Nominations open for NSW Women of the Year Awards 2024

Nominations for the 2024 NSW Women of the Year Awards are now open! These annual awards put the spotlight on women and girls whose determination, bravery, skill and passion should be celebrated and shared, inspiring others to achieve great things. They celebrate the role models who challenge inequality, innovate and inspire.

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Sara Johnston
Delivering better healthcare, closer to home, for people living in rural, regional and remote parts of NSW

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to begin the long-term repair and structural reform of the delivery of health care services across NSW, by rebuilding our essential health services, reinvesting in frontline health workers and improving access to care.

People living in rural, regional and remote parts of NSW will have better access to high-quality healthcare as part of the 2023-24 NSW Budget.

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Sara Johnston
Securing regional jobs and encouraging investment in Minns Government’s first budget

The NSW Government today released the 2023-24 NSW Budget which improves essential services, delivers cost-of-living relief and lays a foundation for a better and more secure future for NSW.

Delivering on an election commitment, included in the budget is $5.2 million to establish Future Jobs and Investment Authorities. The regional authorities will assist coal-producing regions to develop new industries and economic opportunities as NSW builds its renewable energy capability.

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Sara Johnston
Laying the foundations for a better, more secure future

Every person across NSW should have access to a safe and secure place to call home.

Housing affordability and availability is the biggest single pressure facing the people of NSW, with mortgage payments or rent the largest expense for most households.

The Minns Labor Government recognises housing as essential infrastructure and the 2023-24 Budget, lays out a plan to rebuild a neglected system through immediate support and critical long-term planning.

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Sara Johnston
$1 million in Aboriginal cultural grants to help Close the Gap

$1 million in grants is now open for Aboriginal Community Organisations to apply to stage events and activities that celebrate and promote traditional and contemporary expressions of Aboriginal culture. Grants from $500 to $20,000 are on offer over two rounds. 

The grants program is just one of the key initiatives funded in the first Minns Labor Budget with $131.4 million over the next four years to support the continued implementation of the co-developed Closing the Gap initiatives.

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Sara Johnston
National industries and governments decide to transition the Varroa mite program

The NSW Government has agreed with all industry and government partners that the potential to eradicate is no longer possible and that we now need to work collaboratively to manage and minimise the impact of varroa.
 
Despite the comprehensive $101 million spend and effort to eradicate the mite, the transition from an ‘eradication’ program to a ‘management’ program was concluded because of the many factors working against a possible eradication in Australia. 

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Sara Johnston
Pipeline of skilled workers secured as $93.5 million invested in hiring 1000 new apprentices and trainees

One thousand new apprentices and trainees will soon have jobs as the Minns Labor government commits $93.5 million to building a pipeline of skilled workers for NSW.

This initiative is part of the NSW Government’s plan to tackle skills gaps in the state’s economy in priority industries, including in critical services of transport, electricity, water, IT and cyber security.

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Sara Johnston
More funding to inspire Australia’s creative kids

More young Australians will be supported to pursue artistic endeavours with the Australian Government announcing a further funding boost for youth arts.

The Albanese Labor Government is investing $450,000 in Creative Australia to support its delivery of programs that increase young people’s participation in arts and theatre.

This will provide more opportunities for young people to realise their creative potential and discover new and exciting avenues for cultural expression.

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Sara Johnston
Australian Government welcomes new industry code for search engines

The Minister for Communications has welcomed the eSafety Commissioner’s registration of a new industry code of practice to tackle seriously harmful online content.

The new Search Engine Services Code includes mandatory requirements to reduce the risk that illegal online content such as terrorism or child abuse material will be returned to Australians via search results. The new Code will apply to search engines including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo.

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Sara Johnston
Shining a light on our plan for harmonised road safety data this Rural Road Safety Month

September is Rural Road Safety Month, which promotes awareness of the increased risks of travelling on and around our regional roads, such as increased speeds, road conditions, and emergency response and retrieval times. All road users must consider how they can uphold road safety.

Road safety matters are complex and don’t have quick solutions, which is why the Albanese Government is working with states and territories on a number of road safety commitments to halve road deaths by 2030, on the path to zero by 2050.

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Sara Johnston
Have Your Say | DRAFT - Tolland Concept Masterplan

Wagga Wagga City Council is placing the DRAFT – Tolland Concept Masterplan on public exhibition for a period of 42 days from 11 September to 24 October 2023 and is inviting public submissions until 24 October 2023 on the draft document. The aim of the DRAFT Tolland Renewal Masterplan is to renew social, affordable and private homes, and deliver enhanced open spaces and community infrastructure.

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Sara Johnston
Have Your Say - Bus Industry Taskforce

The NSW Government has created a Bus Industry Taskforce to make recommendations to improve the reliability, quality and effectiveness of bus services across NSW. Bus services connect people to jobs, education, family and essential services and play a crucial role in supporting the broader transport network.

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Sara Johnston
$200,000 Medium Business Support Grant extended to Central West and Southern NSW

Flood-impacted medium-size businesses across the central west and southern NSW can now apply for up to $200,000 in support through a jointly-funded Albanese and Minns Government grant program, delivered by Service NSW.

The Medium Business Support Grant is available to business and non-profit organisations with more than 20 and less than 200 full-time equivalent employees who were directly impacted by storms and floods from August to September 2022.

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Sara Johnston
Tender opens for the National Audit of Mobile Coverage

I welcome the release by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts of the request for tender (RFT) to conduct a National Audit of Mobile Coverage.

This is a key milestone towards the Government’s efforts to audit mobile coverage across the country.

The aim of the Audit is to better identify mobile coverage black spots to help target future investment, and to assess the accuracy of carrier coverage maps. 

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Sara Johnston
Major art and cultural exhibitions to tour the country

More Australians around the country will be able to experience exhibitions at their local galleries and museums thanks to $1 million in funding from the Albanese Labor Government.

Making sure there’s a place for every story and a story for every place, the funding will support 12 exhibitions from Australia’s major cultural institutions to tour to remote, regional and metropolitan locations around the country.

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Sara Johnston