December 19, 2006
ICAC Takes Aim at Licences to Cheat
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has issued a new publication guiding public sector agencies and other organisations on issues associated with occupational licensing.
   Corruption Risks in Occupational Licensing and Strategies for Managing Them follows recent ICAC investigations into occupational licensing matters in which findings of corrupt conduct were made.  
   In 2003, ICAC investigated applications made to the Department of Fair Trading (now the Office of Fair Trading) for building and trade licences which included forged qualifications and related documents. This was followed by a further investigation in 2005 into a number of different schemes to fraudulently obtain building licences.  
   In addition investigations into aspects of safety certification and training revealed issues surrounding assessment practices by WorkCover assessors and thousands of false certificates of competency were also found to be issued by WorkCover’s Certification Unit.
    ICAC Commissioner, Jerrold Cripps QC, said the public used the services of people who had been licensed to carry out their work by the NSW Government, including car mechanics, electricians and doctors and it was in their interest for public sector agencies to minimise the risk of licences being inappropriately obtained.
   He said the new publication was built on ICAC’s corruption prevention work in its investigations and discusses common corruption risks involved with occupational licensing and identifies strategies for managing those risks.
   “It (the publication) aims to illustrate the kinds of corruption risks to be expected and provides methodologies for their identification and management,” Mr Cripps said.
      A number of NSW agencies were invited to provide input into the publication, 24 responding and providing case studies which have been included.
   Corruption Risks in Occupational Licensing and Strategies for Managing Them has been sent to public sector agencies in NSW with licensing functions and is also available at the ICAC website www.icac.nsw.gov.au

December 19, 2006
AGs Enabled in Disability Awards
A positive attitude towards employees with a disability saw the State Attorney-General's Department named a finalist in the 2006 Prime Minister’s Employer of the Year Awards.
   The Department was recognised in the Large Employer of the Year Award category for leading by example in the recruitment of people with disability. The category was won by Elynwood Pty Ltd and Hunter New England Area Health Service.
   The Department said it worked to accommodate all employees using its Reasonable Adjustment Policy. Common adjustments included flexible working hours, modified workstations and special software for vision or hearing-impaired workers.
   Almost 300 people with disabilities work at all levels of the organization, Prime Minister, John Howard saying the awards highlighted exceptional examples of those who were leading the way in enabling people with disability to participate fully in Australian economic and social life.

December 19, 2006
No Case To Answer at Legal Aid Office
A report by the Auditor-General on distributing legal aid in New South Wales has found the Legal Aid Commission to be performing well despite funding pressures and increased demand.
   The Auditor –General found the Commission’s practices of making people aware of legal issues and the services it provides were comprehensive, using brochures, telephone and the internet to get its message through. It also found processing of applications for legal aid to be sound.
   Although the Commission reviewed the services it provided to target groups, the Auditor found it could do more in further that process.
   "We suggest that the Commission undertake periodic agency-wide access and equity reviews to better understand its existing services and unmet demand across its target areas," the Auditor-General said.
   The report noted that a recent easing in funding pressures allowed the Commission to relax its means test for legal representation in 2005 for the first time in 10 years. The income tests have now been increased and have caught up.
   "However, asset tests are at levels lower than Centrelink full benefit thresholds and those in some other legal aid commissions," the report found. "As the population ages this is likely to affect those, especially in Sydney, who are income poor but relatively asset rich."
   The Auditor-General recommended the Commission extend the range of its toolkits and posters and improve the design of its internet site.
   He recommended the Commission conduct periodic whole-of-Commission access and equity reviews of existing services, seek extra funds for research into unmet demand  and benchmark its means test against national levels.
   It should measure and report the time taken to process cases and enhance appeal processes, the report found.
   Legal Aid Commission Chief Executive, Bill Grant welcomed the report, saying it was largely positive.
   He accepted that the Audit Office recommendations for improvements in services, planning and reporting would be a useful input into the Commission’s internal improvement process.
   He was concerned that benchmarking legal aid services against other States was not as easy as it seemed because the legal system in each State and Territory was different.
   "Having said this, the Commission accepts the need to find suitable benchmarks for its services," Mr Grant said.

December 19, 2006
Ombudsman Homes in on Domestic Violence
A 12 month review of the policing of domestic violence in NSW has resulted in 24 recommendations for improvement.
   The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, has tabled his report in Parliament, saying there was a need to develop a good practice framework which could be implemented by Commanders in consultation with their communities.
     The recommendations were designed to ensure additional comprehensive protection and support for victims of domestic violence.
   Mr Barbour noted that although the Police had a system to monitor performance centrally through the Family and Domestic Violence Unit, it had a limited capacity and resources. 
   He said a review of staffing needs within the unit was required.
   “There is an urgent need to improve the support provided to frontline police responding to domestic violence in busy urban commands and poorly resourced rural areas,” the Ombudsman said.
   “Police are the first point of assistance for many victims.”
   “The challenge for NSW Police is to ensure good practice is implemented across the State so that all victims receive the protection and support they need.”
   Among other recommendations made in the report were the need for new tools and models to prevent future risks of violence. These included updating policing procedures; providing better funding for local area commands; increasing the role for Domestic Violence Liaison Officers; reviewing training strategies; allowing electronic evidence in court and attracting more Aboriginal family violence workers.
   The Ombudsman said NSW Police responded to 120,000 domestic violence situations each year of which 26,000 related assaults were recorded, making up 35 per cent of all assault cases.
   He said although the policing system needed improvement, it was important for people to acknowledge domestic violence wasa difficult area to police.
   “Frontline police need to be supported by more efficient systems and targeted use of resources,” he said.  “Our recommendations reflect this.”
   NSW Police supported the majority of the recommendations, the Commissioner asked to develop a framework for implementation by February 2007.

December 19, 2006
DPP Shuts Open Cases
The Director of Public Prosecutions has completed a review of 381 cases in which former Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor, Dr Patrick Power had been involved.
   The review found Dr Power had undertaken his cases with strict adherence to the law and within Prosecution Guidelines.
   Dr Power stepped down as Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor in July 2006 after being accused of possessing Child Pornography on his personal computer.
   According to the DPP the review was not established to check the validity of the outcomes of cases involving Dr Power, but to ensure there were no grounds for allegations of impropriety in the conduct of any matter.
   The DPP said final decisions on the cases were made by judges and juries so they were not under question, but many cases in which Dr Power was involved had to be reviewed to determine if any improper conduct took place during procedures.
   He said as each matter progressed, the course of each prosecution, including correspondence and file notes, briefs and court records, was routinely checked by two or three members of staff. Each of the records has been checked again for each of the 381 files.
   “No grounds for concern or any impropriety were revealed.”
   The DPP said the review was endorsed by the Executive Board of the Office of the Director of Prosecutions which included two independent members, and it was decided that no further action was necessary in the cases in which Dr Power had been involved.
   He said any requests for retrials were a matter for application to the Court.

December 19, 2006
Commission Considers Verdict on Future of Juries
 The New South Wales Law Reform Commission has proposed sweeping changes to the jury system, suggesting lawyers, politicians and police should be eligible for jury duty.
   At present, lawyers, judicial officers, MPs, police and correctional services officers are not eligible to serve on juries.
Commission head, former Supreme Court judge James Wood, released an issues paper discussing problems surrounding jury selection and looking at ways to address them.
   Last month, for example, a District Court jury was discharged after a juror claimed her boss would not pay her salary during her time away from work on jury service.
The ALRC report discusses a variety of category exemptions stretching from the ineligible such as lawyers through to groups that can be excused, such as clergy, pharmacists, medical practitioners, emergency service personnel, pregnant women, people over 70 and carers.
Justice Wood said it was important that the pool of eligible jury members be widened and that the duty of jury service be shared equally among people in the community, especially those who are sometimes better placed to decide cases and have more experience of life and business.
   He said juries were largely unrepresentative of the community and it was difficult to get employed people to serve on them.
   "It is a matter of concern for the Bar Association and others," Justice wood said.
   "It's very hard to get any firm figures, but the impression that one has is that people who are serving, particularly in longer cases, are students, or unemployed people or people who've retired."
   People qualified to deal with corporate crime and more serious or complex crime were not available or not prepared to serve, he said.
He said professionals could be allowed to defer service, providing flexibility and a compulsion to serve.
   This would be in line with schemes in Victoria, New York and England.
 Justice Wood said that while most national awards and enterprise agreements compelled employers to pay staff during jury duty, there was a danger the situation could be reversed with changes to federal labour laws.
   Selected jurors could increasingly seek to be excused if their employer refused to maintain their salary during jury duty, he said.

December 19, 2006
WorkCover has Handle on Industry Injuries
WorkCover NSW is to join its Australian and New Zealand counterparts in a campaign targeting manual handling in the manufacturing industry.
   WorkCover NSW head, Jon Blackwell, said the national intervention campaign would focus on improving the capability of employers to effectively identify and manage their manual handling risks in consultation with workers.
   Mr Blackwell said the campaign covered a range of industries, with a focus in NSW on manual handling in the stone and ceramic manufacturing industry.
   “The nature of the stone and ceramic manufacturing industry means there is a high risk of manual handling injuries and the potential for severe injuries,” he said.
   The safety campaign would have several phases, including consultation, industry workshops and worksite visits.
   The first phase would see employers in the industry invited to participate in a short telephone survey on manual handling issues.
   A series of educational workshops is planned for early 2007,  to give practical information about occupational health and safety responsibilities, as well as advice about preventing manual handling injuries in the stone and ceramic manufacturing industry.
   For more information phone 13 10 50.

