Month: December 2025

Southern NSW’s primary industries are in good shape ahead of the summer season with millions of dollars in fire protection measures completed to help protect local communities and critical softwood plantation timber from bushfire threats.

The seven completed projects, valued at $3.2 million, are part of the Minns Government’s $12.9 million Southern NSW Timber Plantations Fire Protection funding package.

While the projects will protect plantation resources, they also provide increased protection for local residents and businesses in the area following the 2019/20 devastating bushfires and play a vital role in protecting the remaining critical timber supplies in the Murray region.

Funding recipients including Forestry Corporation of NSW, Southern Cross Forests and NSW Rural Fire Service have completed a number of projects within the region, including:

Forestry Corporation of NSW

Tumut – $1,537,800 – Firefighting Forwarder with water tank and high flow pumped water distribution

• Firefighting Forwarder with water tank and high flow pumped water distribution that will improve tactical and operational response and enhance firefighter safety. It will enable delivery of large volumes of water in difficult terrain and situations and reduce exposure of firefighters to overhead hazards and manual cutting and lifting tasks.

Tumut – $100,000 – Two trailer mounted quick fill water pumps

• The provision of two high volume, trailer mounted water pumps will facilitate rapid refilling of bulk water transport trucks and larger capacity fire tankers (Cat 1, Cat 6) for tactical firefighting operations significantly reducing turnaround times.

Green Hills/Tumut – $456,000 – Firefighting water transport equipment

• Two 32Kl semi-trailer tankers for delivery of bulk water for firefighting operations undertaken by all agencies. Tankers will be fitted with high volume capacity pumping for delivery to firefighting appliances. The tankers will be set for deployment utilising trucks from the existing industry log fleet.

Southern Cross Forests

Mt Ikes, TableTop and Mt Flakney – $325,000 – Additional fire detection cameras

• The installation of three additional cameras and associated AI platform to help in the early detection of fires. The installation of these cameras adds to the existing extensive detection network in the region.

Rural Fire Service

Southern NSW – $329,490 – Improved data quality with additions to the Automated Weather Stations network

• A network of Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) that will provide granular and timely data to the Bureau of Meteorology and help inform fire preparedness and response.
• This will provide the ability for the BOM to provide an improved and accurate forecast fire weather conditions for the South Eastern Local Government Areas of Snowy Valleys, Greater Hume, Cootamundra-Gundagai and Wagga Wagga City. This will also provide valuable live weather data for fire behaviour practitioners and Incident Controllers to predict fire spread and make timely decisions to combat existing fires based on accurate weather conditions.

Snowy Mountains Forests 

Ellerslie and Bobs Creek – $70,625 – Firefighting water storages in strategic locations – private plantation land

• The installation of bulk water tanks in strategic locations where firefighting water is limited, particularly in dry seasons. All firefighting agencies will benefit from these tanks being able to quickly source bulk water for fire suppression when required in these locations.
• This project will see two 110,000 litre tanks installed in the Takejo Plantation and a further 250,000l tank in the Bobs Creek Plantation complex. These tanks will be zincalume and have RFS compliant store fittings to enable the rapid filling of firefighting units.

Snowy Valleys Council

$387,106 – Specialist tractor and mulcher for fire management

• Purchase of a tractor and mulcher with reach attachment for heavy-duty fuel reduction activities along strategic road corridors to undertake larger area growth suppression and no-burn hazard reduction works along key fire control corridors.

A total of 15 projects were approved for funding under the Southern NSW Timber Plantations Fire Protection package. These projects will form a network of enhanced fire protection initiatives across the Murray region, including Greater Hume, Snowy Valleys, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Albury and Wagga Wagga LGAs.

The remaining eight projects, valued at some $9.7 million, on track to be completed over this fire season include:

• Expanded (Public Safety Network) PSN radio network for plantation and council workers
• Tumut Aerodrome water supply for fire management
• Improved data quality with additions to the Automated Weather Stations network
• Australian Fire Danger Rating System – plantation tools
• Upgrade fire towers for ongoing early detection
• Tumut Aerodrome – hangar for fire suppression aircraft
• Fire Trails Bondo, Bago, Carabost, Jingellic
• Upgrade of priority strategically important fire trails for the protection of at-risk plantation estates

These projects will be administered as a pilot program, with monitoring and evaluation to be undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to help determine the potential to broaden this program across the State.

