31

MEETING SATURDAY 16^TH FEBRUARY 2008 10.30AM UNSW AUDITORIUM

ENTRY VIA 377 SUSSEX ST NEAR CORNER GOULBURN ST

THE MEETING WILL BE CHAIRED BY ALP PRESIDENT

BERNIE RIORDAN SECRETARY ETU

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

PROFESSOR SHARON BEDER, ENERGY EXPERT

MARK BYRNE PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCAY CENTRE

CATE FAEHRMANN NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF NSW

DOUG CAMERON ALP SENATOR ELECT NSW

STEVE TURNER PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF NSW

AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF NEWCASTLE TRADES HALL

TRAVEL TO MEETING BY TRAIN:

• For members living on the East Hills Line, a train departs East Hills at 9:00a.m., Panania at 9:02a.m., Revesby at 9:04a.m., Padstow at 9:07a.m., Riverwood 9:09a.m., Narwee at 9:12a.m.and Beverly Hills at 9:14a.m. The train will arrive at Town Hall at 9:53a.m. Members attending the meeting are encouraged to board the train on the second carriage from the front. This will enable attending members to travel together.
• For members living on the Bankstown Line, a train departs Bankstown at 9:07a.m., Punchbowl at 9:11a.m., and Wiley Park at 9:13 a.m. The train will arrive at Town Hall at 9:56a.m. Members attending the meeting are encouraged to board the train second carriage from the front. This will enable attending members to travel together.
• For members living on the Illawarra Line, a train departs Oatley at 9:17a.m., Mortdale at 9:19a.m.and Penshurst at 9:21a.m. The train will arrive at Town Hall at 9:55a.m. Members attending the carriage are encouraged to board the train second carriage from the front. This will enable attending members to travel together.

At this stage no track work has been scheduled on those respective lines for that day. If track work is scheduled, please make changes to your travel arrangements accordingly.

Authorised by Jo Holder Secretary Sydney SEC and David Carey President Sydney SEC

Grant: Public Facilities Program G04723
Provider: NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
Category: Environment Conservation & Heritage
Region: New South Wales
Funding: Total Pool: $30,000,000
Closes: February 13, 2008
Purpose: To provide funding for water and energy saving projects in facilities which are open to, and frequently accessed
by, the public including schools, community buildings, sporting facilities, museums and art galleries.
Overview: The Public Facilities Program has been established under the NSW Government's $340 million Climate Change
Fund to support water and energy savings in public and educational facilities.
It provides $30 million and is open for applications for projects which:
• publicly demonstrate how water and/or energy savings can work
• stimulate investment in innovative ways to save, harvest and recycle water and/or
• reduce overall energy consumption (and related greenhouse emissions) and/or peak electricity demand
• encourage investment in energy and water efficiency;
• reduce water and/or energy bills for local councils, schools, government agencies and other operators of public
facilities.
Activities which are eligible for funding under the Public Facilities Program include, but are not limited to:
• education activities which have the potential to increase the adoption of efficient technologies and practices;
• projects which improve the efficiency of buildings and appliances;
• projects which reduce peak electricity demand;
• projects which reduce the demand for electricity or water supplied from electricity or water supply networks - eg
cogeneration, fuel switching, water recycling, stormwater harvesting.
Limitations: Funding will not be provided for:
• projects which it is reasonable to expect would proceed without assistance from the Fund, especially where there;
• are no financial barriers to implementation (this includes very cost effective projects)
• projects which are research and development only;
• projects which only contain measures with low demonstration or educational value to the broader public, such as;
• power factor correction or variable speed drives
• projects which are eligible for funding under other programs of the Climate Change Fund (eg Green Business
Program,; Central Coast Water Savings Fund). Applicants should contact DECC if they need guidance on this issue.
Who can apply: Applications to the Public Facilities Program are open to:
• local councils or groups of councils;
• schools (or groups of schools) or other educational facilities;
• NSW State Government agencies;
• third parties applying on behalf of local councils, schools or agencies (third parties must be incorporated bodies);
• other parties providing public or educational fa

State Plan Priority E4: Better environmental outcomes for native vegetation, biodiversity, land, rivers and coastal waterways.

Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water Phil Koperberg and NSW Duty MLC for Bega Penny Sharpe today announced Eurobodalla Shire and Bega Valley Shire councils would receive a total of $227,500 for estuary studies, rehabilitation and protection.

"Eurobodalla Council will receive $142,500 for restoring riparian corridors on the Moruya River, restoring riparian vegetation at Tomaga estuary entrance, protection of habitat at Tuross estuary and Coila Lake, bush regeneration at Wagonga Inlet, and polices and studies on the opening of Kianga, Little, Nangudga and Bullengella Lakes," Mr Koperberg said.

