Month: September 2026

Minns defies Albanese on tobacco tax as PM refuses to act

Labor is now openly divided over Australia’s failed tobacco excise regime, with NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns calling for the tobacco tax to be cut while Anthony Albanese continues to stick his head in the sand.

Speaking on Sky News this morning, Premier Minns said the current tax settings were not working and were helping fuel the illegal tobacco market.

Asked whether he still supported cutting tobacco excise, Mr Minns said:

Chris Minns: “Yes, I think it’s perversely driving a situation where you’re seeing more people not less people smoking because they’ve got access to readily available cheap cigarettes. It’s in the black market, it’s being organised by criminals, it’s not working. It’s the opposite of the intended policy.”

Mr Minns went further, saying the current tax settings were making it harder for police to permanently shut down organised crime gangs.

Chris Minns: “If the demand is there as a result of the tax settings it’s very difficult to do it permanently.”

The comments expose a deepening split within Labor after the Prime Minister repeatedly refused in Parliament yesterday to answer questions about organised crime and refused to rule out cutting tobacco excise.

Now the Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino has joined them.

In a trainwreck interview on Sky News this morning, Mr Mulino admitted he did not know about a reported tobacco-related firebombing in his own electorate.

Pete Stefanovic: “Wasn’t there another firebombing in your own electorate on the weekend?”

Daniel Mulino: “Look, I don’t know about that.”

When asked directly whether the Government could guarantee it would not cut tobacco excise, Mr Mulino also refused.

Pete Stefanovic: “But can you guarantee that you will not cut the excise down?”

Daniel Mulino: “No, so we’re not getting into rule-in, rule-out games on this.”

The contrast could not be clearer.

Chris Minns can see the current system is failing. Police can see it. Communities dealing with firebombings and organised crime can see it.

Anthony Albanese refuses to see it.

Australia’s illicit tobacco market has become a serious organised crime problem, with gangs making an estimated $4.1 billion to $6.9 billion and using the proceeds to fund drugs, scams, money laundering, extortion and violence.

At the same time, tobacco excise revenue has fallen from around $16 billion in 2019-20 to around $8 billion, while organised crime collects billions instead.

Coalition analysis shows that if the average of the six excise write-downs since Labor’s first Budget update is repeated at the December MYEFO, tobacco excise revenue would fall to zero by 2029-30.

Anthony Albanese needs to stop pretending the current policy is working and start listening to his own Labor Premier.

The Coalition has a plan to smash the business model of organised crime by cutting tobacco excise by 80 per cent, backing it with stronger law enforcement and driving consumers away from the illegal market.

You do not smash organised crime by protecting its business model. You destroy the business model.

City of Newcastle safety upgrades honour cultural heritage

A project to rejuvenate the popular Carrington mangrove boardwalk will deliver safer, more inclusive access while helping highlight the cultural and ecological significance of the unique site. 

The renewal will include structural upgrades and new educational signs referencing the importance of the mangroves and their connection to the Traditional Custodians of Onebygamba/Carrington. 

City of Newcastle Executive Director City Infrastructure David Witherdin said the project is an opportunity to improve safety while honouring cultural heritage.

“The project follows initial investigations that revealed the northern section of the boardwalk required full renewal, rather than minor repairs,” Mr Witherdin said.

“These repairs will ensure the Carrington mangrove boardwalk continues to be a much-loved destination for locals and visitors, which all ages and abilities can enjoy it safely for future years to come.

“City of Newcastle is working closely with the Traditional Custodians of this site, embedding their culture within the design elements of the renewal project.

“We are also making every effort to preserve the sensitive mangrove environment during construction, with works to be carried out above the tidal line from the existing boardwalk rather than within the mangrove sediment.”

The signage will be created with guidance from Spiritual Waterways Indigenous Corporation, an Aboriginal organisation dedicated to closing the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people through storytelling and sharing knowledge. 

Aunty Theresa Dargin of Spiritual Waterways said these elements will reflect a deep cultural connection to Country.

“Our bloodline runs strong through the waterways and land of this area. These waters have been an important area for crabbing and fishing for the Traditional Custodians for many generations,” Aunty Theresa said. 

