Here’s what you need to know this morning.
Train delays expected due to strike
There’s major disruption to train services across the state today, with a strike by unions affecting the morning peak into lunchtime.
The planned action will affect both Sydney train services and NSW TrainLink, which operates regional train services.
AAP: Bianca De Marchi
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Although the strike is officially for four hours, transport officials expect it to disrupt services from 7:00am until after 2:00pm.
Transport NSW is laying on some extra bus services but has warned they won’t be enough to meet demand. Commuters are being advised to find alternative travel arrangements.
Fears venues will cop wrath of unvaccinated
Business owners and the hotel industry say the NSW government’s plan for coming out of lockdown provides much-needed certainty, but there are some concerns about how it will be implemented.
Fully vaccinated people can start to attend venues such as pubs, retail stores and hairdressers from October 11, with further restrictions to ease a few weeks later when 80 per cent of the population is double vaccinated.
But there are concerns about how venues will deal with unvaccinated people trying to get entry before they are allowed to from December 1.
Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter is worried about owners being left to act as gatekeepers.
“They’re not equipped and they can’t afford to put security on a door and all those sorts of things. We just want them to get on with things and recover from this,” Mr Hunter said.
The Australian Hotels Association’s John Green said the industry was desperate to get back to work.
He said he hoped unvaccinated people would comply with the rules.
“I hope that they don’t blame the venues. It’s not their fault, it’s a mandated condition that people must be vaccinated, so it has nothing to do with the actual venues,” Mr Green said.
“I hope they understand that, and they treat the staff that are taking the vaccine status on the doors with the right attitude.”
‘UFO’ spotted about NSW
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Residents across NSW have reported sightings of an unusual object gliding through the sky last night.
Astrophysicist at the Australian National University, Dr Brad Tucker, said what people saw was the plume of a Chinese rocket called the Long March 3B, which left China about 30 minutes before it was spotted.
Dr Tucker said the rare sighting was only possible due to the combination of good weather, perfect timing and location.
“As it was taking off, we kind of saw all that gas coming out of the rocket, making a really weird sighting all over the east coast of Australia.”
Sydney water strategy released
A plan to guide water management across Sydney, the Illawarra and Blue Mountains is now open for public feedback.
Off the back of what was described as the worst drought in living memory, the NSW government said the Greater Sydney Water Strategy aimed to provide a secure and sustainable water supply as the population grows.
The draft strategy includes options for new water sources not dependent on rainfall, such as running the Sydney Desalination Plant full-time, building new desalination facilities and making greater use of recycled water.
It also proposed improvements around the decision-making process for triggering water restrictions to better reflect prevailing conditions and forecasting.
The document will be on exhibition till November 8.
COVID failings in hotspots
AAP: Mick Tsikas
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A new report from a community group in Sydney’s south-west has highlighted some of the failings during the latest COVID-19 outbreak.
The report from the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre found lack of access, not hesitancy, was a key issue in the vaccine rollout.
More than 50 per cent of those surveyed for the report from across the Liverpool region had faced mental health issues from lockdown.
Some stated they could not cope with the health orders imposed on 12 local areas, which included strict curfews and a strong police presence.
More than 30 per cent said they were unlikely or unsure if they would trust contact tracers in the future. The definition around households and family units was also a major concern.
Pfizer clinic for Randwick
AAP: Daniel Pockett
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After months of lobbying from three councils in Sydney’s east, NSW Health will open a Pfizer vaccination centre in Randwick.
The Centennial Park clinic will be based at a University of New South Wales site and will operate three days a week.
Randwick Mayor Danny Said had called for a local Pfizer clinic in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak following illegal parties in Maroubra and Malabar last month.
In August, NSW Police set up a taskforce to investigate reports of illegal gatherings in the area and their links to superspreader events.
Nine men were fined for breaching public health orders after attending a party at Malabar Headland.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos last week said Bondi had one of the lowest rates of vaccination, despite being the original source of the outbreak.
Woollahra Mayor Susan Wynne said a local clinic was needed for all students returning to high school next month.
Ex-partner charged over toddler’s 2005 death
Supplied: NSW Police
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Police have charged the former partner of a woman with manslaughter over the death of her toddler in the Hunter region 16 years ago.
Jordan William Thompson was 21 months old when he was left with the man on Thursday, March 19, 2005 while his mother, Bernice Swales, was running errands.
Ms Swales returned to find her son unresponsive and rushed him to Singleton Base Hospital. He could not be revived.
Police were told the child had been found face down in the bathtub, but the post-mortem later revealed high levels of antidepressant medication in his system.
In 2015, the government issued a $100,000 reward for information. In 2018 the state deputy coroner found the child had died due to deliberately being given antidepressants.
Police arrested the 49-year-old Singleton man in Sydney’s west yesterday, and he was later charged at Blacktown Police Station.
He was refused bail and will appear in court today.
Cowra lockdown extended
Stay-at-home orders have been extended for the Cowra Local Government Area (LGA) due to the risk of ongoing COVID-19 transmission.
Lockdown will be extended by seven days until 12:01am on October 5.
The stay-at-home orders for Yass Valley LGA were lifted as scheduled at midnight last night.
NSW Health says people in Cowra need to come forward for testing in high numbers so the infection risk can be properly assessed.
