NSW GOVERNMENT WEEKLY UPDATE – 25 July 2014 NEW PORT TERMINAL TO DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH • Sydney’s third container terminal at Port Botany was officially opened this week – an investment that will boost NSW’s competitiveness in global trade and drive economic growth. • The impressive new facility, which is part of the $1 billion Port Botany Expansion project, enhances Port Botany as a container gateway to NSW and Australia by doubling the capacity at the terminal and bringing a third operator into the market. • Increasing competition on our waterfront will cement our standing on the global trade stage, while at the same time helping to reduce the costs of everyday goods and services for the people of NSW. • The NSW Government’s Freight and Ports Strategy acknowledges that an efficient and effective freight network is key to meeting future trade growth and building a stronger economy. FIRST HOME BUYER HOTSPOTS • Western Sydney is proving to be the number one choice for first home buyers in NSW, with suburbs in the region’s growth centres receiving the majority of grants and concessions. • In the year from July 1 2013 to June 30 2014, 16 of the top 20 suburbs benefitting from the First Home Owner Grant were suburbs within Sydney’s rapidly growing west. • Spring Farm in the South West growth centre topped the list, with home buyers in total receiving more than $7 million in grants and concessions in the past 12 months, closely followed by West Hoxton, Werrington, St Marys, Liverpool and Parramatta. • The NSW Government is committed to assisting first home buyers get on the property ladder – we have new home starts at 10-year highs and total benefits received by First Home Owners Grant recipients totalling more than $224 million last financial year, including stamp duty concessions. MH17 CONDOLENCE BOOKS • Condolence books have been placed at locations across NSW so residents can pay tribute to the victims of the MH17 tragedy. • The condolence books will allow the public to express their sorrow and pay tribute in a personal way. • Books are available for signing at Parliament House, the Sydney Opera House and NSW Electorate Offices. • There is also an online version available at nsw.gov.au. FIRST NEW LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE ON THE TRACKS • Three brand new light rail vehicles entered service for the first time this week, with more than 1.5 million trips now taken on Sydney’s expanded Inner West Light Rail network. • The NSW Government has invested $38 million on 12 new state-of-the-art light rail vehicles for the Inner West Light Rail Line, which now extends from Dulwich Hill to Lilyfield and Central. • The brand new vehicles will provide improved journeys for customers, with more standing room, accessible seating, low floors, more hand rails and wider aisles for prams and wheelchairs. • Customers are clearly voting with their feet and embracing light rail as a modern and reliable mode of transport. The NSW Government will continue to monitor patronage and, as more vehicles become available, look to increase service frequency. DUBBO HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT TAKES SHAPE • Excitement is building in Dubbo where the $91.3 million hospital redevelopment is rapidly taking shape. • The main works for Stages 1 and 2 are well advanced, with concrete pours underway for the ground-floor slab and the formwork in place for the first and second floors. • These first stages will provide the highest priority services through a combination of the new clinical services building and the refurbishment of existing facilities, including six new operating theatres, day-only and extended day-only ward for surgical services and an inpatient ward and birthing suite for maternity services • Progress of the redevelopment can be seen at dubbohospitalredevelopment.health.nsw.gov.au/the-project/video-gallery/. WORK STARTS ON $10 MILLION BANKSTOWN STATION UPGRADE • More than $10 million worth of upgrades at Bankstown Station commenced this week, with customers set to benefit from new stairs, ramps, canopies, ticket barriers, more CCTV and a general refresh of the station. • A new covered walkway also means customers will be able to move freely through the station concourse to the bus interchange, providing shade in summer and cover on rainy days. The upgrades are expected to be completed in 2015. • The upgrade is one of a number of projects being delivered for Western Sydney customers as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program. Customers are already benefiting from improvements at Auburn, Campsie, Fairfield, Strathfield and Canley Vale stations and upgrades are underway at Granville and Ingleburn stations. • Bankstown Station will also benefit from the Government’s Sydney Rapid Transit network, which will run to Bankstown, providing automated, fast and frequent rapid transit services, if the NSW Government receives a mandate from the community early next year. GROWTH COUNCILS RECEIVE $25.5 MILLION INFRASTRUCTURE BOOST • The NSW Government has announced a further $25 million in infrastructure funding which will go to The Hills and Blacktown councils. • Recently released figures show about 1 million people are expected to move to Western Sydney by 2031. • Councils play a crucial role in providing infrastructure to support new housing developments and developers also contribute to deliver local infrastructure. • Providing a ‘top-up’ from the NSW Government’s Local Infrastructure Growth Scheme helps keep housing affordable and enables councils to fund their infrastructure plans. • The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is working to ensure local communities and local councils are able to meet the challenges brought about by growth. GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO EMBRACE THE ANZAC SPIRIT • Funding has been announced for 11 projects to help young people and multicultural communities commemorate the Anzac spirit and its influence on our history. • Local organisations, councils and schools will share in $60,000 for projects that preserve the Anzac legacy, and encourage multicultural communities and students to learn more about this chapter of our history. • Projects include a remembrance garden created by design and technology students in Liverpool; a video project led by the local library and students in Canada Bay; and a new youth community webpage for students using the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord. • Through the Anzac Community Grants program, the NSW Government is broadening opportunities for people to discover and connect with Anzac traditions and keep the legacy alive. ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN NEWCASTLE TRANSFORMATION • The transformation of Newcastle has taken another step forward with the planning controls that will shape the CBD’s future receiving final approval. • Extensive community consultation on the planning controls has resulted in a decrease in maximum building height so as not to exceed the height of the parapet of the Christ Church Cathedral nave. • The NSW Government has always said these plans should and would be informed by the community, which is why we the controls reduce the maximum building height to ensure the heritage integrity of the Newcastle skyline. • These planning controls will help shape the city centre to take advantage of the significant investment in new public transport being made by the NSW Government in partnership with council and the community. NSW NATIONALS BUS TOUR OF NORTHERN NSW • Members of the NSW Nationals are taking part in a week-long Parliamentary Bus Tour of Northern NSW communities, visiting communities and giving residents a chance to meet with their local representatives. • Deputy Premier and NSW Nationals Leader Andrew Stoner and Minister for Roads and Freight Duncan Gay were joined by the NSW Nationals Parliamentary Team visiting the Far and Mid North Coast and Northern Inland NSW. • The bus stopped in at towns from Tweed to Tamworth, including Murwillumbah, Lismore, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Taree. • The Nationals Team is highlighting the work achieved in Government since 2011, including securing $13 billion for regional infrastructure projects, and returning more than 2,000 nurses, teachers and police officers to the front line in regional NSW. NSW HOSTS FIRST ABORIGINAL HEALING FORUM • The first OCHRE Aboriginal Healing Forum has taken place at the University of NSW, marking a crucial step in advancing the dialogue about trauma and healing and developing best practice policy responses. • The OCHRE Forum, which reflected the goal of enabling all Aboriginal people to live healthy and purposeful lives, was hosted in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation. • Participants included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda, NSW Mental Health Commissioner John Feneley and NSW/ACT Stolen Generation Council Chairperson Matilda House, and 66 organisations were represented. • The forum provided an outlet for discussions about healing and will inform the NSW Government’s approach to future policies and practices on Aboriginal affairs. • More information about OCHRE is available at: aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au. 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Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 06:00:21 +0000
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