Month: July 2024

The NSW Government is helping support more than 120 local communities and organisations all over the state celebrate NAIDOC Week from today to 14 July, with $348,000 in grant funding.

The Aboriginal Affairs 2024 NAIDOC Grants Program helps organisers of grassroots events and activities honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements.

Grant recipients align with the theme of NAIDOC Week 2024: ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.

A sprinkling of the many initiatives funded by the $500 to $3,000 grants include:

• A week-long NAIDOC festival in Gilgandra featuring cultural burning, a disco and Elders’ lunch
• A community celebration at Tuggerah featuring sport, hip-hop workshops, artefact making, and cultural activities delivered by the Barang Regional Alliance
• ‘Water Wommin’ at Fingal Head to honour mothers and grandmothers by showcasing traditional fishing, beach foraging and earth oven cooking
• A NAIDOC Week holiday school program in Ku-ring-gai
• A photographic display and event at Tamworth Regional Gallery
• A Bathurst Young Mob NAIDOC Netball Day with cultural activities
• Gazing Yarns, a camp on Country for mentoring, storytelling and collecting bush tucker for Central Coast-based Aboriginal young people
• A Black and Deadly Community Day including a march down the main street of Narrandera on Wiradjuri Country
• The creation of a ‘Culture for the Future’ mural at Muswellbrook
• A cultural celebration at Bayside Women’s Shelter in Botany, Sydney.

Grant recipients (as at 7 July 2024)

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2024 NAIDOC Grants Recipients (XLSX 58.12KB)

Please note, AANSW is still confirming funding agreements with a small number of recipients.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“NAIDOC Week is a special time that celebrates and recognises the proud history, culture and achievements of our First Nations people who represent the oldest continuous cultures on earth.

“The diversity of the initiatives we are supporting showcases the strength and resilience of Aboriginal cultures throughout NSW and will allow communities to ‘Keep the Fire Burning, Blak, Loud and Proud’ this NAIDOC Week.

“With events taking place across the state, there are opportunities for each of us to learn about and connect with the richness and vibrancy of Aboriginal cultures and proudly celebrate those cultures together.”

The countdown is officially on to the launch of the transformative Sydney Metro City, targeting a start date of Sunday 4 August 2024.

Subject to final testing and regulatory approvals, this means in just four weeks, passengers will experience fast, safe and reliable metro trains at new stations every four minutes in the peak.

This city section of what will be known as the M1 Northwest & Bankstown Line includes an additional 15.5-kilometres of city-shaping metro rail extending the North West line from Chatswood, below the harbour and through the Sydney CBD, to Sydenham.

A game-changing 2,645 new metro services will travel through the heart of the city each week, moving more than 37,000 people in the AM peak.

Once open, passengers will have fast metro travel times including from Victoria Cross in North Sydney, under the harbour to Barangaroo in 3 minutes, between Martin Place and Central in 4 minutes and from Sydenham to Chatswood in 22 minutes.

This builds on the Minns Labor Government’s once-in-a-generation planning reforms to build more homes around existing transport infrastructure including this new metro line.

As a result, these new homes will be built near jobs and connected communities while helping address the housing crisis – a crisis that a recent NSW Productivity Commission report found has led to Sydney losing twice as many young people as it is gaining.

Information on services will be clearly signposted at stations and available at www.transportnsw.info prior to opening.

Sydney’s new M1 line includes:

• 45 metro trains and 445 new services a day;
• That’s a train every four minutes in the peak, seven minutes during week days, between morning and afternoon peak services (gradually increasing over the first few months to a train every five minutes) and every 10 minutes during off peak and on weekends;
• Six fully accessible new stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Waterloo, along with new platforms at Central and Sydenham;
• Simple interchanges with buses at all stations, ferries at Barangaroo, light rail at Central and with train services at Martin Place, Central and Sydenham;
• Uninterrupted network mobile coverage;
• Safe journeys monitored by a state-of-the-art control centre, with approx. 100 CCTV cameras at every station and 38 cameras inside each train;
• Over 600 secure bike parking spaces at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Waterloo and Sydenham, as part of 900 new bike parking spaces across all eight stations.
• Platform screen door technology to keep people and objects safely away from tracks.

