Producer Offset changes to support iconic Australian drama

Media Release from the Hon Tony Burke, Minister for the Arts

MEDIA RELEASE | 15 December 2023

The Australian Federal Government is supporting more Australian stories on screen with changes to the Producer Offset announced today.

The change introduces an additional minimum expenditure threshold so that more Australian drama series can benefit from the scheme.

The Producer Offset gives a tax rebate to producers for expenditure on eligible Australian films, television and other projects. Currently, a drama series must spend at least $500,000 per hour in qualifying Australian production expenditure – that is, expenditure incurred for goods and services used or provided in Australia.

With the new threshold, drama series that spend at least $35 million per season in qualifying Australian production expenditure will be eligible for the offset.

This change will benefit any drama series that films significant numbers of hours over a season but does not meet the per hour threshold – meaning more drama productions will be able to access the Producer Offset.

This means shows like Channel Seven’s Home and Away would be eligible, where they previously weren’t.

The new per season threshold will apply to drama series that commence filming on or after 1 July 2024.

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the changes would help industry professionals secure ongoing work and promote telling uniquely Australian stories.

“We want to see more Australian stories shown on screen. Backing in Australian drama is essential to that.

“This change will help to support more iconic Australian stories being told and shared by the people who know them best.”

The Producer Offset is a refundable tax offset for producers of Australian feature films, television and other projects that contain significant Australian content.

It provides a 40 per cent rebate for feature film and a 30 per cent rebate for productions on other platforms, calculated as a percentage of a production’s qualifying Australian production expenditure.

More information about the Producer Offset can be found here.

Government to implement all recommendations of News Media Bargaining Code review

Joint Media Release from the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications and The Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services

MEDIA RELEASE | 18 December 2023

The Government will implement all recommendations of Treasury’s review of the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code (the Code).

The review concluded that the Code had been a success in its first year, with over 30 commercial agreements inked between digital platforms Google and Meta, and a cross-section of news businesses. The review found that the agreements that were highly unlikely to have been made without the Code.

The Code is intended to help support the sustainability of the Australian news media sector by addressing bargaining power imbalances between digital platforms and Australian news businesses. Commercial agreements that contribute to this objective are relevant under the Code’s designation provisions.

Treasury made five recommendations to improve the Code’s operation.

In response to the report, the Government will introduce legislative amendments to facilitate the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) preparing periodic reports on the digital platforms that should be covered by the Code.

The ACCC will have compulsory information-gathering powers to assist it to prepare these reports, and to allow scrutiny of commercial deals between the digital platforms and Australian news businesses to effectively evaluate their contribution, and the outcomes resulting from the Code.

The Government will also commission a further review of the Code after four years of its operation in early 2025.

Many commercial agreements between Australian news businesses and digital platforms will expire over the next year. The Government expects that digital platforms with significant bargaining power will negotiate in good faith towards the renewal of existing agreements, and potentially new agreements, with Australian news businesses.

The full Government response, including the recommendations, will be available on Treasury’s website at 8.30am Monday 18 December 2023.

SMS Sender ID Registry set to protect more Australians from scammers

Joint Media Release from the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications and The Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Financial Services

MEDIA RELEASE | 15 December 2023

The Albanese Government is taking further action to protect Australians from SMS scams with a trial phase of the Sender ID Registry being rolled out today.
 
More than 47 per cent of Australians have reported exposure to fake or deceptive text messages in the last year, and in 2022 Australians lost an estimated $3.1 billion to scams. Text message are the leading contact method for scams according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
 
The Registry will help stop scammers from spoofing trusted brand names – like Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank – and slipping into legitimate text exchanges to deceive Australians.

This voluntary pilot phase will test the operation and effectiveness of the Registry before the Government moves towards a finalised scheme in 2024.
 
A number of organisations have already joined the pilot and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will formally invite additional organisations that have been the subject of spoof text scams to participate from early 2024. Participating telcos include Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom and Pivotel.
 
The Registry was announced in the 2023-24 Federal Budget, with the ACMA receiving $10 million over four years to launch and maintain the SMS Sender ID Registry.
 
In the past 15 months telcos have reported blocking over 336.7 million scam SMS under ACMA-registered rules.
 
The Registry complements the Albanese Government’s investment to establish a National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) within the ACCC as an innovative, world-leading public-private sector partnership to disrupt and stop scammers in Australia.
 
The NASC is leveraging expertise and resourcing from across government, law enforcement, telecommunications providers, financial services, digital platforms and other intermediaries to deliver a cohesive strategy to prevent future impacts on the economic and social wellbeing of Australians.
 
