Category: NSW News

School zones across most of NSW will be back in force from tomorrow, Tuesday 27 January 2026, as teachers and students begin returning for the new school year.  

School zones across most of NSW will be back in force (PDF, 180.68 KB) from tomorrow, Tuesday 27 January 2026, as teachers and students begin returning for the new school year.  

While the first few days of the term are traditionally school development days for teachers, children may also be returning and that will continue to increase throughout the week. 

Some schools return earlier than others, particularly non-government schools, so to avoid any confusion for motorists and to keep the returning children safe, 40km/h school zone speed limits will be in place from Tuesday. 

There are many locations where multiple schools are close to each other and some of those schools will have different return dates. To keep everyone safe slow down around every school, obey the 40km/h speed limit, and keep your eye out for vulnerable kids embarking on an exciting new year of education.  

School zones generally apply from 8 to 9.30am and from 2.30 to 4pm on weekdays and motorists who don’t obey the rules face heavy fines and demerits.  

For more information on school zones, please visit https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/community/schools/school-zones

A man has been charged following a protest in Sydney’s inner east today.

About 2.50pm (Monday 26 January 2026), police stopped a 31-year-old man on Bourke Street, Surry Hills, following allegedly inciteful comments he made during a speech at a protest in Moore Park.

The man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station.

He was charged with publicly incite hatred on ground of race causing fear.

The 31-year-old man was refused bail to face Bail Division Court 7 tomorrow (Tuesday 27 January 2026).

The Minns Labor Government has today revealed the vision for a new world-class sports and entertainment precinct in Wollongong, committing $17 million to unlock the next stage of planning to bring the project to life.

The plans include a new WIN Arena with a capacity of 9,500, nearly double its’ existing capacity of 5,300, located just footsteps from Wollongong’s famous beaches and thriving CBD.

Once complete, the redevelopment will include a revamped WIN Stadium, featuring a new northern grandstand and an extended and reconfigured southern grandstand with improved player changerooms to support the growth of men’s and women’s sport in the region and across NSW.

The Wollongong sporting and entertainment precinct will become the place to be, attracting up to 150 events per year, whilst delivering roughly $550 million in additional economic activity to the local community.

The precinct will include a new beach-side complex including a café, kiosk and toilets and multi-purpose spaces for functions and special events to be enjoyed on game day and all-year round

The game day experience for the St George Illawarra Dragons and other major events will be enhanced with modern upgrades to scoreboards, ribbon boards, sports lighting and the stadium sound system.

Both WIN Arena and WIN Stadium will offer improved food, beverage and merchandise outlets, modern corporate areas and function rooms, more toilets, and sitewide accessibility improvements, including new entry gates and wheelchair access to the hill redevelopment.

During construction, more than 600 full-time jobs will be supported and up to 1100 roles during the life of the project.

The Minns Labor Government is investing in the Illawarra region to ensure its housing, services and infrastructure support a growing population, strengthen the local economy and build a more vibrant future.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“Wollongong is one of Australia’s great regional cities, and this investment recognises its importance to NSW.

“By nearly doubling the capacity of WIN Arena and upgrading WIN Stadium, we’re creating a venue capable of hosting up to 150 events a year. That means more concerts, more sporting events and more reasons for people to visit, stay longer and spend locally.”

Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said:

“This is a game-changing announcement for the Illawarra region.

“The new world-class precinct will transform Wollongong into global sporting and entertainment destination, attracting more tourism and investment to the already thriving region.

“The Minns Labor Government is putting the Illawarra on the world stage, with a new WIN Arena and redeveloped WIN Stadium right on the foreshore of some of Australia’s most iconic beaches”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said:

“This is a city-shaping and city growing plan from the Minns Labor Government that will help elevate Wollongong’s events and visitor economy.

“Expanding the capacity of WIN stadium, redeveloping the Entertainment Centre into WIN Arena and adding a new beachside complex turns this important part of Wollongong from a part time venue into a full-time destination for sports, entertainment, functions and fun.

“It’s the redevelopment that I have been determined to get for Wollongong since I was first elected and I am excited for the difference it will make to our city, to jobs and to encourage associated investments.”

Minister for Sport and Tourism Steve Kamper

“This is a landmark moment for the Illawarra. A new world-class WIN Arena and redeveloped WIN Stadium will turn the precinct into an all-year destination.

“A thriving sports and entertainment precinct in Wollongong will see more live events for the region, providing a boon for the local economy, tourism and jobs.

“This will be an iconic live entertainment site, set right on the foot of the beach. It’s time we realised its full potential.”

Flood-affected residents and local builders in the Central West are being urged to take action as the $40 million Resilient Homes Program enters its final application phase.

With a deadline of 31 March 2026, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is hosting a series of local Expos to connect homeowners and construction professionals with funding and work opportunities.