December 19, 2006
Christmas Cheer is On the Buses
State Transit has challenged bus operators in Sydney and Newcastle to decorate a bus for the festive season and let the public pick their favourite.
   The team with the winning Christmas Bus of 2006 would receive $500 to donate to a charity of their choice.
   Chief Executive of State Transit, John Lee said the aim was to have some fun and generate Christmas cheer for passengers and staff.
   “Each year, there are a number of State Transit bus operators who decorate their buses with tinsel and decorations, often dressing up in Christmas outfits, bringing a smile to their passengers’ faces and helping to generate some Christmas spirit,” Mr Lee said.
   “We receive lots of positive feedback from our passengers, complimenting these bus operators on their enthusiasm and for making their day.
   "This year, we are hoping the competition will encourage more bus operators to join in the festive celebrations and decorate their buses for the holiday season," he said.
   “We are asking the public to provide feedback on the bus they believe to be the best decorated bus this Christmas. All feedback provided will help determine the bus that will be crowned Christmas Bus of 2006."
Record your vote by calling 131 500.

December 19, 2006
Country Students Land Bush Jobs
Educating country people in country locations was the best way to meet the professional needs of inland Australia, according to a study from Charles Sturt University’s Western Research Institute.
   The CSU graduates destination report found 60 per cent of the University's on-campus graduates between 2003 and 2005 took up their first job in regional Australia. It also found 20 per cent of CSU graduates originally from metropolitan areas also looked to regional areas for their initial employment, a gain of two percentage points on an earlier study.
    Professions that attracted regional graduates were commerce, health and science.
    “The WRI report confirms that the university’s strategy of providing comprehensive education for professions vital for the growth of inland Australia is helping satisfy a real demand,” said CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter. 
   Agricultural and environmental professions enjoyed the highest levels of initial employment in regional Australia, with 88 per cent of regional students employed in regional areas, followed by 82 per cent in education, particularly as teachers.
   Creative arts were lowest with 57 per cent initially employed in regional areas.
    “However, the research also showed that overall regional graduates are continuing the drift to metropolitan areas," Professor Goulter said.
   "We must continue to address this worrying trend at all levels – government, education, business and community – as it does have a very real potential to adversely affect the continued economic and social development of both inland Australia and Australia as a whole.”
   He said the results of the 2006 survey were drawn from various sources, including official surveys of University graduates conducted by Graduate Careers Australia and information collected for the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training.
   It did not include distance education students, as most worked full time while they studied.

December 19, 2006
Price Is Right When Fair Trading Comes on Down
A November survey by the Department of Fair Trading found price scanning equipment is up to scratch across Sydney.
   Fair Trading Minister Diane Beamer said consumers paid the right price almost all the time at Sydney’s convenience stores, service stations and bottle shops and in some cases they got more than they paid for.
   Fair Trading checked the price scanning equipment in 61 retail outlets across Sydney.
   “The survey covered smaller stores, service stations and liquor outlets and found that the scanned price matched the price displayed on the shelf well over 90 per cent of the time,” Ms Beamer said.
   “Fair Trading tested 947 selected grocery items and found the price matched on 863 of them.
   “Interestingly, of the 84 items that did not scan at the correct price, 74 of these gave a discount to the consumer,” Ms Beamer said.
   She said traders with errors were issued a verbal warning instructing them to correct any problems to ensure all goods scanned accurately.
   Unannounced follow-up inspections were conducted to check that the products and scanners were now accurate.
   “Two traders, a bottle shop in Parramatta and a fruit market in Manly, still failed to ensure accuracy and were issued with penalty notices of $550 each," Ms Beamer said.
   Fair Trading continues to survey retail outlets in Sydney as part of a state-wide compliance program.

December 19, 2006
Institute Cottons on to Environment
The Australian Cotton Research Institute near Narrabri, plans to return an area of the research station to its former status as Native Carbeen Open Forest.
   For the past 50 years, the three-hectare paddock on Department of Primary Industries  property near Kamilaroi Highway has been a trial plot and pecan plantation. Now, with the assistance of the Narrabri Bushcare Community Group, the ACRI environmental group has begun a three-year project to replace non-native plants with native vegetation, re-establishing the endangered open forest with top, middle and under storey communities.
   ACRI Manager, Tony Meppem, said the decision to create an open forest had been made by staff from NSW DPI, CSIRO, Namoi Catchment Management Authority and the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC working at the Institute.
   “Staff at Narrabri will work cooperatively to restore the natural environment as the first stage of a revegetation plan for the research station,” Mr Meppem said.
   “The intention is to demonstrate the benefits to cotton farmers of maintaining and re-establishing areas of native vegetation for integrated pest management.
   He said it was also an opportunity to link the open forest with vegetation on the river and provide a habitat for wildlife.
   Mr Meppem said 100 trees were planned for Stage 1, with the number expected to reach 500 within three years.
   Like most cotton farms, ACRI is accredited for best management practice, an industry standard fostered by Cotton Australia.
   Carbeen Open Forest is the name given to the plant community that is characterised by Carbeen (Corymbia tessellaris) and White Cypress-pine (Callitris glaucophylla), associated trees like Corymbia dolichocarpa, Eucalyptus populnea, E. camaldulensis, Casuarina cristata and Allocasuarina leuhmannii.
   Over the years Carbeen Open Forest has been cleared for grazing and cropping, with other areas threatened by fire management practices, and land-forming for irrigated crops.

December 19, 2006
Nattier Parramatta to Matter More
The State Government has outlined plans for Parramatta's future, including 30,000 new jobs and a revitalised river foreshore.
   Planning Minister Frank Sartor, Lord Mayor David Borger and Member for Parramatta, Tanya Gadiel launched the draft city centre plan, which was developed by the Government’s Cities Taskforce and Parramatta City Council.
   Mr Sartor said the plan would deliver more employment, housing and recreational opportunities for Parramatta, including $170 million for civic upgrades.
   “This plan outlines a new direction for Parramatta’s growth, including planning controls to drive investment and jobs,” Mr Sartor said.
   He said it would reinforce Parramatta’s role as a major centre and thriving river city serving as a hub for Western Sydney
   The strategy would reconnect the city with its river front, encourage outdoor dining and new retail laneways and provide a new arts centre and upgraded swimming pool.
   The draft strategy included a Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan aimed at keeping the city’s commercial core for offices and job-generating development. The plan proposed increased height limits and floor space controls in the commercial core and called for architectural competitions for buildings above 55 metres.
   It would support 9000 new dwellings for 20,000 residents in sites near the Parramatta River and Parramatta Park and guarantee winter sunlight to public areas including Jubilee Park, Civic Place public plaza and Lancer Barracks.
   It would also limit buildings heights along Church St’s outdoor dining strip.
   Cr Borger said the plan would reactivate Parramatta River frontage with new outdoor dining and pedestrian and cycle paths.
   “Cities with rivers are blessed and creating an active and scenic waterfront park around the river is a key part of the plan which will link the city centre with Parramatta Park," Cr Borger said.
   The $170 million civic improvement plan would be funded by a Parramatta City Council levy to capture part of the increased value of development sites.
   The draft plans can be viewed by the public until 28 February 2007.

December 19, 2006
Independent Panel Has Power in Campbelltown
An independent panel is to be established to investigate a proposed gas-fired power station at Campbelltown.
   Planning Minister Frank Sartor said the panel would look at a number of important issues, including the potential impact on air quality and visual impact.
   "The NSW Government has listened to the community and has taken steps to ensure we hear those concerns in more detail," Mr Sartor said.
   He said Wollondilly Mayor, Phil Costa led community calls for an independent panel and was adamant residents should be able to voice their concerns to a panel of experts.
   "I agreed with his strong representations," Mr Sartor said.
   The Department of Planning will announce panel membership shortly and the public and stakeholders will be invited to make submissions and present their views at public hearings.
   The terms of reference would include considering the air quality impacts of the proposal and advising on broader land use implications.
   The proposal by AGL Power Generation at Appin Road, Gilead went on public exhibition on 2 November.
   The Department of Planning extended the public exhibition period by two weeks to 18 December, following requests from Campbelltown City Council and the Leafs Gully Action Group.
   The Leafs Gully proposal is automatically considered a major project because it is “development for the purpose of power generation”, using gas as fuel, with a capital investment of more than $30 million.
   The Environmental Assessment can ge accessed at www.planning.nsw.gov.au.

December 19, 2006
Inflation Catches Up with Buses
Sydney and Newcastle bus and ferry fares are to rise from 2 January 2007, following a ruling by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.
   The fare rise covers both public and private bus fares in metropolitan Sydney.
   Bus fares in the Sydney metropolitan region will increase by an average 2.6 per cent, with most single ticket prices rising between 10 and 20 cents.
   The price of section 1and 2 single tickets will stay the same.
   TravelTens will increase by no more than $1.60 and bus and ferry TravelPasses by no more than $2.
   Fares on Sydney Ferries will rise by an average 3.9 per cent, which is less than the 4.3 per cent sought by Sydney Ferries.
   Single tickets, including the Manly JetCat will increase by no more than 30 cents.
   FerryTens will rise between $1 and $2.10.
   The price of rail-bus-ferry TravelPasses and DayTripper tickets will stay the same.
   Single tickets on Newcastle buses and ferry will increase between 10 and 30 cents.
   IPART Chairman Dr Michael Keating said the modest increases would help bus and ferry operators achieve revenue increases without placing excessive financial burdens on passengers or encouraging a shift away from public transport.
   “Operators of bus and ferry services have experienced significant cost increases over the last 12 months, particularly fuel costs," he said.