Consumers should remain vigilant about suspicious texts and take action to confirm messages are from legitimate businesses or government agencies. If people receive scam messages, they should report them to the Scamwatch service and provide as much detail as possible: www.scamwatch.gov.au

NSW will ban engineered stone from 1 July 2024 to protect workers’ health

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, and NSW Minister for Work Health and Safety

MEDIA RELEASE | 13 December 2023

New South Wales will prohibit the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone from the 1st of July 2024.

NSW joined most other states and territories in agreeing to ban the dangerous product by the middle of next year.

The decision was made after careful consideration of the Safe Work Australia Decision Regulatory Impact Statement which found there was no safe level of silica in engineered stone.

Rates of silicosis and silica related diseases in Australian workers have risen substantially in recent years, with a disproportionate number of diagnoses among engineered stone workers.

SafeWork NSW will continue its work ensuring compliance with work health and safety requirements including site visits and issuing penalties to any operator who is non-compliant.

Early this year, NSW passed tough new laws to double penalties on any employer illegally exposing their workers to silica dust.

The WHS Ministers also agreed today to task Safe Work Australia with further work to strengthen regulations.

Ministers will meet again in March 2024 to finalise the details of the implementation of the ban on the use of engineered stone, including the regulation of legacy products and transitional arrangements for contracts entered into before today.

The WHS Ministers will continue nationally consistent and coordinated consultation and messaging for workers, unions, business and consumers.

The NSW Government also welcomes the Commonwealth’s commitment to implement an eventual import ban on engineered stone.

Road safety funding boost for community groups across NSW

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, and the NSW Minister for Roads

MEDIA RELEASE | 14 December 2023

Grassroots groups across NSW are set to share in more than $400,000 worth of new funding thanks to Community Road Safety Grants delivered by the Minns Labor government.

Supported through the Community Road Safety Grants program, 19 groups will each receive up to $30,000 to roll out projects that will increase road safety awareness and support safer road use.

Projects approved in round 9 of the grants program include:

• free or subsidised driver education for disadvantaged and indigenous youths

• a courtesy bus to reduce drink driving in Regional NSW

• a program to help newly arrived refugees navigate NSW road rules

• training to improve road safety for children with disabilities as passengers in motor vehicles

• an 8-episode bilingual radio series on youth road safety.

The new projects funded by the Community Road Safety Grants program are among more than 200, worth a total of more than $3 million, that have now been delivered by Transport for NSW since the program was established in 2015.

For more information about the Community Road Safety Grants and the full list of projects visit Transport for NSWlaunch.

State Government to deliver safety, security and resilience for faith groups across NSW

Media Release from the NSW Government

MEDIA RELEASE | 13 December 2023

The NSW State Government is delivering on our commitment to protect our multifaith community. Faith groups can now apply for a share of $15 million to upgrade safety and security at their places of worship thanks to the NSW Government’s Safe Places for Faith Communities Grants Program.

Under the program, grants of between $5000 and $250,000 will be available for eligible groups to protect important sites where they gather, improve risk mitigation and build the social cohesion and resilience of faith groups.

Funding can be used anywhere in NSW at eligible faith-based centres including places of worship, seminaries, religious museums, religious community centres, religious retreats and places of religious significance, including shrines, faith-based cemeteries or memorials.

This program has been developed in collaboration with key government and faith stakeholders, as well as the NSW Community and Resilience and Response Plan (COMPLAN) Committee.

Successful grants recipients will also have the opportunity to join a Community of Practice to share knowledge with other faith groups and participate in workshops and information sessions aimed at fostering interfaith collaboration on community safety and wellbeing. 

Find further information about the Safe Places for Faith Communities Grants Program and to register for an Information Sessionlaunch.

FINAL CALL FOR NATIONAL FARM CRIME SURVEY

Farm crime is significantly impacting our rural communities and farming operations across pastoral, agricultural, and aquaculture sectors. The Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) has recently launched the Australian Farm Crime Survey, the first of its kind in nearly twenty years. UNE are requesting feedback from more farmers across Australia!

The objective of the Australian Farm Crime Survey, is to gather representative insights from each state, allowing The Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) to better understand farm crime across the country and develop effective solutions.

The Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) need valuable information from those involved in farming who have key insights into the important issues. Have your say in improving the safety and well-being of rural farming communities! 

Telstra switching off 3G from 30 June 2024

The demand for mobile services continues to increase, so we’re taking steps to reduce congestion, increase capacity and improve coverage. For that to happen, Telstra is removing their oldest mobile technology - 3G - and repurposing it to expand their faster 5G network. Telstra will be switching off their 3G network from 30 June 2024.