Eligible homeowners in Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan, Parkes, and Euabalong can access grants of up to $100,000 for home raising or relocation, and up to $50,000 for retrofitting with flood-resilient materials. To support the local economy and ensure project delivery, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is also hosting dedicated Construction Information Sessions for builders, engineers, and tradespeople to learn about upcoming work opportunities funded by these grants.

The Resilient Homes Expos provide a “one-stop shop” for residents to meet one-on-one with NSW Reconstruction Authority staff, local council representatives, SafeWork NSW, Building Commission NSW, industry experts, and local builders and businesses.

• Parkes: 28 Jan, 4pm–7pm | Parkes Services Club
• Forbes: 25 Feb, 4pm–7pm | Club Forbes
• Eugowra: 25 March, 4pm–7pm | Eugowra Multipurpose Centre
• Register at: nsw.gov.au/rhpevents

The NSW Reconstruction Authority is seeking local trades—including builders, certifiers, and designers—to deliver grant-funded works. Informal sessions (no registration required) will be held at:

• Parkes: 27 Jan, 4pm–5.30pm | Railway Hotel & Hart Bar
• Forbes: 28 Jan, 7am–8.30am | Sylo Cafe
• Orange: 29 Jan, 5pm–6.30pm | The Greenhouse of Orange

Minister for Recovery, Janelle Saffin said:

“These Expos are about giving people practical tools to rebuild safer as well as local builders an opportunity to bring these projects to life.”

“We want every eligible household to access this $40 million pool of funding before the March deadline to ensure their homes are protected for the future.”

Member for Orange, Phil Donato said:

“In the wake of the 2022 Central West floods, the Resilient Homes Program has played a key role in helping communities rebuild stronger and better prepared for the future.”

“As the program moves into its final phase, many households are now beginning to see the benefits, with resilience upgrades being delivered to affected properties.”

“Homeowners who were impacted by the floods and have not yet applied for assistance are strongly encouraged to take action. Applications for the Resilient Homes Program remain open until 31 March 2026, and this is the final opportunity to access available support from this program.”

NSW Reconstruction Authority Director Central West Orana and Far West, Ken Harrison said:

“These Expos allow us to meet people face to face, answer questions and provide tailored advice based on individual circumstances.

“With the application close approaching, now is the time for homeowners who haven’t yet engaged with the program to get in touch and take the next step.”

Fast Facts:

• Deadline: Final applications must be in by 31 March 2026.
• Progress: Over 340 applications received and 200+ assessments completed to date.
• Funding: Grants cover retrofitting, raising, or relocating, plus up to $20,000 for upfront design costs.
• Contact: Call 1800 844 085 or visit nsw.gov.au/resilienthomesprogram.

The Government is aware that a flyer containing hate speech inciting violence around Australia Day is currently circulating. This conduct targeting specific ethnic, religious and political groups is abhorrent.

Hatred and intimidation have no place in NSW. The NSW Police Force is investigating this matter and I hope they find the person responsible quickly and bring them to justice.

As the Premier said at the National Day of Mourning event last night, we must unabashedly take pride in the parts of Australian life that are intrinsically part of our character and our country – democracy, freedom, respect and equality. Should someone refuse these values, then Australia is not the country for you.

As we mark the Australia Day long weekend, I urge everyone to celebrate what unites us and to treat one another with respect and kindness, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background.

We will not allow hatred or violence to divide us. Across all cultures and faiths, we stand united.

We are stronger together.

The Minns Labor Government is delivering more than $200 million in school upgrades and maintenance works over the summer holidays, with students at hundreds of schools set to return to new and improved classrooms and facilities for the start of Term 1, 2026.

Almost 850 public schools across NSW will benefit from works delivered during the break, ranging from routine maintenance and minor upgrades to larger refurbishment projects led by the Department of Education’s local asset management teams.

Hundreds of tradies will be working on more than 1,300 projects across the state, including painting classrooms and school buildings at more than 300 schools, while more than 200 flooring replacement projects and close to 50 bathroom upgrades are also underway.

Dozens of schools will also receive critical accessibility improvements, including new ramps and lift upgrades.

Schools will also benefit from refreshed outdoor areas, repaired walkways and other essential works ensuring clean, safe and welcoming environments for staff and students.

Across NSW, the summer school maintenance program includes:

• $36 million for painting works
• $28 million for upgraded bathrooms and amenities
• $21 million for flooring projects
• $14 million for accessibility improvements
• $12 million for roof repairs or replacements
• $2.4 million for specialist classrooms upgrades

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“While students are enjoying their summer break, work is underway at hundreds of schools across NSW to ensure students return to a great learning environment for the start of 2026.

