Month: May 2024

Penrith Stadium has hit a major milestone with expressions of interest invited for a partner to transform the stadium into a sporting and entertainment precinct for Sydney’s west.

Penrith Stadium is proposed to become a superior venue for different forms of entertainment, significantly improving the experience for spectators, with more food outlets and amenities, new scoreboards and ribbon boards, sound systems, upgraded lighting and more recreation space.

Additionally, the training field to the west of the stadium will be remodelled to create new quality open spaces with multipurpose courts and improved landscaping for further outdoor community use and entertainment events.

As part of the upgrade the ground capacity will be increased to around 25,000 and the grandstands re-designed to be steeper, so fans are as close to the action as possible and have better sightlines to the field or stage.

The ultimate aim of the upgrade is to improve the family and fan experience year-round.

The redeveloped stadium will not only continue to cater for men’s NRL matches, but it will also benefit the women’s competition and support the growth of female representation in rugby league and other sports, with new player facilities and changerooms.

The community has been actively involved in shaping the future of Penrith Stadium. The community will be invited to make a submission on the designs for the stadium when the State Significant Development Application is placed on public exhibition in the coming weeks.

Get more information about Penrith Stadium.

Minister for Lands and Property and Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“We have heard what the community wants, this is about delivering a new beating heart for Penrith and a precinct the whole community can enjoy year-round.”

“This stadium will be purpose-built to host women’s and men’s NRL games, and will also be able to host soccer, rugby union, live music, and other entertainment events to cater for a wider and more diverse audience in Western Sydney.

“I am proud to say the redevelopment will include new player facilities and changerooms to help grow female representation in sports, as well as catering to a diverse range of fans with an increase in wheelchair accessible seats by around 500% and wheelchair accessible toilets by 85%.

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“This will see the stadium able to transform into an entertainment precinct and ensure the ground retains its unique identity – preserving the family-friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere locals currently enjoy.

“Upgrading Penrith Stadium will mean an improved experience for fans and Penrith locals, who can enjoy more sport, live music and entertainment in their own backyard.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“I’d like to thank the thousands of fans and families who have helped shape Penrith Stadium’s future while preserving the history and identity of our great stadium.

“This upgrade will go beyond the footy ground, improving the family and fan experience year-round while introducing Penrith and our local businesses to the tourism that will arise out of the entertainment precinct.  

“As Penrith continues to grow, the new Penrith Stadium precinct will be an active hub that the whole community can enjoy.”

The NSW Government will today introduce legislation modelled on Queensland’s ‘Jack’s Law’ which will give Police powers to “wand” or “scan” people for knives without a warrant in designated areas.

The legislation is part of a package of commonsense reforms to target possession of knives, particularly among young people, reduce knife crime and boost community safety.

Under the new legislation, a senior police officer of the rank of Assistant Commissioner or above can turn on wanding powers to be used in a designated areas including:

• public transport station (including bus, train and tram stations) and surrounds
• public transport vehicles within two scheduled stops of a designated public transport station
• shopping precincts
• certain sporting venues
• other public places, designated by regulation, including special events and places that are part of the night-time economy.

This will mean that, compared to Queensland’s ‘Jack’s Law’, NSW will have more designated areas and more flexibility to capture places in which events are held, such as the Royal Easter Show and entertainment areas.

The authority will last for 12 hours, with an option to extend as required.

Police can “wand” any person in a designated area and may request that person produce a metal object, if detected. Failure to comply may result in a maximum penalty of a fine of $5500.

Importantly, wanding powers can be turned on for areas where there have been issues related to knife crime or knife possession offences where one of the following have occurred in the last 12 months:

• at least 1 offence committed by person armed with knife or weapon
• at least 1 serious indictable offence involving violence
• more than 1 offence of knife possession or prohibited weapon possession.

In addition to wanding provisions, the legislation will also make it illegal to sell knives to a child under the age of 18, with exemptions for retailers selling to young people who need a knife for their work or study, as well as increasing penalties for people selling knives to young people under the age of 18.

The package of reforms will help address knife-related crime, get knives off streets and keep the community safer.

The reforms build upon responsible action taken by the NSW Government over the last year including:

• Doubling of the maximum penalties for various knife related offences in 2023.
• Ongoing review by the NSW Sentencing Council into sentencing for firearms, knives, and other weapons offences.
• Ongoing high impact NSW Police operations such as “Operation Foil” – an ongoing, targeted operation which last ran from 11-13 April 2024. It targets knife crime and anti-social behaviour with 51 knives/weapons seized and 145 people charged with weapon-related offences.  In the last year alone almost 4000 knives were seized in public places.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Today we are introducing legislation modelled on new powers for Police to search and detect knives in public spaces, based on Queensland’s Jack’s Law.