December 19, 2006
Ibis Count is For the Birds
People all over New South Wales became birdwatchers for the second annual ibis census by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
   Families, picnickers, joggers and dog walkers called in details of ibis seen in their local parks and streets during the count on Sunday 17 December.
   Wildlife Management Officer Geoff Ross said the count was part of ongoing research into the species to improve knowledge of the habits and preferred locales of these misunderstood birds.
   "Ibis are native to NSW and they're one of the State's key wetland species," Mr Ross said.
   "They've been hit hard by this drought and are constantly on the move in the state's ever-changing wetland habitats."
   He said Ibis first started breeding in Sydney during a severe drought in the late 1970s. They adapted well to cityscape and artificial wetlands, becoming a common sight in parklands.
   From time to time, ibis numbers suddenly increase in the city, due to changing water patterns in traditional breeding grounds in western NSW.
   "Unfortunately this can upset the balance in urban and rural waterways, impacting on farmers and city dwellers alike," Mr Ross said.
The count helps researchers assess the number of ibis in NSW and where they nest and breed, Mr Ross said.
   "We're compiling information to help get a state-wide overview of ibis populations and understand how management actions in places such as Sydney may affect numbers in the long term," he said.

December 19, 2006
Sydney or the Bush for Rural PS Staff
 A program to attract and retain Public Servants in remote areas of NSW has been unveiled by the State Government.
   Stemming from the State Plan and aimed at ensuring human services positions were staffed in rural and remote communities, the program includes a pilot package of incentives to encourage staffs to move to -or stay in – short-staffed agencies in the bush.
   The pilot program, to be trialed initially in Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett and Wilcannia, will run for three years.
   Each location has suffered from the difficulty of filling important Public Service positions and the program has been designed specifically to target early intervention of societal problems, strengthen Aboriginal communities, and maintain or create a healthy and stable society.
   Two packages have been designed; one to hold on to staff in remote areas – the Retention Package – and the other to attract staff – the Attraction Package.
   Included in the Attraction Package is a $5000 bonus at the end of each year of service, rental assistance all year, a notebook computer and internet connection, additional training, and family support in the form of travel expenses.
   The Retention Package would be similar to the attraction package with minor differences towards the service period in which the notebook, for example, would be provided.
   Although there would only be general positional requirements for the Attraction Package, the Retention Package would necessitate that certain requirements were met.
   The Retention Package would require an employee who is already working in a similar role to that entitled to an Attraction package to have relocated to one of the pilot towns in the last three years and to work for one of the participating agencies. 
   Agencies taking part in the pilot include the Attorney General’s Department, the Greater Western Area Health Service, and the Departments of; Ageing, Disability and Home Care; Arts, Sports and Recreation; Community Services; Corrective Services; and Housing.
   The Greater Western Health Service and the Department of Community Services have already listed jobs under the package in Bourke, ranging from jobs in Aboriginal case working to physiotherapy.
   The majority of jobs covered in the pilot would be Health Service and Department of Community Services case workers and many positions would need to be vacant for six months to be eligible for any packages.
   Positions are already being advertised with a larger number of jobs scheduled to be released early 2007.

December 19, 2006
Sage Pages For Aged Stages
A new website has been created to assist public sector agencies facing a loss of skills as experienced staff retire.
   The NSW Government Sage Centre provides both a manager's toolkit and a retirement centre offering specialist information and resources.
   The site, www.sagecentre.nsw.gov.au, is a result of the Mature Workforce Retention Project, led by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care in partnership with the Premier’s Department and five public sector organisations.
   The manager’s toolkit supports human resources, line managers and leaders to address the risks, challenges and opportunities that the ageing of the workforce is expected to bring.
   The retirement centre provides tools and information to help staff plan a successful and rewarding retirement, including information about health, finances, and leisure.
   Public sector employees can register on line for the service.
   Agencies are encouraged to place a link to the centre on their intranet and recommend it to their staff.
   Content and case studies will be updated regularly.

December 12, 2006
Sydney or the Bush for Rural PS Staff
 A program to attract and retain Public Servants in remote areas of NSW has been unveiled by the State Government.
   Stemming from the State Plan and aimed at ensuring human services positions were staffed in rural and remote communities, the program includes a pilot package of incentives to encourage staffs to move to -or stay in – short-staffed agencies in the bush.
   The pilot program, to be trialed initially in Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett and Wilcannia, will run for three years.
   Each location has suffered from the difficulty of filling important Public Service positions and the program has been designed specifically to target early intervention of societal problems, strengthen Aboriginal communities, and maintain or create a healthy and stable society.
   Two packages have been designed; one to hold on to staff in remote areas – the Retention Package – and the other to attract staff – the Attraction Package.
   Included in the Attraction Package is a $5000 bonus at the end of each year of service, rental assistance all year, a notebook computer and internet connection, additional training, and family support in the form of travel expenses.
   The Retention Package would be similar to the attraction package with minor differences towards the service period in which the notebook, for example, would be provided.
   Although there would only be general positional requirements for the Attraction Package, the Retention Package would necessitate that certain requirements were met.
   The Retention Package would require an employee who is already working in a similar role to that entitled to an Attraction package to have relocated to one of the pilot towns in the last three years and to work for one of the participating agencies. 
   Agencies taking part in the pilot include the Attorney General’s Department, the Greater Western Area Health Service, and the Departments of; Ageing, Disability and Home Care; Arts, Sports and Recreation; Community Services; Corrective Services; and Housing.
   The Greater Western Health Service and the Department of Community Services have already listed jobs under the package in Bourke, ranging from jobs in Aboriginal case working to physiotherapy.
   The majority of jobs covered in the pilot would be Health Service and Department of Community Services case workers and many positions would need to be vacant for six months to be eligible for any packages.
   Positions are already being advertised with a larger number of jobs scheduled to be released early 2007.

December 12, 2006
Sage Pages For Aged Stages
A new website has been created to assist public sector agencies facing a loss of skills as experienced staff retire.
   The NSW Government Sage Centre provides both a manager's toolkit and a retirement centre offering specialist information and resources.
   The site, www.sagecentre.nsw.gov.au, is a result of the Mature Workforce Retention Project, led by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care in partnership with the Premier’s Department and five public sector organisations.
   The manager’s toolkit supports human resources, line managers and leaders to address the risks, challenges and opportunities that the ageing of the workforce is expected to bring.
   The retirement centre provides tools and information to help staff plan a successful and rewarding retirement, including information about health, finances, and leisure.
   Public sector employees can register on line for the service.
   Agencies are encouraged to place a link to the centre on their intranet and recommend it to their staff.
   Content and case studies will be updated regularly.

December 12, 2006
Super Sacrifice a Sassy Solution
Members of the State Authorities Superannuation Scheme will be able to salary sacrifice some or all of their compulsory superannuation contributions after 1 April 2007.
   The law governing SASS was recently changed to allow salary sacrificing.
   The Premier’s Department has issued a Circular providing preliminary information on the scheme and encouraging agencies to introduce it by 1 April.
   According to the circular, SASS members had already received their Annual Statement and  SASS Contribution Election Form and had until December 31 to decide on the level of superannuation they wished to pay from April next year.
   “Due to the new opportunity to salary sacrifice their compulsory contributions, some SASS members may now be uncertain about whether they should vary their current percentage rate of contribution,” the Circular says
   “Employees should be advised to seek independent financial advice to assist them in this decision which must be made on the basis of their own individual circumstances.”
   The Circular says that while Salary sacrificing was new, there would be no changes to a member’s obligation to pay contributions to the scheme, the calculation of employer financed benefits, or the process for members to advise State Super of their percentage rate of contribution.
    “As is currently the case, a member may elect with State Super to contribute 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 percent of their superable salary.”
   Under the salary sacrifice rules for superannuation contributions, employees must enter agreements with their employers to realise the tax benefits.
   “Agencies need to develop processes to allow SASS members to elect to salary sacrifice some or all of their compulsory contributions,” the Circular sayus.
   “These processes should be similar to those already in place for salary sacrificing of superannuation contributions to First State Super.
    The Circular says that elections to make SASS compulsory contributions through salary sacrifice must be lodged with the member’s employer, not with State Super.
   Staff choosing to take advantage of the salary sacrifice should contact their Human Resources or payroll manager.
   They can contact State Super on 1300 130 095 or www.statesuper.nsw.gov.au for information about their superable salary and percentage rate of contribution to the scheme.

