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The NSW Government has approved the Albury to Illabo section of the 1,600-kilometre Inland Rail project between Brisbane and Melbourne.

The Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) project has now been formally approved by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully. The approval means the project remains on target for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to begin construction in south-western NSW in early 2025.

The work will include upgrades to rail tracks, footbridges and road bridges, overhead structures, signal structures and level crossings on agricultural land and through Albury, Culcairn, Henty, Yerong Creek, The Rock, Uranquinty, Wagga Wagga and Junee.

The project’s approval, includes consent conditions that relate to traffic monitoring, transport infrastructure upgrades and noise and biodiversity management.

Following the completion of the Inland Rail, Australia’s regional freight capacity will be expanded, meaning less trucks on the road and lower freight industry emissions.

With a capital investment of $300.8 million for this section of the rail line, the project is a major economic boost for the region on top of the 770 new jobs provided by the project.

The Albury to Illabo connection is one of seven sections traversing the inland length of NSW and its approval comes weeks after the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces approved the Illabo to Stockinbingal Inland Rail project.

More information is available here: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/assess-and-regulate/state-significant-projects/inland-rail/albury-to-illabo

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Improved Inland Rail will enhance our national freight and supply chain capabilities by connecting and improving routes through rail, roads and ports.

“I look forward to seeing this critical state significant infrastructure project come to life over the next few years and the many benefits it will bring to regional NSW.

“This project has gone through a rigorous planning process with extensive consultation completed to minimise impacts and maximise the project’s opportunities.”

Minister for Regional NSW and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“Inland Rail promises to be a game changer for people across rural NSW.

“Regional communities need big developments to keep workers in the bush actively contributing to their communities, with this project providing 770 new jobs.

“We are proud that NSW continues to help Inland Rail’s essential journey through Australia’s three eastern states.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“This section of Inland Rail will provide a valuable infrastructure link for the Murray region as it connects with this vital piece of national infrastructure.

“The NSW Government is working with Inland Rail to deliver this project and strengthen its commitment to the regions.

“Consumers right across regional NSW stand to benefit with valuable cost savings once the Inland Rail project is complete as our state will have a more efficient and sustainable freight transport.

“The Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of the Inland Rail project have already injected more than $4.2 million across these local economies with many businesses receiving a timely economic boost during a cost-of-living crisis.”

Women experiencing severe or complex menopause symptoms now have improved access to additional support following the establishment of Western NSW Local Health District’s (WNSWLHD) new menopause referral service.

WNSWLHD’s new Specialised Menopause Referral Service aims to provide assistance and support for women whose symptoms have not responded to previous treatments, or those women who face additional complications from other medical conditions.

The new service has been established as part of NSW Health’s menopause network, which has four hubs and multiple referral sites across the state and is networked with the South-Western Sydney LHD hub.

General practitioners, specialists and nurse practitioners are able to refer women to the service for advanced care.

Care Coordinators will assist with triage and navigate care locally, supporting the medically-led, multi-disciplinary hub team of nursing and allied health professionals to provide holistic support.

The WNSWLHD Specialised Menopause Referral Service will deliver care using a hybrid approach, with a largely virtual service coupled with face-to-face consultations when they are required.

More information is available here

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“I’m pleased to announce this service has been launched today on World Menopause Day today, to improve menopause care and support options available for local women.

“This Specialised Menopause Referral Service will promote flexibility and choice in the way women in Western NSW access support to manage severe menopause symptoms, and by improving access locally this service will significantly reduce the need to travel for this important care.

“Up to one in four women endure severe and debilitating menopause symptoms, which is why services like this one are so important.

“By continuing to break down barriers like geographic isolation through effective use of virtual care technology, this service will help us continue to improve health outcomes.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison:

“Menopause will affect most women at some stage of their life.

“This new menopause referral service will provide much needed support to women in regional areas who experience complex menopausal symptoms and can provide advice about associated health risks of menopause.

“On this World Menopause Day, I also encourage women to speak up – you don’t have to suffer in silence. There is support available from your GP and specialists. The Menopause Toolkit can help you understand a bit more about perimenopause and menopause symptoms, and the care available.”

Minister for Western NSW Tara Moriarty:

“Every woman is different, and every woman experiences different symptoms of menopause. But many women experiencing severe or complex symptoms will endure in silence which can seriously impact their health and wellbeing.

“That’s why enhancements like this are so important, this service is eye-opening and will be potentially life-changing for many women in Western NSW, which is home to some of our state’s most remote and most vulnerable populations.”

WNSWLHD Senior Manager Women’s Health and Violence Prevention Nicolla Giddings:

“Severe symptoms of menopause don’t discriminate, and our new Specialised Menopause Referral Service aims to help local women access the support they need as close to home as possible.

