Month: July 2025

Today is the start of NAIDOC Week and the Minns Labor Government is helping communities all over NSW celebrate their Aboriginal histories and cultures with $548,000 in grant funding.

More than 180 community organisations and groups across the state have received funding ranging from $500 to $5,000 to assist with hosting local NAIDOC activities to promote awareness, understanding and celebration.

The NAIDOC Grants Program, empowers community-driven celebrations that provide opportunities for people across NSW to connect to Aboriginal culture and Country. Last year, events supported through the program helped engage over 65,000 participants.

Over the coming months, 2025 grant recipients will be supported to host events that align with the theme of NAIDOC Week 2025: ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’.

Initiatives funded by the program include: 

• The development of a regenerative bush tucker garden at a primary school in Cardiff on Awabakal Country where students can learn about native plants endemic to the area and their traditional uses
• The creation of a lasting public display of Aboriginal storytelling in Coffs Harbour on Gumbaynggirr Country where student works are transformed into permanent street art
• A 2025 NAIDOC Unity Guuma-li (Gather) Corroboree in Gunnedah on Kamilaroi Country featuring cultural dance and art workshops
• A week-long NAIDOC festival in Cowra on Wiradjuri Country featuring opportunities to learn Wiradjuri language, a debutante ball, and elders’ luncheon
• NAIDOC on Sydney Harbour on Gadigal Country, an event held on Tribal Warrior’s vessel showcasing the spiritual and cultural importance of water for Mob
• A family fun day at Bellambi, near Wollongoing on Dharawal Wodi Wodi Country where children and grandchildren will be encouraged to connect to Country via activities, entertainment and food
• A family fun day in Wilcannia on Barkindji Country to celebrate the strong and deadly up and-coming generations in the Wilcannia community
• A cultural arts and craft knowledge exchange with Aboriginal artists and elders in Broken Hill on Wilyakali Country.

Grant recipients (as at 6 July 2025): 2025 NAIDOC Grants Recipients

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“NAIDOC Week brings people together and is a great opportunity for all Australians to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“The NSW Government is honoured to support community-driven NAIDOC celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

“The array of initiatives we are supporting demonstrates the richness, vitality and diversity of Aboriginal cultures across NSW. And it shows the strength and positivity of the communities that are hosting these terrific events.

“By supporting initiatives like these it is helping us reach our goal of closing the gap by celebrating Aboriginal culture and ensuring Aboriginal people remain connected to their community and culture.

“With events being held across the state, I encourage everyone to take the opportunity that NAIDOC Week presents, to connect with community and participate in celebrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.”

A spokesperson for Saltwater Freshwater said:

“Thanks to this funding, 70 talented Aboriginal students from across the four nations we represent will see their visual stories transformed into high-quality pavement stickers that will be permanently displayed outside The Gallery of Saltwater Freshwater.

“It’s a powerful and lasting way to celebrate their voices, creativity, and connection to culture.”

The Minns Labor Government is today revealing the concept designs and plans for how the former WestConnex dive site in Annandale will transform surplus government land into around 577 new homes, including 220 dedicated to build to rent housing close to the city for essential workers.

This marks an increase on the number of homes first announced in February after further housing potential was unlocked on the site, increasing the number of build-to-rent homes for essential workers from the original 200 to 220.

The newly unveiled project will offer quality apartments across the site, in a range of sizes and styles to suit different people’s needs.

Future residents will have easy access to the Sydney CBD, transport, public spaces, amenities and education and health centres including one of Sydney’s largest hospitals, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

This is all part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild our essential services while delivering critical new housing for those who need it across NSW.

The Masterplan includes:

• 220 build-to-rent units, for essential workers like health workers, teachers, police officers and firefighters will be offered at a discount to market rent.
• Approximately 357 additional units including market and a portion of affordable homes.
• Ground-floor retail or commercial space.
• Landscaped public outdoor spaces for people to meet, relax and socialise, including a central plaza with lush native greenery, shaded seating areas, and public art.
• New pedestrian links between Parramatta Road and Pyrmont Bridge Road, enhancing neighbourhood connectivity.

The project is currently under assessment with construction of the build-to-rent housing expected to start in 2026, pending approval. It’s expected the first essential workers will move in around 2028.

