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SearchArchives for September 2011
28 September, 2011
Permanent fix for
temporary jobs
The Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) has launched a whole-of-Government recruitment website for Departments and Agencies to use when searching for temporary staffing relief.
Details of the site are set out in DPC Circular C2011-24 Whole of NSW government Expression of Interest (EOI) website signed by the Director General of the Department, Chris Eccles which attaches a set of Guidelines for the Departments and Agencies to use.
In the Circular Mr Eccles says the purpose of the new EOI website is to provide managers with a way to increase their potential pool of applicants when filling short-term temporary vacancies.
He advises DGs to place a URL contained in the Circular onto their Department’s intranet site so employees could have access to whole-of-Government EOI opportunities.
He says a whole-of-Government e-Recruitment system was central to ongoing reform of recruitment policy and practice for the NSW PS.
“The e-Recruitment system has recently been used for a number of centralised whole of NSW government EOI campaigns and the Department of Premier and Cabinet is opening up this EOI website as an opportunity for all Departments and Agencies to use when running their EOI recruitment campaigns,” Mr Eccles said.
“This means that in addition to current EOI advertisement channels, Departments and Agencies now have the option to post their EOIs to a whole of NSW government website to broaden the potential pool of applicants for a particular role, which may result in a more competitive field.”
He said widening the reach of EOIs across all Departments would align with cross-Agency mobility, merit and staffing freeze principles and provide cost and time saving benefits.
The website is available at this PS News link and the DPC Circular is at this PS News link.
The Guidelines can be accessed at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
BOCSAR uncovers
reasons for violence
A new study by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has concluded that violence against women is strongly correlated with both financial and personal stress.
The study was based on interviews with 7,125 Australian women who participated in the General Social Survey (GSS), a large nationally representative sample survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2006.
The study found the risk of actual or threatened violence was significantly higher for those who had experienced financial stress in the previous 12 months.
According to the Director of the Bureau, Don Weatherburn, the results showed the risk was also much higher among people who experienced personal stressors such as divorce or separation, death of a family member/close friend, serious illness, serious accident, mental illness, serious disability, inability to get a job, involuntary loss of a job or gambling problems.
Dr Weatherburn said it was difficult to tell which factors were causes of violence and which were consequences.
“Financial and personal stress may lead to violence but they can also be consequences of violence,” Dr Weatherburn said.
“Women forced to leave violent households may find themselves experiencing a significant drop in income (and)… violence itself may result in significant mental health or drug or alcohol problems.”
He said the value of such research was not that it settled the question of what caused violence against women but that it gave a much clearer picture of the profile of women who suffered actual or threatened violence.
“The current findings show that female victims of violence suffer high levels of financial stress and are much more likely in the last 12 months to have recently experienced serious illness, a serious accident, mental illness, serious disability, inability to get a job, involuntary loss of job and gambling problems,” he said.
The report Personal stress, financial stress and violence against women could be accessed at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Holiday resource
signs on for kids
A free online resource produced by the Powerhouse Museum is helping thousands of NSW parents plan fun and educational activities during the school holidays.
Minister for Citizenship and Communities, Victor Dominello said the Go Play website and iPhone app made it easy to plan school holiday visits to arts, cultural, sporting and recreational venues in Sydney and regional NSW.
“Go Play combines all the best school holiday activities on offer into one user-friendly resource,” Mr Dominello said.
“Just visit the website or download the app, and with the click of a button it’s easy to see when and where the latest fun activity is taking place.”
He said there were around 350 activities listed for the spring school holidays that catered for kids of all ages, many of which were free.
“Whether you’d like to develop your own stop motion animation project at the Powerhouse Museum, experience the Monster BMX and world-class Mountain X track at Sydney Olympic Park, or learn the basics of Photoshop at the State Library, Go Play will show you how,” he said.
Mr Dominello said that 17 different NSW Government agencies had contributed events to the site.
“NSW boasts some of the world’s best cultural institutions – such as the Art Gallery of NSW, the State Library and the Powerhouse Museum – as well as beautiful public parks – like Centennial Parklands and Western Sydney Parklands,” he said.
“Thanks to Go Play, parents don’t need to visit a dozen different websites to find out what school holiday activities are on offer at these great NSW venues.”
He said these current spring school holidays saw activities from new partners Taronga Zoo and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority included in Go Play for the first time.
“There have been nearly 50,000 visitors to the site since it launched, as well as nearly 2000 app downloads,” Mr Dominello said.
“Don’t make the school holidays any harder than they need to be – just use Go Play and you’re on your way.”
For more information visit this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Work study finds
that work works
It’s official: Work is good for you!
And according to the Commonwealth agency for workers’ compensation Comcare, it is especially good for people returning to work from injury.
Chief Executive of Comcare, Paul O’Connor said statistics showed that people injured or harmed due to work recovered their health faster if they returned to ‘good’ work earlier.
He said a long-term absence from work could have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of an injured worker.
He said Comcare’s stats showed that injured workers away for more than four weeks had a 46 per cent chance of being off work for another nine weeks, and a quarter of those off for more than a month would not go back for at least another five or six months.
Mr O’Connor said workers didn’t need to be fully fit to return to work.
“The more time spent off work, the slower the recovery,” he said.
“We need to help workers negotiate with their employers to get them back at work as soon as possible.
“It doesn’t have to be full-time to start. A few hours of good work will make a real difference to recovery.”
Mr O’Connor defined ‘good’ work as that which was fulfilling, meaningful, and matched to what the injured person could do.
He said injured workers could often make a remarkable recovery on the job rather than sitting at home with little to do, worrying about what would happen next.
He said Comcare had joined with the Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP) and other professional bodies to sign a consensus document promoting the health benefits of work and development of the document was continuing.
The early return advice had emerged from the dialogue with health experts and professionals.
28 September, 2011
Tribunal site sets
online benchmark
The Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) has made lodging an application online easier with changes to CTTT Online.
Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts said the improvements included a new gateway to CTTT Online via the CTTT website, as well as clearer directions and more information for online applicants.
Mr Roberts said 75 per cent of applicants using the online service rated their experience as ’above average’ to ’excellent’.
“Ninety-three percent said they would recommend the service to anyone wanting to lodge an application with the CTTT,” Mr Roberts said.
“The ease and convenience of lodging an application online, the added benefits of receiving an electronic notice of hearing and then tracking progress were identified as useful features of CTTT Online.”
He said the latest improvements were already having a positive impact and regular online applicants could access extra features, including pre-filled forms and the ability to create and control their own accounts.
“Over the past couple of months close to 50 per cent of all applications were lodged via CTTT Online, compared to 43 per cent during the same period last year,” Mr Roberts said.
“This encouraging trend shows the CTTT’s streamlined and accessible services are responding to customer needs and expectations.”
He said CTTT received close to 60,000 applications each year from people seeking help to resolve disputes about tenancy and strata, motor vehicle problems and home building matters, as well as general disagreements about everyday goods and services.
He said CTTT also conducted hearings in 70 locations across metropolitan and regional NSW and offered a free interpreter service for participants from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Mr Roberts said the delivery of accessible and affordable dispute resolution services was a priority for the Government.
“Technological advances like this show the CTTT is constantly evolving to ensure that it delivers accessible, timely and fair outcomes for NSW consumers and traders,” he said.
The CTTT online service is available at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Licence images on
show for police
A joint project between the NSW Police Force and the Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) that will enable police to access driver licence images from police vehicles has been launched.
Making the announcement with the Minister for Roads Duncan Gay, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Michael Gallacher said the ability for police to access images from mobile data terminals in police vehicles would help to quickly and easily identify people and verify the validity of a licence.
“Most people may think the police already have access to photos as they can readily call up registration details when dealing with traffic matters,” Mr Gallacher said.
“The new arrangement aims to further aid police with on-road enforcement and improve road safety by ensuring traffic incidents where police intercept motorists can be dealt with more efficiently.”
He said it was a great initiative and a good example of Agencies working together to combat a problem that could affect the whole population.
Mr Gay said a Privacy Protocol signed by the NSW Privacy Commissioner outlined strict protocols for police when using the images and a Memorandum of Understanding had also been signed between the RTA and NSW Police.
“There will be clear roles and responsibilities attached to the use of the images and a stringent auditing regime,” Mr Gay said.
“Police officers will have a unique operator number and password to use the mobile data terminal. They can then enter a driver licence number to obtain the relevant driver licence photograph from the RTA’s database.”
He said the RTA would provide read-only access to the photographs (which cannot be printed, saved, exported or emailed) and the image would cease to be displayed 10 minutes after the request.
28 September, 2011
Dementia plan
looks to future
A draft implementation plan for services for people with dementia has been released by the Ministers for Health, Jillian Skinner and Ageing and Disability Services, Andrew Constance.
The Ministers said the NSW Dementia Services Framework 2010-2015 was intended to improve the quality of life for people living with the disease.
Ms Skinner said the Plan would also assist families and carers, particularly with the predicted increase in the numbers of people who would experience dementia in the future.
“The release of the consultation draft implementation plan for the NSW Dementia Services Framework is an important step in reiterating the NSW Government’s commitment to improving the way dementia care is provided,” Ms Skinner said.
“The draft plan will provide the community and service providers with information about the focus of dementia care improvements in NSW, seeking their involvement in deciding what, where and how this will be achieved.”
She said the number of people in NSW affected by dementia was expected to quadruple from almost 80,000 to more than 340,000 in the next 40 years
Mr Constance said it was important to note the majority of people with dementia lived independently at home with assistance and support by family, neighbours and the community.
“We want to support these people to be able to remain at home for as long as possible by improving planning, coordination and access to dementia services at both State and local levels across NSW,” Mr Constance said.
“The consultation draft implementation plan will be a key tool that will guide the NSW Government in our achievement of this goal.”
He said strategies within the draft plan addressed a wide range of care needs from knowing where to go for help, keeping healthy, obtaining a diagnosis, living with dementia, obtaining more support, managing behaviour and personality changes, transition to residential care, and access to palliative care.
He said the consultation process would seek to confirm a number of proposed priority areas for improving dementia care in NSW and clarify targets against which to measure implementation progress.
The consultation draft is expected to be available at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Teachers resource for
first class curriculum
A new online package of resources for teachers and students to get the most from the Australian Curriculum has been announced by the Federal Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett.
According to Mr Garrett, the $41.2 million package would give all schools in metropolitan, rural and regional areas of NSW access to new materials for the first seven subject areas so far developed under the Curriculum.
It will also offer cross-curriculum capabilities.
“The new Australian Curriculum will be the first fully digital curriculum,” Mr Garrett said.
“It will be accessible online to every school and teacher and will be linked to a wealth of additional materials that will be continuously expanded and updated over time.”
He said the funding would go to the publicly owned private company Education Services Australia which will work in partnership with education authorities and other groups to source and develop the new resources.
“We’ll also be offering online professional development support and resources for teachers, to help them deliver the new curriculum as it is rolled out over the coming years,” Mr Garrett said.
“It means that teachers and kids in regional or remote schools will have the same digital resources as city schools, so all students will have equal opportunities to learn and do well.”