The NSW Government’s $12.9 million Plantation Fire Protection funding package is preventing bushfires by supporting fire preparation with fire management equipment and strategic fire trail upgrades.

All projects were identified by representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service, DPIRD, the Softwoods Working Group, Forestry Corporation NSW and plantation managers with the Softwoods Working Group, facilitating input from additional plantation owners, local councils and local fire authorities.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“This is about making sure our firefighters have the best equipment and resources to protect our communities and our forests.

“These projects have been identified to deliver the maximum fire protection, hazard reduction and response capabilities across southern NSW.

“We are delivering on the latest technology in fire detection cameras to aerodrome-based water supplies for firefighting.

“This is an important step forward as we work to build on the resilience of this important regional softwood timber industry.

“The NSW Government has a plan for developing regional NSW and a plan for delivering more housing. Protecting softwood forests and production is critical to delivering on both.”

This Christmas-New Year break, communities across NSW are being encouraged to plan ahead to stay safe these holidays in the surf, on the water and as they visit bushfire-prone areas.

Emergency services including the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) and Marine Rescue NSW are reminding everyone to be prepared, make safe decisions and look out for one another.

Already this summer, NSW has experienced storms, fires and a full range of weather conditions – and while our emergency services are well prepared for the warmer weather, we’re urging communities to be prepared too.

Since the start of July, firefighters have responded to more than 4,000 bush and grass fires. This includes fires at Bulahdelah on the Mid North Coast and Koolewong on the Central Coast earlier this month.

This season the RFS Chinook waterbombing helicopter has already completed more than 400 drops, including at Koolewong, delivering more than 3.2 million litres across NSW firegrounds. Last financial year, 47 new and upgraded RFS brigade stations were completed along with 281 new and refurbished trucks.

With increased temperatures, dry conditions and more people travelling, the RFS is asking residents and holidaymakers to take the following steps:

• Know the local fire danger rating and weather conditions.
• Have a bush fire survival plan and discuss it with family.
• If travelling, know what fire risks you may face and where you will go if fire threatens.
• Download the Hazards Near Me app and set Watch Zones for where you live and the area you are travelling through.

In the last year, SLSNSW has significantly upscaled its rescue capability and boosted measures at unpatrolled locations.

This includes the installation of more Emergency Response Beacons, bringing the total to 67 across the state, along with the rollout of 25 additional jet skis and a trial of AI camera technology which targets rock fishing safety at blackspots.

SLSNSW is reinforcing its core safety messages heading into the summer holidays:

• Always swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches.
• Avoid swimming alone, especially at unpatrolled locations.
• Actively supervise children.
• Check for rip currents and speak with lifesavers for the safest place to swim.
• Never mix alcohol with swimming or water activities.

Following successive record months in September and October, Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are prepared for a demanding summer season.

More than 3,500 Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are ready to assist boaters in distress across the state at any time of day or night this summer.

Last December and January, Marine Rescue NSW crews performed 1,379 search and rescue missions, including 346 emergency responses, and safely returned 3,425 people to shore.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib:

“There are simple actions you can take to prepare, like checking the weather, reviewing your bush fire survival plan, swimming at patrolled beaches, and supervising children at all times.

“We want everyone to be safe these holidays. By taking a few minutes to plan ahead, you’re helping protect yourself, your family and our emergency services.

“Our volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards are such an important community asset, and this summer will be no different. I encourage you to follow the directions of lifesavers and only swim at patrolled locations – it’s the safest way to enjoy your holiday.

“Be sure to download the Hazards Near Me App and stay across any warnings to keep you and your families safe.”

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin:

“Our firefighters do what they can to prepare, but it is a shared responsibility. Now is the time to prepare your property and family for the threat of bush and grass fires.

“We’re urging holidaymakers to think ahead, check conditions and fire ratings and understand what to do if a fire starts nearby. Review and discuss your bush fire survival plan. Know when you’ll go, where’ll you go and what you’ll take with you.”

