Month: October 2025

The Minns Labor Government is reforming early learning funding to link state investment to quality standards and direct it to areas most in need of better access to affordable, quality preschool.

As part of its ongoing reforms to the early childhood sector the Minns Government is introducing changes to its $900 million Start Strong preschool program, which forms part of a record $2 billion investment in Early Childhood Education and Care.

To ensure services receiving government funding provide the highest quality care, changes to Start Strong guidelines from 2026 will require services not meeting the National Quality Standard to lift their rating or risk loss of funding.

State government funding will be weighted towards services in regional and remote areas, and many areas that are currently undersupplied.

These reforms are the latest step in a suite of measures the Minns Government is taking to improve compliance with quality standards in the early learning sector in NSW, following our nation-leading legislation that passed NSW Parliament last week and is now law. 

The changes work hand-in-hand with the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority’s policy requiring approved providers to act immediately to address quality concerns.

Under this policy, the regulator can compel approved providers to take immediate action to address quality concerns. Those unwilling or unable to improve will face loss of funding, enforcement action, including possible suspension or removal from the sector.

These changes are consistent with the Commonwealth’s direction to suspend funding for services failing to meet national standards, particularly in relation to child safety and quality.

The Start Strong funding program is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to ensure every child in NSW has access to 600 hours of quality preschool education before starting school. This investment also includes:

• More than $60 million to support children with high learning support needs.
   
• Up to $15 million for the 2026 Start Strong Pathways program that funds place-based initiatives to provide early educational supports for children prior to preschool enrolment and supports engagement with families.

In addition to Start Strong funding, early learning services will benefit from further NSW Government programs, including:

• $100 million to help community preschools expand their hours and cater for more children through the Expanding Quality Access Program.
   
• More than $7.5 million to increase participation in the Health and Development Check in Early Childhood Education and Care program.
   
• Up to $7 million in additional targeted equity funding for community and mobile preschools.
   
• $20 million for The Flexible Initiatives Trial which provides grants to services to test and trial new options for families – including extended operating hours or flexible pick-up and drop-off times.
   
• $5 million to support the viability and sustainability of small and stand-alone Early Childhood Education and Care providers through the Building Capability Development Program.
   
• $20 million for the Building Early Learning Places program to assist not-for-profit providers looking to create more spaces for children aged 0-6 in communities with the greatest need.

To support workforce supply and quality over the coming years, the NSW Government is also investing up to:

• $27 million for the Early Childhood Education and Care Scholarship program to help 2,000 more aspiring and existing Early Education and Care professionals advance their careers in early learning.
   
• $7 million to support more than 400 early childhood educators to turn their diplomas into degrees with university partners delivering the Early Learning Diploma to Degree program.
   
• $10 million to provide fee-free professional learning courses for more than 4,000 ECEC professionals, in partnership with TAFE NSW.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“We’re introducing important changes for childhood education and care services in NSW to lift standards and improve access to quality preschool education in areas where it’s needed most.

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring early learning services in NSW provide the highest standards for our youngest learners and that every dollar of funding directly benefits families who need it most.

“While most early learning services provide excellent care, providers who are underperforming will be required to take swift action to lift their quality standards, or risk losing their funding.

“These changes are the latest step the Minns Labor Government is taking to ensure children in NSW have access to safe and quality early learning and care, as we work to rebuild trust in the sector.”

Students across the Northern Rivers are invited to participate in a unique learning experience that nurtures critical thinking, collective action and creative expression, as part of a region-wide flood preparedness campaign.

The Future Feast in Schools, from Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA), embeds disaster awareness through storytelling, fostering curiosity, connection and creativity.

The learning experience is underpinned by four key regional preparedness steps:

• know your river and your risk
• know the warnings
• have a plan
• look after each other.
   

NORPA is leading the Future Feasts in Schools workshops at Broadwater Public School, Empire Vale Public School, Stoker’s Siding Public School, Main Arm Public School and Palmers Island Public School from October 15 to November 12.

Guided by professional artists in Drama, Dance, and Visual & Video Arts, students engage in handson workshops that explore themes of disaster, resilience, and renewal. Through movement, storytelling, and collaborative performance-making, they draw on their lived experiences and hopes for the future.