He said the new package included $10 million to support teachers in their professional development; $5 million for language teaching and learning; $11.4 million for online materials for teaching English, maths, science, history, geography, languages and the arts; $5 million for technical improvements to enable the materials to be used by schools across Australia; and $9.8 million to make each part of the Curriculum easy-to-find for teachers.
Mr Garrett said new Curriculum would be a “huge benefit” to students and schools across the country because for the first time Australia would have a consistent, nation-wide program of learning for all students.
He said the Australian Curriculum was already being implemented in the ACT with some subjects due to be introduced in other States and Territories in 2012.
More information is available from this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Awards rung up
for call centres
The NSW Public Sector has dominated at the 2011 Australian Contact Centre National Awards.
The Awards honour the highest achieving individuals and centres in the call centre industry rewarded for demonstrating real passion, leadership and innovation.
Chief Executive of the former Australian Teleservices Association (ATA) which conducts the awards , Michael Meredith said candidates and contact centres in the running for the ATA National Awards for 2011 included major Australian private and government organisations.
In an unusual twist, Mr Meredith said every category winner at the national level, except one, came from NSW.
Among those recognised were a number of State public sector individuals and organisations including Sue Ferguson from Sydney Water (ATA National Team Leader of the Year); Kathy Hourigan, also from Sydney Water (ATA National Contact Centre Manager of the Year); and Sydney Water (ATA National Contact Centre of the Year 50-120 FTE Employees).
NSW also excelled at this year’s Government Contact Centre Excellence Awards with Bankstown City Council named Best Government Contact Centre with 30 FTE’s or less; and Workcover NSW winning the Customer Contact Industry Achievement award.
Mr Meredith said he believed the Australian contact centre industry had shaken off old perceptions and was entering a new era.
He said the centres were now achieving recognition in all areas of the private and public sectors and were standing out as a business contributor of vital significance and a resource for high quality, talented professionals.
“Over the last 22 years the ATA has lead this industry through many changes and developments, and whilst in chronological age we may now be considered mature, I think the industry continues to grow in both its internal operations and how they deal with the end user, the customer,” Mr Meredith said.
“Not only is the Australian contact centre industry an essential part of business success but it is also a shining example to international markets too.”
More information about the ATA and the awards is available from this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Ferry passengers get
more plain sailing
Sydney ferry passengers are to have more travel options to choose from with 140 weekly services to be restored.
Premier Barry O’Farrell and Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian announced the move saying 25 extra weekly services would be added along the Parramatta River, delivering a total of 165 more services a week for ferry passengers.
Mr O’Farrell said the changes would start next month and were a win for public transport customers who had suffered from a budget blowouts and service cuts.
Ms Berejiklian said the new ferry timetable was a great result for everyone who travelled on the Harbour or along the Parramatta River.
She said restoring the service frequencies was a key element of the Fixing Sydney Ferries program.
“We have listened to the community’s concerns and that is why we are restoring services that have been lost from the North Shore, adding new services in the Inner West, and have better matched other services across the network,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She said the future for Sydney Ferries was very bright, with more services and a franchising process well underway and Cabarita Wharf, the busiest and fastest growing stop along the Parramatta River, to receive four new services as a result of the changes.
She said the new, improved ferry timetable meant re-introducing 30-minute daytime off-peak frequencies for Mosman and Neutral Bay on weekdays; a new weekday service from Rydalmere to Darling Harbour during the morning peak period; a new service from Meadowbank to Circular Quay and from Circular Quay to Meadowbank via Cabarita; as well as a new service departing Circular Quay to Sydney Olympic Park.
She said three additional late evening services from Cockatoo Island to Circular Quay to allow passengers to enjoy the island’s amenities beyond the current return ferry time of 7.05pm would also be included.
28 September, 2011
Fire warning puts
heat on parents
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is urging parents and carers to teach their children about fire safety these school holidays.
Acting Commissioner John Benson said it was an important time to discourage children from playing with fire.
“It is an unfortunate fact that our fire and rescue officers see a spike in deliberately-lit fires during school holidays,” Mr Benson said.
“Children are often fascinated with fire, but they rarely understand the consequences of playing with it.
“Sadly, some of the children who die or are injured in home fires have actually lit the fire themselves.”
He said FRNSW statistics revealed that from 2008-2011 firefighters attended 5,234 fires suspected of being started by children under 16 playing with matches or lighters.
He said of that total figure, more than half (3,709) were grass or bushland fires.
“We don’t want to see any more children learn the hard way that if you play with fire, you are going to get burnt,” Mr Benson said.
“Our firefighters regularly visit schools and preschools to deliver fire safety education programs to children and young people but we also encourage parents and carers to continue that education at home.”
He said members of the community also generally needed to remain vigilant of any suspicious behaviour and report any concerns to CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
He said parents and carers in particular needed to take precautions including practising a home escape plan with children; making sure they knew how to call 000; ensuring they were supervised at all times around fires; and teaching children that fire was a tool, not a toy.
Mr Benson said FRNSW also recommended that lighters and matches be kept secure and that parents and carers remained vigilant for evidence of fireplay and were aware that younger children might play with fire in their bedrooms.
“If parents or carers are concerned about their child’s fascination with fire, FRNSW has developed the Intervention and Fire Awareness Program (IFAP) specifically to help them,” he said.
For more information visit this PS News link or this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Cost of living index
receives change
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revised the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to bring it up to date with current patterns of household spending.
To apply from the September quarter which will be released on 26 October, the new CPI Index has been explained in an information paper released by the ABS.
According to the Bureau, Australians now spend more on restaurant meals than they did in 2005 and less on beef and veal, for example, so the expenditure weights applied to the different goods and services in the CPI basket needed to be revised to reflect current patterns.
“The CPI has been reviewed 16 times since its introduction in 1960,” the Bureau said in a statement.
“These reviews make sure that the CPI basket remains relevant to Australian purchasing patterns.”
It said the headline CPI (All groups CPI) would not be revised as a result of the changes.
“The All groups CPI for the June quarter 2011 was 0.9% for the quarter, and 3.6% through the year.”
It said the information paper covered the new CPI expenditure weights and detailed the methods used in deriving the weights as well as highlighting major shifts.
“The information paper also provides a mock–up of the revised format of the September quarter 2011 publication and downloadable spreadsheets to enable users to become familiar with them before the release date.”
The Bureau said that as well as the CPI, it also produced a suite of related indexes to help users understand the pattern of inflationary pressures in the Australian economy.
“The information paper describes the composition of these series.”
It said that in line with a recommendation from the 16th review, indirect charges for deposit and loan facilities had been removed from the headline CPI while improvements were made to the methodology and underlying data sources.
It said a new analytical series would be produced - the All groups CPI including Deposit and loans (indirect charges) – in the meantime.
The information paper Introduction of the 16th Series Australian Consumer Price Index, can be accessed at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Sentence report has
word on judgements
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has released a new series of sentencing reports suggesting that NSW courts are much tougher on offenders than many people thought.
The Bureau analysed sentencing patterns during 2009 and 2010 for eight offences - sexual assault, assault, break and enter, child sexual assault, motor vehicle theft, robbery, drink driving and some drug offences.
Among the results were statistics showing nearly half (49.5%) of those convicted of theft of a motor vehicle received a prison sentence; more than three quarters (78.6%) of those convicted of aggravated robbery received a prison sentence and everyone convicted of aggravated robbery who had been previously imprisoned for robbery received a prison sentence.
It also found that more than 90 per cent (92.9%) of those convicted of importing/exporting amphetamines also received a prison sentence.
Director of the Bureau, Don Weatherburn said sensationalist media reporting was responsible for the mistaken impression that the courts treated serious offenders leniently.
“Some journalists make no distinction between minor and serious forms of a particular offence and/or pay no attention whatsoever to whether the sentence is for a first-time or a repeat offender,” Dr Weatherburn said.
“The inevitable result is that people end up with a distorted impression of court sentencing practice.
“This then undermines public confidence in the administration of justice.”
He said only two of the serious offence categories examined by the Bureau (serious assault and high range drink driving) returned figures showing less than half the offenders imprisoned.
The reports found about one in five (18.6%) offenders convicted of serious assault causing injury received a prison sentence.
Findings also showed that overall prison sentences for high range PCA (drink driving) offenders were very rare (2.5%) with most high range PCA offenders losing their licence and incurring heavy fines.
Copies of the reports are available at this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Race stewards to
run together
The operations of race stewards in the thoroughbred and harness racing industries in NSW are to be combined.
Minister for Racing, George Souris said the decision to combine the stewards’ functions was agreed to by the boards of both Racing NSW and Harness Racing NSW.
“I asked both Boards to agree to the move to ensure and protect the integrity of racing in this State, especially after the recent allegations of corruption in the harness racing industry,” Mr Souris said.
“The Racing NSW stewards’ panel is internationally renowned for excellence in its operation and management and is well placed to apply world’s best practice to the NSW harness racing industry.”
He said while the finer details were yet to be announced, one panel of stewards would be responsible for both thoroughbred and harness racing.
He said a senior person responsible for integrity management and anti-corruption programs would head the stewards’ panel.
“I believe this will help ensure the integrity of the both codes and raise the confidence in harness racing to the same level as thoroughbred racing,” Mr Souris said.
“Racing in NSW is a multi- billion dollar industry and is far too important to the State’s economy to have any section of it under a cloud of suspicion.”
He said the public and all the other stakeholders must have total confidence in the honesty of the racing industry; know that it was being conducted properly; and be certain that every race was run and won on its merits and without interference.
He supported the appointment by Harness Racing NSW Board of a three-man panel to conduct inquiries relating to the current corruption investigation.
“This creates a necessary arm’s length overview of the current investigation and this action, together with the integration of the stewards signals a level of confidence in harness racing in NSW, Mr Souris said.
28 September, 2011
Transport paper
shows the way
A new report prepared for the National Transport Commission shows that most Australians want a better transport system but reject many of the policies that would help pay for it.
A discussion paper has been released to encourage public comment.
According to the Chief Executive of the NTC, Nick Dimopoulos, the paper Smart Transport for a Growing Nation also highlights a lack of public knowledge about the way roads and rail systems were funded.
“Our research found that Australians have very little knowledge about the way that the transport system is funded, or about pricing models that operate overseas,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“Interestingly, when given further information, the community was more open to pricing reform – as long as it was fair and did not limit car use.”
He said the discussion paper explored opportunities for reforming Australia’s freight and passenger transport networks to respond to challenges such as population growth and ageing, urban congestion, accessibility, rising oil prices, and carbon pollution.
“The report examines the current transport system from a public user perspective, and provides a way to engage with individuals and organisations on opportunities for reform,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
He said urban congestion was identified as a growing issue affecting road users and the economy, with the cost of delays expected to reach $20 billion by 2020.
He said however that many Australians did not see public transport as a viable alternative, with over 90 per cent of all trips in Australia taken by private car.
“Our research found that Australians want better transport services and choices,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“Clear priorities for change included more frequent public transport services, better roads and new public transport routes.
“Yet transport users believe it is governments’ responsibility to fund improvements, without paying more.”
He said this attitude highlighted the fact that information and consultation was really the first step towards future changes to the transport system.