“We hope that passing on and preserving our knowledge of cultural practices will encourage healing of the waterway.”

The signage will be produced in collaboration with Transport for NSW, who own the tidal waterway underneath the boardwalk, as well as Hunter Water and Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Construction is scheduled to start this month and finish in early 2027, weather permitting. During this time, the southern section of the boardwalk, which was upgraded in 2018, will remain open from Hargrave Street to the second large viewing platform.  

For more information visit the project page on the City of Newcastle website.

NSW households to benefit from community-led energy support

Households across NSW will get more help to cut their energy bills, access rebates and make energy-saving upgrades, with the Minns Labor Government investing $4.7 million in 12 community and not-for-profit energy organisations.

This funding will support trusted local organisations to provide practical advice and help households understand the options available to reduce their energy costs.

Through this investment, households and communities across NSW will benefit from a range of practical support including:

  • Advice to help households cut energy bills and manage cost‑of‑living pressures
  • Workshops and one‑on‑one support to improve energy literacy and confidence
  • Guidance on home upgrades including energy‑efficient appliances, insulation, draught-proofing, rooftop solar and home batteries
  • Help to access rebates, concessions and government energy saving programs
  • Tailored support for renters, apartment residents and low-income households
  • Training and resources to help local community organisations expand the support they provide.

The following organisations have been awarded funding through the Community Energy Activation Program:

  • Asian Australians for Climate Solutions Ltd – Western Sydney
  • Community Power Agency Co-Operative Limited – Statewide
  • Cowra Information and Neighbourhood Centre Incorporated – Central West
  • Electrify Bouddi Incorporated – Central Coast
  • Energyze North Shore Inc – Northern Sydney
  • Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand – Statewide
  • Illawarra Multicultural Services Inc – Illawarra
  • Owners Corporation Network of Australia Ltd – Inner West and Western Sydney, regional centres including Newcastle, Wollongong and Shellharbour
  • Pingala Community Energy Incorporated – Hunter, Central Coast and Inner Sydney
  • Repower Shoalhaven Incorporated – South Coast
  • Rewiring Australia Research and Advocacy Limited – Statewide (based in Thirroul)
  • Southern New England Landcare Ltd – New England

This funding will help these organisations reach more households, expand successful local programs and provide more people with trusted, practical support to make informed energy choices. It builds on the Minns Labor Government’s $2 million Inclusive Energy Outreach Grant, which is funding ten community-based organisations to deliver culturally appropriate energy education that improves energy literacy for vulnerable people and groups.

These programs are key actions under the NSW Consumer Energy Strategy, helping ensure all households can benefit from lower bills and cleaner, more efficient energy technologies.

For more information, visit: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/community-energy-activation-program.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:

“Households are looking for practical ways to bring down their energy bills, and this funding will help put trusted advice and support within easier reach.

“There are more options than ever to save energy and reduce costs, but people don’t always know where to start. These organisations can help them understand what is available, access rebates and support, and make changes that work for them.”

Rewiring Australia Director of Strategic Programs Kristen McDonald said:

“At Rewiring Australia, we hear from households every week who want to cut their energy bills and go electric but don’t know where to start.

“Support through this grant enables us to strengthen the capacity of 15 community groups across NSW to give people that missing piece: trusted, local advice that reaches and empowers more households.

“It’s exactly the kind of practical support that makes the switch to cheaper, cleaner energy faster and fairer for every NSW household.”

Pingala Community Energy Operations Manager Nigel Hancock said:

“Apartment residents are often locked out of clean energy benefits, as strata environments face far greater complexity and wider information gaps than other households.

“Armed with practical advice and expert guidance, we look forward to supporting more strata communities in unlocking opportunities for solar, batteries, and EV charging, giving residents better and more equitable access to the financial and environmental benefits that renewables provide.”

Electrify Bouddi Steering Committee Chair Mark Ellis said:

“This funding gives us the opportunity to scale up local, community-led action across the Central Coast, giving households access to trusted advice, practical resources and local expertise to make informed energy choices.

“The energy transition is exciting but many in the community are struggling to navigate their way through the many choices presented to them, which is where local energy groups like ours can play an important part.”

