Day Matters’ campaign aims to raise parent, carer and community awareness of the importance of attending school daily, showing how just 1 day off school can lead to students missing out and falling behind, academically and socially.

Research shows positive school attendance benefits students’ academic achievement, engagement and wellbeing, while students who attend school regularly are also more likely to experience positive health, social and economic outcomes after leaving school.

While school attendance rates have increased across the state, there’s more work to be done, and the NSW Department of Education is supporting schools with strategies to lift attendance across the state.

Parents and carers are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school if they have attendance concerns, so they can access support.

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

“A day or 2 away from school may not seem like a big deal, but missing just 1 day per fortnight adds up to an entire year of missed learning over a student’s school career.

“We have made good progress on lifting attendance in NSW since coming to government, but there is more to do.

“Unless your child is unwell, please send them to school. It’s the best thing you can do to ensure your child receives the best education possible.”

Penrith Beach swimming season extended until Anzac Day

The state’s newest beach will remain open to the public for another month as the warm days continue across Western Sydney.

Penrith Beach has been a massive hit with local residents, with almost 200,000 people visiting the temporary activation to cool off since its opening in December 2023, and an average of 5,000 people continuing to visit the beach each week.

The fresh water oasis provided significant relief to local families, without the need to pack the car and drive over an hour East. Temperatures regularly soared above 30 degrees, reaching 39.7 on Thursday this week.

The NSW Government has now extended the activation of the site beyond the original 3 March 2024 closing date given this strong support from the Western Sydney community.

Lifeguards from Royal Life Saving Society NSW will continue patrolling the beach under new operating hours. The public will be able to visit on weekends and public holidays from 9 March between the hours of:

10am and 6pm; and,
10am and 4:30pm from 7 April 2024, at the end of daylight savings.
Facilities at the beach will remain open during these times with visitors able to access toilets and change rooms and enjoy the 130-metre-long beach. Free car park passes are also available online.

For more information, visit Penrith Beach.

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“In just a few short months we have seen almost 200,000 Western Sydney residents vote with their feet, visiting Penrith Beach for a day out by the water.

“At the opening I said this move is about fairness. For too long Western Sydney locals were neglected as the Liberals and Nationals focused all their energy on investment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“After watching the site sit behind a locked gate for decades, locals have embraced Western Sydney’s first ever beach, and are loving having somewhere to cool off right on their doorstop.

“I am delighted to see the season extended at Penrith Beach for Western Sydney to enjoy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Penrith Beach has shown how critical new swim sites are for communities living away from our coastline.

“The beach has been a big drawcard with local residents and has provided relief for the people of Western Sydney.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“Seeing thousands of Penrith families enjoy this beach has been the highlight of summer for the Penrith community.

“I encourage everyone in Western Sydney to come and experience the tranquillity of this location.

“Having our own beach is an absolute delight and I am thrilled to see Penrith Beach will remain open through to Anzac Day.”

Metro TBMs head West to Burwood North

Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year of tunnelling with the relaunch of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Beatrice and Daphne at the Five Dock Metro Station site.

The TBMs continue to build the new metro tunnels towards Sydney Olympic Park, with their next stop two kilometres away at the future Burwood North Metro Station site.

The relaunch of TBM Beatrice and Daphne is a major milestone in a significant program of work that will see the 24-kilometre metro line between Westmead and Hunter Street in Sydney’s CBD start to take shape over the next 12 months, further progressing the Sydney Metro West project that will also help drive housing supply.

The 1,300-tonne machines will tunnel an average of 200 metres a week to complete the second leg in their journey and are expected to break through at Burwood North in April.

In December 2023, the TBMs made tunnelling history when they arrived at Five Dock station site minutes apart to achieve the first double TBM breakthrough in the southern hemisphere.

Upon arrival at Five Dock, the TBMs have undergone necessary maintenance to ensure they continue safe operations for the next leg of their journeys.

Now that TBMs Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock, work will continue to prepare the 200-metre-long, by 22-metre-wide and up to 30-metre-deep excavated cavern for station construction.

Autonomous TBMs Betty and Dorothy are making significant progress in building the tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead and are more than 1.3 kilometres and 930 metres into their journey, respectively.

A further two TBMs to construct the metro tunnels below Sydney Harbour will arrive at The Bays in the coming months ahead of commencing tunnelling mid-year.

Sydney Metro West is expected to be complete by 2032. When it opens, these fast and reliable metro services will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.