“My hope is that these commonsense reforms stop people from taking a knife into the community and prevent some of the devastating outcomes of knife related violence we have seen in recent months.

“The NSW Government is committed to tackling knife crime to keep our communities safe and these reforms send a strong message that knife crime is not tolerated.”

Minister for the Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“Giving police the ability to ‘wand’ or ‘scan’ for knives in designated areas is a proactive step toward ensuring community safety. By detecting and deterring knife possession, we’re not just preventing potential crime, we’re also safeguarding lives.

“The introduction of legislation inspired by Jack’s Law isn’t just about law enforcement. It’s also about instilling confidence in our community, showing that we’re actively working to keep them safe.

“These laws mark a crucial shift in our approach to combatting knife crime, especially among our youth. By introducing this legislation, we’re sending a clear message that knife crime will not be tolerated in our community.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“The Government is tackling knife crime and keeping the people of NSW safe.

“We are sending a clear message that it is a crime to carry a knife and under these new measures, you will face a greater chance of being caught if you carry one.

“I want to say to young people in particular: Do NOT take a knife with you when you leave home. The chances of being caught by police and ending up with a fine or in a court on possession charges are about to become much higher.

“It’s not worth the risk.”

The NSW Government is supporting more than 500 students across NSW to gain hands-on experience with cloud computing through a groundbreaking Virtual Work Placement Program.

During the week-long program, students will gain insights into how generative artificial intelligence and machine learning can be leveraged by businesses to drive growth and foster innovation.

The Australian-first initiative gives vocational and educational training (VET) students the opportunity to earn industry credentials and explore potential career paths in the digital sector.

30% of participating schools dialed in from regional NSW, from Tweed Heads in the north, Mourya in the south and Wagga Wagga in the south-west.

The program, a collaboration between the NSW Government, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and the Youth Futures Network, addresses a critical skills shortage highlighted by a recent AWS study that found 90% of employers envision their companies becoming AI-driven organisations by 2028.

The NSW Digital Compact, a strategic initiative launched by the NSW Government is aimed at driving digital transformation across the state.

The compact serves as a framework between government, industry, academia and the community to accelerate digital innovation, enhance digital capabilities and improve service delivery.

This collaborative effort marks a significant step forward in addressing the digital skills gap in NSW, ensuring a robust and inclusive digital workforce for the future.

Get more information on the NSW Digital Compact.

Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister, Steve Whan today had the opportunity to speak with teachers and students participating in the Virtual Placement Week.

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

“I’m thrilled to see such enthusiasm and dedication from the 550 VET students participating in this ground-breaking Virtual Work Placement Program during National Careers Week.

“This initiative represents a significant opportunity for students to explore exciting digital career paths and encourages them to think about a future in the digital world.

“The Virtual Work Placement Program is just one example of the innovative initiatives stemming from the NSW Digital Compact that I launched late last year. It’s fantastic to see collaboration between government and industry to accelerate digital innovation.

“The NSW Digital Compact represents a significant opportunity for Government to work with industry to change people’s idea of ‘tech,’ expanding the inclusivity of the sector.

“By investing in programs like the Virtual Work Placement Program, we are laying the groundwork for a digitally skilled workforce and a thriving digital ecosystem in NSW.

“We’re not just bridging the skills gap; we’re building pathways for thousands of students, parents, and advisors to explore and embrace tech careers.”

Amazon Web Services, Australia and New Zealand Director of Enterprise, Louise Stigwood, said:

“Amazon Web Services is committed to fostering the skills and empowering the next generation of cloud talent.

“A recent study, commissioned by AWS titled “Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Workforce of Australia for Jobs of the Future”, found 90% of employers envision their companies becoming AI-driven organisations by 2028 – cloud skills are key to future jobs.

“This Virtual Work Placement Program provides students with invaluable hands-on experience working with cloud computing technologies that are transforming industries around the world.

“We are proud to collaborate with the NSW Government on this initiative to help equip students with the digital skills they need to thrive in an increasingly cloud-enabled workforce.”

Significant strides have been made in reducing planned surgery wait times for paediatric patients in NSW, with Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network reporting a 92% reduction in overdue planned surgeries in the nine months since the NSW Government established the Surgical Care Government Taskforce.

Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (SCH) and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) have reduced the number of children exceeding the clinically recommended time for planned surgery from 1091 to 86, ensuring more children are receiving timely surgical care.

During this period, there was a 98% reduction in the number of children waiting longer than clinically recommended for a semi-urgent planned surgery.

There was also an 89% reduction in the number of children waiting longer than clinically recommended for a non-urgent planned surgery.

All urgent planned surgeries were performed on time.

