NSW GOVERNMENT FORTNIGHTLY UPDATE – 21 FEBRUARY 2018

STRONGER PROTECTIONS ON TUNNEL VENTILATION FACILITIES

• The NSW Government is putting in place stronger protections on emissions from motorway tunnels, with the new requirements giving the public confidence that air emissions from motorway tunnels are being assessed and operate within acceptable limits.
• Under these reforms, the ventilation outlets of all current and future operating motorway tunnels in NSW will be regulated by the NSW Environment Protection Authority. The EPA will require tunnel operators to meet air quality limits and undertake air quality monitoring, where practicable.
• In addition, for new motorway tunnels that have not progressed to the Environmental Impact Statement stage, additional checks will be required prior to planning determination, including:
  • The Advisory Committee on Tunnel Air Quality (ACTAQ) will coordinate a scientific review of a project’s air emissions from ventilation outlets;
  • The NSW Chief Health Officer will release a statement on the potential health impacts of emissions from tunnel ventilation outlets; and
  • The Minister for Planning will not approve a motorway tunnel project until

the ACTAQ scientific review is considered.

MAKING NSW ROADS SAFER

• The NSW Government has released the NSW Government’s Road Safety Plan, which includes a range of measures aimed at reducing the road toll after 392 people lost their lives on NSW roads in 2017.
• The comprehensive package addresses speeding, drink driving, drug driving, driver distraction, driver fatigue, truck safety and funding to improve safety on country roads.
• The measures announced include:
  • Expanding the mandatory alcohol interlock program to include all mid-range drink driving offenders. An interlock is a breath testing device fitted to a car’s ignition system. The driver must provide a negative sample for the vehicle to start;
  • Police will be given the power to issue on the spot fines and licence suspensions for low range drink driving. This ensures swift and certain penalties;
  • Amending legislation to allow camera technology to be used to enforce mobile phone offences;
  • 11 additional heavy vehicle average speed camera locations, including in metropolitan Sydney, to address risks associated with greater truck movements;
  • An initial $125 million for a new Saving Lives on Country Roads program including safety barriers, tactile line markings, wide centre line, safety upgrades of high risk curves and $11 million for pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements including traffic calming measures, pedestrian refuges and crossings to keep cyclists and walkers safe.
• These measures are in addition to last month’s crack down on drug drivers, which saw cocaine added to the list of drugs subject to roadside testing, and the number of roadside drugs tests doubled from 100,000 a year to 200,000 a year by 2020.
• The Road Safety Plan will bring the Government’s total commitment to targeted road safety programs from the Community Road Safety Fund to $1.4 billion over five years.
• A review into driving on prescription drugs has been requested by April and the NSW Sentencing Council will be tasked with reporting back on sentencing of repeat traffic offenders who may pose an ongoing risk to the community.
• To learn more, visit: towardszero.nsw.gov.au/roadsafetyplan.

FIRST HOMEBUYERS TURNING THE TIDE IN NSW

• First homebuyers are flocking back into the NSW housing market with the number of people taking advantage of the NSW Government’s stamp duty concessions more than tripling since the Government introduced its housing affordability package last year.
• More than 19,000 people secured the keys to their first homes since the NSW Government introduced generous stamp duty concessions in July 2017 – up from 5,400 over the same period last year, with strong results continuing into 2018.
• Last year the government eliminated stamp duty for first homebuyers purchasing a new or existing property valued up to $650,000 and provided stamp duty savings for purchases of homes valued between $650,000 and $800,000.
• Western Sydney suburbs continue to be the big winners, with more than 7,200 Western Sydney first home buyers saving on stamp duty under the scheme since it commenced, including more than 400 in Liverpool – the top location for stamp duty relief under the scheme.
• Regional towns with high numbers of first homebuyers saving on stamp duty include Gosford (316) and Wyong (224) on the Central Coast, Wagga Wagga (251), Orange (230), Queanbeyan (222), Dubbo (182) and Wollongong (158).
• In addition to providing stamp duty relief for the first home buyers, the NSW Government has made huge gains in boosting supply to tackle housing affordability, with housing approvals exceeding 70,000 in 2017 for a third straight year.

