Month: August 2024

Accredited assistance dogs and their owners tested out the new Crows Nest Station on the Metro City line to make sure Australia’s only fully-accessible railway is up to scratch.

A group of 20 visitors from the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT team, including half who are blind or have low vision, and six guide dogs attended the outing to familiarise themselves with the new station which is located close to the Guide Dogs NSW head office.

The preview of the brand new station ahead of opening day allowed the group to understand the layout of the station, positioning of escalators and lifts as well as the location of facilities like customer help and emergency points at their own pace.

Sydney Metro will be fully accessible from day one. Each station is built with people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and people with accessibility requirements in mind.

The accessible features of Sydney Metro stations and trains include:

• Level and gap-free access between platforms and trains, meaning no more ‘step’ into a trains;
• Australian-first technology in platform screen doors at every station to keep people and objects safely away from the tracks; 
• Digital screens and interactive kiosks at stations to inform passengers of when the next service is;
• Hearing loop services;
• Braille signage; 
• Lifts at all stations;  
• Audio and video help points;  
• Tactile flooring;
• Accessible toilets;
• Kerb ramps and accessible kiss-and-ride drop-off/pick-up points;
• Indicator lighting and sounding chimes to let passengers know when platform screen doors are opening and closing;

Each metro train has two wheelchair spaces per carriage as well as dedicated priority seating for those with accessibility requirements. There are also two multi-purpose areas for prams, luggage and bicycles.

When Sydney Metro City opens, fast and reliable metro services will arrive every four minutes in the peak at new stations located at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross in North Sydney, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal in the Sydney CBD, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham.

Passengers will benefit from fully accessible transport hubs, featuring 54 new lifts and 126 escalators to keep people moving between station entrances on the surface and platforms below ground.  

The new city stations will facilitate the seamless movement of up to 37,000 people in the morning peak, with more than 264,000 trips expected to be taken on the line between Tallawong and Sydenham on a typical weekday.

While animals are not permitted at metro stations or able to travel on metro trains, assistance animals with a valid form of accreditation are allowed on all public transport in NSW.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“What a treat it was to welcome our Guide Dog NSW/ACT neighbours to Crows Nest Metro Station to experience their new Metro Station ahead of opening day.

“31,400 people are expected to tap in and out of Crows Nest Metro station each day. From day one, Crows Nest and every station on the new Metro will be fully accessible for everyone jumping on board.

“Safety, reliability and accessibility are our three biggest priorities for Metro. From Australian-first technology in the platform screen doors to the no gap step onto trains, Metro is a service that everybody – and their assistance dog if they have one – can safely enjoy.

Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:

“The opening of the Sydney Metro will be a game changer for people with disabilities in NSW.

“Importantly, more people in our community will be able to use the Metro without having to ask for help.

“Because the Metro is accessible, travelling is safer and easier for every single passenger.

“It’s such a treat to see assistance dogs riding the Metro and having a paw-sitive experience.”

Jennifer Moon Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Principal Advisor/ Manager – Access & Stakeholder Engagement said:

“We are really supportive of Sydney Metro and the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring a more accessible transport system including the work at Crows Nest Station.

“Access to transport for the whole community is vital so we are really excited that Sydney Metro and NSW Government have made it a strong focus throughout this project so everyone can travel freely, seamlessly and independently.

“As well as removing hazards and implementing important accessibility features, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has also been working closely with the Crows Nest frontline staff to train them on access rights and the support or assistance they can provide individuals who are travelling with accessibility requirements.

“It was such a pleasure to visit the new station with some of our clients prior to the opening, providing them with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the space and all their feedback so far has been fantastic. This project is a really positive step towards a truly accessible and inclusive transport system for those living with low vision and blindness.”

The Minns Labor Government has today announced $380,000 in rescue capability and communication grants to enhance the safety and well-being of our coastal communities.

The Water Safety Communications Grant, totalling $300,000, will fund a pilot water safety messaging campaign coordinated by Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA). This initiative, known as the “Stop. Look. Stay Alive.” campaign, will see SLSA work with other water safety organisations to deliver a collaborative campaign that promotes consistent water safety messaging across multiple water-related activities and demographics throughout NSW.

The multi-organisation campaign aims to improve awareness of water safety risks, promote water-safe behaviour and enhance overall water safety outcomes in the community.

The NSW Government is also enhancing the existing Rescue Capability Grant with $80,000 to fund the installation of rescue tubes at Emergency Response Beacon (ERB) locations along the NSW coast. This initiative, managed by Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW), aims to boost safety and rescue capability on the NSW coast, particularly at remote and unpatrolled locations.