He said the Smart Transport for a Growing Nation discussion paper could be accessed at the NTC website at this PS News link and would be open for public comment until 14 October 2011.
28 September, 2011
Maritime floats
boat campaign
A campaign to remind boaters to routinely check the expiry date of essential boating safety equipment will be launched at start of the new boating season this weekend.
Acting Chief Executive of NSW Maritime, Steve Dunn said inflatable lifejackets, flares and emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) all carried expiry dates and it was crucial such safety equipment was kept in a serviceable condition.
“Boating Safety Officers will be out in force in bays, inlets, rivers, dams and lakes this long weekend conducting random inspections of boating safety equipment,” Mr Dunn said.
“Especially when it comes to inflatable lifejackets the message is: wear it, inspect it, service it.”
He said inflatable lifejackets were growing in popularity due to their compact size, but with that came the added responsibility of ensuring all mechanisms were in good working order and ready to activate if needed.
He said NSW Maritime’s new online resource page now generated email reminder alerts for important dates.
“Now you can set up a reminder to your chosen email account for when it’s time to have a professional check of the CO2 cylinder, bladder and inflation mechanism,” Mr Dunn said.
“In fact, any number of alerts can be set up to include all manner of due date reminders.
“Lifejackets, flares and EPIRBs may all require servicing on different dates so multiple reminder alerts can be set up for these as well.”
Mr Dunn said more information was available from this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Retail paper shops
for comment
A discussion paper on the State’s retail trading laws has been released.
Minister for Finance and Services, Greg Pearce, said he was seeking public comments on how the Government could ensure retail legislation reflected community standards and expectations.
“Some provisions relating to retail trading have been in place since 1962 or earlier,” Mr Pearce said.
“We want to make sure they reflect our modern economy and modern community standards.
“Retail trading is an essential part of the NSW economy and we need to ensure that business and community needs are met.”
He said a number of amendments to trading laws had been made in recent years and the Government was also seeking input on whether they had been effective in balancing community interest with consumer expectations.
“The vast array of amendments have made the laws confusing and complex,” he said.
“The discussion paper suggests that the laws could be streamlined.”
Mr Pearce said it was important that lawmakers heard from business and the community to understand what was needed better.
He said the discussion paper would provide an avenue to commence the dialogue.
“The final date for the receipt of comments is 24 October 2011 and I strongly urge all stakeholders and interested persons to put forward their views,” he said.
“We will then use these comments to decide whether any changes to the current laws are necessary.”
Mr Pearce said the Government was determined to provide a retail trading system that better met business needs while protecting appropriate community standards.
More information and access to the discussion paper is available from this PS News link.
28 September, 2011
Road brochure out
A comprehensive brochure about the Hunter Expressway road works has been released by the Road and Traffic Authority (RTA).
Work on the 40-kilometre project has been under way for more than a year and the brochure, which includes a four page fold-out map, aims to update the community on the progress of the project.
The RTA said the brochure would be distributed to residents who live along the project route and also be available at the Hunter Expressway’s monthly community information sessions.
For more information or to view the brochure visit this
PS News link.
Park tour reopens
The self drive tour at Mungo National Park, has been reopened.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service made the announcement after the tour was closed following water damage.
Lower Darling Area Manager, Jo Gorman said the road had been closed since late last year because parts of the self drive tour crossed over the usually dry lake bed.
“While it is reopened we do ask that people take care and try to remain in the middle of the road in the Red Top section due to very soft edges,” Ms Gorman said.
Maritime medals open
Nominations for the NSW Maritime Medal awards close this week (30 September).
Launched in 2006, the Maritime Medal is an award scheme to recognise role models, both individuals and groups, who have made an outstanding or sustained contribution to the maritime community.
Nominations are judged by the NSW Maritime Medal Committee and winners will receive their award at a ceremony to be held in November.
For details and nomination forms go to this PS News link.
Walking tracks complete
A continuous network of walking tracks along Sydney’s waterways has been completed.
Premier, Barry O’Farrell joined Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner and MP for Parramatta, Geoff Lee to launch the Parramatta River Walk - the final stretch in a 275 kilometre walking route around the foreshores of Sydney Harbour, its tributaries and along the city’s coast.
“The Parramatta River Walk passed through sites of national and international significance such as Sydney Olympic Park, the Kokoda Track Memorial, Parramatta Park and Old Government House,” Mr O’Farrell said.
Call to minerals boards
Leaders in the minerals industry are being urged to register their interest in taking a role on a variety of NSW Government Mineral Resources boards and committees.
Former and current board and committee members are also invited to submit resumes to nominate their interest where there are vacancies available.
The majority of positions are voluntary, do not attract remuneration and nominees will be considered for future appointments.
Resumes will be accepted until 30 September 2011 by email to minr...@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Industry action plans
to plan action
Ten-year action plans for five industry sectors in NSW have been announced by the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Stoner.
Mr Stoner said Industry Taskforces would be established and Action Plans developed to strengthen key sectors of the State economy for the future.
He said the first five industry sectors to be addressed would be manufacturing, professional services, the digital economy, international education and research, and tourism and events.
He also announced the Chairs of the Taskforces that would take on the job of developing the Industry Action Plans in partnership with the Government.
Mr Stoner said it was a Government goal to increase the competitiveness of key sectors of the economy under its NSW 2021 strategic plan.
“The Industry Action Plans and Industry Taskforces will identify what both industry and government can do to strengthen key NSW industries in the face of challenges within Australia and overseas,” he said.
“These Industry Action Plans will help us rebuild the NSW economy from the ground up.”
He said the Plans would be developed by the Industry Taskforces with support from the Department of Trade and Investment and the NSW Innovation Council.
“We are delighted to have some of the best and brightest in the business world heading up our Industry Taskforces,” Mr Stoner said.
He said the Plans would be released in 2012 and would include a vision and 10 year development strategy for each industry with immediate priorities identified; recognition of the drivers of, and barriers against, growth and innovation including those caused by government; a program to encourage sector growth, competitiveness and innovation; and key performance indicators including timetables and benchmarks to monitor progress.
He said the full memberships of the Industry Taskforces, as well as the Chair of the International Education and Research Taskforce, were currently being finalised and would soon be announced.
Mr Stoner other sectors of the economy would be considered for Taskforces and Action Plans at a later time.
“As well as the Industry Taskforces, we will be undertaking thorough engagement with the community, including through metropolitan and regional forums, online consultation and a request for submissions,” the Minister said.
“We invite members of the public to register their interest in the consultation process by visiting this PS News link.
“We want to ensure that those with ideas can contribute their suggestions and that the ideas and measures developed by the Taskforces are driven from industry,” Mr Stoner said.
21 September, 2011
New toolkit hammers
home ageing message
A new online toolkit has been developed for use by Local Councils preparing to provide services to an ageing population.
Launched jointly by the Ministers for Local Government, Don Page and Ageing, Andrew Constance, the new ‘Planning for an Ageing Population’ toolkit outlines the challenges ageing poses for Councils’ finances, resources, community services, and asset management planning.
The Ministers said the Councils needed to be innovative with their planning strategies and creative in their use of resources to meet the future challenges but the new toolkit would help.
“Planning for an Ageing Population will guide Councils on how they can prepare for, provide for, and best utilise the residents of an ageing population,” Mr Page said.
“Using information from the recently-released Local Government and Ageing Report, the Ageing Population toolkit should ensure Councils are not only ready to meet any financial challenges that may come as a result of things like lower rates, but are able to turn the age shift into a positive by altering their future community projects.”
He said the Planning for an Ageing Population toolkit uses data from a report forecasting the impacts that ageing populations might have on Councils and offers ways for them to continue providing suitable services for their changing communities.
Among the key points raised in the report were the need to raise awareness of ageing among ratepayers; accept that an ageing community will have special needs; identify opportunities for increased volunteering and community-based programs; their preferences for traditional services such as libraries; and their need for some additional services such as nature strip mowing and gardening.
Mr Constance said ageing would increase the number of people over 65 from 14 per cent today to 22 per cent in 2030.
“The number of centenarians will increase eight-fold,” he said.
“It is projected that in the next decade NSW will have more people aged over 65 than people aged 15 or less.
“We must ensure there is appropriate housing and services for older citizens for long periods – people’s retirements often last 20 or 30 years.”
Mr Page said Local Governments were well positioned to deal with the impacts of changing populations because they could ensure that the physical, social and economic environment of their communities were responsive to demographic change.
“Councils will have to borrow ideas from each other, and Councils which successfully confront the challenges of an ageing population in the short-term can have their methods analysed by Councils which expect to meet those challenges long-term,” he said.
The Planning for an Ageing Population toolkit can be accessed from the Division of Local Government website at this PS News link.
21 September, 2011
Wills have a way in
Good Will Week
This week is Good Will Week and the Attorney General and NSW Trustee and Guardian have urged people across the State to take advantage of the events being staged to ensure they have an up-to-date Will.
According to the Attorney General, Greg Smith, the theme for this year’s community education campaign is ‘A Will for a long and happy life’ recognising that people are living longer than ever but the inevitable will happen and we all need to make sure we have a legally valid Will in place.
He said the good news was that almost 40 per cent of the 20,000 older Australians surveyed for Good Will Week considered themselves happy or optimistic, while the same number said they were “generally fulfilled” about life. Only 2.4 per cent said they were generally pessimistic.
“To discover older Australians really enjoy themselves and feel pretty contented with their lives is a positive thing for all of us,” Mr Smith said.
He said the top tip they gave to younger people for a longer and happier life was “to have family or friends nearby” followed by having “meaningful work” or “doing what you love”, and then “keeping your brain active”.
He said there should be no barrier to making a Will as there was no cost to write one with the NSW Trustee & Guardian as executor.
“Charges apply on estate administration only,” he said.
“You can write a Will at 18 and continue to update it at no charge throughout your life as many times as you need – such as when relationships change, when you buy a house, have children, start a business and so on.”
He said 18 branches of the NSW Trustee & Guardian would be open for a Wills Day on Saturday, 24 September and while appointments would be free, bookings should be made by calling 1300 14 24 34.
Mr Smith said more information about Good Will Week was available from this PS News link. The week runs until Saturday.
21 September, 2011
Workplace watchdog
leading the way
The national Fair Work Ombudsman claims to be ‘leading by example’ by improving entitlements for parental leave for his staff in a new Enterprise Agreement which came into effect last month.
The 2011-14 Agreement increases access to parental leave for both parents following the birth of a baby.
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, Nicholas Wilson, mothers covered by the Agreement who have just given birth are now entitled to 16 weeks parental leave on full pay, up from 14 weeks, and her partner is eligible for four weeks on full pay, up from three weeks under the previous Agreement.
The latest Agreement also includes a new entitlement to paid primary caregiver’s leave if the partner of the birth mother is required to be the primary caregiver of the baby for any time in the first 16 weeks from the birth.
Mr Wilson said the entitlements were in addition to those available under the Federal Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme.
Mr Wilson said the Agency had gone beyond its minimum legal obligations to develop a parental leave policy that was tailored to employee needs but also benefited the Agency.
“Implementing generous, innovative and flexible parental leave policies can help employers boost their productivity and performance,” Mr Wilson said.