"Bega Council will receive $85,000 for foreshore protection works at Merimbula Lake at Fishpen and for an estuary processes study of Pambula Lake as the first stage in the preparation of an estuary management plan."

Minister Koperberg said the estuaries of NSW are of immense social, economic and environmental importance to coastal communities and the entire state.

"The Iemma Government's Estuary Management Program, administered by the Department of Environment and Climate Change, provides financial assistance to local councils for restoration of the State's estuaries," he said.

"The program acknowledges that estuaries provide habitat and nursery areas for marine species, support our commercial and recreational fishers and aquaculture industries, and are essential elements of our unique coastal environment.

"The State funds will be matched by local government to undertake works and studies for the preservation and restoration of the State's estuaries

"The program aims to protect the environmental well-being of the State's estuaries by ensuring the sustainable use of estuaries, coastal lakes and associated tidal wetlands through balanced management and environmental improvement.

Ms Sharpe said it demonstrates the importance the Iemma Government places on working with local government to protect and restore the State's water ways.

"I congratulate the councils on their commitment to their local waterways and for matching government funding dollar for dollar."

Premier Morris Iemma today launched a bold new approach to tackle violence against women.

Mr Iemma said providing better protection for women is the motivation behind the new approach.

"Women have an absolute right to feel safe, particularly in their homes," Mr Iemma said.

"My Government is determined to do everything we can to stamp out the scourge of domestic violence and other attacks on women.

"The best way we can do that is to have all Government services working together - including the police, courts, community services and health.

"For the first time we'll have a centrally located unit reporting directly to the Premier which will co-ordinate a whole of government response to domestic and family violence.

"I want to ensure that the services my Government provides to women in the most dreadful circumstances are the best equipped and co-ordinated and don't add to a woman's distress."

Mr Iemma said in 2004 25,761 domestic assaults were reported to NSW Police. In 62 per cent of cases the offender was a former or current intimate partner.

About 35-40 per cent of all assaults reported to Police are domestic assaults.

The Government's new strategy will, for the first time:

• Establish a centralised Violence Prevention Coordination Unit, located in the Office for Women, Department of Premier and Cabinet;
• Employ five state-wide project coordinators to oversee five key domestic and family violence projects and deliver state-wide changes. Coordinators will be employed for the following projects:

• Staying Home Leaving Violence and Integrated Case Management projects;
• Domestic Violence Intervention Court Model;
• Risk Assessment Tool for people at risk of domestic violence and a workforce training project;
• Domestic violence training for health workers;

• Establish an expert Advisory Council on Preventing Violence Against Women reporting directly to the Premier and Minister for Women; and
• Deliver more than $2 million in new funding each year to support domestic and family violence partnership projects with non-government organisations across the State

"My Government recognises that it's often traumatic for victims of violence to have to relive their experience by telling their stories to multiple government agencies," Mr Iemma said.

"These changes will reduce the significant trauma that victims feel, by making sure government agencies work together in the interest of victims.

"We want more women coming forward and reporting violence, and by streamlining the process and making it less intrusive, the Government will be protecting women in the most vulnerable circumstances.

"I am confident these changes will put a greater focus on prevention and earlier intervention as well as better support for women and families who experience violence.

"We want to ultimately reduce the impact of these dreadful crimes on victims and society."

29 January 2008

State Plan Priority F4: Embedding the principle of prevention and early intervention into Government service delivery in NSW

State Plan Priority F6: Increased proportion of children with skills for life and learning at school entry

Community Services Minister Kevin Greene this morning welcomed seven first time pre-schoolers at Marrickville as thousands start their early education this week at nearly 800 community pre-schools across NSW.

Mr Greene visited KU Crusader Pre-School in Marrickville with local member Carmel Tebbutt MP to meet parents and welcome their children to a significant milestone in their young lives - day one of their education.

"The first day of pre-school can be a pretty emotional time for mums and dads but children usually settle in quickly," Mr Greene said.

"We know there are lifelong benefits obtained from these early learning years, that's why it's so important to give as many children as possible access to a pre-school education."

Mr Greene said more preschool places would become available later this year as the next phase of the Iemma Government's $85 million Pre-school Investment and Reform Plan rolled out.

"We're now getting ready to roll out a further $29.8 million in 2008/09 for pre-school programs. By the end of our reform, every four-year-old in NSW will have access to a quality pre-school opportunity for two days per week in the year before they start school," Mr Greene said.