Surf Life Saving NSW Chief Executive Officer Steven Pearce:

“Our 21,000 volunteer lifesavers will be on duty to protect people on beaches across the state throughout the summer.

“Our message is simple: please choose a patrolled beach, supervise your children and swim between the flags.”

Marine Rescue NSW Acting Commissioner Todd Andrews:

“With large numbers expected to enjoy our waterways over the summer holidays, we are reminding boaters to ensure their vessels are in working order, with batteries fully charged and adequate clean fuel on board, with plenty in reserve.

“Plan and prepare – every safe trip starts before you hit the water. Carry the correct safety equipment, always wear a lifejacket, monitor conditions at all times, and always log on with Marine Rescue NSW via the app or VHF Channel 16.”

To provide certainty to industry and councils, the NSW Government has announced waste levy rates will not rise above the Consumer Price Index in the 2026–27 financial year.

The NSW Government is continuing its detailed consideration of options to reform the waste levy, which is an important tool to reduce waste sent to landfills and drive recycling and resource recovery in the state.

It follows the release of a NSW Government issues paper that explored a range of reforms, such as potential adjustments to the levy rates and area boundaries, to improve the effectiveness of the levy and its administration and drive a safe, circular economy in NSW.

We acknowledge the decision to hold levy rates stable in 2026–27 may be disappointing for some in the waste and recycling industry.

The NSW Government will continue to carefully consider the feedback on the issues paper from local government and industry stakeholders about what the future levy rates should be.

We have also taken seriously the views of local government, which has expressed the need for greater support for waste and recycling programs to meet growing service and infrastructure demands.

The NSW Government will provide further updates on the future of the waste levy in the first half of 2026.

Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe said:

“The waste levy is an incredibly important tool that can shape our state’s recycling and resource recovery efforts, drive investment in waste infrastructure, and protect our environment.

“Any changes to the current program must strike the right balance in ensuring our waste is managed appropriately and meeting community expectations in a cost-of-living crisis.

“We will report back in the first half of 2026 on the future of the waste levy as we work together to drive a flourishing circular economy in NSW.”

The Minns Government will today issue an urgent plea for motorists to drive safely ahead of the busy holiday period, as traffic volumes increase across New South Wales and double demerits come into force. 

Double demerits will apply statewide from midnight tonight until Sunday, 4 January 2026 inclusive, targeting high risk behaviours such as speeding, mobile phone use, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.

A second double demerits period will also be in effect over the Australia Day long weekend, from Friday, 23 January 2026 to Monday, 26 January 2026.

This warning comes at a sobering time. 347 lives have already been lost on NSW roads this year – 25 more than this time last year.

Drivers are urged to make safe choices every trip by:

• Obeying speed limits and driving to the conditions
• Putting mobile phones away while driving
• Wearing seatbelts correctly and ensuring all passengers are properly restrained
• Never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Resting when fatigued and taking regular breaks on long journeys

Every life lost on our roads is one too many. These holidays, slowing down and making safer choices behind the wheel can mean the difference between getting to your destination safely and not getting there at all.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley said:

“Police will be out in force across New South Wales over the Christmas and New Year period to help keep the community safe, with a strong focus on deterring dangerous behaviour on our roads.

“Double demerits are in place to reinforce the importance of following the road rules, particularly during busy holiday periods when traffic volumes are higher.

“People must take responsibility for their actions. Every choice on the road has consequences and it’s up to each of us to ensure we don’t put ourselves or others at risk.

“The NSW Police will not tolerate reckless or dangerous behaviour on our roads and will use every power at their disposal so everyone can celebrate safely this holiday period.”

Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the Christmas and New Year holiday period is one of the busiest times on our road network.

“The Minns Government is pulling every lever to make our roads safer, and we need every motorist across NSW to ensure they’re making safe choices behind the wheel.

“Every death on our roads is one too many, and we are urging all drivers to make safe choices so they can get home safely to their loved ones this holiday period.

“The number of deaths on our roads is not just a number. Every single person who has died on our roads this year left behind family, friends and loved ones.