December 12, 2006
Auditor Licks up PAL Performance
A report from the Auditor-General has found that the Police Assistance Line has improved its call service rates over the past three years.
   PAL operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week reporting minor crimes and non-urgent incidents and took 487,000 calls in 2005-06.
   The service was audited in 2003 and in his follow up study this year the Auditor-General found police had addressed most of the key areas for improvement identified last time.
    In his report to Parliament, the Auditor found the contact centre that operated PAL was well managed and had implemented several improvements.
    He also found the Centre’s speed in answering and handling PAL calls was better than in 2003 and caller satisfaction with PAL was high. The police calculated that 200 extra officers were able to be assigned to frontline duties due to the service.
   The Auditor’s report also found PAL received around 4000 enquiry calls each week, reducing the already heavy duty load on local police.
   However, it noted that while the time taken to answer calls was less than in 2003, it had increased recently due to insufficient staffing levels caused by higher than anticipated attrition rates and delays in recruiting staff.
   The report said when PAL was low on staff the centre gave priority to 000 calls, which increased the time it took to answer calls.
   It noted however that although this was appropriate risk management, it should not become the norm and Police needed to resource the centre so it could achieve both 000 and PAL targets.
   The report suggested the proposed targets could require more resources and a greater use of automated, self-service technologies to achieve further efficiencies.
   Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney responded to the report saying a review of the centre's workload and resources was under way and police would look at initiatives for promoting PAL.

December 12, 2006
Future Looks Bright For State Planners
Scholarship grants, training course changes and a promotional campaign are some of the recommendations contained in a report by a NSW Government working group established to strengthen the State’s planning profession.
   The group’s report, entitled The NSW Planning Profession: Looking Forward, has been released by the Director-General of the Department of Planning, Sam Haddad.
   The working group was chaired by the Department and its 14 members included representatives of stakeholder groups, educators, local councils, private industry and the Government.
   Mr Haddad said the report was designed to find short- and long-term solutions for some of the education, workplace and supply issues facing the profession.
   He said the issues were identified in a 2005 survey commissioned by the Department of Local Government that found planning was the greatest area of skills shortage among local councils.
   Some of report’s 21 recommendations to assist the profession are:
   Attract high-school leavers into planning through better promotion;
   Help planners deal with public meetings and difficult clients through more training in personal and communications skills;
   Train clerical or other office staff to become ‘planning assistants’;
   Create a ‘flying squad’ of planners to relieve bottlenecks in decision-making;
   Reward planning excellence with a 'Minister’s Award’;
   Encourage the private sector to support planning cadetships through Government-funded planner scholarships
   Create joint State/Local Government teams to improve development proposal assessments;
    through promoting and implementing joint
   Mr Haddad said the Department, stakeholders and the private sector were all now expected to play their part to support the profession.
   ‘The Department recognises that it has a leadership role in this field and will continue to work to improve the profession,” Mr Haddad said.
   He said the Department had already implemented some of the recommendations including committing to providing scholarships with a specific planning focus to Local Government.
   “The Department will now establish a steering committee to help drive the recommendations. I think planning can be an incredibly exciting and interesting career, where people have the opportunity to help guide the future of localities, towns and even entire regions.
   Mr Haddad said it was clear that people with a wide range of backgrounds, including engineering, environmental science and economics, often had the skills to become planning professionals.
   “However, it is clear that the planning profession has some workplace, public profile and education and training issues which could do with some improvement.”
   He said planning also needed to be seen publicly as an outcomes-focused profession, finding solutions to problems rather than becoming bogged down in process.

December 12, 2006
Auto Apprentices In Tune For Awards
Top NSW automotive apprentices have been honoured at an awards ceremony, attended by Fair Trading Minister, Diane Beamer and racing driver Greg Murphy.
   The high achievers included a truck mechanic from Wagga, a panel beater from Narrandera, a spray painter from Sydney’s northern beaches, a motorcycle mechanic from the Illawarra and an auto-electrician from Penrith.
   The top apprentices were announced at the 25th Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority merit awards, hosted by the Automotive Training Board of NSW at Sydney’s Royal Automobile Club.
   Ms Beamer said the awards were a great encouragement for young apprentices.
   “These awards recognise the best-of-the-best of our young auto trades students who combine practical studies at TAFE colleges with valuable workplace contributions to businesses around the State,” Ms Beamer said.
   The awards covered light and heavy vehicle mechanics, automotive electrics, panel beating, vehicle painting, motorcycle mechanics and motor body making.
   Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy presented the top apprentices with Holden Racing jackets, noting the invaluable contribution that TAFE students made to the Bathurst races.
   Ms Beamer said the winners displayed the highly skilled trades-people produced by the TAFE apprenticeship system, who will serve the hi-tech auto industry for decades to come.
   However, she also noted there was still more work to do to overcome the trade shortage.
   "There are skills shortages in the auto industry and the Iemma Government’s State Plan nominates increasing the number of students completing vocational courses as a priority," Ms Beamer said.
   “To back that commitment, I am pleased to present The Automotive Training Board of NSW with a grant of $55,000.”
   The Automotive Training Board played a vital role in producing skilled professional trades-people through its advisory role linking industry and agencies with the Vocational Education and Training system.
   The money was provided by the Fair Trading’s Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority’s Education and Research Fund.

December 12, 2006
National Park Tour is For the Birds
A series of guided walks and tours of the Royal National Park will be held in the coming weeks to discover migratory and local birds that have been arriving in the park’s lush rainforests in recent times.
   Birds from as far away as New Guinea have migrating to the park for summer and can be viewed on one of the park’s Discovery tours and rainforest natural history walks guided by expert birdwatcher and naturalist, Steve Anyon-Smith and botanist Alan Fairly.
 The tours will focus on visiting migratory birds such as dollarbirds and channel-billed cuckoos, as well as the hundreds of local species that call the park home. It will also cover the magnificent rainforest plants in the area.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Ranger Debbie Andrew said the tours promised a great day out.
   "Many species of summer migrant species come especially for the fruiting rainforest trees, such as topknot pigeons which love to dine on the fruits of the cabbage tree palm," she said.
   "Visitors may also encounter green catbirds, satin bowerbirds and brown cuckoo doves as they seek out figs and other fruits.
   "The Rufous fantail and the black-faced monarch also like to frolic in the cool shady forest glens of Royal National Park, seeking out insects below the forest canopy."
   The majestic blackbutt eucalypts were in blossom and attracting hundreds of brilliantly coloured scarlet honeyeaters, she said.
   The bird tour costs $30 per person, while the rainforest tours are $20 per person.
   Bookings and pre-payment are essential and can be made by contacting the Park visitors’ centre seven days a week or the Discovery Coordinator (Monday to Friday) on 02-9542 0649.

December 12, 2006
Submarine Vandals In Deep Water
The remains of a World War Two Japanese midget submarine have been positively identified lying off the coast of Sydney and the NSW Government has moved quickly to protect the site.
   Midget submarine M24 was responsible for the attack on HMAS Kuttabul on the night of 31 May 1942 which claimed 21 lives. One of three subs that attacked the city the M24 was lost for 62 years, the other two damaged but later recovered.
   Now that the final submarine has been located, the Government has acted to ensure it is protected, slapping a fines of up to $1.1 million or six month’s jail on it for  anyone caught tampering with the wreck.
   It is the first time an Order under the NSW Heritage Act 1977 has been applied to a maritime site in NSW.
   Announcing the penalties, Planning Minister, Frank Sartor said the site needed to be treated with absolute respect and honour because of its significance to both Australia and Japan.
   “The mystery has been solved and we have taken immediate steps to deter any would-be profiteers from approaching the site,” Mr Sartor said.
   “It is now a site of international significance and more than likely also contains the remains of Japanese submariners.”
   Mr Sartor said the NSW Government was cooperating with the Federal Government, through the heritage Office of the NSW Department of Planning, to protect the site into the future.
   Under Commonwealth laws, a 500m protection zone around the wreck has been established with penalties up to $10,000 for individuals or $50,000 for corporations for any breach.
   The NSW heritage Act also applies a 500m protection zone and adds penalties of up to $1.1 million for any breach.
   Mr Sartor said the Heritage Office was preparing advice on a possible State Heritage Register listing and that the option of a nomination to the National Heritage List would be pursued.
   Marine archaeologists from the Heritage Office worked with the Navy to positively identify the wreck and record its exact location.
   “This is a major milestone in maritime history and answers some long-standing questions about the most damaging attack on NSW during World War II,” Mr Sartor said.

December 12, 2006
More than Grain of Truth at Rice Workshop
The Department of Primary Industries has hosted a meeting of international scientists at the Yanco Agricultural College in the Riverina.
   Among those who attended the International Cold Tolerance Rice Workshop at Yanco were four scientists from China, two from Japan and one from South Korea.
   Cold tolerance is a prime focus for the rice breeding program at Yanco - according to NSW rice breeder, Russell Reinke, rice was one of the most cold-sensitive crops and was grown in temperate regions of Australia, Asia, Europe, California and South America.
   “Low temperatures can damage young seedlings, developing pollen and maturing grain,” Dr Reinke said.
   He said the week-long workshop presented and excellent opportunity for rice scientists to discuss recent research on a wide range of topics related to cold tolerance in rice, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in screening, selection and molecular approaches.
   “An added incentive is that cold tolerant rice is an essential foundation for future water savings,” Dr Reinke said.
   He said varieties with enhanced cold tolerance would not need flooded conditions for the entire growing period, thus allowing a new range of irrigation practices that would use less water.
   Other experts to attend the conference included molecular biologists, physiologists, researchers and members of the local Rice Research Committee.
   “This international collaboration between rice researchers will greatly benefit breeding programs,” Dr Reinke said.