“Being an inclusive service and providing reliable access to advanced care for people living in rural areas of our District is at the forefront of this new service, to also increase the comfort levels of women while they receive care.”

Detailed maps are now available to outline the 19 highway upgrades that will pave the way from the Port of Newcastle to the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ).

‘Port to REZ’ upgrades will be funded by the Australian and NSW governments, with $128.5 million announced towards 320 kilometres of road upgrades and ancillary works.

The upgrades will enable the transportation of wind turbines and other crucial components needed for wind and solar farms and the transmission network that connects them.

The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) and Transport for NSW are working together to deliver the improved roads, ensuring they can comfortably accommodate transportation of materials required, whilst also improving road safety for local communities.

The 19 specific locations identified as pinch points are on the Golden Highway between the Port of Newcastle and Elong Elong, as well as a section of the Castlereagh Highway.

The maps can be found here

NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:

“Transport for NSW is supporting the eight councils along the route with resources and information to help guide them in the rollout of the REZ in preparation for new wind and solar power operations.

“We are working closely with councils who are the local road authorities in their respective areas, responsible for the management of local road networks, including road safety, road funding, road maintenance and heavy vehicle access.

“Additionally, Transport for NSW and EnergyCo are currently carrying out a review of roads across the designated renewable energy corridors to determine if any roads should be reclassified as state roads.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe:

“As the Renewable Energy Zones progress, we’re working to ensure that local infrastructure such as roads, are in a good enough state to accommodate extra demands.

“This is part of our commitment to the long-term prosperity of communities hosting Renewable Energy Zones as we continue the transformation of our state’s energy system.”

An expansion of the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) model on the Mid North Coast is providing more women and their families with access to evidence-based midwifery continuity of care.

Mid North Coast Local Health District recently announced the commencement of a new MGP service and Maternity Antenatal Postnatal Service (MAPS) in the Hastings Macleay region.

The MGP service commenced in Port Macquarie in September, supporting increased access to continuity of care with a known midwife.

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

A review of 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.

In May this year, a dedicated team of midwives began providing MAPS care at Kempsey District Hospital and Port Macquarie Base Hospital. The MAPS model offers midwifery continuity in the antenatal and postnatal periods, while birth care is provided by a core hospital birthing team.

These new services are in addition to the existing MGP models in place at Coffs Harbour and Macksville since 2021.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“We are committed to ensuring women across NSW have access to respectful, evidence-based maternity care. I am proud of the work Mid Morth Coast Local Health District is doing to expand its midwifery continuity of care models.

“These models of care enable women to get to know their midwife throughout their pregnancy, who then provide postnatal care in the home for up to six weeks to support mother-baby bonding and a healthy start to life.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison:

“Women’s health and wellbeing are a key focus for this government. It’s important we provide women with continuity of care so they feel supported during their pregnancy and after their baby is born.

“With the expansion of the MGP to Mid North Coast, we are increasing the number of women who will be able to access to midwifery continuity of care.”

Labor Spokesperson for Port Macquarie Cameron Murphy, MLC:

“I welcome Mid North Coast Local Health District’s commitment to improving maternity services for women in Port Macquarie, so they, their babies and their families can have the best possible experience in our hospitals.”

MNCLHD acting Chief Executive Jill Wong:

“We’re thrilled to expand the midwifery continuity of care models across the Mid North Coast region and to build on the successful Coffs Harbour and Macksville models which have been in place since 2021.

“We’re committed to delivering midwifery-led care and offering more choice to pregnant women and their families. I thank the many staff and consumers who have worked to deliver these positive changes.”

Courtney Harvey, who had her baby Charlotte through the MAPS service at Kempsey:

“Being a first-time mum, everything can be a little scary, there are so many unknowns about labour and birth. The first few weeks, everything is such a big change but having my own midwife at all my appointments made such a big difference, it was really lovely.

“It was nice having the same point of contact for everything in my pregnancy.

“My postnatal care was amazing. I loved that my midwife did an antenatal home visit prior to me having my baby. It was nice having her come into my space at home during the antenatal period and I could get comfortable having a health professional in my own home.

“If I am blessed to have more children, I would really hope that I can have the same experience as I have had with my pregnancy and birth this time as it has all been so positive, so special, I wouldn’t want to change it. I hope I can have continuity, and birth here, once again.”

The Minns Labor Government will create a $250 million royalty deferral initiative for critical minerals projects and will examine the implementation of a rapid assessment framework for minerals mining projects.

The initiatives are the first actions of the NSW Government’s new Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, which sets a vision for NSW to become a global leader in critical minerals.

Currently there are 12 critical minerals mining and processing projects in NSW that are ready for investment. They need around $7.6 billion in capital investment value and are expected to generate about 4,600 jobs during construction and 2,700 ongoing jobs.