This means:

• If you have a device that’s only able to connect to 3G, you won’t be able to connect to Telstra’s network after 30 June 2024.

• If your mobile device doesn’t have Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology, even if it uses 4G, it will not be able to make voice calls on the Telstra network after 30 June 2024.

• If your device doesn’t support VoLTE emergency calling, you will not be able to make an emergency call to 000 on the Telstra Mobile Network.

To continue using the Telstra network, you’ll need to upgrade to a 4G/5G VoLTE-capable and compatible device prior to 30 June 2024.

Mapping a new approach for media diversity in the digital era

Media Release from the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications

MEDIA RELEASE | 12 December 2023

Consultation is now open on the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) to promote a diverse and sustainable media sector, with the Albanese Government to deliver $11.2 million to the ACMA Media Diversity Measurement Framework.
 
The News MAP will help guide and inform future Government intervention to support public interest journalism and media diversity in Australia, laying the foundations for a principled, targeted and evidence-based approach.
 
The consultation process seeks views on the draft News MAP initiative, which has three components:

• Objectives: establishing clear policy objectives to guide effective policy development, implementation and evaluation to support the sector;

• Measures: identifying potential measures to support the sector and factors to be considered in the effective application of measures;

• Evidence: improving the evidence base needed to assess the state of public interest journalism and media diversity in Australia, identify areas of need and inform policy.

As part of establishing the evidence base for News MAP, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) undertook consultation in 2023 to develop a new framework for measuring media diversity in Australia that accounts for the impacts of the digital news environment.
 
The Government welcomes the release of the ACMA’s Media Diversity Measurement Framework, has accepted the associated recommendations, and is pleased to announce the regulator will receive $11.2 million over four years for implementation.
 
This will enable the ACMA to better measure the state of diversity across the Australian media landscape in accordance with its statutory functions, including deeper engagement and collaboration with industry, academia and subject-matter experts.
 
The ACMA will publish its first report under the new measurement framework by the end of next year, and will then produce a report every two years, monitoring changes to the baseline, as well as providing new insights and case studies on different aspects of the Australian news market.
 
In addition, the Government has set aside a further $800,000 for the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) to continue its important work in tracking the news media landscape in Australia, and will also provide an additional $6 million to Australian Associated Press (AAP), given the fundamental role the newswire service plays in supporting public interest journalism and media diversity, including in regional communities.
 
Consultation on the News MAP will close on 22 February 2024. To make a written submission, visit www.infrastructure.gov.au/have-your-say/news-media-assistance-program-news-map
 
More information on the ACMA Media Diversity Measurement Framework at www.acma.gov.au/media-diversity-measurement-framework

More than three million Australians now eligible for full-fibre NBN upgrades

Media Release from the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications

MEDIA RELEASE | 13 December 2023

An additional 400,000 homes and businesses across Australia will be able to access full-fibre broadband upgrades as part of the Albanese Government’s plan to deliver a National Broadband Network, with the latest list of eligible suburbs and towns just released.

These newly eligible premises will join the 3 million Australian homes and businesses previously served by a slower, less reliable copper connection that can today already access full-fibre upgrades.

The copper broadband network retained by the former Coalition Government is slower, less reliable, more expensive to maintain and more likely to experience prolonged faults. In contrast, world-class fibre broadband means faster upload and download speeds, and a more reliable connection for residents and small businesses.
 
Access to full fibre is driving productivity savings for households and businesses, with NBN users saving over 100 hours and $2,580 per year by using higher speed broadband.

NBN research shows that the network has delivered $122 billion worth of economic uplift to 2022, and has helped create approximately 169,000 additional jobs – the equivalent of a 1.3 per cent increase in Australia’s labour force.

By the end of December 2023, 75% of premises in the NBN fixed line network will be able to access fibre all the way to their homes and benefit from download speeds of close to 1 Gbps through NBN’s fastest residential plan.

An upgrade will be available on-demand where an eligible household or business takes out a higher speed plan, with no upfront installation cost.

These upgrades have been made possible by the Albanese Government’s election commitment to invest $2.4 billion in the October 2022 Budget to expand full-fibre access to an additional 1.5 million premises by the end of 2025.

More information about eligible premises can be found at: www.nbnco.com.au/residential/upgrades/more-fibre

For more information on the Australian Government’s investment, visit: minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/albanese-government-delivers-major-nbn-boost-2022-23-federal-budget.

ABC Heywire winners celebrate the strength and diversity of living in regional and rural Australia

Resilience, courage, and the desire to create change feature strongly in the stories from the 2024 ABC Heywire winners, announced today (12 December 2023).  