The students’ artistic responses will also contribute to a broader regional project, a NORPA major creative work, Dinner Party at the End of the World, a multi-artform work inspired by local responses to natural hazards.

Teachers are also supported throughout with curriculum-aligned resources and opportunities for professional learning alongside experienced artists.

Future Feasts received funding from the Australian and NSW Government through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program, administered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority. It is
also presented in partnership with the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office.

This program is an example of how the Minns Labor NSW Government is empowering young people to build the skills and traits they need to stay strong, resilient, and ready to face future disasters.

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:
“We recognise, more than ever, the need to harness the skills and voices of young people to be better prepared for disasters.

“This creative learning experience does just that, by empowering students to know the risks, to have a plan and look out for each other as we prepare for future disasters.

“This program shows our young people they have the power to create a more resilient Northern Rivers and build the kind of community they want to live in.

“I thank NORPA for their creative approach to ensuring young people’s voices are heard and for supporting them to be ready for disasters today and in the future.”

NORPA Artistic Director Julian Louis said:
“Future Feasts is a chance for students to unleash their imagination on a difficult subject for many people in their community.

“The idea of climate change is often abstract and hard to understand, but this gives young people the chance to express themselves among friends and peers in a creative endeavour and learning environment about very real events and issues that directly affected them and their school.”

Reconstruction Authority Executive Director Reconstruction Graham Kennett said:
“Dealing with natural hazards is a fact of everyday life in the Northern Rivers, where knowledge of the region and clear and calm thinking are essentials for navigating these turbulent events.

“Future Feasts helps young people to absorb these tools of local life and puts into practice how community can come together to wield them.”

The state’s oldest cultural institutions, the Sydney Opera House, Art Gallery of NSW, Powerhouse Museum, Australian Museum, State Library of NSW and Museums of History NSW, have each added a new director aged 18-28 to their boards.

These appointments fulfil one of the key commitments in the Creative Communities policy to ensure the next generation of cultural leaders are at the decision-making table.

Selected through a rigorous Expression of Interest appointment process that received almost 1,000 submissions from nearly 400 candidates across NSW.

The inaugural six Cultural Institution Young Board Member appointees are:

• Dylan Goh – Sydney Opera House: an independent street dancer, producer, and curator with a decade of experience in the creative industries. He is the Australian founder of Palette Session, a not-for-profit experimental dance collective in Sydney and Seoul.
• Elijah Ingram – Museums of History NSW: a Wiradyuri digital artist, filmmaker, and cultural leader based in regional NSW, dedicated to First Nations storytelling, language revitalisation, and youth advocacy. He is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Miil Miil Productions.
• Hamani Tanginoa – Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse): a proud Wiradjuri, Dharug, Gooreng Gooreng, and Tongan man, with Kinship connections to Dharawal, Yuin and Dhungutti Country, and currently resides on Dharawal Country, in Campbelltown, NSW. Hamani has a strong background in Community leadership, youth advocacy, and governance.
• Melissa Applin – Australian Museum: an emerging arts and culture professional with a strong foundation in archaeology, museum education, youth leadership and performing arts.
• Vivian Pham – State Library of NSW: a Vietnamese-Australian writer, educator, and literary advocate from Western Sydney, her debut novel The Coconut Children was published by Penguin Random House in 2020.
• Will Cook – Art Gallery of NSW: strategic public relations professional with extensive experience in tourism, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. 

Each member will serve a three-year term. They will each receive training from the Australian Institute of Company Directors to undertake the Foundations of Directorship™ (Public Sector) course. The Advocate for Children and Young People will also support their onboarding process.

The six appointees will also take up a senior membership role in the Creative Youth Network to develop its future priorities. The Creative Youth Network advises key government Ministers directly on issues impacting young people engaged in the arts, culture and creative industries.

Minister for the Arts John Graham said:

“The overwhelming interest, and calibre of candidates is a testament to the important role our Cultural Institutions play in our state.

“I congratulate Will, Melissa, Vivian, Elijah, Hamani and Dylan on their appointments. Our Cultural Institutions, and everyone who loves the arts, will benefit from your ideas and perspectives.

“Young, next generation practitioners and audiences are essential to strengthen NSW’s arts, culture and creative industries for the long-term.

Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said:

“Young people are the future of our state’s oldest and revered Cultural Institutions so including them on governing boards just makes sense if we want them to thrive in years to come.

