Month: August 2024

New boating program to support safer and more accessible waterways

Much-needed boating infrastructure and dredging works will be delivered across NSW, with a $44 million funding boost from the NSW Government to improve safety and accessibility for all water users.

The new Boating Infrastructure and Dredging Scheme was announced today by NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen at the Sydney International Boat Show.

The program will allocate $28 million towards public boating amenities over four years and $16 million for dredging at key locations along the NSW coast.

The scheme consists of infrastructure and dredging sub-programs:

  • Boating Infrastructure for Communities – this grants program will target improved access for older boaters and boaters with a disability.
  • Boating Infrastructure Maintenance – a grants program providing funding for minor repair and maintenance works on boating infrastructure owned by councils and community groups across NSW.
  • Boating Infrastructure Emergency Repair Scheme – funding support to repair and replace assets impacted by natural disasters and severe weather events.
  • Dredging Program – funding to deliver new dredging projects at priority sites critical to boating and safe waterway navigation, as well as continuing committed dredging projects at Swansea, Myall River, Ettalong and Coffs Harbour.


Registrations of interest for the grants programs will be open later this year, with successful applicants to be announced in 2025.

The funding boost improves upon the previous Boating Now program, following an independent review completed in September 2023, which heard from the boating community on a wide range of matters.

Transport for NSW Maritime, in partnership with Marine Rescue, NSW Police and the Boating Industry Association, have committed to working towards a target of zero deaths and serious injuries on NSW Waterways by 2056.

For more information on the new Boating Infrastructure and Dredging Scheme, visit Boating Infrastructure and Dredging Scheme | Transport for NSW.
 

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Our state’s waterways are the most beautiful in the world, and this program will support local communities to plan for, build and maintain waterways infrastructure to keep it safe and accessible for people now and into the future.

“This new scheme re-invests boating fees into public infrastructure upgrades, maintenance and dredging for our waterways.

“As well as benefiting boaters by giving waterway users better access and facilities, these grants will make our harbours and foreshore precincts even more usable and attractive.”

NSW Maritime Executive Director Mark Hutchings said:

“Transport for NSW Maritime has taken this opportunity to improve our grants programs, with a renewed focus on safety and accessibility for boaters of all ages and abilities.

“We’ve listened to the feedback from the boating community, which highlighted the need for continued investment to support maintenance of local boating infrastructure.

“We’re excited for the future of our boating industry, and these new programs will be crucial in keeping NSW waterways in the best shape possible with better infrastructure and more dredging.”

Harmful pornography the subject of parliamentary inquiry

The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to address the impacts of harmful online content on young people, and its role in normalising unacceptable behaviour, with New South Wales to become the first state to hold an inquiry of this type into the impacts of harmful pornography.

The Attorney General has today written to Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Issues, the Hon Dr Sarah Kaine, to request the Committee inquire into and report on the impacts of harmful pornography, including pornography that is violent and misogynistic, on mental, emotional and physical health.

This announcement follows growing community concern about the exposure of children to violence and extreme pornography.

In 2023 an eSafety Commissioner report found that 75% of 16-18 year olds surveyed in Australia had seen online pornography before, and nearly one third of those had seen it before the age of 13.

Further, the report highlighted that studies point to a common and readily accessible ‘mainstream’ form of pornography which often contains depictions of sexual violence and degrading sexual scripts about women.

The inquiry will also report on the production and dissemination of deepfake or AI-generated pornography, impacts on minority groups including but not limited to First Nations, CALD and LGBTIQA+ people and people living with a disability; and the effectiveness of current restrictions on access to pornography and consideration of any need to improve these.

As the NSW Government continues to work to address the scourge of domestic, family and sexual violence on communities across the state, the normalisation of misogynistic and violent acts online being easily accessible by young people in their formative years must be under the microscope.

The findings of the Committee report will be carefully considered in this context.