High initial investment costs for critical minerals projects are a barrier for the industry. The royalty deferral scheme will assist new projects in the early stages of development, ease financial pressures, attract investment to NSW and enhance the economic viability of the sector.

Another immediate action from the strategy is a joint Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure and NSW Resources assessment to deliver greater certainty to the sector around the planning process for critical minerals projects.

NSW has globally significant resource deposits and 21 of the 31 nationally declared critical minerals. The strategy identifies priority minerals and metals for NSW – including rare earths, scandium, cobalt, copper and silver – which have important uses in the electrification of the economy and the manufacturing of clean energy products like solar panels and batteries.

The strategy outlines the vital role of critical minerals in supporting broader government priorities, including in the clean energy transition and driving domestic manufacturing.

The International Energy Agency estimates that over the next 20 years, the world will need six times the amount of critical minerals currently mined to reach global net-zero carbon emissions. The energy transition will need double today’s copper production, triple today’s rare earth elements and cobalt production, and thirty times more nickel – all these minerals can be found in NSW.

Fully realising the opportunity of the state’s critical minerals and high-tech metals deposits means moving further down the supply chain and beyond only extracting and exporting resources. Examples of this in the strategy include investigating opportunities to pilot common-user refineries and supporting investment in domestic manufacturing.

The new Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy focuses on five key pillars:

• Encouraging exploration by minimising investment risk in greenfield exploration and promoting exploration in new areas,
• Incentivising production by creating an attractive investment environment and removing barriers to help projects move from exploration to production,
• Developing future-ready skills by providing training and education pathways to encourage careers in critical minerals mining,
• Establishing resilient supply chains by examining local processing facilities, driving research and development, and investigating critical minerals recycling, and
• Engaging local communities by ensuring responsible mining.

The royalty initiative will be an opt-in scheme where the first five years of royalties are deferred. It will apply to critical minerals projects which can start production between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2030, predominantly mine commodities listed on the Commonwealth Government’s Critical Minerals List and where the proponent has a market capitalisation under $5 billion.

The full Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, and a two-page summary of the strategy, can be viewed on the NSW Resources website https://www.nsw.gov.au/criticalminerals.

NSW Premier Chris Minns:

“We’ve got the metals and minerals the world needs, and NSW is open for business.

“We are sending a clear message to Aussie and global miners: invest in NSW.

“This is about backing regional jobs and manufacturing jobs, and taking advantage of the critical minerals boom.

“We want to make sure we fully realise the opportunities that critical minerals and high-tech metals have for NSW.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully:

“To be a global leader in critical minerals, it is vital that the NSW planning system operates efficiently and provides certainty and transparency to the critical minerals sector and communities.

“The strategy identifies a number of improvements we can make to help enhance the system. These will provide greater guidance to the industry and improve collaboration between government agencies and departments in project assessment.

“We’re also investigating further ways to improve decision-making to make sure we fully realise the opportunity before us.”

Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos:

“Our vision for NSW is to be a global leader in critical minerals and high-tech metals, generating economic prosperity through exploration, mining, processing and advanced manufacturing.

“NSW critical minerals projects typically have long lead times for development, and higher capital investment. The new royalty deferral scheme will assist mine proponents to attract investment and move faster to production.

“The new strategy sets out a clear vision for NSW to be a leader in critical minerals and high-tech metals, generating economic prosperity through responsible exploration, mining, processing, recycling and advanced manufacturing.

“We want NSW to be moving further down the supply chain. Extracting minerals is a critical first step, but we can generate strong economic returns and support more jobs by getting into processing and advanced manufacturing.”

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong:

“The new Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy forms a key part of the NSW Government’s approach to Industry policy, which seeks to invest and promote home-grown products and services not only for NSW, but for export right around the world.

“This strategy provides a long-term vision and commitment to the critical minerals and high-tech metals mining industry so that businesses can feel confident to invest and grow in NSW, as we seize the investment opportunities of the renewable energy economy, both here and across the globe.”

Today the Greens, alongside spokespeople from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, the Maritime Union of Australia, Rising Tide, Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Action Group, First Mardi Gras Inc, Students for Palestine Sydney Uni and North East Forest Alliance called a press conference to address the recent crackdown on the right to protest and call on the Premier to walk back the anti-democratic laws infringing on this fundamental right .

Earlier the same day, Greens MP and Democracy spokesperson Kobi Shetty MP introduced a bill to repeal controversial anti-protest laws, introduced by the former Liberal Government and supported by Labor in 2022 and Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson moved a motion on a Matter of Public Importance triggering a debate on the Policing of Protest in the Upper House.

