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Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice celebrates first anniversary

The Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice is being celebrated, as the service marks its first anniversary.

In June 2025, the dedicated six-midwife Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) team was established, to provide eligible women with continuity of care with a known midwife.

Since then, the MGP team has cared for more than 200 women, with 160 babies born.

Under the MGP model, women receive care from a known primary midwife throughout their pregnancy, labour, birth, and up to two weeks after birth. MGP midwives work as part of a small team to ensure support and minimise potential disruptions to care.

The Wagga Wagga MGP is the second midwifery-led service in Murrumbidgee alongside Leeton MGP, which continues to provide a midwifery-led model of care for local families

A review of the criteria for MGP is also enabling more women with higher-level care needs to access the service, where clinically appropriate, or to stay in the program if they develop risk factors during pregnancy.

The Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice service is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to increasing access to midwifery continuity of care models across the state, which was supported by a $44.8 million investment into maternity care in the 2025-26 NSW Budget that includes funding for an additional 53 FTE midwives in regional NSW.

Since 2023, the Minns Labor Government has opened a total of ten new regional Midwifery Group Practices in Glen Innes, Port Macquarie, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Bega, Moruya, Manning, Shoalhaven, Cooma, and expanded the service in Wollongong.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“The NSW Government wants all women in NSW to have access to evidence-based, respectful maternity care.

“We have listened to, and acted on, feedback that women want greater access to midwifery continuity of care, so I am delighted to celebrate Wagga’s Midwifery Group Practice first anniversary.

“Since it’s opening, the Wagga MGP has increased women’s ability to choose the type of maternity care that best suits them by offering a continuity‑of‑care model led by a known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period.”

Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr:

“It is great to see this service is celebrating a year of providing midwifery-lead care for women and babies in the local community.

“The service is giving women more options for accessing care closer to home.”

Murrumbidgee Local Health District Chief Executive Emma Field:

“We are delighted to be celebrating the first anniversary of the Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice.

“The MGP provides eligible women with more options for their pregnancy care and birth experience.

“I am very proud of our MGP staff, who are dedicated to providing the best possible care to women, their babies and their families.”

MGP midwife, Elise McIntyre:

“As a midwife I love working with women and their family, getting to know them and supporting them through such a special time in their lives.

“Providing continuity of care very rewarding as a midwife.”

Bus boom comes to Western Sydney as new services begin

Western Sydney communities including Narellan, Oran Park and Mt Druitt are now connected by five new permanent bus routes launched this week, bringing the total number of new services installed by the Minns Labor Government to 5,910.

The new routes from Liverpool (825 and 860), Campbelltown (845 and the enhanced 840), Penrith (790) and Mount Druitt (772) will connect communities that have been underserviced by public transport with train stations, shops, hospitals, jobs and the new Western Sydney International Airport.

These services will run every 30 minutes from 5am to 10pm, seven days a week, totalling 2,626 services across the week.

This $302.7 million investment is part the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild and expand bus services in NSW, after the 2024 Bus Industry Taskforce found buses had been “neglected” and “underfunded” under the former Liberal-National government.

In the recent budget the Minns Labor Government announced an additional record investment of $6.5 billion for hundreds of new electric buses and electric bus depots to reduce our reliance on foreign fuels, meet the needs of the growing community and underpin a revival of domestic bus manufacturing.

To support the new services, the NSW Government is also investing in bus infrastructure. This includes upgrading driver facilities at some of the busiest interchanges in the state such as Mt Druitt, Blacktown, Bankstown, Parramatta and Fairfield and installing new signs at bus stops across Western Sydney.

The NSW Government is also partnering with selected Western Sydney councils to deliver more than 30 new bus shelters along the new routes as part of the $1.5 million trial Bus Shelter Program.

Since coming to office, the Minns Labor Government has:

  • Added nearly 6000 new bus services, the majority in Western Sydney.
  • Restored the popular M52 Parramatta to CBD via Ryde service and the 301 Rosebery to Eastgardens service.
  • Reduced the bus driver shortage down from over 500 to under 200.
  • Ordered 923 new buses including 50 new articulated (bendy) buses and 10 new decker buses.
  • Increased local content to over 50% of over half the buses ordered.