Terms of Reference:

The Standing Committee on Social Issues will inquire into the impacts of harmful pornography on mental, emotional and physical health, with particular reference to:

  1. Age of first exposure to pornography and impacts of early exposure to pornography; 
  2. Media by which pornography is accessed and circulated; 
  3. Impacts on body impact; 
  4. The relationship between pornography use and respect and consent education; 
  5. The production and dissemination of deepfake or AI-generated pornography; 
  6. The impact of exposure to violence and/or misogynistic pornography on children, teenagers and young adults; 
  7. Impacts on minority groups including but not limited to First Nations, CALD or LGBTIQA+ people and people living with disability;  
  8. Effectiveness of any current education programs about use and misuse of pornography, and how these may be improved; 
  9. The effectiveness of current restrictions on access to pornography and consideration of any need to improve these;  
  10. The resources and support currently available to parents and carers to educate children about pornography, and how these might be improved 
  11. Any other related matters. 

Attorney General, Michael Daley said:

“A generation of young men are growing up with unprecedented access to the online world, and this includes early and easy access to pornography, with harmful depictions of the treatment of women.

“This inquiry, will for the first time in our state provide insight into the full impacts of harmful pornography online and young people’s access to it.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“We must address the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault from every angle, and importantly that includes the normalisation of misogyny and violence online.

“The ease at which children and young people are able to access this content is extremely concerning and it is vital we undertake this inquiry and continue this important conversation.”

New South Wales Women’s Safety Commissioner, Dr. Hannah Tonkin said:

“Children are being exposed, often inadvertently, to extreme forms of pornography. The increasingly young age of exposure is concerning because pornography often contains harmful messages and representations that normalise violence against women. This exposure comes at a crucial time in children’s lives when they are developing attitudes about gender roles, sex and relationships. There is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the impacts this is having on attitudes and behaviour, particularly those of boys and young men. I welcome this timely inquiry and look forward to its findings.”

Appointment of new Auditor-General for Australia

I am pleased to announce the Governor-General has accepted my recommendation to appoint Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM as the Auditor-General for Australia.

Dr McLiesh’s 10 year term begins on 4 November 2024.

Supported by the Australian National Audit Office, the Auditor-General is an independent officer of the Australian Parliament and is responsible for auditing Commonwealth entities. The Auditor-General plays an important role in upholding accountability and transparency.

Dr McLiesh is a senior public service leader with more than 25 years’ experience across government, international, not-for-profit and commercial sectors.

In 2017 she was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to social impact investment policy and reform in New South Wales.

Dr McLiesh has served as the Secretary and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Treasury since 2019. Prior to this, Dr McLiesh was the Managing Director of TAFE NSW and a Deputy Secretary with the NSW Treasury.

This appointment follows a merit-based selection process. In accordance with the Auditor-General Act 1997, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit provided its approval to Dr McLiesh’s appointment before I made a recommendation to the Governor‑General.

I thank the former Auditor-General, Mr Grant Hehir for his significant service in the state and federal public service. I also thank Ms Rona Mellor PSM for acting as Auditor-General since February 2024 until Dr McLiesh’s term commences.

Weekend Trackwork Alert

Passengers travelling to or from the Hunter and the Central Coast, and on the T9 Northern line are urged to plan ahead this weekend as essential trackwork goes ahead to ensure our train network continues to be resilient and reliable.

Passengers travelling to or from the Hunter and the Central Coast, and on the T9 Northern line are urged to plan ahead this weekend as essential trackwork goes ahead to ensure our train network continues to be resilient and reliable.

Buses will replace trains on Saturday and Sunday between Strathfield and Hornsby, between Hornsby and Berowra, and between Hornsby and Newcastle Interchange.

In addition, from Saturday 3 August to Monday 5 August, buses will replace trains on the Hunter Line from Newcastle Interchange to Scone and Dungog as the Australian Rail Track Corporation carries out annual maintenance work. This includes ballast cleaning, track reconditioning, and work on signalling equipment.

On the T7 Olympic Park Line, services will not stop at Lidcombe and will instead run between Olympic Park and Strathfield, continuing to T1 North Shore Line stations.

Buses will replace trains on the T1 Western and T5 Cumberland lines between Richmond and Blacktown from 5:50am until 8:45am, then between Richmond and Schofields from 8:45am until 11am.

Sydney Trains will be carrying out regular trackwork, including station upgrade works, track reconditioning, rerailing, contact wire renewal, turnout renewal, bridge refurbishment and signalling upgrades.