“Employers with parental leave policies that make employees feel valued can benefit from having more committed and productive staff.”
He said the new FWO Agreement also provided for employees to receive superannuation payments while on paid and unpaid parental leave and enshrined the provision of paid lactation breaks for mothers.
He said the new Agreement covered about 950 employees who also received a four per cent pay increase when it began and would enjoy a three per cent rise in July 2012 and two per cent in July 2013.
Mr Wilson said his Office had also produced a Parental Leave Best Practice Guide to assist other employers develop policies to provide optimal support for employees accessing parental leave and it also offered other Best Practice Guides on work and family, individual flexibility arrangements, consultation and co-operation, young workers, gender pay equity, small business and the Fair Work Act, bargaining, privacy, managing underperformance and dispute resolution
He said they could all be downloaded from this PS News link.
21 September, 2011
Rubbish collection
goes underground
An automated rubbish collection service that uses underground pipes and vacuum tubes has been unveiled as one of Sydney’s answers to future waste collection.
Lord Mayor, Clover Moore announced the scheme as part of the City’s new draft Waste Strategy , designed to reduce landfill and greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Cr Moore said the proposed scheme could make noisy garbage trucks a thing of the past.
“To become more sustainable, we simply must look at new ways of dealing with waste,” Cr Moore said.
“One critical way is to move away from the traditional method of dumping waste in landfill.”
She said automated systems were already in use across Europe and Asia and had been proven to work.
“While they look just like a typical apartment building garbage chute, the big difference is the chutes are vacuum sealed and instead of emptying into open bins in the basement, the rubbish is sucked down to a central collection point, where it can be collected.”
She said the automated system for large apartment buildings would give residents a 24-hour, seven day a week service for recyclable and general waste.
She said rubbish would be collected automatically from the buildings and even from street rubbish bins along the vacuum tube routes, which meant fewer trucks in the inner city and less disturbance for residents.
Cr Moore said the interim waste strategy aimed to reduce waste, maximise resource recovery, find solutions for hazardous waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide cleaner streets and integrate waste, water and energy infrastructure.
She said by 2030, workers, visitors and a projected 260,000 residents in the City were expected to produce 20 per cent more rubbish at a time when landfill would be more expensive as existing sites filled up.
She said the City was two years ahead of its waste strategy schedule by already meeting its 2014 target of diverting two thirds of waste from landfill.
“This has been achieved by sending all 40,000 tonnes of household rubbish to advanced waste treatment facilities to remove recyclables and produce compost,” Cr Moore said.
21 September, 2011
Cosmetic laws
get better look
New laws that regulate the ingredients in cosmetics have been passed by the Australian Parliament.
According to the Commonwealth’s Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, the new laws will cut red tape, eliminate overlapping regulation between Federal Agencies and better protect public health.
“The regulation of ingredients in cosmetics has been split between the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) which has been confusing for consumers and a burden on industry,” Ms King said.
“This new legislation finalises the transfer of the regulation of these ingredients to NICNAS while also allowing any conditions which have been put on their use by TGA, to be transferred to NICNAS.”
She said the new law meant that the ingredients would automatically be included in the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS) without requiring further assessment by NICNAS.
“This both addresses a public health gap and will reduce the regulatory burden on industry.”
She said the new laws would also mean that consumers could find information about the regulation of cosmetic ingredients in one place.
“It also removes the need for NICNAS to prepare and publish a summary report for each chemical assessment as NICNAS now publishes the full public report for each assessment on the NICNAS website.”
She said the new legislation also made minor technical amendments to the Schedule to the Act to clarify certain data requirements for new chemicals and maintain consistency with other national chemical notification schemes.
21 September, 2011
Museum unleashes
animals app
A new iPhone application delivering information about Australia’s dangerous animals has been released by the Australian Museum.
Titled DangerOz, the new app features photos and facts on 40 different animals, including a geo-location feature that shows which of them might be nearby.
According to the Web Manager at the Museum, Lynda Kelly, this is a must-have app for anyone who goes outdoors - or stays indoors!
“This app is a convenient source of information for people whether they are tourists concerned about animals they’ve never encountered before or city dwellers who may come across the unfamiliar in cupboards, gardens, out bushwalking or at the beach,” Dr Kelly said.
“While you’re actually more likely to be killed by a bee sting than a shark attack, and at this time of year territorial magpies are probably hurting more people than say, redback spiders, DangerOz provides information on all of these possibilities.”
She said the app included a national distribution map for each animal, making it a quick way to find out what might be nearby and what threat, if any, it posed.
“Most animals are really not a threat but people need to be best informed about what is out there,” Dr Kelly said.
“What you don’t know might hurt you.”
She said the app also rated animals according to Danger Type under categories such as such as Don’t eat me; Defensive; Has caused death!.
“Ratings are an opinion about the threat posed by an animal tempered by the likelihood of someone actually encountering and interacting with it,” Dr Kelly said.
“DangerOz ratings range from a 10 for the very lethal box jellyfish, to the hard to spot - but potentially venomous – platypus which comes in at 2.”
She said DangerOz was the first of a series of apps being developed by the Australian Museum to extend access to information, education, research and exhibitions.
It costs $2.99 and is available in the Apple App Store.
21 September, 2011
Fruit fly campaign
nips pest in the bud
The Department of Primary Industries has launched its spring campaign to tackle Queensland fruit fly in southern NSW.
Senior Regulatory Officer of DPI’s Southern Zone, Wayne Norden, said staff were carrying out backyard inspections, street spraying and larval searches in towns within the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone.
“This work had included the employment of 46 casual staff - three at Hillston, one at Hay, four based at Deniliquin (covering Deniliquin, Berrigan, Finley and Jerilderie) and the balance rotating between Griffith and Leeton with some work also being done at Narrandera,” Mr Norden said.
“The bulk of the work will concentrate on Griffith and Leeton in an effort to protect the region’s very valuable fruit and vegetable production areas from fruit fly - considered the world’s worst fruit pest.”
He said DPI was appealing to residents to support the eradication team in its work.
“Extra resources are being deployed to help manage the fruit fly outbreak in these towns, but the job is made much more effective when individual property owners take responsibility and look after their own fruit trees,” Mr Norden said.
He said residents should be aware that most fruits, including tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, could be fruit fly hosts.
“Please allow our officers to inspect your garden and backyard if required’” he said.
“When we have a report of fruit fly we treat the specific areas and we also treat areas within 200 metres of the larval find.”
He requested residents to pick all their unwanted fruit, place it in plastic bags, seal the bags, and leave them in the sun for five to seven days.
“These bags can then be disposed of with normal household rubbish.”
He asked residents to ensure that home-grown fruit did not leave their property saying the fruit fly eradication work would continue for the next six months.
Mr Norden asked people within the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone who had concerns about fruit to ring (02) 6951 2651 during business hours.
More information on controlling fruit fly in home gardens was available from this PS News link or this PS News link or local chemical retailers.
21 September, 2011
Train crime on
the right track
A new report from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has found that the rates of personal crime on the NSW rail system are generally very low.
According to the report, the rate was 0.3 incidents per 100,000 passenger journeys on a typical weekday across NSW.
It also says that the rate on railway stations was 0.04 incidents per 100,000 passenger interchanges.
On stations where incidents did occur however, the report found that the risk fell between a low of 0.02 at North Sydney station to a high of 3.2 at Waratah.
“Only 3.1 per cent of all recorded assault incidents occur on the rail system,” BOCSAR said in a statement.
“The corresponding figures for other personal offences on the rail system are 8.5% (stealing from the person), 5.6% (robbery), 0.4% (sexual assault) and 3.6% (other sexual offences).”
The Bureau found the highest risk on weekdays to be in the afternoon - 3pm to 6:30 - and the lowest in the early morning - 2am to 6.
It found the highest risk on weekends was in the evening and early morning, 6:30pm to 6am.
According to the report, the number of recorded assaults and ‘other’ sexual offences on the rail system had increased over the past 10 years but stealing and robberies had declined substantially.
“Over the last two years, the number of personal crimes on the rail system has remained stable,” it said.
It found the majority of victims of assault and robbery were male with females much more likely to be victims of a sexual offence.
Most victims were aged between 18 and 29 with fewer than 10 per cent over 50.
Most offenders (75%) were males under 30.
According to the Director of the Bureau, Don Weatherburn, the figures revealed the rail system to be safer than most people believed.
“The raw statistics look worrying until you take the number of passengers using the rail system into account,” Dr Weatherburn said.
“Then you discover the actual rate of offending is actually quite low.”
The full BOCSAR report can be accessed at this PS News link.
21 September, 2011
Schoolroom climate trial
A trial to find ways of cooling classrooms in summer and heating them in winter without using air-conditioning has been announced by the Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli.
While accepting that some schools would need air-conditioning, Mr Piccoli said others could achieve the same temperature control with better insulation, building repairs, sunscreens or landscaping.
The trial will begin in October and be completed by the end of 2012.
New app for whales
A new iPhone application (App) for whale lovers has been launched by the Minister for the Environment, Robyn Parker
The free app providing a whale identification guide, real-time whale watching map from the campaign website wildaboutwhales.com.au, ability to engage with other whale watchers and information on how to get involved with volunteering and other conservation activities.
The app is available as a download from the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace.
Grandparents get their day
A new Grandparents Day has been added to the State’s special day calendar with the first one to be held this year on Sunday 30 October.
Premier Barry O’Farrell and Minister for Ageing Andrew Constance announced the new day saying it was an election promise.
Dummies dumped
Baby ‘bling’ dummies and dummy chains have been banned permanently.
The permanent ban follows and interim ban in July and applies nationwide.
The dummies and chains were found not to comply with safety standards and posed a serious risk of injury to infants.
Public art at Quay
A new public sculpture has been launched at Circular Quay in Sydney to mark the centenary of the scouting movement.
Commissioned by the City of Sydney and Scouts Australia, the sculpture harnesses the power of the wind and was funded by electronics entrepreneur Dick Smith.
The five metre tall weather vane turns with the breeze, above a giant compass and map.
Rail lines straightened
A project to eliminate sharp bends on the Interstate Rail Network between Newcastle and the Queensland border has reached another milestone with the realignment at two sites slashing an hour off the trip.
The tracks between Mindaribba and Paterson and between Nambucca Heads and Raleigh have been improved so trains can safely use the track at higher speeds.
14 September, 2011
10-year vision is
State strategy
A strategic plan to guide NSW through the next 10 years has been released by the Premier, Barry O’Farrell.
The main thrusts of the plan are to target $650 billion in new business investment in during the period and create 475,000 more jobs.
Mr O’Farrell said the plan NSW 2021 set immediate priorities for action and guiding resource allocation within the NSW Budget.
“The people of NSW have demanded real change and work is well underway to deliver,” Mr O’Farrell said.
He said NSW 2021 contained 32 goals and 180 targets, all based around five strategies:
* Rebuilding the Economy;
* Returning Quality Services;
* Renovating Infrastructure;
* Strengthening the Environment and Communities, and
* Restoring Accountability to Government.
