NSW GOVERNMENT WEEKLY UPDATE - 19 FEBRUARY 2021

19 February 2021

NSW COVID-19 VACCINE PROGRAM TO BEGIN ON MONDAY

More than 35,000 critical staff in NSW will be among the first in Australia to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when the rollout begins on Monday, 22 February.
For the latest information on COVID-19 please visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

DEPUTY PREMIER PUTS THE CALL OUT FOR BIG BUSINESS TO GO REGIONAL

Corporations and companies wanting to tap into a wider pool of skilled workers and lower their operating costs will be able to benefit from expert NSW Government advice about setting up shop in regional NSW.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced a new NSW Government concierge service to help companies develop business plans and provide practical advice about establishing jobs, offices and headquarters in regional towns and cities.
The NSW Government launched the $100m Regional Job Creation Fund in October last year to provide businesses with the money they need to fast track relocation and expansion plans into regional NSW, to create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
Further details about the new concierge service will be announced soon.

STAMP DUTY EXEMPTIONS HELP THOUSANDS MORE FIRST HOMEBUYERS TURN THE KEY ON AUSSIE DREAM

More than six thousand additional first homebuyers have gained a foothold on the property ladder in just six months following the NSW Government’s decision to provide additional relief on stamp duty and help boost the economy and jobs.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the latest data indicated the great Australian dream of home ownership remained strong, with the total number of stamp duty exemptions and partial concessions granted rising 30 percent over the year, from more than 31,500 in 2019 to more than 41,000 in 2020.
On 1 July 2019, NSW became the first state in Australia to index stamp duty brackets to the Sydney Consumer Price Index, to limit the taxation cost due to inflation.

NEW PATHWAY FOR STATE’S BEST TEACHERS TO BECOME PRINCIPALS

For the first time the State’s best teachers will have an opportunity to fast track their careers and become principals in half the time.
Each year 30 excelling teachers and 20 teaching graduates can apply to participate in a new NSW Government program to turbo-charge their careers to the level of principal within 10 years.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the rigorous program will require participants to learn from leading teachers at selected schools, participate in a regional placement and excel in a leadership position.
The Fast Stream program is a component of the School Success Model and will start in Term 1 2022. Teachers and graduate students will complete a rigorous selection process. Teachers will participate in the program for up to 10 years before being offered the opportunity of a Principal position.

HIGH SCHOOLERS TO STUDY SKILLS OF THE FUTURE

Real estate, robotics and entrepreneurship are just some of the 20 new virtual Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses to be made available to every NSW Government high school by 2022.
As part of the Curriculum Review, the NSW Government committed to providing opportunities for credit towards qualifications in apprenticeships in high demand areas such as engineering and robotics. The virtual courses are the first stage of delivering on this commitment.

THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS TO BENEFIT FROM OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE PLACES

Forty seven schools across NSW will open Out of School Hours Care Hubs by June as part of the NSW Government’s Before and After School Care election commitment.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian opened a new hub at Camden Public School and said that more than $20 million Out of School Hours Care Hub Program will benefit families across NSW.
The Out of School Hours Care Hub Program is part of the $120 million investment over four years to expand access to Out of School Hours Care for public primary school children.
The after school care hubs initiative is on top of the NSW Government’s record $7 billion school infrastructure program to deliver more than 200 new and upgraded schools to support communities. Nineteen of these projects are located in the Macarthur area.

BOOST FOR NSW INTENSIVE CARE AMBULANCE FLEET

Regional communities across NSW will benefit from a new fleet of state-of-the-art intensive care ambulances thanks to an $11.7 million funding boost by the NSW Government.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the 69 intensive care ambulances will carry the most advanced equipment, including upgraded life-saving defibrillators, to bolster the frontline emergency response across the State.
In 2020-21 the NSW Government is investing more than $1 billion in NSW Ambulance, including $27 million for 180 new staff, the third tranche of the 2018 commitment to recruit 750 more paramedic and control centre staff over four years.

BUDGET BOOST FOR DISADVANTAGED DRIVER PROGRAM

$20 million will be spent over the next five years helping more people get behind the wheel with the expansion of the Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP).
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the program’s investment had been doubled and is aimed at increasing opportunities for 10,000 individuals including people from Aboriginal communities, vulnerable youth and refugees.
Since the program started in 2015, more than 4,500 participants have gained their Learner Licence and over 3,000 have achieved their Provisional Licence.

NSW GOVERNMENT TURNS THE BEAT UP WITH $1 MILLION FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE

Sydney’s live performance and arts scene will receive a major boost with $1 million in funding announced with grants of up to $50,000 available to present a one-off performance or series of live events to audiences visiting the Sydney CBD.
Round 2 of the NSW Government’s successful Play the City (Sydney) NSW Artists and Musicians Grants through Create NSW is now open for applications, and available for activities, events or performances that will activate the city centre.