“The grief, trauma and sadness after the loss of a loved one lasts a lifetime. We must do all we can every time we get behind the wheel of a car, or ride a motorbike, to ensure that everyone comes home safe.

“Double demerits are in place to deter dangerous behaviour and remind motorists that speeding, using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt or riding without a helmet can have devastating consequences.”

New honey bee compliance officers, a major R&D program and tailored education and resources are part of the Minns Government’s $9.5 million NSW Varroa Mite Management program commencing in January 2026.

The program is part of the Minns Government’s commitment to the state’s honeybee and pollination-reliant industries.

The NSW Varroa Mite Management program, which will be delivered to June 2027, will include:

• $1.6m for an enhanced honey bee compliance program, including four new dedicated Honey Bee Compliance Surveillance Officers to ensure beekeepers comply with their obligations under the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice
• $2.4m for a honey bee biosecurity extension program including the continuation of three Bee Biosecurity Officers – adding to the existing team to help beekeepers in NSW implement effective Varroa management and meet their obligations under the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice. The bee biosecurity program will continue a surveillance network to monitor the impacts of Varroa mite across NSW.
• $1.1m for a comprehensive program of education and training resources for commercial and recreational beekeepers through DPIRD’s Tocal College. These new initiatives will include a traineeship program to attract new workers to the beekeeping industry, chemical user training that is tailored for beekeepers and a short course on honeybee nutrition and seasonal management to support both honey production and pollination services.
• $4.4m for a program of research and development to address key threats and risks to beekeepers and pollination reliant industries in NSW, developed in consultation with industry.

This funding is on top of $58.4 million already spent by the NSW Government to tackle Varroa mite.

The NSW Government provides a comprehensive program of ongoing support for the honey bee industry, including NSW DPIRD Tocal College being the nation’s leading provider of specialist education and training for the industry and home of the $2.8 million Bee Research and Training Centre.

European Honey Bees are vital to crop pollination across New South Wales, underpinning the productivity of many agricultural industries, including apple, berry and almond industries.

Varroa mite poses a significant threat, with international experience suggesting that pollination-dependent industries are likely to become increasingly reliant on paid pollination services.

This NSW focussed funding will play a vital role in supporting these industries through a comprehensive and multi-pronged strategy.

The new research and development program will focus on developing tools to help queen breeders breed varroa resistant bees, monitoring chemical resistance, assessing the diversity and activity of wild and managed pollinators in key crops and identifying best practice hive placement in orchards to maximise pollination success.

This information will be incorporated in a new education and training program. One-on-one extension support will also be available through Bee Biosecurity Officers, who can demonstrate hands-on tips for managing Varroa and promote industry best practice, while new compliance officers will ensure those beekeepers doing the right thing are not unfairly hindered by those who are not.

The National Varroa Mite Management Program (NVMMP), which was established in 2023 and has been led by NSW DPIRD, has delivered 121 beekeeper education workshops across the country, including 45 in NSW, and continues to be backed up by a suite of online tools and resources.

This includes a series of national industry webinars keeping impacted stakeholders aware of the impacts of Varroa and activities of the NVMMP. There have been 9 public webinars to date, reaching over 7,000 people across the country, including 2,729 in NSW.

For more information on the National Varroa Mite Management Program, including online tools, resources and contacts, visit www.varroa.org.au

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

“The NSW Government is determined to ensure the great work and support that’s been achieved nationally can continue at a state level.

“In particular, it will help continue to build industry resilience while supporting NSW honey bee industries to be future ready.

“Proactive control measures are essential to safeguard crop production and maintain the stability of agricultural supply chains across the state.

“With new training and support available, NSW beekeepers will be among the best equipped in the country to manage the mite.”

Thank you Mr Speaker, I move that this House: Mourns for the innocent lives lost during the terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on Sunday, 14, December 2025, and extends the deepest sympathies of members of this house to the family, friends and loved ones of the victims.

Conveys its utmost gratitude for the bravery shown by those who risked their lives in aiding the victims, including members of local Surf Life Saving clubs, front line responders such as the New South Wales Police, New South Wales ambulance, community groups such as the CSG Community Safety Group and members of the public.