Hundreds of Australians aged 16 to 22 from regional, rural, and remote areas entered the competition band spoke openly and authentically about life beyond our major cities, through audio recordings, photos, videos and written stories.. 

The stories from this year’s 35 ABC Heywire winners highlight Australia’s rich diversity and provide insight into the lives and communities of young Australians living in the regions.

Special congratulations go out to Sped from Adelong, who is the winner in the Riverina region. Sped tells the story of the Black Summer bushfires and in particular, the Dunns Road fire.

Since its inception 25 years ago, Heywire has become a leading and powerful platform for rural youth, amplifying their voices and putting them at the centre of the conversations that shape their communities.

Farmers, volunteer surf lifesavers, Indigenous youth leaders, medical students, community organisers, LGBTQIA+ allies, advocates, fisherman, and law students , are just a handful of examples of the winners who have worked with the ABC to produce their stories for radio and online. A full list of winners and their stories are available via the ABC Heywire website.

Creative Communities: putting culture at the heart of NSW

Media Release from the NSW Minister for the Arts

MEDIA RELEASE | 12 December 2023

The Minns government has today unveiled details of Creative Communities, the new arts, culture and creative industries policy.

Creative Communities is a 10-year vision, the state’s first creative industries policy, supporting the traditional arts sector and cultural institutions, but encompassing industries informed by the state’s unique and diverse cultural strengths, including:

• First Nations cultures

• galleries, libraries, archives and museums

• performing arts including theatre, dance, circus, comedy, cabaret

• music including classical and contemporary composition, performance, and recording

• screen and digital games 

• visual arts and crafts

• literature, writing and publishing

• broadcasting and digital media

• design, architecture and fashion

• built and physical heritage

• creative and arts education

• creativity in the food and beverage sector

• creative innovation in the technology sector.

Creative Communities has the goal of sustainably growing the depth and breadth of creative industries throughout NSW, and over the next decade enabling creative individuals, organisations and communities throughout the state to reach their potential.

The NSW Government endorses Revive, the national cultural policy. Through Creative Communities the government will focus on implementing Revive by supporting the NSW cultural ecosystem.

Creative Communities also supports the Revive goal of exporting more Australian stories to the world. Australia has one of the largest creative trade deficits per capita in the world. We consume global stories faster and tell local stories less than most places on the planet. The NSW Government will measure and establish goals to increase the state’s creative exports.

Whole of government approach

Creative Communities will guide the NSW Government’s efforts to enable, support and advocate for culture for the next decade. Commitments to support this include:

• Creative Communities commits to a whole-of-government effort to advocate for, to enable and invest in the arts, culture and creative industries.

• To drive implementation of the policy across government, a role will be designated to lead and oversee this transformation, guided by a ministerial advisory committee, senior public servants, and industry advisors.

• Legislating the delivery of a Creative Statement to the Parliament every 3 years, detailing and tracking the status, health and progress of the arts, culture and creative industries in line with this policy.

• Establishing formal partnerships between Create NSW and the NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, the Ministry of Health, Transport for NSW, Placemaking NSW and other agencies to further develop priority streams of work.

• Recognising the importance of the state’s universities, National Art School, NIDA and the Australian Film TV and Radio School to our cultural ecosystem and strengthening partnerships with them.

Creative people

Enabled by recent and ongoing improvements to creative infrastructure, the NSW Government will focus on investing in a wide variety of creative people and communities across the state. Additionally, the NSW Government commits to:

• Safeguarding and modernising workplace conditions for artists, including requiring individuals and organisations receiving government funding to commit to safe workplace standards.

Next generation creatives

Creative Communities encourages the next generation of culture workers and leaders to step forward. This will be a condition of NSW Government funding. Further commitments include:

• Establishing a Youth Creative Taskforce to ensure the next generation of cultural leaders are at the decision-making table and advise the minister directly.

• Referring arts and music education to the NSW Parliament for inquiry.

• Establishing a Generations fellowship, $500,000 investment over 5 years to support 15 early career Western Sydney music artists to undertake professional development.

Creative spaces

• The NSW Government will activate creative spaces by a combination of continued direct public investment, seeking new sources of investment for the sector and regulatory reform.

• Creative Communities envisages that NSW will become home to a First Nations cultural centre and enhanced cultural tourism. It will forge strong and enduring partnerships with Indigenous creative communities, to create new work, rebuild connection and healing.

• The NSW Government supports maintaining free public access to NSW state cultural institutions and collections. They have been built with public money over many decades and are the property of, and should be accessible by  all, NSW citizens.

• A cultural space audit in 2024 will aim to identify underutilised assets that could be used for creative endeavours, including spaces held by NSW agencies, local councils and other landholders.