Final confirmation of the opening date will be given in coming weeks when the operator successfully completes more than 100 remaining trial running exercises including:

• Joint exercises with emergency services to practice station and train evacuation scenarios;
• Testing alternative train timetables for when planned and unplanned service disruptions occour;
• Managing crowds during major events at each station;
• Continuing to safely deliver Metro services from the back-up control centre, when the Operations Control Centre is evacuated.

Later this year when Sydney Metro City is fully integrated and providing reliable services from Sydenham to the CBD, the T3 Bankstown Line will close for up to 12 months for the final M1 conversion works. These upgrades mean by 2025, south-west Sydney communities will have turn-up-and-go metro services every four minutes in the peak directly into Sydney CBD.

A temporary transport plan will be in place, including Southwest Link – dedicated, high-frequency bus services between Sydenham and Bankstown train stations.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Excitement is mounting for when commuters will be able to step on-board 445 new metro services deep below the city every day. 

“Metro will be the fastest way to travel in and around Sydney CBD and north of the city, including across the harbour, when passenger services on the M1 Line start next month.”

Transport for NSW and Transit Systems are attracting busloads of new drivers as recruitment efforts for the Southwest Link service kick into overdrive.

A majority of the required drivers have already been booked for induction and training since recruitment efforts ramped up in April.

Transit Systems have recruited a full roster of 118 drivers to work on Southwest Link and U-Go Mobility have 20 drivers in training.

Southwest Link will need around 200 drivers so both bus operators are well on their way when it comes to hitting their recruitment targets.

The recruitment of these new drivers will not mean that any other bus regions lose existing drivers because the plan relies on the recruitment of new drivers.  

Transit Systems were awarded the contract to deliver two of the three rail replacement bus routes for Southwest Link during the upcoming final Metro conversion of the T3 Bankstown Line. This has provided a great  opportunity for new drivers to embark on a bus driving career.

Transit Systems has been running induction courses every week for new applicants. The interest has been so significant the company has flown in additional driver trainers from Perth to keep up with the influx of new recruits.

New drivers are eligible for sign-up bonuses of up to $6,000, paid training and a guaranteed job offer upon successful completion of the program.

U-Go Mobility will deliver the SW2  Southwest Link route, the Sydenham to Belmore express then all stops to Bankstown.

These three Southwest Link routes have been designed to help the communities of Canterbury Bankstown and the Inner West get to where they need to go efficiently as possible once the T3 Metro conversion gets underway.

U-Go’s involvement in Southwest Link comes after Transport for NSW and U-Go Mobility ended the bus driver shortage in Region 10, thanks to dedicated bus driver recruitment campaigns and a focused driver training program.

The boost to bus driver numbers in Region 10 is in part due to U-Go Mobility’s flagship ‘Women Behind the Wheel’ recruitment campaign, encouraging women to explore a career as a bus driver.

Through this campaign, U-Go – the area’s operator – has doubled the number of women drivers serving the communities of Sydney’s south and south-west. The program invests in women’s licensing and training to remove barriers and support access to the traditionally male-dominated industry.

If you’re looking for a rewarding career change, full time work or some extra shifts, Transport for NSW is encouraging future drivers to join the call for a career in the bus industry by visiting transport.nsw.gov.au/about-us/careers/bus-driving-jobs-across-nsw

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Southwest Link will play a crucial part in the integrated transport plan when the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro conversion happens. We will need all the bus drivers we can get to deliver it and help the community through what will be a really tough 12 months.

“It’s great news that Transit Systems’ and U Go’s recruitment campaign has attracted a strong stream of applicants, with dozens of new drivers starting their training each week but we still need more drivers, so if you are looking for a career change now is the perfect opportunity.