Recognise the devastating impact this attack has had on the Jewish community in our state and our country.

Acknowledges the evil of antisemitism and violent Islamist extremism, and that words of hate can lead to actions of hatred with devastating consequences.

Rejects antisemitism unequivocally and hatred and intolerance in all its forms, and recognises that we have no place in our modern multicultural community for this behaviour.

Resolves to lead in the eradication of antisemitism in whatever form it appears, and commits to do all we can now to hasten the elimination of this hatred in our state, for Jewish communities today and across the generations to come.

And stands in solidarity with our state’s Jewish community and commits to supporting them through this process of healing.

Mr. Speaker, each night of Chanukah after the lighting of the Ma’oz Tzur candles, the Jewish people sing the Ma’oz Tzur, “My soul was sated with misery and my strength was spent with grief.”

Today, at the end of Chanukah, we’ve returned to this house of parliament to acknowledge in one unanimous voice that we too are spent with grief.

After an hour of terror and a week of sorrow, this morning, we remember 15 beautiful souls.

On Sunday, the 14th of December, victims of violent Jewish hate, but in the course of their lives, wonderful, generous, big hearted members of our community.

And it’s in that spirit that we mourn their death today, not by the evil that found them, but by the lives that they lived, the love that they gave, the good that they shared with us and the rest of the world.

Mr. Speaker, eight days ago, Sofia and Boris Gurman saw a black ISIS flag on the windscreen parked along Campbell parade at Bondi. Now they could have easily edged away, having seen the flag and put themselves in a position of safety.

They were walking away from the Chanukah festival. But they didn’t do that. And instead, and despite the obvious danger, they tried to, without being armed themselves, disarm the gunman, and in the struggle, they became the first victims of this terrible crime.

With my wife, Anna, we met their sole surviving son, Alex last week, who spoke of his deep sense of gratitude that the footage of their final moments was in fact, found so that he knew that they died heroes.

The family had said this act of bravery and selflessness reflects exactly who they were, people who instinctively chose to help, even at great personal risk. While nothing can lessen the pain of this loss, we feel immense pride in their courage and humanity.

On Friday morning, age 61 and 69 Sofia and Boris were buried together, and they were buried as husband and wife, according to the rabbi, Rabbi Ulman, it’s been years since he’d seen two coffins placed next to one another at a funeral.

Mr. Speaker, no one could fail to observe the courage and humanity displayed at Bondi Beach, often by grandfathers and grandmothers hopelessly outgunned, placed in an impossible situation.

But the more we’ve learned about these 15 people, the more we’ve come to understand the source of that bravery, the reason that they were going to stand in the breach and to protect people in their community and other strangers that they’d never met.

Because one of the many traits that’s united these people is that they were all active citizens. They were community people. They gave themselves to others.

People like Edith Brutman, a cherished leader in their committee against anti-discrimination. In the words of her loved ones, she met prejudice with principle, division, she met with service.

We mourn her deeply, but we ask that her life, not the senseless violence that took it, be what endures when we remember Edith.

We remember young Matilda painting her face at sunset, petting a baby lamb with her sister. She was called a ray of light to everyone who’d met her.

We remember Boris Tetleroyd, a gentleman and a musician who loved conversation, connection and helping others whenever he could find them.

We remember Marika Pogany, who was given the New South Wales Mensch award for hand delivering, get this, 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels over, get this – 20 years of service to the community!

And I ask you, what kind of malevolence could motivate a person to murder, an 82-year-old Meals on Wheels volunteer, an elderly lady who loved her community and was looking for nothing but peace, the peace to celebrate her religion.

Mr. Speaker, we remember Tibor Weitzen, killed while shielding other people from gunfire, a kind and generous man in life, and we can say this now because we know it a hero in death.

So too, Reuven Morrison, who was seen running towards the gunman with a brick, nothing but a brick, against a whole bunch of guns hoping to protect his people.

As his daughter said, “If there was one way for him to go on this earth, if we had to let him go, it would be fighting a terrorist. There’s no other way. He could have been taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people that he loved most.”

He went down fighting.