For important travel advice and to plan your trip on public transport visit transportnsw.info/trip-planner

Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“As Western Sydney grows, the public transport network needs to grow with it, and this is exactly what the Minns Labor Government is delivering.

“Whether it’s public transport, schools, roads, or hospitals, the Minns Labor Government is working to ensure Western Sydney has the essential services that our communities deserve.”

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“These services will connect hundreds of thousands of Western Sydney residents with the new airport, months before it opens for passenger services.

“Some of these communities have never had decent public transport. These services will change people’s lives by giving them regular connection to train stations, jobs, health service and the new Western Sydney International Airport.

“The former government privatised bus services, cut routes, created a driver shortage, failed to order new buses and sent bus manufacturing jobs offshore. We are doing what the Bus Industry Taskforce recommended – rebuilding the bus network for the people of New South Wales.

“Under a Labor government you’re seeing more buses, bus services, bus drivers and bus shelters; and we are rebuilding local bus manufacturing.”

Member for Camden Sally Quinnell said:

“Camden is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, and these new bus routes will give local families better access to jobs, education, healthcare, and essential services while improving connections across south-west Sydney.”

Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren said:

“As our region continues to grow, it is so important that we have appropriate and effective public transport options and infrastructure. The Minns Labor Government is delivering just that for my community in Campbelltown, and across Western Sydney more broadly.”

Member for Leppington Nathan Hagarty said:

“These new bus routes are a positive step forward for our growing communities across Leppington and South Western Sydney.

“They’ll make it easier for people to get to work, school, healthcare and the new Western Sydney International Airport. As our area continues to grow, we need to keep investing in the public transport our community needs and relies on.”

Member for Liverpool Charishma Kaliyanda said:

“For more than a decade, Western Sydney was left behind when it came to public transport. The Minns Labor Government is changing that by delivering the permanent bus routes and services that Liverpool’s growing community has been calling for.

“Whether it’s getting to work, school, Liverpool Hospital or the new Western Sydney International Airport, these new bus routes will make everyday travel easier for local families and help keep our growing community connected.”

Member for Mount Druitt Edmond Atalla said:

“This investment is about delivering the public transport Western Sydney deserves with more frequent services, better connections and cleaner electric buses that will benefit our growing communities for years to come.”

Member for Penrith, Karen McKeown, OAM said:

“The new 790 bus service will be a gamechanger for Penrith, giving residents a direct and convenient connection to the WSI Airport precinct.

“This is exactly the kind of practical transport investment our community deserves as Western Sydney continues to expand.

“It will also improve access to local jobs, training, healthcare and education facilities, helping residents get where they need to go more easily and supporting a better-connected future for Penrith.”

$5.5 million to keep our surf clubs beach ready!

NSW Surf Life Saving Clubs can now apply for a share of $5.5 million through the Minns Labor Government’s Surf Club Facility Program, to upgrade, rebuild or future-proof the facilities that keep our beaches safe.

The program backs projects from concept to completion, with grants of up to $1 million available across three categories, including design and planning.

This year’s funding round has a focus on climate resilience, ensuring clubs can withstand extreme weather and severe storm events, as well as boosting participation so more people from all backgrounds can get involved in surf life saving.

It’s part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to investing in frontline community infrastructure, backing the volunteers who keep our beaches safe every single day.

Applications for Category 1 close 1pm Monday, 17 August 2026. Applications for Categories 2 and 3 close 1pm Monday, 31 August 2026.

For further information and to apply visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:  

“Our surf life savers turn up rain, hail or shine. This funding makes sure their clubs can too.

“Storm-proofed clubhouses, more volunteers through the door, safer beaches for everyone. That’s what this program delivers.

“From the Northern Rivers to the South Coast, we’re backing the clubs that keep our beaches safe all year round.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:  

“As we prepare for the upcoming patrol season, this program, alongside other recent investments in surf lifesaving, means our dedicated volunteers can continue their incredible work of protecting beachgoers along the NSW coast.”

