EVERY NSW SCHOOL TO GET FLASHING LIGHTS
- In a landmark announcement for the safety of our children, the NSW Government has announced the successful school zones flashing lights program will be extended to every school by the end of 2015.
- The State Budget will allocate an additional $13 million to ensure an additional 1,500 schools will get lights by 2015 that otherwise would have missed out.
- The lights help protect our most inexperienced and vulnerable road users by alerting drivers they are entering a school zone where lower speed limits apply.
- The decision shows the NSW Government continues to prioritise funding to deliver better services and infrastructure across the State and is installing flashing lights at nearly three times the rate of former Labor Government.
INTERIM BANS ON SYNTHETIC DRUGS
- The NSW Government has implemented an interim product safety ban on a range of synthetic drugs, including cannabinoids and bath salts.
- These synthetic drugs have caused significant harmful and in some instances fatal side effects.
- The time to act is now and any delay compromises community safety and that is why we have determined this ban of up to 90 days must be immediately put in place.
- New and different substances regularly appear on the drug market and it is challenging for governments to deal with this constantly changing environment, with it requiring action at both State and Federal levels – but we are determined to do all we can.
MASSIVE NEW INVESTMENT TO UPGRADE OF BELLS LINE OF ROAD
- The NSW Government has announced it will deliver $43 million in new funding to upgrade the Bells Line of Road.
- The $43 million in funding will include safety works, realignments, improved overtaking opportunities as well as planning for future works.
- This funding represents the most significant investment on this strategic corridor in a generation and is great news for people living in the Central West.
- The majority of the funding will come from the NSW Government’s infrastructure fund Restart NSW – which was topped up following the $4.31 billion long term lease of Port Botany and Port Kembla.
O’FARRELL HITS A HOME RUN
- Sydney has won the right to host first two games of the Opening Series of Major League Baseball in 2014 – the first time such a match will be held in Australia and only the sixth time it’s been held outside the United States.
- The games will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March 2014 between the LA Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- It’s estimated the matches will deliver a $13 million benefit for the local economy, as well as attract visitors from interstate and overseas.
- The Major Baseball League Opening Series will showcase NSW to a worldwide television audience of around 168 million, including key markets in Japan, Korea, China as well as the United States.
TARGETING GRAFFITI ON TRAINS
- Customers continually tell us the importance of cleanliness on trains and we know graffiti has long been a frustration across the network.
- The Police Transport Command is now working around the clock to gather intelligence to deter and prevent graffiti attacks, and as a result we are increasing security at depots, stabling yards and maintenance sites.
- The security crackdown includes intelligence gathered 24/7 by the Police Transport Command to distribute resources to problem graffiti locations, increased security guards and guard dogs to deter and detect vandals and trialling a mobile security patrol to provide additional coverage, particularly at stabling yards and turn backs.
- In the last three months an external graffiti blitz has also seen 9,000 carriages cleaned, with another 2,000 to be cleaned over the next month, plus specialised cleaning squads are now working an additional 28 shifts per day to clean our trains.
WOMEN IN NSW 2013 REPORT LAUNCHED
- Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward has launched Women in NSW 2013 – the second annual report on the status of women in NSW.
- Building on last year’s report, Women in NSW 2013 examines gender equity through more than 90 indicators in areas of life critical to women’s wellbeing, including health, education, work, financial security, leadership and safety and justice.
- This report fulfils an election commitment to publish an annual report on the status of women in NSW that provides proper analysis of data, dispels myths about women’s lives and reveals the real issues that remain to be addressed.
- The Women in NSW 2013 report can be viewed at http://www.women.nsw.gov.au/
NSW GOVERNMENT HELPS COUNCILS REDUCE INFRASTRUCTURE BACKLOG
- The Local Government Infrastructure Audit Report out this week shows a significant fall in the infrastructure asset backlog of the state’s councils.
- Under Labor the infrastructure backlog – as a proportion of the written down value of councils’ total assets – was 18 per cent. That has fallen to about 10 per cent.
- It’s clear from the results the NSW Government’s Local Infrastructure Renewal Scheme is working to address the backlog.
- Under the scheme the NSW Government provides funds to substantially reduce the borrowing costs on major loans which councils take out to pay for infrastructure such as roads, bridges, community halls, libraries and parks.
NEW CAMPAIGN TARGETS MOBILE PHONE USE BY DRIVERS
- A new road safety campaign using a cheeky phrase and catchy song is the latest weapon to get the message across to drivers about the dangers of using mobile phones in cars.
- The “Get Your Hand Off It” campaign will use traditional advertising and a YouTube video to highlight the excuses motorists make so they can hold their mobile phone while driving.
- Our research has shown about half of motorists admit to using a handheld phone for calls while driving, while more than a third of those surveyed in the 20-29 age group indicated that they texted while driving.
- The YouTube video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsgxNLuivy0
