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The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to rollout a major staffing reform set to boost the number of frontline healthcare workers through the implementation of safe staffing levels in NSW public hospitals.

Phase one of recruitment is now underway to deliver more nurses and midwives in NSW public hospitals between now and July 2027 under the safe staffing levels reform.

Liverpool and Royal North Shore Hospitals are the first two sites in NSW to roll out the new safe staffing levels. Both hospitals have commenced recruitment for approximately 70 funded FTE nurses across these two sites, with some nurses already recruited for each hospital.

The staffing boost at Liverpool and Royal North Shore Hospitals will enable a one-to-one nursing care ratio for generally occupied Emergency Department (ED) resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three generally occupied ED treatment spaces and ED short-stay unit beds on all shifts.

This follows discussions with the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce established to oversee the rollout of the government’s commitment of 2480 FTE over four years towards staffing levels. It includes key leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), NSW Health, and local health districts.

Implementation of the safe staffing level areas was scheduled to occur in phases over the next three years.

Phase one of safe staffing levels is initially commencing in Level 5 and Level 6 EDs, which treat the most critically ill patients, and will then be progressively implemented across other hospitals and departments.

These reforms will improve conditions and staff experience and, in turn, boost retention, capacity and capability.

Implementing safe staffing levels is just one of a range of measures that the NSW Government is embracing to build a supported and capable health workforce, including:

• saving 1,112 nurse and midwife positions by making the roles permanent;
• abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers;
• beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities; and
• introducing the health worker study subsidies scheme.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“The NSW Government is delivering on its promise to rollout a major staffing reform.

“The safe staffing levels initiative involves the introduction of minimum staffing levels on every shift, which will result in more nurses and midwives employed in hospitals right across the state.

“Importantly, this reform will deliver improved staffing numbers to provide care for patients while supporting our frontline healthcare staff.

“The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce will review this initial rollout at Liverpool and Royal North Shore EDs and use these experiences to help inform the roll out at future sites.”

A major new survey has today been launched by the NSW Government in partnership with the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) and the Office for Regional Youth to engage with young people on the issues that matter to them most.

Young people aged between 14 and 24 are encouraged to participate in the ‘Your Voice, Our Future’ survey which will help guide the government on important issues facing the state’s youth and how the government can better engage with them.

The results of the survey will be shared across the whole of government to ensure policy and programs are being developed in a way that best supports the views and needs of young people.

This survey will be used to inform decisions around the design of a new permanent voice for young people within the NSW Government.

The survey is open until the end of the year.

Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said:

“Our youth are our future and I want to ensure that young people are not only heard but have agency in the future direction of our Government.

“To do that we need to ensure that they’re consulted about what matters most to them, what is currently working and what is not.

“As the Minister for Youth it’s important that when I step into a room where decisions are being made, I can advocate for the needs of young people, secure in the knowledge that they themselves have been consulted about those needs.

“It is vital our young people’s voices are heard loud and clear as we prepare for their future.”

The NSW Government is continuing to address the teacher shortage across NSW with a program helping schools recruit teachers in hard-to-staff areas to expand by 40%. A further 26 regional schools will now receive additional support to engage quality teachers, ensuring free, quality public education is provided to every student in NSW.

The Priority Recruitment Support program gives intensive recruitment assistance to schools with significant teacher staffing challenges.

The latest additions to the program cross the state from Bega to Bowral and Cobar to Casino, bringing the total number of schools receiving intensive support to 111.

Long-standing vacancies at these schools can now be advertised with a recruitment bonus of up to $20,000, and a relocation support package of up to $8000 for eligible teachers.

The program’s success is evident with 615 teachers placed in permanent positions in the past 12 months. Dubbo College alone has had 61 vacant positions filled across its three campuses while on the program.

Under the former Liberal National government, the teacher shortage reached crisis point with more than 3000 vacancies, resulting in an average 10,000 lessons missing a teacher every day and schools being forced to merge and cancel classes. While the teacher shortage has impacted schools across the board, the impact has been most significant in rural, regional and remote areas and parts of Sydney’s west and south-west.

The expansion of this program is one part of the Rural and Remote Education Implementation Plan that supports teachers wanting to teach outside major metropolitan areas.

Further to the recruitment support, the NSW Government is also offering tailored housing support to teachers in regional areas, cutting red tape for applicants and addressing maintenance issues faster.

Other incentives to work in NSW rural and remote schools include:

• 50 to 90% rental subsidy
• rural teacher Incentive (up to $30,000 per annum less value of Rental Subsidy, where applicable)
• retention bonus ($5,000 per annum for up to 10 years)
• experienced teacher Benefit ($10,000 per annum for up to 5 years)
• stamp duty relief payment (a one-off payment up to $10,000).