• The NSW Government will ensure that cultural infrastructure and good design are included in major public housing and transport infrastructure investments, including by expanding the Heritage Floor Space Scheme.

• The NSW Government will introduce further vibrancy reforms in 2024 – continuing to improve planning, liquor, outdoor and sound and noise regulations to encourage cultural activity across NSW.

The NSW Government will also:

• Ensure the White Bay Power Station will be available for ongoing cultural use, starting with the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.

Festivals

The NSW Government will support festivals across the state by:

• Strengthening the co-ordination of festival support in NSW to properly position and grow the festivals sector, leveraging the wide range of industries involved, including improving staging for festivals and concerts following the development of a business for outdoor cultural infrastructure across central Sydney, Parramatta, Western Sydney and Regional NSW.

• Reviewing the Entertainment Act to identify ways to strengthen support for festivals, venues, artists, managers and music workers.

Creative reform

• The NSW Government will establish a Cultural Front Door concierge, a simplified way for creative people to engage with government.

• The NSW Government will reform of the Arts and Culture Funding Program (ACFP) making it a fairer and more equitable process, including reducing paperwork for applicants and simplifying the acquittal process.

• The Minister will issue a formal direction to the state’s tourism body, Destination NSW, to formalise the state’s experience tourism policy focus. Such a direction will explicitly commit support for the arts, culture and creative experiences across NSW.

• Promoting NSW arts and culture venues and activities, including local festivals and events, alongside major international/national entertainment through refocussed Destination NSW marketing funding and state-wide calendar optimised to show local events and programs.

Screen

Screen NSW will be made more independent, and we will strengthen its capacity to serve the industry by shortening investment approval timeframes, contracting and payment times, and expanding the role of the board.

Additional support for the sector includes:

• developing a business case for a second major film studio in Sydney to ensure Sydney remains the leading location for Australian and international productions

• introducing a new digital games seed development fund and market travel program to expand our support for the sector to grow the digital games industry

• providing long-term funding certainty for screen investment programs

• making Callan Park available for filming on an ongoing basis.

Music

The reshaping of the music sector will be driven by Sound NSW with leadership from its newly appointed advisory board and in collaboration with Music Australia, Creative Australia’s new contemporary music office. The review of contemporary music has begun, and a 10-year music strategy and the 3-year implementation plan will be released in 2024.

Additionally, the NSW Government will:

• legislate a board for the state’s contemporary music agency, Sound NSW, in 2024.

• develop a business case for a home for music in NSW, providing affordable spaces for music organisations, businesses, community radio, networking, rehearsal and events.

Western Sydney

• The NSW Government will invest in the Western Sydney Arts Alliance and increase staff support to coordinate initiatives for Western Sydney artists, arts organisations and creative communities.

• To support NSW children’s education, the NSW Government will develop a strategic partnership between the NSW Department of Education and Powerhouse Parramatta to embed NSW teachers into the Powerhouse Parramatta team to develop curriculum-based learning programs in collaboration with teachers, schools, industry and the museum.

• Powerhouse Parramatta will develop a major new multi-year Western Sydney initiative for writers and writing with Sydney Writers Festival, Western Sydney University and City of Parramatta Council from 2026.

• When the Powerhouse Parramatta opens in 2025 it will include the Western Sydney HipHop Archive a collaboration with 4ESydney and Blacktown Arts.

• The NSW Government will deliver $160 million for cultural infrastructure in Western Sydney including building a lyric theatre as part of the Riverside Theatres redevelopment in Parramatta, a 350-seat theatre in Campbelltown and a new cultural centre in Blacktown.

• Delivery of a final business case for the Roxy Theatre in Parramatta.

Regional NSW

The NSW Government will deliver a regional arts, culture and creative industries strategy in 2024 to grow and support sustainable participation in local activities. This includes:

• Working with local councils to reduce red tape for festivals and events to access local spaces.

• Working with regional communities, councils, creative organisations and venues to support a connected network of regional touring. This will involve working with local councils to connect and activate the network of regional halls and spaces to support local touring across music, performance and visual art/exhibitions.

• Supporting at least 4 new creative industries/artist workspaces in regional NSW in the next 4 years.

Minister for Arts John Graham said:

“We are lucky to live in NSW, a state rich in creativity. The state’s first arts, culture and creative industries policy commits the government to advocating for the value of culture, to enabling and investing in culture with the whole of government. 

“The NSW Government believes creativity is one of the key things to celebrate about our state. That is why we are sharing our 10-year policy framework. This is where we’re starting, and where we’re heading. This certainly not the end point. We want to unleash creativity across the state. 