December 12, 2006
Councils Count at Awards Presentation
The Minister for Local Government, Jim Lloyd, has congratulated the seven winners of the Australian Government’s National Awards for Local Government.
   Mr Lloyd presented the awards at the 20th Anniversary Awards presentation dinner, held at Old Parliament House, Canberra, in conjunction with the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly.
   “For 20 years the National Awards have been highlighting the excellent and innovative work being undertaken by local government in communities across Australia,” Mr Lloyd said.
   “The Awards have been recognising ingenuity, resourcefulness and self-reliance, and identifying and promoting councils who are finding new ways of delivering services and developing local solutions to complex and challenging problems.”
   He said this year’s winners demonstrated a strong commitment to their local communities with Councils showing innovation in the face of crises caused by drought, breakdown of community values and isolation.
   “The extraordinary efforts of these Councils and the positive effects on the social and economic health of local communities stand as superb models that can guide other Councils right across the country,” Mr Lloyd said.
   “The National Awards for Local Government are the only truly national Local Government awards program, rewarding the resourcefulness, commitment and extraordinary talent and vision in the local government sector.”
   In 2006, 215 entries for the awards were received from Local Governments nationally.
   The City of Playford, South Australia, won a National Award for Outstanding Achievement with its  “Marni Waeindi” project which facilitated the provision of learning and training for Indigenous young people by a range of agencies.
   The Goulburn Mulwaree Council in NSW won the National Award for Excellence for its positive approach and strong leadership in addressing the drought crisis with a mixture of water restrictions, whole-of-community engagement, education and incentives that had had significant benefits for all sectors of the community,
   More information on the awards is available at  www.dotars.gov.au/local/award

December 12, 2006
Bean Counting Watchdog Not all Wind
Volume 5 of the Auditor-General’s reportto Parliamenthas been tabled.
   Covering the Legislature, ministerial portfolios, key issues and agency responses from the audit process, the report summarises a large number of financial audits, making recommendations and significant observations on agency performance.
   Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraathas attempted a plain English style of reporting, an ambition sometimes difficult to achieve in legalistic and financial documents.
   "This is not always easy when describing technical issues,” Mr Achterstraat said, “but we recognise the diversity of our readership and their needs,"
   He said each agency’s comment began with a summary of the audit opinion, a key result of each audit.
   Mr Achterstraat said an “unqualified” audit opinion meant he was satisfied the agency prepared its financial report in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and other mandatory requirements.
   "It also means we believe the report has no material errors and the scope of our audit has not been limited," he said.
   "If any of these aspects are not met we issue a qualified audit opinion and explain why we did this."
   Among the findings in Report No. 5, the Auditor noted 85 Department of Commerce employees had more than 300 hours in flextime credits, an amount significantly above the maximum accumulated hours allowed under the Department’s Flexible Working Hours Agreement
   He also noted that NSWbusinesslink had reduced its overtime levels from last year but that some staff had worked and forfeited high levels of flextime and there was no improvement in recreation leave balances of more than 40 days.
   He found the Rice Marketing Board had incurred a loss of $21.2 million when it sold its entire network of rice receival and storage facilities to Riviana Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricegrowers Limited.
   The Auditor’s report on the Ministry of Transport noted delays in introducing a smart card for all public transport in Greater Sydney saying that while the Tcard was trialed by school students using privately-operated buses, it would not be available for all passengers until 2007.
   He found new metropolitan bus system contracts at the State Transit Authority led to improved operating surpluses and cash flows, and he noted an increase in patronage of Western Sydney Buses.
   Mr Achterstraat said however that the Government continued to bail-out Sydney Ferries while it addressed its history of loss making.
   The report noted State Water's 2004-05 financial report contained significant errors, omissions and other presentation issues which were not resolved until recently, putting the blame on outside service providers and observing that the agency had since experienced significant problems with the operation and effectiveness of its internal controls.
   The Auditor reported that while the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund would close from the March 2007 elections, current sitting members would not be affected and its unfunded liabilities (the difference between net assets held by the fund and accrued superannuation benefits) decreased from $60.1 million at 30 June 2005 to $32.2 million in 2006. He put this down to improved investment returns.

December 12, 2006
Nuclear Convoy to Be Hot Topic
A shipment of spent nuclear fuel from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney is to be repatriated to the United States before the end of the year the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has said, with a number of Local Government councils warned to expect it will pass through their streets.
   ANSTO’s Executive Director, Dr Ian Smith, said that as a courtesy to local residents, the Organisation had informed relevant councils and politicians that a convoy of trucks containing securely contained spent fuel elements might be in their areas in the near future.
   “The exact timing and route of the convoy, and the point of departure of the ship taking the spent fuel to the US, will not be disclosed for obvious security reasons,” Dr Smith said.
   “The shipment will be conducted under strict international and national security and safety standards.”
   He said the solid spent fuel elements would travel to the US in a special purpose cargo ship designed to carry radioactive material. The elements would be safely and securely packed in casks that had undergone rigorous testing to ensure they could not be ruptured, even in the most severe accident.
   Dr Smith said ANSTO was working closely with NSW Police, its regulatory bodies theAustralian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and other relevant parties to prepare for this shipment.
   “The level of radioactivity detectable outside the heavily shielded casks is very low,” said Dr Smith.
   “For example, if you stood right next to a cask for one week, 24 hours a day, you’d only receive half the amount of radiation you would naturally be exposed to in a year from naturally occurring sources.”
   Since 1963, seven shipments of ANSTO’s spent fuel had travelled to various places around the world without incident. Dr Smith said this would be the eighth shipment.
    Internationally since 1971, there had been more than 7000 shipments of spent fuel and there had never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity

December 12, 2006
Ombudsman Tables Child Death Report
The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour has tabled in Parliament the second volume of his report of reviewable deaths.
   The definition of reviewable deaths meant most child deaths reviewed by the Ombudsman were children with a history of contact with the Department of Community Services.
   The volume covered the deaths of 117 children in 2005, 109 of whose families were known to DoCS .
   Most of the children were very young when they died, three quarters under four and
   60 less than 12 months old.
   Aboriginal children were over-represented in reviewable deaths, making up 17 per cent.
   Mr Barbour said his office had been reviewing child deaths for the past three years.
   "While DoCS and other agencies have been working to improve their responses to children at risk, the concerns we have identified have remained largely consistent,” he said.
   He said those concerns included agencies not consistently recognising when a child may have been at risk, or effectively making a report to DoCS and DoCS not fully assessing or responding to concerns raised in Risk of Harm Reports made to the department.
   The report found there was poor coordination between agencies in assessing risk and responding to child protection concerns.
   In almost half the deaths, the child’s parents had a history of drug or alcohol abuse, with parental substance abuse directly linked to the deaths of eight children.
   Mr Barbour said agencies working with families where substance abuse was a problem faced considerable barriers to responding to child protection concerns.
   “Parental substance abuse poses particular challenges for agencies including DoCS, NSW Health and NSW Police,” he said.“…And highlights the critical importance of effective communication and coordination between agencies with responsibilities for ensuring the safety of children.”
   Mr Barbour said 34 recommendations were made to DoCS, NSW Health and NSW Police

December 12, 2006
Child Protection Not Kid’s Stuff at DoCS
The Annual Report of the Department of Community Servicessaid a child protection report was made to the DoCS hotline every two minutes.
   Director-General of DoCS, Dr Neil Shepherd, said the Department had come through another year of huge change which had resulted in the Department becoming a better organisation and delivering more services to more people.
   “None of these changes would have been possible without our dedicated staff and partnerships with other Government and non-Government agencies," Dr Shepherd said. "Protecting children is everybody’s responsibility, as is strengthening communities – we all have a part to play.”
   The annual report covered the third full year of the Government’s five-year, $1.2 billion budget enhancement to build and reform the child protection system.
   Dr Shepherd said a priority was reducing the number of families entering the child protection system by supporting vulnerable children and families before they reached crisis point.
   “The reform program is vital considering the increasing demand for DoCS services,” he said.
   “With the number of child abuse and neglect reports increasing from 216,000 in 2004-05 to more than 240,000 in 2005-06, the rollout of services under the $150 million Early Intervention Program is well underway and in 2005-06 the program was introduced to 15 DoCS offices with 98 early intervention caseworker positions created.”
   In addition to the report, Dr Shepard said DoCS completed an expression of interest process for new early intervention services, shortlisting 14 lead agencies with a total of almost 400 partner organisations.
   He said around 300 new caseworkers were appointed in 2005-06, including 150 child protection caseworkers and the number of Aboriginal staff also increased.
   With 10,623 children in out-of-home care at 30 June 2006, changes were made to strengthen care for vulnerable children in foster care and improve support for foster carers.
   Aboriginal children and young people represented more than 25 per cent of those in out-of-home care and an additional $1.29 million in annual funding was also listed to provide and create more than 200 new Aboriginal foster care places.