“We are delivering on our firm commitment to ensure the next generation of creative leaders are at the decision-making table, confirming NSW’s position as the national leader in cultural policy. 

“These young directors will bring new life to the state’s six iconic Cultural institutions with their unique insights, expertise and experience.

“We will all benefit from empowering the next generation of leaders to play a crucial role in shaping and strengthening the future of arts, culture and science in NSW.

NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Zoe Robinson said:

“I look forward to supporting Will, Melissa, Vivian, Elijah, Hamani and Dylan, who will play a crucial role in shaping and strengthening the future of arts, culture and science in NSW.

“We know that young people are engaging in our cultural and creative industries, and having these incredible young people on these boards will ensure that their peers are represented in the spaces that matter.

“I commend the NSW Government for ensuring the voices and experiences of young people are heard in these spaces, and I look forward to providing ongoing support throughout the onboarding process.”

The NSW Primary Industries have reached a historic milestone, recording an estimated Gross Value of Production (GVP) of $25.5 billion, underscoring the sector’s enduring resilience, ongoing innovation, and its vital contribution to driving the state’s economy.

GVP is a key metric used by the Minns Labor Government to report on the performance of NSW primary industries and has been measured and reported by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) for the past 10 years.

This record figure for the 2024/25 financial year, released today by the NSW Government, marks a 22% increase from last year and is $2.4 billion above the previous record of $23.1 billion set in 2021-22.

Significantly, it is 16% above the 5-year average and more than double the $12.5 billion recorded in 2014-15 demonstrating a sustained growth across all sectors.

The Minns Government is helping build-up and protect the state’s primary industries with $100 million invested over the last year in agricultural research and more than $1 billion in biosecurity systems and programs.

The strong GVP is built on record-breaking performance across key agricultural sectors, including unprecedented red meat and poultry production, exceptional horticulture output, and historic winter crop yield, particularly chickpeas, alongside above-average summer crop results, notably cotton and sorghum.

These outcomes are underpinned by farmer innovation, with producers adopting new technologies, farming practices, and strategies to help boost productivity and resilience.

The record comes despite external pressures from natural disasters, drier seasonal conditions, volatile prices and biosecurity challenges.

Sector breakdown for the Primary Industries portfolio 2024/25 showed:

• Cropping GVP was up 31% to $11.6 billion est. and 14% above the 5-year average.
• Livestock GVP was up 19% to $9.5 billion est. and 18% above the 5-year average.
• Horticulture GVP was up 8% to $3.7 billion est. and 18% above the 5-year average.
• Forestry GVP was up 6% to $468 million est. and 5% above the 5-year average.
• Fisheries GVP is up 4% to $223 million est. (including a forecast $112.6 million from aquaculture) and 7% above the 5-year average.

The Government’s Performance and Data Insights report (DPI) provides an estimate of the GVP for all the major primary industries commodities produced in NSW and an analysis of key drivers of performance for each commodity.

The report is published annually, with 2025 marking the tenth publication. PDI estimates are published in November each year for the previous financial year, and is the most comprehensive data set available for NSW primary industries.

For more information and to access the full report, visit the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) PDI webpage – https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/publications/pdi

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

“If the State’s primary industry sector was in an Olympic event it would be Gold, Silver and Bronze for NSW farmers, fishers and foresters – this result is outstanding.

“A huge congratulation to the men and women from regional NSW who everyday go to work on the land and in our waterways to build a better and stronger NSW.

“By any measure this is an outstanding result and a testament to the hard work of our farmers, fishers, foresters and producers right across NSW.

“From cropping and livestock to horticulture and fisheries, our primary industries are thriving, and the Minns Government is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who make that happen.

“We’ve delivered more than $100 million in new funding over the past year to modernise our research capabilities and strengthen biosecurity, upgrading facilities across regional NSW ensuring our producers have the tools and knowledge to adapt and thrive.

“We’re investing in research, biosecurity, and workforce development to ensure NSW remains a powerhouse of clean, green and safe food and fibre production.

“We hope these numbers continue to grow year-on-year, as ongoing improvements in conditions help create more opportunities for success.”

NSW Farmers President, Xavier Martin said:

“NSW agriculture has its sights set on producing $30 billion in farmgate value by 2030, and we’re clearly well on the way to achieving this key milestone for our sector.