“Coming into government, the Minns Labor government promised to solve some of the obvious problems in the NSW arts, culture and creative industries sector, and actively support and advocate to ensure the sector grows in significance to the state’s economy and in the life of the people of NSW.

Creative Communities has the goal of sustainably growing the depth and breadth of creative industries throughout NSW, and over the next decade enabling creative individuals, organisations and communities throughout the state to reach their potential. These creative sectors already represent 10% of the state's economy.

“A thriving cultural sector is welcoming for younger generations... the grass roots for the next generation of great artists, makers, creative thinkers and doers. The drive for a thriving creative and cultural sector has a number of benefits and outcomes, including a more diverse and resilient economy.  

“Creative Communities' commitment is to the artists, makers and workers in the arts, culture, and creative industries. We acknowledge the critical role of artists, creatives, and makers, as well as those behind the scenes – the crews in production, making sets and costumes, booking shows, and managing talent. They are all important to the health of the ecosystem.”

You can read the full policy on the nsw.gov.au website.

Road safety is everyone's responsibility

Media Release from the Hon Carol Brown, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport

MEDIA RELEASE | 11 December 2023

Australians must reflect on the numbers released through todays International Road Safety Comparisons 2022 and remember that road safety is the responsibility of all road users, be it a driver, cyclist, pedestrian or otherwise.

We know that driver behaviour is a major contributing factor to serious injuries and deaths on our roads, and unfortunately, the trends we are seeing are going in the wrong direction.

In 2022, over 300,000 mobile phone infringements were issued using mobile phone detection cameras.

The number of mobile phone infringements issued in 2022 is well over 100,000 more infringements issued compared to 2021[1].

We know that distracted driving is a factor in 16% of serious casualty road crashes resulting in hospital attendance in Australia.

Distracted driving is categorised as any time a driver takes their eyes off the roads, hands off the wheel or mind off the primary task being driving safely[2].

Although levels of speeding fines were lower in 2022 compared to 2021, fines for speeding were still well above the years prior to 2021. In 2022, police issued over 4 million speeding infringements, excluding the ACT[3].

Through the National Road Safety Action Plan Progress Report, delivered to the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting last week in Hobart, the report shows that the highest number of fatalities have happened in 100km/h speed limit zones.

However, it should be noted that we have also seen a 30 per cent increase in deaths happening in low speed zones at 50km/h or less[4].

Since the introduction of seatbelt monitoring cameras, infringements relating to seatbelt use have skyrocketed. In 2022, over 88 thousand seatbelt infringements were issued across the country[5].

Alarmingly, further data, as reported in the National Road Safety Action Plan Progress Report, indicates that an upward trend in fatalities in urban areas in recent years, and regional areas continue to have stubbornly high rates of fatalities.

In 2023, metropolitan areas reported 32 more deaths than the previous year (an 8% increase), and regional areas had an increase of 28 deaths (a 5% increase) and remote areas an additional 20 deaths (18% increase)[6].

The Australian Government is whole-heartedly committed to Vision Zero, that is zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 2050.

Through the National Road Safety Action Plan (2023-25) focuses on delivering tangible and measurable actions, clear responsibilities and timeframes.

Through the Action Plan, the Australian Government will deliver several key initiatives and changes, aimed at reducing road trauma across Australia.

This includes actions such as:

• Signing off on Australia’s first ever Data Sharing Agreement between the Australian Government and states and territories, as well as National Road Safety Data Collection and Reporting Framework.

• Improving regional and remote road safety through targeted road safety infrastructure programs,

• Progressing the uptake of new vehicle safety features and technologies through new Australian Design Rules, and

• Building and upgrading heavy vehicle rest areas across the country.

Through the guidance of the Action Plan, the Australian Government is working to reduce road deaths and serious injuries across the country, engaging closely with state, territory and local governments, as well as other stakeholders.

1 . Mobile Phone Infringement Data

2. NRSPP Australia » NRSPP Fact Sheet: Distracted Driving – What You Need To Know

3. Speeding Infringement Data

4. This dataset will become publicly available in early 2024.

5. Seatbelt Infringement Data

6. This dataset will become publicly available in early 2024.

Digital Agrifood Summit: Paddock to Profit | October 2023

Every session from DAS23 is now available to re-watch online!

Enjoy program highlights including keynote addresses from Professor Jacquie McGlade, Su McCluskey, Richard Heath, and Laura Kilcrease, themed sessions, and innovation showcases featuring 40+ local and international experts.

It's all available to stream now via Food Agility’s YouTube channel.