“NSW 2021 is about meeting high community expectations for NSW,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“The plan is ambitious and we will work with all levels of Government, the community, business and individuals to achieve the goals we have set.”
He said through the plan, the people of NSW could hold the Government accountable for its achievements against commitments.
“I invite the community to be involved in delivering the change,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“Over the next year we will consult with Local Government and communities right across NSW to identify actions that can be taken to improve outcomes in each region and locality.
“I will also hold an annual community and business leader’s forum to examine progress and identify new initiatives.”
He said an independent audit would verify the NSW 2021 performance data prior to the release of an annual performance report.
He said the plan could be accessed at this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Regulation review to
untangle red tape
The Better Regulation Office has embarked on a review of NSW’s regulatory impact assessment arrangements (RIA).
The purpose is to ensure the State has effective regulation-making processes in place.
According to the BRO, effective processes are essential to ensuring regulatory efficiency which in turn lightens the burden of regulation on business, cuts red tape, improves economic growth and contributes to productivity in NSW.
“The review is considering areas of inconsistency and overlap in existing RIA requirements, and other areas that can be improved,” the BRO says on its website.
The review was ordered under an agreement by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) that that all jurisdictions would review their RIA arrangements and consider opportunities for enhancement.
As part of the review, the BRO has released for public comment an Issues Paper with options for reform.
“This document identifies several areas of inconsistency and overlap in existing RIA
requirements, and other areas that can be improved,” the BRO says.
“Submissions are being sought on possible reforms to establish a single, consistent RIA framework applying to all regulatory proposals in NSW.”
Among the reforms proposed by the paper are continuing to require RIA for all new and amended regulations but demanding detailed analysis for ‘significant’ proposals; consultation processes to be advertised online at a central location; ongoing review of the enabling legislation; and post-implementation reviews of projects judged exempt from RIA for ‘exceptional circumstances’.
The Issues paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
and comments will be received until 7 October 2011.
14 September, 2011
Management major
par for PS course
A new public sector management course has been announced by Macquarie University.
The university’s Faculty of Business and Economics is to introduce a Public Sector Management Major to equip students with essential knowledge and experience in the principles and practices of Public Service management.
Senior Lecturer with the Faculty and Program Coordinator for the new major, Louise Thornthwaite said that one in every six jobs in Australia was located in the public sector and State Governments accounted for three quarters of them.
“With more than 300,000 employees within the NSW Public Service and 160,000 positions in the Australian Public Service, government offers a highly sought after career path for graduates,” Dr Thornthwaite said.
“Increasingly though, we are seeing opportunities for graduates extend beyond these traditional public service areas into major companies, industry, community organisations and even consulting.”
She said graduates of the course could aspire to a range of roles from Business Analyst and Policy Officer to Human Resources Officer and Researcher.
“Public sector managers face many similar challenges as those faced by private industry managers,” Dr Thornthwaite said.
“With the introduction of this major, we hope to provide our students with the essential framework required to excel within a business environment that is characterised by a higher level of scrutiny, accountability and more emphasis on the impact on community.”
She the university’s Public Sector Management Major would deliver strong theoretical and practical skills that would be valuable in developing a successful management career in the public sector.
More information about the course could be obtained from this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Rego labels to
come unstuck
The Better Regulation Office and the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) are reviewing the requirement for registration labels on light vehicles in NSW with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of up to 4.5 tonnes.
This includes 5.9 million passenger vehicles, motorcycles, small trailers and light trucks in the State.
Current NSW legislation requires vehicles to be registered and for registration labels to be provided by the RTA and displayed on the vehicle.
According to the BRO, the potential exists to substantially reduce costs to business and the community by removing the need for registration labels.
It says the increased processing of vehicle registrations by phone and over the internet has meant that visual inspections of registration labels may no longer be a reliable indicator of a vehicle’s registration status.
It also says that advances in vehicle identification and number plate recognition technology have also decreased the need to rely on visual inspection of vehicle registration labels.
The BRO said that until 2010, all States and Territories required vehicles to be fitted with a registration label but since then both Western Australia and South Australia had abolished them for light vehicles.
The review will examine whether there is a continuing need to require registration labels in NSW and make its recommendations for reform with a view towards cutting red tape.
The two Agencies have published an Issues Paper for public consultation which can be accessed at this PS News link.
Submissions will be accepted until 7 October 2011.
14 September, 2011
Children’s book
is write stuff
A collaboration between the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the South East Arts Region (SEAR) has produced an award-winning children’s book and photographic exhibition.
Entitled Now you see us..., the two works won the Visy Art and Environment Award at the NSW Australian Business Arts Foundation awards presented at Government House last week.
The children’s book Missing by Jane Carroll and illustrator Melinda Perrin is about threatened wildlife in southern NSW. In her art exhibition, Ruth Maddison modified photographs of rare and threatened vegetation to raise community awareness of threatened flora.
Manager of Visitor and Business Services with NPWS, Andrew Harrigan congratulated the winners saying both works and everyone involved deserved recognition.
“Missing is a great yarn, beautifully illustrated,” Mr Harrigan said.
“It tells the story of a Gang-gang Cockatoo trying to find fellow threatened mates and learning about their habitats and plights along the way.”
Environmental Liaison Officer with NPWS, Dave Woods and SEAR coordinator Heidi Kunz received the award jointly.
Mr Woods said the book and photo exhibition educated children and the wider community about lesser known rare and threatened flora and fauna occurring in the coastal ranges, grasslands, woodlands, montane forests and alpine environments in our region.
“In each area, the book tells about a different threatened animal such as a lizard, snake, frog, bird, fish, marsupial or bat,” Mr Woods said.
He said illustrator Melinda Perrin had the challenging job of sketching the selected fauna then waiting until Jane Carroll had finished the storyline before she could prepare her illustrations.
“Jane Carroll’s first draft submitted to the committee hit the mark and there were no major rewrites, only refining of the tale,” Mr Woods said.
He said teachers, parents and students helped hone the language to suit young readers and the project was funded through grants from the NSW Regional Arts Fund, the Southern Rivers Community Partnership Fund and was supported by NPWS.
He said NPWS and SEAR were now eligible for the National Business Arts Foundation Award for to be announced in Perth next month.
14 September, 2011
WorkCover awarded
for excellence
The WorkCover Authority of NSW has won a major award at the Asia-Pacific Government Contact Centre Excellence Awards.
According to the Chief Executive of WorkCover NSW, Lisa Hunt, the Government Contact Centre Awards acknowledged achievement of the highest level across Local, State and Federal Agencies and Government Departments in the Asia-Pacific.
Ms Hunt said WorkCover’s customer service centre at Gosford took out the overall award for customer contact industry achievement, beating off 12 finalists that included Centrelink, Metlink, Meridian, four local Councils and two State Government Departments.
“The WorkCover Customer Contact Centre won an award for its innovative Wellness
Project designed to assist our team members to develop the necessary skills to deal with difficult calls and customers who are in distress,” Ms Hunt said.
“The Wellness Project aims to enhance the emotional wellbeing of our team while supporting them to continue to deliver an outstanding service experience.”
She said that as a result, WorkCover’s Customer Service Centre team continued to successfully manage a high volume of calls.
“The project enabled the team to learn the best communication skills for a given situation, building emotional resilience while showing empathy and compassion,” she said.
Ms Hunt said the Centre handled more than 18,000 calls and 1,000 emails a month on a range of issues including work health and safety licensing, regulatory obligations, workplace safety breaches and workers compensation premium enquiries.
She said around 900 enquiries per month were in relation to workers compensation disputes such as benefit payments and injury management with a resolution rate of 84 per cent.
She said this was the third time the WorkCover Assistance Service had been recognised for its customer service at the Asia-Pacific Government Contact Centre Excellence Awards.
14 September, 2011
Ombudsman issues
deaths report
The NSW Ombudsman has issued his report on the deaths of 193 people who lived in the care of disability services or licensed boarding houses during 2008 and 2009.
The Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour also detailed progress by Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) and NSW Health towards adopting past recommendations to minimise the risks associated with the deaths of people with disabilities in care.
This was his sixth report.
Mr Barbour found that in 2008-09 there were 92 deaths among people living in accommodation operated by ADHC; 68 among those in non-Government accommodation funded by ADHC; and 33 who lived in licensed boarding houses.
“I am pleased to see progress in addressing some longstanding and significant concerns,” Mr Barbour said, “including the introduction of mandatory first aid requirements in disability services and licensed boarding houses.
“However, there are critical issues that require attention to improve the health outcomes of people with disabilities in care and to reduce preventable deaths.”
He said his reviews continued to identify deaths that were preventable, including those where risks had been, or could reasonably have been foreseen.
He found that inadequate action had been taken in response to the risks.
“This includes risks related to choking, drowning, falls, and positioning in bed,” he said.
“Our reviews indicate that the work of services and staff to identify and address the risks is often inadequate.”
He also raised questions about the access of people with disabilities in care to medical specialists and community-based health programs such as chronic disease management programs and other out-of-hospital clinical support.
“It is important that, at a minimum, people with disabilities have the same access to health services and programs as everyone else,” Mr Barbour said.
“However, our reviews of the deaths of people in 2008-09 who had chronic disease suggest that this is not always the case.”
He said there was a pressing need to improve the coordination and provision of health services to people with disabilities.
“In this regard, I welcome the recent first steps by NSW Health towards establishing a service framework to improve the health of people with intellectual disability.”
Following his investigation, the Ombudsman made 11 recommendations directed to ADHC, and five to NSW Health.
The full text of the Ombudsman’s report can be accessed at this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Phones report lines up
customer complaints
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has published the final report of its public inquiry into customer service and complaints-handling by Australia’s telecommunications providers.
Entitled Reconnecting the Customer the report details the concerns many consumers have when dealing with their telecommunications service provider.
Chairman of ACMA, Chris Chapman said the report makes five proposals for change that would make buying and using a mobile phone or internet service much simpler.
He said the changes were:
* Clearer pricing information in ads to allow comparisons;
* Better pre-sale information about plans;
* More meaningful performance measures to allow users to compare providers;
* Better tools for consumers to monitor usage and expenditure;
* Better complaints handling procedures.
Mr Chapman urged the companies to include the changes in their consumer protection codes (TCP) by next February.
“We have closely consulted on these outcomes with consumers and industry and the overwhelming response has been that improvements are both urgent and necessary,” Mr Chapman said.
“The industry should address these concerns as soon as possible.
“The industry is now formally on notice to reflect these outcomes in the new TCP Code.”
He said if it didn’t, ACMA would mandate the changes through direct regulation.
The Reconnecting the Customer report can be accessed on ACMA’s engage website this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Beetles survey
strikes a chord
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is to conduct a survey of beetles, butterflies, moths and other ‘creepy crawlies’ in Nielsen Park, on the southern side of Sydney Harbour.
Members of the public are invited to join in.
According to NPWS Ranger Robert Newton, little is known about the invertebrates in the Park which is the biggest patch of remnant vegetation in the area.
“This will be the first time that the invertebrate life of the Park has been surveyed with the help of the community,” Mr Newton said.
“Nielsen Park contains the largest patch of remnant bushland on the southern side of Sydney Harbour and it is time that we learned more about the hundreds of different 6 legged, 8-legged and no-legged creatures that we share the Park with.”