“The Minns Labor Government is focused on getting the fundamentals right. That means maintaining our schools, improving facilities, and supporting principals, teachers and school communities with the infrastructure they deserve.

“Whether it’s with new paint and flooring, upgraded bathrooms, vital repairs or accessibility improvements, we are ensuring our schools have quality facilities so every student can access a world-class public education.

“These essential works will help ensure classrooms and playgrounds are refreshed and ready for day one of Term 1.”

As the new year begins almost $300 million is sitting in the state’s unclaimed money pool – and the Minns Labor Government wants to see it returned to its rightful owners. Unclaimed money is money that you are legally entitled to, but where a business hasn’t been able to find you.

Money typically becomes unclaimed when people forget to update their name or contact details with businesses, have lost paperwork, or when estates are unaware of funds belonging to deceased relatives.

The North Coast has as many as 41,208 registered items worth $12,432,295 just waiting to be claimed by families and households. The unclaimed money register, managed by Revenue NSW, includes funds from overpayments, uncashed cheques, dividends, refunds, and other amounts owed to individuals.

In total, more than 800,000 items of unclaimed money – ranging from a few dollars to millions of dollars – is sitting with Revenue NSW and registered to an NSW address.

To find out if you have any unclaimed money, you can search the Revenue NSW website at www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/unclaimed-money. If you have any money owing, you fill in a form and provide your ID and your connection to the money. Claims are typically verified and processed by Revenue NSW within a month.

Last year, the Minns Labor Government upgraded systems to simplify and speed up the unclaimed money process. This includes additional integration with Service NSW to help identify you during the claims process.

The Government also reduced the timeframe for businesses who are holding money from six years to two, ensuring that money is reported to Revenue NSW, and returned to its owners sooner.

These reforms help put more money back into the hands of North Coast families.

Minister for Finance, Courtney Houssos

“Across the state, almost $300 million is sitting unclaimed, and we want to make sure as much of that as possible finds its way back to families.

“Last financial year, Revenue NSW returned more than $21 million to its rightful owners. With these new reforms, we’re making it faster and easier for people to get what they’re owed.

“While Revenue NSW regularly contacts potential owners, incomplete data means people are sometimes missed. That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to take a few minutes to check online – you might be surprised with what you find.”

Minister for the North Coast, Janelle Saffin

“There is over $12 million sitting in a vault that belongs right here in the North Coast community.

“We want that money out of government accounts and back into your pockets where it can actually make a difference.

“I encourage everyone on the North Coast to jump on to the Revenue NSW website today to check if they have anything to claim.”

Flood-affected residents and local builders in the Central West are being urged to take action as the $40 million Resilient Homes Program enters its final application phase.

With a deadline of 31 March 2026, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is hosting a series of local Expos to connect homeowners and construction professionals with funding and work opportunities.

Eligible homeowners in Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan, Parkes, and Euabalong can access grants of up to $100,000 for home raising or relocation, and up to $50,000 for retrofitting with flood-resilient materials. To support the local economy and ensure project delivery, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is also hosting dedicated Construction Information Sessions for builders, engineers, and tradespeople to learn about upcoming work opportunities funded by these grants.

The Resilient Homes Expos provide a “one-stop shop” for residents to meet one-on-one with NSW Reconstruction Authority staff, local council representatives, SafeWork NSW, Building Commission NSW, industry experts, and local builders and businesses.

• Parkes: 28 Jan, 4pm–7pm | Parkes Services Club
• Forbes: 25 Feb, 4pm–7pm | Club Forbes
• Eugowra: 25 March, 4pm–7pm | Eugowra Multipurpose Centre
• Register at: nsw.gov.au/rhpevents

The NSW Reconstruction Authority is seeking local trades—including builders, certifiers, and designers—to deliver grant-funded works. Informal sessions (no registration required) will be held at:

• Parkes: 27 Jan, 4pm–5.30pm | Railway Hotel & Hart Bar
• Forbes: 28 Jan, 7am–8.30am | Sylo Cafe
• Orange: 29 Jan, 5pm–6.30pm | The Greenhouse of Orange

Minister for Recovery, Janelle Saffin said:

“These Expos are about giving people practical tools to rebuild safer as well as local builders an opportunity to bring these projects to life.”

“We want every eligible household to access this $40 million pool of funding before the March deadline to ensure their homes are protected for the future.”

Member for Orange, Phil Donato said:

“In the wake of the 2022 Central West floods, the Resilient Homes Program has played a key role in helping communities rebuild stronger and better prepared for the future.”

“As the program moves into its final phase, many households are now beginning to see the benefits, with resilience upgrades being delivered to affected properties.”

“Homeowners who were impacted by the floods and have not yet applied for assistance are strongly encouraged to take action. Applications for the Resilient Homes Program remain open until 31 March 2026, and this is the final opportunity to access available support from this program.”

