Here's what you need to know today.
Labor's pledge to boost Kids Helpline
New South Wales Labor has promised to commit $17 million to the Kids Helpline over four years if the party wins government next year.
With increasing levels of demands, the number of people seeking mental health services has jumped 25 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, with the Kids Helpline receiving a request for help every four minutes.
Labor says alternative funding has become necessary to support the young people of New South Wales.
"I'm really concerned about the rising mental health crisis facing children and young people in New South Wales, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19, by social media, and the constant pressures of growing up in a digital age," Opposition leader Chris Minns said.
Labor says the promised funding will allow more counsellors to be recruited, strengthen the helpline's integrations with state mental health services and assist counsellors in gaining more practical skills to provide better support.
COVID-19 reporting to become weekly
NSW Health's daily COVID-19 updates will change to weekly reports from this Friday.
The health authority has provided daily infection, case, death and vaccination figures throughout the pandemic.
It says the change to weekly updates was agreed by all states and territories in the country.
NSW Health said in a statement that detailed reporting and analysis will still be available on its website in the form of respiratory surveillance reports.
"NSW Health and the NSW Chief Health Officer will continue to immediately alert the public with respect to any COVID-19 developments of concern."
Two-in-one rapid antigen testing
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the first Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) that can detect both COVID-19 and influenza viral infections in humans.
Those tests are similar to COVID-19 RATs already on the market but feature an additional line on the test cassette that indicates the presence of influenza A and B.
The regulatory body says that., for many people, distinguishing between COVID-19 and influenza is important in managing infections.
Two new testing kits have been made by Fanttest and Sydney-based manufacturer Touch Biotechnology.
They take 15 minutes to show results and and are expected to be made available in pharmacies and supermarkets.
Rail strikes stall city office occupancy rates
Ongoing industrial action on Sydney's rail network is again a factor in sluggish occupancy rates in CBD office blocks.
Data from the Property Council shows that occupancy rates increased by just 1 per cent, to 53 per cent, in Sydney's CBD in August.
Deputy executive director Lauren Conceicao says that, while the survey shows fewer people are having transport difficulties than in July, it's still a concern for commuters.
"We're coming off the back of a very difficult month here in July on office occupancy and we're at risk if we don't address the challenges that are keeping people at home. We're at risk of embedding those behaviours."
NSW EPA releases climate plan
Under a new climate change program, the state's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will look to establish cost-effective emissions reduction targets for certain industries.
The EPA has released its new draft Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, formulated with industry, experts and the community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support resilience.
It will also introduce greenhouse gas emission limits on licenses it issues.
EPA chief executive Tony Chappel says the impact of climate change has been seen in the state over recent years.
"We're [going to] take our time to work through each sector because we'll need different tools and approaches for different sectors, but every sector has a part to play, and we want to make sure we're also harnessing the opportunities of the new, low-carbon economy," he said.
Extreme weather events cost taxpayers more
Across Australia, extreme weather events could cost households more than $2,500 a year by 2050, according to analysis from the McKell Institute.
The findings are in a report for the Insurance Council of Australia, which concluded that extreme weather events over the past year cost every Australian household $1,500 on average.
That projection accounts for increases in government expenses paid for through taxes, supply chain disruptions and insurance costs.
Insurance Council chief Andrew Hall said that, over the past 15 years, the amount of money going towards resilience and mitigation had dropped off, compared to the money taxpayers spent on clean-up and recovery.
But that was starting to reverse, he said.