This reaffirms the NSW Government’s commitment to building more housing in the right places, where people want to live – to improve affordability, reduce building and infrastructure costs and create thriving communities.

This includes a proposal, which was brought to the NSW Government by the Australian Turf Club, centring around the potential to build more than 25,000 new homes on the Rosehill Racecourse site. This would allow the government to explore the feasibility of a new Metro West Station at Rosehill.

Find out more about the Sydney Metro West project

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Sydney Metro West has kicked off a huge year in tunnelling and over the next 12 months we will really see this transformational project take shape.

“These mighty machines are really doing the heavy lifting as we move closer towards our goal of delivering even more public transport connections for the people in Sydney’s west.

“This once in a generation investment into transport infrastructure will also act as a catalyst for the delivery of much-needed housing.

“As Sydney grows, fully-accessible and reliable rail services are crucial to keep our city moving.

“By the end of the year, six enormous tunnel boring machines will be crushing through rock to deliver 24 kilometres of brand new metro tunnels beneath Sydney.”

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) fast facts:

  • Beatrice and Daphne have departed Five Dock to continue the 11-kilometre tunnel digging journey.
  • Beatrice and Daphne are expected to arrive at Burwood North in April.
  • Beatrice and Daphne will each move up to 200 metres per week.
  • 15 workers will operate each TBM in rotating shifts.
  • Each TBM is 165 metres long, weighs 1,300 tonnes and has 34 rock-cutting disks in its 7m diameter cutterhead.
  • The TBMs move around the clock, with tunnelling approved to occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Their departure comes two months after Beatrice and Daphne achieved a historic double breakthrough at Five Dock within minutes of each other on 30 November 2023.

NSW Government investment delivers McGrath Breast Care Nurses

The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to support additional McGrath Breast Care Nurses across the state.

A $18.6 million investment over 4 years will see 29 new McGrath Breast Care Nurses providing free support to breast cancer patients in metro, regional and remote communities.

Eight of the 29 nurses have already commenced their new positions at Concord, St George, Taree, Blacktown, Gosford, Fairfield and Wollongong Hospitals.

The specially trained McGrath Breast Care Nurses provide free care, support and are a key point of contact for patients during their treatment. They become a trusted, consistent, and knowledgeable point of contact, and explain complicated aspects of treatment to patients, during what can be an incredibly stressful period.

This NSW Government investment will see 29 additional McGrath nurses in:

  • Sydney Local Health District (LHD)
  • South Eastern Sydney LHD
  • Hunter New England LHD
  • Western NSW LHD
  • Central Coast LHD
  • Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
  • South Western Sydney LHD.

The NSW Labor Government is committed to improving access for people with breast cancer to critical support services.

The 2023-2024 NSW Budget also committed an additional $34.3 million over 4 years to Women’s Health Centres to improve access to healthcare for women.

The service of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse is free and available without a doctor’s referral.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Too many of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer.

“It is a scary and a stressful time, and every bit of support counts.

“McGrath Breast Care Nurses give priceless support to patients and their families when they need it most.

“These specially trained nurses can make a big difference, and we’re pleased to be delivering on this commitment to support more people across NSW.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“One in 7 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and this investment will ensure more people across our state have access to this incredibly important service.

“Breast care nurses are an incredible source of continuous support for patients, and they do wonders to minimise the stress and trauma which comes with a breast cancer diagnosis.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“I am really proud we’re improving access to breast cancer support for women across the state.

“The breast care nurses make an incredible difference in the lives of patients and their loved ones, providing patients and their families with support from diagnosis all the way through treatment. I would like to share my appreciation for their commitment to this important role.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:

“A breast cancer diagnosis can be extremely distressing, not just for the person diagnosed but also the entire family.

“As a breast cancer survivor, I welcome this investment.”

CEO McGrath Foundation Holly Masters said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the expanded support of the NSW Government who will help us towards our goal of ensuring no one with breast cancer in NSW misses out on the free care and support of a breast care nurse.”

New government initiative shows early results: 71 children out of emergency accommodation, hotels and motels

There are now 71 fewer foster children in NSW living in emergency accommodation – like hotels and motels – following the creation of a specialist team within the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

The Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington, labelled the initial results an early indication of the NSW Government’s resolve to address the spiralling child protection system.

Following a request from Minister Washington, DCJ established a dedicated team in November 2023 to shift children from High-Cost Emergency Arrangements (HCEA) to more suitable arrangements.