An additional 11 metropolitan schools will also benefit from recruitment support under the program’s expansion.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We are committed to providing teachers where they are needed the most to ensure every student has the same educational opportunities, no matter where they live.”

“Having a qualified teacher in front of every class is key to lifting student outcomes, and we are working hard to attract and retain teachers in areas where the teacher shortage is most acute.

“Labor was elected to fix the teacher shortage created by the former Liberal National government and this continues to be a key focus.”  

Executive Director, Regional Rural and Remote Implementation, Dean White, said:

“The expansion of the Priority Recruitment Support program is one part of the Rural and Remote Education Implementation Plan that supports teachers wanting to teach outside major metropolitan areas.

“Combined with our other supports, these initiatives are giving teachers even more reason to experience the satisfaction and rewards that come with teaching in communities outside the major centres.”

Regional, rural and remote schools added to the program:

• Bega High School
• Bowral High School
• Braidwood Central School
• Casino High School
• Cobar High School
• Cootamundra High School
• Deniliquin High School
• Dubbo South Public School
• Glen Innes High School
• Goulburn High School
• James Fallon High School
• Jindabyne High School
• Kooringal High School
• Leeton High School
• Macintyre High School
• Merriwa Central School
• Mount Austin High School
• Narrandera High School
• Orara High School
• Oxley High School
• Picton High School
• Uralla Central School
• Wellington High School
• West Wyalong High School
• Yawarra Community School
• Young High School

The NSW Government is today announcing the first $35 million funding allocation, from the $350 million Regional Development Trust which will support a package of initiatives to boost the long-term resilience of regional NSW, with a focus on job creation and primary industry expansion.

Funded under the NSW Regional Development Trust, these projects have been guided by the Regional Development Advisory Council and informed by a number of roundtables with rural communities hosted by the Minister for Regional New South Wales, Tara Moriarty, across the state.

This process has ensured the transparency and integrity of the investments.

The initiatives announced today align with the 4 focus areas of the Regional Development Trust:

• sustainable regional industries, including emerging and job creating industries
• aboriginal economic development and enterprise
• community infrastructure and capacity building
• improving regional service delivery.

The $35 million package includes:

$15 million to improve rural and remote airstrips

Effective remote and Western NSW airstrips that are accessible all year round will increase economic development opportunities, plus the delivery of health care and emergency services to reach communities that would otherwise be required to travel long distances to access similar services.

The NSW Government has commenced an audit of remote and rural airstrips across 20 local government areas in Western NSW and will develop a rollout schedule, based on priority and need, that will be completed by September this year.

Following this, the NSW Government will commence the upgrades of airstrip and aerodrome related infrastructure and equipment improvements.

This investment will improve rural and remote communities’ access to critical services, businesses, essential workers and supplies particularly in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

$10 million Western NSW Workforce Activation Package to establish, expand or upgrade Western NSW childcare

• The Western NSW Workforce Activation Package will provide $10 million to establish, expand or upgrade early childhood and education care across 3 initial local government areas of Bourke, Broken Hill and Cobar.
• This initiative is designed to increase the availability of long day care in regional areas.
  Co-designed with the early childhood sector, this is an innovative approach to strengthening the workforce in remote communities by addressing one of the barrier’s faced by parents looking to return to work in areas where there is little or no early childcare available.
• Successful applicants must demonstrate that funded activities will increase their ability to offer additional childcare places.

$5 million to empower Aboriginal businesses

• The Aboriginal Economic Development Package will support Aboriginal businesses and organisations to identify and execute commercial opportunities, leading to improved economic and employment outcomes.
• The funding will assist eligible Aboriginal organisations and businesses to deliver projects that enable improved economic and employment outcomes – for example, upgrades to community-controlled facilities or the expansion of native food operations.
• Aboriginal projects are currently under consideration, with commencement of the pilot program to happen over the coming months.

$5 million to encourage economic growth and employment in regional NSW

• $5 million will be invested to provide low-interest loans to eligible small and medium businesses to encourage economic growth and employment in regional NSW.
• From today food and beverage manufacturing small and medium businesses will be able to apply for loans between $100,0000 and $1,000,000, with a 2.5% fixed interest for the life of the loan, to allow them to invest in new technologies and equipment that increases efficiency and productivity.
• NSW is home to more than 30% of the nation’s small and medium enterprises. However, the RBA has highlighted that currently small businesses are finding it difficult to access finance from traditional lenders with approval times, underwriting security requirements and interest rates cited as key concerns.
• This investment from the NSW Government has been developed to make it faster and easier for regional small businesses to thrive.

Further investments in these projects will be considered following an initial review of their implementation.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“I have been lucky to visit country towns across all of the state, from Bega to Broken Hill, and hear firsthand from communities about issues facing regional NSW.

