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Screening checks available for workers as $2.5 million Lung Bus Arrives in Tweed Heads

Lung Screening checks are available for Northern Rivers workers as the icare Lung Bus rolls into the Northern Rivers region for the first time in 2026.

The $2.5M dollar Lung Bus (Mobile Screening Clinic) is in Tweed Heads until the 5th of June with several spots available for free screenings.

Local business owners are also encouraged to register for the SafeWork Silica Worker Register and take proactive measures to screen workers exposed to hazardous dust in their workplaces.

The Lung Bus and the Silica Workers Register represent important steps in promoting regular screening and early detection of potentially life-changing hazards in the workplace.

The Register is an online portal for a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to enter details for workers that process high-risk crystalline silica substances.

SafeWork NSW uses the data to monitor compliance with work health and safety obligations. It is mandatory for PCBUs who have workers at risk of respirable crystalline silica exposures have access to health monitoring.

14 Norther Rivers businesses are registered on the Silica Worker Register, and the NSW Government is urging others to sign up to ensure the safety of their workers.

Screening spaces available from 1–5 June at the HACC Centre, Corner of Heffron St and Minjungbal Drive in Tweed Heads, with local employers encouraged to contact icare by visiting the Lung Screening Service website or calling 1800 550 027

Eliminating the risks associated with silica is a high priority for the Minns Labor Government and the Lung Bus is one of several measures which have been introduced to reduce the risks of working with CSS in NSW.

These include:

  • Strengthening workplace safety through a Silica Worker Register (SWR) which monitors and tracks the health of at-risk workers
  • Leading the ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing one per cent or greater crystalline silica.
  • Establishing the Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce to help address silica related health risks for workers in tunnelling projects.
  • Establishing a dedicated silica unit within SafeWork NSW which includes a Silica Compliance Team to enforce strengthened regulations, including proactive visits to sites conducting high-risk CSS processing.
  • Allocating $5 million in critical funding to the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI) for action against silicosis to support individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust.
  • Introducing a binding WHS code of practice for working with crystalline silica.

Minister for Workplace Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“The Lung Bus is about bringing essential services directly to the communities that need them most. The Lung Bus tour removes barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to screenings that could save their life.

“Having the Lung Bus in the Northern Rivers is also a timely reminder for local businesses of their screening obligations for their workforce. Annual screening of your workforce who are exposed to hazardous dusts like Crystalline Respirable Silica is critical to early detection of diseases and support for workers and their health.

“The NSW Government is urging businesses in the Northern Rivers and across NSW to sign up to the Silica Worker Register to ensure the safety of their employees. Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day.”

Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:

“The Lung Bus is an excellent initiative that helps save lives through early detection of dust-related diseases.

“I encourage workers in the Tweed area to visit the Lung Bus when it comes to town. It’s an easy way to check for any risks and get peace of mind if you work in an industry where you might be exposed to dust.”

Minns Labor government votes to escape accountability

The Minns Labor Government yesterday revealed its contempt for integrity, transparency and the Parliament in an extraordinary move to indefinitely defer debate on a Bill to restore powers integral to the Parliamentary accountability process. 
 
Minutes before debate was due to commence on the Parliamentary Evidence Amendment (Attendance of Witnesses) Bill 2026 in the lower house of the NSW Parliament yesterday, Labor brought on a procedural motion to send the Bill off to a Committee stacked in its favour, which will mean these critical powers will not be restored for the foreseeable future. 
 
The Bill, which was passed in the Legislative Council earlier this year and only opposed by Labor MPs, seeks to restore the ability of Parliamentary Committees to compel witnesses to attend for questioning following the decision of Cullen v President of the Legislative Council of NSW [2025] NSWCA 278. 
 
The absence of these powers has already seen witnesses refuse to attend vital committee hearings on matters of public importance, including an inquiry into mould and maggot issues at the Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, and the allegation of leaking of information from the DPP. 
 
Shadow Minister for Government Accountability, Alister Henskens, said the Minns Labor Government’s decision to indefinitely defer debate on the Bill is an attempt to escape any form of accountability and transparency.  
 
