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Major review released: NSW Government’s roadmap to reform foster care

The Minns Labor Government is today marking an important milestone in its reform of the foster care system with the release of a landmark report that calls for sweeping changes.

The ‘System review into out-of-home care,’ commissioned by the Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington MP, examined the outsourced foster care system, and investigated how taxpayer money is being spent by non-government providers.

The report found that the $2 billion out-of-home care (OOHC) system, created under the former coalition government, is:

not fit for purpose and fails to meet the needs of children and young people at an efficient cost
characterised by a profound lack of accountability and ineffective oversight
overly complex, fragmented, and slow to respond in the best interests of children and young people
largely devoid of robust evidence-based practices

The review’s authors were often unable to follow the dollar to determine if taxpayer funds were being used to meaningfully support vulnerable children and young people.

The final report provides a roadmap for rebuilding system accountability and oversight; improving contractual and financial management; collaborating with and elevating the voices of children, families and carers; and building a stronger workforce.

The 13 recommendations include:

ceasing the current practice of outsourcing case management to non-government providers before final orders are made by the Children’s Court
mandating greater financial transparency between OOHC providers and foster carers (including relative and kinship carers), so that carers are aware of the significant taxpayer funding being provided to their case management agency
requiring OOHC providers to clearly identify the direct services and supports provided to children and young people as a result of taxpayer funding
boosting accountability in the outsourced sector through key performance indicators, comparative analyses, and regular financial and performance audits
ensuring all OOHC placement types are evidence-informed, reducing the reliance on High-Cost Emergency Arrangements (HCEAs)

The review was commissioned following a harrowing report by the Advocate for Children and Young People that details the first-hand experiences of the state’s most vulnerable young people in emergency accommodation. This type of accommodation can cost upwards of $2 million a year for each child, costing taxpayers more than $38,000 a week.

The system review was led by former Assistant Commissioner with NSW Police, Gelina Talbot, and former executive director of the Department of Communities and Justice, Lauren Dean. Their report sets out a blueprint for change and provides important insights into a system that often fails to meet the needs of children and young people.

While considering the report in its entirety, the NSW Government is already getting on with the job of implementing many of the recommendations, including:

Announcing a total ban on Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs) by March 2025
Reducing the number of children placed in ACAs by 81 per cent since November 2023, down to just 27 children
Reducing the number of children placed in all types of HCEAs by 33 per cent since November 2023
Opening the Waratah Care Cottages to better support children and sibling groups who are currently stuck in HCEAs
Implementing Active Efforts legislation, meaning DCJ must do everything practical to ensure children are safe and connected to their family, culture and community; as well as undertake extensive family finding processes if a child is removed
Finding safe homes for 849 children by commencing recruitment of more than 200 emergency foster carers after the former government stopped recruiting
Signing an historic deal to increase caseworker pay to attract and retain more caseworkers
Increasing workforce capability by redeploying casework specialists back to the frontline, so more families are seen by highly skilled caseworkers

The NSW Government acknowledges the important contributions of the hundreds of stakeholders, caseworkers, foster carers, families, and children and young people whose valuable contributions made this report possible.

The NSW Government is closely reviewing the findings and recommendations of the report and will formally respond in the coming months.

Read the ‘System review into out-of-home-care.’

Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington said:

“I thank Gelina Talbot and Lauren Dean for their clear and decisive report that lays out a significant roadmap for reform.

“The Minns Labor Government has been open and honest about the spiralling out-of-home care system we inherited. Now we have the evidence and the recommendations we need to start turning the ship around so that vulnerable children and young people get the supports they need.

“It’s shocking that some out-of-home care providers are failing to provide basic supports to children, despite being paid hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions, of taxpayer dollars to do so.

“Right now, we know taxpayer money is not always flowing to the children who need it.

“As a government, we are committed to ensuring every dollar invested in the child protection system goes to the vulnerable children who need it.

“Over the past 18 months, the Minns Labor Government has been stabilising the system, now we will begin rebuilding the foundations so that we can invest in better outcomes.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure increased accountability and transparency translates to better outcomes for children and young people.

Private health insurers to resume paying their fair share

Private health insurers will resume paying single room rates when their members use the public system.

Following months of negotiations with the NSW Government, all 53 private health funds in NSW will pay single room rates from January 1, 2025.

The successful resolution means the NSW Government will not need to increase the Health Insurance Levy (HIL) in order to recover costs.

The decision of some funds to stop paying the single room rate had been costing the public health system $140 million a year.

By resuming the payment, the sector is ensuring that the state’s world class public hospitals and the people who rely on them, will no longer miss out on critical funding.

The Minns Labor Government passed legislation in October, mirroring the approach taken by then-Treasurer Mike Baird when private health funds first stopped paying the correct room rate in 2013.