He said the Community Survey of Creepy Crawly Critters is to take place on Sunday 9 October when community members would join biologists from NPWS and the University of New South Wales to learn about the creatures that inhabit the bush in Nielsen Park and the techniques used for surveying invertebrate life.
He said the cost of the 3-hour activity would be $20 for adults and $15 for children/concessions and would include morning tea.
Mr Newton said the invertebrate survey was one of a number of special activities NPWS would be running over the next eight months to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of Nielsen Park.
“Nielsen Park was added to the new Sydney Harbour National Park in 1978 in recognition of its significant natural, Aboriginal and historic values and is now the most highly visited precinct of the national park,” Mr Newton said.
“The centenary of Nielsen Park is just one more reason to come down and enjoy one of the most beautiful harbour beaches in Sydney.”
He said full details of the planned activities could be found at this PS News link or a calendar could be picked up from Nielsen Park.
Mr Newton said bookings were essential for most activities and places could be reserved by calling the Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre on (02) 9253 0888 or booking online at this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Research audit for
child protection
A national research audit on child protection in Australia has been issued to assist in targeting further research.
Conducted jointly by the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Social Policy Research Centre, the audit was released by the Commonwealth’s Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services, Julie Collins.
Ms Collins said that protecting children was one of the most important responsibilities of government
“The National Research Audit was recommended by experts and practitioners to plan research priorities and avoid duplication and unnecessary investments,” Ms Collins said.
“[It] indicates we need more research into understanding neglect, the emotional and physical abuse of children, as well as the impact of parental substance abuse and mental illness on child safety and wellbeing.”
She said the audit also provided directions and priorities for future research, including the National Research Agenda for Protecting Children, which would be finalised later this year.
“It also identified Indigenous-specific issues and solutions, as well as kinship care, the role of community education on child abuse and neglect, and risks and abuse of children with disability and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as areas for future research.”
Ms Collins said the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children would provide a national approach to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Australian children.
“The directions and priorities in the National Research Audit will be critical in helping build an evidence base to inform our thinking about improved outcomes for children,” Ms Collins said.
She said the audit was accompanied by an online register to enable users to access information more easily and keep up to date with the latest research.
The Protecting Australia’s Children Research Audit was available online at this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
National reach for the
long arm of the law
Draft legislation to set up a National Legal Profession has been released by the Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland.
Speaking on behalf of the Attorneys-General of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory, Mr McClelland said the new laws would facilitate the development of the profession nationally although some points of clarification were still required in some jurisdictions.
“There are some final decisions we need to make to reach agreement, relating to transitional costs and selection of a host jurisdiction,” Mr McClelland said.
“We have committed to resolving these outstanding matters before 1 October so legislation can then be presented in the host jurisdiction’s Parliament as soon as possible.”
He said about 85 per cent of Australia’s lawyers practised in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“These reforms will deliver benefits for the vast majority of the profession,” he said.
“We are hopeful that other States and Territories will sign on once they can see the benefits of the reforms in practice.”
Mr McClelland said he believed very strongly that Australia could no longer justify the disparate regulation of such an important profession which generated around $13 billion in economic activity each year.
“These reforms will serve the interests of consumers and the legal profession alike,” he said.
“The reforms that these parties are close to agreement on achieve this by enhancing consumer protection, protecting the independence of the legal profession and ensuring access to justice.”
He said a lot good work had been done around creating a National Legal Profession and commended his colleagues for their good faith and constructive approach.
The draft legislation can be inspected on the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department website at this PS News link.
14 September, 2011
Landcom takes
Defence camp
Landcom is to buy the former Defence army camp at Ingleburn and develop it into a community of up to 2,500 homes.
The sale is part of a Commonwealth Government program of releasing suitable surplus land for affordable housing and related infrastructure to support jobs and provide more housing and community facilities in the community.
The Federal Government’s Special Minister of State, Gary Gray said the sale would lead to the creation of up to 1,000 jobs during the site’s development and provide more than 2,500 new homes in the area.
“Importantly, a minimum 390 of these dwellings will be for affordable housing,” Mr Gray said.
Federal MP for the area, Laurie Ferguson said the sale would provide the local community with access to a parcel of land that had been previously closed to the public.
“Along with new residential and community facilities that will delivered in the area as part of the wider Edmondson Park development, the site will also facilitate the development of the Southern Sydney Rail line, including a station, and include significant areas of public open space and a variety of community facilities,” Mr Ferguson said.
He said in preparation for the handover, environmental remediation had been undertaken at the site with the works ensuring it meets New South Wales environmental standards prior to Landcom taking control.
Mr Gray said the project was an example of a how State and Commonwealth Governments could work together to address community issues.
14 September, 2011
Donations banned
New laws that ban corporate donations to political parties have been announced for NSW
Once passed, the laws will restrict donations to individuals on the electoral roll.
They will apply to all State and Local Government elections and will not affect existing bans on donations by property developers and tobacco, liquor and gaming entities.
Consumers warned
Consumers have been warned to examine carefully all options for pre-paid funeral arrangements before signing up.
Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts has written to the Federal Treasurer expressing his concerns following revelations that some funeral insurance policies charged premiums in excess of the value of the cover.
For more information about funeral insurance or for help resolving disputes, the Fair Trading number to ring is 13 32 20.
Leadership applications open
Applications are now open for Sydney Leadership2012: the program that takes executives and community leaders into places such as prisons, detention centres and refugee support centres.
Run by the Benevolent Society, the award-winning program helps participants realise their leadership potential and is open to decision-makers in business, Government and not-for-profit sectors with free information sessions scheduled in Sydney for 21 September and 11 October.
More information is available from this PS News link.
Rail link gathers pace
Geotechnical drilling has begun on the North West Rail Link.
The link has been named the Government’s priority rail infrastructure project.
Expected to cost $2.5 billion over four years, the 23km-long link will incorporate six new stations and the longest railway tunnel in Australia at 15.5km.
The preliminary work is to determine the underground conditions for the tunnel.
Fine trial is fine
A trial program that allows disadvantaged people to work off their fines has been made permanent and expanded.
A two-year pilot program found that one in five participants in the scheme did not incur any further court fines or penalty notices.
The program would now be open to people with serious addictions to alcohol, illicit drugs and other volatile substances.
Opal ticket a gem
The new electronic ticket for public transport in Sydney, the Hunter, the Illawarra and Blue Mountains is to be known as the ‘Opal.”
According to the Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian the first roll-out of the new ticket was scheduled for Sydney Ferries late next year.
Ms Berejiklian said London had its Oyster, Hong Kong had the Octopus and now Sydney would have the Opal.
Bunya joins NBN
Residents in the Bunya Estate in Sydney’s west are to be the first in a new “broad-acre” development to be connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The estate near Doonside, has 112 lots and dwellings and will eventually have around 730 homes connected to the NBN.
Research to help tourism
New research by Tourism Research Australia has revealed that visitors to the Forster- Tuncurry region are bucking the national trend by staying an average of 5.7 nights in the region, compared to 3.8 nights nationally, yet visitor satisfaction is below the national average.
Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson encouraged tourism operators in the area to take advantage of the study to determine how to improve the visitor experience in the region.
More information was available at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
PS to pay price for
State savings plan
Public Service job cuts of more than 5,000 positions have been announced by the Treasurer as part of the Government’s strategy to save $8 billion over the next four years.
Treasurer Mike Baird announced the cuts in this week’s State Budget saying the savings would come from long term structural reform and other cost-saving measures.
“The O’Farrell Government is prepared to offer around 5,000 voluntary redundancies over the next four years, primarily to reduce the number of head office and backroom positions in non-service delivery areas across the public sector,” Mr Baird said.
“This is a difficult but necessary decision.
“It also compares with similar approaches in other States”
He said further reductions were also likely through normal staff turnover and natural attrition.
Mr Baird said that among the job cuts already identified were 300 from NSW Health, 350 from Transport and 350 from Corrective Services.
He said the proposed job cuts would not deliver all the savings needed so the Commission of Audit was continuing to look for others.
“They will need to be complemented by a range of additional savings measures,” Mr Baird said.
“Savings of more than a billion dollars are expected from procurement reform, including improved purchasing, whole-of-government contracts, and reduced expenditure on consultants, travel and advertising,” he said.
“The Government’s wages policy and changes to managing excess employees are expected to avoid costs of around $2 billion over the next four years.”
He said tightening up the efficiency dividend and wage offset savings would deliver lead to savings of around $6 billion over the next four years.
“An additional efficiency dividend savings target of $150 million has also been included for 2014-15.”
Mr Baird said $800 million would also be saved from a comprehensive assessment of Government programs against criteria including effectiveness and value.
“Over the next three years, programs no longer delivering for the taxpayers will be discontinued,” he said.
The full text of the Treasurer’s Budget speech can be accessed at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Budget bottom line
eyes PS frontline
The Government expects to go into deficit by $718 million this year before posting a surplus of $292 million in 2012-13 and modest surpluses in the years following.
Delivering their first State Budget, Treasurer Mike Baird and Premier Barry O’Farrell said it was a ‘rebuilding’ Budget that would improve essential services, upgrade infrastructure and contribute to making NSW “number one again.”
Mr O’Farrell said the State was in “desperate” need of rebuilding.
“Through this Budget will can get on with the job of improving services, building the infrastructure that we desperately need, and protecting the State’s most vulnerable,” the Premier said.
He said the Budget would boost essential services in NSW by appointing almost 4,000 extra frontline staff to hospitals, schools and police stations over the next five years and delivering the biggest infrastructure commitment in the history of the State, totalling $62.6 billion over four years.
“This Budget’s $1.08 billion health capital works program is a record, including a record $343 million for new works,” Mr O’Farrell said.
He said more than $1.3 billion would be spent on new health projects commencing this year with around 45 per cent spent in rural and regional areas.
He said $6.3 billion had been allocated to transport and roads to meet election commitments and would address road blackspots and congestion as well as the upgrading of the Princes and Pacific Highways.
More than $600 million was committed to the North West and South West Rail links to fast-track the projects.
Mr O’Farrell said other key infrastructure projects included the establishment of Infrastructure NSW to improve the way infrastructure is assessed and delivered; $70 million over five years to address the Local Government infrastructure backlog; and $350 million over four years to establish the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund.
He said the Budget also delivered services for the most vulnerable people in the State, with $1.4 billion to be spent on disability services as part of a five year Stronger Together II program.
“This is the largest funding commitment to disability services in NSW history and the largest made by any Government in Australia,” Mr O’Farrell said.
He said it would increase the capacity of disability services by an estimated 47,000 new places and provide a foundation to transform disability services, with or without national reform,
“This Budget has also delivered the largest increase in funding for mental health in the State’s history, with a $1.34 billion funding commitment for mental health services in 2011-12, an increase of $109 million - or 8.8 per cent - on last year.”
Mr Baird said the Budget would lead to 2,475 extra nurses, 900 extra teachers and 550 extra police.
“We are determined to get NSW back on a sound financial footing,” Mr Baird said, “but at the same time we are keeping our promise to make sure the people of NSW have improved health care, education, and safety across the State.”