December 12, 2006
Unions’ Day of Action Stops Work
Sydney's central business district came to a halt on 30 November after 40,000 people marched against Federal industrial relations reforms.
 The banner-waving procession moved through the city centre and up George Street, led by NSW Premier, Morris Iemma and Unions NSW Secretary, John Robertson.
Mr Iemma said he urged workers to keep fighting for their rights, despite the High Court's rejection of a State and union move to have the Work Choices legislation declared unconstitutional.
 "Because the High Court has said Work Choices is legal, John Howard thinks he has got away with it," Mr Iemma said. “The message for John Howard is that the fight begins today.”
   Mr Iemma said the Work Choices legislation belonged in the dustbin of history, and
   that the High Court’s decision did not make it fair.
   Mr Robertson told protesters IR laws were already biting into hard-working Australians.
 "We've heard how ordinary families are starting to feel the pinch and the heat from these laws," he said. "We must win this campaign if the things we hold dear are to be left for the next generation: decent, secure jobs, the right to have quality time with your family and a cohesive community."
Sydney Buses diverted city centre services around the march for about 40 minutes from 9.50am.
 Organisers estimated 150,000 people joined protests at 200 venues across NSW

December 12, 2006
Hotline Direct Link to Drought Inflows
The Department of Primary Industries has announced that groups wanting to support drought stricken farm families this Christmas could make a donation through the DPI Drought Hotline. The hotline number is 1800 814 647.
   Drought Donation Coordinator, Graeme Eggleston said the Department had created a register to coordinate donation delivery to bush families struggling with the drought.
   “The DPI will register donation pledges,” Mr Eggleston said.“Welfare organisations will access the register and arrange to receive and deliver the donation directly to those most in need.”
   Mr Eggleston said this was one way of ensuring donations got to people who needed them, especially in long-period, drought stricken areas.
   “Pledges are already being registered by people wanting to make Christmas in the bush a little merrier," he said.
   The St George Bank at Springwood was collecting toys on behalf of its staff and clients, while a Sydney Rotary Club was funding Trangie in Central Western NSW to hold a community event.
   Mr Eggleston said the DPI had fielded a number of enquiries from other organisations which had not yet confirmed their donations.
   “These include collection of Christmas hampers and also the possibility of a donation of agistment for livestock.”
   Mr Eggleston said a large percentage of the State was now officially drought affected, with just 2.3 per cent experiencing satisfactory conditions.

December 12, 2006
Builders Among First to Demolish Red Tape
Fair Trading Minister, Diane Beamer, said the Government would streamline and improve the home building licensing regime in NSW in line with the plan for cutting business red tape.
    Ms Beamer released a report on the review into home building licensing by former ICAC Commissioner, Irene Moss and Kevin Rice. She said the review formed part of the Government’s strategy to reduce the regulatory burden on business.
    “Many of the recommendations have merit and the Government will be assessing them with the help of industry and stakeholders for their contribution to a smoother running of business,” Ms Beamer said.
   “In undertaking the review, Mrs Moss and Mr Rice held a number of public seminars across NSW, met with stakeholders and other regulatory agencies, and reviewed 116 submissions in assessing the current system which has been in place since 1972.”
    Ms Beamer also said the home building industry had gone through significant changes since then and there were more than 150,000 licences covering builders, building supervisors, building consultants and associated trades such as plumbers and electricians.
    However, she also wanted to have a licensing regime that would fit industries, builders and consumers better.
    “Specific issues looked at in detail included the type of work that should be covered by licensing, whether licensing should cover individuals, partnerships and companies, training and education standards, and owner-builders,” she said.
   Recommendations in the report include:
   * Assessing home building occupations based on potential risk to consumers and giving;
   * Consideration to remove licence requirements for those not meeting the risk factors;
   * Reviewing the monetary threshold at which a licence is required;
   * Reviewing the application of continuing professional development to specific work categories or trades;
   * Requiring licenses for individuals, only rather than corporate entities;
   * Introducing a unique licence number which would be held by the contractor for life;
   * Increase the threshold for owner-builder permits from $5,000 to $12,000;
   * Making compulsory owner-builder courses more rigorous; and
   * rewriting the Home Building Act to consolidate changes in recent years as well as making it simpler and easier to understand.
    Ms Beamer said the recommendations from the licensing review would be considered alongside the Council of Australian Governments’ project to allow mutual recognition of interstate qualifications.
   “These changes will make it even easier to do business in NSW,” she said.

December 5, 2006
Work Choices Backlash Expands Into Contracts
The NSW Government is to use the provisions of its procurement contracts to short-circuit the Federal Government’s controversial WorkChoices legislation.
   Courier Delivery Services will be the first to be affected by a pilot scheme which will see new contracts for services written by the Government demanding staff remuneration and workplace practices for contractors and sub-contractors remain substantially at pre-WorkChoices levels.
    The pilot scheme reflects the State Government's strong opposition to the new IR system and follows statements by the Government that the Federal WorkChoices legislation was unsatisfactory and contained objectionable implications for NSW Government contracts.
   The State Government endorsed industrial relations requirements in the new contracts and subject to a successful pilot and review, intends implementing contractual conditions across Government, excluding construction contracts.
   Under the proposed pilot contract scheme:
   * The requirement would not apply to state-owned corporations, however they would be free to adopt similar arrangements;
   * New contracts would require contractors to ensure that workers who performed work on the contract received overall remuneration that, on balance, resulted in no net detriment;
   * In addition, contractors would need to meet all their associated statutory employment requirements, including occupational health and safety, workers compensation, annual leave, long service leave and workplace surveillance;
   * Disputes would be referred to conciliation and arbitration before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission and the Commission would be able to exercise the full range of its dispute settling powers to minimise industrial disputes and maintain adherence with the no net detriment in remuneration requirement; and
   * The contracts would stipulate that the contractor agreed to be bound by the final decision of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
   Once contacts were entered, the Office of Industrial Relations inspectors would undertake remuneration audits of contractors and where applicable, subcontractors.
   Contractors who failed to meet the no net detriment remuneration requirement would be subject to a range of sanctions, including contract termination, suspension from existing contracts, and/or exclusion from tendering for future contracts.

December 5, 2006
Bean Counting Watchdog Not all Wind
Volume 5 of the Auditor-General’s report to Parliament has been tabled.
   Covering the Legislature, ministerial portfolios, key issues and agency responses from the audit process, the report summarises a large number of financial audits, making recommendations and significant observations on agency performance.
   Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraathas attempted a plain English style of reporting, an ambition sometimes difficult to achieve in legalistic and financial documents.
   "This is not always easy when describing technical issues,” Mr Achterstraat said, “but we recognise the diversity of our readership and their needs,"
   He said each agency’s comment began with a summary of the audit opinion, a key result of each audit.
   Mr Achterstraat said an “unqualified” audit opinion meant he was satisfied the agency prepared its financial report in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and other mandatory requirements.
   "It also means we believe the report has no material errors and the scope of our audit has not been limited," he said.
   "If any of these aspects are not met we issue a qualified audit opinion and explain why we did this."
   Among the findings in Report No. 5, the Auditor noted 85 Department of Commerce employees had more than 300 hours in flextime credits, an amount significantly above the maximum accumulated hours allowed under the Department’s Flexible Working Hours Agreement
   He also noted that NSWbusinesslink had reduced its overtime levels from last year but that some staff had worked and forfeited high levels of flextime and there was no improvement in recreation leave balances of more than 40 days.
   He found the Rice Marketing Board had incurred a loss of $21.2 million when it sold its entire network of rice receival and storage facilities to Riviana Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricegrowers Limited.
   The Auditor’s report on the Ministry of Transport noted delays in introducing a smart card for all public transport in Greater Sydney saying that while the Tcard was trialed by school students using privately-operated buses, it would not be available for all passengers until 2007.
   He found new metropolitan bus system contracts at the State Transit Authority led to improved operating surpluses and cash flows, and he noted an increase in patronage of Western Sydney Buses.
   Mr Achterstraat said however that the Government continued to bail-out Sydney Ferries while it addressed its history of loss making.
   The report noted State Water's 2004-05 financial report contained significant errors, omissions and other presentation issues which were not resolved until recently, putting the blame on outside service providers and observing that the agency had since experienced significant problems with the operation and effectiveness of its internal controls.
   The Auditor reported that while the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund would close from the March 2007 elections, current sitting members would not be affected and its unfunded liabilities (the difference between net assets held by the fund and accrued superannuation benefits) decreased from $60.1 million at 30 June 2005 to $32.2 million in 2006. He put this down to improved investment returns.

December 5, 2006
Nuclear Convoy to Be Hot Topic
A shipment of spent nuclear fuel from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney is to be repatriated to the United States before the end of the year the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has said, with a number of Local Government councils warned to expect it will pass through their streets.
   ANSTO’s Executive Director, Dr Ian Smith, said that as a courtesy to local residents, the Organisation had informed relevant councils and politicians that a convoy of trucks containing securely contained spent fuel elements might be in their areas in the near future.
   “The exact timing and route of the convoy, and the point of departure of the ship taking the spent fuel to the US, will not be disclosed for obvious security reasons,” Dr Smith said.
   “The shipment will be conducted under strict international and national security and safety standards.”
   He said the solid spent fuel elements would travel to the US in a special purpose cargo ship designed to carry radioactive material. The elements would be safely and securely packed in casks that had undergone rigorous testing to ensure they could not be ruptured, even in the most severe accident.
   Dr Smith said ANSTO was working closely with NSW Police, its regulatory bodies theAustralian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) and other relevant parties to prepare for this shipment.
   “The level of radioactivity detectable outside the heavily shielded casks is very low,” said Dr Smith.
   “For example, if you stood right next to a cask for one week, 24 hours a day, you’d only receive half the amount of radiation you would naturally be exposed to in a year from naturally occurring sources.”
   Since 1963, seven shipments of ANSTO’s spent fuel had travelled to various places around the world without incident. Dr Smith said this would be the eighth shipment.
    Internationally since 1971, there had been more than 7000 shipments of spent fuel and there had never been an incident that resulted in the release of radioactivity