“NSW voters expect accountability, not political games designed to run down the clock,” Mr Henskens said. 
 
“Parliamentary Committees are one of the few tools available to hold governments and powerful institutions to account. Weakening those powers, weakens democracy.” 
 
“The Premier himself said in Question Time yesterday that if the Opposition wanted to debate the Bill we should bring it on for debate, but when the time came for the debate less than an hour later, Labor kicked it out into the long grass with no date for it to resume proving that the Premier just says one thing and does another.” 
 
“If the Minns Labor Government actually believes in integrity they should let this Bill be debated and support it immediately.” 

Housing chaos continues under Minns Labor government

The state’s planning system is in chaos with the Premier contradicting his Planning Minister and Department over the scope of the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).
 
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully has backed changes that would scale back the HDA in three commercial zones, ensuring commercial space is preserved.
 
However, Premier Chris Minns publicly contradicted that position today, saying the HDA’s scope should be widened.
 
Shadow Planning Minister Chris Rath said the public disagreement between the Premier and the Planning Minister exposed a Government making up housing policy on the run.
 
“This chaos at the top of government is only adding fuel to the fire of the housing crisis with Labor already 40 per cent behind on its National Housing Accord targets,” Mr Rath said.
 
“The experts have recognised that housing growth must happen alongside necessary infrastructure and employment zones, not at their expense, to ensure these areas are liveable.”
 
“Developers will not invest with confidence if the Government cannot decide what land should be protected and communities want to know that they can live in homes close to a job and services they need.”
 
“Chris Minns is so far behind on housing targets that he has abandoned a consistent affordable housing policy and is now threatening to bulldoze the very safeguards that protect Sydney’s liveability.”
 
“NSW needs more housing, and it also needs a government with a plan for the infrastructure and jobs to match.”
 
The Liberals and Nationals have a plan to boost housing supply and invest in infrastructure across NSW, without sacrificing employment precincts. It includes:
 

  • State-led rezoning in Erskineville, Macdonaldtown, Newtown and St Peters for 10,000 new homes.
  • Delivering the Camellia-Rosehill Place Strategy for a further 10,000 new homes.
  • A $2 billion Community Benefit Fund to fund local roads, parks, schools and services tied to actual housing delivery.

Appeal to locate teenage girl missing from Lake Macquarie

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from the Lake Macquarie region.

Nyamba Seymour, aged 13, was last seen on Oakland Street, Glendale, about 8.50am on Monday 18 May 2026.

When she was unable to be located or contacted since, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.

Police and her family have concerns for her welfare given her age.

Nyamba is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 160cm tall, of slim build, with long brown hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a blue school uniform.

Nyamba is known to frequent the Goulburn, Mt Druitt, Glendale, Wallsend, Wollongong, Port Kembla and Warrawong areas.

Former civilian employee charged – Northern Region

A former civilian employee who worked for NSW Police for three months has been charged with allegedly possessing child abuse material.

About 7.15am today (Thursday 28 May 2026), officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District executed a search warrant at a home in Cameron Park, as part of an investigation into the alleged possession of child abuse material.

During the search, detectives located and seized an electronic device containing an amount of child abuse material.

Following the search, detectives arrested a 39-year-old man, who was formally employed under a specialist command for three months, between October 2019 and January 2020.

He was taken to Belmont Police Station, where he was charged with possess child abuse material.

The man was refused bail to appear before Bail Division Local Court 2 tomorrow (Friday 29 May 2026).

Greens welcome PFAS lawsuit & implore greater domestic action

The Greens welcome the federal government pursuing a lawsuit against 3M Company over the contamination of dozens of communities across Australia with toxic “forever chemicals” but warn Australia lags behind other countries in implementing domestic bans on these harmful substances.

Greens spokesperson for Waste and Recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson: 

“The Greens congratulate the federal government for taking on 3M Company and for seeking justice on behalf of all Australians who have unfairly had their communities impacted by toxic forever chemicals. 

“Big corporate producers and retailers of plastics and plastic packaging currently have no obligation to take responsibility for the products they unleash into the world.