Supporters packed the seats of the public gallery to listen to the debate and filled out the rooftop garden as spokespeople cracked down on the Premier’s recent string of actions signalling the further tightening of a chokehold on the right to protest in NSW, including a “user-pays” system.

Quotes Attributable to Various speakers:
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Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice, Sue Higginson said:

“Today was a wake up call for the Minns Labor Government. We had wharfies, lawyers, original 78er’s, anti-war organisers, forest advocates and young climate heroes all standing alongside the Greens to deliver one clear message: enough is enough,”

“The Premier has gone too far. He has stirred division in his own caucus, he has lost control of the police and he has angered the people. We will not sit by while the Minns Labor Government drags us down the slippery slope of state oppression where our right to protest is threatened because this is an assault on our democracy,” Ms Higginson said.

Greens MP and spokesperson for Democracy, Kobi Shetty said:

“ In the last month we have seen repeated attacks on the right to protest from the NSW Labor Government. Most recently the appalling suggestion from the Premier that police should be given the power to veto protest applications at their discretion. This suggestion is the latest in a slew of protest busting initiatives from the Minns government,”

“The Greens oppose these draconian anti-protest laws, and I was pleased today to introduce the Greens bill to repeal these undemocratic laws. The right to protest is a cornerstone of democracy and must be fully reinstated. NSW Labor must repeal these undemocratic laws as a matter of urgency, and I urge them to support the Greens Bill,” Ms Shetty said.

President of NSW Council for Civil Liberties Lydia Shelly said:

“The NSW Council for Civil Liberties will always stand up and defend our democratic freedoms. Our right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. The silencing of dissent in this state has gone on for too long. Our democracy is under threat from laws that criminalise and repress the right to protest,”

“The public will not benefit from these [proposed] laws; where only the rich will be considered worthy to be able to express a political opinion. In a cost of living crisis, for such laws to be introduced, is scandalous and a betrayal to every person in NSW who is struggling to make ends meet. Their voices matter just as much as those who have not been touched by the cost of living crisis,”

“The idea that you can arrest your way towards social cohesion is fundamentally flawed. The idea that you can safeguard democracy by repressing and criminalising the right to protest, is Orwellian,” Ms Shelly said.

Spokesperson for MUA, Paul Keating said:

“These laws criminalise the right to protest, they are a stain on this Parliament, on Chris Minns, and his Government. The right to protest is union business. It’s union business to stand alongside our communities as they fight for their rights, and the unions will stand behind the Greens in this fight,”

“The trade union movement in NSW condemns these laws and any strengthening of further anti-protest laws. We will challenge every politician, every Government who tries to get in the way of the right to protest. We will never ever forgive any politician who does not stand on the side of our communities. This NSW Government has got a use-by date. Chris Minns will not see another term, and he doesn’t deserve it,” Mr Keating said.

Spokesperson for Palestine Action Group, Josh Lees said:

“In the last 2 weeks the NSW Government has carried on an extraordinary campaign against our right to protest against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon. They tried to ban our peaceful march, then when that failed they mobilised hundreds of riot police to intimidate people attending a candlelight vigil. Then Chris Minns’ had the nerve to complain about the cost of policing, as if this whole fiasco of over-policing was our decision and not his,”

“If the Premier is so concerned with the costs of protests why doesn’t he address the reasons we are protesting in the first place? His Government continues to actively support the state of Israel as it carries out a genocide in Gaza. In two weeks the NSW Government is hosting the NSW Defence Summit, with weapons companies operating right here in Sydney that are supplying, and profiting from, Israel’s genocide in Gaza and invasion of Lebanon,” Mr Lees said.

Spokesperson for First Mardi Gras Inc, Paul Keating said:

“We won the right to get the police out of protest back in 1978 and one of the results of the terrible event. We condemn the Police Commissioner for going to the court and trying to shut down peaceful protest. That’s a political action and she should not have done it. We cannot have the police being an arm of political expression,” Mr Keating said.

Spokesperson for Rising Tide, Zack Schofield said:

“As Australians, our rights at work and in our democracy are the product of peaceful non-violent disruption by everyday people from the union movement, the suffragettes and feminist, and civil rights movements. Undermining protest is anti-democratic, and it’s time that anti-democratic Governments should be removed,”

“Rising Tide activists facing fine-only offences for the first time have been denied bail or set punitive bail conditions due to pressure from the NSW Government,” Mr Schofield said.

Spokesperson for North East Forest Alliance Susie Russell said:

“Last week I was arrested for peacefully protesting the destruction of Greater Glider habitat in Bulga State Forest. Despite only receiving charges that would result in a fine if found guilty, I was kept overnight in the police station and had bail conditions stipulating not to engage in any other protest activity. What we are seeing is a serious culture of police overreach emboldened by these laws – the kind of laws that will affect all of us, eventually,” Ms Russell said.