7 September, 2011
Service delivery gets
Budget boost
A new Office of Finance and an injection of $1.5 billion are among initiatives announced in the State Budget to improve the standard of public service delivery in NSW.
Minister for Finance and Services, Greg Pearce, announced the measures saying that improving the provision of Government services would be a key focus during the year to ensure better value for the taxpayers of NSW
“The key focus in the Finance and Services Budget is to support the delivery of whole of government reform initiatives across the portfolio,” Mr Pearce said.
“The shift in priority to service delivery will underpin reforms across a vast spectrum of services the Department for Finance and Services provides - including public works, government procurement, housing, information and communications technology and water utilities.”
He said among the main initiatives would be expanding the Government Licensing Service to streamline 24/7 licensing transactions; reviewing overdue fines and debt management processes at the Office of State Revenue; redeveloping the Spatial Information Exchange and creating a comprehensive property addressing system and digitising records at Land and Property Information; and allocating $197 million to NSW Public Works to manage the planning, procurement, design and construction of building and engineering projects, including school facilities, TAFE colleges and hospitals;
“Central to the investment and reform program is making services better for the people of NSW and to this end we are enhancing online applications for customers and suppliers, and simplifying processes for dealing with Government,” Mr Pearce said.
“We will also establish an Office of Finance which will advise Government on financial policy and be charged with delivering key reforms, in areas such as procurement and asset use.
He said the Budget reflected the Government’s priority of improving services and providing better value for money for taxpayers.
7 September, 2011
Emergency services
get Treasurer’s call
Law enforcement, emergency services, the justice system and Government watchdogs have all benefited from increased funding or new initiatives in the State Budget handed down this week.
The NSW Police Force is to see an additional 550 members appointed over the next four years with additional police stations built and existing facilities upgraded.
Included in the Budget initiatives for the police are 100 new Mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (MANPR) units to improve road safety; an upgrade of information technology including the Computerised Operating Police System (COPS) to support police in their duties; an enhanced DNA testing capability; reductions in forensic testing backlogs; an upgraded police radio network; improvements to the prisoner transport fleet; and more ballistic protective vests.
Emergency Services are to see an upgraded mobile radio network at the Rural Fire Service; enhanced technology and equipment at the State Emergency Service; more duty commanders at Fire and Rescue NSW; professional development training for 10,000 SES volunteers and staff; and new uniforms that meet Australian safety standards.
A new Drug Court is to be established in the justice system with new courtrooms planned and others upgraded but the Berrima, Parramatta and Kirkconnell Correctional Centres are to be closed. Eighty beds will be reopened at Parklea.
In other measures for the justice system, electronic filing of court documents is to be accelerated; a trial of alternative dispute resolution procedures in child protection matters is to be conducted at Bidura Children’s Court; legal aid services to victims of sexual assault seeking to prevent their counselling records being produced as evidence is to be increased; $200,000 has been allocated for research into the needs of victims of crime; and Coffs Harbour is to receive a $40 million courthouse and a $19 million police station as part of a planned Government Services Precinct in the city.
The Premier, Barry O’Farrell also announced that the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the NSW Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission are all to receive record funding in 2011/12.
Mr O’Farrell said the three Agencies would receive almost $4 million extra in recurrent funding for the financial year, nearly a 7 per cent increase.
“Honest governments have nothing to fear from the scrutiny of bodies, like the ICAC,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“In fact their recommendations often lead to better outcomes.”
7 September, 2011
Aboriginal taskforce
to blaze new trails
A new Ministerial Taskforce for Aboriginal Affairs has been announced to bring together senior Government Ministers and Aboriginal leaders.
Announced by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Victor Dominello, the new Taskforce would inject new leadership, new membership and new aspiration into Aboriginal related policy and program delivery.
Mr Dominello said the Taskforce was set up in response to the Auditor-General’s report into the Two Ways Together policy and would focus on Aboriginal educational and economic opportunity.
He said members of the Taskforce would include senior Ministers; the Directors-General of the Departments of Premier and Cabinet and Education and Communities; a representative from the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO); the Head of the Office of Aboriginal Affairs NSW; and independent Aboriginal advisors specialising in education and employment, as recommended by the Auditor General.
The Ministers would include those for Aboriginal Affairs, Health, education, Family and Community Services, Mental Health, Western NSW, the Treasurer and Attorney General.
Mr Dominello said the Taskforce would develop a draft policy strategy by mid 2012.
“The new Ministerial Taskforce provides a unique opportunity to involve Aboriginal leaders in the development of policy that is specific to Aboriginal people in NSW,” Mr Dominello said.
“In particular, the Taskforce will consider the recommendations of the Auditor General and other key reports, and focus upon identifying opportunities for improving education and employment outcomes for Aboriginal people.”
He said there would also be substantial public consultations with public meetings held in Aboriginal communities and an online submission process.
Chairman of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Stephen Ryan said he was confident that progress would be achieved if Aboriginal people could sit at a table with the Government to identify the issues and solutions and tackle the entrenched disadvantage experienced in their communities.
“We look forward to working in true partnership,” Mr Ryan said.
7 September, 2011
Forms on trial on
Tribunal survey
A survey of forms and supporting material developed by the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) has found that two-thirds of users and stakeholders rate them excellent or above average.
The online survey was conducted by the CTTT in May this year to evaluate the response to new application forms, information products and changes to the Tribunal’s online lodgement system following commencement of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 which came into effect on 31 January.
The CTTT sent the survey to its Tenancy and Aboriginal Consultative Forums as well as posting it on its website for six weeks for public comment.
“A total of 64 responses were received and a majority of respondents (63%) rated our new Tenancy and Social Housing forms and related information as above average or excellent,” the CTTT reported on its website.
“Less than 20 per cent of respondents had suggestions for improvements to the application forms.”
It said that although the majority of respondents were satisfied with the forms, some suggestions for improvement were adopted.
“The most significant change is the ability to include Real Estate agent details in the application forms, in addition to landlord details,” it said.
“We have also clarified the ‘service of documents’ provisions.”
It said that of the 65 per cent of survey respondents who lodged applications via the CTTT Online system, more than 80 per cent were satisfied with the supporting material provided.
“To better meet user needs, we now provide links to the orders information on the website from CTTT Online giving users a more detailed description of tenancy and social housing orders.
“We have also updated the instructions on each page to assist users.”
It said other changes to the website included a new Lodge online webpage which provided clear instructions for lodging applications online as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
It said around a quarter of survey respondents also made suggestions for improvements to the Tenancy and Social Housing Divisions.
“This feedback will be useful in our ongoing continuous improvement efforts to refine our online lodgement system and website,” it said.
Separately, the Tribunal also issued its key facts and statistics for the 2010-2011 financial year revealing it received 58,808 applications, conducted 72,836 hearings, finalised 59,956 matters and made 88,339 orders.
It reported that its application rate was 1 per cent down on the year before and 48 per cent of them were lodged online.
7 September, 2011
Border agreement
has edge to it
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NSW and Queensland aimed in part at improving responses to natural disasters.
The MoU will reinforce the relationship between the two States by including all Government services that were affected by cross-border issues.
According to Premier Barry O’Farrell, the agreement goes beyond current agreements, which only apply to areas such as health care, emergency services and transport in the Gold Coast-Tweed region.
The new agreement encompasses areas including policing, social services, primary industries, water, emergency management and response.
“There is a strong spirit of cooperation between our two States and this MoU is another sign of our shared determination to achieve positive outcomes for communities near the border,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“The MOU will formalise cooperation on strategic growth issues in key population centres and advance policy development and service delivery in the cross-border regions.”
He said the recent shared response to the Hendra Virus outbreak was a practical demonstration of how the closer cooperation would work.
Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh said the MoU would help the Queensland Government implement some of the recommendations from the Inquiry into the State’s recent devastating disasters.
“In its interim report the Commission of Inquiry recommended that the Queensland Government work with its NSW counterparts to set up procedures for coordinating emergency responses on the Queensland-NSW border,” Ms Bligh said.
“The Commission of Inquiry also recommended that Queensland work with NSW to coordinate road condition reporting procedures to inform Councils and road users of interstate road conditions in a variety of different ways.”
She said during the January floods almost 70 per cent of Queensland was our flood affected and in many cases travellers were stranded on either side of the border because they had not known the roads were cut.
Mr O’Farrell said the MOU provides for an annual meeting of the NSW and Queensland Premiers to progress cross-border issues.
7 September, 2011
Child deaths report
on the table
The Ombudsman has tabled his sixth report on reviewable child deaths in NSW.
Covering the years 2008 and 2009, the latest report is the first since changes to the law narrowed the scope of his responsibilities.
The Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, said his report considered the deaths of children occurring as a result of abuse or neglect, or in circumstances suspicious of abuse or neglect, and the deaths of children who were living in care.
He said the report covers the two year period from January 2008 to December 2009.
“In this period, 1181 children died in NSW, and the deaths of 77 (6.5 per cent) of these children were reviewable,” Mr Barbour said.
He said of the 77, 20 children died as a result of abuse; 23 as a result of neglect; 14 in circumstances suspicious of abuse (6) or neglect (8); and 20 children while in care.
He said the majority of the children were very young with over half (46) less than five years old.
Aboriginal children were over-represented, comprising a quarter (26 per cent) of the reviewable deaths.
“It is sobering to observe that most of the children who died in abuse-related circumstances died within the family, as a result of the actions of a parent, relative or carer,” Mr Barbour said.
“Equally concerning is that most children who died in neglect-related circumstances were very young; aged two years or less.”
He said some children drowned because they were unsupervised and a number of babies died while sleeping with drug or alcohol affected parents.
Mr Barbour said that although he no longer had responsibility for reviewing the deaths of children on the basis that they had been the subject of a report to Community Services, over half (30) of the 57 children whose deaths occurred or were suspected of occurring due to abuse or neglect had been the subject of reports within the three years prior.
“It is important to note that this report covers a two year period that pre-dates the recent significant reforms to the child protection system,” the Ombudsman said.
“For that reason we have not drawn conclusions about the operation of the new system, or made recommendations that relate to outdated practices.”
The Ombudsman’s full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Dental taskforce
to have bite
A new Dental Health Taskforce has been established to develop a plan to reduce dental waiting times and address shortages in the public dentistry workforce.
Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries, announced the Taskforce saying it would also recommend actions to increase sustainable dental services to match local needs.
He said setting up the Taskforce it was an election promise.
“The Dental Health Taskforce will develop a comprehensive NSW Dental Health Action Plan to return quality services to dental health and provide equitable access to dental care,” Mr Humphries said.
“The Taskforce will also consider strategies to improve the oral health outcomes for people with high dental health needs – especially those with a disability, older people, children and young people in ‘out of home’ care.”
He said good dental health was fundamental to the enjoyment of life, vital to general good health and contributed significantly to a person’s confidence and wellbeing.
Chair of the new Taskforce, Professor Chris Peck, welcomed the chance to develop the action plan to deliver more equitable dental services to the people of NSW.
“The Taskforce has the potential to prioritise and drive better dental health outcomes in NSW,” Professor Peck said.
