Month: October 2026

NSW Ambulance has today welcomed 18 paramedics from interstate and overseas, providing a further boost to frontline health services across metro and regional NSW.

Since March 2023, around 150 qualified paramedics have joined NSW Ambulance from other states, territories and countries.

The latest intake includes paramedics from the United Kingdom and New Zealand, as well as interstate recruits from across Australia.

After completing a comprehensive induction program at the NSW Ambulance Education Centre, the 18 experienced paramedics will begin their operational familiarisation from tomorrow.

Among this cohort is Mitchell Pani, who was most recently employed with the London Ambulance Service and has also worked as a paramedic in Mexico.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“We are rebuilding our essential health services by recruiting more workers, including paramedics.

“Attracting skilled and experienced paramedics to NSW strengthens our frontline workforce and brings valuable skills and perspectives to our health system.

“We are lucky to have world-class emergency health service like NSW Ambulance in our state, which is attracting paramedics from across the globe.”

NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Clare Beech:

“I warmly welcome this latest cohort of interstate and overseas paramedics, who bring with them valuable experience and skills that will benefit communities across NSW.

“Our door is open for the best paramedics available; your career can thrive in NSW.

“Bringing in qualified paramedics from overseas or interstate is not just about growing our numbers, it is about enriching our workforce with global clinical perspectives.”

credential paramedic graduate Mitchell Pani:

“I was first inspired by paramedicine after a friend had a serious diving accident and I witnessed first-hand the skills of paramedics.

“I am excited to be continuing my career in NSW and working closer to home and my family, especially as my partner and I will be having our first child early next year.”

The Minns Labor Government has delivered its fourth tranche of nation-leading legislative changes for the 1.2 million people living in apartments and duplexes across the state.

Passed by NSW Parliament last night, the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Bill) 2025 reduces red tape for owners, modernises the industry, improves fairness for lot owners, strengthens compliance with strata laws, and provides clarity on rules and procedures.

Under the new laws, unnecessary red tape will be removed for two-lot schemes such as duplexes, which make up more than 30 per cent of strata schemes, so they no longer need to form committees, hold meetings and submit annual reports to NSW Fair Trading.

There will be fair limits on when an owners corporation can charge strata residents a bond or fee. For example, bonds for access keys or swipe cards that are exorbitantly higher than the replacement cost will no longer be allowed.

Owners now also have the right to install electric vehicle charging on their own lot without fear of unreasonable objection from their strata committee.

NSW Fair Trading will have increased powers to publish compliance action taken against owners corporations so prospective buyers can know if there are any issues with repairs and maintenance in the building.

The reforms also empower the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to order termination of a building management agreement if they breach their duties, including if a building manager fails to reveal they receive commissions.

This Bill complements three earlier tranches of strata reforms, including:

• Requiring payment plans to be offered to owners in financial hardship before debt recovery action can be taken and prohibiting blanket rules to refuse payment plan requests.
• Protections for owners from bill shock by requiring developers to have initial levy estimates in new strata buildings to be independently certified, including increased penalties for non-compliance.
• Introducing itemised insurance quotes so owners know exactly how much is going to agents and brokers in commissions and fees.
• Making it easier for owners to do minor renovations.
• Removing barriers to the uptake of sustainability measures such as solar panels and electric vehicle charging by prohibiting bylaws that block the infrastructure due to external appearance.
• Ensuring goods and services are obtained at competitive prices, by requiring owners corporations to get a second quote when the bill for work will be over $30,000.
• Banning strata managing agents from taking a commission on insurance products when they don’t play a role in finding the best deal for owners.
• Increased penalties for strata managing agents who don’t disclose conflicts of interest or kickbacks to owners.
• Allowing NSW Fair Trading to issue compliance notices and enter enforceable undertakings with owners corporations that do not meet their duties to maintain and repair common property. This will ensure serious maintenance issues and defects can be fixed without expensive and time-consuming litigation through the courts or tribunal.

For more information on recent strata law changes, please visit: Changes to strata laws | NSW Government

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“More people will be living in higher-density development as we build the homes our community needs across NSW. That’s why the Minns Labor Government has overhauled strata laws over the past three years to help build confidence in apartment living.

“Owners and residents want clearer rules, greater transparency and stronger protections, and this legislation delivers through stronger oversight, better consumer protections and greater support for those experiencing financial hardship.

“The Minns Labor Government is changing how strata communities operate and modernising the way NSW Fair Trading regulates both the professional standards of the industry and the rights of people living in apartments.”

Students at Jerrabomberra High School have begun Term 4 learning in brand-new, permanent classrooms and vocational education and training (VET) facilities, after the Minns Labor Government delivered a major expansion ahead of schedule.

