Latest news with #JohnGraham
The Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Australian
Fare-free hours extended on Sydney public transport
Trains and metro services will be fee-free into the early hours of Saturday in Sydney, after months of disruption and industrial action. Originally planned for Thursday and Friday, the period has been extended with Opal gates at train and metro stations now remaining open or turned off from 12.01am Thursday 31 July until 6am on Saturday 2 August. The fare-free travel period is an acknowledgment of the disruption that occurred before the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement was agreed with the rail workforce earlier this month. Transport Minister John Graham said the announcement came as an admission the disruptions were unacceptable but also an invitation 'to support those businesses who had some lean days'. The fare-free period is from Thursday until 6am Saturday. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard The fare free period is predicted to amount to at least $6.4m in lost revenue for Transport NSW, with 2.2 million people forecast to make use of the free window. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison added the fare-free days included regional routes to locations like Melbourne and Brisbane. 'We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW. 'You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.' Fare-free travel does not extend to buses, ferries or light rail. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Not everyone is pleased with the move however, regular commuter Joe said it comes 'too little too late'. '(The disruptions) earlier this year really messed me around so much, Sydney trains are slow and smelly at the best of times but paying what we do and receiving that kind of treatment just isn't on. 'The fare-free period is a nice gesture but as commuters what we want isn't gestures, it's better transport.' The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries or light rail which will charge fares as normal however Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said it was a good opportunity to support business around train stations affected by the disruptions. Transport Minister John Graham said the government was working 'overtime' to restore public faith in the service. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw 'Fare-free travel on Thursday and Friday is a terrific initiative that sends a strong signal of confidence in Sydney and Parramatta's CBDs. It's not just a win for commuters — it's a much-needed boost for food, hospitality and retail businesses that have faced enormous pressure over recent months.' 'Encouraging people to return to the office and explore the city at no cost helps revitalise our commercial centres and reconnects workers with the vibrant, dynamic experiences our CBDs are known for.' 'This thoughtful initiative is expected to benefit more than a million passengers, but its impact will ripple far beyond the trains and buses — it will support jobs, stimulate spending, and re-energise the heart of our economy.' Robert White Cadet Robert got his start as an Editorial Assistant at the Daily Telegraph in 2024 before entering the Newscorp cadet program. With a background in history and law Robert has a passion for politics and crime reporting as well as telling meaningful stories. @white_robb73416 Robert White
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Free trains boost for Aus city
Trains and metro services will be fee-free into the early hours of Saturday in Sydney, after months of disruption and industrial action. Originally planned for Thursday and Friday, the period has been extended with Opal gates at train and metro stations now remaining open or turned off from 12.01am Thursday 31 July until 6am on Saturday 2 August. The fare-free travel period is an acknowledgment of the disruption that occurred before the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement was agreed with the rail workforce earlier this month. Transport Minister John Graham said the announcement came as an admission the disruptions were unacceptable but also an invitation 'to support those businesses who had some lean days'. The fare-free period is from Thursday until 6am Saturday. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: NewsWire The fare free period is predicted to amount to at least $6.4m in lost revenue for Transport NSW, with 2.2 million people forecast to make use of the free window. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison added the fare-free days included regional routes to locations like Melbourne and Brisbane. 'We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW. 'You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.' Fare-free travel does not extend to buses, ferries or light rail. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: NewsWire Not everyone is pleased with the move however, regular commuter Joe Carrozzo said it comes 'too little too late'. '(The disruptions) earlier this year really messed me around so much, Sydney trains are slow and smelly at the best of times but paying what we do and receiving that kind of treatment just isn't on. 'The fare-free period is a nice gesture but as commuters what we want isn't gestures, it's better transport.' The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries or light rail which will charge fares as normal however Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said it was a good opportunity to support business around train stations affected by the disruptions. Transport Minister John Graham said the government was working 'overtime' to restore public faith in the service. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: NewsWire 'Fare-free travel on Thursday and Friday is a terrific initiative that sends a strong signal of confidence in Sydney and Parramatta's CBDs. It's not just a win for commuters — it's a much-needed boost for food, hospitality and retail businesses that have faced enormous pressure over recent months.' 'Encouraging people to return to the office and explore the city at no cost helps revitalise our commercial centres and reconnects workers with the vibrant, dynamic experiences our CBDs are known for.' 'This thoughtful initiative is expected to benefit more than a million passengers, but its impact will ripple far beyond the trains and buses — it will support jobs, stimulate spending, and re-energise the heart of our economy.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Free trains boost for Aus city
