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Families affected by the ongoing closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass will receive additional support through a temporary amendment of the School Drive Subsidy Scheme, alongside further improvements to school bus services which have been in place since the start of Term 3.

While Transport for NSW has worked to improve public transport connections, for some impacted families, current detours and extended journey times mean driving children to school is the preferred or only option for parents.

The School Drive Subsidy Scheme is in place to help families cover some of the costs of driving children to school when public transport isn’t available. Payments are calculated based on the approved distance between home and school or public transport drop-off, the number of days the student attends school, and the applicable subsidy rate.

The NSW Government will provide a targeted, temporary amendment to the Scheme to assist families whose school journeys have been significantly disrupted by the closure and who are facing increased travel times and costs.

The assistance will be back dated to the start of the closure, from 8 March 2026, until the road reopens. This means eligible families will be able to apply retrospectively, with payments covering the period since the closure began.

Students who travel to and from school by private vehicle may be eligible if they:

• Live in Hartley, Little Hartley, Hartley Vale, Kanimbla or Oberon.
• Attend Mount Victoria Public School, Blackheath Public School, Mountains Christian College, Katoomba High School, Katoomba Public School or Blue Mountains Grammar School.
• Obtain confirmation from their school principal that the Victoria Pass closure has increased their travel and that they are travelling by private vehicle.
• Continue to meet all existing School Drive Subsidy eligibility requirements, including age, NSW residency and minimum distance criteria.

This measure recognises the significant and unique impact the Victoria Pass closure has had on a number of families and is aimed at reducing transport disadvantage for students whose journeys to and from school have been substantially affected.

For general information about the School Drive Subsidy, please visit: https://transportnsw.info/tickets-fares/eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel/guide-to-school-drive-subsidy-payments.

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

“Families have been doing an incredible job navigating this disruption, and we want to support them to ensure their children continue to access their education.

“Alongside the improved school bus services this financial support will help ease pressure on families in the area.”

Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

“We understand how challenging this closure has been, particularly for families and students facing longer journeys to and from school. For these families, it has meant a complete change in routine, with earlier mornings, longer drives and extra costs that add up.

“The temporary amendment to the School Drive Subsidy Scheme will help ease that financial pressure, and it applies retrospectively so families aren’t out of pocket.

“With a clear timeline in place and works underway, parents and students can plan ahead knowing this support will be there for the remainder of the closure.”

Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle said:

“Parents, carers and particularly our students have struggled while dealing with the impacts of the Victoria Pass closure. It’s been a genuine challenge for these families and their schools, so this amended subsidy will be a welcome bit of relief.”

Today, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we honour the courage, service and sacrifice of Australians who served during the Vietnam War and commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, one of the most significant engagements in Australia’s military history.

On 18 August 1966, soldiers from D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, faced overwhelming odds and engaged a much larger Viet Cong and North Vietnamese force in a rubber plantation near Long Tan, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam.

After three hours of intense fighting in difficult conditions, 18 Australians were killed and 24 were wounded.

The Battle of Long Tan has become an enduring part of Australia’s military history and remains a defining moment for those who served in the Vietnam War.

Sixty years later, the legacy of Long Tan continues to resonate across generations. Vietnam Veterans’ Day provides an opportunity to recognise not only those who served on the battlefield, but also the families, loved ones and communities who supported them during and after the conflict.

Today we also pay respect to the more than 60,000 Australian service men and women who served in the Vietnam War. Of those, 523 made the ultimate sacrifice and nearly 2,400 were wounded.

Many Vietnam veterans returned home to a nation deeply divided over the war. In the decades since, Australians have come to better understand and appreciate the challenges faced by those who served.

Today, we acknowledge their contribution and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring their stories are remembered.

A commemoration service will commence at 11am at the Martin Place Cenotaph.

NSW Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“Today, on this 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, is an opportunity for Australians to pause, remember and acknowledge the service and sacrifice of a generation of Australians who served, and their families.

“The Battle of Long Tan stands as a powerful reminder of the service and sacrifice of diggers during the Vietnam War – a conflict that spanned more than a decade and saw Australians serve on land, in the air and at sea.

“On this 60th anniversary, we honour all who served, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and acknowledge the lasting impact of their service. We will remember them.”

The Minns Labor Government is scrambling to catch up, finally releasing a policy framework for data centres at a time when there are already billions of dollars in projects in the pipeline.
 