The fast-tracked project doubles the school’s capacity to 1,000 and gives students immediate access to industry-standard VET facilities, including a dedicated VET kitchen, as they pursue hospitality and vocational pathways alongside their HSC studies.

The upgrade includes a new two-storey building with 16 additional classrooms, a vocational education and training (VET) kitchen, an additional semi-commercial kitchen, a new science laboratory, an additional timber workshop, and a multimedia workshop, studio and store.

The upgrade also delivers expanded outdoor green space, a large shade structure, additional staff and student facilities, and expanded bike storage and parking.

The new VET kitchen and semi-commercial kitchen give students hands-on, industry-standard training facilities to pursue hospitality qualifications at school, while the expanded timber and multimedia workshops support trades and creative industries pathways.

The expansion was a 2023 election commitment from the Minns Labor Government, addressing enrolment demand in the growing Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan region after the permanent school opened in 2024 with capacity for 500 students. The expanded capacity at Jerrabomberra High School will support this population growth and ensure local students have a place at a world-class public school close to home.

Labor’s record education budget is also turning around the teacher shortage, with statewide vacancies at a 12-year low as a result of improved wages and conditions following the abolition of the previous Liberal National government’s public sector wages cap.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild public education in regional NSW, and one of a raft of school infrastructure projects being delivered in the Monaro region, with the following projects recently delivered or underway:

• New Jindabyne Education Campus (delivered) and new public preschool
• New Bungendore High School
• New Googong High School
• New primary school and co-located public preschool for Googong
• Queanbeyan East Public School Preschool (delivered)
• Queanbeyan South Public Preschool (delivered)

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

“We made a commitment to the Jerrabomberra community to deliver this expansion, and I’m proud that we’re delivering it ahead of schedule.

“These new facilities mean local students no longer have to wait for the world-class VET and vocational training opportunities they deserve.

“This is what our record investment in public education looks like – permanent classrooms and modern facilities, delivered for growing communities like Jerrabomberra.”

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

“Coming up to the last election the community and the two local P&Cs told us that the high school was not big enough. Chris Minns and I promised we would double the size of the school by the start of 2027.

“I’m thrilled that we have delivered our commitment ahead of schedule. It’s ready for new cohort of Year 12 students starting this week.

“As Skills Minister I am also thrilled that the new facilities boost opportunities for vocational training.

“The new VET kitchen at Jerrabomberra High School gives local students a genuine head start on a hospitality career, with the same industry-standard equipment they’ll use in the workforce.”

Jerrabomberra High School Principal Scott O’Hara said:

“Our school community is thrilled to see Stage 2 delivered ahead of schedule, giving our students access to these outstanding new facilities sooner than we expected.

“The new VET kitchen and workshop spaces will give our students genuine hands-on pathways into vocational careers, alongside the academic opportunities our school already offers.”

People across the state are encouraged to learn the rhythm that could help save a life this Restart a Heart Day, with the launch of NSW Ambulance’s new GoodSAM CPR playlist on Spotify.

The playlist features a collection of well-known songs with beats that match the recommended cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, helping people remember the pace needed to deliver effective chest compressions when someone is in cardiac arrest.

For every minute a person in cardiac arrest and doesn’t receive chest compressions (CPR), their chances of survival fall by 7 to 10%. Restart a Heart Day is an opportunity to remind the community about the difference they can make in those critical moments.

By launching the new GoodSAM CPR playlist, NSW Ambulance hopes to encourage more community members to sign up as volunteer responders.

The NSW Ambulance GoodSAM app alerts registered volunteers nearby when a suspected cardiac arrest is reported to Triple Zero (000). Responders can choose whether to accept the alert and begin CPR, while an ambulance is dispatched at the same time.

Expanding the network of registered responders means more people are available to help in those critical first few minutes before paramedics arrive.

You don’t need formal first aid or CPR qualifications to become a GoodSAM responder. Anyone aged 18 years or over who is willing to perform chest compressions can register. Chest compressions are easy to do, and highly trained NSW Ambulance emergency medical call takers will talk you through it by phone.

To find out more, or sign up to join the 16,200 community members already part of GoodSAM in NSW, visit

www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/goodsam  

Listen to the playlist here – NSW Ambulance GoodSAM CPR playlist – playlist by NSW Ambulance | Spotify

The playlist is intended to be a training aid and reminder, rather than be utilised in a real-life emergency.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park: 

“Restart a Heart Day is an important reminder that anyone can help save a life by learning the simple steps to recognise cardiac arrest, call Triple Zero, start CPR and use an AED if one is available.

