NEW BULLYING AND HARASSMENT PROTECTIONS
SECURING THE FUTURE OF GREYHOUND RACING IN THE UPPER HUNTER
SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES TAKE PRIORITY FOR FLOOD REPAIR WORK
FEE–FREE TRAINING FOR WOMEN IN TRADES
- The NSW Government will develop a new safety net for political staff following a review of policies ordered by Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
- Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Professor Pru Goward has delivered her report to the Premier.
- Ms Berejiklian said she welcomed the findings of the Goward Review into Policies and Procedures in Ministerial Offices regarding bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct and will be accepting the recommendations made.
- Full report can be found here: www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/gowardreview
- The next round of changes to NSW liquor laws comes into effect to further support Sydney’s nightlife and encourage a vibrant and safe 24-hour economy.
- Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the changes would boost jobs, provide the community with more entertainment options, and build on efforts to help revitalise the night-time economy.
- Further information about the 24-hour economy liquor reforms can be found here.
SECURING THE FUTURE OF GREYHOUND RACING IN THE UPPER HUNTER
- Greyhound racing in the Upper Hunter has received a multimillion-dollar boost with the Muswellbrook Greyhound Club to be upgraded to TAB status.
- Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson met with representatives from Greyhound Racing NSW and the Muswellbrook Greyhound Club to discuss how the upgrade will grow the sport in the region.
- “The NSW Nationals welcome the news that the Muswellbrook club will be upgraded to TAB status, thanks to a share of a $30 million investment in the industry from the NSW Government,” Mr Barilaro said.
- The NSW Government has announced a $1 million upgrade to the Muswellbrook TAFE to give communities in the Upper Hunter greater access to modern learning spaces and equipment.
- NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the TAFE will receive two new connected learning classrooms, brand new equipment and a new learning space to offer fit-for-purpose hair, beauty and business training on campus.
- Initial planning has already commenced on the $1 million Muswellbrook facility with construction works to begin this year. The new equipment will be delivered by mid-2021 and the connected learning classrooms will be completed by mid-2022.
SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES TAKE PRIORITY FOR FLOOD REPAIR WORK
- NSW Government agencies have been directed to first consider appointing a small or medium business for flood repair work on government owned sites, to support local economies as rebuilding and remediation work continues.
- Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for disaster recovery John Barilaro said the initiative will help businesses and communities in flood-affected areas financially recover more quickly by giving them access to government work as they get back up and running.
- Businesses can register for NSW Government work at suppliers.buy.nsw.gov.au.
- For information on support for people and businesses impacted by the storms and floods call 13 77 88 or go to service.nsw.gov.au/floods
- The expansion of an award-winning craft distillery in the Upper Hunter to increase production of its small batch premium quality spirits by 15-fold is the first of 23 projects being backed by the NSW Government’s $100 million Regional Job Creation Fund which will create at least 5,000 new direct jobs across regional NSW.
- Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet met with the owners of Magpie Distilling at the White Hart Hotel in Murrurundi to announce a $100,000 grant for the purchase of large boilers that will increase the company’s spirit distilling capacity and create five full-time equivalent jobs.
- Applications for the Regional Job Creation Fund are still open and close on Friday 14 May 2021 or when program funding is fully allocated.
- For more information, go to: https://investregionalnsw.com/RJCFund
- Hundreds of construction workers in Sydney’s north west are building new and improved parks, sporting fields, roads and cycleways thanks to the NSW Government’s Accelerated Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
- Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said construction was already underway on all 14 projects in The Hills and Blacktown that received a share of $145 million in funding from the Government and local councils.
- For more information visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/accelerated-infrastructure-fund.
- A dedicated ‘Response and Recovery’ team will become a permanent fixture within the NSW Government to better prepare schools in times of crisis, building on expertise picked up from recent bushfires, prolonged drought, floods and the COVID pandemic.
- The new team will sit within the NSW Government’s Regional, Rural and Remote Policy Unit, which was announced by Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell earlier this year.
- The $18 million Bushfire Hazard Mitigation Program is also being rolled in schools across the state, as well as Bushfire Vegetation Maintenance Plans across 700 schools.
- Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has welcomed 208 new firefighters to its ranks at a graduation ceremony this morning at the FRNSW Emergency Services Academy in Orchard Hills.
- Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott congratulated the new permanent and on-call firefighters and wished them well as they commence their service to the community.
- Australian netball fans will once again have the chance to see the world’s best netballers in action on home soil, with the NSW Government announcing the International Netball Federation Netball World Cup will return to Sydney in 2027.
- Secured by the NSW Government, in partnership with Netball Australia, the 2027 Netball World Cup is expected to deliver an estimated $31 million boost to the NSW visitor economy.
- Premier Gladys Berejiklian said winning the hosting rights for this major sporting tournament brings NSW one step closer to fulfilling the NSW Government’s 2018 pledge to secure 10 World Cups in 10 years.
- For more information on the 2027 Netball World Cup, go to netball.com.au
- The New South Wales visitor economy will get a boost through two new industry support and marketing programs.
- Applications are open for the $5.5 million Business Events Industry Support package and $1 million Tourism Industry Marketing Support package through the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and Sydney’s business events bidding specialists BESydney.
- To apply for the Business Events Industry Support package grants and for more information including eligibility criteria and the LGAs relevant to each fund, visit www.meetinsydney.com.au for the Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong program and www.meetinnsw.com.au for business events elsewhere in regional NSW.
- To apply for the Tourism Industry Marketing Support package and for more information including eligibility criteria, visit www.destinationnsw.com.au/news-and-media/tourism-recovery.
- War memorials across NSW can now undertake further conservation work, with applications opening for the NSW Government’s Community War Memorials Fund.
- Minister for Veterans Geoff Lee said applicants can apply for funding to support the repair, protection and conservation of war memorials across the state.
- Community War Memorials Fund applications close on 26 July 2021. For more information or to apply, visit: www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/heritage/community-war-memorials-fund
FEE–FREE TRAINING FOR WOMEN IN TRADES
- The NSW Government has announced it will support 3,000 training places for women in trades to help boost female representation in construction, manufacturing, engineering, transport and logistics.
- The fee-free Built For Women training program will target women aged 16 to 24, female jobseekers, women at risk of unemployment and women in receipt of Commonwealth benefits.
- For more information visit education.nsw.gov.au/skills-nsw/built-for-women or call 13 28 11.