Trains and metro services will be fee-free into the early hours of Saturday in Sydney, after months of disruption and industrial action. Originally planned for Thursday and Friday, the period has been extended with Opal gates at train and metro stations now remaining open or turned off from 12.01am Thursday 31 July until 6am on Saturday 2 August. The fare-free travel period is an acknowledgment of the disruption that occurred before the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement was agreed with the rail workforce earlier this month. Transport Minister John Graham said the announcement came as an admission the disruptions were unacceptable but also an invitation 'to support those businesses who had some lean days'. The fare free period is predicted to amount to at least $6.4m in lost revenue for Transport NSW, with 2.2 million people forecast to make use of the free window. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison added the fare-free days included regional routes to locations like Melbourne and Brisbane. 'We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW. 'You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.' Not everyone is pleased with the move however, regular commuter Joe Carrozzo said it comes 'too little too late'. '(The disruptions) earlier this year really messed me around so much, Sydney trains are slow and smelly at the best of times but paying what we do and receiving that kind of treatment just isn't on. 'The fare-free period is a nice gesture but as commuters what we want isn't gestures, it's better transport.' The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries or light rail which will charge fares as normal however Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said it was a good opportunity to support business around train stations affected by the disruptions. 'Fare-free travel on Thursday and Friday is a terrific initiative that sends a strong signal of confidence in Sydney and Parramatta's CBDs. It's not just a win for commuters — it's a much-needed boost for food, hospitality and retail businesses that have faced enormous pressure over recent months.' 'Encouraging people to return to the office and explore the city at no cost helps revitalise our commercial centres and reconnects workers with the vibrant, dynamic experiences our CBDs are known for.' 'This thoughtful initiative is expected to benefit more than a million passengers, but its impact will ripple far beyond the trains and buses — it will support jobs, stimulate spending, and re-energise the heart of our economy.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Fare-free hours extended on Sydney public transport
Trains and metro services will be fee-free into the early hours of Saturday in Sydney, after months of disruption and industrial action. Originally planned for Thursday and Friday, the period has been extended with Opal gates at train and metro stations now remaining open or turned off from 12.01am Thursday 31 July until 6am on Saturday 2 August. The fare-free travel period is an acknowledgment of the disruption that occurred before the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement was agreed with the rail workforce earlier this month. Transport Minister John Graham said the announcement came as an admission the disruptions were unacceptable but also an invitation 'to support those businesses who had some lean days'. The fare free period is predicted to amount to at least $6.4m in lost revenue for Transport NSW, with 2.2 million people forecast to make use of the free window. Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison added the fare-free days included regional routes to locations like Melbourne and Brisbane. 'We encourage our regional passengers to use the rail network over these two days to explore regional NSW. 'You will need to book in advance, but this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and explore this state and beyond.' Not everyone is pleased with the move however, regular commuter Joe Carrozzo said it comes 'too little too late'. '(The disruptions) earlier this year really messed me around so much, Sydney trains are slow and smelly at the best of times but paying what we do and receiving that kind of treatment just isn't on. 'The fare-free period is a nice gesture but as commuters what we want isn't gestures, it's better transport.' The free travel will not extend to buses, ferries or light rail which will charge fares as normal however Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said it was a good opportunity to support business around train stations affected by the disruptions. 'Fare-free travel on Thursday and Friday is a terrific initiative that sends a strong signal of confidence in Sydney and Parramatta's CBDs. It's not just a win for commuters — it's a much-needed boost for food, hospitality and retail businesses that have faced enormous pressure over recent months.' 'Encouraging people to return to the office and explore the city at no cost helps revitalise our commercial centres and reconnects workers with the vibrant, dynamic experiences our CBDs are known for.' 'This thoughtful initiative is expected to benefit more than a million passengers, but its impact will ripple far beyond the trains and buses — it will support jobs, stimulate spending, and re-energise the heart of our economy.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Major festival news for western Sydney – and that's just the start
NSW Labor has promised to redress a funding divide stretching between the harbour and the Blue Mountains that splits the city between the arts' haves and have-nots – spending $5 million to fund a new home-grown festival for western Sydney and other new projects. The government's three-year strategic plan for the region is to be announced at a gathering of the region's arts leaders at Blacktown Arts Centre on Tuesday. Front and centre of the new funding plans is development of a home-grown festival celebrating the region's diversity and creative spirit that could potentially rival Vivid, South by Southwest Sydney, or even the Sydney Festival. Campbelltown's Fisher's Ghost Festival and Parramatta Lanes are among the region's longest-running festivals, while Parramasala, celebrating south Asian arts, was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID and has yet to return. In opposition, Labor asserted Parramasala should be funded ahead of the Logies. 'In short, the vision is to create a thriving and inclusive creative ecosystem in western Sydney that celebrates its diverse communities, drives cultural innovation and delivers social and economic value for everyone,' Arts Minister John Graham will say. 'To get there the key priorities are unlocking investment, putting First Nations' culture at the centre, growing creative careers, strengthening creative ecosystems, better showcasing off western Sydney artists, and unlocking more cultural spaces.' This week's launch of the Western Sydney Plan for Arts, Culture and Creative Industries comes 25 years after former premier Bob Carr launched Labor's first western Sydney cultural strategy in 1999. The new $5 million funding commitment will be met entirely from cost savings made to Create NSW, the state's art agency, which is facing the loss of one-quarter of its workforce under a major restructure.
