Author Archives: wendytuckerman

The number of apprentices and trainees in jobs across the state increased 11 per cent in the year to December 2021, off the back of the NSW Government’s unprecedented investment in fee-free training.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) report shows NSW continues to lead the nation, with more apprentices and trainees than any other state or territory.

“The NSW Government is investing in fee-free apprenticeships and traineeships to create a pipeline of skilled workers for jobs in industries that are experiencing high demand for employees,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“It’s great to see the number of apprentices and trainees continuing to grow in NSW, but we want more people to make the most of free training so that they can get a first job, a new job or a better job.”

The report shows that 106,445 apprentices and trainees were in training at the end of 2021, with both commencements and completions up overall on the year before.

The number of women undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW continues to surge, with a 21 per cent increase in 2021 compared with the year before.

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the NSW Government is removing barriers to vocational education and training and creating more opportunities than ever before for people to get skilled or upskill.

“The NSW Government’s push to turbocharge the take-up of vocational education and training is securing a brighter future for NSW, with more people getting skilled, finding jobs and growing the economy,” Mr Henskens said.

“Our record skills investment is helping people boost their budget through free training, allowing them to find in-demand jobs and contribute to historically low unemployment rates in NSW.”

More information about the report is available here: Apprentices and trainees 2021: December quarter (ncver.edu.au)

More roads in the Goulburn electorate are in line for vital repair, maintenance and sealing work under Round Four of the NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads program.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said previous rounds of the program have delivered a total of $34,285,053 million to the electorate across 25 projects.

“Now with Round Four of Fixing Local Roads opening, councils in the region have a chance to apply for even more projects,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“Projects include sealing, resurfacing, gravel road maintenance, drainage improvement and patching, leading to more reliable, safer journeys with less wear and tear on vehicles.”

“These improvements help stimulate the economies of regions like ours and contribute to the social wellbeing of families, farmers and freight who use these roads to get to work, education and services.”

“Big infrastructure projects might create a lot of headlines but these are small projects that make a big difference in people’s everyday lives.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads said the NSW Government has already funded almost 500 Fixing Local Roads projects across 95 regional councils and now with Round Four opening, even more projects will get underway.

“NSW has certainly had its fair share of natural disasters and extreme weather, and while we cannot control Mother Nature, we can control our response by improving the standard of our local road network,” Mr Farraway said.

So far, the Fixing Local Roads program has provided $547 million for 498 projects over three rounds. Of these, 203 are now completed with a further 295 in the planning and construction phases.

Councils have until 9 September to apply for Round Four Fixing Local Roads funding.

Seniors in the Goulburn electorate are continuing to embrace digital with more than 100,000 people across the state now taking advantage of the digital Seniors Card.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said while there would always be a non-digital version, it was great to see so many seniors taking advantage of the digital option to access discounts and benefits on dining out, entertainment and travel.

“This milestone shows the seniors of NSW are confidently using digital products and demonstrates the real impact and benefits these solutions can have in all age groups,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“After a successful pilot in March involving 4,000 people, we are currently seeing more than 30,000 people across the state getting their digital Seniors Card each month.

Mrs Tuckerman said it was great to see 100,000 people take up the digital option in just a few months.

“The Seniors Card has come a long way since it was first introduced in 1992, it is now the largest program of its kind in Australia,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“For 30 years, it has been helping ease the cost of living for card holders by providing access to discounts and rebates at shops, travel, entertainment, and professional services providers.

“There are more than 6,500 businesses and service providers across NSW with discounts, and I encourage more to follow.”

To find instructions on how to add a digital Seniors or Senior Savers Card to the Service NSW app, or to learn more visit service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/nsw-seniors-card-program.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman has today announced the NSW Government is providing more than $414,000 to help Councils across the Goulburn electorate install and maintain street lighting to improve road conditions for motorists traveling at night.

Mrs Tuckerman said the grants under the Traffic Route Lighting Subsidy Scheme were helping provide improved and more reliable lighting on many roads around the Goulburn electorate.

“Better visibility is a safety win for all road users, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians,” Mrs Tuckerman said. 

“Under this scheme, we are compensating councils for operational costs associated with eligible street lighting, which will help reduce the number of night time accidents.”

• Goulburn Mulwaree Council   $ 157,000
• Hilltops Council                       $ 91,000
• Upper Lachlan Council           $ 29,000
• Wingecaribee Council            $ 112,000
• Yass Council                           $ 25,000

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the Government was investing record funding in road safety to ensure people reach their destination safely when driving on regional roads.

“One death on our country roads is one too many and it takes a suite of measures to save as many lives as possible, like improving our roadside infrastructure,” Mr Farraway said.

“We have invested $640 million into the Saving Lives on Country Roads program, targeting locations in regional areas where chances of an accident are greater.

“We’re also installing 2700 kilometres of rumble strips – the equivalent of driving from Sydney to Adelaide and back again – along regional highways to combat driver fatigue.”

The Traffic Route Lighting Subsidy Scheme will help cover capital costs for new and improved street lighting, maintenance work, network distribution and energy consumption costs.

Councils can receive a subsidy of up to 50 per cent of the Australian Energy Regulator’s approved pricing to assist in rolling out a better level of lighting than otherwise provided on state, regional and designated roads.

Applications will soon open for the NSW Government’s $160 million Stronger Country Communities Fund Round Five, which will see even more investment in regional community infrastructure and programs that will make a big difference to life in the Goulburn electorate.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the latest round was a great opportunity for councils and community groups to seek funding for projects in the region that improve the quality of life for locals.

“This is great news for the whole region, and I am thrilled that the NSW Government is delivering on its commitment of supporting investment in regional and rural communities, making our region an even better place to visit and live,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“We’ve seen the benefits provided by previous Stronger Country Communities Fund rounds from Boorowa to Crookwell, in Goulburn, and from Yass to Moss Vale and I encourage all eligible applicants to review the guidelines and submit an application.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the latest round of the Stronger Country Communities Fund builds on the previous rounds and continues to provide important infrastructure and programs for regional towns.

“The Stronger Country Communities Fund is continuing to make a real difference to the lives of people right across regional NSW, with $500 million invested over the past four rounds delivering more than 2,000 local projects in regional NSW,” Mr Toole said.

“Everywhere I go, people tell me about the positive difference that Stronger Country Communities Fund projects make to their everyday life, whether it’s a new skate park that kids of all ages love, new lighting for sports grounds or programs that support and inspire young people living in the bush.

“The NSW Government is investing record amounts to deliver the big picture infrastructure needed to stimulate regional economies, but we’re also backing community projects that make a big positive difference to everyday life.”

The $660 million Stronger Country Communities Fund is part of the NSW Government’s $3.3 billion Regional Growth Fund, which is being invested in local projects that improve the lives of people living in regional NSW.

Applications for Round Five of the Stronger Country Communities Fund opens Friday 5^th August 2022.

For more information, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/sccf.