President of Surf Life Saving NSW Elissa Hancock said:  

“Surf Life Saving NSW is proud to boast a passionate and ever-growing membership base of over 86,000 across the state who volunteer their time for the benefit of their communities.

“Programs such as this one allow us to provide safe, secure and accessible facilities to those members and the communities they protect.

“We’re extremely grateful to the NSW Government for making this funding available to our 129 surf clubs once again – ensuring they are fit-for-purpose is vital to their continued relevance and value.” 

Minister must explain failures after Wyong child death

The NSW Liberals and Nationals are demanding an independent review as horrific details emerge about a child’s death at Wyong on the Central Coast.

Shadow Minister for Families and Communities Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the Minister must be transparent given confirmation from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) that it previously had contact with the family.

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

“This unthinkable tragedy is unfortunately not the first case where this government has failed to protect our most vulnerable children, in the last year alone.”

“The Minister must explain what interventions were made, if any, and why they were not enough to prevent this devastating outcome.”


Natasha Maclaren-Jones said 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 concerns, and an independent investigation must be conducted.” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.


“The people of New South Wales deserve transparency, an independent review into this case, and a clear plan to strengthen frontline child protection services before another tragedy occurs.”

Senator Pauline Hanson: You Can Protect Australia and Build Strong Alliances

Labor continues to push the line that because we would end mass migration, we would struggle to build alliances in Asia.

This is a ludicrous line of argument that, if taken to its logical conclusion, implies that the only way we can hope, as a country, to have positive relations with our Asian neighbours is by unquestionably accepting mass migration without limit.

Utter nonsense. If Pauline became PM, she would stand up strongly for Australian interests on the world stage and would be more than capable of building relationships with key allies in our region. The difference would be that Pauline would actually be respected for her strength in standing up for Australian interests in a way that Albo simply isn’t.

Working together with Solomon Islands

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has concluded his visit to Solomon Islands, reinforcing Australia’s deep and enduring commitment to the Pacific and advancing a new era of cooperation between the two countries.

In Honiara, Prime Minister Albanese met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale and members of his government. Prime Minister Albanese also had the opportunity to address the Solomon Islands 48th Independence Day celebrations – the first foreign leader to do so – where he announced a $10.2 million package of education support for Solomon Islands.

The package includes assistance for the Ministry of Education to develop a roadmap towards its implementation of providing free education, new books for every primary school student, infrastructure upgrades and uplift in curriculum standards for up to twelve Rural Training Centres throughout Solomon Islands.

The Prime Minister also announced the conclusion of an MOU for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Police Academy, as part of the RSIPF expansion agreement. This MOU facilitates the comprehensive support and advanced training requirements for the Police Academy in Honiara. This will support Solomon Islands to expand its sovereign police force and contribute to its own security and that of the region.

Before departing, Prime Minister Albanese attended the handover of the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre, a $45 million investment by Australia which will expand maternal and primary health services in Honiara.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“It was an honour to be the first foreign leader to speak at the annual Solomon Islands Independence Day celebrations and announce a significant investment by Australia in the education of Solomon Islanders.

“It was also a pleasure to hand over the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Care Centre, which is one of the most significant single investments in Solomon Islands’ health system since its independence.

“Australia and Solomon Islands have a strong and enduring partnership, and by investing in health, education and security across the Pacific, we are supporting a stable, resilient and prosperous region.”

Civilian employee charged – Northern Region

A civilian employee has been charged following an investigation into alleged domestic violence offences.

On Friday 3 July 2026, police were notified that a woman had allegedly accessed the emails of a woman known to her, without permission.

Following inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a home in Buttaba later that day (Friday 3 July 2026), where a laptop was seized.

A 44-year-old woman, who is a civilian employed by the NSW Police Force at a Northern Region command, was arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station, where she was charged with three offences,

  • Access/modify restricted data held in computer
  • Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic), and
  • Knowingly contravene prohibition/etc in AVO (Domestic).

She was refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 on Saturday 4 July 2026, where she was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday 14 July 2026.

The woman is suspended with pay.