Today, we remember Alex Kleytman, 87 years old, who survived the Holocaust in Europe before moving to Australia. He loved this country. He cherished the Australian way of life. He believed in freedom. He believed in democracy. He believed in its people. He believed in all of it, everything about Australia.

Because it’s not what he saw in Europe, the place where he left.

And it’s also beyond heartbreaking that he was killed after a long and often perilous life on the soil that he loved in the country that he called home, on a beach that he thought was safe.

Mr. Speaker, we remember Peter Meagher, a former cop, decades of service, decades of service, to the people of this state, then a local photographer and a legend at the Galloping Greens Randwick Rugby club.

And one of five boys. One of five boys. It seems as though the Meagher family knew pretty much every single person in the Maroubra Eastern Suburbs period, and went to Marcellin Randwick, an amazing family. They’re going to miss their big brother.

Adam Smyth, a sports lover, a father of four, forever irreplaceable to his wife and to his children.

Dan Elkayam, he was a French national who crossed the world for a better life in Australia, a life he had found before he was killed on Sunday at the age of just 27 years old. 27.

Tania Tretiak of Randwick attending Chanukah, with her family by the beach. She died at 68 years of age.

I know when you go through the lives that have been lost, the significant contributions that they’ve made to this state, the love that they put out in our community, that it’s very hard to divine any positive feelings that have come out of Sunday’s event.

It leaves you flat. It leaves you worried. For many in our community, it leaves them fearful.

But we can and we must, look at some of the uplifting parts of the last week by witnessing the strength and the grace of the Jewish community.

In some cases, it’s best exemplified by the rabbis of that community and of our city, our rabbis as well.

Not only have they been working to honour the dead, comfort the families, organise the burial of loved ones, they’ve also had to say goodbye to two of their own, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan and Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

Both were killed while performing religious duties in Bondi, the kind of service they routinely performed for the people of New South Wales.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger was a Corrections New South Wales pastor in our prisons, and the stories outside his funeral of him traveling hours and hours and hours to see inmates in far flung areas of the state and then working incredibly hard to see them released into his care, often into his personal care.

We’ve lost someone with a huge heart and deep empathy for people who are in a difficult, difficult time.

They were known by many. They were loved by many, including by other members of that rabbinical family, particularly Eli Feldman, who was a close friend of Rabbi Schlanger.

They were the two Elis. They studied together as young men, they both become rabbis, and Schlanger was like a brother to Feldman.

If Eli Feldman had responded to the murder of his friend with spite or even hatred, I think we probably all understand, in fact, that’s what many people are feeling today at the loss of so many wonderful people in our community in Australia.

But instead, that didn’t happen. On television, front of a large group of people, in front of everybody, he said, no matter the colour of your skin or what you believe, we are all created in God’s image.

Let us love each other. Let us care about each other.

As Australians, our instinct is to look after each other, to stand by your mate and not leave anyone behind. And when that instinct is tested, it reveals itself not in speeches or in Acts of Parliament, but often in brave, always selfless acts, sometimes spontaneous, but always courageous.

We’ve seen it from life savers running towards the danger in bare feet. I know an off-duty cop jumped out of the breakers at Bondi, made sure his two children were okay, then jumped the fence to help people in the line of fire.

We’ve seen it life savers running down Campbell Parade from the neighbouring surf club after they heard gunshots at Tamarama, running towards the gunfire.

We’ve seen it from members of the New South Wales Police, including two who were in a critical care after being shot in the front, running towards the violence.

And we’ve seen it in acts of quiet charity, in blood bank donations, private donations, and in urgent life and death acts of professional care.

And we should also mention the doctors, the nurses, we’ve said, the paramedics, those that work in our big public hospitals, who, at the drop of a hat, ran into work to receive the injured, the wounded and the dead at our big public hospitals.

They were absolutely incredible. I’ve spoken to the local health manager at all of those big hospitals. Not one call had to be made to any of the senior surgeons, they were there almost immediately, having seen the news on television, knowing there’d be a mass casualty count.

I mean, that is true public service, that’s commitment to the people of this state.