The Annandale site is the first secured by Landcom as part of the NSW Government’s $450 million build-to-rent essential worker housing program, with Landcom investigating additional sites in Sydney to complete the rollout of 400 new build-to-rent homes for essential workers.

This is the latest step in the NSW Government’s initiatives to work with Landcom, the NSW Government’s housing developer to increase housing supply, with preliminary works underway on new build-to-rent apartments on the NSW south coast and works set to commence later this year on new housing in the NSW Northern Rivers to boost rental supply.

The NSW Government will retain ownership of the build-to-rent housing in perpetuity, with tenancies managed by a suitable operator. Details about eligibility criteria, how to apply and the rental subsidy will be available closer to project completion.

For further information, visit: www.landcom.com.au/annandale

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“Housing is the single largest cost of living pressure people face and this block of land has sat unused for years – so we’re using it to help deliver essential housing for essential workers.

“Essential workers keep our city running everyday but too often they are being priced out of inner-city locations close to where they work.

“This project will deliver hundreds of homes that will cut both costs and commute times for it’s residents, while allowing workers to build a life close to their jobs, allowing them to deliver world class public services.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Minns Labor Government is bringing back housing choice right across NSW.

“This project will transform unused government land in the heart of Sydney into hundreds of new homes for essential workers that are well connected to transport, shops and green public spaces.

“This is an example of density done well and thanks to smart planning by Landcom we’ve increased the number of build-to-rent homes for essential workers from the original 200 to 220.”

Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:

“Essential workers shouldn’t have to choose between the job they love and being able to afford a home near it. This project is about turning that around.

“This is what Labor does. We use land sitting left vacant and unused to deliver for the public good. These government owned and built rentals will provide safe, affordable places for our essential workers to live.

“We’re not just tweaking the system, we’re directly intervening to build the homes people need. That’s what it takes to fix this crisis.

“We’ve already delivered the biggest increase in government built public and affordable housing in over a decade, and now we’re backing it in by building even more affordable homes.

Executive General Manager Built Form Landcom Andrew Cooper said:

“This is an exciting era for Landcom, our first build-to-rent development in an urban area.

“The Joinery Annandale’ brings together the best of the Inner West, blending well-designed homes, shops and public space with the area’s rich history and character.

“We want to build a legacy development that contributes to the neighbourhood, creating a place that future residents will be proud to call home and supporting them to become part of the community.”

The NSW Coalition will introduce a Bill in Parliament to criminalise the production and/or distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes, following disturbing reports of female students, teachers and workers being digitally targeted across the state.

Deepfakes are AI-generated, highly realistic but false images, video, audio or text that falsely depict a real person doing or saying something they never did. In 2023, 98% of deepfake videos online were pornographic and 99% featured women.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the Minns Labor Government has failed to keep pace with fast-moving technology, leaving women and girls exposed to vile and degrading abuse with no real consequences for perpetrators.

“This is a form of abuse, plain and simple. Women and girls are being targeted, violated, and humiliated by code. The emotional toll is devastating, victims are often left without recourse, knowing these fake images can live on the internet forever,” Mr Speakman said.

“Since the Labor Government has failed to confront this growing threat, the Coalition will lead the way with reform. Our laws make it clear, if you create or share sexually explicit deepfakes, you’ll face serious consequences.”

Shadow Attorney General Alister Henskens said the criminal law must modernise to ensure it delivers justice that reflects the scale of harm. 

“We propose to update the Crimes Act to reflect the reality that if you digitally fake someone’s body, voice or text to degrade or control them, the law should recognise that you are committing a crime. If it’s not your body or voice, it’s not your right to control another person’s autonomy. That principle must be written into NSW law,” Mr Henskens said.

Shadow Minister for Women Felicity Wilson said the Coalition is taking action where the Minns Labor Government has failed to act.

“This isn’t a niche issue, it’s happening in our schools, our workplaces, and our communities. Women and girls are being targeted through the weaponisation of AI, traumatised, and left without protection. In a digital age, they deserve strong, clear legal safeguards,” Ms Wilson said.

