Active Kids program will be doubled as two separate $100 vouchers will be available for each child to encourage them to be more involved in sport across the year. From July 2019, families will be able to receive two vouchers to play sport from January to December. “The program has been hugely popula
Skilled migrants willing to live and work in regional Australia will have their visas fast-tracked under a $19.4 million plan, announced by the federal government. The budget will be used throughout the next four years as the Department of Home Affairs officials will assist local businesses in regio
The NSW Government will have a high-rise tower watchdog and a registration scheme for engineers and builders under an overhaul of construction activity, following the Opal Tower debacle. The new “building commissioner” will have the responsibility to enforce new laws and license and audit people who
NSW had recorded an unusually high number of influenza cases diagnosed this summer, which may be due to travellers returning from holidays in winter climates. Confirmed influenza cases have doubled from last year January, with 2196 cases confirmed from the beginning of the year until February. “Near
4000 commuter car parking spaces have now been completed along the Sydney Northwest Metro rail lines, and will be opened to the public in a couple of months. The car park will be available for commuters from Rouse Hill to Chatswood and open at the same time as the Metro Northwest rail line. “Sydney
Australia’s international education sector has contributed $34 billion to the local economy in 2018, showing a significant increase of 15.3 per cent. More than 690,000 international students in 2018 contributed to the economy through tuition fees and living costs. “Australia has a vibrant and high-p
The NSW Government will invest $5 million over the next four years for the installation of CCTV cameras around NSW communities to ensure their safety. Cameras will be installed in the Western and South-Western Sydney area before being assessed to expand to other areas of NSW. “Community safety is th
NSW has become the first state in Australia to subsidise all three-year-olds in community preschools, under the $200 investment program. The program ensures that every child in NSW has access to two years of early childhood education before primary school. “Not only does this investment mean better
NBN customers experiencing slow connection speeds are encouraged to contact their retail service provider (RSP) as they may be entitled to a refund. Providers such as Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander have all admitted that they likely made false or misleading repres
Major construction work began this week for the biggest upgrade to the Central Station in a decade, including new Sydney Metro platforms deep underground and the landmark Central Walk. The upgrade is part of the $955 million investment to the iconic station, and will improve the public transport ser
Children starting childcare, primary or secondary school in 2019 are urged by the NSW Health to ensure they are up to date with their immunisations. According to NSW Health, even though 95 per cent of NSW children are fully immunised, some have missed out on important vaccines against highly infecti
From 1 to 10 February, Sydney will celebrate the biggest Lunar Festival outside of Asia to celebrate the Year of the Pig. The City of Sydney festival will include the popular Lunar lanterns exhibition, performances by Sydney’s Asian communities, Chinatown celebrations, dragon boat races, lion dancin
Australian house prices are due to fall further by 5 per cent in 2019, according to Fitch Ratings, one of the world’s major credit rating agencies. Australian house prices have already dropped by 6.7 per cent since their peak, and will continue to do so until a predicted recovery in 2020. In their r
Managers and Professionals receive the highest average hourly earnings, according to the results from the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). According to the ABS, Managers and Professionals earn an average hourly rate of $60.40 and
The top 100 baby names of NSW have been released by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Traditional and royal-inspired names have topped the list for 2018, with the top 10 list remaining relatively unchanged in the past decade. In NSW, the top 10 baby names for boys have been ranked as
Millions will be invested into fast charging points for electric vehicles, trial electric bus services, and electric and hybrid government vehicles. The investment will include a $3 million co-investment in fast charging points for electric and hybrid vehicles on major regional corridors, as well as
More Australian university graduates are finding jobs within a few months of graduating, according to the 2018 Employer Satisfaction Survey.72.9 per cent of graduates in 2017 landed full-time employment within four months after completing their degree, which showed an increase of five per cent from
NSW Health has issued a measles alert for people who were at the Sydney International Airport in the early morning of Friday 11 January. One passenger, a male in his 20s, was infected with measles whilst in the Philippines and was officially diagnosed in Sydney, at the Leichardt Medical and Dental c
NSW was the top destination state for international and domestic visitors in 2018, well ahead of Victoria and Queensland, according to the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) and National Visitor Survey (NVS). NSW received 4.3 million international visitors who stayed 95.5 million nights, spen
The City of Sydney is accepting submissions of creative art programs that will transform public spaces across the city. Local and international artists are encouraged to submit their ideas for the Art & About Sydney 2020 program by Sunday 24 February 2019. Depending on the project costs, approved pr