Supporting the regions - applications open for local community grants

Joint Media Release from the Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; and Jill Karena, FRRR Place Portfolio Lead

MEDIA RELEASE | 19 December 2023

The Albanese Government is supporting the continued recovery from COVID-19 in the regions, with up to $10,000 available to community groups across regional, remote and rural Australia.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal’s (FRRR) Strengthening Rural Communities program provides grants of up to $10,000 to support local organisations to uplift their communities following significant disruption from COVID-19.

Grants could be for initiatives such as workshops, education programs or improving facilities and community equipment.

The last round, delivered in November, saw 55 local-led projects across the country shared in over $470,000 in grants.

From 2022 to 2024, the Australian Government has invested $5 million in the Rebuilding Regional Communities stream of the FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities program. The final round of Rebuilding Regional Communities is now open.

• Learn more: Final round for Rebuilding Regional Communities (sharepoint.com) and Supporting the regions

• Applications close: 5:00PM (AEDT) 26 February 2024.

• Help: covidsupport@frrr.org.au / 1800 170 020

For further information and how to apply visit www.frrr.org.au/funding/place/src-rebuilding-regional-communities/.

$20 million to boost mobile coverage along urban fringes

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

MEDIA RELEASE | 18 December 2023

Communities on the fringes of major urban centres in bushfire prone areas are set to share in $20 million in Commonwealth investment to upgrade mobile coverage, with Round 2 of the Peri-Urban Mobile Program (PUMP) now open for applications.
 
The second round of PUMP will provide grant funding to Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and Mobile Network Infrastructure Providers to deliver new or upgraded mobile phone infrastructure that targets longstanding mobile coverage and reception issues. Infrastructure sharing will again be encouraged through this round to ensure the benefits of the funding flows as widely as possibly amongst communities.     
 
Eligible areas under the latest round have been expanded to include major regional cities across Australia like Geelong, the Gold Coast and Newcastle, along with the peri-urban edges of major capital cities.

The peri-urban fringe is where the bush meets the suburbs, creating bushfire risks for those living and working in these areas. Communities in many of these areas have generally been underserved because of the high cost of deploying infrastructure, difficult terrain, planning challenges and lower population densities. 
 
A Project Noticeboard has been established to help local councils and community groups identify mobile coverage and quality of service issues in their area to assist telcos develop new infrastructure proposals for the round. The Noticeboard will be open until applications close.
 
PUMP complements work of the Albanese Government to improve telecommunications and broadcasting resilience across Australia through its $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan – the most significant investment in regional communications since the creation of the National Broadband Network.
 
Other programs to improve the network resilience include the Commonwealth’s $20 million Broadcasting Resilience Program to safeguard ABC broadcast towers, and the $15 million Mobile Network Hardening Program, and the $50 million Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation Program to deploy innovative solutions to address communications issues during natural disasters.
 
Applications close on 18 March 2024. MNOs and Mobile Network Infrastructure Providers can apply at grants.gov.au

For more information on PUMP, visit infrastructure.gov.au/pump  

NSW secures more renewable energy projects

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Energy and Climate Change

MEDIA RELEASE | 19 December 2023

Two additional renewable energy generation projects and 3 long-duration storage projects have been successful in the latest tender round of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, cementing the state’s position at the leading edge of investment in the national energy transition.

In the third tender delivered independently by AEMO Services, one solar project, 1 wind project, 2 lithium-ion battery energy storage system projects and 1 advanced-compressed air energy storage system have been awarded Long-Term Energy Service Agreements.

The projects will be built in Twelve Mile, Culcairn, Broken Hill, Merriwa and Myrtle Creek.

Each of the 3 storage projects have a continuous discharge capacity of at least 8 hours and collectively could power the Sydney Cricket Ground lights for around 130 days.

The successful projects represent $4.2 billion in private sector investment in the state’s renewable energy infrastructure, building upon the $4.3 billion in private sector investment committed in AEMO Services’ 2 previous tenders.

The 5 projects are expected to be operational from 2028 and will contribute to broader community and economic benefits, including support for an estimated 1000 jobs over the project lifetimes, $2 billion in local supply chain benefits, $40 million towards First Nations initiatives and enough generation to power 360,000 NSW homes per year.