The NSW Coalition is introducing the Crimes Amendment (Deepfake Sexual Material) Bill 2025, which will amend the Crimes Act 1900 as follows:

• New offences for producing and/or distributing sexually explicit deepfakes. 
• The offences to cover threats to share deepfakes without consent, including private sharing, not just online distribution.
• Court ordered removal and destruction of synthetic abuse material.
• A legal definition of deepfakes as generating or altering the image that falsely depicts a real person in a sexual context

The law must send a message that if you abuse someone with a deepfake, you’ll face serious consequences.

Policy experts and people from across Australia’s arts and culture sector will join forces in September to propose creative ways of helping the industry flourish.

The Art of Tax Reform Summit, to be held at the Sydney Opera House on September 26, will produce recommendations for the next National Cultural Policy, due in 2028.

The Summit will bring together economics and tax policy experts as well as artists, donors, venue operators and other participants in the arts and culture fields.

More enterprises contributing to Australia’s $122.3 billion creative industry are based in NSW than anywhere else. 

But many leading organisations struggle to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world, and artists and arts workers face the challenge of unpredictable incomes.

Creative Australia’s Artists as Workers report last year found a typical professional artist’s gross income was $54,500, including $16,000 from non-arts sources. The report noted this compared poorly to the incomes of similarly skilled and qualified workers in the 2021 census such as “managers” at $107,400 and “professionals” at $98,700. 

The summit will look for ways to address the industry’s many hurdles through tax reform. Some ideas already on the table include: 

• Live Performance Australia’s Live Theatre Tax Offset, which would prioritise investment in new work over the fixed costs of running a theatre.
• Tax rebates for live music – a proposal by the music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS intended to support venues.
• A review of prize money tax settings proposed by the National Association for the Visual Arts, addressing the fact that winners of government funded arts prizes must pay tax on that prize money. 

The Minns Labor Government is inviting submissions for the Summit, following an investment of nearly $1.4 billion into the arts and creative industries in last month’s Budget, including:

• $844.4 million for our Cultural Institutions
• $280 million for the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) and Digital Games Rebate programs
• $100 million to begin the hunt for the second film studio for Sydney
• $27 million to strengthen the contemporary music industry through Sound NSW’s work
• $27.4 million for the 24-Hour Economy
• and the $73 million for the Arts and Cultural Funding Program package as announced in 2024-25

Submissions are open until Sunday 10 August 2025 and can be made by visiting https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/cultural-tax-reform

These submissions will shape the agenda of the Summit on 26 September 2025.

Minister for the Arts, Music and the Night-Time Economy, John Graham said:

“It is time to talk tax. In September we are bringing tax policy experts together with leaders from across the arts, culture and creative industries, as well as philanthropy and the commercial sector to develop a suite of tax reform initiatives to present to the Commonwealth as they develop the next national cultural policy.

“This will be the most unusual show the Opera House has hosted, and its impact could last generations.

“Two of the biggest levers Governments have to support the arts and creative sectors are regulatory change and funding.

“If tax boffins and creatives can agree on something then our nation should take notice.

“The NSW Government will continue our strong commitment to arts funding. This year we have a NSW arts and culture budget investing nearly $1.4 billion into the creative industries, we have seen some of our biggest years in audiences across art-forms, and yet the sector is still struggling.”

NSW Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey said:

“The creative industries are a cornerstone of Australia’s cultural identity and an important contributor to the economy.

“The sector is telling us that tax policy settings are a significant impediment to artists’ business viability, international competitiveness and income stability.

“That is why NSW is pleased to host this summit. It will bring our brightest creative thinkers together with tax and economic experts – to develop a set of reform initiatives to discuss with our Commonwealth colleagues.”

Minister for Finance, Courtney Houssos said:

“The NSW Government is committed to building a more inclusive and innovative economy. That means recognising the value of creative labour and policy settings that support it.

“NSW’s creative industries are vital to our cultural identity and economic prosperity. That’s why we’re working closely with the sector to support tax policies that reflect the realities of creative work so that talent can flourish across NSW.

“This summit is a unique opportunity to modernise how we support creativity through the tax system, ensuring fairness, sustainability, and growth for the long term.”

The NSW Government is launching the country’s largest prize for music, to celebrate the state’s exceptional contemporary musicians and give them a career-boosting cash injection.

Aiming to inspire the next AC/DC, Delta Goodrem or The Kid Laroi, the NSW Music Prize will be awarded at an award ceremony in November 2025 during Ausmusic Month.

