Let’s keep NSW moving forward
'While we know there are challenges ahead, my team has the plan and the experience to keep NSW moving forward.'
The government has worked incredibly hard to ensure NSW is the strongest and most harmonious multicultural and multi-faith society in Australia and anywhere in the world.
The Jewish community plays an incredibly vital role in our pursuit of achieving this. And we understand the importance of a government that recognises and protects religion. Our communities are stronger when government and community leaders, particularly religious leaders, work closely together.
That’s why we worked collaboratively with the Jewish community to ban the public display of the Nazi symbol. This is a historic law that enhances protections for the Jewish community and a prime example of how we can work together to strengthen our state.
We also believe that faith leaders are best placed to advocate and champion the needs of their communities. In recognising the important role they play, we introduced a state-first Religious Communities Advisory Council. This council was formed to help formalise and strengthen our government’s relationships with multicultural and multi-faith communities.
In working closely with communities, we know that safety and security is an incredibly important issue. A rise in faith-based hatred, including antisemitism, has caused a lot of concern, especially in the Jewish community. Everyone should be able to follow and practise their faith freely without fear or concern for their safety and wellbeing. That is why we have committed to investing $10 million over the next term to boost safety and security for faith communities. The program will provide capital and operational funding for a range of safety measures to strengthen preparedness and response to safety risks. This includes security and detection software and systems, communal security services, lighting, fencing, CCTV, training staff, and wellbeing programs for community members.
Importantly, support for guards and management of security at high-risk venues and at-risk sites will also be eligible for funding, as assessed by NSW Police.
The NSW Liberals believe strongly in the mission and vision of the Sydney Jewish Museum, which is why we invested $2.75 million into its Reverberations: A Future for Memory exhibition to help keep the memories and testimonies of Holocaust survivors alive for future generations.
We believe this exhibition will play a vital role in not just helping the Jewish community keep the memories of Holocaust survivors alive for themselves but for the wider community to learn from as well.
In the next term of government, the Liberals will invest $6.5 million into the museum. This is in addition to the $3.5 million to help it realise its plans to create two museums in its precinct – a Sydney Holocaust Museum and a Centre for Contemporary Jewish Life. We believe the museum plays an incredibly important role in our community by helping educate people, especially young people, about the Holocaust. Importantly, we believe it plays a critical role in helping develop future leaders that can carry with them the memory of Holocaust survivors and the central teaching of not allowing hate, racism and intolerance to go unchallenged.
Importantly, we have a long-term plan to support families and businesses. Because we want NSW to be an even better place to work, raise a family and play in four years’ time.
We’re providing relief today to help reduce the cost of living, along with support for seniors and small businesses. And we’re also planning for the future, with visionary initiatives including free pre-school and the Kids Future Fund.
This is all made possible by a strong economy, and while we know there are challenges ahead, my team has the plan and the experience to keep NSW moving forward.
Dominic Perrottet is the NSW Premier.
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