MICROSOFT MOVES INTO SYDNEY’S NEW STARTUP HUB

• Microsoft will bring its world-renowned intensive program for start-ups to the new Sydney Startup Hub, making it one of only eight locations in the world to host the accelerator program.
• Last year the NSW Government committed $35 million to create a world leading startup and innovation hub.
• Microsoft launched the Scale-Up Program in 2012, and since then, close to 650 startups have raised around US$3 billion in funding after graduating from programs run in Bangalore, Shanghai, Beijing, London, Berlin, Seattle and Tel Aviv.
• On top of Microsoft, the Sydney Startup Hub has already secured a list of impressive tenants including Stone & Chalk, Fishburners, Tank Stream Labs, The Studio, Westpac’s FEULD, H2 Ventures, Slingshot, Transport for NSW’s Future Transport Digital Accelerator, the Department of Finance and Services, and an innovation team from Caltex’s C-Lab.
• For more information on the Sydney Startup Hub visit sydneystartuphub.com and https://goo.gl/QtQfof.

RECORD UPTAKE OF $100 ACTIVE KIDS VOUCHERS

• More than a quarter of a million parents in NSW have downloaded an Active Kids voucher in just ten days, in a sign of the programs overwhelming success.
• More than 100,000 vouchers have been redeemed, meaning a collective saving of $10 million in sport registration fees for parents.
• Parents can now register online with Service NSW to receive their $100 voucher to provide to their approved sport or physical activity club or organisation.
• Parents have until 31 December 2018 to claim and use their voucher. More information: www.nsw.gov.au/activekids or phone Service NSW on 13 77 88.

BERGIN REPORT INTO RSL FUNDRAISING

• The NSW Government has released the report of former NSW Supreme Court Judge Patricia Bergin into the fundraising activities of RSL NSW, RSL Welfare and Benevolent Institution and RSL LifeCare.
• Justice Bergin found the “old guard” of the NSW RSL had taken the organisation to the “brink of destruction” and had engaged in a “cover up” of the real reasons for the departure of disgraced former state president Don Rowe.
• As recommended by Justice Bergin, the activities of Rowe have been referred to police.
• In addition, the NSW Government:
• is referring the activities of 13 current and former NSW RSL State Councillors to ASIC and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) in relation to the cover up of Rowe’s misconduct;
• is referring the activities of eight former and current RSL LifeCare office-holders to ASIC and the ACNC in relation to their conduct as directors;
• had amended the conditions on RSL NSW’s fundraising authority to stop it fundraising until its auditor EY has certified that RSL NSW has the processes to comply with the law;
• will publish updated guidelines for charities about how they can comply with NSW fundraising laws;
• will review Fair Trading’s approach to enforcing fundraising laws; and,
• will consider Justice Bergin’s other recommendations.

EVENT FUNDING OPEN FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL NSW

• Organisers of new and second-year events held between July and December 2018 are being encouraged to apply for the NSW Government’s 2018 Incubator Event Fund, which supports events held in rural and regional NSW.
• The Fund offers a one-off grant of up to $20,000 to assist with activities such as marketing, public relations, venue hire and attendee research.
• The Fund is one of three streams included in the Regional Flagship Events Program and is part our record $43 million investment aimed at increasing overnight visitation and expenditure across rural and regional NSW.
• Applications for round two of the 2018 Incubator Event Fund are open until Sunday 18 March 2018. To lodge an application and to view the criteria visit, destinationnsw.com.au/rfep.

PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION TO BE ESTABLISHED IN NSW

• NSW will soon establish its first ever Productivity Commission to drive micro-economic reform and tackle burdensome regulation in NSW.
• The Commission, led by the NSW Productivity Commissioner, will spearhead a reform agenda, focused on four core themes:
  • Making it easier to do business
  • Lowering the cost of living
  • Making housing more affordable
  • Making NSW the easiest state to move to
• An expert panel chaired by former NSW Premier the Hon Nick Greiner, commissioned to review NSW’s regulatory policy framework, recommended the appointment of a Commissioner to oversee regulatory quality in NSW.
• The NSW Commission will be set up with the aid and advice of eminent Professor Gary Banks, former head of the Commonwealth Productivity Commission.
• An online portal will follow the announcement of the Commissioner, allowing citizens and businesses to identify the most important regulatory roadblocks, and provide fresh ideas to reduce the burden.