Following the outcome of this third tender, NSW has now locked in 5.79 GW – almost half – of its legislated 12 GW renewable target for generation. It confirms 574 MW of the legislated 2 GW target for long-duration storage.

Regional Development Act 2004 Review

Regional communities have grown and changed a lot over the past decade, and we need to update how the government invests in regional NSW.

We want to be sure we are supporting regional development in a fair and equitable way, and guarantee we are doing everything we can to be transparent and accountable to the people of NSW in how we spend public funds.

The NSW Government is undertaking a review of the Regional Development Act 2004 to identify priorities for regional communities, establish how the government will work with these communities to improve outcomes and the approach to identify areas for future investment.

We want to hear from all members of the NSW community. Your feedback will help inform how the Government supports the sustainable growth of regional NSW now and into the future.

Please read the Issues Paper before completing the survey or uploading a submission.

2023 Australian Skills Classification Update

The Australian Skills Classification helps define the skills that underpin jobs in Australia. The 2023 update of the Australian Skills Classification (the Classification) is now available.

The Classification identifies three types of skills for every occupation: specialist tasks, technology tools and core competencies. Similar specialist tasks are grouped together into skills clusters, which are further grouped into skills cluster families.

You can explore the data by skills cluster or by occupation. See the Downloads tab for resources such as the latest data set and reports providing detailed information on the Classification and the methodology. The Similar Occupations tab features an application of the Classification.

​A Migration Strategy for Australia

Australia now has a strategy for its migration system.​

The Government’s Migration Strategy was released on 11 December 2023 and outlines a new vision for Australia’s migration system, with a policy roadmap containing 8 key actions and over 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform. This Migration Strategy is informed by extensive consultation with business, unions and other stakeholders, and more than 450 submissions received as part of the Review of the Migration System.​​

Read the full plan in the Government’s Migration Strategy​ (3MB PDF).

Read a brief overview of this plan in the Government’s Migration Strategy – At a Glance​​ (320KB PDF).

These are significant reforms that will deliver lasting and important change, but the system cannot be reformed overnight. An ambitious roadmap for reform has been developed. Read the Government’s​ Action Plan (230KB PDF) for delivering these reforms.​

The Migration Strategy builds on the findings of the first comprehensive review of the migration system in a generation, the 2023 Review of the Migration System​ (the Parkinson Review), and also the​ Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System​ (the Nixon Review).

The Department of Home Affairs will be in contact with key stakeholder groups to help the wider Australian community understand these changes. Further information will be published on these changes closer to the implementation date of each commitment.​

New & improved Telstra mobile coverage comes to Yerong Creek

Media Release | 14 December 2023

Telstra has recently expanded 4G mobile coverage in the village of Yerong Creek with a new mobile small cell being switched on.

Regional General manager Chris Taylor said the new site would improve Telstra’s existing coverage in the area and improve connectivity for residents and visitors.

“We know the community’s been looking forward to this new mobile site and I’m pleased to say we’ve completed construction and been able to bring this site on air,” Chris taylor said.

“Having mobile connectivity is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives. Each day er have about 20 million devices using our mobile network and together they make about 60 million phone calls, send 40 million SMS, and use about 8.6 million Gigabytes of mobile data.”

“This new site not only delivers new and improved depth of coverage to the Yerong Creek area, it will also improve capacity and provide additional triple-zero connectivity for users to other mobile networks in times of emergency.”

Telstra has used small cell technology to bring 4G coverage to this location. A small cell base station is an ideal solution for providing new or improved mobile services to remote locations and communities where a larger base station may not be technically or commercially viable to build.

The range of 4G coverage via a small cell will vary depending on local conditions but should provide mobile handheld coverage of several hundred metres in each direction and could be increase if people are using an external aerial or approved mobile phone repeater.

Telstra has oiver 11,700 mobile base station covering more than 2.7 million square kilometres, arounf one million kilometres more than any other mobile network. nationally, the Telstra network provides coverage to 99.6 percent of the Australian population.

