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The NSW Government has today announced the approval of a $1.49 billion revamp of the Mt Druitt CBD, which will create 15,000 jobs and breathe new life into Western Sydney.
The green light for the rezoning proposal paves the way for more than 2,800 new homes to be built in the precinct, as well as new cafés, restaurants, retail outlets and commercial space in taller buildings.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Mt Druitt CBD rezoning was one of the first projects to have its assessment fast-tracked as part the Planning System Acceleration Program that is keeping people in jobs and the economy moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This project has been three years in the making and marks the beginning of an exciting new future for Western Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“More than 2,900 construction jobs will be created to build this vibrant new hub, as well as thousands more permanent jobs as the new CBD comes to life.”
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the Mt Druitt CBD rezoning is the sixth project to be determined through the Government’s new fast-tracked assessment program.   “In the past two weeks alone, the Planning System Acceleration Program has injected $1.87 billion in to the State’s economy and created opportunities for more than 16,000 jobs,” Mr Stokes said.
“Today’s approval is another exciting step forward for Western Sydney and means development applications for the Mt Druitt CBD can be lodged immediately.”
The NSW Government has worked closely with Blacktown City Council to amend its Local Environmental Plan, which rezones 24 hectares of land to facilitate more mixed-use commercial and residential development.
For more information visit: https://bit.ly/2SVusO3

A special sitting of NSW Parliament will consider a second set of laws to equip citizens, businesses and the justice system to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attorney General Mark Speakman will introduce three Bills for debate today.
“The Bills build on legislation enacted in late March and again makes the health and safety of the people of NSW our first priority,” Mr Speakman said.
The Bills include proposals for extraordinary regulation-making powers to enhance social distancing by:

• The modification or suspension of laws requiring people to hold meetings in person, for example a board meeting or physical examination by a medical practitioner for a particular purpose;
• The facilitation of wholly electronic signing of documents (the Government continues to consult on what classes of documents will be affected); and
• The extension of limitation periods to take into account delays caused by the pandemic.

In addition, the Government is proposing a number of other amendments, including the following:

• Health: The proposed health amendments will expand the ability of individual public health orders to require people to undergo testing or a medical examination and streamline COVID-19 medical research and data collection for a public health register. They will allow for COVID-19-related conditions to be placed on the licences of private health facilities and also for audio-visual link mental health examinations.

 

• Justice: Where a judicial officer decides it is in the interests of justice, accused persons will be required to appear in court via video link. Sheriff’s Officers will be given authority to protect court users from the risk of COVID-19 by being able to ask people who display signs of illness, including fever, to leave the court. They may also take the temperature of anyone attending court. When assisting agencies like the NSW Police Force in enforcing Public Health Orders, Sheriff’s Officers will have powers of arrest.

 

• Employee Relations: Changes to annual leave and long service leave laws will provide welcome, flexible alternatives to standing down workers. Long service leave will be available in single day periods to shorten working weeks, but maintain income. Local Government sector workers will be able to agree to cash out annual leave, or take it at half or double pay. The employee must have at least four weeks’ leave entitlement remaining after it is cashed out.

 

• Treasury: The Government will provide a payroll tax exemption for Job Keeper payments made to workers who have been stood down, and for any extra wages paid to workers that earn less than the Job Keeper payment. This additional payroll tax relief will help keep people in jobs and support businesses who sign up to the Commonwealth’s Job Keeper scheme.

 

• Planning: Amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 will extend the timeframe for when a development consent lapses and when appeals can be lodged in the Land and Environment Court. The amount of time a business can remain empty before it loses its existing use rights will be extended from one to three years. These changes will provide more certainty for the community, business owners and the development industry and support NSW’s economic recovery.

 

• Energy and Environment: Amendments to the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act will allow the EPA to temporarily exempt businesses struggling because of COVID-19 from certain requirements of the container deposit scheme, such as fees, charges and other regulatory requirements. The Bill will also support businesses, tradies and workers in the energy industry by creating a regulation-making power to establish the Energy Security Safeguard. The Safeguard will drive the rollout of technologies such as energy efficient and smart appliances in a way that improves grid reliability and lowers power prices.

 

• Better Regulation: A series of amendments to the Strata Schemes Management Act, Community Land Management Act and Retirement Villages Act will remove the need for face-to-face meetings by allowing retirement village committees, owners’ corporations and associations in community schemes to operate electronically. Changes to the Contract Cleaning Industry Act 2010 will temporarily eradicate the 20 week waiting period, to fast track long service payments for those who have permanently left the industry after 5 years.

 

• Local Government: Changes will allow councils to apply the rate peg more flexibly and respond to changing economic conditions such as COVID-19, bushfires and drought. The Minister will have the power to limit a council’s general income as an added safeguard against it disproportionately burdening one sector of the community (such as residential, business, agricultural or mining). Subject to certain conditions, the Government is also placing a two-year moratorium on council chambers and offices building works to ensure investment in infrastructure projects (such as roads, bridges, parks and sportsgrounds), which directly benefit the community and contribute to local economic recovery. The changes will also prevent councils taking legal action for outstanding rates for six months for ratepayers experiencing financial hardship, and provide local government workers with flexibility around leave entitlements to help councils minimise job losses and manage and retain staff.