Mr Greene said the Plan was a commitment to provide access to pre-school programs for an extra 10,500 children. It is the biggest investment in community-based pre-schools in 20 years that will take the NSW Government's annual investment in pre-school services to more than $130 million a year by 2008/09.

"The next funding round will go to community-based services to improve access to quality programs, especially for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds".

"Investing in early childhood education and ensuring access to affordable, quality services is one of the best ways to improve life outcomes for children. It's why we have committed to substantial reform of the sector and have worked closely with parents to understand the challenges".

"Since June 2006 we have provided almost $26 million in additional funds to more than 500 community-based pre-schools," Mr Greene said.

In June 2006, under the Plan, an $8.3 million emergency funding package was provided to assist around 400 pre-schools known to be under immediate financial pressure. The Plan's next stage saw the allocation in December 2006 of a further $17.6 million in additional funding and/or service analysis and business development assistance to 539 services.

Mr Greene said details on the priorities and allocation of the next $29.8 million in funding were currently being finalised in consultation with experts from the pre-school sector.

"We want to make the funding system simpler and fairer to improve access to early education. The Iemma Government is absolutely committed to supporting community-based pre-schools," said the Minister.

Mr Greene said he also looked forward to more improvements for NSW kids and would work with his federal counterparts in the coming months to roll out Prime Minister Rudd's commitment to improving access to pre-school programs for children in the year before they start school.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma has announced, in an Australian first, biofuel will be used at the upcoming A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Sydney next month.

The 22 nation event, to be staged at Eastern Creek on February 1-3, is the first truly global motorsport series to race on a 30 per cent biofuel mix.

Premier Morris Iemma praised the initiative and said NSW was leading Australia in using ethanol blended fuels.

"This is a fantastic initiative by A1GP," Mr Iemma said.

"I wholeheartedly commend its move towards ensuring that the environmental impacts of the series are as minimal as possible.

"Biofuels, such as ethanol, are much healthier for our environment than conventional fuels.

"In October last year I introduced an ethanol mandate which will ensure that ethanol makes up a minimum of two per cent of total fuel sales in NSW.

"As time goes by the use of biofuels will be a win for the environment, consumers hip pockets and in NSW regional economies.

A1GP's new fuel is an ethanol based product Hiperflo^TM E30, and is sourced from sugar beet in Europe and produced specifically for A1GP.

The fuel produces less harmful particulate matter than conventional fuels and will reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. By implementing E30, A1GP will reduce CO2 emissions by 21 per car.

A1GP Australian Chairman Alan Evans highlighted the importance of this milestone in Australian racing.

"This is truly a first for motorsport in this country and will be a great opportunity to road test ‘green' racing showing that high performance engines can run on ethanol fuel," Mr Evans said.

State Plan Priority E1: A secure and sustainable water supply for all users

Water Utilities Minister Nathan Rees will embark on a tour of Regional NSW next week for further discussions with local councils on the Iemma Government's review of Country Water Utilities.

Mr Rees will meet with regional council organisations in Dubbo, Tamworth, Armidale, Taree, Braidwood, Wagga Wagga, Jerilderie, and Bathurst.

The Minister will have his first meeting in Dubbo next Tuesday.

At the same time, the Minister has released a discussion paper and invitation for submissions on the issues that are facing country water utilities as well as the terms of reference of the review.

Mr Rees said the Iemma Government was committed to helping local water utilities in country NSW face the growing challenges of providing sustainable water supply and sewerage services.

"Years of drought, climate change, population shifts and increasing infrastructure costs as well as the need to protect the environment are all impacting on the long term safety and security of water supplies to our country towns and villages," Mr Rees said.

"The purpose of this discussion paper is to encourage thought and debate on the issues that local water utilities are facing and to examine opportunities to provide NSW country towns with effective arrangements for the long term provision of water supply and sewerage services.

"The discussion paper and terms of reference of the inquiry have come from detailed consultation and feedback from key stakeholders since I announced the review in August last year.

"The last detailed evaluation of the water supply and sewerage services for country towns was conducted in 1993.

"The future challenges faced by local water utilities will require substantial investment in infrastructure and people, to ensure efficient, reliable, affordable and safe water supply and sewerage services.

Mr Rees' tour of regional NSW comes ahead of a series of public hearings commencing in March as part of the inquiry into Country Water Utilities.

Mr Rees announced last month that the Iemma Government had appointed the former Deputy Premier, Ian Armstrong  and the former head of the Premier's Department, Dr. Colin Gellatly to head the inquiry.