Pharmacist prescribing: without evidence, it’s the patient who pays

The SAX Institute this morning  released   a report raising serious questions about the lack of evidence underpinning the ongoing roll out of pharmacist prescribing in all Australian states and territories.  
The “Community pharmacist prescribing outcomes in Australia and beyond” report was prepared by the Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data and commissioned by the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) in response to a growing concern for patient safety amid rapid changes to prescribing for over 20 different health conditions.    
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the results of the report were troubling to read, particularly after ongoing but unfounded claims the initiatives across the country were evidence-based.   
“The RACGP supports increasing access to healthcare; however, this should never be at the expense of patient safety,” he said.  
“Coordinated care is vital, but GPs across Australia are seeing patients with adverse health outcomes or diagnoses missed after forgoing a GP appointment in favour of a pharmacy prescription.  
“This can look like a patient getting prescribed treatment for a urinary tract infection and then presenting to a GP down the track with chlamydia, gonorrhoea, pelvic inflammatory disease or even an ectopic pregnancy. We cannot take these risks lightly.  
“All states and territories have announced or commenced pharmacist prescribing for around 20 common and minor conditions, but the independent report shows the bulk of these conditions have never been formally evaluated in robust clinical trials internationally, let alone in Australia.  
“These initiatives must be grounded in evidence to avoid putting patients at risk. The RACGP commissioned the report after patient safety concerns were consistently ignored by State Governments and repeated assertions by the Pharmacy Guild that the treatments were “evidence-based”.  
“We looked for high-quality clinical evidence that might support safe autonomous pharmacist prescribing but couldn’t find it. Then we asked State Governments to give it to us, but they declined. So, our last resort was to commission this independent report in case we were missing something. As it turns out, the evidence doesn’t exist and what does exist is limited or of very low quality.”    
Dr Wright challenged State Governments and the Pharmacy Guild to publicly release full details of any robust clinical evidence or peer-reviewed trials and evaluations demonstrating that autonomous pharmacist prescribing is safe.  
“While improving access to medicines is important, putting measures in place without assessing the risk to our patients is dangerous and could lead to poorer health outcomes, particularly for women who are targeted in these initiatives.   
“This new report identified some evidence that pharmacist prescribing may improve access to medicines, but the evidence largely measured service uptake and prescribing activity rather than patient or health system safety outcomes.  
“Rolling out major changes to our health system without evidence that they are safe and effective is reckless.   
“We need our health system to be evidence-based not lobbyist-led. Governments are putting policy ahead of safety and it is the Australian people who will pay the price.  
“We all want to see better access to medicines for patients around Australia, but not when it puts their health at risk.”  

Travel to Türkiye for the 2026 NATO summit

Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy MP, will travel to Türkiye this week to represent Australia at the NATO Leaders’ Summit.

Minister Conroy’s attendance at the 77th NATO Summit demonstrates Australia’s strong longstanding partnership with NATO and shared commitment to addressing common security challenges across the Indo‑Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.

Australia continues to work with NATO and Indo-Pacific partners to uphold international law, sovereignty and regional stability.

In partnership with NATO, Australia is supporting Ukraine to strengthen its military capability and self-defence, as demonstrated by last month’s additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine.

During the Summit, the Minister will address NATO and its allies and hold bilateral meetings on priority areas of strategic collaboration, including defence industrial opportunities.

the Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy MP:

“In an increasingly complex and challenging world, Australia’s partnership with NATO serves to support a world that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.

“While our regions may be far apart, our interests are increasingly connected and cooperation is vital to our shared security, resilience and opportunity.” 

Appointment of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consul-General

Today I announce the appointments of eight experienced career officials to lead Australia’s posts in Zagreb, Accra, Makassar, Kuwait City, Mexico City, Nauru and Bangkok and to lead Australian representation to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

I am pleased to confirm the following appointments:

Australia’s diplomatic network enables us to promote our interests in peace, security, trade, investment and other areas of cooperation.

Australia takes the world as it is and seeks to shape it for the better – these diplomatic appointments will deepen Australia’s connections abroad and increase our ability to influence where it matters.

I thank the outgoing Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consul-General for their important contributions to Australian diplomacy.