“The onus is currently placed on the waste and resource recovery sector to safely manage the recycling or disposal of plastic packaging products that contain PFAS. This is an untenable situation.

“To end the plastic waste crisis, we need to change the system that creates it. Australia desperately needs legislation and regulation that addresses plastic waste and PFAS at the design stage instead of waiting for these pollutants to be created, only to then work out how to manage them. 

“If action is not taken to manage PFAS out of packaging Australia risks becoming the global dumping ground given other countries have taken this action years ago. 

“The Greens have been raising the alarm on PFAS for many years and implore the government to ban all types of PFAS across all uses – including in consumer packaging, agrichemicals, and cosmetic products, and to adopt a design-first approach by regulating harmful chemicals and contaminants out of packaging to prevent pollution at the source.”

Legal proceedings against 3M Company and 3M Australia Pty Ltd

The Commonwealth has commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia against 3M Australia Pty Ltd and 3M Company for damages to recover costs relating to per- and poly-fluoroaklyl substances (PFAS) contamination at 28 Defence bases across Australia.

PFAS are chemicals that are contained in legacy firefighting foams for many years, including on Defence sites. 

The Commonwealth’s case includes allegations that: 

  • 3M withheld a range of information and misrepresented the effects of 3M’s aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). This included what it knew about the environmental risks of AFFF;
  • 3M did not fully disclose what it knew about the environmental risks of AFFF; and 
  • 3M gave assurances about disposal and environmental safety that were inconsistent with what the company knew at the time.

This action will see the Commonwealth seek damages to recover significant costs taxpayers have carried for investigating, managing and remediating contamination resulting from 3M’s AFFF containing PFAS.

The Department of Defence continues to use responsible methods to manage and remediate PFAS contaminated environments on and around Defence bases.

Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland:

“The Government is committed to holding 3M to account for the economic and environmental harms associated with PFAS contamination.

“The Commonwealth has commenced this legal action to pursue appropriate accountability through the Federal Court and to seek recovery of costs borne by the Commonwealth in responding to PFAS contamination at Defence bases.

“This is about ensuring these issues are addressed through proper legal processes.”

Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil:

“I have visited communities right across Australia that have been affected by PFAS contamination, and they need action. That’s why the Commonwealth commenced this legal action today.

“Defence is seeking more than $2 billion in damages to recover significant past and future expenses incurred by investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historical storage and use of AFFF.

“These court proceedings are about recovering the significant costs Defence has and will continue to incur while investigating and managing the Defence Estate and supporting Australians affected by PFAS.

“Defence has spent over $1.3 billion on its PFAS response, and continues to work closely with state and local authorities to support local communities near bases affected by PFAS, and that work will continue.”

CEA Technologies Chief Executive Officer appointment

The Albanese Government is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Alan Clements AM CSC as Chief Executive Officer of CEA Technologies Pty Limited for a five-year term.

Mr Clements is an experienced leader with a strong track record in delivering defence capability, both as a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a senior executive in defence industry. Mr Clements was mostly recently Vice President of L3Harris Technologies Australia and New Zealand, where he supported capability delivery and expanded export opportunities.

Mr Clements served for more than three decades in the RAAF, retiring at the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. His extensive experience across the defence sector is underpinned by a strong understanding of program delivery, capability development and technology integration. 

Mr Clements’ expertise will support CEA Technologies as it continues to evolve as a Government Business Enterprise, delivering its world leading radar technology to the Australian Defence Force and pursuing commercial and export opportunities. 

Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence:

“Mr Clements’s strong defence leadership experience and deep understanding of capability development and delivery will support CEA’s continued growth as a local manufacturer of technologies that enable critical Australian Defence Force capabilities.”

Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance:

“Mr Clements brings extensive experience to this role and will play an important part in helping CEA Technologies continue to deliver for Australia while strengthening our sovereign defence capability.

“CEA Technologies is a great Canberra success story, they support highly skilled local jobs and innovation here in the national capital, and this appointment will help the company continue to grow and thrive with the backing of the Commonwealth Government.”

