Trial grants program launched to improve flexibility in early childhood education and care

The NSW Government has launched a $20 million trial grants program aimed at improving working families’ access to early childhood education and care when and where they need it most.

Offering providers a pool of up to $20 million over two years, the Flexible Initiatives Trial will provide grants to support existing ECEC services to expand and innovate, to better meet the needs of children and families and allow parents to enter the workforce or increase their hours.

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Sara Johnston
Fire and Rescue NSW works with multicultural communities to deliver key fire safety messages

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is continuing to work with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities to deliver key home fire safety messages as the weather warms up.

FRNSW attended the Canterbury-Bankstown Safety Expo on October 7th, with firefighters from Arabic, Greek and Vietnamese backgrounds spending time with locals to discuss fire safety in their native language.

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Sara Johnston
Turning up the volume - on Live Music Australia funding

The Live Music Australia program aims to bring music to more Australians, supporting organisations and businesses to professionally stage original live music in regional communities. Round 7 is now open for applications and Australian live music festivals presenting home-grown music can apply for assistance towards a range of activities and equipment.

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Sara Johnston
Facilitating safer trucks in Australia

The Australian Government has made changes to the national road vehicle standards to facilitate the supply of safer trucks in Australia, to help reduce road trauma while bolstering freight productivity.

It is estimated the changes will provide a net benefit of over $500 million to the Australian economy.

The Safer Freight Vehicles package includes an increase to the overall width limit from 2.50 to 2.55 metres for new trucks that are fitted with a number of safety features.

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Sara Johnston
A roadmap for the oil and gas infrastructure industry

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) is undertaking consultations to develop a roadmap for an oil and gas infrastructure decommissioning industry, with the key objectives of:

 

  • growing a decommissioning industry in a safe and ethical way, which also benefits adjacent industries

  • creating a safe and high skilled jobs environment which supports indigenous opportunity and gender equality

  • creating a shared long-term vision between Government, industry and workers.

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Sara Johnston
Taskforce to drive high tech communications for first responders

Australia’s first responders are now one step closer to improved communications during an emergency, following the establishment of the Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) Taskforce. The announcement of the Taskforce comes ahead of the National Bushfire Summit, being held in Canberra today (Monday). The PSMB Taskforce will be responsible for laying the groundwork for the long-term public safety communications infrastructure, prioritising the partnerships with state and territory governments to ensure they have a voice in its design.

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Sara Johnston
Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund (RERRF)

The Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund (RERRF) is supporting regional councils to continue vital repair and maintenance work needed following the devastating effects of severe weather and natural disasters. The RERRF will help regional councils to fix the damage and keep communities and industry connected and able to move to, from and through regional towns and centres across NSW.

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Sara Johnston
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