HCEA’s place children in hotels, motels, serviced apartments or rental accommodation, where they are cared for by a rotating roster of shift workers. These arrangements can cost up to $2 million a year for each child.

The work of the HCEA Team, alongside local DCJ casework teams, has resulted in the number of children in HCEA’s dropping by 71 in 3 months, from 506 (in early November last year) to 435 on 22 February.

The least desirable form of HCEA is an Alternative Care Arrangement (ACA), where for-profit labour hire firms often provide unqualified staff who can change at short notice, giving children a lack of stability. The use of ACAs has dropped 42% from 139 children in November, to 80 on February 22.

Some of the work being done by the HCEA Team and caseworkers includes:

  • intensive family finding, where caseworkers search out possible family connections who might be able to care for the child under kinship care arrangements
  • matching children to newly recruited emergency foster carers
  • working with NGO partners to fill vacancies in their contracts with government
  • eenegotiating the amount paid to HCEA providers.

Since the team began, $49 million in avoided costs has been saved to the NSW taxpayer.

More foster carers are urgently needed in NSW to ensure children who cannot live safely with family have a loving and secure home, with recruitment efforts ongoing to establish a pipeline of suitable foster carers.

To learn more about becoming an authorised carer with a non-government organisation, visit My Forever Family NSW. 

To learn more about becoming an emergency foster carer with DCJ, email fosteringwithdcj@dcj.nsw.gov.au

Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said:

“When I was sworn in as minister, I was shocked by the number of children and young people in these high-cost emergency arrangements. We want to see children in safe and loving homes with people who care about them, not in a hotel or motel with rotating shift workers who might never see the child again.

“Under the former government, the use of hotels and motels for vulnerable children skyrocketed, and the child protection system was left to spiral out of control.

“I’ve made it very clear to the department and to the sector – these arrangements are not appropriate, and the NSW Government will be doing everything it can to find stable, loving homes for these children.

“A 42% reduction in alternative care arrangements in just 3 months demonstrates how seriously the government is taking this issue.

“The work done by the HCEA Team is an important step towards rebuilding the child protection system, which has been neglected for so long.” 

Airport Metro’s northern tunnel borers now half-way to St Marys

Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are halfway to St Marys after each building 2.4 kilometres of tunnel for the game-changing Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.

TBMs Catherine and Marlene reached the milestone when they broke through at the Claremont Meadows services facility shaft, after launching at the Orchard Hills Station site in July and August 2023 respectively.

Tunnelling at an average speed of 120 metres a week, the TBMs are carving out the twin 4.3-kilometre tunnels to the new St Marys Metro Station site.

They have removed 600,000 tonnes of spoil so far, enough to fill about 95 Olympic swimming pools, and installed 17,820 precast concrete segments as they tunnelled under the M4 Motorway to the 21-metre-deep services shaft.

The TBMs will now traverse the 16-metre-diameter services shaft, which is used to supply materials like concrete and steel, before being relaunched to complete their journey. They are expected to reach St Marys in mid-2024.

A further two TBMs, Eileen and Peggy, are building the two 5.5-kilometre southern tunnels from Airport Business Park to the Aerotropolis. Both are respectively about 3 kilometres into their journeys and are due to arrive at the Aerotropolis in late 2024.

The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line will be operational when the new international airport opens for passenger services, with the end-to-end journey time between the St Marys Metro Station and Aerotropolis Station to take around 20 minutes.

Find out more about the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said:

“We are one step closer to seeing transformative public transport delivered for Greater Western Sydney.

“When the new metro line opens, passengers will have a world-class transport option directly to the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and major job hubs, including the new Aerotropolis.”

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:

“Our fleet of tunnel boring machines is making big strides as they carve out the key pieces of this 23-kilometre mega project.

“Once completed, this new city-shaping metro line will service travellers and airport workers with major population centres like Penrith, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD via St Marys.

Senator for NSW Tony Sheldon said:

“New suburbs will be able to grow around this brand-new metro line, giving Western Sydney the opportunity to attract new jobs and housing opportunities.

“I thank residents for their patience while we build this vital airport link.”

White Bay Power Station ready to power up Sydney with cultural and community events

This week, Sydneysiders will be given the opportunity to visit one of the city’s most historic landmarks reimagined, the White Bay Power Station, with 2024 Biennale opening this Saturday.