There will be three categories:

• $80,000 NSW Music Prize, to be awarded to the NSW artist or act whose release has had the most significant impact.
• $40,000 NSW First Nations Music Prize for an NSW First Nations artist or act whose release has had significant and meaningful impact.
• $40,000 NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year for an emerging NSW artist or act who has had a groundbreaking year.

The prizes will be awarded to NSW-based artists or acts who have demonstrated exceptional creative achievements and meaningful impact between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 by releasing music or achieving a major career breakthrough.

A Selection Committee of 20 music industry experts will nominate artists and create a longlist for the NSW Music Prize and NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year. An expert Judging Panel of five will then determine the winners.

A Nominations Committee of five First Nations industry experts will be appointed to submit nominations for the NSW First Nations Music Prize and deliver finalists for a Judging Panel of three First Nations experts from the music industry to select the winner.

Delivering the annual prize is the latest action from the NSW Government’s 10-year Contemporary Music Strategy. The strategy aims to grow the sector in the face of significant headwinds including unpredictable ticket sales, a retraction in music festivals and competition from international artists on streaming services. Since coming to office in 2023 the government has:

• Introduced ‘Michael’s Rule’ incentives for international touring artists to book local supports.
• Established the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund in September 2024 which has allocated a combined $2.25 million of emergency funding to five festivals.
• Delivered recording, touring and promotion grants to help artists and bands create new work, grow audiences and build their careers.
• Initiated Venue Upgrade grants for operators to install sound proofing and get their venues gig ready.
• Offered extended trading hours and an 80% discount on licensing fees for venues that program live music which has tripled the number of venues receiving these incentives.
• Reformed the noise complaints system so single serial noise complainants can no longer shut down existing live music venues.
• Rolling out Special Entertainment Precincts that future proof entertainment districts.

Expressions of Interest are now open to join the nominations committee and judging panels. To apply, or for more information visit the Sound NSW website. Expressions of Interest close Monday 21 July.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:

“Despite the fact NSW is the engine room of Australia’s music industry, we were one of the only states that didn’t have a music prize. I thought that was a travesty, so the arrival of the NSW Music Prize will right that wrong.

“This investment will celebrate our artists, boost their careers and inspire the next generation to shoot for the stars.

“Awarding the country’s biggest cash prize, demonstrates we’re serious about backing our musicians, recognising their cultural contribution and supporting them through challenging times.

“We often say that ‘Labor loves live music’ and this is us putting it into practice. The NSW live music industry employs over 14,000 and we are backing it to keep growing.”

Head of Sound NSW Emily Collins said:

“The NSW Music Prize is all about celebrating the incredible talent we have in NSW, and acknowledging those who dedicate themselves to creating the soundtracks to our lives.

“In launching the NSW Music Prize, we’re valuing local music and the artists who create it, and making a significant investment into the careers of some of our top talent. NSW artists deserve to be valued and celebrated, and Sound NSW is proud to be delivering the Prize.

“I encourage all interested music industry and media professionals, and those in businesses and organisations with an understanding of the NSW music landscape and local contemporary music artists to submit their Expression of Interest to join the Nominations Committee, Judging Panel, or First Nations Nominations Committee and Judging Panel.”

CEO ARIA PPCA, and Sound NSW Advisory Board member Annabelle Herd said:

“By actively supporting outstanding, export-ready music through the NSW Music Prize, we’re empowering artists to compete in today’s global music market. NSW has a long and proud history of launching some of Australia’s greatest artists onto the global stage, and this targeted approach helps continue that legacy.

“The direct investment in First Nations music in particular ensures we are not only supporting, but actively celebrating, the richness and cultural depth at the heart of our music community.”

Co-Founder (Frontier Touring) and Founder (Chugg Music) Michael Chugg AM said:

“The input of the NSW Government and Sound NSW into the statewide music industry has created a lot of excitement and this latest announcement is a great step forward for the 1000s of talented musicians, artists, and industry workers who ply their talent playing, writing, and making great music, from the big cities to the smallest villages in our state.

“The NSW Music Prize will garner great publicity for our artists and provide much-needed funding to advance their careers – not just in Australia, but globally – by enabling artists, industry professionals, and companies to open doors worldwide to our wonderful music.”