NSW Government Update

 

See this message in your language: العربية •  Tiếng Việt •  繁體中文 •  简体中文 •  한국어 Get SharkSmart Hello John The recent shark incidents in NSW are a tragic reminder that ocean swimming comes with risk. While it’s not possible to eliminate that risk entirely when swimming, surfing or snorkelling, there are ways to reduce it.   Before you next head for the coast: take a look at these tips, and the situations in which to take extra care check your SharkSmart app for recent sightings, alerts and tagged shark detections. Mitzvah for Bondi To honour the victims of the Bondi terror attack in December, people across NSW are invited to come together and do a mitzvah – a good deed or act of kindness. When these small acts are done by many, they strengthen the entire community by bringing light to darkened times. Your community good deed could be to check on a sick friend, offer to care for a busy neighbour’s pet, do a chore for an older relative, or make time to chat to someone who’s often alone. How you help is up to you. Take control of your energy bills If you want more say over how much energy is costing you, here are 3 quick actions that can make a big difference: Check your energy plan to make sure it’s the best fit for your household. See if you qualify for government energy support. Start simple, energy-saving habits at home to cut down on unnecessary usage.  Do all 3 and you could save over $200 on average per year on your energy bills. New $50 Active and Creative Kids vouchers now available Help your kids to keep doing their favourite activities by applying for the latest round of $50 Active and Creative Kids vouchers for 2026. If you have an unused $50 voucher from July 2025, you can combine it with a new voucher. This will give you $100 to spend before July 2026 on sporting, creative or cultural activities your child enjoys. Even flat batteries have enough charge to spark a fire The worst way to dispose of any battery is to toss it in with your regular household rubbish or recycling. Batteries have started fires when crushed in garbage trucks and waste centres. Never bin a battery. Instead, take it to one of the drop-off points in your area so it can be safely recycled. Every vape is a hit to your health The toxic chemicals in vapes can cause damage to the body. And the nicotine in vapes is addictive. In NSW, 1 in 5 people aged 16 to 24 vape daily or occasionally. Quitting vaping isn’t always easy, but the health benefits are worth it. Need help starting a conversation about vaping? Find support and hear real stories on the Cancer Institute NSW website. Help improve the Working with Children Check in NSW Tell us what you think about the current rules and how they could be changed so children and young people are better protected. Individuals, groups and organisations are all welcome. You can share your ideas by doing a short survey or providing feedback on the discussion paper. The closing date to have your say is 27 February. Staying safe online Is it really 50% off? A big discount can be hard to resist – and scammers know it. They’ll set up fake shopping sites that look real to trick you. If the prices seem way too good, be very suspicious, especially if you’ve never heard of the store. Stick to well-known retailer websites with online histories you can check before you pay. service.nsw.gov.au 13 77 88

Help Shape The Future of Youth - Firefly

 Email, from Gemma Hart:

From: Gemma Hart <ghart@uniting.org>

Sent: Friday, January 30, 2026 10:16
To: Tash Busbridge <nbusbridge@uniting.org>
Subject: Help shape the future of local youth

Hey there,

We’re reaching out because you’ve expressed interest in the work we do — and we’d love to invite you to be part of an upcoming Community Voice workshop focused on one big question:

How can we create the conditions for young people in our community to thrive?

Firefly has been working alongside local residents, youth advocates, and community organisations to listen, learn, and co-design ways forward for young people in the Bay & Basin. Our next workshop is a great entry point — you don’t need to have attended earlier sessions to take part.

 Community Voice Workshop 2: Dreaming Together
 Saturday 28 February
 10:00am – 4:00pm (lunch provided)
 The Greenhouse, Huskisson

In this workshop we’ll be:

• Sharing early insights from the Community Voice Survey
• Exploring what’s already working well in our community
• Dreaming together about what’s possible for young people
• Beginning to shape shared ideas and directions for community-led action

The day will be interactive, welcoming, and strengths-focused — centred on conversation, collaboration, and hearing diverse perspectives and we’d love your input!

 Community Voice Survey
We’d also love to invite you (and your networks) to complete the Community Voice Survey if you haven’t already. It captures insights from people who live, work with, and support young people every day — and helps guide what comes next.
  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C3DK8LN

If you’re interested in joining us on the 28th, please RSVP by replying to this email

We’d love to have you in the room and add your voice to this growing community conversation.

Warmly,
The Firefly Team

Gemma Hart

Community Engagement Officer

Thurs 9-5 I Frid 9-11

Proudly supported by Uniting

Anti-Australia Day Forces Weaking - Jacinta Nampijinpa Price - Country/Liberal Party - Australian Senate (NT)

 

Last week I wrote about how hopeful I am now that the anti-Australia Day forces seem to be weakening. Poll after poll in the last couple of weeks showed that support for January 26 as Australia Day is on the rise. But this year, there was one institution that held out. One taxpayer-funded organisation that’s still trying to denigrate our country and divide us by race. I’m talking, of course, about the ABC. On January 22, the ABC aired a “comedy” program hosted by Tony Armstrong called Always Was Tonight. It was filled with racially-charged comments about white Australians, pushing the usual activist rhetoric about stolen land, and trashed Australia Day. Outlets such as The Australian covered the divisive content in detail, but I noticed something they didn’t talk about. The show included a “news ticker” along the bottom of the screen throughout its airtime. There, the show posted some of the worst of its divisive one-liners, including: “Dispossession: the only true crime white people don’t love investigating” “ABC announces more manageable series: Stuff the British didn’t steal” “Government announces people with ‘white saviour complex’ now eligible for NDIS” “National Reconciliation Week announces theme for 2026: ‘Nah, f**k yas’” There was much more where that came from, including some language I won’t be putting in here. The ABC defended the show, saying it was “satire” and “challenging”. Frankly, that’s absurd. Everyone knows the very serious rhetoric used by inner city Indigenous activists. It’s indistinguishable from what was in this program. It’s language based on victimhood narratives, racial division, and a dishonest black armband version of history.  It’s a culture of complaint that takes aim at the easy targets of “colonialism” and “white Australia” and refuses to engage with the serious problems in remote Indigenous communities that are often caused by Aboriginal culture. Australia has had dark chapters in our history, but we’ve done a lot better than many other places, and we have bent over backwards time and again to acknowledge those chapters and apologise for them. But for the urban activist class, that’s not enough. It will never be enough. Their project is not to unite and work together to build a better Australia, it’s to divide and destroy and take. The ABC’s charter says they have a role to “protect and promote our national identity” and are committed to “non-discrimination”. With this show, they failed. Time for REAL solutions. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price Senator for the Northern Territory

About   Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is your Senator for the Northern Territory, and the former deputy mayor of Alice Springs.              Contact   Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price Country Liberal Party (NT) 1.229 McMillans Road, Jingili NT 0810   Tel: (08) 8996 9259   Email: info@jacintaprice.com

Authorised by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Country Liberal Party (NT) 1.229 McMillans Road, Jingili NT 0810.

Beatles Rock The Rooftop - Music History - Calendar Event of The Day

 

1969 The Beatles stage their famous rooftop concert on the roof of Apple Records in London. After performing a few songs, including "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down," the police shut them down as a large crowd gathers. It is The Beatles' last public performance. Read the full story   More Events:   1994 Natalie Cole sings the US national anthem at Superbowl XXVIII in Atlanta, Georgia. Halftime is country, with Clint Black, The Judds and Travis Tritt among the performers.   1999 America is abuzz with Britney Spears, whose debut single "...Baby One More Time" goes to #1 as her album also reaches the top.   1958 Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" enters the UK chart at #1, the first single ever to do so.   See More Events