"Mr Armstrong and Dr. Gellatly will conduct public hearings in fifteen NSW regional centres and I invite any organisation or individual with interests in this vital area to read the discussion paper, make submissions and put their case to the public hearings.

"I want Regional NSW to be the drivers of this inquiry to ensure that our country centres, towns and villages have the same security and quality of water supplies that is enjoyed in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong," Mr Rees said.

Public hearings will be conducted in the following fifteen locations:

• Albury 
• Bourke 
• Broken Hill 
• Coffs Harbour 
• Cooma 
• Cowra 
• Dubbo 
• Forbes 
• Griffith 
• Nowra 
• Orange 
• Tamworth 
• Temora 
• Tweed Heads 
• Wagga Wagga

The discussion paper and information on how to make submissions, is available at www.dwe.nsw.gov.au

Submissions should be sent to waterinquiry [at] dwe [dot] nsw [dot] gov [dot] au by Friday 7 March 2008.

Premier Morris Iemma has used an Australia Day barbecue in Sydney's west to call on NSW families to be more accepting of each other and to watch out for their neighbours.

Mr Iemma made the call in Rouse Hill, part of Sydney's most culturally diverse region.

Latest Census figures show 169 different cultures are living side-by-side throughout that part of Western Sydney - in an area bordered by Riverstone, Mt Druitt, Seven Hills, Prospect and Kellyville.

Mr Iemma released the findings at an Australia Day citizenship barbeque, where he was joined by local MP John Aquilina and members of the Afghanistani, Korean, Maltese, Sudanese, Philippino, Chinese and the British communities -planning to become new citizens this Australia Day.

"This is a celebration with a multicultural twist," Mr Iemma said.

"It's the classic Aussie BBQ with a bit of the best of all cultures."

Taking control of the tongs with the Premier and Mr Aquilina were top Sydney chefs Tetsuya Wakuda and Luke Nguyen, who've both become Australian citizens.

NSW's most culturally diverse areas:

The Premier used the occasion of the citizenship BBQ to call on all Australians to be more accepting this Australia Day.

"I would like all people of NSW to remember others this long weekend," he said.

"Australia Day is about recognising our past - but also our future.

"Our future is rich with the diversity of other cultures and it's only fitting we recognise the contribution that people born overseas have made to our Australian way of life.

"This Australia Day, I think it would be only fitting for everyone to get to know their neighbours better.

"My message is, ‘Say G'day to your neighbours'.

"Let's embrace our uniqueness as a community and make more of an effort to get to know our neighbours better," he said.

Riverstone MP John Aquilina said representing part of the city's most culturally diverse area was a privilege.

"It's a great area to live in and it's even better to be one of the community's representatives in the parliament," he said.

"Migrants have made a terrific contribution to our unique Australian lifestyle, and we can all come together to celebrate our national day."

NSW Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, today announced she would ask the Governor to establish a Special Commission of Inquiry into the delivery of patient care within the NSW public health system.

Ms Meagher said the NSW Government moved swiftly to establish the Commission following a call by the Deputy NSW State Coroner for the Minister to "consider a full and open inquiry into the delivery of health services in NSW".

The Coroner was handing down his findings into the death of Vanessa Anderson at Royal North Shore Hospital in November 2005.

"Today I have again apologised to the Anderson family and expressed my profound sympathy over Vanessa's tragic death," Ms Meagher said.

"It is clear that mistakes were made with regard to Vanessa's care and her treatment at Royal North Shore Hospital in November 2005.

"When mistakes happen within our hospitals it is important that we learn from them by making improvements to the system to try to stop similar mistakes from occurring in the future.

"I have reassured Vanessa Anderson's family that we have already made changes at Royal North Shore Hospital - and at hospitals across the state - to make the sort of improvements needed to ensure better patient safety.

"In handing down his findings this morning, the Coroner made no formal recommendations, but noted the work already done by Royal North Shore Hospital and the health system more broadly to make improvements."

Ms Meagher said that over the past few years there have been a number of inquiries into individual instances of patient care and into individual hospitals and health services.

"Each of these inquiries has resulted in changes which have improved the way we deliver patient care," Ms Meagher said.

"In handing down his findings today, the Coroner identified a number of systemic issues which contributed to Vanessa Anderson's death.

"The Coroner made the point that the NSW health system is staffed by dedicated professionals but is labouring under increased demands and expectations from the general public.

"The establishment of this Special Commission of Inquiry provides an opportunity to look closely at the way we deliver health services now and to identify the changes needed to ensure better patient care."

Terms of Reference for the Special Commission of Inquiry and the appointment of a Commissioner will be announced soon.