LOCAL POLITICS NEWS
FRED CATERSON RESERVE EXPANDING
The NSW Government will provide nearly seven hectares of Crown land to Hills Shire Council to expand Fred Caterson Reserve and provide more recreation space for the region’s residents. The parcel of Crown land that is being given to council to manage is currently underutilised, so its addition to Fred Caterson Reserve will allow the reserve to expand for public recreation to support the region’s growing population.
ENROLMENT BOOM
This year, public schools across the State will open their doors to the largest cohort of students ever recorded. We are responding to this population growth by ramping up work on our unprecedented $6.7 billion investment in school infrastructure, with $900 million of work to be delivered between January and the end of June this year. We are delivering 190 new and upgraded schools, spending $1.3 billion on school maintenance over five years and have allocated $500 million to provide schools across the State with new air conditioning.
VOLUNTEER PAYMENTS
The NSW Government is administering the Australian Government’s Volunteer Firefighters Financial Support Program, which is designed to help eligible RFS and SES volunteers who have lost income fighting fires and helping with the recovery effort during Australia’s bushfire crisis. Payments to cover income loss are now available for RFS and SES volunteers who have spent more than 10 days volunteering as part of the operational response to the recent bushfires. Payments are tax-free and are not means-tested. For further information visit: www.service.nsw.gov.au.