Hiring through the Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot Program

Is your business/industry experiencing a skills shortage? Are you interested in accessing a source of skilled labour that also offers a skilled refugee and their family the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Australia?

The Department of Home Affairs invites you to attend their free webinar on how Australian employers can use the Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot Program (the Pilot) to:

• access the talent that exists in refugee and displaced populations to address workforce skills shortages; and

• offer a skilled refugee and their family the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Australia.

The Pilot, delivered in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), enables Australian businesses endorsed by TBB to enter into a labour agreement with the Australian Government to sponsor an approved skilled refugee or displaced person on a permanent or temporary basis through existing employer sponsored visa programs.

Concessions to standard visa eligibility requirements available under a Pilot labour agreement are designed to reduce barriers for businesses and skilled refugees/displaced persons accessing these employer sponsored skilled visa pathways.

Together, the Department and Talent Beyond Boundaries will cover:

1.               How the Pilot works;

2.               Concessions available under the Pilot;

3.               How TBB can support you to find, hire and welcome a candidate;

4.               TBB’s endorsement process; and

5.               Outcomes so far, including first-hand candidate and business testimonials.

Register for the free webinar on 12 December to learn how you can use the Pilot to help your business.

Industry Growth Program NOW OPEN

On Monday 27 November 2023, the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science, launched the Industry Growth Program.

The Industry Growth Program is now open, with startups and innovative small and medium businesses able to apply for expert advice on their commercialisation and growth projects. The Industry Growth Program enables eligible SMEs to receive advice from industry experts, with a particular focus on the early stages when businesses often have difficulty turning innovative ideas into profitable products, processes and services. A national network of advisers is being established to provide guidance on seeking investment, market testing, business models and networking.

When will the grants launch?

The Industry Growth Program’s advice service is complemented by two grant opportunities, expected to launch in early 2024:

• matched grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to support early-stage commercialisation projects

• matched grants of $100,000 to $5 million for commercialisation and growth projects.

Businesses will need to go through the advice service prior to applying for a grant.

Important information

Important links for the Industry Growth Program can be found via:

• Industry Growth Program - https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/industry-growth-program

• Industry Growth Program guidelines - https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/industry-growth-program#key-documents

TAFE NSW - Food Safety Supervisor Certificate - Online course option

Recently there have been changes made to the Food Safety Regulations. From Wednesday 8th December 2023, this may mean that food and beverage service activities that have been exempt from needing a certified Food Safety Supervisor present, may no longer be exempt.

If this impacts on you and you are looking for a way to have your employees quickly trained as Food Safety Supervisors, TAFE NSW offers a 100% online option that can be completed with a day, and which you can enrol in anytime of the year. You can also call 131 601 for assistance with enrolling, or pop into any TAFE NSW campus during business hours.

To find out more, or to enrol to train as a Food Safety Supervisor, visit : https://www.tafensw.edu.au/course-areas/food-and-hospitality/courses/statement-of-attainment-in-food-safety-supervision-skill-set--SITSS00069-V01/offerings/SITSS00069-V01-23OTE-018

Below is some general information about the Food Safety Regulations changes. You can also read even more detail on the Food Authority website: https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/

Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)

• All existing business that require a FSS will remain.

• New businesses that where previously exempt (before 08.12.23) and will now require a FSS:

• coffee vendors that only heat milk

• not-for-profit community and charitable causes

• school canteens (primary or secondary)

• boarding schools

• children’s services

• out of school hours care services

• correctional centres

• supermarkets (where heated food was not sold)

• food businesses premises that only do one or more of the following activities only:

• slice fermented meats or smallgoods, or both

• slice or portion cheese, or both

• process raw seafood

• slice or portion fruit or vegetables, or both.

• Business that will remain exempt

• The handling of food for or at a fundraising event. Fundraising event means an event that raises funds solely for a community or charitable cause and not for personal financial gain.

• Businesses that only manufacture or wholesale food (such as a manufacturer of bulk ham that is sold packaged to supermarkets) with no direct sale to consumers (other food safety arrangements will apply to these businesses).

• Food businesses that are not serving or retailing unpackaged food that is potentially hazardous and ready to eat (such as service stations selling food that remains in its original sealed packaging, a coffee van that only sells food that is not potentially hazardous).

Food Handlers

• Ensure all food handlers are trained in food safety and hygiene, or can demonstrate adequate skills and knowledge.

•  It is important to note that a certificate is not a proof of skills under the Food Standards Code and food handlers must also be able to demonstrate they know how to handle food safely in the food business.

