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3443 PROOF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2019-20 FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH PARLIAMENT _____________ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS No. 86 WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2020 _____________ The Questions and Answers Paper is published at the end of each sitting day and will contain, by number and title, all unanswered questions, together with questions to which answers have been received on that sitting day and any new questions. Consequently the full text of any question will be printed only twice: when notice is given; and, when answered. During any adjournment of two weeks or more a Questions and Answers Paper will be published from time to time containing answers received. 3444 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wednesday 21 October 2020 Publication of Questions Answer to be lodged by Q & A No. 77 (Including Question Nos 3980 to 4008) 21 October 2020 Q & A No. 78 (Including Question Nos 4009 to 4092) 22 October 2020 Q & A No. 79 (Including Question Nos 4093 to 4144) 27 October 2020 Q & A No. 80 (Including Question Nos 4145 to 4170) 28 October 2020 Q & A No. 81 (Including Question Nos 4171 to 4243) 29 October 2020 Q & A No. 82 (Including Question Nos 4244 to 4320) 17 November 2020 Q & A No. 83 (Including Question Nos 4321 to 4349) 18 November 2020 Q & A No. 84 (Including Question Nos 4350 to 4408) 19 November 2020 Q & A No. 85 (Including Question Nos 4409 to 4487) 24 November 2020 Q & A No. 86 (Questions—Nil) - 3445 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wednesday 21 October 2020 16 SEPTEMBER 2020 (Paper No. 77) *3981 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS—Mr Roy Butler asked the Minister for Local Government— Will the Minister bring forward the Local Government Elections currently postponed until September 2021, considering the proven capability of New South Wales' tracking and tracing system and the decreasing number of COVID-19 community transmissions? Answer— The NSW Electoral Commissioner has advised that local government elections can be held no sooner than September next year to allow enough time to prepare for the elections. The logistics of preparing for local government elections are complex and are made more challenging by the need to apply COVID-19 mitigation strategies. *3982 LOCAL ROADS FUNDING—Mr Roy Butler asked the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads— (1) Since 2010 (to 16 September 2020), how much funding has been allocated annually for the maintenance and upgrade of roads to: (a) Bogan Shire Council; (b) Bourke Shire Council; (c) Brewarrina Shire Council; (d) Broken Hill City Council; (e) Central Darling Shire Council; (f) Cobar Shire Council; (g) Coonamble Shire Council; (h) Gilgandra Shire Council; (i) Lachlan Shire Council; (j) Narrabri Shire Council; (k) Walgett Shire Council; (l) Warren Shire Council; (m) Warrumbungle Shire Council? (2) Under what programs has this money been allocated? Answer— I am advised: (1) Since 2010 (to 16 September 2020), funding has been allocated annually for the maintenance and upgrade of roads to each of the Councils listed in Attachment A. Fixing Country Roads funding figures are provided by a single allocation total since 2015, as they cannot be provided by year. The Fixing Local Roads program figures are provided from this financial year, when the program commenced. (2) Funding has been allocated under the following programs: • Active Transport • Towards Zero • Bridge Renewal (Federal) • Blackspot (Federal) • Natural Disasters • Special Purpose Grants • Safer Roads • Heavy Vehicle Safety Productivity Program (Federal) • Block Grants • Repair • Traffic Light Subsidy • Rural Roads Fund *3984 GRIFFITH TAFE SHARED SERVICE CENTRE—Mrs Helen Dalton asked the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education— (1) Will the Government honor its 2019 election commitment to build a TAFE NSW Shared Service Centre in Griffith, as announced on 6 March 2019? (2) When will the building of this Shared Service Centre be completed? 3446 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wednesday 21 October 2020 (3) What is the composition of the promised 60 new jobs that will be created as a result of this new Shared Service Centre? Answer— The Government is committed to establishing a TAFE NSW Shared Service Centre in Regional New South Wales. I am advised that the timeline and composition of roles for the Shared Service Centre is currently being finalised. *3986 WOODVILLE ROAD, CHURCH STREET AND PARRAMATTA ROAD UPGRADE—Ms Julia Finn asked the Minister for Transport and Roads— (1) What is the current plan for the upgrade to the intersection of Woodville Road, Church Street and Parramatta Road as at 16 September 2020? (a) What are the intended outcomes? (2) What increase in capacity and reduction in travel times is