Mr Humphries said there was an urgent need for the State Government to work with the Federal Government to develop strategies to address identified priority areas for dental health, particularly in regional areas.
“On all measures of tooth loss, people outside the State’s metropolitan centres fare much worse than residents in Sydney,” Mr Humphries said.
“Rates of complete tooth loss and untreated decay, for example, are much more prevalent in regional NSW, so it is vital that we look at strategies to overcome the factors that are causing regional people to suffer significantly poorer oral health.”
He also issued the Taskforce’s Terms of Reference, which include closing the gap in dental health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people; reviewing the effectiveness of budget allocations to dental health programs in NSW; and assessing the feasibility of incorporating dental health into the severe chronic disease management program.
7 September, 2011
Strong response to
disability strategy
A Ministerial Memorandum has been issued committing NSW Government Departments and Agencies to the National Disability Strategy being developed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).
Signed by the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, Ministerial Memorandum M2011-15 National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 says the Government is committed to improving the lives of all people with a disability in NSW and was collaborating with the Commonwealth and other States and Territories to develop the national strategy.
“The National Disability Strategy is a 10-year plan (2010-2020) for enabling people with a disability to fulfill their potential as equal citizens,” the Memorandum says.
“The Strategy recognises that full participation and social inclusion for people with a disability cannot be addressed by the specialist disability system alone – the engagement of mainstream areas such as education, health, transport and housing is essential.”
It says to drive implementation of the Strategy in NSW, a NSW Implementation Plan would be developed and linked to existing disability action planning processes.
“The successful implementation of this Strategy, including the development of the NSW Implementation Plan, will require the involvement and engagement of all NSW Government agencies,” the Memorandum says.
“An inter-departmental Steering Committee will shortly be established, chaired by the Department of Family and Community Services (Ageing, Disability and Home Care), to develop the NSW Implementation Plan.”
It says the intent of the Strategy is in line with the requirement under the Disability Services Act 1993 (NSW) for all NSW Government departments to undertake disability action planning.
According to the Memorandum, the National Disability Strategy has been designed around six main policy areas:
- Inclusive and accessible communities
- Rights protection, justice and legislation
- Economic security
- Personal and community support
- Learning and skills
- Health and wellbeing
Through the Memorandum, Mr O’Farrell commended the Strategy.
“I therefore encourage all Ministers and Agencies to familiarise themselves with the Strategy, which can be located on the website of the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA.)”.
The full Ministerial Memorandum can be accessed at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Warnings fired up
in gas campaign
Householders and property managers have been warned of the risks associated with using gas heaters and gas hot water systems in enclosed or confined areas.
Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts issued the warning which resulted from a Coroner’s inquest in 2002.
At that time, the Coroner recommended NSW Fair Trading conduct an information campaign for building managers in strata schemes, strata managers and owners corporations following the death in Pyrmont of a security guard from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The gas hot water heater where the security guard worked was not flued.
“Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless,” Mr Roberts said, “and as a result, people will be unaware of its presence and quickly overwhelmed.
“Heaters designed to be installed and operated outside can be dangerous if they are installed in enclosed spaces.”
He said adherence to installation regulations and Australian Standards relating to the storage and handling of gas heaters and gas water heaters was a matter of life and death.
He said the major danger with all gas heaters used in enclosed or confined spaces was that when ventilation was poor or obstructed, poisonous fumes such as carbon monoxide could be forced back into rooms.
Mr Roberts said all gas water heaters were required to be fitted with a flue vented to the outside of a building.
He said that in addition to conducting the information campaign, Fair Trading also inspected the marketplace to ensure compliance and had the power to direct unapproved or unsafe gas heaters and appliances to be removed from sale and defective gas installations to be rectified immediately.
“Fair Trading is currently investigating another Sydney unit complex where gas water heaters have been installed contrary to the Australian Standard, so I am strongly urging people to heed this warning,” Mr Roberts said.
He urged people in need of advice to contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20 or check the Gas Safety fact sheet at Fair Trading website at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Vets groomed for
national register
NSW is to join a national system for registering veterinary surgeons.
Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said legislation had been introduced into Parliament to align the State with the national code which was supported by the Council of Primary Industries Ministers.
“The Primary Industries Ministerial Council recommended in 2007 that a national veterinary registration system be implemented,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
“This change is strongly supported by veterinarians, livestock industries and Governments across Australia.”
She said under the system, vets would no longer need to register in each of the States they practised in, only the State where they mainly worked or lived.
“It will allow NSW-registered veterinarians to practise anywhere in Australia and those who are registered interstate to work in NSW,” she said.
“This amendment to the Veterinary Practice Act will result in a better deal for consumers and improve biosecurity in Australia.”
She said it would also reduce costs and cut red tape for practitioners.
“The change will also assist during emergency animal disease responses when veterinarians may be required to travel interstate at short notice.
“For instance, it would have been very helpful to have this legislation in place during the Equine Influenza outbreak as it would have enabled veterinarians to work seamlessly interstate to better combat the spread of the disease.”
Ms Hodgkinson said a national database of registered vets would be developed by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council to administer the national registration system.
7 September, 2011
Law reformers fix
match fixing
The NSW Law Reform Commission has produced a report on cheating at gambling which is being considered by the Government.
According to the Commission, sports betting has become a major industry in Australia and match-fixing and other practices can involve significant fraud.
“The criminal law has not kept up to date,” The Commission says.
It has proposed two new sets of specific offences to cover sports betting rorts.
“The first set of offences covers conduct by anybody (including players, match officials and team support people) that ‘corrupts the betting outcome of an event’ with the intention of obtaining a financial advantage from betting,” it says.
“The second set of offences covers using inside information in connection with a sporting event to bet on that event.”
In both cases, the Commission proposes a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment which is the same penalty as for fraud.
The Commission, which is chaired by Justice James Wood, also proposes improving the State’s regulatory and enforcement arrangements by creating a single authority to replace the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing and the Casino Liquor and Gaming Authority and rationalising the powers of their respective inspectors.
It also examined cheating associated with gaming machines and Casino type games, and proposes a review of existing offences with the aim of creating a new general offence in the Crimes Act.
“The NSW Law Reform Commission has been proposing changes to the State’s laws since 1966,” it said.
It was the first law reform agency established in Australia.
The Commission’s full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Artificial reef
making waves
A construction contract has been awarded for NSW’s first offshore artificial reef.
Sydney firm Waterway Constructions has been selected to build the reef which will be about 1.2 kilometres off The Gap at Vaucluse and 1.9 kilometres off South Head.
According to the Department of Primary Industries, the purpose-built offshore reef will be the first and largest artificial reef structure to be designed and constructed in Australia.
“It is expected the artificial reef will not only attract fish species such as snapper and yellowtail kingfish but avid fishers from near and far,” the Department said in a statement.
“This is the first of the three offshore artificial reefs planned for NSW over the next five years and is expected to vastly improve recreational fishing opportunities off the coast of Sydney.”
It said the reef would be made of steel, stand 12 metres high, weigh around 42 tonnes and provide a complex habitat for a range of marine species.
“The reef structures will have a lifespan of more than 30 years and have been specially designed to withstand NSW coastal conditions while minimising ecological impacts.”
Construction is due to begin about now and is expected to be completed by Christmas.
The Department said that funds to build the reef would come from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust, a great example of how recreational licence fees were being invested back into the fishing community.
More information on the offshore artificial reefs is available from the Department of
Primary Industries website at this PS News link.
7 September, 2011
Project review
for Barangaroo
A peer review of site remediation plans at Barangaroo has been ordered.
Announced by the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, the review was a recommendation of the Barangaroo Review and would allow the giant project to move ahead without further delay.
Mr O’Farrell said the review would be conducted by an independent Contaminated Sites Auditor who would be selected by a panel chaired by the Office of Environment and Heritage.
He said members of the panel would include representatives of the City of Sydney, Australians for Sustainable Development, Lend Lease and the Barangaroo Delivery Authority.
Mr O’Farrell said the peer review would be additional to other regulatory processes in place, including requirements under the Contaminated Land Management Act and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
“The Barangaroo Review noted those responsible for the site intend to remediate it safely and in accordance with best practice,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“This process will provide the community with additional assurances.”
He said while the peer review would be conducted as a priority, it would not be allowed to delay work on the project.
“This means work, including the commencement of basement construction at Barangaroo South and the Headland Park, should begin as soon as possible,” Mr O’Farrell said.
He said the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard, had approved the Remedial Action Plan for the basement car park which would service the three main commercial buildings at Barangaroo South.
“The plan was approved by an independent site auditor accredited by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, along with the Office of Environment and Heritage.”
Mr O’Farrell described Barangaroo as a “vitally important city precinct” and a rare opportunity for renewal in a city CBD.
He expected the peer review to take about three months.
7 September, 2011
Business migrants
to do the business
A number of changes are being made to the NSW business migration program to make it more competitive in attracting high-value immigration to the State.
Announced by the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Stoner, the changes follow a strategic review of the program which permits successful business owners and investors overseas to migrate to Australia if they are sponsored by a State or Territory Government agency.
“The changes to the business migration program reflect the need to support business migrants who wish to settle in NSW,” Mr Stoner said.
“We want the best and brightest businesspeople around the world to create jobs and run businesses in NSW.”
He said in recent years, NSW had not been winning its fair share of jobs and investment through business migration.
“These reforms will reduce red tape and put a greater focus on the economic outcomes,” he said.
“The changes are designed to achieve sustainable jobs and investment while maintaining the integrity of the program.”
Mr Stoner said the reforms being implemented included removing the requirement for applicants visiting NSW to do so on a special visa; removing the need for them to lodge unnecessarily onerous business plans in favour of a Business Commitment template; and requiring applicants to attend an interview to outline their business proposal.
“The program retains the flexibility to be expanded to generate more economic benefit and meet the demands of the job market as required,” Mr Stoner said.
He said NSW Trade and Investment was the sponsoring agency in NSW and successful applicants would be given four years to establish their business or investment in NSW and qualify for permanent residence.
7 September, 2011
Disability scheme enabled
Reforms to the Police Death and Disability Scheme have been proposed in an effort to make it sustainable.
Treasurer, Mike Baird said the scheme provided financial support to injured police officers but had never operated within its budget.
He said the Government was considering contributing 3.6 per cent of eligible officers’ salaries towards the Scheme but discussions were ongoing with the Police Association.
He expected the reform to be completed by the end of the year.
PSA verdict on jails
The Public Service Association has criticised plans to close down the Parramatta, Kirkconnell and Berrima jails saying the move was a serious blow to jobs and posed a threat to officer safety in the remaining jails which would now be at real risk of overcrowding.
“These job cuts represent more than 10 per cent job of the total Department,” the PSA said.
“As prisoner numbers increase, the fewer number of officers and the fewer number of prisons will just mean that our jails are rougher, tougher and overcrowded.”
Women’s programs
A new Bureau of Women’s Statistics is to be established to collect and publish data on a broad range of issues relating to women including employment, health, education and domestic violence.
Minister for Women, Pru Goward, announced the move as part of the State Budget, saying the first ever annual report on the Status of Women in NSW would also be published this financial year.
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