Repower Shoalhaven Chairman John Clark said:

“Receiving this grant will allow us to build on our work across the South Coast, helping more households to make informed decisions and take practical steps to reduce energy costs, switch to efficient electric technologies and play an active role in the region’s energy transition.”

First look: Woollahra long-term housing transformation

Thousands more people could have the opportunity to call Woollahra and Edgecliff home under the Minns Labor Government’s new vision to deliver up to 9,400 new homes around Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade.

The detailed draft rezoning proposal being revealed today will help tackle the state’s housing challenge by opening up more housing close to the CBD, jobs and a new station, while rebalancing growth across Sydney after years in which too much of the burden was pushed onto Western Sydney.

On public exhibition from today the draft proposal sets a vision for how the 168-hectares of prime land in Sydney’s east will evolve over the next 20 year to support more homes, jobs and open space, and make the most of nearby transport, infrastructure and services.

The NSW Productivity Commission found that Woollahra is the most feasible Local Government Area in New South Wales to build new housing and despite this, housing approvals in Woollahra consistently lag well behind other LGAs.  

The proposal will concentrate new development around the existing Edgecliff station and the new station at Woollahra, with up to 40 percent of new dwellings to be located within 200 metres of a train station.  

Once operational in 2029, the new Woollahra station will connect people on the T4 Eastern Suburbs Line to the Sydney CBD in just eight minutes.

Key features of the proposal include:  

  • Varied buildings heights of up to 34 storeys around Edgecliff Station and 32 storeys around Woollahra Station.
  • Plans for 7 new parks and up to 9 kilometres of new walking and cycling connections.
  • A requirement for diversity of new homes – including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments.  
  • 3 percent affordable housing contribution, with up to 15 percent applied to certain sites in perpetuity.
  • An expanded mixed-use Edgecliff Centre and a new Woollahra local centre, delivering around 1,000 new local jobs, services and amenities

The proposal strikes the right balance of greater density without sacrificing liveability, with approximately 3.5 hectares of new and upgraded open space planned across 13 parks, a new Edgecliff plaza, and a commitment to make sure there is no net loss of overall tree canopy within the precinct.  

Ninety-five per cent of the new homes will be within 400 metres of open space of 3000 square metres or larger.

Importantly new development will be supported by upgrades to local infrastructure, including roads, water and electricity networks, while local public schools will provide capacity for additional students.

The proposal also recognises the importance of protecting the area’s heritage, with heritage items retained and carefully integrated into the design of the surrounding area.

As part of the proposal, value capture will be used to ensure windfall gains from the rezoning help pay for the cost of delivering the new station. Development within 800 metres of Woollahra Station will be subject to a Transport Project Component contribution of $15,000 per dwelling or $200 per square metres of new commercial gross floor area.

This is another example of the Minns Labor Government unlocking new housing opportunities in the communities young people, families and key workers want to live.  

It is the latest of 67 state-led rezonings across NSW that will deliver approximately 240,000 new homes and 170,000 jobs.

Of these, 24 rezonings have already been completed, unlocking more than 79,000 homes and 56,000 jobs, with a further 43 rezonings currently progressing.

The proposal is on public exhibition from 8 September to 5pm 7 October 2026. Members of the community can submit their feedback via the NSW Planning Portal.

Drop-in sessions will also be held at The Lawns of Double Bay between 17 September 2026 and 29 September 2026. For more information and to register, visit NSW Planning.  

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“For the last decade, we’ve asked a small number of communities to carry the lion’s share of Sydney’s housing growth while other parts of the city have barely changed.

“We can’t keep pushing all of Sydney’s growth to the west and the urban fringe while established suburbs close to jobs, transport and services are locked away from new housing.

“We’re not asking Woollahra to solve the housing crisis on its own. We’re asking Woollahra to make a fair contribution, just as we’re asking communities right across Sydney to do.”

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“We’re building homes close to transport right across Sydney, with this rezoning and the construction of the train station, Woollahra is now becoming part of the transport orientated housing solution.  

“The future residents of these homes will be eight minutes from the CBD on train line that was built decades ago.  