Regular trackwork is critical for the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the rail network. Passengers may need to change trains and are encouraged to allow extra travel time and plan ahead by visiting transportnsw.info or using trip planning apps.

Sydney Trains thanks passengers for their patience. 

Real-time tracking now available on all Hunter and Lower North Coast buses

All public transport buses across the Hunter and Lower North Coast are now fitted with smart technology which means customers will be able to view reliable timetable information and real-time trip updates any time they use buses in their local area.  

Over recent months, GPS tracking devices and automatic passenger counting systems have been fitted on 233 buses across a region stretching from from Diamond Head in the north to Cessnock in the south and as far inland as Cassilis, as part of the Transport Connected Bus (TCB) program.  

This means passengers who use bus services in the Cessnock, Maitland, Myall Lakes, Port Stephens and Upper Hunter electorates can find out where their bus is in real time, how soon it is due to arrive and how full it is.  

They can also use Transport for NSW’s website or mobile apps such as TripView to access digital timetable information.  

The technology has been installed on all regular passenger route buses and school buses, meaning parents can digitally track the bus their child is on in real time.   

The Hunter and Lower North Coast was the first of the regional NSW areas completed under Phase 3 of the Transport Connected Bus program. Transport for NSW worked with 22 bus operators during the roll out.  

Locations serviced by these buses include Aberdeen, Broke, Buladelah, Cassilis, Cessnock, Denman, Dungog, East Maitland, Forster, Gloucester, Hawks Nest, Karuah, Lochinvar, Maitland, Medowie, Merriwa, Murrurundi, Muswellbrook, Nabiac, Old Bar, Port Stephens, Raymond Terrace, Rutherford, Scone, Seaham, Singleton, Smiths Lake, Taree, Tinonee and Tea Gardens.   

Buses in Newcastle that are part of the Opal network already have similar technology.  

The TCB program is progressively rolling out this technology across regional NSW. By the end of June 2025, the entire NSW fleet of Transport-contracted buses will be tracked. 

DELIVERING SAFER ROADS FOR THE HUNTER

People living in and around the Hunter will have a safer trip home thanks to more than 3.7 million in Albanese Government funding to improve seven known crash sites under the 2024–25 Black Spot Program.

The Blackspot Program will fund safety improvements to the roads in Hamilton South, Thornton, Chisholm, Taylors Beach, Morisset and Mount Vincent. These projects will make an important contribution towards reducing serious injuries and deaths for all road users in the Hunter.

Project LocationDetail of WorksFederal funding
Hamilton SouthInstall wombat crossing, additional signage and speed humps on all approaches to the roundabouts at the intersection of National Park Street and Smith Street.$469,560
Thornton Install a 400-metre-long raised median between Weakley’s Drive and Glenwood Drive.$485,790
ChisholmInstall a one-lane roundabout including all traffic calming, line marking, lighting and signage at the intersection of Heritage Drive and Tigerhawk Drive.$567,678
Taylors BeachInstall barrier, signage, wide painted profile line marking and raised median. Upgrade road seal to high level non-skid surface. Improve sealed shoulder on curve, and deflection of roundabout on Port Stephens Drive.$945,000
MorissetUpgrade seal to high level non-skid surface, install barrier, wide painted profile linemarking and improve sealed shoulder on curve on Fishery Point Road.$681,425
Mount VincentInstall motorcycle underrun, barrier, retro-reflective pavement markers, profile linemarking, guideposts, incremental traversable clearzone and signage on Sandy Creek Road.$671,879
MorissetInstall one-lane roundabout including all traffic calming, line marking, lighting and signage. Install wombat crossing on Bridge Street and Newcastle Street.$372,025

The Black Spot Program funds a range of safety measures at locations where serious crashes have occurred, or are at risk of occurring.

The Australian Government has substantially increased Black Spot Program funding, which is progressively rising from $110 million to $150 million per year.

This is part of the Government’s response to the worsening road toll which includes progressively doubling Roads to Recovery funding from $500 million to $1 billion a year and delivering a nationally-harmonised set of high-quality and timely data to inform road safety decision making.

For more information on the Albanese Government’s Black Spot Program, to nominate a black spot and for the full list of NSW recipients visit : Black Spot Program | Infrastructure Investment Program.