 

• Families and Communities: Amendments to the Children’s Guardian Act 2019 will maintain continuity of current child protection regulations relevant to the Children’s Guardian’s functions until 1 March 2021, so that there is no gap in coverage while consultation on new regulations is undertaken. Extending the timeframe for consultation gives stakeholders greater flexibility to provide meaningful input in light of COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr Speakman thanked the people of NSW for the many sacrifices they’ve made to help protect the most vulnerable across the state during this unprecedented health crisis.
“There is no question that the community’s unwavering response has been absolutely crucial to slowing the spread of this horrific virus and avoiding the tragic toll of death and illness experienced overseas,” Mr Speakman said.
“The Government is confident these new measures will help protect those hard-won gains and lay the foundations for our state’s successful recovery.”
The Bills will be available to read in full on the NSW Parliament website here.

A man has been issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) by police conducting inquiries into the circumstances surrounding a group not complying with Ministerial Directions in Sydney’s west.
Officers from Nepean Police Area Command initiated an investigation after photos and videos were shared on social media concerning an incident at a home in Penrith on Saturday 25 April 2020.
Following inquiries, police issued PINs to five women – aged in their late teens to early 20s – for failing to comply with a Ministerial Direction on Thursday 30 April 2020.
A 22-year-old man, who was filmed in the videos, was spoken to by police at the time.
Following information received and further inquiries, the man was issued a $1000 PIN for non-essential travel via email about 2pm today (Wednesday 13 May 2020).

Strict measures to ensure juror safety underpin today’s decision by the Chief Judge of the District Court to resume jury trials at selected locations from from Monday, 15 June.
Attorney General Mark Speakman said restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had necessarily delayed jury trials as the justice system adapted to the social distancing we need to beat the coronavirus.
“Jury service is one of the most important rights and responsibilities that we have as members of the community and is central to ensuring fair trials. I encourage all potential jurors to answer their summonses so they can play their part,” Mr Speakman said.
“Justice Derek Price’s decision to resume some jury trials marks a welcome return towards normality in the District Court, which has worked with NSW Health and the Sheriff of NSW Tracey Hall to implement measures to keep jurors safe.”
Ms Hall said her office will today resume posting summonses to potential jurors who should be confident their health will be safeguarded.
“A fact sheet for potential jurors will accompany the summons, detailing what steps my officers and the District Court will take to ensure approproiate hygiene and social distancing,” Ms Hall said.
“On arrival at court, jurors may have their temperature taken and will be asked a series of screening questions to reduce the risk that people with cold or flu like symptoms will be present in court. Jurors will also have space to spread out in the courtroom and elsewhere to keep an appropriate distance.
“Ample provision of hand sanitiser, readily available wash stations, increased commercial cleaning and individualised meals will also help prevent contamination. Selection of jurors and appearance of other parties in the case will be by audio visual link and a strict cap will be applied to the numbers of people permitted in the courtroom.”
For the time being and subject to advice from NSW Health, jury trials will only be held at the Sydney Downing Centre complex and Parramatta and Newcastle courthouses.

The NSW Government today announced a further $310 million in emergency drought relief in recognition of the on-going drought conditions in regional NSW and to uphold a commitment to helping farmers make it out of the worst drought in living memory.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said renewing current support measures will provide drought affected communities across regional NSW with the certainty they need to make important stock and business decisions.
“I’m all too aware that some of our hardest hit communities feel like they have been forgotten due to the bushfires and COVID-19, and that rain in recent months may have left some people in the city with the impression that the drought is over,” Mr Barilaro said.
“My message to farmers and regional communities still battling this drought is that you are not alone.
“That is why we are continuing financial relief for farmers in drought by waiving onerous fees and charges and expanding measures to turbo-charge recovery.
“This fight is not over and many farmers will be feeling the financial and emotional impact of this drought for years to come.
“We have seen good rainfall across the state in recent months but we need to make sure the dollars continue to flow to keep our farmers and regional communities going.”
Extended support for drought affected comunities and farmers includes;

• $116 million to continue the Drought Transport subsidy
• $99 million to continue waiving of Local Land Services rates, bee site permits, Western Lands lease rent, wild dog fence rates and provide assistance for vehicle registration costs for eligible primary producers
• $28.5 million to continue existing water licence fee waivers for stock, domestic, general and high security water users
• Continuation of health and wellbeing programs, including the Farmgate Counsellors program, Aboriginal wellbeing services and Royal Flying Doctors Far West Drought Support programs.

Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said the Drought Transport Subsidy would be extended, to help farmers reduce the cost of transporting fodder, stock, fertiliser, water and other farm inputs.
“We are reducing the cost of doing business to help farmers and their stock endure as we head towards recovery,” Mr Marshall said.
“While the focus lately has rightly been on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the devastation of drought has not been forgotten and our farmers will continue to be supported by our government.”
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said as a regionally based Minister she is acutely aware of the toll the drought, bushfires and COVID-19 has had on rural communities.
“Every community is unique and the challenges faced across the state can be very different, which is why continuing our diverse mental health programs is critical,” Mrs Taylor said.
“We’ve had great success with measures like the Farmgate Counsellors program, and it is fantastic that this boost to drought assistance has a continued focus on mental health.
“As part of these extended programs, people will continue to receive the help and support they need to address significant health issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, panic attacks, suicide prevention, trauma and grief.”
Primary producers and small businesses already receiving support payments, subsidies, waivers and fee relief from the Emergency Drought Relief Package do not have to reapply.
This funding brings the NSW Government’s total drought support and water security commitment to close to $4 billion.
For a full list of drought support measures, go to: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/droughthub and www.nsw.gov.au/drought-in-nsw.