10 million Dine and Discover vouchers go unent, says new data

More than 10 million Dine and Discover vouchers have gone unpent, according to new figures.

The government gave 33 million vouchers to local businesses to stay afloat during the COVID-19 epidemic last year.

The program expired yesterday, with data from Service NSW showing only 22 million of the vouchers were redeemed - 68 per cent of the total number issued.

More than $550 million was spent on eating out and entertainment.

The areas with the highest percentage of vouchers being redeemed included Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown and the Central Coast.

The program will not be extended, according to the state government.

There will likely be a major disruption to trains as staff take industrial action.

Commuters across New South Wales are warned to expect major disruptions to train services today, as the rail union pushes ahead with industrial action.

Transport for NSW has urged people to avoid non-essential travel.

The T 1 North Shore and Western, T 2 Inner West and Leppington, T 3 Bankstown, T 4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra, T 8 Airport and South and the T 9 Northern Line will be closed on the T 4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra.

Buses will replace trains on the T 3 Bankstown line between Lidcombe and Bankstown, the T 7 Olympic Park line between Olympic Park and Lidcombe and the T 8 Airport and South Line between Campbelltown and Macarthur.

There will be no train services on the T 5 Cumberland Line between Richmond and Leppington.

There will be a weekend schedule on the Blue Mountains and Central Coast and Newcastle lines.

Buses are replacing trains on the South Coast Line between Wollongong and Kiama and Wollongong and Port Kembla.

The NSW opposition welcomed former deputy premier John Barilaro's decision to withdraw from his role as state trade commissioner to the US, but said questions remained about the appointment.

The decision for him to resign is a decision, but the bigger question is how he was appointed in the first place, said Penny Sharpe, leader of the opposition in the Upper House.

New South Wales taxpayers want to know that the best people are getting these jobs, not people who have had an inside track. Yesterday, Mr Barilaro announced that he would no longer be taking up the New York-based job that came with a salary package of $500,000.

He said that attention surrounding his appointment had become a distraction for the government.

Singer Guy Sebastian's former manager, Titus Day, will discover today if his bail will be revoked after he was found guilty of embezzling money from his famous client.

Day was found guilty of 34 charges and acquitted of 13 charges by a jury.

Guy Sebastian had told the District Court he was owed around $900,000.

Day denied the charges and claimed that his one-time client owed him money.

The prosecution has called for Day, 49, to be taken into custody until he is sentenced, saying he was likely to face a custodial sentence.

Crown Prosecutor David Morters SC said the crimes were serious and a breach of trust.

The judge will make a decision on bail this morning.