It can be safe to say any business that requires a FSS classifies the fellow staff members as ‘Food Handlers’. General examples of affected businesses include:

• restaurants, cafés, pubs and hotels

• takeaway shops, mobile food vendors, juice bars and coffee vendors

• caterers that serve food directly to consumers

• supermarkets and delis

• childcare services that provide food.

• charities and not-for-profit organisations

• school canteens

• childcare services, including out of school hours care

• correctional centres

• delicatessens

• supermarkets

NSW Food Handler basic training

The NSW Food Authority Website has created a Basic Training. For more information please click HERE

Save with Solar – SunSPOT Education Webinar

Wagga Wagga City Council has recently opted into SunSPOT, a solar calculator built by University of NSW and the Australian PV Institute that helps households understand the possibilities, requirements, and benefits of transitioning to solar.

SunSPOT is a not-for-profit initiative that is free and private to use without being locked into sales or continuing promotion.

You can use the calculator to get tailored estimates on suitable system sizes, how many panels will fit on your roof, batteries and potential savings.

To assist with community understanding and use of the calculator, the APVI is inviting public to attend a free, educational webinar on Tuesday 12 December.

The webinar will also include details on the costs of solar, location requirements, how solar works, and how to manage your energy and increase savings.

SunSPOT’s development has been supported by the NSW and ACT governments, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP).

Increase in class time for executive teachers to deliver the equivalent of 500 additional teachers for our classrooms

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning

MEDIA RELEASE | 8 December 2023

Up to 2500 executive teachers will spend more time in the classroom under a plan by the NSW state government to address the teacher shortage and the proliferation of cancelled and merged classes – a move that could add the equivalent of more than 500 full-time teaching roles.

With a survey revealing in October that more than 10,000 merged and cancelled classes were occurring in NSW public schools every day, the government has moved swiftly to review the hours of existing school leaders spend teaching to maximise class coverage for students in public schools. 

The Department of Education review into executive teachers found almost two thirds of the 2500 teachers were not teaching timetabled classes at all, while the remainder were teaching fewer hours than the proposed minimum hours needed.

More than half of the deputy principals in NSW public schools are not currently teaching timetabled classes.

To plug the teacher shortage, from next term executive teachers in an average school will be expected to teach at least 1 day a week, rising to 2-and-a-half days a week for deputy principals and 4 days a week for head teachers and assistant principals, as allowed under the existing industrial agreement.

The addition of minimum teaching hours for teachers in executive roles across the state is expected to add the equivalent of more than 500 full-time teaching roles from the cohort of experienced and effective teachers.

The review found many were teaching below industrial agreements, a legacy of the Local Schools, Local Decisions policy.

The policy allowed schools to use their flexible funding to release teachers from face-to-face teaching with little oversight. While many schools can justify this on a case-by-case basis, seen overall, the system lost many experienced teachers from the classroom and it created too many vacancies.

To free up some of the most experienced teachers, the Department of Education will help schools redeploy work to skilled school staff members in administrative and other support roles.

With timetables already being written for next year, principals have been asked to apply the new minimum teaching hours initially where possible. The department will consult with the NSW Teachers Federation, the Public Service Association, principals and staff from Term 1, 2024, with full implementation expected by early 2025.

The review also recommended that a freeze on new additional executive positions funded by schools remain in place until the review, which will also examine the proliferation of other executive teacher positions, concludes in mid-2024.

179 new police officers to start across NSW

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism

MEDIA RELEASE | 8 December 2023

179 new probationary constables have been sworn into the NSW Police Force today and will start at their new home stations next week.

Class 360 attested at the Goulburn Police Academy following 8 months of training in the Constable Education Program (CEP). Four months by distance, 4 months at the academy. 
 
They will now have 12 months on the job training as a probationary constable.
 
Communities across NSW will see the new boots on the ground on Monday:

• Central Metropolitan Region – 53

• Northwest Metropolitan Region – 39

• Southwest Metropolitan Region – 33

• Northern Region – 24

• Southern Region – 17

• Western Region – 13.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley welcomed the new officers to the force and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rebuild and support our frontline services.
 
Minister Catley and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb officially opened 3 new accommodation blocks which provide modern, clean and comfortable facilities for the student police officers. 
 
In October, the Minns Labor Government made the historic announcement that student police officers will be paid to study at the Goulburn Police Academy. 
 
Class 360 is the first cohort to receive a one-off payment, the amount of which was pro-rated to the date of the announcement. 
 
From March 2024, student police officers will be employed as clerk grade 1/2 administrative employees on a temporary fixed term contact. 
 
They’ll receive a total salary of approximately $30,984 over the 16-week study period, including super and award-based allowances. 
 
Apply online to become a police officerlaunch