The rescue tubes will be alarmed and monitored, providing immediate notification to SLSNSW when a tube is deployed.

In addition to these advancements, SLSNSW is developing an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capability that can be rapidly deployed upon activation and controlled from a remote operation centre, significantly expanding the reach and speed of emergency response.

This Drone in a Box (DIAB) capability is currently a prototype and is the next step in establishing long-range, beyond visual line of sight operations under development with and funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development through the Shark Management Program. If testing proves successful, a DIAB would have the capability to be stationed at various locations across the state, offering the ability to remotely launch and utilise a drone without delay from an established control centre.

Currently, drones operate visually within 1 kilometre of the operator depending on weather conditions. Testing is currently underway on the DIAB, which can travel up to 5 kilometres from its base and remain in the air for up to 40 minutes.

Existing drone technology has already been deployed to 50 beaches and last year recorded more than 42,000 flights, 11,000 flight hours and 200,000 km flown to make NSW beaches safer.

The expansion of this life saving technology comes after the Minister for Emergency Services convened a roundtable on coastal water safety in March, in response to an increase in coastal drownings at unpatrolled locations over recent years.

Addressing the number of coastal deaths in unpatrolled and isolated locations is a key priority for the NSW Government. These grants are part of the record $71.2 million investment made in Surf Life Saving NSW over the four years from 2023-24 to 2026-27.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The rise in coastal drownings at unpatrolled beaches is deeply concerning and this funding represents our proactive approach to addressing this issue head-on.”

“Our investment in the ‘Stop. Look. Stay Alive.’ campaign underscores our commitment to ensuring every person who enjoys our beautiful coastline does so with a clear understanding of water safety.”

“It’s not just about better emergency response – water safety is a shared responsibility that requires a united effort to get the message out to our diverse communities. Building awareness in communities and our wider investment in preventative actions all contribute to our efforts to save lives.”

“The installation of alarmed rescue tubes on Emergency Rescue Beacons is a game-changer in our efforts to enhance coastal water safety at unpatrolled locations, giving a first responder access to a vital floatation device if they decide to attempt a rescue.”

“The new Drone in a Box (DIAB) capability could represent a significant leap forward in emergency response technology by enabling rapid, remote deployment and long-range operations.”

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“This innovation builds on our existing drone fleet funded under our Shark Management Program, which has already made a tremendous impact across 50 NSW beaches.”

“We are working closely across Government and with Surf Life Saving NSW to ensure shark management on our beaches is an integral part of the overall water safety approach.”

“Significant investment is essential to delivering impactful, life-saving messages and technologies that will protect our community and visitors alike.”

“We are poised to enhance the safety of our coastline like never before.”

CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW Steve Pearce said:

“There’s no silver bullet for reducing drownings, but the suite of measures the Government is helping to fund will have an impact. A targeted public safety campaign along with expanding our drone technology this summer are positive initiatives.”

The NSW Government has today announced the establishment of the new Enhanced Police Support Scheme (EPSS), commencing 1 October 2024 to better support NSW Police Officers who are injured at work.

Replacing the Police Blue Ribbon Insurance Scheme (PBRI), the Enhanced Police Support Scheme will be a new safety net for injured police officers and has been developed in close consultation with the Police Association of New South Wales.

The focus will be on injury prevention, rehabilitation and supporting officers to return to work, wherever possible.

The new EPSS will:

• Streamline support for all injury management claims;
• Improve support for recovery and return to work;
• Address the significant concessional cap taxation issues; and
• Provide an improved safety net to support officers and their families.

The EPSS will provide officers with weekly workers’ compensation as well as supplementary support payments for eligible officers who are injured on duty for up to seven years, with the possibility of extension for up to an additional three years in cases of catastrophic exceptional circumstances.

The new scheme puts an end to one of the most financially complex, onerous and unfair imposts imposed on NSW police for the past decade.

Under the PBRI, insurance premiums to protect officers if they get sick or injured at work were paid by the government with a small officer contribution (1.8 per cent of salary).

The amount was paid into each officer’s superannuation account, which was immediately transferred out to the insurer. When the Australian Tax Office looks at each officer’s income, they count the extra super contributions made for their insurance as income.

This meant police officers’ incomes were artificially inflated, making them look higher than they actually are.