December 5, 2006
Ombudsman Tables Child Death Report
The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour has tabled in Parliament the second volume of his report of reviewable deaths.
   The definition of reviewable deaths meant most child deaths reviewed by the Ombudsman were children with a history of contact with the Department of Community Services.
   The volume covered the deaths of 117 children in 2005, 109 of whose families were known to DoCS .
   Most of the children were very young when they died, three quarters under four and
   60 less than 12 months old.
   Aboriginal children were over-represented in reviewable deaths, making up 17 per cent.
   Mr Barbour said his office had been reviewing child deaths for the past three years.
   "While DoCS and other agencies have been working to improve their responses to children at risk, the concerns we have identified have remained largely consistent,” he said.
   He said those concerns included agencies not consistently recognising when a child may have been at risk, or effectively making a report to DoCS and DoCS not fully assessing or responding to concerns raised in Risk of Harm Reports made to the department.
   The report found there was poor coordination between agencies in assessing risk and responding to child protection concerns.
   In almost half the deaths, the child’s parents had a history of drug or alcohol abuse, with parental substance abuse directly linked to the deaths of eight children.
   Mr Barbour said agencies working with families where substance abuse was a problem faced considerable barriers to responding to child protection concerns.
   “Parental substance abuse poses particular challenges for agencies including DoCS, NSW Health and NSW Police,” he said.“…And highlights the critical importance of effective communication and coordination between agencies with responsibilities for ensuring the safety of children.”
   Mr Barbour said 34 recommendations were made to DoCS, NSW Health and NSW Police

December 5, 2006
Child Protection Not Kid’s Stuff at DoCS
The Annual Report of the Department of Community Services said a child protection report was made to the DoCS hotline every two minutes.
   Director-General of DoCS, Dr Neil Shepherd, said the Department had come through another year of huge change which had resulted in the Department becoming a better organisation and delivering more services to more people.
   “None of these changes would have been possible without our dedicated staff and partnerships with other Government and non-Government agencies," Dr Shepherd said. "Protecting children is everybody’s responsibility, as is strengthening communities – we all have a part to play.”
   The annual report covered the third full year of the Government’s five-year, $1.2 billion budget enhancement to build and reform the child protection system.
   Dr Shepherd said a priority was reducing the number of families entering the child protection system by supporting vulnerable children and families before they reached crisis point.
   “The reform program is vital considering the increasing demand for DoCS services,” he said.
   “With the number of child abuse and neglect reports increasing from 216,000 in 2004-05 to more than 240,000 in 2005-06, the rollout of services under the $150 million Early Intervention Program is well underway and in 2005-06 the program was introduced to 15 DoCS offices with 98 early intervention caseworker positions created.”
   In addition to the report, Dr Shepard said DoCS completed an expression of interest process for new early intervention services, shortlisting 14 lead agencies with a total of almost 400 partner organisations.
   He said around 300 new caseworkers were appointed in 2005-06, including 150 child protection caseworkers and the number of Aboriginal staff also increased.
   With 10,623 children in out-of-home care at 30 June 2006, changes were made to strengthen care for vulnerable children in foster care and improve support for foster carers.
   Aboriginal children and young people represented more than 25 per cent of those in out-of-home care and an additional $1.29 million in annual funding was also listed to provide and create more than 200 new Aboriginal foster care places.

December 5, 2006
Unions’ Day of Action Stops Work
Sydney's central business district came to a halt on 30 November after 40,000 people marched against Federal industrial relations reforms.
 The banner-waving procession moved through the city centre and up George Street, led by NSW Premier, Morris Iemma and Unions NSW Secretary, John Robertson.
Mr Iemma said he urged workers to keep fighting for their rights, despite the High Court's rejection of a State and union move to have the Work Choices legislation declared unconstitutional.
 "Because the High Court has said Work Choices is legal, John Howard thinks he has got away with it," Mr Iemma said. “The message for John Howard is that the fight begins today.”
   Mr Iemma said the Work Choices legislation belonged in the dustbin of history, and
   that the High Court’s decision did not make it fair.
   Mr Robertson told protesters IR laws were already biting into hard-working Australians.
 "We've heard how ordinary families are starting to feel the pinch and the heat from these laws," he said. "We must win this campaign if the things we hold dear are to be left for the next generation: decent, secure jobs, the right to have quality time with your family and a cohesive community."
Sydney Buses diverted city centre services around the march for about 40 minutes from 9.50am.
 Organisers estimated 150,000 people joined protests at 200 venues across NSW.

December 5, 2006
Hotline Direct Link to Drought Inflows
The Department of Primary Industries has announced that groups wanting to support drought stricken farm families this Christmas could make a donation through the DPI Drought Hotline. The hotline number is 1800 814 647.
   Drought Donation Coordinator, Graeme Eggleston said the Department had created a register to coordinate donation delivery to bush families struggling with the drought.
   “The DPI will register donation pledges,” Mr Eggleston said.“Welfare organisations will access the register and arrange to receive and deliver the donation directly to those most in need.”
   Mr Eggleston said this was one way of ensuring donations got to people who needed them, especially in long-period, drought stricken areas.
   “Pledges are already being registered by people wanting to make Christmas in the bush a little merrier," he said.
   The St George Bank at Springwood was collecting toys on behalf of its staff and clients, while a Sydney Rotary Club was funding Trangie in Central Western NSW to hold a community event.
   Mr Eggleston said the DPI had fielded a number of enquiries from other organisations which had not yet confirmed their donations.
   “These include collection of Christmas hampers and also the possibility of a donation of agistment for livestock.”
   Mr Eggleston said a large percentage of the State was now officially drought affected, with just 2.3 per cent experiencing satisfactory conditions.

December 5, 2006
Builders Among First to Demolish Red Tape
Fair Trading Minister, Diane Beamer, said the Government would streamline and improve the home building licensing regime in NSW in line with the plan for cutting business red tape.
    Ms Beamer released a report on the review into home building licensing by former ICAC Commissioner, Irene Moss and Kevin Rice. She said the review formed part of the Government’s strategy to reduce the regulatory burden on business.
    “Many of the recommendations have merit and the Government will be assessing them with the help of industry and stakeholders for their contribution to a smoother running of business,” Ms Beamer said.
   “In undertaking the review, Mrs Moss and Mr Rice held a number of public seminars across NSW, met with stakeholders and other regulatory agencies, and reviewed 116 submissions in assessing the current system which has been in place since 1972.”
    Ms Beamer also said the home building industry had gone through significant changes since then and there were more than 150,000 licences covering builders, building supervisors, building consultants and associated trades such as plumbers and electricians.
    However, she also wanted to have a licensing regime that would fit industries, builders and consumers better.
    “Specific issues looked at in detail included the type of work that should be covered by licensing, whether licensing should cover individuals, partnerships and companies, training and education standards, and owner-builders,” she said.
   Recommendations in the report include:
   * Assessing home building occupations based on potential risk to consumers and giving;
   * Consideration to remove licence requirements for those not meeting the risk factors;
   * Reviewing the monetary threshold at which a licence is required;
   * Reviewing the application of continuing professional development to specific work categories or trades;
   * Requiring licenses for individuals, only rather than corporate entities;
   * Introducing a unique licence number which would be held by the contractor for life;
   * Increase the threshold for owner-builder permits from $5,000 to $12,000;
   * Making compulsory owner-builder courses more rigorous; and
   * rewriting the Home Building Act to consolidate changes in recent years as well as making it simpler and easier to understand.
    Ms Beamer said the recommendations from the licensing review would be considered alongside the Council of Australian Governments’ project to allow mutual recognition of interstate qualifications.
   “These changes will make it even easier to do business in NSW,” she said.

December 5, 2006
Legal Outreach Service Reaching Out
Aboriginal people in the Nambucca Valley should soon be able to access specialist assistance from the NSW Attorney-General's Department.
   An Aboriginal Client Service Specialist from the Department has begun travelling to the Nambucca Valley to assist indigenous people with court services, visiting the area on the last Thursday of every month.
   Kempsey-based specialist Talia Condie was providing an outreach service at the Bowraville Aboriginal Health Clinic on Gumbaynigirri Road.
   According to Ms Condie the outreach program delivered a range of court services to Aboriginal people in Bowraville, including those who didn’t have a car and found it difficult to travel to Macksville Courthouse.
   "I am excited about assisting the indigenous community and providing better services to my people," Ms Condie said.
She said she would arrange transport for Aboriginal people to ensure they fulfilled their legal obligations.
Ms Condie was one of 16 Aboriginal Client Service Specialists in NSW and the only specialist at Kempsey and Macksville courts.
The Aboriginal Client Service Specialist Program was piloted in Lismore and Casino 10 years ago to improve service delivery to Aboriginal people through Local Courts.
   The specialists provide direct support and case management to Aboriginal defendants, victims of crime, witnesses and their families attending court.

December 5, 2006
Traffic Congestion a Choker Says Survey
A study by UMR Research of 400 inner Sydney residents found 94 per cent thought pollution from traffic and congestion was unhealthy.
   The research was commissioned by Metro Transport to determine opinions on public transport.
   CEO of Metro Transport, Kevin Warrell said a light-rail offered a simple, cost effective and immediate solution to traffic congestion and noise and air pollution.
   "Replacing diesel buses with an environmentally friendly tram system would address both transport and pollution issues,” Mr Warrell said.
   He aid around 85 per cent of the people surveyed agreed light rail was an environmentally friendly form of transport as opposed to 52 per cent for buses.
   The study also showed 81 per cent of respondents would support a proposal to replace buses with a light rail system between Central Railway and Circular Quay, while nine per cent were against it.
   Slightly fewer would like to see light rail extended to Oxford Street and Anzac Parade.
   Among other concerns, around 89 per cent thought public transport in Sydney should be upgraded to be more modern and environmentally friendly.
   The study also found there were serious concerns about traffic congestion, noise and air pollution in the City and the general state of the environment due to traffic.
   Around 91 per cent believed congestion would get worse over the next five to 10 years and should be addressed.

