Public Service Association of NSW

The CPSU NSW’s passionate TAFE delegates met today to discuss the important issues facing our members across NSW. On the table today were Health and Safety Representation (HSRs), Enterprise Bargaining updates (including pay rise discussions) and Flex Time discussions, along with the fantastic membership growth we’ve had over the past six months.

Local Land Services (LLS) Delegates meeting with LLS Management at the Joint Consultative Committee in Orange. One issue up for discussion was negotiations for a new Award which currently has the inequality of some staff working a 38 hour week and others a 35 hour week.

EXTRA $4.7 BILLION TO FIGHT DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
Federal and state governments will pump an extra $4.7 billion into helping victims of domestic violence, including boosting legal aid funding and pay for frontline workers.

National cabinet on Friday agreed to the funding increase, as well as additional work to track high-risk offenders and a state and territory review of alcohol laws.
The decisions follow a rapid review of policy settings ordered in March and as a woman is murdered on average every four days in Australia.

The federal government will spend $3.9 billion over five years, beginning on July 1 next year and a new national funding agreement will be hashed out with the states and territories.

Systems that provide police forces around the country with red flag warnings about high-risk perpetrators will be strengthened, through changes to the National Criminal Intelligence System.

But workforce shortages remain a problem. The federal government has told states to do more to meet their promise to hire 500 additional frontline workers.

Information sharing will be improved between magistrate courts and family law courts, including from child protection, policing and fi****ms agencies.

The meeting stopped short of taking up the review’s calls for a total ban on gambling advertising, with the federal government preparing to announce its response to a separate parliamentary review.

NSW Premier Chris Minns noted his state was performing worse than Victoria on combating domestic violence rates, something Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan put down to a 2016 royal commission and careful work to rebuild systems to help women and children fleeing violence.

“We recognise the numbers are not good in our state and that change needs
to happen,” Mr Minns said.

“It is money, part of it is law change, but a massive element of reform is a cultural change in the community and I think this agreement goes some way to striking national balance.”

Commissioned by national cabinet after the Bondi stabbings in April and a spate of high-profile deaths in domestic violence cases around the country, the rapid review of prevention approaches recommended more funding for remote and regional services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services.

National homicide monitoring data released in May showed a 28 per cent annual increase in the number of women killed by an intimate partner in 2022-23.

But overall rates of women being killed by their partners have been on a steady decline since the late 1980s.

Australian Institute of Criminology figures show deaths have decreased by 66 per cent over the past 34 years.

‘Vile violence’ against women faces $4.7b crackdown States and territories will review information-sharing systems and alcohol laws under an agreement for urgent action.

Today is , a reminder that every day is the day to check in with those we care about, ask, ‘are you OK?’, and let them know you’re here to hear.

If you’re not sure how to start an R U OK? conversation, you can use these four steps.

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in

Find out more at https://www.ruok.org.au/

NSW FISHERIES OFFICERS TO TAKE INDUSTRIAL ACTION
All NSW Fisheries Officer members across NSW will be taking industrial action from midnight Wednesday 11 September 2024.

The Fisheries Officers Vocational Branch (FOVB) of the PSA voted overwhelmingly in support of taking immediate actions in their workplaces to protect themselves and their colleagues in the course of their work.

PSA member Nadiye Cicek is part of the Digitisation team assisting photographers with the digitisation of objects, collected and institutional archives at the Powerhouse Museum.

"Our department digitises our collection providing online access to a variety of museum objects and archives. We respond to digitisation requests from researchers and the community. We also digitise new acquisitions, objects for exhibition and publication. By photographing our objects we're able to support people's engagement with our state collections," said Nadiye.

New South Wales is incredibly lucky to have such dedicated and skilled public servants. They are true Champions of the State!

Huge respect to all PSA members working in our cultural institutions.

NSW Government
I work for NSW
Australian Museum
The State Library of New South Wales
Museums of History NSW
NSW State Archives
Powerhouse Museum
Art Gallery of New South Wales

OUT-OF-HOME-CARE INTERIM REPORT OUT NOW
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has released an Interim Report on the costs of the out-of-home care system.

Tribunal Chair Carmel Donnelly said IPART is conducting a review focused on the cost of delivering out-of-home care and the pricing arrangements with the non-government providers who deliver care under contract with the NSW Government.

“We have made some preliminary findings about the way the current system is operating and the costs of providing foster care for both the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and non-government providers, and we welcome feedback on these,” Ms Donnelly said.

“While we have found that these costs do vary, there are likely to be a range of reasons for this which we will continue to investigate as the review progresses.”