NSW Reconstruction Authority Director Central West Orana and Far West, Ken Harrison said:

“These Expos allow us to meet people face to face, answer questions and provide tailored advice based on individual circumstances.

“With the application close approaching, now is the time for homeowners who haven’t yet engaged with the program to get in touch and take the next step.”

Fast Facts:

• Deadline: Final applications must be in by 31 March 2026.
• Progress: Over 340 applications received and 200+ assessments completed to date.
• Funding: Grants cover retrofitting, raising, or relocating, plus up to $20,000 for upfront design costs.
• Contact: Call 1800 844 085 or visit nsw.gov.au/resilienthomesprogram.

More working families in NSW will benefit from convenient and accessible early childhood education and care, as the Flexible Initiatives Trial delivers its third round of funding.

The Minns Labor Government will invest more than $3 million in 28 early learning centres across the state, including 20 in regional NSW and six in Western Sydney, which will benefit up to 840 children and their families.

This round of funding will allow the services receiving grants to trial new or or adapted initiatives to best serve the needs of their communities, including:

• Supporting seven family day care providers in regional and remote communities to establish new educator roles.
• Creating 18 new educator roles within community preschools to support extended hours of care.
• Providing extended hours of care for up to 120 children with outside of school hours services at four public schools, as well as establishing seven new holiday care programs.

The Flexible Initiatives Trial benefits working families by providing more convenient and accessible early childhood education and care.

In previous funding rounds this included providing families with more flexible care arrangements, including flexible pick-up and drop-off times, as well as increasing the availability of places for children where and when they are needed most.

The trial also helps establish new family day care options in regional and remote parts of NSW.

The Flexible Initiatives Trial began in 2023 and is the first grants program to be delivered under the Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund.

During the first two rounds of funding, more than $8 million was awarded to 53 early learning centres across the state.

The program is part of the Minns Government’s long-term commitment to support children and young families, including an historic $769 million investment t o build 100 new public preschools in NSW, the largest investment in public preschools in the state’s history.

The Minns Government has also committed $60 million to build and upgrade preschools at non-government schools in areas where they are needed most.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“Our Flexible Initiatives Trial is all about giving working families all across NSW better access to affordable and quality early learning services which meet their needs.

“The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier Prue Car, wants every family to have access to high quality early learning, regardless of where they live or what they earn.

“Our government is supporting services to offer the care families and communities need, where and when they need it.”

People have just over a week to secure their dream home design for just $1 with the NSW Pattern Book introductory offer for an architect design of a low-rise home set to end on 31 January.

Since launching in July last year, there have been more than 21,000 pattern designs purchased from the world-leading Pattern Book, with several projects already approved for construction.

There’s no surprise the patterns have flown off the shelf when you consider the other things you can buy for one dollar. Other products you can purchase for a dollar or less include a 100g bag of popcorn, one chupa chup lollipop, a can of lentils and a pack of three stainless steel scourers.

After 31 January, the eight low rise designs for terraces, town houses and manor homes will cost $1,000 which is still a fraction of the over $20,000 cost of typical custom architectural fees for a similar home.

People that purchase a low-rise pattern book design also save both time and money by gaining access to a fast-track Complying Development pathway which means applications can be approved in as little as 10 days.

The world-leading NSW Housing Pattern Book also added nine mid-rise designs by leading architects from across Australia and New Zealand for 3 to 6-storey apartment buildings in November last year.

The mid-rise designs are available for $1,500 for small lot and corner lot designs and $2500 for large lot designs until 31 May.

Designs from the NSW Pattern Book have now been purchased in 24 countries across the globe.

Each design is adaptable for different family sizes and living needs. They combine style and practicality delivering modern layouts and energy-smart features – making them faster to build and better to live in.

We are already starting to see patterns turn into homes with eight pattern book homes approved to start construction in Gymea, Cronulla, Corrimal, Engadine, Chipping Norton, Carlton and Baulkham Hills.

The NSW Pattern Book combines good design and a 10-day approval pathway to speed up the delivery of homes in NSW so young people, families and downsizers have somewhere to live in the communities they choose.

Choose the design for your new home here. 

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“There’s no better value for money than getting an architect designed home, with a 10-day complying development pathway for one dollar.

“If you’re looking at building your own home the low-rise Pattern Book designs will make the process easier, faster and more affordable.

“These pattern designs give families and builders access to high-quality, architect-designed homes which are easy to build, sustainable and adaptable for different family sizes and housing needs.”

NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin said:

“The NSW Housing Pattern Book offers practical, sustainable designs that integrate seamlessly into diverse neighbourhoods.

“These designs don’t just create homes – they help shape vibrant, walkable streets and foster a sense of place.”