The legislation allowed for the government to cost recover through an increase to the HIL, which could be enacted if funds did not resume paying the single room rate.

The NSW Opposition refused to support the reintroduction of this bill, with the Opposition Leader, Shadow Treasurer and Member for Vaucluse instead backing ongoing taxpayer funded subsidies to private insurers.

The NSW Government commends the private health insurance sector for reaching a resolution to this issue.

The government will continue working with insurers on improved data sharing to increase transparency for private patients who use single rooms in the public system.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“Over months of negotiations, the NSW Government kept the door open to reaching a resolution with private health insurers.

“We now have an agreement that’s good for our public hospitals and the millions of people who rely on them every day.

“The NSW Liberal Party will be recorded as being on the wrong side of this issue – backing subsidies for private health insurers instead of fighting for the public system.”

Health Minister Ryan Park said:

“This agreement means private funds resume paying their fair share and our public hospitals are better off.

“This is welcome news for patients and public hospitals and I am grateful we’ve been able to reach an outcome.

“We said we’d work with funds to resolve this and that’s what we did.”

Penrith beach makes a splash with return date confirmed

The Minns Labor Government has confirmed, on Saturday December 7^th, Penrith Beach will be reopen for summer, providing access to a swimming spot for locals and visitors to cool down, relax and swim.

After it was kept locked up and out of reach under the former Liberal-National Government for twelve years, the beach’s second season since it was established by the Minns Labor Government is less than a week away

More than 215,000 people visited Penrith Beach from 19 December 2023 to Anzac Day 2024, and this summer’s swim season promises to be bigger and better with upgraded accessible facilities for beachgoers.

The Minns Labor Government invested $2.5 million to fund amenities and staffing for a second year, to make sure locals and visitors can soak up stunning views of the Blue Mountains while enjoying a dip at this unique Western Sydney swimming spot.

Beachgoers travelling to Penrith Beach will not need to book parking with more than 300 parking spaces available this year.

Penrith Beach operating hours will be from 10am to 7pm, commencing Saturday, 7 December and will be open every day including Christmas through to Sunday, 27 April 2025.

Water safety remains the top priority this summer with trained lifeguards from Surf Life Saving Australia on duty to patrol the beach and offer first aid services to visitors. The Royal Life Saving Society will also patrol the beach and lead community education and learn-to-swim opportunities.

In addition to reopening as a swim spot there will be further activations at the site over the course of the summer.

For more information, including hours of operation and available programs, visit Penrith Beach | NSW Government

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“It is fantastic to see Penrith Beach will open its gates again in one week’s time, so our community has somewhere to relax and cool off in our local area.

“The Liberals and the Nationals left this site locked behind gates for more than a decade, making empty promises and achieving nothing for the people of Western Sydney.

“This is about equity. A place like Penrith Beach is critical for the people of Western Sydney. Hundreds of thousands of Western Sydney locals showed up and enjoyed Penrith Beach last year, and I cannot wait to join them for another summer season.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Penrith residents previously needed to travel 40km to swim in Lake Parramatta, 63km to get to Bondi Beach, or 75km to get to either Cronulla or Manly.

“Bringing back this beach for another summer shows that our Government remains committed to providing access to great places to swim.

“We had huge numbers visit Penrith Beach last season and we look forward to welcoming even more people this summer.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“New and improved facilities are exactly what locals and visitors to our beach deserve.

“That is why we have taken the time to make this site special for our community and families with plenty of new fun and free activities.”

Second person dies following two-vehicle crash – Muswellbrook

A second person has died following a two-vehicle crash at Muswellbrook yesterday.

About 5.30pm (Saturday 30 November 2024) emergency services were called to Denman Road, Edderton, near Muswellbrook, following reports of a head-on crash.

Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District attended and found two sedans had collided.

A woman – believed to be aged in her 70s, who was the driver of one of the vehicles – could not be revived and died at the scene.

A passenger in a second vehicle – a man believed to be aged 20s, also died at the scene.

Three other people – one male and two females aged in their 20s – were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

Police established a crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

LibLab deal on Electoral Reform collapses – time for talks with the Greens

Speaking on the impasse between the major parties on Electoral Reform Greens Senate leader and democracy spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said:

“We’ve seen the big party stitch up on electoral funding reform crumble today.

“The Greens were ready to pass the transparency aspects of this legislation having long campaigned to get the influence of big money out of politics.

“We want more transparency so the public can see who’s paying for what outcome, who’s paying to try to seek influence.

“With the deal reportedly dead between the two big parties who were very ready to scratch each other’s back, the onus is now on the government to come and talk to the Greens and the crossbench about genuine electoral reform.

“Frankly, the government should have been talking more earnestly with us all along. However, it’s pretty clear that they will now need to do that.

“We will continue to fight to clean up democracy so that it works for people, not just large political donors.