IPART is also looking at the allowance foster carers, relatives and kinship carers receive to meet the costs of providing care and support to children and young people. Changes in community standards and expectations since it was last reviewed over 20 years ago mean that it may no longer cover the costs of caring for a child.

The NSW Government requested this review to help improve financial sustainability of the out-of-home care system. IPART will advise on appropriate prices and funding of out-of-home care services to meet the needs of children and young people in care.

“Around 14,000 children and young people are currently in some form of out-of-home care across NSW and the system is facing a range of challenges that include growing costs and a shortage of carers and caseworkers,” Ms Donnelly said.

“So far we have received a lot of valuable input from providers and workers in the out-of-home care sector, including Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, as well as carers of children and young people, and we look forward to this continuing.”

IPART will be holding a public hearing on Tuesday 22 October and will submit a Final Report to the Premier and the Minister for Families and Communities and Disability Inclusion in May 2025.

READ MORE: https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/documents/media-release/media-release-interim-report-released-costs-out-home-care-10-september-2024

ABOUT IPART https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/About-IPART

PSA LODGES DISPUTE OVER DoE MANAGEMENT OF ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE.
The PSA understands that our members, especially Department of Education (DoE) corporate and field staff, are feeling anxious and concerned in an environment of budget cuts, functional reviews and announcements about organisational changes, restructures, and job deletions.

As a PSA member, your union stands firmly with you and is strongly advocating for your rights and entitlements throughout this challenging and uncertain time.

NSW Government
NSW Department of Education

PSA lodges dispute over DoE management of Organisational Change - Public Service Association The PSA understands that our members, especially Department of Education (DoE) corporate and field staff, are feeling anxious and concerned in an

RIVERINA COURTS FACE ONGOING THREAT OF CLOSURES
Courts across the Riverina are facing ongoing threats of closures as sheriffs press on with strike action against the state government amid a dramatic pay dispute.

It's understood courts at Griffith, Finley, Corowa and Lake Cargelligo have all recently been forced to close their doors due to a lack of available sheriffs.

In mid-August sheriffs went on a day-long strike, forcing the closure of almost every local and district court in the state, including at Wagga, while Griffith courthouse was forced to close for multiple days.

Riverina-based public service association (PSA) delegate and sheriff’s officer Glenn Elliott-Rudder said the widespread action is being taken to press the state government to raise staff salaries to be more comparable with other industries.

Mr Elliott-Rudder said sheriffs had resolved on a workplace ban where sheriffs will not attend a courthouse if required to manage the precinct without a colleague.

"In the past it has been the practice to just send one officer to a courthouse to provide security," he said.

"We say there's an inherent risk there."

Mr Elliott-Rudder said sheriffs don't carry fi****ms or tasers.

"We're not the same as police officers, or as well-armed as them, yet we're sent out by ourselves into courthouses at Narrandera,Leeton, Temora, Tumut - places like that where we're there by ourselves," he said.

"There's no perimeter security screening, so you don't necessarily know what people are bringing into the courtroom when they come into the court ... [so] we're saying a minimum of two staff" is required, he said.

Highlighting the security risks in the job, he pointed to a serious incident at the Wagga Courthouse on Wednesday.

"We had someone walk … through the metal detector and when an officer asked what was in their pocket [they found a] fold out lockable blade knife," Mr Elliott-Rudder said.

Police were called and spoke to the person and he hoped they were charged over the incident.

Mr Elliott-Rudder said protecting against such incidents was part of the job and that it was not a "back office job", despite the pay reflecting that.

"My pay stops at $77,000, but if I work for corrective services in jail my base-rate starts at $85,000," he said.

"If i was a senior constable with the NSW Police I'd be on $111,000per year, so we can't compete."

He said while there are about 450 sheriffs across the state, they are haemorrhaging about 90 staff every year.

"We can't attract people in the first place and keep them because the pay is not enough to live on," he said.

As part of the current industrial action, the sheriffs are also demanding they are paid overtime if required to work more than seven hours.

Mr Elliott-Rudder said the sheriffs will continue to "put pressure on the government" through the ban until action is taken to remedy the situation.

Responding to the claims, a Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) spokesperson said the department "acknowledges the Public Service Association's industrial action has caused disruptions and often takes place on short notice".

"We thank court users for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused by unavoidable withdrawal of court services, "the spokesperson said.

"Contingency plans, including AVL hearings, are in place to reduce any impacts on courts where possible."

By Andrew Mangelsdorf
The Daily Advertiser
9 September 2024

How to win-win at school sport by Cathy Wilcox.