Shadow Minister for AI, Digital and Investment James Griffin said Labor had been far too slow to plan for the infrastructure demands created by one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.
 
“With more than 60 data centres already operating or being built and $50 billion in the pipeline, this framework is far too long overdue,” Mr Griffin said.
 
“Labor has been happy to point to data centre investment as one of the very few bright spots propping up the state’s finances but has done very little to manage that growth so far.”
 
“We support requiring proponents to pay their fair share of the infrastructure they need, rather than leaving households and small businesses to pick up the bill.”
 
“The bigger test for Labor is whether it can actually deliver the reliable and affordable energy, grid capacity and water infrastructure needed to support this investment.”
 
Mr Griffin said the NSW Liberals and Nationals recently announced plans for a dedicated Minister for AI, and Labor was right to adopt that policy.
 
“The NSW Liberals and Nationals believe NSW should be leading in the AI space, attracting investment and creating jobs while also ensuring a benefit for the community and that’s what our recently announced policy will achieve.”
 
“Investors need certainty that projects can connect to power and water and communities need confidence their bills and services will be protected.”

The Minns Labor Government must urgently address legitimate concerns about its firearms buyback before the scheme begins on 2 November.
 
Following the Bondi terrorist attack, the NSW Liberals supported reforms to strengthen community safety. We also made clear that Labor needed to consult in good faith and ensure its rushed laws did not create serious unintended consequences.
 
Labor failed to do that. It rushed complex legislation through Parliament without proper consultation and has repeatedly ignored the concerns of licensed firearm owners, farmers, sporting shooters, collectors and firearms businesses.
 
Labor’s laws target law-abiding citizens while failing to confront the real threats to public safety exposed by the Bondi terrorist attack and ongoing criminal gang warfare. Chris Minns and NSW Labor must focus its efforts on terrorists, organised criminal networks and illegal firearms, instead of punishing licensed firearm owners who follow the law.
 
Chris Minns and Anthony Albanese have now announced a buyback that raises more questions than it answers.
 
Despite being promoted as a national scheme, NSW is the only state identified as having reached an implementation agreement with the Commonwealth, while four other jurisdictions have reportedly refused to participate.
 
The fixed payments announced for most firearms do not reflect their individual market value. While the Commonwealth and NSW have agreed to share the acquisition costs, the Government has not disclosed the scheme’s total anticipated cost or identified the NSW Budget allocation that will fund it.
 
The Government says it will provide a flat payment for associated ammunition but has failed to disclose the amount, eligibility criteria or whether affected accessories and other property rendered unusable by its laws will be compensated.
 
The Government must urgently explain:
 

• What is the total anticipated cost of the buyback, and what NSW Budget allocation will fund the State’s share?
• How was the fixed-price schedule determined, and why will most firearms not be assessed at fair market value?
• What compensation will apply to ammunition, accessories and other property rendered unusable by the reforms?
• How many firearms the Government expects will be surrendered?
• Why NSW is proceeding before a genuinely national agreement has been secured?
• What safeguards will protect licensed owners and businesses from financial loss?
• Whether NSW Police has the resources and systems required to administer the scheme safely?

 
The NSW Liberals have consistently supported practical reforms that improve public safety. We will also continue to hold Labor accountable and ensure its laws are workable, properly funded and do not unfairly punish law-abiding citizens.
 
The Government must correct course, engage genuinely with affected stakeholders and resolve these concerns before the buyback begins.
 
Public safety requires properly designed laws and competent implementation, not rushed announcements and unanswered questions.

The Albanese Government and Minns Government have reached an agreement to deliver a NSW Gun Buyback Scheme to reduce the number of firearms and make communities safer.

New South Wales will be the first state to commence the Commonwealth Government’s National Gun Buyback Scheme, with both governments agreeing to share the costs of the buyback 50:50.

Following the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, National Cabinet stood in solidarity and agreed to action to eradicate antisemitism and to strengthen gun laws across the nation. 

In the days that followed, the NSW Government acted to significantly tighten the state’s gun laws, including introducing new limits on the number of firearms a person can own, reclassifying some types of firearms, introducing stronger background and eligibility checks, and reducing firearms licence periods from five years to two.