“The NSW Ambulance GoodSAM CPR playlist is a simple and catchy way for people to remember the right rhythm for chest compressions.

“By signing up to GoodSAM, community members can play an important role in providing early assistance in those critical first few minutes before paramedics arrive.”

NSW Ambulance Chief Executive, Clare Beech: 

“GoodSAM gives community members the opportunity to provide early CPR when someone nearby suffers a cardiac arrest, while our paramedics are on their way.

“For every minute a person in cardiac arrest does not receive CPR, their chance of survival drops by seven to ten per cent.

“This Restart a Heart Day, we are asking people to take a few minutes to listen, learn the beat, sign up to GoodSAM and be ready to act if someone needs help.”

The finalists for the 2026 NSW Music Prize have been revealed today, with Keli Holiday, DON WEST and Ninajirachi among those in contention for Australia’s most lucrative prize pool.

Now in its second year, the prize was inaugurated by the Minns Labor Government to help inspire the next wave of artists in NSW, which until last year was the only state without a dedicated music prize.

Local artists have been under increasing pressure due to cost-of-living pressures and the dominance of overseas artists on streaming platforms. This prize is designed to give them recognition, and momentum.

The prize pool is offered across three categories: NSW Music Prize for the NSW artist or act whose release has had the most significant impact, NSW First Nations Music Prize for the NSW-based Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artist or act whose release has had significant and meaningful impact, and NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year for an emerging NSW artist or act who has had a groundbreaking year.

The finalists for the 2026 NSW Music Prize are:

NSW Music Prize ($80,000)

• BOY SODA – SOULSTAR
• DON WEST – GIVE ME ALL YOUR LOVE
• Esha Tewari – What Makes A Girl A Girl
• Keli Holiday – Capital Fiction
• MAY-A – Goodbye (If You Can Call That Gone)
• Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
• Parcels – LOVED
• SPEED – ALL MY ANGELS
• The Rions – Everything Every Single Day
• ZIPPORAH – Naungu Urui

NSW First Nations Music Prize ($40,000)

• 3% – These Days, Running Through My Head, Our Greats
• KYARNA – Lost Soul Love Letters
• ROX LAVI – Blah Blah about the Blah
• THOM – Everything That Hurts Is Human
• Velvet Trip – Glimmers Continued

NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year ($40,000)

• BOY SODA
• Esha Tewari
• Keli Holiday
• RAGEFLOWER
• Velvet Trip

Finalists were selected by expert Nominations Committees made up of artists and industry leaders across the spectrum of music publishing, artist management, media and broadcasting, academia and cultural advocates, reflecting the depth and breadth of NSW’s music sector.

The winners of the NSW Music Prize and the NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year will be decided by a five-person judging panel and the winner of the NSW First Nations Music Prize will be decided by a three-person First Nations Judging Panel.

All winners will be announced at a formal ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Foundation Hall in Sydney on Monday 9 November, kicking off Ausmusic Month.

Last year’s inaugural NSW Music Prize was won by SPEED for their album Only One Mode, the NSW First Nations Music Prize went to BARKAA for her EP Big Tidda and the NSW Breakthrough Artist of the Year was awarded to Ninajirachi.

For more information on the NSW Music Prize head to the Sound NSW website.

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

“Congratulations to all of finalists, this is recognition of your creativity and hard work.

“AC/DC were right when they said it’s a long way to the top. This prize is about helping our artists stay the course and become the next big NSW icons.

“Our musicians have been under so much pressure since the pandemic. If we lose them, we lose our local sound with it. That’s why we’re backing them with targeted support and celebrating them with this prize.”

Head of Sound NSW Emily Collins said:

“All these artists are shaping the sound of contemporary Australia and showcasing the incredible creativity that exists across our state. From emerging talent making their mark to established acts reaching new heights, the NSW Music Prize celebrates the people and stories that make our music industry so special.

“The calibre of this year’s finalists is exceptional. One of the most rewarding things to see in only the second year of the NSW Music Prize is artists who were recognised in our Breakthrough Artist category last year now being shortlisted for the NSW Music Prize itself. It’s a powerful reflection of the depth of talent in NSW and the role the Prize can play in championing artists at every stage of their careers.”

BOY SODA said:

“It’s always such an honour to be recognised for the music I make. One never knows how your creative endeavours will be received so to have any recognition in this manner is so reaffirming and certainly something I don’t take for granted.”

Keli Holiday said:

“New South Wales is where my love for music blossomed to the full blown garden of infatuation it is now. Thanks to Sydney’s night life and culture I’ve felt encouraged and inspired to keep creating and sharing ideas from this beautiful city. With that said it truly is beyond an honour to be considered for the Sound NSW music prize.”