THIS YEAR MARKS THE 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NSW POLICE RADIO
Unsworn police dispatchers play a critical yet often underappreciated role in the safety and effectiveness of police. Though they are frequently overshadowed and under-celebrated compared to their sworn counterpart, dispatchers are usually the first point of contact for those in distress - responsible for receiving emergency calls, assessing the situation, and relaying crucial, often lifesaving, information to police officers. Their ability to quickly and accurately interpret and relay information is vital - by prioritising jobs, providing real-time updates, and coordinating resources, dispatchers ensure that police are deployed where they are needed the most.

Our members work through every major incident - from natural disasters like bushfires and floods, to critical incidents like the Lindt Café siege. The media, and even the Police Force themselves, are rightfully thankful of the work the Police do in these situations, but they almost always overlook the unsung heroes of the situation, our members in Police Radio.

Police Radio centres are all across the state - Surry Hills, Penrith, Oak Flats, Tamworth and Newcastle - with the Wagga Wagga radio room closing in 2009. Each is staffed by majority of unsworn civilian public servants.

In every disaster, large or small, our members in Police Radio work tirelessly behind the scenes. Their contributions are essential not only for managing immediate crises but also for providing the backbone of a coordinated and effective emergency response. They are all champions of the state.

Data released by the NSW Department of Education shows 33,903 public school students were suspended last year, with the bulk of those for causing unacceptable risk to the health and safety of school staff and classmates.

‘Teachers don’t feel safe’: One in 12 high school students suspended amid behavioural crisis Figures released by the NSW Education Department show 59,814 suspensions were issued to public school students in 2023.

The funding gap between Australia's private and public schools is getting worse.

On average this year, each private school will receive $462 per student above the full Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) while every public school will be underfunded by $2,509 per student.

As high as $7k per student: The funding gaps between private and public schools revealed Public schools in Australia educate 2.4 times the number of students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds compared to private schools. Yet new data reveals a huge funding disparity that is only growing.

1000 ANIMAL & PLANT SPECIES AT RISK OF EXTINCTION IN NSW
Today marks an important date in Australian history - the death of the last remaining Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) on 7 September 1936.

National Threatened Species Day is a day when we shine a spotlight on all the Australian native animal and plant species that are facing similar fates to that of the Tasmanian tiger.

In NSW alone there are close to 1000 animal and plant species at risk of extinction, but some incredible work is being done by PSA members to stop the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems in NSW.

Troy Wright, PSA Assistant General Secretary addresses the Schools Business Managers Conference at Rydges Lovedale in the Hunter Valley today.

NATIONAL TAFE DAY is a day to remind ourselves of the unique role TAFE plays in Australian society and a day to reassert our commitment to TAFE as Australia's premier vocational training organisation.

Thank you to our members, all the incredible support staff who work for TAFE NSW. We will continue the fight for TAFE and for you.

This week, PSA Senior Organiser, Chris Auld attended the CSNSW Psychology conference with the PAG (Psychology Advisory Group) delegates at Rydges Parrammatta.

Pictured L-R are Peter Zabilka, Amy Sowerby, Sam Ardasinski, Mary Sanna, Fiona Innis and Teena Kennedy.

Kincumber Public School Support & Admin Staff are a great team who keep their school running.

Send a photo of your team to [email protected]

Congratulations to this year's Women's Conference Award Winners, Trina Leask (Service NSW), Linda Gosbell (Community Services), Pagan Lickiss (Office of the Sheriff) and Tiffany Bet (Wollongong University) in recognition of their excellent work on behalf of members in their workplaces.

PSA members from Strawberry Hills are part of the state wide action to force the NSW Government to act on the crisis in Child Protection.

School Learning Support Officers provide invaluable support to teachers and students alike.

Support staff are crucial in Australian schools, but their role sometimes goes unnoticed - ABC Education School support staff work tirelessly behind the scenes, playing a crucial role in student success. From admin tasks to classroom assistance, their dedication helps children thrive.

PSA member Rebecca is a Shift Supervisor with Youth Justice where she supports young offenders in custody and strives to make them better members of the community.

Rebecca supervises the work of Youth Officers to ensure that daily routines, admissions and discharges, security, casework and program attendance to ensure the appropriate care and custody of youth, safety of staff and deals with issues and risks as they arise.

Our members in Youth Justice are critically important in making our communities safe places to live and work. They are dedicated public servants and Champions of the State.

PSA CPSU NSW Women’s Conference 2024 Day 2.

PSA CPSU NSW Womens Conference 3-4 September 2024

CHILD PROTECTION IN CRISIS

Child protection workers protest amidst ‘safety crisis’ - NBN News Child protection workers across New South Wales walked off the job today, claiming children are at a