Nsw Government Weekly Update – 10 May 2013

20,000 JOBS CREATED IN APRIL

• NSW has recorded another strong month of employment growth pushing the total number of jobs created in the first term of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government to 130,600.
• The latest ABS Labour Force figures show there were almost 20,000 (19,746) new jobs created in April, on top of the 4,300 new jobs created during the previous month.
• The NSW unemployment rate fell to 5.3 per cent from 5.5 per cent the previous month – the second lowest of all the states.
• With the national unemployment figure at 5.5 per cent, NSW has spent 15 consecutive months under the national average.

CHEAPER GREEN SLIPS FOR NSW MOTORISTS

• Motorists will soon be paying up to 15 per cent less for their Compulsory Third Party insurance, with the NSW Government introducing legislation to make the green slip scheme fairer and more affordable.
• At the moment the scheme is nothing more than a lawyers’ picnic, with accident victims getting less than half of all premiums collected by insurers.
• Under the new ‘no fault’ scheme those injured in motor vehicle accidents will be compensated sooner, without argument or lengthy legal battles.
• Under the changes green slip premiums will be more competitive with other states – at the moment NSW is the most expensive state and that needs to change.

COMMUNITY SAFETY PROTECTED THROUGH CONTINUED USE OF CCTV

• The NSW Government is introducing exemptions to ensure local councils can continue to use CCTV cameras to prevent crime.
• The decision was taken after the Administrative Decisions Tribunal ordered the CCTV in the Shoalhaven Council area be turned off after it found they breached privacy laws.
• The NSW Government is now drafting a regulation to provide appropriate exemptions under privacy laws toallow local councils to continue using CCTV.
• The NSW Government will not allow this tribunal decision to undermine police efforts to reduce crime on our streets.

POLICE GANG CRACKDOWN GETTING RESULTS

• Efforts to crackdown on gang-related crime have been getting results – with hundreds of people arrested and thousands of guns taken off our streets in a range of Police operations.
• Operation Apollo was established in February 2013 to reduce public place shootings and since its inception more than 220 people have been arrested and more than 420 charges have been laid.
• Operation Apollo builds on the success of Operation Spartan, which has resulted in 690 arrests and almost 1,200 charges laid.
• NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has congratulated Commissioner Andrew Scipione and the men and women of the NSW Police Force for the good results they are achieving in locking up crooks and making our streets safer.

FASTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE HELP FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

• A new Victims Support Scheme will focus on giving victims of crime assistance when they most need it and make it easier to access free counselling and other services to aid them in their recovery.
• Financial support will be provided for urgent medical and dental treatment, home security upgrades or for crisis accommodation to keep victims safe from further violence.
• The new processes are designed to drastically reduce waiting times and make sure the $72 million available to victims of crime each year goes to helping more people more quickly.
• An independent report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers found the current scheme is financially unsustainable and not meeting victims’ needs in a timely manner.

YOUNG OFFENDERS TO LEARN ABOUT MILITARY HISTORY

• The NSW Government has teamed up with the RSL in an innovative new scheme targeted at young offenders who desecrate War Memorials.
• New sentencing options will be introduced so young offenders who damage war memorials can be required to undertake voluntary work with the RSL.
• Suitable young offenders will spend time with veterans by volunteering with the Corps of Guards and assisting the ANZAC Memorial Guardians with Memorial tours.
• Attacks on War Memorials are an insult to the entire community, but particularly hurtful to our current and former servicemen and women and their families.
• The NSW Government has also announced grants totalling $107,000 to restore and maintain community War Memorials in the lead up to the Centenary of Anzac – details can be found at www.veterans.nsw.gov.au.

BILLIONS ALLOCATED TO RESTART NSW

• The NSW Government’s fund to drive the renewal of infrastructure in NSW – Restart NSW – has reached $4.7 billion following the long term lease of Port Botany and Port Kembla.
• Restart NSW is now enabling us to get on with the job building the infrastructure the people of NSW want and deserve including $1.8 billion for the WestConnex motorway.
• Other commitments from Restart NSW currently include $403 for the Pacific Highway upgrade, $170 million for the Princes Highway upgrade, an Illawarra Fund worth $100m from the lease of Port Kembla, and Bridges for the Bush – a $135 million program for replacing and upgrading 17 bridges in regional NSW.
• Along with $4.3 billion in net proceeds from the Ports transaction, Restart NSW has received $312 million from the lease of the Sydney Desalination Plant, $96 million from windfall tax revenues announced at the Half Yearly Review, and $46 million to date from Waratah Bonds.

NEW APP TO HELP PEOPLE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

• A new smart phone app has been launched for people who are experiencing domestic and family violence.
• The app is gives users the ability to create a trusted network of friends who can be easily contacted with an agreed message and a GPS system to ‘call-for-help’ and alert recipients of the sender’s location.
• The Aurora domestic violence app has been developed by the NSW Government to help people who are experiencing abuse make informed, empowered choices.
• The app was developed in consultation with the NSW Police Force, with input from experts from the domestic and family violence sector.

GOVERNMENT MOVES TO EASE SHORTAGE OF BURIAL SPACE

• An additional 6,700 burial spaces are now available for people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths at Rookwood Cemetery to ease critical burial space shortages.
• The area known as Lot 10 has been allocated equally to Muslim and Jewish communities to secure their burial needs for the next decade.
• We are seeking additional burial space in the greater Sydney region for the future needs of people of all religious and cultural beliefs.
• Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello congratulated the Muslim and Jewish communities for their input and leadership on this issue.

MAJOR EVENTS DRIVE CONTINUES TO BLOOM

• The NSW Government drive to attract major events continues to bloom with two more secured this week.
• This week it was confirmed Sydney will host the Australian Garden Show for the next three years – estimated to contribute at least $12 million into the state’s economy
• Meanwhile, in a major coup for Western Sydney, the internationally recognised motorsport event, Monster Jam, will make its first and only Australian appearance at ANZ Stadium, Homebush.
• This monster truck event has proven a hit right around the world, attracting a TV audience of more than 30 million people a year.