“As we get to work on the rezoning, we’re also working on the design of the new Woollahra train station which we expect to start building next year. “

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“While Sydney’s population has grown Woollahra’s has shrunk, this rezoning will help to rectify that by unlocking thousands of new homes in the heart of Sydney close to transport, jobs, open space and services.  

“This proposal will make the most of existing infrastructure capacity, a new Woollahra train station and an area ripe with housing opportunity, that’s been locked away for far too long.  

“The proposal is consistent with the aims of the recently released Sydney Plan and Sydney’s long-term growth which supports increasing housing supply in the east, close to jobs, transport, services and green space, while accelerating jobs growth in the west.

“This is another example of the Minns Labor Government matching a transport infrastructure investment with housing growth in a community young people, families and key workers want to live in.”

Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:

“This proposal will open up Woollahra for thousands of new residents, with a new station on the way, more open space, and close links to the CBD.

“We’re doing this for our young people and for our essential workers, who have felt the dream of living and working in the greatest city in the world slipping through their fingers.

“Importantly, this includes affordable housing so that people on lower incomes don’t get locked out.”  

Minns Labor Government delivering more local training opportunities to help strengthen regional workforces

People living in regional and remote NSW will have greater access to training, support and employment opportunities closer to home, as the Minns Labor Government continues to rebuild TAFE NSW and restore pathways into skilled careers across regional communities.

From Semester 1 2027, TAFE NSW will expand course offerings and support services across 10 campuses in some of the state’s most remote communities, like Broken Hill and the Far West, helping more people gain practical skills, industry licences and qualifications without having to leave their community.

For many people living in regional and remote NSW, accessing training can mean travelling long distances or relocating altogether to continue their studies. By bringing more opportunities closer to home, the Minns Labor Government is helping remove barriers to education while ensuring regional communities share in the state’s economic opportunities.

Under the Regional and Remote Campus Delivery Model, training will be shaped by local communities and employers, with courses tailored to community priorities and workforce demand.

This includes foundation skills, digital capability courses, accredited training pathways, industry-relevant licences and tickets, as well as nationally accredited and community-based short courses in priority areas such as construction, hospitality, business basics and community services.

Over the next five years, TAFE NSW will establish onsite support teams at participating campuses and continue working with communities and businesses so students can access training, build skills and connect with employment opportunities close to home.

The participating campuses are Boggabilla, Bourke, Brewarrina, Condobolin, Coomealla, Lake Cargelligo, Coonabarabran, Menindee, Walgett and Wilcannia.

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“Regional communities deserve access to the same opportunities as people living in our cities, and that starts with making sure people can access training and build their careers close to home.

“This investment will help regional people gain the skills they need for local jobs, while giving businesses a stronger pool of skilled workers to draw on.

“By listening to local communities and employers, we can make sure TAFE NSW is delivering the training regional communities need, where and when they need it.

“Strong local workforces are essential to the future of regional NSW, and this is about giving people the opportunity to build those workforces from within their own communities.”

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

“After years of underinvestment in TAFE NSW under the former Liberal-National Government, too many regional communities like Broken Hill and the Far West were left without the opportunities they needed into skilled careers.

“The Minns Labor Government is rebuilding these pathways and making it easier for people in regional and remote communities to gain skills that work, build their confidence and take the next step into further study or employment.

“This is a guarantee of a core service from TAFE NSW in remote communities – a 100% contrast to the closures and cuts the Liberals and Nationals delivered.

“By working with local communities and businesses, we’re delivering training options that meet local workforce needs and support the next generation of tradies, skilled workers and professionals.

“Our regional and remote campuses at the heart of their communities. Strong regional communities need a strong local workforce, and that’s exactly what this initiative is helping to build.”

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler MP said:

“I often hear people from Barwon say they would like more opportunities to learn new skills and get qualifications without having to leave town. For instance, many apprentices have to travel hundreds of kilometres just complete the study component of their trade certificate.

“This initiative will help make a significant difference in communities across Barwon by bringing more training closer to home and helping people get the skills they need for local jobs.

