Month: August 2024

After the successful opening of the Sydney Metro City line, the Minns Labor Government is today announcing the closure of the T3 Bankstown line for metro upgrade works will begin on Monday 30 September 2024.

When the conversion is complete, passengers will have access to a 21st century high-tech metro line with a train every 4 minutes during the peak, along with fully accessible stations and services.

The NSW Government is also announcing the travel on replacement bus services, known as Southwest Link, will be free for all passengers.

We are also acknowledging that the conversion period will be difficult and disruptive for many passengers, and we thank the community for their patience as we work as quickly as possible to covert the line to a transformative metro.

Fare free travel on Southwest Link buses will begin on day one and continue for the entire conversion period, until the estimated completion date of late 2025.

The program of works to transform the 130-year-old line, between Sydenham and Bankstown, for modern metro trains is a complex and difficult task, meaning it could take longer than 12 months to complete.

Major work includes:

• Installing platform screen doors at all stations between Marrickville and Bankstown  
• Installing the remaining 81 (of 170) gap filler between platforms and trains across eight stations 
• Refurbishing station buildings and platform surfaces  
• Installing new security barriers at 81 locations along the alignment
• Removing and replacing fencing
• Final platform works including installation of signage
• Final adjustments to overhead wiring and tracks to metro standards 
• Station services and systems installations such as help points, CCTV cameras and passenger information displays  
• Public domain finishes including landscaping, footpath rectification works, bike parking and new lighting
• Heavy vehicle management bollard installation for station security at station entrances  
• Finishing works at stations including painting and repairs to refresh stations 
• Rigorous testing and commissioning of the metro trains and station equipment. 

Southwest Link is a key part of the interim transport plan to help the tens of thousands of impacted commuters move around during this disruptive time.

All bus driver positions have been filled to support the 100 buses that will run from early in the morning to late at night seven days a week. The timetable aims for a service every 2-4 minutes in the peak.

Fare free travel will apply on the three dedicated bus routes known as SW1 (all stops), SW2 (limited stops) and SW3 (limited stops), which passengers will be able to catch from their local station:

• SW1 – Sydenham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl, Bankstown.
• SW2 – Sydenham, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl, Bankstown.
• SW3 – Sydenham, Canterbury, Campsie.

The T6 train line will also become available at the same time as Southwest Link, to support passengers during the conversion. However, preparatory works will begin on 21 September, meaning part of the line between Campsie and Bankstown will be shut from then. The T6 will connect Bankstown to Lidcombe Station via Yagoona, Birrong, Regents Park and Berala.

Once complete, this final section of the metro line will eventually be known as the M1 Northwest & Bankstown Line, completing the 30km alignment between Bankstown and Tallawong.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen:

“We absolutely acknowledge this is going to be disruptive time for the people of Canterbury Bankstown and for the Inner West but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

“When this section of the metro is complete, they will get a train every four minutes. That’s a massive increase in train services, because right now there are stations on the T3 Line that only receive four trains an hour in the peak.

“The fair thing to do is not charge a fare on our dedicated Southwest Link bus services because this will be a really tough time for passengers in Canterbury Bankstown and the Inner West.”
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins:

“Our pink Southwest Link buses will be easily recognisable services with plenty of signage and our ‘pink shirts’ will be on the ground to help people get on the right, fare-free service.

“We expect the free Southwest Link services will be in high demand, while our bus marshals will work very hard to assist with a smooth service, we do anticipate there will be some delays and longer wait times.

“Metro needs to install mechanical gap filler, improve and heighten pedestrian fences around 15 bridges, install platform screen doors and security fencing along the entire line, and then test and commission a new railway, all on an existing corridor that’s 130 years old.”

Metro Southwest Project Director Alia Karaman:
“The disruption on the Bankstown line is going to be really hard, but when the work is complete, south west Sydney will be connected to the CBD like never before.

“What we’re seeing now with Metro from Sydenham is 5 minute journeys into Central Station and a train every 4 minutes. With the Metro conversion, those benefits will be shared along the line to Bankstown.

“A train every 4 minutes in the peak so you’re not waiting on the platform, fast travel times so you get where you want to go sooner and safe, gap-free boarding. That’s what passengers have to look forward to when this challenging and disruptive work is complete.”

Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 will open to traffic early Thursday, with 10,000 vehicles a day expected to use the new road, saving local motorists up to 15 minutes to and from the Hume Motorway.

After two years of construction, the new connection between Menangle Road, the Hume Motorway and Menangle Park was officially opened on Wednesday before first traffic in the early hours of Thursday.

The new four-lane divided road forms part of a vital east west link that will support future residential growth in the Macarthur region, which grew by more than 25% between 2016 and 2021.

Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 opens up easier access to Greater Sydney through an interchange with the Hume Motorway, meaning motorists heading north bound from Campbelltown and Menangle Park no longer have to navigate local streets, saving 15 minutes in travel time.

Stage 1 has been delivered on time and on budget by Transport for NSW and its delivery partner, Georgiou Group, and construction involved laying more than 24 bridge girders, 4.5 kilometres of guard rails and 17,000 cubic metres of asphalt.

A shared path on the southern side of Spring Farm Parkway provides a safe route for pedestrians and bike riders, including students heading to and from Broughton Anglican College on Menangle Road.

More than 12,500 trees and shrubs have been planted along the roadside.

As Stage 1 opens to motorists, the NSW Government is continuing early design work on Stage 2, which will connect to Liz Kernohan Drive and onto the Camden Bypass, giving motorists a direct line from Campbelltown to Camden.

For further information on Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1, go to Spring Farm Parkway, Menangle.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“Sydney’s Macarthur region is growing quickly and families are moving in, which is why we’re building road connections with the future in mind. We want infrastructure that supports development not follows it.

“The opening of Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 today unlocks a faster connection to the Hume Motorway and onto Greater Sydney for families and communities in south Campbelltown. This interchange is expected to save people in this region up to 15 minutes a day. Based on 10,000 cars using it a day, that’s 2500 hours saved each day.

“As we welcome the first motorists on Stage 1, the NSW Government is continuing to work on Stage 2. Once complete, Spring Farm Parkway will give motorists a direct line from Campbelltown to Camden.”

Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren MP said:

“Spring Farm Parkway will be a time-saving addition to the road network for our community now and into the future, and I want to thank all the workers involved.

“It’s fantastic to cut the ribbon on Stage 1, which improves connections between the Hume Motorway, Menangle Road and Menangle Park.”

Member for Camden Sally Quinnell MP said:

“I’m thrilled to officially open Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1, which, along with Stage 2, will form a much-needed cohesive link between our growing communities.

“Once the Spring Farm Parkway corridor is complete, motorists will have a new route between the Camden Bypass, the Hume Motorway and Menangle Road, making travel around Sydney’s south-west easier.”

As part of the Minns Government’s plan to build disaster-resilient housing in the Northern Rivers, a new agreement to progress the delivery of up to 1,000 homes for families in the Grafton area through one of Australia’s largest flood-resilience programs is now underway.

This is the seventh land release of the $100 million Resilient Lands Program (RLP), which is being delivered alongside the joint State and Commonwealth funded $790 million Resilient Homes Program, providing safer choices for people to live in the Northern Rivers after the 2022 floods.

Junction Hill has been released alongside sites in East Lismore, Goonellabah, North Lismore, Brunswick Heads, Casino and Lennox Heads-Ballina already identified. Combined, the current RLP sites will see potentially more than 4,300 homes delivered across the region.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), Transport for NSW and the Clarence Valley Council will identify transport infrastructure improvements for the Junction Hill site near Grafton, a vital step to supporting growth and more homes for the region.

The NSW Government also announced the details of the Resilient Lands Strategy which includes additional sites in Murwillumbah, Goonellabah and Kyogle and underpins the NSW Government’s commitment to provide more housing choices by accelerating the supply of land for residents impacted by the 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers.

The Resilient Lands Strategy involved a process of community consultation and expert peer review, which began in late 2022 with more than 300 potential housing sites identified under an EOI process. The Strategy has been designed to complement, not replace, current land releases and other housing developments in the region.

The RA is now working with Councils, landowners, infrastructure providers and a range of delivery partners to accelerate land and housing developments as quickly as possible.

For more information, visit the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“It is critical that communities are assisted in building resilience to natural disasters. 

“The release of land at Junction Hill and the release of the Resilient Lands Strategy demonstrates the Minns Government is serious about properly planning for the future.