Several strategies were used to address the overdue surgery waitlist during this period, including:

• regular coordination with surgeons to maximise time in theatre
• extending operating time on weekdays and weekends
• running concurrent surgical lists where possible
• employing locum doctors to assist with specialty surgeries
• working with private hospitals to perform some lower complexity surgical lists.

On his first full day as Minister for Health Ryan Park established the Surgical care Governance Taskforce – reducing overdue surgeries from 14,000 to 2100.

Establishing the surgical care taskforce and reducing overdue surgeries is just one of a range of measures the NSW Government is embracing to improve access to care, including:

• Rolling out 25 urgent care services to create more alternative pathways outside of our busy and under pressure hospitals.
• Establishing the emergency department taskforce.
• Expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists to relieve pressure on GPs.
• Boosting staff and infrastructure.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“Reducing overdue surgeries has been a priority of mine, and this is why we established the NSW Government’s Surgical Care Governance Taskforce in March 2023.

“I am really pleased with the results we have seen at our two paediatric hospitals, but there is still more to do.

“This has made a significant difference for the children and families relying on care from the skilful, dedicated and hard-working teams at Randwick and Westmead.

“I want to acknowledge the immense efforts of the dedicated staff at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.”

Member for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill:

“To see the reduction in overdue surgeries achieved by Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick is remarkable.

“None of this progress would be possible without the dedicated efforts of clinicians and healthcare workers, who have worked so hard to perform these procedures and help ensure we are delivering timely medical treatment to children and their families.”

Director of Clinical Operations, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Alan Porritt:

“Children needing surgery are always prioritised based on clinical urgency, with the sickest children seen first, but every effort is made to ensure patients receive their surgery within the recommended timeframe.

“In recent months, we’ve seen planned surgical activity go from strength to strength and there is no doubt this has made a significant difference for our patients and their families.

“This achievement is a testament to the commitment of our staff and their exceptional efforts to ensure the health system bounces back from the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The NSW Government is today announcing new measures to further boost police recruitment to address the critical shortage of police officers and boost community safety across the state.

It follows the outstanding success of the announcement on 31 October 2023, that the Government would pay recruits to study at Goulburn Police Academy.

Since that announcement, NSW Police Force (NSWPF) has received 1235 applications to train to become NSW Police (as at 5 May), a 26% increase on the same period last year.

In further evidence that the Government’s strategy to bolster police recruitment is working, Class 364, set to graduate in December, is at maximum capacity, with more than 350 recruits.

Now 2 new programs are specifically aimed at attracting both experienced officers and regional recruits to the NSW Police Force.

Experienced Officer Recruitment Scheme

The government will launch a Professional Mobility Program (PMP) that will incentivise officers from other Australian states and territories and New Zealand to join the NSWPF while keeping their equivalent rank (up to senior constable level 6).

Previously, serving police officers who wanted to join the NSWPF needed to complete 8 months study including 4 months in-person at the Goulburn before graduating at the starting rank of Probationary Constable.

Successful applicants will now undergo a 3-month course at the Police Academy in Goulburn focused on NSW policing policies and procedures. They will be paid in-line with the current payment for Student Police Officers.

This is expected to be powerfully attractive to serving police from interstate and New Zealand to join Australia’s largest and best police force.

Regional Recruitment Scheme

The NSW Government will also launch the ‘You Should Be a Cop in Your Hometown’ program that will ensure people from regional NSW serve in, or near their hometown after they graduate from the Goulburn Police Academy.

While new recruits currently nominate several areas where they would like to serve, ‘Be a Cop in Your Hometown’ will give appropriate officers from regional NSW the opportunity to request to return to their hometown or a nearby community.

Preference will then be given to these recruits to fill any vacancies in their hometown or nearby.

Rebuilding our Essential Services

We are currently carrying more than 1500 vacancies – a legacy of the previous government’s neglect and mismanagement of police recruitment and retention.

These vacancies are placing significant strain and a punishing workload on serving officers. Action to tackle this is critical.  These measures are vital elements of that response.

They build on the NSW Government’s support for community safety by boosting police numbers through the abolition of the wages cap while also paying students to study to become an officer.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“The last month has shown just how important police officers are, risking their lives to keep us safe.

“Our police work around the clock keeping us safe, and the decisions our government has made to support them is paying off with a 26% increase in applications to join the NSW Police Force.”

“But we know we need more police officers.

“We know we need more police officers. So whether you live in regional NSW or another state, our message is clear – now is a great time for you to consider joining the NSW Police Force.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“Paying recruits to study is starting to look like a game changer but we won’t stop there.

“Our Class 364 which will attest in December is full to the brim with more that 350 new recruits – the first full class in years.

“We have more than 1500 vacancies to fill and mark my words, I’ve made it my personal mission, alongside Commissioner Webb, to fill them.