“Whether it’s someone looking to pick up a new qualification, or to get a licence for work, or to take the first step towards a trade, having these opportunities available locally is incredibly important for our communities. Saving time, money and a lot of the headaches associated with having to travel long distances to get things done.”

Long Jetty Urgent Care Service continues to support Central Coast community

Communities across the Central Coast are continuing to benefit from more timely access to urgent care, with the Long Jetty Urgent Care Service providing more than 32,700 patient attendances since opening in December 2023.

Minister for Health Ryan Park visited the service yesterday and acknowledged its important role in reducing pressure on the Central Coast’s emergency departments and providing patients with a convenient alternative for urgent but non-life‑threatening conditions.

The service provides timely care for a wide range of conditions that can be safely treated in a community setting, including sprains, strains, minor fractures, plaster care, respiratory illnesses, infections, minor injuries, rashes, bites and stings.

Open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, including public holidays, the Long Jetty Urgent Care Service is staffed by general practitioners, nurses and allied health clinicians, supported by onsite diagnostic services.

The multidisciplinary team provides high quality, safe care and can connect patients with additional support when needed, including Central Coast Local Health District’s Hospital in the Home program and other community-based services.

Patients who have a non-life-threatening condition can call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free advice, anytime of the day or night. A registered nurse will assess their condition and connect them to the right care, which can include referral to a UCS.

Patients needing language support can call TIS National on 131 450 and ask for Healthdirect.

The NSW Government is investing in a suite of ED alternative pathways in an effort to ease pressure on busy hospital EDs and ensure the people of NSW receive the most appropriate care.

This includes:

  • $171.4 million to introduce additional virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED.
  • $100 million to continue funding our urgent care services for a further two years to provide a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients
  • $70 million to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours
  • $15.1 million for an ambulance distribution matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times
  • $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
  • $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place

The Minns Labor Government also delivered a record investment into healthcare through the 2026-27 Budget, which included an additional $130.7 million to further expand short stay units by up to 30 additional treatment spaces aimed at improving wait times.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“This Urgent Care Service at Long Jetty provides an important alternative for Central Coast patients with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, while helping reduce pressure on our busy hospitals.

“Services like this are making it easier for people to get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, saving them from unnecessary long waits in an emergency department.”

Minister for the Central Coast David Harris:

“It’s fantastic to see so many people on the Central Coast continuing to benefit from the Long Jetty Urgent Care Clinic.

“The high-quality care for the wide range of conditions delivered by a skilled multi-disciplinary team is meaning people can be treated close to home while freeing up our busy hospital EDs.”

Member for The Entrance David Mehan:

“The community has embraced this service because it provides a convenient and trusted option for people who need urgent medical attention but don’t require emergency care.”

Central Coast Local Health District Acting Chief Executive Jude Constable:

“The Long Jetty Urgent Care Service is making a real difference for our community by improving access to timely care and helping patients avoid an unnecessary visit to the emergency department.

“I’d like to acknowledge the dedicated staff at the Long Jetty Urgent Care Service for the exceptional care they provide to our community every day. Their commitment and expertise are helping more people access the right care at the right time, closer to home.”

My feed, My Way

The Albanese Government is taking the next step following its world leading social media age ban to ensure Australians have more choice online, with draft legislation for the Digital Duty of Care released today for targeted consultation.

These new laws will put the onus on digital service providers to provide a safe online environment, setting minimum standards for the features and tools they use.

This will include an Australian first, “My Feed, My Way,” initiative which will give Australians control over their social media algorithms.

Social media platforms will be required to send a notification to new and existing users offering them a choice over their default feed.

Users can choose to opt in to having their default feed include personalised content recommended by the algorithm. Alternatively, users can opt out of personally recommended content in their default feed and see the friends and creators they choose to follow.

This will give Australians greater choice over their platforms and what they see.

Further, digital services like online games, apps and AI chatbots will be required to protect under 18s from design features that have negative behavioural impacts, like addictive features or those that can have an effect on a young person’s self-esteem.

They will also be required to protect under 18s from harmful content like: 

  • content that promotes, encourages or accelerates eating disorders
  • content that promotes hostile ideas about women and gender equality
  • pornography
  • content that glorifies crime or life endangering stunts
  • content that causes serious mental health distress, including abuse and bullying.