expected to eventuate from the upgrade? (3) What is the timeframe for the completion of this construction? (4) What work has been completed as at 16 September 2020? (5) What is the total expected cost of this project? Answer— I am advised: (1) The intersection upgrade intends to reduce traffic congestion and improve journey times for motorists in the area. The work will build on efficiencies gained by the M4 Western Motorway Church Street off-ramp upgrade (completed in December 2019), which directs eastbound and southbound traffic from the motorway through the intersection, and also adds capacity to the off- ramp, to reduce queuing on the motorway. (a) The intended outcomes are to increase the intersection's capacity, to allow more vehicles to progress with each traffic light cycle. (2) The upgrade aims to increase capacity by about 35 percent in peak periods (about a one and a half minute daily saving or six hours annually) and reduce travel times on Parramatta Road, westbound and Woodville Road, northbound by up to five minutes daily. (3) The upgrade is due for completion in August 2022. (4) Enabling works to relocate associated utilities infrastructure and other early works have started a short distance to the north. (5) The Commonwealth Government's $240 million Pinch Points Stimulus Package and the Government's $30 million Parramatta Congestion Improvement Program are funding this upgrade. *3987 OUT OF AREA ENROLMENT—Ms Julia Finn asked the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education representing the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning— (1) When will schools know their out of area capacity for 2021? (2) What will the application process be? Answer— (1) Enrolments caps are used to define the number of non-local students a school can accommodate and are based on the number of permanent classrooms at the school. It should be highlighted that the enrolment cap is not an indication of the enrolment capacity of a school. It is used to indicate that non- local students cannot be enrolled when a school is approaching or exceeding the set cap, except in exceptional circumstances. All schools with enrolments above 150 students and that have an enrolment boundary, with the exception of selective high schools, environmental education centres and schools for specific purposes, have a centrally set enrolment cap. Schools continue to process enrolment applications for local students throughout each year and, where schools are below the enrolment cap, applications for non-local enrolments. (2) Schools may accept enrolments from outside their designated intake area if places are available after students residing within the intake area have been accommodated. If the number of non-local enrolment applications exceeds the number of places at a school able to accommodate non-local enrolments, a selection panel is established. The selection panel will assess applications based on a criteria set by the school. Schools are required to make the selection criteria available to the school community. 3447 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wednesday 21 October 2020 If the demand for local enrolment exceeds the number of places available, non-local enrolments will not be available unless there are exceptional circumstances which can be considered by the Director, Educational Leadership. *3988 TAFE NSW GRANVILLE—Ms Julia Finn asked the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education— (1) How many Information Technology professionals are employed at TAFE NSW Granville as at 16 September 2020? (2) What proportion of classes have transitioned to online or a mixture of online and face-to-face classes? (3) What training has been provided to staff at TAFE NSW Granville to facilitate online learning? Answer— I am advised that that information on TAFE NSW staff can be found in the Number of Employees section of the TAFE NSW annual report, available at https:⁄⁄www.tafensw.edu.au⁄corporate⁄annual-report. In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, TAFE NSW paused training for a period of four weeks to facilitate a move to a more connected model of delivery. I am advised that during this time all teachers were provided with capability development programs to assist them to transition. I am further advised that approximately 5,000 teachers upgraded their skills during this period , including teachers at TAFE NSW Granville, and that TAFE NSW continues to offer teachers training in connected technology to facilitate flexible delivery. *3989 PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS IN GRANVILLE—Ms Julia Finn asked the Minister for Transport and Roads— (1) Are there any plans to compulsorily acquire property as part of the construction associated with the: (a) Intersection improvements on Woodville Road, Parramatta Road and Church Street and M4 Motorway off-ramp, Granville? (b) New clearways on Woodville Road? (c) Work being done