Net Zero Commission says coal expansion inconsistent with law and advice

The Net Zero Commission has told an inquiry today that the Minns Labor Government’s plans to expand existing coal mines – released 19 March 2026 is inconsistent with the Commission’s independent advice, NSW laws to reduce emissions, and the Paris Agreement to reduce global emissions.

Greens MP and spokesperson for Climate Change Sue Higginson said “The Minns Labor Government committed to legally binding emissions reductions targets when they came to power, but their continued support for more coal in NSW is against their own laws and flies in the face of expert and international advice,”

“The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has advised that States have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, and the United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution affirming that advice. The Australian Government supported this position, but here in NSW the Minns Labor Government isn’t listening to the law or the science,”

“Concerningly, NSW Resources have apparently not even considered the advice of the ICJ, leaving Australia internationally exposed and liable for the making of reparations if we act inconsistently with the international objective of reducing emissions,”

“The Net Zero Commission was established by the Minns Labor Government as an independent advisory body, so we rightly expect the Government to act in accordance with the Commission’s advice, as well as their own laws and international obligations,”

“Glencore’s proposed Hunter Valley Operations expansion is one of the biggest and most controversial coal projects under consideration in NSW, it single-handedly threatens NSW emissions targets. Given the inconsistencies now evidenced in the planning and regulatory framework surrounding coal approvals, I believe the system would benefit from the Commission providing advice to the Independent Planning Commission, as they are able to do under the climate laws of NSW,”

“There have already been 10 coal expansions under the Minns Labor Government, with two approved just in the last six months. With another 16 projects still coming down the planning pipeline, it’s time for the Minns Labor Government to decide if they will continue to recklessly hand out coal approvals or be a responsible Government and work within the law to bring our emissions down,” Ms Higginson said.

Liberal backflip means harsher criminal sentences for vulnerable people

Liberal Leader Kellie Sloane has backflipped on reforms to character at sentencing, supporting a total removal of good character as a mitigating factor at sentencing across all offence types. The decision will undermine judicial discretion and prohibit vulnerable people from having their character considered during sentencing for criminal matters.

Amendments passed on a previous Bill just 2 weeks ago, supported by all non-government Members including the Liberals and Nationals, would have supported victim survivors of sexual crime by preventing a perpetrator’s ‘good’ character and their references being considered during sentencing for sexual offences, but allowed the Court to determine whether it could apply in other cases.

The Liberals are now expected to vote with Labor to completely abolish character in sentencing, in defiance of the position of Domestic Violence NSW, the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Bar Association, Legal Aid, part of the Sentencing Council of NSW and other experts.

Greens MP, Solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said,

“It’s jarring to watch Kellie Sloane and the Liberals now join Labor and throw expert evidence and lived experience away in favour of some idea of political safety and favour. It’s a sad day in NSW when the Opposition takes a clear evidenced based position, passes good law, then completely backflips on that position for fear of the Government criticising them for not being tough enough on crime,”

“The job of the Opposition and Crossbench in Parliament is to scrutinise the Government and find the best outcomes for the community, this is what the Upper House has done with reforms to character at sentencing,”

“This backflip will hand the Minns Labor Government another opportunity to make the criminal justice system worse for victims of domestic violence, more threatening to vulnerable people, and will lead to more First Nations people being sent to Prison,”

“When the Opposition supported our amendments, they were backed by evidence from leading legal authorities like the Bar Association, the Law Society and the Aboriginal Legal Service, and peak civil society groups like Domestic Violence NSW and the Community Restorative Centre. This backflip is based on fear and politics, instead of evidence,”

“The NSW Liberals and Nationals are already staring down the barrel of political oblivion, and given the way Kellie Sloane is backing in every decision of Labor Premier Chris Minns, you can see why”

“Once again Kellie Sloane has shown she doesn’t have what it takes to stand up to Labor Premier Chris Minns. The Greens will continue as the real opposition to the Minns Labor Government, because the Liberals and Nationals aren’t up to the task,” Ms Higginson said.