Australians will benefit from better protection from seriously harmful and illegal content across digital services, and social media users will be afforded more choice.

The draft laws provide eSafety with the power to issue removal notices for nudify apps or websites, and streamline the child cyber-bulling and adult cyber abuse schemes to enable eSafety to deal more quickly with this harmful material.

Digital platforms will be required to document the measures taken to address identified risks of harm to Australian users and ensure these measures remain effective over time.

Failure to comply with the Duty of Care could attract penalties of up to $109.2 million, with the independent eSafety Commissioner responsible for compliance and enforcement.

The Government is seeking feedback from digital platforms, industry bodies, civil society organisations and advocates on the draft laws, with legislation to be introduced to Parliament this year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control.

“Today we are releasing the government’s approach to give Australians choice over their online experience, “My Feed, My Way.”

“Australia is leading the world with our social media age ban and online safety approach.

“This work has been led by parents and advocates and we have backed them. We will continue to do so.”

Minister for Communications Anika Wells

“Just as we have basic safety standards for cars, toys or food, the duty of care applies basic standards for the online products we use every day.

“The duty of care goes beyond social media to ensure children are protected from harmful content and features, including on chatbots and gaming platforms, apps and messaging platforms.

“It will also give parents the tools they need to keep their family safe online.

“When it comes to social media, Australians over the age of 16 will be able to opt in or opt out of the algorithm easily. The duty of care will require platforms to give users over 16 choice on what feed they see when they open the app – and to respect that choice.

“The digital duty of care will ensure online service providers – including some of the most powerful companies in the world – step up and do more to keep Australians safe from harm on their platforms.”

Ban Wear it Purple Day from Australian schools, not the brave teachers who call it out – Shelton

Family First National Director and NSW Legislative Council candidate Lyle Shelton is calling for Wear It Purple Day to be removed from Australian schools, saying classrooms—particularly primary classrooms—are no place for promoting radical LGBTQA+ sexual and gender-fluid ideology to children.
 
The call follows The Daily Telegraph’s report today that veteran ACT public school principal Janelle Rowe was driven from a 34-year teaching career after a bitter disciplinary dispute that began after she resisted promoting Wear It Purple Day at her primary school.
 
Mr Shelton said Ms Rowe should be applauded for putting the best interests of children and the rights of parents first.
 
“Janelle Rowe should be regarded as a hero for having the courage to say what countless Australian parents are thinking: four-year-olds do not need LGBTQA+ sexual and gender concepts introduced to them at school,” Mr Shelton said.
 
“If I’m elected to the NSW Parliament next March, I will introduce legislation to remove gender fluid and LGBTQA+ sexual indoctrination of children from schools,” Mr Shelton said.
 
“Schools should teach children to treat every person with dignity and respect and should have zero tolerance for bullying.
 
“But that does not require schools to promote harmful ideas about sexuality and gender identity to infants and primary-school children.
 
“Wear It Purple Day should be banned from Australian schools, not the brave teachers who call it out.”
 
According to The Daily Telegraph, Ms Rowe sought to replace Wear It Purple Day with Bullying No Way Week, which she considered a more age-appropriate and inclusive approach to addressing bullying.
 
Ms Rowe told the newspaper that matters surrounding sexuality and gender for children aged four to 12 belonged primarily with parents and families, rather than teachers.
 
The newspaper reported that after Ms Rowe resisted the event she was called into head office, faced concerns about her professional performance, was placed under supervision and was directed to celebrate Wear It Purple Day.
 
Her lawyer, Human Rights Law Alliance managing director John Steenhof, told the Telegraph that documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws contained highly positive assessments of Ms Rowe’s previous performance, including descriptions of her as “outstanding” and “highly capable”.
 
Mr Shelton said the case raised serious questions about ideological conformity within education bureaucracies.
 
“A principal with 34 years of experience should be free to say that sexual and gender ideology is inappropriate for four-year-olds without fearing for her career,” Mr Shelton said.
 