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown:

“I am pleased to announce this latest round of Black Spot projects in NSW, which will improve roads across the state.

“Every death on NSW roads is a tragedy and could have been avoided.”

“Local communities know where their most dangerous road locations are and their ability to nominate projects under this program and work with state and local experts in reviewing nominations is why this program is so successful.”

 “With the recent announcement of our increased commitment to this long-running program, I strongly encourage individuals, organisations, and local governments to nominate sites in their local communities for consideration in the next round of funding.”

Federal Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson:

“More funding for vital road improvements in our electorate of Paterson will continue to improve the safety of our community and save lives.

“This black spot funding will support our local Councils in delivering these much-needed upgrades now and into the future.”

Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi:

“Living regionally, I know how dangerous our roads can be and these Black Spot projects will make our roads safer for everyone.

“Black Spot treatments help reduce serious injuries and deaths on our roads, and get people home safely.

“Working closely with our local Councils to fund these projects means that the Councils can focus on more road upgrades that are much needed across Lake Macquarie and Cessnock.”

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon:

“It’s great to see some much-needed funding for road safety improvements in Newcastle and across the Hunter.

“These upgrades to the two roundabouts on Parkway Avenue are sure to be particularly welcomed by the Newcastle High School and Newcastle Grammar School communities, whose access will now be much safer.

“The project will be undertaken by Newcastle Council, and I look forward to seeing the finished product.”

Rex too important to Tasmania to be allowed to fail

The Greens are calling on the federal government to consider purchasing Rex Airlines to ensure the continued connectivity and economic stability of regional Australia.

“The collapse of Rex Airlines would be a devastating blow to Tasmania’s regional communities and our tourism industry,” Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said.

“Rex is too important to Tasmania to be allowed to fail.” 

“We cannot afford to lose such a vital service that supports local economies, jobs, and regional connectivity.”

“The federal government must step up  and investigate the possibility of buying Rex Airlines to keep it operational.”

“This move would safeguard essential transport links and prevent further economic disruption.”

“This is about more than just keeping planes in the sky. It’s about preserving jobs, supporting tourism, and maintaining the vital connections that keep our regional areas thriving.” 

“Federal Labor MPs and Senators need to step up and make sure the Prime Minister understands how critical Rex is to Tasmania.”

Good news for local energy innovation

The ACT Government has announced two recipients that will receive the first share of $17 million in funding as part of the Energy Innovation Fund.

Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said the ACT Government is supporting innovative projects that will help achieve the Territory’s goal of net zero emissions by 2045.

“These two  projects that have received a grant under the Energy Innovation Fund will support the ACT on our energy transition journey, as well as invest in local jobs and expertise,” Minister Rattenbury said.

“The $17 million total funding pool will be allocated over a five-year period and there are three grant streams available under the Fund. These are the Technology Demonstration Grant, the Policy Challenge Grant, and the Innovation Ecosystem Grant.

“The projects funded today include a grant for New Frontier Technologies for a project to develop an innovative storage solution for hydrogen.

“Funding will also be provided to RenewMap to support further development of their web-mapping platform, better connecting projects across the Australian and New Zealand energy landscape.”

The recipients of the Energy Innovation Fund announced today are:

  • New Frontier Technologies – $750,143 under the Technology Demonstration Grant
  • RenewMap – $300,000 under the Innovation Ecosystem Grant

“The $17 million in funding has been contributed by industry commitments from the ACT Government’s Renewables Reverse Auctions – a nation-leading initiative that not only maintains the ACT’s 100% renewable electricity supply, but also provides investment in our local clean energy economy.

“The ACT has a world-renowned renewable energy sector and for more than a decade has been a leader in transitioning to 100% renewable electricity. These recipients showcase the continued innovation taking place right here in the nation’s capital.

“Congratulations to today’s recipients. I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition and contribute to our shared goal of addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to a net zero emissions energy future,” said Minister Rattenbury.

The Energy Innovation Fund grants are open all year round. More information, including eligibility details and information on how to apply, can be found on the Everyday Climate Choices website.