“In the Northern Rivers, housing stress and homelessness remains high. More than 16,000 households are paying more than 30% of their gross income on housing.

“With this land release up to 4,300 flood resilient home sites are being created and are in the planning pipeline across the Northern Rivers.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The Resilient Lands Program will accelerate the delivery of new land and housing to provide locals with more options in safer locations.

“Clarence Valley becomes the fifth council to be announced for assistance under the Resilient Lands Program, while work with other councils will continue.

“We know this requires a team effort, and I am pleased to see the collaboration between government agencies and councils to bring the reality of more housing closer for people in the Northern Rivers.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to collaborative development through the Resilient Lands Strategy to ensure people in the Northern Rivers have safer homes, that are connected to health services, education, jobs and other opportunities.

“Good transport infrastructure and connectivity is vital for the success of new housing developments, particularly in the regions, and the release of land at Junction Hill will provide that.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said:

“Flood-affected communities across the Northern Rivers region have been keenly interested in safer land and housing options being identified.

“I’m pleased to see the Clarence Valley LGA, which I used to represent as a Federal MP and where I still have strong connections, added to the councils receiving support under the Resilient Lands Program, and there is more to come.”

Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson said:

“This site has been zoned for development for some time. It’s flat, flood free and has services available and is within a few minutes of town, a rarity in the Northern rivers.

“The only thing holding back development is the upgrades needed to transport infrastructure. This is a great initiative of the NSW Government which is working collaboratively with the partners involved.”

Electricians who fail to properly supervise apprentices will lose their licence under changes designed to protect young workers and make sure electrical work meets quality standards.

Electrical-related workplace fatalities remain the second leading cause of fatalities in the NSW construction industry.

SafeWork NSW was notified of 1708 incidents in construction industry workplaces from January 2020 to the end of April this year, with eight electrical-related workplace fatalities recorded between July 2022 and June 2024.

New practice guidelines will require sparkies to consider the competency, knowledge, and skills of their apprentices before giving them any work task and any new type of task. They also spell out specific obligations that supervisors must meet every day, particularly around the work health and safety of their apprentices.

The guidelines also detail suitable levels and ratios of supervision for apprentices tackling different tasks.

The safe and reliable supply of electricity is a critical component of building construction. In a recent incident in southern Sydney, a young trade assistant carrying out electrical wiring work without a qualified supervisor present received an electric shock.

While the worker wasn’t seriously injured, the supervisor and director of Siasax Pty Ltd, Bram Earl Penberthy, was found guilty of improper conduct, fined $1500 and ordered to complete a Construct NSW course in Supervisor Responsibilities.

Building Commission NSW will enforce the new, higher standards governing the way electricians supervise apprentices from 1 September.

The standard was released in December 2023 following extensive consultation and will now be mandated as a condition of licence for electricians.

The supervision practice standard sets out obligations licensed electricians must meet when supervising apprentices, as required in building and work, health and safety legislation.

Businesses that fail to comply with the new practice standard may face on-the-spot fines and disciplinary action, such as a licence suspension or cancellation.

For further information, please see: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/trades-and-businesses/construction-and-trade-essentials/electricians/supervision-practice-standard-for-licensed-electricians-supervising-apprentices

Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Building quality and worksite safety go hand in hand. Sites with poor supervision don’t just leave workers at risk, they’re often responsible for defective building work. 

“Experienced electricians are on notice -they must properly supervise their apprentices or face the risk of fines, license suspension or cancelation.”

Minister for Work, Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“We continue to see multiple and dangerous examples of poor supervision.

“New or inexperienced apprentices need to be properly supervised and guided on how to complete work they can be proud of in a safe and compliant manner and the new standard aims to help all parties do this.”

“Every worker deserves to return home safely at the end of the day.”

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

“The NSW Government is committed to upskilling the industry and best supporting young workers entering the industry.

“All electricians and electrical apprentices should be safe at work.”

Acting Building Commissioner Matt Press said:

“Building Commission NSW has zero tolerance for any employer who places apprentices at risk or does not ensure they have the best on-the-job training possible. Inexperienced apprentices need to be out of harm’s way and properly supervised.

“By enforcing this new standard, we aim to improve the quality of electrical work and help ensure that all electrical workers are operating safely.”