“Over past year, farmers have faced no shortage of challenges in NSW, but they have managed through extraordinary risks in the landscape, and these results speak for themselves.

“Agriculture is an economic powerhouse that punches above its weight, supporting our rural communities and the state – all while feeding and clothing the world.

“However, the challenges farm businesses face are only intensifying, and our ability to grow food and fibre relies on continued investment into all aspects of our sector, from research and development to biosecurity and beyond.

“Investment in agriculture is an investment that will deliver productivity and dividends back to our communities and will play an important role in improving food security and futures here and around the globe.”

Local State Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

“This milestone is a win for every rural and regional community in NSW. Our producers are proving that innovation and hard work can deliver extraordinary outcomes.”

“Primary industries are the lifeblood of our towns. Their success fuels local jobs, supports families, and strengthens our communities.”

“Primary producers in Orange and the broader Central West have been instrumental in achieving this outstanding result.

“With thriving industries in sheep and beef livestock, cool climate viticulture, horticulture, and broadacre cropping, the region continues to demonstrate its strength as one of NSW’s most productive agricultural hubs.”

Michael Payten, who operates a 1,200-hectare mixed pastoral and cropping farm at Canowindra, said:

“While input costs are all going up so have our commodity prices, so we’re having a better season than we’ve had for a while.

“The productivity of the farm has been as good as it’s ever been. Our prime lamb prices have been defying gravity and lucerne hay saw a fair price rise too as things dried out a little bit and demand increased.

“This calendar year we’ve bred a record number of lambs. That’s on the back on a few good seasons and keeping our breeding stock in good condition.

“We’ve significantly improved our lambing percentages over the years by tapping into the department’s research in livestock production.

“Our recent participation in the Farms of the Future Agtech Education Program, and the Farm Business Resilience Program has also been beneficial. It just shows you’re never too old to learn something new.”

Sam White, who operates the 2,270-hectare Bald Angus stud in Guyra, said:

“It’s magic up here in Northern NSW at the moment, as conditions continue to improve due to recent rainfall.

“Right now, commodity prices are rising significantly compared to 2023, and the outlook is incredibly promising as we look ahead.

“As southern regions begin to recover from drought conditions, and US herd begins to rebuild, we expect this momentum to continue, further driving beef prices upward.

“We’re currently in a favourable phase of the commodity cycle for both beef and sheep so it’s a great time for the industry.

“We’re seeing amazing prospects as we look ahead. The future is promising for producers.

“We look forward to collaborating with NSW DPIRD as we work together toward a bright future for industry.”

Brandon Armstrong, oyster farmer on the mid north coast and chair of the NSW Farmers Oyster Committee, said:  

“Oyster farmers across NSW are encouraged to see the forecasted value in production this financial year. Despite having gone through lots of challenges the past year including the May floods, the industry can recover and thrive.

“The resilience of the industry is amazing, and oyster farmers are pursuing ways to safeguard their businesses through things like flood proof infrastructure, species diversification, hatchery technology, and supply chain innovation.

“We are gearing up for a good Christmas season to provide oyster lovers with high quality sustainably produced seafood.

“We are working collaboratively with NSW DPIRD on the Aquaculture Vision Statement released in 2024, that is to see the industry value double by 2030. We’re looking forward to opportunities to work together with the Department on key priorities identified in the Vision Roadmap to help us reach this target.”

Paul Aquilina, who operates in the NSW Prawn Trawl and Estuary General Fishery, said:

“Fishers have been consistently impacted since Covid, especially though the fires and more recently regular floods. It’s been tough for many commercial fishers, but we’ve kept developing our fisheries and working with DPIRD Fisheries.

“We’ve had fee waivers through this time, most recently the to the licence that allows us to sell our product more freely to local consumers. This has supported a lot of small fishing businesses.

“There has also been scientific and managerial support from DPIRD for gear innovation trials to improve the fisheries ecological footprint. This has been awesome for our fishery to help us catch NSW seafood more selectively and sustainably.

“Our future in this fishery is very strong. Given we now have a cost-effective option to sell the product we catch, our prices have improved and more people, seafood consumers and the public, are understanding what commercial fishing provides and how we operate. This has been facilitated by DPIRD Fisheries and other organisations like Ocean Watch, the Australian Council of Prawn Fisheries and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.”