“As a company, we heavily invest in improving regional connectivity and this site is another example of our commitment. Over the past seven years to the end of FY23, Telstra invested $11 billion in our mobile network nationally, with $4 billion of this invested in our regional mobile network,” said Chris Taylor.

Take your time and arrive safely

Joint Media Release from the Hon Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; and Senator the Hon Carol Brown, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport

MEDIA RELEASE | 18 December 2023

Road users are being urged to remember to be careful on the roads as the holiday season begins.

Australian Government figures show over 1,250 people have been killed on Australian roads in the 12 months ending November this year.

Every Australian wants to get to where they are going safely, but it takes all road users to make that a reality, whether it’s by vehicle, bicycle or foot.

Road users can help do their part by ensuring they are not distracted, take regular breaks when driving long distances, travel at the speed limit and drive to road conditions.

For quick reference guides on road rules for each state and territory, visit www.officeofroadsafety.gov.au.

Next step for independent NSW Agriculture Commissioner

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Agriculture, and the Minister for Regional NSW

MEDIA RELEASE | 14 December 2023

The NSW Government is one step closer to engaging an independent NSW Agriculture Commissioner with tenders now open for a skilled and experienced professional to provide expert advice on strategic agricultural land use that will create a more sustainable and productive agricultural industry in NSW.

The NSW Government has considered a report prepared by Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Daryl Quinlivan on the possible functions of an independent Agriculture Commissioner, based on his previous experience and consultation with stakeholders.

The Commissioner will chair a pilot Farm Practices Panel, testing an alternative approach to provide guidance on acceptable farm practices through review of an agricultural industry code of practice, to assist in providing clarity and consistency for planning decisions and mitigating land use conflict.

The Commissioner will also provide advice to NSW Primary Industries (DPI) concerning agricultural land use, and work across government on its strategic approach to balancing competing policy objectives for agricultural and rural land use planning.

The independent Agriculture Commissioner will be engaged for a term of 3 years. 

The NSW Government is committed to accommodating a range of land use priorities that support primary producers and regional communities while improving sustainability and economic growth in NSW. 

To submit a tender, visit the Independent Agriculture Commissioner details pagelaunch or visit the NSW Gov eTendering platformlaunch before 10.00am AEST on Monday 29 January 2024.

Get more information on contracting an Independent Agriculture Commissionerlaunch.

New reforms to create more affordable housing

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Homelessness, and NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

MEDIA RELEASE | 14 December 2023

A new State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) introducing housing reforms to make it faster and easier to build more affordable housing has come into effect today, following a policy announcement made by the NSW State Government in June of this year.

The reforms introduce a new bonus Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of up to 30% and a height bonus of up to 30% where a proposal includes a minimum of 15% of the gross floor area (GFA) as affordable housing.

They also allow state-owned housing agencies to build more affordable housing without needing council approvals.

To create a system that works for industry, councils, and Community Housing Providers, the Government undertook extensive consultation on the reforms to make sure that a range of views from stakeholders were considered.

The consultation raised the following key points and has resulted in the following key changes to the policy as originally proposed:

• Views were expressed that the bonuses needed to be scalable, depending on how much affordable housing can ultimately be delivered on a site. As a result, the policy has been changed so that if the full 30% bonus can’t be accessed (due to limits like height restrictions on the land or flight path impingement among other limiters), the bonus percentage for the amount of affordable housing can be reduced. For example, if only 20% of the bonus can be accessed due to site restrictions, then the number of affordable homes can be reduced to 10%. However, the amount of affordable housing can be no less than 10%. This will also make it easier for applicants to use the NSW Government’s state significant development pathway providing certainty and consistency. This change was recommended by both developers and councils.

• A range of stakeholders felt that the bonus should apply to the whole of a development, not just the residential component. This was considered particularly important for mixed use development like shop top housing. While Councils felt that the FSR bonus should only apply to the housing component on top of a shop location, the SEPP will be updated to allow the FSR bonus to apply to the whole development, not just the residential component. This is likely to deliver more affordable housing per site and encourage the uptake of the scheme in well located areas. It will also simplify the calculation of the bonus.