Many police officers end up breaching high income thresholds that cut them off from benefits they may have been entitled to including:

• Loss of means tested Commonwealth benefits such as health rebates, childcare rebates and parental leave, entitlements shared by every other Australian dependent on income;
• Loss of family tax benefits;
• Officers receiving child support payments from a former partner were severely penalised as the level of child support is set according to inflated income which counted contributions for PBRI;
• Officers’ superannuation accounts inflated by PBRI contributions so that they breach the cap on concessional superannuation tax rates. This means their normal super contributions are taxable at a higher rate. Officers receive large tax bills from the ATO for just doing their jobs and receiving normal employer super contributions; and
• Officers unable to save for retirement by making additional super contributions, making NSW police the only workers in Australia denied the right to do this at the tax rate shared by all others.

The new EPSS scheme fixes those problems for NSW police.

The EPSS will support officers in times of illness and injury and will continue to provide cover for on- and off-duty injuries or if an officer is killed at work.

Police officers will continue to contribute 1.8 per cent of their salary towards the new scheme.

An information hotline has been set up within NSWPF to provide information to all officers on the new scheme.

Attributable to Yasmin Catley, Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism:

“This is a great day for NSW police. Everywhere I have travelled since becoming Minister, police officers have pleaded with me about this dreadfully unfair financial penalty they were being slugged with.

“The Police Association of NSW has fought for more than a decade to get rid of this unfair scheme. Today they have achieved that goal. I couldn’t be prouder of the Minns Government for the way we have worked with them to achieve that.

“From October 1 we will have a scheme that makes taking care of our sick and injured police its top priority, helping them recover and come back to work – or taking care of them if they cannot.

“The significant concessional superannuation tax impacts NSW police have endured for more than a decade is being addressed.

“This is one of the greatest reforms for NSW cops in decades and I’m brimming with pride that by working with the NSWPF and Commissioner Karen Webb and the Police Association of NSW, together we’ve been able to achieve this result for our police.”

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in South Eastern NSW will now be supported to better manage their illness in the community with the creation of new program, LinkMyCare.

COPD is a progressive and disabling condition that limits airflow in the lungs and can result in people experiencing increasing shortness of breath, a persistent cough with phlegm, and a limited ability to complete everyday activities.

LinkMyCare will be implemented across 16 general practices throughout South Eastern NSW over the next 18 months and will provide resources for General Practitioners (GPs) to support patients to manage their condition in the community and access the services they need without travelling far from home or paying out-of-pocket costs.

It will also support patients to move between hospital and GPs, reducing the likelihood of a re-presentation to hospital and improving the information flow between a patient’s GP and the care team within the hospital.

LinkMyCare has been co-designed by the South Eastern NSW Strategic Partnership which consists of Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD), Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD and COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW Public Health Network.

Further information on the program available at the LinkMyCare website

Minister for Health Ryan Park

“This innovative program will improve the quality of life for people with COPD, reduce hospital stays and help health teams work collectively to support their patients.”

“Importantly, LinkMyCare will help people with COPD manage their symptoms closer to home and at no out of pocket cost.”

“This initiative will help people better manage their COPD symptoms so they can breathe a little easier and live a more enjoyable life.”

Medical Director at COORDINARE and Illawarra GP Dr Katherine Michelmore

“COPD is a serious chronic health issue for our region. Patients with COPD need significant support from their general practice teams and need to access services with allied health providers and hospitals.”

“The LinkMyCare program will encourage patients and general practices, to facilitate integration with allied health teams and hospital services to ensure the right care at the right time.”

Today marks a historic day in NSW transport history, as the doors officially open on new metro services extending from the city’s north-west at Chatswood, below the harbour and through the Sydney CBD, to Sydenham.

This morning commuters are waking to an additional 15.5-kilometres of new railway to get them around the busiest parts of the city, with access to fast and reliable services via six new underground stations and metro platforms at Central Station and Sydenham Station. 

The inaugural passenger journey under the harbour will depart from Sydenham Station’s Platform 1 at 4:54am this morning.

New metro services will launch to a weekday timetable, which means a service every four minutes during the peak and every 10 minutes during the off peak. For Opal fare consistency, peak times are the same as all other modes of public transport, 6:30am-10am and 3pm-7pm.

There is a four-minute frequency for trains travelling from Tallawong Station between 6:08am-9:24am and 2:54pm-6:46pm. Sydenham Station will see a four-minute frequency from 6:54am-9:46am and 3:16pm-7:32pm.

From tomorrow, interpeak trains will run every seven minutes, increasing after the first month to a train every five minutes.