“We will always fight to make sure that corporate donors and fossil fuel companies and weapons manufacturers can’t buy the policy outcomes that suit them ahead of the interests of the Australian public.

“We are very keen to continue to try to work on improving our democracy, and we could have passed those transparency measures today. There is theoretically still time, although there’s a lot on the agenda.

“But we need to make sure that those other funding reforms were not simply a stitch up for the two big parties, and that is certainly what they looked to be.

“We need an inquiry into those provisions, or failing that, the government can go back to the drawing board and come and talk in an appropriately open fashion with the Greens and the crossbench.

“Then we can actually get reforms that will kick big money out of politics and protect democracy for the people, not just the two big parties.

It’s giving gambling ads for christmas: Labor’s late night fold on Greens gambling ad ban

The Greens have accused Labor and Peter Dutton of giving gambling ads to every Australian family this Christmas after voting against a Greens amendment to ban gambling ads in the Senate late last night.

The Greens moved an amendment to ban gambling ads on tv, radio and online during debate over the Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024.

Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens spokesperson for communications, Senator for South Australia:

“Labor’s giving gambling ads this Christmas when they could have backed the Greens amendment last night to ban them before the holidays.

“Labor and Dutton have failed families on gambling ads. Addiction, family breakdowns and financial hardship will be worse this summer in Australia because the Albanese Government has sold out to Sportsbet.

“The facts are clear: Australians lose more per capita to gambling addiction than any nation on earth. Expert evidence and 70% of Australians support a full gambling ad ban, but Labor and Liberal are addicted to the donations, dinners and dirty deals with the gambling lobby.

“Instead of acting on the well established recommendations to ban gambling ads, they have rushed through a knee-jerk social media ban without evidence or due process.

“The Greens will move our Ban Gambling Ads Bill when Parliament returns in February and the Prime Minister and Peter Dutton should stop selling out to Sportsbet and support it.”

Greens condemn passage of boomers’ social media ban bill

The Greens have condemned Labor and the Liberals for smashing the Social Media Age Ban Bill through parliament this week.

The Greens had urged the Albanese Government to allow for proper consultation and scrutiny of Labor’s legislation, with many experts including health professionals, saying the blunt ban would have serious negative consequences for young people and recommending other measures to make social media safer for everyone.

Sarah Hanson-Young is spokesperson for Communications & Senator for South Australia:

“It is a disgrace that Labor teamed up with Peter Dutton to ram the social media age ban bill through the parliament this week.

“Parents are rightly concerned and we all agree something needs to be done to make tech platforms safer, but this was not the way to do it.

“There is no excuse for rushing this bill through and racing Peter Dutton to the bottom – it won’t even commence for 12 months.

“It is a sham bill that’s been through a sham process. It is a piece of legislation that doesn’t do what the PM or Peter Dutton say it will do – it won’t make young people safer online and doesn’t make social media safer for anyone.

“What we’ve witnessed this week is boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work. Yet these boomers clearly have no idea how young people engage with the internet.

“This bill might make oldies feel like they’ve done something but in reality it only delivers a false sense of security. Young people will be pushed to darker spaces on the web and regional, marginalised and vulnerable kids will be further isolated.

“Instead, the parliament should have supported the Greens’ duty of care amendment, and implemented measures that address the dangerous and predatory business models of the tech giants.

“The passage of this law is a world-leading failure by the PM and Peter Dutton.”

Senator Hanson-Young’s speech in the Senate last night here.

Labor must immediately suspend all mutual obligations after DEWR revelations

The Greens say the federal government must immediately suspend all mutual obligation requirements after it was revealed that the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations had been incorrectly cancelling some Centrelink payments.

The discovery by DEWR that they had incorrectly cancelled payments following a third financial penalty under the Targeted Compliance Framework prompted the department to pause these cancellations in July while it undertakes further inquiries. The Targeted Compliance Framework forms the foundation of mutual obligations.

Greens Social Services spokesperson, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“The news today that DEWR has paused some payment suspensions because of their incorrect application should be the final nail in the coffin for the failed mutual obligations scheme.

“Income support recipients are already forced to survive on poverty payments that are among the lowest in the OECD. Robbing them of the meagre payments they rely on is unconscionable.

“Australia’s income support payments are among the lowest in the OECD, but even these tiny poverty payments can be taken away by unaccountable, profiteering job providers for the most inconsequential breaches.

“The privatised employment services system has produced nothing but failure and harm while enriching private providers who hound people for their payslips and push people into pointless training sessions.

“The Greens will continue to push for Work for the Dole and the Targeted Compliance Framework to be abolished, and for the provision of employment services to be returned to the Commonwealth.”

Humanitarian assistance to the Philippines

The Australian Government will provide $5 million in humanitarian assistance to support the Philippines’ recovery efforts following a devastating series of tropical cyclones.