“I am committed to working with local communities on solutions and projects that work for them, and that is what the Regional Development Trust is designed to deliver.

“These 4 projects are the products of listening to regional communities and the agriculture sector on where funding is most needed, and where it will work the best.”

Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We believe every child in NSW should start school with a strong foundational educational, and to achieve that it is vital that all children can access high quality early learning, no matter their postcode or circumstance.

“This funding will allow long day care services to extend their hours or modify their services. This gives more flexibility to both parents looking to get back into the workforce, and creates new opportunities for early childcare workers.”

Minister for Health and Regional Health Ryan Park said:

“Investing in our regional airstrips will help ensure specialist doctors and nurses can provide care to even our states most remote communities. This is vital in ensuring that no matter where you live in New South Wales, you have access to essential healthcare

services.”

Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:

“The NSW Government is committed to considered investments that are delivered transparently and through collaboration with local communities.

“Development funding for regional communities should not be dependent on who they voted for, but on where the need is greatest.

“After a comprehensive review of how funds have been invested in the past and travelling statewide and hearing the voices of local communities, I am confident this new approach delivers what people have said they need and will deliver better results.

“This initial investment of $35million from the Regional Development Trust Fund will create jobs, improve service delivery in rural and remote areas, and develop Aboriginal businesses and enterprises.”

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“This $5 million is a significant boost to the NSW Government’s Closing the Gap Priority Reform 5, to help eligible Aboriginal businesses and organisations in the regions maximise economic opportunities and grow jobs.

“According to Supply Nation research, for every dollar of revenue generated by an Aboriginal business, the return on investment back to their community is $4.41.

“This funding builds on the $10 million investment in the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth and will be key to further helping Aboriginal people realise their aspirations.”

Business NSW Executive Director David Harding said:

“The Regions are a rising powerhouse of innovation and growth in NSW.  Business NSW is honoured to be the leading voice for our regional business communities, and to contribute to smart and effective regional development, in partnership with the NSW Government.

“We welcome the Regional Development Trust investments announced today, which will catalyse further small enterprise growth and productivity, together with better connection and workforce participation across the NSW Regions.”

Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section CEO Greg Sam said:

“The Royal Flying Doctor Service welcomes today’s announcement by the Premier and Minister for Regional NSW to increase the availability of high-quality community airstrips across a broader footprint in regional and remote NSW.

“Over the past few years, the RFDS has seen an increase in demand for healthcare services across regional and remote NSW, and access to quality airstrips and supporting infrastructure is hugely important as it enables RFDS to provide communities across regional NSW with essential healthcare.

“The RFDS is a lifeline for many rural and remote communities who, without us, may not otherwise have access to healthcare, and upgrades announced today will provide greater safety and more options in terms of when, where and how we can provide health and emergency services to communities across regional NSW.”

The NSW Labor Government is continuing with its commitment to improve safety on our regional and rural roads, with an intersection upgrade on Mitchell Highway in the state’s central west making the road safer while also improving traffic flow.

The Mitchell Highway intersection with Pretty Plains Road, about 20 kilometres east of Orange, will be widened to provide a dedicated left turn lane into Pretty Plains Road.

Work at Pretty Plains will start on Monday, 20 May and be carried out between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. No work will occur on Sundays or public holidays.

A reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place through the intersection for the safety of workers and all road users, with a Stop/Slow condition in place. Some lane closures and night work may be required, both of which will be communicated as required. It’s anticipated this work will be completed mid-year, weather permitting.

Once the lane construction is complete crews will conduct line-marking and then install flexible safety barriers on the side of the road to help protect vehicles which have left their lane for any reason.

Minister for Regional Transport and Road Jenny Aitchison said:

“The Mitchell Highway is a key regional route linking the central west and western regions of the state to the Blue Mountains and Sydney and the section between Bathurst to Orange has a history of road crashes.

“In order to reduce road trauma, proven life-saving solutions are being installed at various locations between Bathurst and Orange for the benefit of all road users, including local residents, tourists and key freight operators.

“The Pretty Plains intersection was identified for an upgrade to address concerns about driver behaviour, including that west-bound motorists were overtaking turning vehicles which put them directly in the path of east-bound vehicles turning right.

“By installing a dedicated turning lane for those vehicles travelling on the Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Orange, we’re providing opportunity for motorists to slow down safely on approach while allowing other traffic to continue through the intersection, improving efficiency.

“This is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment improve safety on our regional, rural and remote roads, as part of the Safer Roads and Network Efficiency Program, reducing travel times and increasing productivity after a decade of neglect by the former government.”

Orange Duty MLC Stephen Lawrence said:

“The highway between Bathurst to Orange sees around 10,000 traffic movements a day – including local residents, tourists and key freight operators so this work at Pretty Plains will greatly improve safety and traffic flow for these motorists.