“Parents send their children to school to learn literacy, numeracy, science, history and the other foundations of a good education—not to have schools insert themselves into deeply personal questions of sexuality and gender identity.
 
“Respecting people who identify as LGBT does not require schools to teach children that sex is fluid or that gender identity can override biological reality.
 
“Children should be protected from adult ideological battles, not recruited into them.
 
“Education ministers across Australia should act. Keep Wear It Purple Day out of schools, restore parental primacy and allow teachers and principals to concentrate on educating children.
 
“Sadly the education unioss has ceased to be an employee representative body and become an activist organisation because it’s refusing to stand up for a member in a fight with the department.”

Memorial Day Service to Remember Lives Lost to Coal Mining

The Hunter mining community will gather at the Jim Comerford Memorial Wall this Sunday for the Mining and Energy Union’s 29th Annual Memorial Day Service, to remember and pay our respects to the lives that have been lost in coal mining fatalities in the Northern District Coalfields.

This year’s service will carry particular poignancy following the death of United Wambo mineworker and MEU member Paul Phillips, who was fatally injured at work on 3 August.

Paul’s death is the latest tragedy in a history represented by the 1,794 names now recorded on the Jim Comerford Memorial Wall, spanning more than two centuries of coal mining in the region.

Mineworkers and their families, families who have lost loved ones in the mining industry, union members and representatives, mining industry representatives, and local, state and federal political representatives will gather for the annual service. Members of the community are also welcome to attend.

MEU Northern Mining & NSW Energy District President Robin Williams said Memorial Day was a deeply important tradition for the Hunter’s mining communities.

Behind every name on this wall is a person who went to work and never came home, and a family and community who had to live with that loss,” Mr Williams said.

This year that reality is painfully fresh. Paul Phillips lost his life at United Wambo only weeks ago, and his death has had a profound impact on his family, his workmates and the wider mining community.

Memorial Day connects the history of our industry with the responsibility we carry today. Mining has changed enormously over generations, but the fundamental promise to every mineworker must be the same: you should be able to go to work and return safely to the people who love you.

We gather to remember those we have lost, to stand alongside their families and to renew our commitment to doing everything possible to prevent more names being added to this wall.”

The service will feature longstanding commemorative traditions, including the Mineworkers’ Pipe Band leading the ceremony, the miners’ safety lamp, wreath laying by families and representatives from across the mining community, and hundreds of floral tributes lining the black granite Memorial Wall.

The Jim Comerford Memorial Wall has been a place of remembrance for Hunter mining families for 30 years and records the human toll of coal mining across the Northern District Coalfields.

EVENT DETAILS

10.30am, Sunday 13 September 2026

Jim Comerford Memorial Wall
Federation House
Mining and Energy Union – Northern Mining & NSW Energy District
67A Aberdare Road, Aberdare NSW

Robbery and Serious Crime Squad detectives appeal for information as part of investigation into alleged 2024 armed robbery – Newcastle

Robbery and Serious Crime Squad detectives have released CCTV as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged armed robbery and assault in Newcastle in 2024.

About 4am on Wednesday 28 February 2024, a 50-year-old man, who was the manager of a hotel on Union Street, Cooks Hill, was threatened and detained by two unknown men armed with a machete and baseball bat before being forced to open the door to the hotel.

At the same time a 68-year-old man, employed as a cleaner for the hotel, was allegedly assaulted by a third unknown man waiting outside in a vehicle.

The three unknown men left the location a short time later in the vehicle with an amount of cash from the hotel.

Officers from Newcastle City Police District attended and found the 68-year-old man unconscious.

He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before he was taken to hospital in a serious condition, while the 50-year-old man was uninjured.

A crime scene was established by local police before detectives from State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crimes Squad commenced an investigation under Strike Force Krichauff.

Two men – aged 32 and 37 – have been charged and remain before the courts.

As the investigation continues, detectives have released images of a vehicle and a man who may be able to assist with inquiries.

The vehicle is described as a white Mercedes Benz A190 hatchback, with damage on the rear left side passenger door.

The man is described as wearing a hooded jumper, baseball cap, tracksuit pants and black shoes with a distinctive white mark or stain on the right shoe.