The NSW Government is removing the distinction between primary and secondary carers as fathers working in the NSW public sector can now spend more quality time with their newborns with up to 14 weeks of paid leave starting October.
The distinction between ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carers will be removed in an overhaul starting in October, allowing both mothers and fathers to be entitled to the provision.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said that while most parents across Australia are entitled to paid primary parental leave, only 12 per cent of those who take it are men.
“Supporting all parents to spend more precious days with their newborn children helps them form bonds that last a lifetime,” the NSW Premier said.
Aside from the changes regarding the distinction between ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carers, single parents will also be entitled to 16 weeks of paid parental leave. Parents employed outside the public sector will also be eligible for a “bonus leave” scheme.
This arrangement is the first in Australia, as it allows each parent to take at least 12 weeks’ leave and exhaust any paid parental leave offered by their employers.
The NSW Government heralded the initiative as part of its upcoming state budget. Alongside this are the announcements on bushfire funding.
Rural communities devastated by the Black Summer fires two years ago can expect a significant financial boost for disaster management once the state budget is handed down on June 21.
Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean said nearly $600 million will be committed over the next decade to manage national parks, including the employment of 200 firefighters.
An extra $93.7 million will go towards a climate change adaptation strategy.
“Climate change is happening now. Adaptation helps protect the things we value most from floods, drought and bushfires. It can save lives, livelihoods, homes and ecosystems,” Minister Kean said.
The NSW Government will also commit more than $315 million over the next four years to fireproof homes, as recommended in the NSW Bushfire Inquiry findings.
The NSW Premier said the investment will help more than 1.3 million properties on bushfire-prone land to prepare for future fire seasons.
Firefighters can also look forward to better frontline equipment, as the NSW Government plans to invest over $105 million in purchasing new trucks and refitting old ones.
The inquiry was commissioned by former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to examine the causes, preparation and response to the bushfires which tore through millions of acres and destroyed nearly 2500 properties.
The budget will also include $401 million over four years for Closing the Gap projects, including a $30 million community grants program and funding for housing and health services.
Cultural initiatives like the Aboriginal Languages Trust and memorials to the Stolen Generations will also get a funding boost.
With AAP