Dr Paul Compston, Director and CEO, New Frontier Technologies:

“We are delighted that the support from the ACT Government’s Energy Innovation Fund program will enable New Frontier Technologies to demonstrate ACT-developed capability for innovative design and automated manufacturing of high-value carbon composite structures. We will develop lightweight, type V (liner-less) all-composite pressure vessels that will increase capacity for hydrogen storage and form a critical part of the infrastructure required to achieve local net-zero targets. This innovative pressure vessel design and scalable manufacturing approach will be the first-of-its-kind, making it highly marketable to the national and international hydrogen economy.”

Alex Thompson, Co-Founder and Director, RenewMap:

“RenewMap currently provides stakeholders in the energy industry with highly accessible, accurate and near real-time information on large-scale energy projects across Australia and New Zealand. Our aim for RenewMap is to create an up-to-date, national view of the energy landscape and contribute to a faster and more efficient renewable energy transition.

“The Energy Innovation Fund will accelerate the growth of our business and enable us to create new jobs in the ACT’s thriving renewable energy sector. The funded project will build on the success of RenewMap to date, empowering industry stakeholders with new analytical tools and valuable insights into the future pipeline of energy projects.”

No case for RBA to raise rates

The Greens have called for Labor to introduce a national rent freeze and measures to stop price gouging instead of sitting back and watching the RBA raise interest rates again.

Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim:

“There is no case for the Reserve Bank to raise rates again.”

“Raising rates will simply create more hardship for millions of Australians. It won’t bring rents down and it won’t bring food prices down.”

“We need Labor to get off the sidelines and start to take the urgent action needed to tackle the cost of existence crisis.”

“Labor could rein in inflation by introducing a corporate super-profits tax, breaking up the supermarket duopoly, making price gouging illegal and coordinating a national rent freeze.”

Greens Housing Spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather MP:

“Labor had the power to freeze rents through National Cabinet, but instead they chose to spit in the face of Australia’s 7 million renters and lock in unlimited rent increases.”

“Today’s CPI data is the consequences. Rents (7.3%) are increasing at close to twice the rate of inflation (3.8%).” 

“Behind these numbers sit countless devastating stories. Families evicted into homelessness cos they can’t afford the rent increase that Labor could have stopped. Single mums skipping meals. Pensioners sleeping in their cars. What will it take for Labor to freeze rents?” 

“Rent increases are driving inflation and interest rate rises have been passed on in rent increases. It is a spiral of pain for already overburdened mortgage holders and renters that the RBA cannot break. Labor could stop this by coordinating a rent freeze through National Cabinet.”

NSW Forestry Corporation fined $360 thousand for logging breaches

The NSW Forestry Corporation has today been convicted and sentenced in the NSW Land and Environment Court for offences relating to native forest logging in 2020, and has been fined $360,000 and ordered that they cover the legal costs of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The breaches were as a result of the Forestry Corporation failing to accurately map two known Environmentally Significant Areas in the Yambulla State Forest and actual harm caused to 53 eucalyptus trees, and potential harm to 3 threatened bird species in the area.

Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said “The crimes committed by the Forestry Corporation on this occasion are not isolated, and their ongoing logging of native forests in NSW is regularly reported by the community as having occurred unlawfully,”

“This conviction has taken more than four years to complete and dozens, if not more, of other unlawful logging operations have been undertaken while the investigation and prosecution was underway. This makes a mockery of the lawful requirements that the Forestry Corporation must comply with, and demonstrates that the current system of enforcing compliance is failing to protect native forests and the threatened species that live within them,”

“The Court found that there is a high likelihood of the Forestry Corporation reoffending and that it does not have good prospects of rehabilitation. These findings are a damning indictment of Forestry Corporation’s integrity and demonstrates why we are calling for them to be barred from logging our public native forests,”

“This $360 thousand dollar fine is a significant part of the entire dividend that was budgeted to be returned to NSW by the Forestry Corporation, with just $9 million expected in 2024-25. This essentially means that 4% or Forestry’s entire expected return to NSW has been lost as a result of a single breach of the law – of which many more have been reported,”

“The Government is ultimately responsible for the Forestry Corporation, and have a duty to protect the people and environment of NSW from this rogue state-owned corporation. Everyday that this untrustworthy Corporation is doing more damage to the forests, and all at the expense of the people of NSW,” Ms Higginson said.