• Developers believed that the threshold that allows a project to be considered a State Significant Development (SSD) should be reduced from a capital investment value (CIV) of $75 million in Greater Sydney to $50 million, and $30 million in regional NSW. Councils felt that the bonuses should only apply to developments with a CIV greater than $75 million as originally proposed. While the CIV threshold will be retained at $75 million in the Greater Sydney Region, the CIV will be lowered to $30m for regions to encourage more affordable housing in regional areas.

• Amendments have also been made to ensure the bonuses are available to Build to Rent developments, by allowing them to apply in commercial zones, even if residential accommodation is prohibited under the relevant Local Environmental Plan.

• It was unclear to stakeholders if the new SEPP overruled a local Development Control Plan (DCP). The wording of the SEPP has been updated to ensure that the DCP provisions are of ‘no effect’ when there is a conflict between the DCP and the SEPP/Apartment Design Guide.

These changes and others occurred after the Government undertook a second round of consultation on the policy and draft SEPP. As part of this consultation 15 feedback sessions were held which resulted in 70 submissions from stakeholders including, peak bodies, planning professionals, developers, councils and community housing providers, which informed changes to the policy.

While the consultation has been comprehensive and a range of key changes have been made, the measures will remain under review to make sure they are achieving the intended outcomes.

Stakeholder feedback has informed how the State Environmental Planning Policy will operate and details are available on the Housing SEPP websitelaunch.

Small steps to make a big difference to energy reserve in the heat

Media Release from the NSW Minister for Energy and Climate Change

MEDIA RELEASE | 14 December 2023

Businesses, households and NSW Government agencies are being encouraged to temporarily reduce non-essential use of electricity late this afternoon and early this evening, when hot temperatures will increase demand for power.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has measures in place to maintain reliable electricity supply.

However, with temperatures forecast to reach 40 degrees in parts of NSW including Sydney, AEMO is forecasting that the reserve of electricity supply will be under pressure.

AEMO forecasts power use in NSW to peak between 5pm and 9pm.

To prepare for this, AEMO has notified market participants, which may result in increased generation or reduced consumption.

The NSW Government is also taking steps to reduce demand. The Government Energy Action Response protocol has been activated and will see NSW Government agencies reduce electricity use.

Agencies will reduce air conditioning where safe and feasible, switch off non-essential lights and turn off equipment when not in use.

As a precaution, the NSW Government is also encouraging the community to reduce energy use between 5pm and 9pm, where it’s possible and safe to do so.

There are several simple ways to reduce energy usage late this afternoon:

• If you are using air conditioning, raise the set point temperature to between 24 and 26 degrees. Each degree reduces energy use by around 10%.

• Reduce use of non-essential appliances. Use dishwashers, washing machines and dryers late at night or wait until the morning.

• If you have a pool, temporarily turn off the pool pump.

Reducing electricity use must not compromise health. Community members are assured they should use air-conditioning if it’s needed.

For tips on how to keep safe if you suffer from a medical condition and could be affected by the heat, visit the NSW Healthlaunch website.

Safer driving is the point: 1.3 million motorists can still get a demerit point wiped

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

MEDIA RELEASE | 18 December 2023

The NSW State government is urging all motorists to renew their commitment to safe driving as we head into the Christmas and the summer holidays.

The government can reveal 1.3 million NSW drivers remain eligible to have a demerit point removed from their licence within 5 weeks if they remain infringement free.

The 1-year demerit point scheme trial to encourage safe driving comes to a close on 17 January 2024 – meaning those who have maintained an offence-free record since 17 January this year will have 1 demerit point scrubbed from their licence.

The NSW Government announced in June that the trial would come into effect 6 months earlier than first flagged, allowing drivers who maintain a spotless record the chance to shed a demerit point sooner.

At that time there were 1.7 million motorists eligible, with almost 400,000 having since committed an offence that carried at least one demerit point.

The trial has been embraced by the public and the demerit offer will remain in place in 2024.

The government is urging motorists to use the demerit return as an incentive to drive safely as the road toll has risen significantly in 2023 across Australia.

In NSW in the 12 months to 14 December, 337 people have died on the roads – an increase of 61 compared to the same 12-month period last year.

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.