The NSW Gun Buyback is the next step in those reforms and will commence on 2 November 2026, administered by NSW Police. It will provide compensation to individuals for firearms above the new ownership limits and newly reclassified firearms, plus a flat fee for associated ammunition.

The scheme will also provide financial assistance for businesses and industry to adjust to the reforms.

In addition, the Commonwealth will contribute 50 per cent for administration costs and fully fund the destruction costs for surrendered firearms and administration. 

Importantly, the scheme will be administered in in two phases:

Phase 1 of the NSW Buyback Scheme will include a fixed price schedule for individual licence holders, who are above the new legal limit for their licence, to return their firearms in exchange for fair compensation.
  

Firearms Type	Firearms Sub-type	Compensation
Handgun	Revolver	$1,000
	Semi-auto	$850
Shotgun	Double barrel	$850
	Single barrel	$650
Rifle	Rimfire	$600
	Centrefire	$1,000
	Air rifle	$450

 
It will also include an initial industry support package to help eligible local businesses and dealers adjust to the new laws, available from 2 November 2026.

This package will include: 

• Up to $25,000 in grants  available to eligible businesses and dealers 
• one-off licence fee relief for eligible gun dealers in NSW, worth $500 over two years per dealer. 

 
Phase 2 of the NSW Buyback Scheme, commencing in early 2027, will provide a pathway to compensation, for a fee, for eligible higher-value firearms with an indicative market value above $3,000, capped at $10,000 per firearm. 

It will also involve further support for affected industry. More details on Phase 2 will be announced in due course.  

The New South Wales Government estimates up to 274,000 registered firearms – approximately 24 per cent of the total number of registered firearms in New South Wales – and approximately 50,000 licence holders are affected by the new limits on gun ownership and reclassification of some types of firearms. 

This Scheme is informed by the Interim Report of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion’s Recommendations to prioritise efforts to finalise and implement an updated and nationally consistent National Firearms Agreement (Recommendation 13) and the proposed Buyback Scheme (Recommendation 14). 

These reforms build on the Commonwealth Government’s Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 and the New South Wales Government’s Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025, which together include the toughest firearm reforms in a generation. 

More information is available at http://nsw.gov.au/gunbuyback.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform.

“I thank the New South Wales Government for their collaboration as we work to take guns off our streets in order to better protect Australians.”

Premier Chris Minns:

“After Bondi, we promised the people of New South Wales we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country, and that’s exactly what we did.”

“The next step is getting the guns that are no longer permitted under those laws out of circulation and permanently off our streets.”
“There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes. We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed.”

“This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer New South Wales.”

Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke:

“After the tragedy at Bondi we committed to dealing with the motive and the method.

“Since then, we have strengthened our hate crimes and hate speech laws, which are now the strongest in our country’s history.

“Today we continue the proud Australian tradition of sensible gun reform designed to protect our community from weapons which have no utility other than to cause harm.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley:

“Today, we’re announcing details of the biggest gun buyback in NSW in three decades.

“I want to thank the Commonwealth for its support in delivering and co-funding this reform.

“Community safety is our top priority which is why we’re reducing the number of firearms in the community, along with strengthening checks and increasing oversight.

“The NSW Police Force are overseeing a significant logistics exercise in public safety. We ask affected firearms licence holders to be patient. Everyone affected by the new laws in NSW will have the opportunity to participate in the Buyback Scheme.”

New expectations for NSW data centres to invest in renewable power sends the right signal to help protect households and businesses against the risk of rising power bills and climate pollution posed by a poorly managed data centre boom.

With the NSW Government saying in media reports today it will require data centre investment to be matched with increased investment in renewable energy, the Climate Council is calling for mandatory standards so data centre proposals that fall short don’t go ahead.

The state’s new guidelines are another step forward, in line with the Albanese Government’s commitment to legislate national standards – despite resistance from Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The standards are expected to require data centres to supply their own additional renewable power, no matter where they are built around Australia.

Climate Council Senior Advisor Ben McLeod said:

Australians are rightly asking: Where is the power for the data centre boom going to come from? Guidelines like these set us on the path to making sure the answer won’t push up household bills, or climate pollution. The NSW Government should be decisive in shielding its citizens and make these expectations mandatory.

All states and territories should get on board with similar rules under the proposed national guidelines. Governments must set the bar higher, and require data centres to be powered by new wind, solar and storage, otherwise Australians will pay the price of higher power bills and more climate pollution.”