RAGEFLOWER said:

“To be nominated for NSW Breakthrough Artist of The Year means the world to me. As an artist who released their first body of work just over a year ago, I feel exceptionally blessed to have found an audience in such a short amount of time. As a woman in her early 30s, the idea of “breaking through” has often felt like an impossible feat for me, something that I was told should have happened before 25, and so I feel immensely proud and grateful to be recognised by the industry and by the NSW government in such a profound way. I am hopeful for the future of my own music career, for music in NSW and honoured to be nominated for this award.”

ZIPPORAH said:

“Naungu Urui is a project I have dreamed of for years. Seeing it embraced so deeply means the world to me. Being recognized as a NSW finalist is a milestone I share entirely with my community and early supporters. I am incredibly grateful, and I am just getting started.”

The Minns Labor Government is fast-tracking the delivery of 1300 new homes under its $1 billion Pre-sale Finance Guarantee.

The most recent projects supported in Moorebank and Kingsford will deliver 79 new dwellings, including 35 affordable homes, with the Government providing pre-sale commitments to help unlock financing and speed up the start of construction.

The Guarantees will support 29 of the 58 new apartments, including 2 affordable homes, in UFN Developments’ $44.5 million project in Harvey Avenue, Moorebank and 10 of 21 new apartments in Advent Property Group’s $32.4 million project in Strachan Street, Kingsford.

The Moorebank project includes 31 affordable homes for low to moderate income households in one of southwest Sydney’s growing suburbs.

In Kingsford, the development will deliver four affordable dwellings close to university and hospital campuses.

Under the Guarantee, the NSW Government may commit to buy up to 75 per cent of homes off the plan in approved developments, depending on the size of the project. The Guarantee can provide up to $50 million per project, helping developers to unlock construction finance from commercial financial lenders.

Up to $1 billion in pre-sales will be committed through the revolving fund over five years, allowing the program to continue supporting new housing projects across NSW.

To date pre-sale commitments have helped accelerate the delivery of nearly 1,300 new homes in NSW and more applications are under assessment including a growing pipeline of metropolitan and regional projects.

The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee is just one of a suite of nation leading reforms and initiatives introduced by the Minns Labor Government to deliver more homes in the communities people want to live in including:

• Landmark reforms to the State’s planning legislation
• The Transport Oriented Development program
• Low and Mid-rise Housing policy
• Infill Affordable Housing Scheme
• The Housing Delivery Authority
• The NSW Housing Pattern Book
• More than 70 state led rezonings

For more information, visit Pre-sale Finance Guarantee.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“The Pre-sale Finance Guarantee is getting more homes built sooner.

“Close to 1,300 homes have been accelerated through this world leading initiative which is now being adopted by states across Australia as an innovative and practical initiative.

“Every new Guarantee is another example of the Minns Labor Government unlocking NSW housing supply so families, key workers and young people can live in the communities they choose.”

The horrific circumstances surrounding the death of a five-year-old boy in Grafton demand immediate answers from the Minister for Families and Communities.

Shadow Minister for Families and Communities Natasha Maclaren-Jones said reports that concerns had been raised with the Department were especially concerning.

“My thoughts are with the child’s family, loved ones and everyone in the Grafton community affected by this devastating loss. This is an unthinkable tragedy,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

“Once again the community is asking why this government has failed to protect our most vulnerable children.”

“If warning signs were missed, ignored or not acted upon, that constitutes a systemic failure that the people of New South Wales will not accept.”

“The Minister must explain what contact the Department of Communities and Justice had with this family, what interventions were made, and why they were not enough to prevent this devastating loss.”

“The people of New South Wales deserve transparency and accountability. The Minister cannot simply refer this to yet another review while families and frontline workers are still waiting for answers from an earlier child death review.”

Previous independent reports have revealed tens of thousands of children assessed as ‘at risk‑of‑significant‑harm’ (ROSH) are not receiving timely intervention, or intervention at all.

“The government knows there are workforce shortages, overwhelming caseloads, and gaps in early intervention. This case raises serious questions, and the Minister must explain what she is doing to fix them,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

The Minns Labor Government must urgently strengthen its response to gun crime after a Lansvale home was reportedly sprayed with up to 12 bullets while three people were inside, leaving residents fearing shootings are becoming normal in their neighbourhood.

A 59-year-old woman, her son and his friend escaped injury when shots tore through the granny flat. Three teenagers have since been charged over their alleged involvement.

Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Anthony Roberts said a neighbour’s comment that hearing gunfire was no longer surprising should be a wake-up call for Labor.

“When a resident hears gunfire and says it seems normal now, that should ring alarm bells in the Premier’s office,” Mr Roberts said.

“No community should be expected to get used to bullets tearing through homes. Nobody should have to wonder whether their bedroom wall will protect them from the next shooting.

“Three people escaped injury, but their safety should never have depended on where those bullets landed.

“Our police responded quickly, arrested three teenagers and allegedly recovered a firearm. They deserve enormous credit, and a government that matches their efforts with stronger action to stop these weapons reaching our streets.”

Mr Roberts said the alleged involvement of teenagers also raises serious concerns.

“The alleged involvement of three teenagers is another disturbing reminder of the serious youth crime confronting NSW and the need for stronger action from the Minns Labor Government.”

“Families deserve to feel safe in their homes. They should never be told, through government complacency, that this is simply life in Sydney now.”

The NSW Liberals and Nationals’ policies include:

• Increasing the maximum penalty for trafficking firearms or ammunition from 20 years to life imprisonment, with a standard non-parole period.
• Mandatory jail time for anyone found carrying an illegal gun.
• Strengthening Firearms Prohibition Orders to better disrupt serious offending.
• Increasing specialist police resources, intelligence capabilities and operational support to target criminal networks and seize illegal firearms.
• Doubling resources for the NSW Crime Commission to go after unexplained wealth.

The Minns Labor Government’s signature Tangara refurbishment plan is woefully behind schedule, leaving commuters facing a significant reliability gap into the late 2020s and 2030s.

Analysis undertaken by the Opposition shows:

• The refurbishment is up to three years behind schedule, three years into the program. Originally promised to be complete by 2027 now won’t occur until 2029 or 2030.
• Despite claims the first refurbished Tangara has been servicing commuters since 4 September; it can be revealed it has only worked for five total days and has been withdrawn from service since 17 September for undisclosed reasons.
• There are only four Tangara trains currently being worked on.
• By March 2027, nearly three years since the original commitment, the Government only plans to have a total of four out of the 55 trains refurbished.

The delays to the refurbishment program follow questions about the timeline to deliver the new Tangara fleet in the Hunter.

Despite promises by Transport Secretary John Murray the new fleet will be ready by the ‘early 2030s’ comparison to other train programs reveal that commitment is highly unlikely to be met.

In answering questions in Parliament, Transport Minister John Graham was unable to confirm if the manufacturing jobs promised by the Hunter plan would be operating by the 2031 election.

Should the building of the new Tangara fleet face delays, under the Government’s plan it will take the Minns Government nearly 17 years to deliver one new train fleet from coming to office.

Shadow Minister for Transport Natalie Ward said the Tangara program was embarrassingly off track and questioned if the Government’s transport policy was about social media posts or commuters.

“Three years in and their signature program is three years behind schedule. It will take seven years in office to leave commuters with a refurbished train older than most of the people riding it,” Ms Ward said.

“For commuters this means reliability gaps and worse services on an older train. Nostalgia doesn’t get commuters to work on time or get people to use public transport – reliable modern services do.”

“The focus needs to be on commuters who want to get on trains and get to their destination on time.”

The Minns Labor Government must explain how urgent surgery referrals were left unread for months at Canterbury Hospital and urgently check referral systems across NSW hospitals to ensure other patients have not been overlooked.

Reports today reveal an unmonitored inbox contained more than 3,000 emails with 16 overdue patient referrals, including four urgent cases requiring surgery within 30 days and 12 semi-urgent cases requiring surgery within 90 days.

Shadow Minister for Health Sarah Mitchell said patients needed immediate care and assurance that referrals were being properly managed across the hospital system.

“Patients were waiting for surgery while their referrals sat unread in an inbox. This is a basic failure with potentially serious consequences,” Ms Mitchell said.

“The immediate question is whether anyone else is waiting for treatment because nobody has read their referral.”

“The Health Minister must urgently ensure referral systems are checked across NSW hospitals. Patients and their families need confidence that this failure is not happening elsewhere.”

Member for Oatley and Shadow Minister for South Western Sydney Mark Coure said the reports were deeply concerning for local families who rely on Canterbury Hospital.

“This also matters to families in my electorate, who are sometimes treated at Canterbury Hospital when St George Hospital is at capacity. We need answers about whether any local residents have been affected,” Mr Coure said.

“Our doctors and nurses work hard under enormous pressure. They need reliable systems and proper administrative support to ensure patients receive timely treatment.”

“Patients deserve more than an apology. They deserve answers, accountability and confidence that their referral will be received and acted on.”