“And it won’t be over when we’re finished with Southwest Link. I want as many drivers as possible across NSW to stay in the industry after we get this done so we can help fix the wider bus driver shortage.”

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said:

“With the upcoming Southwest Link rail replacement buses there are opportunities for new drivers to get their start in the bus industry and do their bit to help the community during a difficult 12 months when T3 Metro conversion works get underway.

“For the recently or semi-retired, parents looking for flexible shifts, or ride-share drivers looking to make the switch, this opportunity could make a real difference in a cost-of-living crisis.

“Transit Systems and U-Go mobility have fantastic training programs that will help hundreds of new drivers feel confident as they get behind the wheel of their new career.”

Transit Systems NSW Managing Director Daniela Fontana:

“All of our required drivers are now secured, with induction courses running every week for new applicants. We are pleased to see the investment into our recruitment efforts achieve the outcomes required, and set the benchmark for the industry.

“We’re proud to work alongside our government partners to continue investing in the development of people, providing advanced skills training and development, while attracting new people to the industry.

“With more zero emission buses on the road than any other operator in the country and Australia’s largest operational electrified depot, it’s an extraordinary time of innovation in our industry and a very exciting time to join Team Transit.”

U-Go Mobility Managing Director Daniel Corbin:

“U-Go Mobility is delighted to partner with the NSW Government in delivering Southwest Link rail replacement services while the conversion of the Bankstown Line takes place.

“Over the past year, we have recruited and trained a significant number of bus drivers to ensure we can provide safe and reliable journeys. We have further increased our recruitment focus in readiness and are continuing with the successful Women Behind the Wheel Campaign.

“We are proud to support our people, customers and community during this time and are excited to grow the U-Go Mobility team.”

Ongoing upgrades of the Mitchell Highway are already delivering safer journeys between Bathurst and Orange in the New South Wales central west, with new wire rope barriers preventing dozens of potential crashes.

Work on the $95.9 million safety upgrades of the 50-kilometre section of highway started in 2018.

So far it has included work at East Lucknow (completed in July 2018), Oakey Creek Lane (October 2019), Guyong (September 2022), Vittoria East and East Guyong (December 2023), and Vittoria Curve (May 2024).

The installation of flexible wire rope, when placed along the centreline of the road, provides a physical barrier between oncoming traffic travelling at up to 100 km/h in each direction.

Work has also started to install a dedicated turning lane at a crash hot spot at the intersection with Pretty Plains Road, due for completion in July.

Along with flexible wire barriers — which can also be placed on the edges of the road — the Mitchell Highway upgrades also feature a range of safety measures including the installation of audio tactile line marking (rumble strips) to alert drivers when they have crossed the centre line or run off the road.

As well, roads have been widened, there are new and upgraded turning lanes, improved drainage and removal of some roadside vegetation to decrease the risk of black ice during the winter months.

The Mitchell Highway Bathurst to Orange safety upgrades have been jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.

For more information visit www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/what-we-do/safe-system#Safe_roads.

Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown:

“The Australian Government’s contribution to these works under our Road Safety Program has already paid dividends for the more than 10,000 motorists who travel the route each day by greatly reducing the risk of head-on crashes caused by driver fatigue or error.

“Since the installation of the flexible wire barriers in 2018 there have been more than 50 recorded wire strikes where vehicles have hit the rope running down the centre or along the edges of the highway.

“Each of these wire strikes means a vehicle may have otherwise crossed to the wrong side of the highway, avoiding a potential tragedy if a vehicle happened to be passing in the opposite direction.

“These are stark figures that illustrate just how important it is to invest in improved safety on regional roads, helping to ensure motorists get home safely to their families every time.”

NSW Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison:

“It’s great to see these flexible wire rope barriers doing the job they were intended to do and saving lives on the Mitchell Highway.