“We are also currently in the final stages of development for the Vittoria West project, which will encompass the Mitchell Highway from the Beekeepers Inn to 1.8 kilometres west and will include a dedicated right hand turn lane at Gardiners Road as well as audio tactile line marking and safety barrier installation to further improve safety on the highway.”

Independent Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

“Six years ago, I first raised concerns with the former State Government regarding the absence of a west-bound turning lane from the Mitchell Highway into Pretty Plains Road, where there was foreseeable risk of a serious accident.

“I’ve shared frustration with locals who were sick of hearing excuses from the former government as to why these safety issues weren’t being addressed.

“I welcome today’s announcement from Minister Aitchison, who has prioritised this important safety upgrade.”

Transport for NSW is delivering safety improvements at several locations along this 50-kilometre section of the Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Orange to improve safety and reduce the risk of crashes.

Motorists are already experiencing the benefits of these improvements at Guyong, where a 2.3-kilometre upgrade including a new westbound overtaking lane was completed in September 2022, and at Vittoria East where another westbound overtaking lane was installed last December, as well as further upgrades at East Guyong which was also completed in December.

Road widening, pavement and drainage upgrades, safety barrier and rumble strips installation were some of the improvements made at those locations.

Work is also nearing completion at Vittoria Curve.

More information on the Mitchell Highway safety upgrades between Bathurst and Orange.

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The Minister for Local Government has today suspended the board of the New England Weeds Authority (NEWA) and appointed an interim administrator due to serious concerns about the financial position and governance of the organisation.

NEWA is the registered trading name of the New England County Council and has a governing body made up of elected representatives from 4 constituent councils: 

• Armidale Regional Council
• Walcha Council
• Uralla Shire Council
• Glen Innes Severn Shire Council.

The organisation is a single-purpose county council that operates as a Local Control Authority for the management of priority and invasive weeds in the New England area.

This intervention comes after the Office of Local Government was made aware of financial irregularities at NEWA, including the inability of the Audit Office to issue an audit due to gaps in the organisation’s financial records.

Further enquiries identified significant issues that could have implications for its partner councils.

The board will therefore be suspended for an initial period of 3 months.

Independent local government expert and former general manager Mr John Rayner has been appointed as interim administrator.

Mr Rayner will be responsible for looking into the county council’s financial and operational concerns and report back to the Minister.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig:

“I was alarmed by reports about the financial mismanagement and governance issues at NEWA which is why I have taken this immediate action.

“The problems are of real concern, particularly given the potential impacts the financial instability of NEWA has for its four member councils which help fund its operations.

“Mr Rayner will help the Office of Local Government fully understand NEWA’s financial position and the extent of the challenges they are facing.

“This is a necessary measure to give confidence to staff and restore proper and effective functioning to the organisation.”

The NSW Opposition has called out Premier Chris Minns’ hypocrisy and weakness for refusing to sack his Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services Anthony D’Adam.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said that Chris Minns has failed to set standards or to stand by his Police Commissioner, as Mr D’Adam remains in his Executive despite calling the NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb a liar.

“We were all shocked to hear Mr D’Adam say in Parliament last night “The approach of the Public Order and Riot Squad at many Palestine protests makes a liar of the commissioner”, said Mr Speakman.
“Chris Minns’ words are hollow if he refuses to act.”

“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. If Mr D’Adam remains a member of the Executive, it says a lot about the Premier’s weakness and failure of leadership.”

The Minns Labor Government has pushed through regulations that are poised to hike up rubbish and recycling costs for households statewide.
 
Shadow Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman said the Local Government (General) Amendment (Tendering) Regulation (No 2) 2023 will escalate expenses for councils, inevitably burdening ratepayers.
 
“The many flaws in this regulation are in large part due to Labor’s failure to consult with stakeholders. An example of the many concerns that stakeholders have raised with the regulation is that councils could be forced to pay double for accrued employee entitlements.
 
“Rushed amendments, devoid of input from councils, waste contractors, or industry bodies, have produced adverse consequences, and it will be a cost paid by NSW ratepayers.
 
Shadow Minister for Environment Kellie Sloane echoed concerns about the regulation’s failure to guarantee transparency and fairness in waste management contracts, which will impact resource recovery and recycling service suppliers.
 
“Labor’s approach will stifle competition and innovation in waste management and resource recovery, and there will be long-term repercussions for providers, councils, and the environment,” Ms Sloane said.
 
The Opposition urges the Government to immediately engage with stakeholders and rectify the identified problems.
 
“We are calling on the Minns Labor Government to engage councils and communities statewide to amend their regulations, providing simplicity, certainty and cost efficiencies.