The Philippines has recently endured a wave of destruction with six cyclones hitting the country within a month.

Tropical Cyclone Trami, locally known as Kristine, brought widespread flooding and landslides, claiming nearly 350 lives and displacing more than 700,000 people.

Just days later Super Typhoon Man-yi, locally known as Pepito, struck affecting 3.9 million people, killing 12, and disrupting recovery efforts that were underway.

Australia’s assistance will include essential services delivered through humanitarian partners including the United Nations, non-government organisations and local community organisations.

Our partners work in close coordination with local government and local organisations to support those most in need with shelter, water sanitation and hygiene, food security, and health services.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:

“The Filipino people have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of back-to-back natural disasters. As friends and partners, Australia is pitching in to help in their time of need.
“Our assistance will help ensure families have food, clean water and the crucial resources needed to begin rebuilding their lives.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy:

“Our thoughts are with the people who have lost loved ones and the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced or impacted by the recent tropical cyclones. Some communities have been hit multiple times.
“Australia’s humanitarian funding will provide essential services including shelter, water sanitation and hygiene, and early recovery support.”

Touchdown for Turkish Airlines ignites NSW tourism boom

This afternoon the new Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul will hit the tarmac at Sydney Airport, officially opening an exciting new route to Europe and a boost in the number of visitors to New South Wales.

From today, this new route will offer four flights a week with one of the world’s leading carriers. In the first year alone, this will deliver an additional 68,620 inbound seats to Sydney Airport, support more than 290 jobs and generate an estimated $53 million for the NSW visitor economy.

This new route was made possible with significant financial support from the NSW Government’s Aviation Attraction Fund. Attracting new routes and building aviation capacity is part of Minns Government’s plan to rapidly grow the NSW visitor economy.

As outlined in the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy review released last month, the Minns Government plans to grow the state’s tourism industry from the current annual expenditure of $53 billion to $91 billion by 2035.

The arrival of Turkish Airlines to Sydney marks a new phase of growth in passenger numbers arriving in NSW. Over the next ten years capacity is expected to grow by 8.5 million seats to support the new $91 billion growth target. This will be driven by big growth at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport, the opening of

Western Sydney International Airport in 2026 and the Newcastle Airport international terminal in 2025.

Tourism is already the state’s fifth biggest employer, and the projected growth will take the total number of jobs from 300,000 to 450,000. The growth in revenue and jobs in tourism will play an important role in sustaining economic growth as other industries decline.

The Aviation Attraction Fund, administered by Destination NSW, has helped land more than 40 routes and is currently supporting Newcastle Airport to attract new international routes, and has supported Sydney Airport to land a new Shanghai-Sydney route with Juneyao Airlines that will commence next month.

Premier for NSW Chris Minns says:

“This flight route will open an exciting new destination for people who want to book overseas trips, and for visitors who want to see what our incredible state has to offer.

“Sydney was voted the world’s top destination for a reason and we are supporting our airports to get more people visiting the state, spending money and creating jobs across NSW. “

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham says:

“Turkish Airlines’ arrival in Sydney is a landmark moment that offers a new high-quality option for local travellers to Europe and a boost in visitor numbers to Sydney.

“This exciting new route from Istanbul was made possible by a financial incentive from the Minns Government.

“We are backing our airports to increase capacity and bring more visitors to NSW, creating jobs and economic growth in our tourism destinations right across the state.

“Bringing more passengers into our airports is part of the Minns Government’s plan to boost jobs and growth in our statewide visitor economy.”

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton says:

“We’re proud to welcome our 50th airline partner Turkish Airlines as they launch their inaugural flight to Sydney, strengthening our international network and offering passengers even more choice and connectivity to Europe and beyond through their extensive hub in Istanbul.

“The arrival of Turkish Airlines not only strengthens their offering in our region but also highlights the vital role Sydney plays as a global aviation gateway. We’re also delighted they have chosen Sydney to host their inaugural non-stop services in the years ahead.

“Turkish Airlines has been recognised as the best airline in Europe by Skytrax, and it’s fantastic that so many passengers from Sydney will now have the opportunity to experience their world-class service first-hand.

“I’d like to thank and acknowledge the significant support of the NSW Government and Destination NSW in helping make this possible. Their collaboration continues to be instrumental in driving tourism and international connectivity for Sydney and the broader region.”

Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi says:

“This momentous occasion marks Turkish Airlines’ longest flight path in history, as we happily add our second Australian city to our flight network.

“The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connect travellers across the globe, providing a seamless gateway between Europe and Australia with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines.

“Once we receive our aircraft capable of conducting the journey in a single leap, we look forward to further expanding our offering in the near future with Australia’s first non-stop flights to Istanbul.”