Mr. Speaker, there are no adequate words that deal with the devastation that we’ve experienced this week. But as Rabbi Wolff of Central Synagogue told me this week, “This is why many turn to Scripture, and that’s why we’ve got a book.”

And it’s written in Scripture, “It’s not your duty to complete the work, and neither are you free to desist from it.”

In the term of this Parliament, it not, it might not be in all of our power to eradicate the poison of antisemitism, it’s hard to take the hate out of somebody’s heart, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a duty to do everything we possibly can to fight hatred in our community, wherever and whenever we see it.

This includes organisations and individuals who promote violence, who divide our community.

It’s got to be confronted, and that’s why we’re all here this week, three days before Christmas, to begin that task, I urge and put the emphasis on begin that task.

This isn’t the end of the changes that we need to make to keep the people of New South Wales safe.

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I bear a deep responsibility for that as Premier, we must, we must make those changes.

We don’t have all the answers for the many questions that people are asking, but I do know that Australians are repulsed by what they saw two Sundays ago.

We are kind, tolerant, loving people, and yes, we’ve got every reason to despair right now, but Australia has been a land of hope, not least for the Jewish migrants who found a home and a sanctuary here for decades.

80 years ago, one of the one of those migrants who found the sanctuary in our country, walked off a boat in Sydney Harbor having survived the Holocaust of Europe, he was a Jewish immigrant to our country.

On the next day so his second day in Australia, he recorded in his personal diary, quote, “It’s a very peculiar feeling. You if you were born here, or you’ve been living here for many years, you probably don’t understand the feeling. Though it is midnight, though it’s just our second day in Sydney, we seem to be home. Already, we start to have this have the same sense of security as Australian citizens. There’s no difference between the two of us. We’re beginning to share their confidence in their fellow citizens and in their country.”

Mr. Speaker. I know I speak for all members of this Parliament, all members of this Parliament, when I say to the Jewish people of this state, this is your home. This has always been your home, and we must do everything we possibly can to ensure that you are safe and you are protected in this city.

The Minns Labor Government is inviting the community to have their say on the Local Jobs First Bill, which will establish the Local Jobs First Commission, support local jobs and apprentices and help grow local businesses.

Twelve years of privatisation and sending jobs offshore under the previous Liberal-National Government deprived NSW businesses of billions of dollars in contracts and thousands of jobs.

Research by the McKell Institute found that sending contracts overseas can lead to significant economic losses, with net costs estimated to be $3.5 billion higher than if local manufacturers had been used.

Establishing the Local Jobs First Commission and appointing a Commissioner will realise an election commitment and marks a turning point in the state’s procurement practices.

By supporting the re-building of the state’s manufacturing sector and putting local jobs front and centre, we are making sure that government spending benefits families, households and businesses by creating local jobs and strengthening our economy.

It also builds on the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing procurement reforms, including ‘If not, why not’ rules, which require agencies to engage with NSW suppliers before awarding contracts worth more than $7.5 million, and raising the threshold at which government agencies can directly purchase from small businesses to $250,000.

Provisions in the Local Jobs First Bill include:

• Creating the NSW Local Jobs First Commission and a Local Jobs First Commissioner to champion local businesses, industry and jobs.
• Introducing a Local Procurement Policy that will include a 30% tender weighting for local content, job creation, small business participation, and ethical supply chains and embed training targets for apprentices and other workers learning new skills on major projects. The definition of ‘local content’ under the Jobs First Commission legislation will be any Australia or New Zealand-based enterprise.
• Establishing a Local Jobs First Advisory Board to guide policy and boost local supplier competitiveness.
• Requiring Local Procurement Plans for major contracts to secure commitments to local jobs and local content.
• Enabling a supplier debarment scheme to ensure accountability and remove suppliers found to have committed serious misconduct from the government supply chain.

The draft Local Jobs First Bill is now open for public comment. Submissions are invited from businesses, unions, industry groups, and the broader community.

• Consultation period: Opens on Monday 22 December 2025 and closes Friday 20 February 2026
• To read the draft Bill and make a submission, visit https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-local-jobs-first-commissioner

This is your opportunity to help shape a policy that will drive investment in local industry, create jobs, and strengthen the NSW economy.

Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos said:

“This legislation is an important next step of procurement reform. We are delivering on our election commitment to establish the Local Jobs First Commission.

“We want the NSW Government to spend taxpayer dollars in a way that supports local businesses, creates jobs, and builds skills for the future.

“We want to hear from industry, workers and their unions, and the community to make sure this Bill delivers for NSW.

“By embedding local content requirements into procurement, we’re not just creating jobs, we’re building a resilient economy that benefits communities across the state.”

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“NSW is home to some of the most innovative and dynamic businesses in the Southern Hemisphere, and we’re proud to continue supporting them through legislation like this.

“The Local Jobs First Bill will help to grow local manufacturing and create more jobs in every corner of our state.

“This is all about backing local businesses and creating more economic opportunities for industry.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“We’re working with industry and unions to create real opportunities for apprentices and trainees across NSW, while driving greater participation for women in construction. This is about building a workforce that reflects our community and ensuring every major project delivers skills for the future.

“This legislation builds on the success of the Infrastructure Skills Legacy Program by making sure we aren’t just delivering roads, hospitals, and schools, but also securing the pipeline of skilled tradies we need to get the job done. It’s about investing in people as much as projects.”

The Minns Labor Government is continuing its work to rebuild public education across NSW, with construction underway on a major upgrade to Vincentia High School on the state’s South Coast.

The $13 million upgrade will provide the high school with a new two-storey building featuring 16 permanent modern classrooms, replacing ageing temporary demountables, and new bathrooms.

The project also includes internal roadwork upgrades to improve safety and provide better on-site parking.

The beginning of construction marks a significant step in delivering this Labor election commitment for families on the South Coast, with the upgrades on track for completion by Day 1, Term 1, 2027.

Once complete, the upgraded high school will have capacity for 1,300 students, future-proofing the school for the growing local community.

The upgrades are being delivered as part of the Minns Labor Government’s record education investment, including $2.1 billion for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW.

This targeted investment will ensure growing communities have access to a world-class public education, close to home.

On top of the upgrades to Vincentia High School, the Minns Labor Government’s investment across South Coast schools includes:

• Batemans Bay High School – High Potential and Gifted Education upgrade
• Bomaderry High School – upgrade
• Former Shoalhaven Anglican School site – redevelopment for public education use
• Milton Public School – upgrade
• Moruya High School – High Potential and Gifted Education upgrade and new support unit
• Nowra East Public School – upgrade
• Ulladulla High School – upgrade
• Ulladulla Public School – upgrade
• Worrigee – new public school

The Minns Labor Government is also delivering new co-located public preschools at existing public schools in Barrack Heights, Berkeley West, Bomaderry, Cringila, Greenwell Point, Hayes Park, Lake Heights, Lake Illawarra, Sanctuary Point, and Worrigee.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 100 new public preschools by 2027, including 49 in regional NSW.

This investment doubles the number of public preschools in the state, the largest expansion of early learning in NSW history.

Once complete, up to 9,000 children will benefit from access to fee-free, quality early education in their community, prioritised in areas of the highest need based on a rigorous selection process.

In addition to building new schools where they are needed, the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild public education includes ensuring each NSW classroom has a qualified teacher.

Since March 2023, the Minns Labor Government has reduced teacher vacancies by 81 per cent in the South Coast electorate, leading to a significant reduction in the number of cancelled classes.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“Investing in regional communities is a top priority for the Minns Government, and this upgrade is part of our commitment to ensure all NSW students can access a world-class public education.

“For too long under the Liberals and Nationals, families on the South Coast were promised investment in education infrastructure but little was delivered.

“Our government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is investing in local public schools to provide benefits to local children and their families for years to come.”

Member for the South Coast Liza Butler MP said: 

“I’m so pleased to be here for another sod turn on the South Coast to see the commencement of works at Vincentia High School.

“This school upgrade will enrich the lives of every student at Vincentia High School academically, physically, and creatively for years to come.”

Vincentia High School Principal Ruth Winfield said:

“I’m so excited about what this new building will mean for our growing school. We’re proud of our strong connection to country and the diverse range of learning pathways offered to our community.”