A total of 445 new metro services will run through the heart of the city each weekday. The 45 new metro trains can each carry more than 1,150 people and will significantly alleviate pressure on existing transport and road networks.

This transformative new section of railway is the next stage of the M1 Northwest & Bankstown Line, which now extends 51.5-kilometres through Sydney with stops at 21 stations between Tallawong and Sydenham.

The expanded metro network provides connections to Sydney’s employment, financial and retail districts, unlocks the Barangaroo harbourside precinct by delivering its first railway station, and has capacity to move more people across Sydney Harbour in the busiest hour of the peak than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined.

Passengers can plan their metro trips by visiting transportnsw.info.

Over the coming days and weeks, while commuters become familiar with their new city services, there will be additional staff at each station and on trains during operating hours. 

Audio and video help points located at each station also connect directly to friendly staff at Metro’s Operations Control Centre who will be available to answer enquiries.

While all city stations are now open, commuters will notice hoarding and minor ongoing work in the precinct areas at most new stations. This work largely involves improvements to roads, footpaths and traffic intersections and will not impact customer journeys.

The new buildings above Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Gadigal and Waterloo stations remain under construction and will progressively open as they are finished.

New turn-up-and-go metro services are the fastest way to get from Sydney’s north west into the Sydney CBD, with a trip on the metro from Chatswood to Sydenham taking approximately 22 minutes, while a journey along the full alignment, from Sydenham to Tallawong takes under 60 minutes.

The remaining 13-kilometres of the M1 Line will open after the conversion of 10 existing stations on the T3 Bankstown Line. The T3 line will close for the works before the end of the year, once a consistent level of reliability is reached on Sydney Metro City.

The $21.6 billion M1 railway was funded under the former Liberal Government.

The Minns Labor Government has committed $13.4 billion over four years to Sydney Metro West and $5.5 billion over four years to the Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport project in the 2024-25 NSW Budget.

NSW Premier, Chris Minns said:

“I want to congratulate everybody who’s worked so hard on bringing this major project to fruition.

It’ll be a huge change for Sydney and a big step forward.”

“We’re urging those who use public transport this morning to be patient.

“Obviously, this will see hundreds of thousands of people get to work in a different way. It needs to fully integrate with the rest of the public transport system.

“This is a massive piece of transport infrastructure, and in part, credit should go to former Premier Mike Baird, his successor, Gladys Berejiklian, and her successor, Dominic Perrottet.

“It will genuinely transform the way people get to and from work, and it’ll be fantastic, so Sydney enjoy the experience.”

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Sydney, welcome to your new railway. This is truly a historic moment that will forever be etched in the storybook of this great city.

“What an incredible day to experience the first passengers travelling on the new M1 extension deep below the city and under the harbour.

“I want to honour the legacy of the 50,000 workers who have built this railway, which will serve Sydney for the next century.

“We are anticipating crowds of potentially up to 200,000 people today for the first day of operations so please be patient and mindful as you get familiar with this fantastic new way to travel.”

Transport for NSW Secretary Josh Murray said:

“Sydney Metro has been an engineering and construction masterpiece – now we add in the most important ingredient, passengers. We will see new journey behaviours emerge as commuters try the new Metro City line, then settle on what works best for them.

“We’re expecting passenger numbers on Metro City and Southwest to quickly build to around 37,000 in the morning peaks and up to a quarter of a million trips on a typical weekday day. 

“Our experts will be running a virtual New Year’s Eve operation, mapping the movement of people around the city and identifying the highest demand services.”

Transport for NSW Coordinator General Howard Collins said:

“We have stood up our joint operations centre to ensure there are as many eyes as possible on Sydney’s entire road and public transport network as we introduce the city section of the M1 line into the mix.

“For the first time in the CBD we will have a world-class metro that will provide seamless connections with our existing modes of public transport, something our global city deserves and needs.

“We’re asking people to please plan ahead at transportnsw.info, via the Opal app or third-party apps, or speak to our street teams in turquoise shirts for info about your journey.”

Sydney Metro Chief Executive Peter Regan said:

“This is a great moment for public transport in this city. I want to thank our teams, who have been at work since 2017; I know each and every one of them is so proud to welcome you all today.

“We know people will have a lot of questions, so we’ve bolstered our teams on the ground to help commuters familiarise themselves with the new network and get where they need to go.

“A reminder that metro trains can travel at speeds of up to 100km/h, so please hang on when taking off.”