October 22: Over $1M in Unpaid Wages Recovered

The NSW Government has recovered more than $1 million in unpaid wages and other workers’ entitlements in the last three months.

Office of Industrial Relations inspectors recouped the money following more than 35000 targeted workplace inspections across the states.

More than 400 employers were found breaching industrial relations laws and had to back pay staff.

Employers who ignore minimum standards face fines of up to $11,000 for each offence.

October 22: NSW moves to protect council workers

Council workers will not have to wait until 2010 to see the back of WorkChoices.

The NSW Government has introduced a bill to ensure council workers are covered by the state industrial relations system.

Amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 will remove the corporate status of local councils, thereby excluding them from the definition of employer in the Federal Workplace Relations Act.

While the Rudd Government has already removed some elements of WorkChoices, other parts will not be killed off until 2010.

The amendments will also allow councils to appoint temporary staff for up to two years to relieve for staff taking parental leave.

October 18: Offshore boaters warned on flares

Maritime patrols have revealed four in five boats have not been carrying the required number of unexpired flares while sailing offshore.

Boats sailing offshore are required to carry a minimum of two red hand flares and two orange smoke flares, all of which should be within their expiry date.

Skippers can be fined $80 on-the-spot for not carrying the appropriate safety equipment.

8 September: Premier Rees announces Cabinet portfolios
 
NSW Premier Nathan Rees has announced the portfolio responsibilities for his new Cabinet, including the six new Ministers.
 
“The Members of my Cabinet have been assigned to Ministries, matching their experience and talent with the challenges presented in their portfolios,” Mr Rees said.
 
“The Ministers have all committed to face the difficult challenges that lie ahead with courage, enthusiasm and hard work.
 
“We have matched the right people with the right jobs and I am confident that we can now get on with the job and take our State forward.”

Click here to view the Rees Government Ministry.

June 20: $58m Mental Health Unit for Concord

A 174-bed mental health facility has been opened in Concord to replace ageing infrastructure at Rozelle Hospital.

The state-of-the-art facility includes:

• a 48 bed Adult Acute Unit
• a female only 12 bed Aduclt Acute High Level Observation Unit
• a male only 10 bed Adult High Level Observation Unit
• a 10 bed Acute Adult Intensive Care Unit
• a 15 bed Adult Ongoing High Level Care Unit
• 30 Acute Older Persons Beds
• a 35 bed Rehabilitation Unit
• 14 beds for Adolescent Extended Care and
• an Admission and Assessment Centre.

Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health) Paul Lynch said the relocation of mental health services from Rozelle to Concord was in line with world’s best practice of aligning mental health care with general health services.

"Concord Hospital will be able to provide the sophisticated imaging and monitoring that is an important part of modern psychiatric care," Mr Lynch said.

April 2: Sub-Prime Prompts Council Cleanup

The NSW Government will adopt all eight recommendations from an independent report that investigated the losses faced by councils from exposure to the US sub-prime mortgage market.

The Cole Report found NSW councils face losses of $200 million, with one council estimated to have lost $22 million.

NSW Treasurer Michael Costa said councils must receive independent financial advice before making investment decisions.

“We will be adopting all eight recommendations to ensure ratepayer’s money is better protected from risky investments,” Mr Costa said.

The recommendations include tightening permissible investment products and barring manufacturers and distributors of investment products from acting as investment advisors to councils.

January 14: $43M Kicks Off New Era in State-Federal Relations

The Federal Rudd Government has kicked in an extra $43.3 million to help further drive down elective surgery waiting lists across the state.

NSW received the larges allocation of the total extra funding at 29 per cent, with 8743 NSW patients to benefit from the additional funding.

This is the first phase of the Rudd Government’s $600 million elective surgery list funding package – with capital funding and performance-based funding yet to come.

January 14: New Training Places to Kick Start Careers

There will be 80 new training places available to Western Sydney residents this year under a State Government program that provides employment opportunities for disadvantaged or long-term unemployed people.

Childcare, nursing, caring for people with disabilities and electrical trades are the career paths on offer thanks to the program Corporate Partners for Change (CPC).

“With the addition of an extra 80 training places, even more people will benefit from this successful program that has already launched new careers for more than 610 people,” Minister for Western Sydney Barbara Perry said.

Corporate partners who will be involved this year include UnitingCare, Hammond Care, Holroyd City Council child care centres, Electro Group and the Spastic Centre.

“It’s very likely that these employers will offer employment, traineeships and apprenticeships to our successful graduates,” Ms Perry said.