Following extensive remediation works and investment from the NSW Government of $100 million, the restored heritage site has been transformed into a unique art, cultural and creative industries hub.

As one of the few power stations in the world that has retained its machinery and equipment dating back to the 1950s, the site serves as a reminder of Sydney’s electrical industry and the many skilled workers who kept Sydney’s extensive rail network going.

Visitors and history-buffs alike will be able to explore White Bay Power Station’s historic Turbine Hall and Boiler Room, the two main spaces of the building, while exploring the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.

The NSW Government is developing a long-term strategy for the building to ensure that it is a cultural venue for current and future generations.

The international art exhibition is the first free public event at the site and opens this weekend, Saturday 9 March until 10 June 2024.

The restoration of the former power station is the first big move in the urban renewal of Bays West.

Encompassing Rozelle Bay, White Bay and Glebe Island, the Bays West precinct is set to become an area of innovation and sustainability for living, working and recreation.

For more information, visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/white-bay-power-station

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“A piece of Sydney’s industrial past and the very building that produced energy to power the tram and train network will soon give energy to cultural and community activities.

“One of our oldest historic sites is now one our newest cultural venues.

“It was first imagined as the power station for our trams and trains, and now, some 40 years after it closed its doors as a power station, it will once again play an important role.

“This is just the beginning of a new lease of life for the Bays West precinct.

Minister for the Arts John Graham said:

“Over its 100-year life White Bay Power Station has played a critical role in connecting Sydneysiders.  In its new era, it will connect us to bold creative ideas and to our best cultural and artistic talent.

“This weekend we not only celebrate the 24th Biennale of Sydney, we also celebrate the reimagining of this important new creative and community space.

“This is the first step in the redevelopment of this site to deliver a new world-class cultural hub, connecting more of our community to diverse arts and entertainment offerings and ideas, growing our cultural economy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“White Bay Power Station has dominated Sydney’s historic harbour skyline long before the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House captured our attention.

“The creative reuse for a cultural event is indicative of the innovative thinking which is setting the bar for bigger and better reuse of our dormant public spaces.

“This is just the beginning of a new lease of life for the Bays West precinct. The White Bay Power Station clearly demonstrates the enormous benefit of investing in our public spaces, and it will power further regeneration across the precinct.”

Sydney secures the NRL Grand Final

The NSW Government is today announcing that the Government and the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) have reached agreement to host the 2024 NRL and NRLW Grand Finals in Sydney on Sunday, 6 October.

The NSW Government and ARLC has provided certainty to rugby league fans across the nation the Grand Final will remain in NSW, the birthplace of the NRL, and will once again fill Australia’s home of sport, Accor Stadium at Olympic Park.

After an electric start to the season in Las Vegas, the 2024 NRL season is expected to deliver more excitement and entertainment with the Penrith Panthers vying for the first four-peat in the NRL era, and the first since the legendary St. George Dragons team of the 1950’s and 60’s.

With the NRL growing its audience to international markets both in the US and the Asia-Pacific, a new audience of fans are engaging with our code, and with Sydney as the home of the Grand Final.

In securing the NRL Grand Final, Sydney is further cementing its status as the premier destination and major events capital of the Asia-Pacific. In the past year Sydney has hosted the UFC, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Harry Styles, Foo Fighters, Elton John, Paul McCartney, P!NK and of course Taylor Swift.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“NSW is the home of the NRL and there is no better city in the world to host another incredible Grand Final show down.

“The NRL Grand Final is one of our countries greatest annual sporting events and I can’t wait for a whole new generation of footy fans to get to experience it right here in NSW.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:

“The NRL Grand Final is a cornerstone event in Australia’s sporting calendar.

“Each year tens of thousands of fans from across the country converge on Sydney to support their teams and community. The NSW Government’s vibrancy reforms support extended trading hours around major events like this.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“The NRL has done a fantastic job in promoting and expanding the game to new markets across the US and Asia-Pacific. As such, we need to make sure we cement Sydney’s legacy as the birthplace and home of rugby league.

“Given the drama of last year’s Grand Final, I am sure we can expect another full house of 82,500 on Grand Final day.”

ARLC Commission Chair Peter V’landys said:

“Confirming the 2024 Grand Final will be held in Sydney provides certainty to NRL clubs, sponsors and broadcasters — but most importantly of all, it’s exciting news for NRL fans.

“The NRL and NRLW premiership seasons will culminate at Accor Stadium on 6 October — and we can’t wait to watch it unfold.”