“We know there is more to do to reduce risk and improve safety on our roads and that’s why we’re investing a record $2.8 billion in road safety over the next four years as part of our plan to build better communities and a better NSW.”

State Member for Orange Phil Donato:

“The Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Orange is a key route not only linking two major regional centres but also linking the Central West to Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

“These safety upgrades have been focused on known crash hot spots and sections of the highway with a history of fatigue-related crashes and a high proportion of run-off-road and head-on crashes.

“I am delighted to see the work that has been completed now between Bathurst and Orange and I will continue advocating to ensure residents living in the Central West and regional NSW continue to have access to their vital road safety funding.”

NSW Government Duty MLC for Orange and Bathurst Stephen Lawrence:

“The NSW Labor Government understands the need for continuing investment in regional roads to ensure the safe and efficient movement of local residents, tourists and vital freight around the state.

“The $95.9 million spent on these upgrades is not only an investment in the Central West, but also a commitment to doing what we can to ensure regional motorists get home safely to their families every time.”

Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Veterans David Harris today formally announced the 20 NSW students awarded a NSW Government scholarship to travel to Japan in September.

The Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship students, hailing from Lismore in the state’s north to Albury in the south-west, will travel to Japan for a historical study tour to learn more about our nation’s involvement in the Second World War.

The students will visit a number of significant sites, including a former Australian POW Camp in Naoetsu, the Yokohama War Cemetery and the Hiroshima Peace Park and Memorial.

More than 180 students from 152 government and non-government high schools across NSW applied for the scholarship.

Applicants submitted a personal essay and a letter of recommendation from their school, initially assessed by History teachers, followed by a selection panel including representatives from NSW Government, the Anzac Memorial and the History Teachers’ Association of NSW.

A military and social historian will accompany the students to give insights into our nation’s military past and develop their understanding of the importance of commemoration for the 30 September to 10 October 2024 tour.

Minister Harris, along with Consul-General of Japan in Sydney Shuichi Tokuda and Vice-Consul of Japan in Sydney Katsumi Shimmura, meet the students and their parents and caregivers at a pre-tour gathering and Service of Remembrance at the Anzac memorial in Sydney today.

More information about the Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship is available here.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“I would like to congratulate the Scholarship recipients, for their interest in our nation’s military history and also their willingness to honour and respect the service and sacrifice of our veterans and members of the Australian Defence Force.

“The students will further develop their knowledge and understanding of the history of Australians at war as they visit important places associated with Australia’s military history.”

Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“Victory in the Pacific, and victory over Japan brought the Second World War to an end. It was the first time that our nation was under direct threat and the efforts of our veterans helped bring this war to a close. This trip will be a deeply meaningful experience.

“As a former school principal, it means a lot to me that our government supports students and current generations to continue to learn about the important military history of New South Wales and our nation.”

Celine Chandrasegaran, a student of Saint Mary Mackillop College said:

“This is a great opportunity to increase my gratitude for those who have served, and who continue to serve, in both Australia and the wider world. I’m so excited to connect more with Australia’s past, particularly in relation to our military history with Japan.”

Joshua Davison, a student of Oran Park Anglican College said:

“Through retracing the steps of Australia’s involvement in war, we not only honour the legacy of those who served but also fortify the collective bonds that unite us as a nation.”

I am pleased to announce Mr John Tansey PSM has commenced as the next Commissioner of the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) for a five-year term.

It follows a comprehensive recruitment process led by the NSW Public Service Commissioner and in consultation with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the HCCC.

John has held senior leadership and regulatory roles right across the NSW Government including most recently at the Department of Customer Service.

He is a recognised leader in regulatory policy and practice, with experience and achievements in reforming and implementing regulatory frameworks, schemes and operations. I’m confident he will bring this proven track record to the vital work of the Commission.

I want to take this opportunity also to thank Mr Kieran Pehm and Ms Nicole Lawless for their service as Acting Commissioner in recent months.

I look forward to working with John to support the ongoing integrity of our health system and to protect the health and safety of our community.