NSW Government Weekly Update - 13 August 2021

For the latest COVID-19 advice & information please visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

• Applications are now open for eligible commercial and residential landowners who provide rental reductions to tenants in financial distress due to COVID-19 to claim land tax relief or a tenancy support payment.
• Through the package:

1. residential landlords can choose between applying for land tax relief or a payment of up to $1,500 per tenancy if they agree to reduce the rent for COVID-19 impacted tenants from 14 July 2021 to 31 December 2021.
2. eligible NSW landowners may receive a reduction of up to 100 per cent of their land tax liability for 2021.
3. residential landowners can receive the land tax relief or, may elect to claim a payment of up to $1,500 per tenancy agreement if they provided a reduction in rent from 14 July 2021 to 31 December 2021, to a residential tenant who has lost 25 per cent or more of household income due to COVID-19.

• Extra staff have been engaged to assist with the high volume of applications.
• For eligibility requirements and to apply for land tax relief, visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-covid-19-land-tax-relief.
• For eligibility requirements and to apply for residential tenancy support, visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-residential-tenancy-support-payment.

• Hundreds of new literacy and numeracy experts will join NSW public schools as part of the NSW Government’s continued focus on lifting student results.
• As part of a $256 million investment, every public primary school across NSW will receive a dedicated Curriculum Assistant Principal.
• More than 1,300 new positions will strengthen a continuous focus on literacy and numeracy and support curriculum implementation with the new K-2 English and Mathematics syllabuses rolling out from 2022.
• The new positions have an explicit focus on leading schools with evidence-based teaching and assessments to improve student outcomes.
• The leadership roles will support a strong instructional leadership model in all schools, coordinating professional learning for teachers, monitoring student outcomes, and supporting families to be key partners in student learning.
• The new program will begin from 2022, with all positions in place ahead of full implementation of the new K-2 English and Mathematics Syllabuses in 2023.

• Checking into venues and managing your check in history has become easier thanks to a new COVID-19 check-in card and suite of updates to the Service NSW app.
• Customers can now register for a COVID-19 check-in card which they can present to supermarkets and other essential retail businesses to scan as a faster and safer way to complete the self-service webform check-in or paper sign-in currently used by customers without a smartphone.
• Customers can download and print their COVID-19 check-in card or have a plastic card mailed to them. Their contact details will be securely stored within the QR code, which will prepopulate the webform when scanned by the business.
• In response to customer demand Service NSW is also rolling out two further enhancements to the Service NSW app. The first allowing customers to review their check out history and add check out times and the second to make it easier for customers to sign into the Service NSW app wearing a mask.
• Customers will be able to register for their COVID-19 check-in card via the Service NSW website or by calling 13 77 88 from 13 August and can opt to receive it via email to print at home, or via postal mail.

• A variety of free online tools, courses and resources is being rolled out to organisations working in the social services sector as part of a $10 million investment which aims to support non-government providers through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
• The NSW Government’s Social Sector Transformation Fund (SSTF) is delivering a $50 million boost to not-for-profits during the pandemic.
• The SSTF will support organisations to improve how they do business by giving them access to better technology, free legal services, workforce development opportunities, practical support and resources to strengthen governance and strategy.
• The Social Sector Transformation Fund assists organisations to improve outcomes in homelessness, disability, health, and child and family services.
• For more information, visit https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/providers/deliver-community-and-sector-assistance/social-sector-transformation-fund.

• More than 70 organisations providing legal advice or domestic violence support have now been awarded $4.45 million in grants to modernise and expand their operations.
• A total of $2.06 million has been granted to 44 organisations that provide family and domestic violence services, while 28 groups, which deliver legal services, will receive $2.39 million in total.
• This initiative will help these charities and not-for-profits increase capacity, provide better digital service delivery, and enhance remote working options. It will help future-proof their operations and enable them to remain efficient, effective and viable so they can continue their invaluable work to support domestic violence victim-survivors.
• The funding comes from the NSW Government’s $50 million Social Sector Transformation Fund (SSTF) announced in the 2020-21 State Budget.

• Parents of newborns and toddlers impacted by the current COVID restrictions can access a range of free virtual early childhood health services, thanks to a $348,000 NSW Government grant to Karitane.
• The not-for-profit parenting support service has recorded its highest ever number of referrals in the last four weeks, many from parents struggling to cope with recent restrictions.
• This grant will allow Karitane to expand its virtual services to affected parents, including home visits, residential stays, breastfeeding clinics, mental health consults, toddler behaviour programs, playgroups and daily parenting workshops.
• This is in addition to the recently announced joint Commonwealth and NSW Government COVID-19 mental health support package worth $17.35 million.
• For information on Karitane’s services, please visit: https://www.karitane.com.au/.

• The revitalisation of Sydney’s oldest road with thousands of new homes and jobs is one step closer following changes to accelerate the planning process.
• The changes mean planning proposals for the Parramatta Road corridor can now be lodged and progressed to public exhibition to coincide with the completion of traffic studies.
• The NSW Government is now welcoming proposals to deliver up to 27,000 new homes and 50,000 jobs along Parramatta Road. The changes will allow proposals to be assessed in consultation with the community, fully informed by the transport studies now being finalised.
• The Ministerial Order is accompanied by an updated implementation plan to guide the preparation of planning proposals and development along the corridor.
• The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment will now work with relevant councils to progress planning proposals already in the system to Gateway determination.
• For more information visit www.planning.nsw.gov.au/parramattaroad.

• The achievements of young members of the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) have been recognised with the announcement of two Young Volunteers of the Year and the NSW Secondary School Cadet of the Year.
• The 2021 Young Volunteer of the Year recipients are Tim Hearn of Llandilo Brigade (Cumberland District) and Lavhynnia Lowe from Bathurst Brigade (Chifley District), while the Secondary School Cadet of the Year for 2021 is Nathan Hindmarsh from Braidwood Central School/Krawarree Brigade.
• The effort and enthusiasm of young members in the NSW RFS is significant and these awards acknowledge their hard work, camaraderie and community participation.
• These young people have demonstrated the commitment and enthusiasm that ensure our great volunteer emergency services will go from strength to strength in coming years and I congratulate each of them on their well-deserved awards.