December 5, 2006
Tick for DoCS after Tonga Crisis
Almost 50 evacuees who arrived in Sydney from the civil unrest in Tonga have been supported by the Department of Community Services.
   Three DoCS staff joined representatives from the Australian Red Cross and Adventist Development and Relief Agency to ensure a reception team was at Sydney Airport to provide immediate assistance to Australians and other foreign nationals when they arrived.
    DoCS State Disaster Recovery Manager, Wendy Graham said her team provided information on counseling, support, financial assistance, telephone hotlines, and State and Federal Government contacts.
    “DoCS is responsible for coordinating welfare services by ensuring people are supported when they arrive and have someone to turn to and ask questions,” Ms Graham said.
    “It can be very traumatic having to quickly pack and leave your home, so Departmental staff are on hand to help smooth the path for people escaping dangerous situations.”
    Ms Graham said that everyone reacted differently to unfamiliar and often dangerous situations.
    She said some people sought help straight away, some relied on family and friends and some found stress surfacing later, and the information provided by DoCS would allow people to access support services in their own time.
    “Experience has shown us that people who use formal and informal support from family, friends or other organisations generally recover better from stressful situations such as this one, while those who struggle on alone can find it very tough,” she said.
    DoCS community partner ADRA arranged emergency accommodation while the Red Cross offered personal support.
    Repatriation of Australian nationals is the responsibility of the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

December 5, 2006
Citizenship Test Gets Full Marks From CRC
The Community Relations Commission has put its support behind a formal citizenship test for migrants hoping to become Australians.
   The Commission indicated support in a submission to the Citizenship Task Force of the Federal Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs on the discussion paper, Australian Citizenship: Much more than a ceremony.
   The submission said the Commission generally agreed with the introduction of the formal citizenship test and recognised the Government’s commitment to set principles in formulating and implementing the process.
   However, it also said in such matters, the details of policy and implementation would be of greater importance in giving effect to the Australian Government’s pursuit of its legitimate aim.
   The Commission also noted Australia was a secular democracy, where race, ethnicity, religion and language should never be a determining factor in considering a person's right to Australian citizenship.
   The Commission recommended the continuation of the current overall inclusive and non-discriminatory approach to Australian citizenship, of welcoming migrants and humanitarian entrants as part of a planned migration program.
   However, it also noted it was vital thorough induction or orientation programs that the approach would be implemented to raise this awareness.
   The Commission found a recurrent reference to a commitment to Australian values.
   It said the values of society were dynamic and could notbe prescribed.
   The Commission said in a democracy such as Australia, values were not only underpinned by democratic traditions but were also shaped by laws and institutions.
   It said the kinds of issues to be tested for could include a requirement to have basic knowledge of Australian life. It said there should also be programs to help people acquire English skills as well as knowledge of the industrial awards and tax systems in Australia, responsibilities of citizens, their rights and entitlements, the legal system and voting procedures.
   The Commission also said Australian history should include Indigenous history and the contribution of migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds in the development of Australia.

December 5, 2006
Planners Planning Ahead
NSW planners were leading by example with the release of a report, outlining plans for their profession's future.
   The report, The NSW planning profession: looking forward, was made by a working group set up after the March 2006 Planning Professionals Forum organised by the Minister for Planning.
   The forum brought together around 60 professionals and industry representatives to discuss the issues facing the profession, and ways to support the next generation of planners.
   The working group subsequently prepared a report with 21 recommendations.
   The report recommended the promotion of the profession to attract school leavers and training in communications skills to help planners deal with public and client expectations.
   The report also suggested new training courses for people wanting to become planning assistants, who would undertake more basic planning tasks and support for flying squads of planners, organised by the Government to relieve bottlenecks in decision-making.
   It also recommended job exchanges between private and public sectors to bring new insights to the profession and the creation of a Minister’s award for planning excellence.
   Continuing Government scholarships and encouraging the private sector to develop planning cadetships were also priorities outlined in the report.
   The Department of Planning said it would set up a steering committee to implement the report's action plan.

December 5, 2006
Oldies But Cheapies With New Discount Deal
The NSW Minister for Ageing, John Della Bosca launched the 2007 NSW Seniors Card Discount Directory.
   The launch at the Mint was hosted by actor and NSW Seniors Week Ambassador, Henri Szeps.
   Mr Della Bosca said the directory was being mailed to all Seniors Card households, with 900,000 Seniors Card members expected to benefit from discounts and information.
   He said the directory would provide information about Government transport concessions for seniors and discounted entry into national parks, museums and zoos.
   It would also cover thousands of business discounts ranging from holidays and travel, movies and entertainment, insurance and motor vehicles, to trade and other professional services.
   “The NSW Seniors Card, and the thousands of discounts and benefits that go
   with it, is one way the Government thanks seniors for the significant contribution they have made to their communities and the State,” Mr Della Bosca said. “In addition, the card helps encourage older people to enjoy an active and healthy retirement.”
   Mr Della Bosca said thousands of people used their Seniors Card every day and around 85 per cent of all eligible people older than 60 had a card.
   He also thanked sponsors including the Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency, Evergreen Tours, Sydney Morning Herald and Sun-Herald for their support of card members, and also said that seniors should note this year’s directory features exciting holiday competitions.
   NSW Seniors Card members would be posted a directory for their region and can obtain a directory for other regions by calling 1300 364 758 or emailing info@seniorscard.nsw.gov.au.

December 5, 2006
Coast Road Features in Tourist Drive
The Federal Government is to launch a campaign promoting use of the 140 kilometre coastal drive from Sydney to Wollongong
   In a plan announced by the Commonwealth, funding of $4,700 was earmarked to promote the drive as a tourist experience.
    Federal Tourism Minister, Fran Bailey made the funding offer to Wollongong saying the focus of the development would be the route through the Royal National Park and surrounding region.
   "The funding will be used for directional signage, information displays to showcase products in the areas, historical and cultural information to enhance the visitor experience and targeted marketing campaigns,” Ms Bailey said.
    She said the drive was one of the most captivating routes along the Australian coastline and the Federal Government wanted to ensure tourism potential was maximised.
    Included with the funding would be $100,000 for the Dubbo City Council to maintain the old Dubbo Gaol as a heritage attraction.
    "They have quirkily dubbed it the ‘teach your kids a lesson’ experience which is an innovative way of pulling in more visitor numbers,” Ms Bailey said.
   “If you want to teach your kids a lesson, why not take them to the Old Dubbo Gaol?...Visitors will experience the gaol as if in a time capsule with funding used to restore the original 1890 Gaol entrance and fit out a 30-seat theatrette."
    The funding is offered under the Federal Government’s $31 million Australian Tourism Development Program which supports innovative and regional tourism projects.
    The program was part of the Government's commitment to creating more jobs in tourism and providing more opportunities for small business in local regions.

December 5, 2006
Landmark Land Deal Celebrates 30 Years
Local and State Government representatives gathered at Goonoowigall State Conservation Area near Inverell to celebrate 30 years of recreation and conservation.
For 30 years, the land has been managed by the Goonoowigall Trust and governed by the Department of Lands, with trustees responsible for planning, maintenance, promotion and community consultation.
 National Parks and Wildlife Regional Manager, David Dutaillis said the land was handed over to NPWS last year.
 The gathering was to thank Trust members for their hard work and acknowledge their continuing participation in the Consultative Group advising the NPWS on future management.
   The NPWS installed new facilities at Goonoowigall, including barbecues, picnic tables, toilets and better parking areas.
Mr Dutaillis said the area was a great asset for Inverell.
 "It's a nearby recreational area for the community of Inverell, an added visitor attraction for local tourism businesses and a place to conserve some of the district's original plants and animals.”
He said NPWS would continue to improve facilities and they were also working on a fire management plan to protect natural features such as the endangered Howell Shrublands and the unique Inverell cycad plant.

December 5, 2006
Outback Art In Front at Gallery
An exhibition of Aboriginal art titled, Gifted: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, has opened at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
   The exhibition is planned to run until 7 April 2007 and will hold more than 100 works by artists including Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, MichaelJagamara Nelson, Emily Kam Ngwarray, Judy Watson and Gloria Tamerre Petyarre.
   The exhibition was opened by the Gallery’s Director, Edmund Capon who said almost one-third of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island art collection since 12 owed its presence to benefactor Mollie Gowing, whose support enabled the Art Gallery of New South Wales to buy 362 works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
   Since then, Dr Capon saidThe Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Aboriginal Art had grown to represent one of the most significant private benefactions in support of Indigenous art in Australia.
   Dr Capon said Mollie Gowing was a quiet donor who had not wanted a spotlight on her generosity and was passionate about Indigenous art, beginning her association with the gallery several decades ago.
   Mrs Gowing donated gifts from her personal collection which included woven handbags, a group of fibre works collected by her late husband Jim Gowing in the 1930s.
   Dr Capon said the beginning of the 10s was a watershed moment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and their status in Australia.In 14, the Art Gallery of New South Wales opened the Yiribana Gallery to showcase the gallery’s major Indigenous collection.