“I know our police are stretched and overworked. Many are exhausted. We need more boots on the ground and that’s what we’re determined to achieve.

“The 2 schemes announced today, alongside paid study makes becoming a NSW Police Officer the most attractive it has been in decades. The proof is there, the numbers don’t lie. We are getting many more recruits and a more diverse range of recruits.”

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said:

“It’s fantastic to be able to announce these initiatives today, which will make it easier for skilled police to continue their careers in NSW.

“Policing is a career that provides so many opportunities. Each day is different to the next and it’s such a satisfying and rewarding job.

“But in the past, NSW may have missed out on potential recruits who may not have applied because they thought they wouldn’t be able to serve in their hometown, or those who didn’t want to lose their rank if they moved interstate. My message to those people is – now is your time to apply.

“We are seeing a significant lift in application numbers following the reforms announced, and I’m confident this announcement will make a career with the NSW Police Force even more appealing.”

President of the Police Association of NSW Kevin Morton said:

“It is heartening to see the pay-to-train model that the PANSW advocated for is working.

“The NSW Government continues to show its commitment to bolstering our ranks and ensuring the retention of our serving police officers. Their efforts deserve to be recognised.

“These additional recruitment initiatives will hopefully begin alleviating the strain on our frontline workers.”

Proposed changes to the NSW planning system are set to make it easier for regional landholders to build sheds and carry out earthworks without the need for a development application (DA).

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is inviting feedback on the changes to the complying development codes for rural earthworks and sheds to align the Rural Housing Code and the Inland Code.

The changes would remove the need for an application to be lodged for certain development types, clearing the path for critical housing and public infrastructure DAs to be assessed by councils faster.

There are currently inconsistencies between the Rural Housing Code, which operates in the 38 LGAs east of the Great Dividing Range, and the Inland Code, which applies to the 69 LGAs to the west. This includes different definitions and size controls for sheds based on whether they are on the coast or in the outback.

The proposed changes would create a shared set of rules so that all rural and regional LGAs are subject to the same provisions. Subject to specifications, the complying developments would include:

• Hay, machinery, and shearing sheds.
• Storage tanks and retaining walls.
• Stormwater drainage works and rehabilitation of eroded or disturbed land areas.

The changes are on public exhibition from today until Friday, 14 June 2024 at 5pm.

Find out more on the NSW Planning Portal

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“We inherited a confused and confusing planning system, and this policy reform is the latest measure in a series of changes to correct inconsistencies and get things moving.

“The changes would provide consistency around the types of development farmers can carry out without needing to lodge a complex application and wait for a lengthy council assessment.

“We are committed to removing red tape and allowing councils to focus more on the assessment and delivery of key housing and infrastructure.

“I encourage everyone to have their say on this important reform.”

The NSW Government is launching statewide consultation on the wildlife rehabilitation sector to gain a detailed understanding of how NSW can improve the way we care for our native animals.

The consultation will examine the challenges facing the sector, identify best practices and recommend next steps.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Trish Doyle will lead the consultation and provide a report on the outcomes to Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe within 12 months.

In NSW, 40 wildlife rehabilitation groups involving more than 8600 people rescue an average of 110,000 animals a year.

The sector is mostly made up of dedicated and passionate volunteers who respond to more than 180,000 calls for help from the community each year.

This work is supported by specialised wildlife hospitals and many local veterinary services.

The value of the sector’s work is estimated at $27 million a year.

The consultation will consider a range of areas:

• challenges for the sector
• resourcing
• connections within the sector
• service gaps and duplication
• involvement in emergency response and significant wildlife events
• administrative and legislative provisions
• support for wildlife hospitals and veterinary practices.

Our state is home to animals which live nowhere else on this planet and the NSW Government is committed to ensuring sick and injured native wildlife receive the best care and rehabilitation. The government recently invested $8 million into wildlife hospitals and care facilities across NSW and another $500,000 to support wildlife rehabilitators in Sydney’s South West.

This consultation will inform next steps for the NSW Volunteer Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector Strategy 2020-23. That strategy will be extended until 30 June 2025 while this review is underway.

Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“Wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators are essential to the care and survival of native animals across NSW.

“We need to build on the achievements of the previous strategy and ensure the sector is supported for the future.

“I look forward to receiving this review, which will help inform and guide this important work.”

Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Trish Doyle said:

“The NSW Government values the contribution of wildlife rehabilitators, who provide valuable work for the community by rescuing and caring for sick, injured and orphaned native animals across the state every day.

“I look forward to listening to their experiences to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

“We need an integrated, future focused strategy to support the wonderful people who care for our native animals, while ensuring wildlife rehabilitation services are well connected and sustainable.”