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Greens call for Domestic Roaming on the back of ACCC announcement

The Australian Greens call for all Australians mobile phone users to have access to domestic roaming and call on the ACCC to put public safety first as the regulator launches a new inquiry.

Greens spokesperson for Communications, Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“It is a disgrace that Australians can’t rely on their mobile phones to work because the big telcos refuse to share their networks. The greed and arrogance of the phone companies is putting people’s lives and livelihoods at risk.

“Australians should be able to rely on our mobile phones working when we need them and domestic roaming is a no brainer in making that happen.

“This inquiry should focus on how, not if, we implement domestic roaming. Public safety should be explicitly considered in the inquiry’s terms of reference.

“Fixing our flawed telecommunications system must put the public interest at the centre of this conversation. It can’t just be about competition.

“Anything else is a distraction, kicks the can too far down the road, and risks more people’s lives.

“Repeated, disastrous failures from Telstra and Optus have only made the need for reform more urgent. Canada’s done it. New Zealand’s done it. There is no reason why the Australian Government can’t too.

“The public’s expectation is clear – they want domestic roaming.

“The only people who don’t want action on this are the big mobile phone companies, who are more worried about corporate profits. If the Labor Government is serious about putting people over profit, they will work with the Greens to introduce mandatory domestic roaming, reliability standards and proper compensation for consumers.

“I won’t be waiting for the outcomes of this inquiry to hold Big Telcos to account, and neither should the Labor Government.

“As we head into bushfire season, Australians must know that if they need to call for help, their phone will work.

“It’s high time we prioritised public interest in our telecommunications sector.”

Employment services “punishment without trial” is back

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) has quietly announced they will resume some payment cancellations and suspensions from 26 October 2026, with plans to return the Targeted Compliance Framework to “full operation” by early 2027. DEWR have decided the following penalties will resume under the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth) from 26 October:

payment suspensions for work refusal failures and
payment cancellations for not meeting a reconnection requirement within 4 weeks.

In December 2025, the Commonwealth Ombudsman released their report detailing the widespread failures of the Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF), which forces people to engage with dodgy private employment services providers who wield the power to issue breaches with no oversight and no real requirement to provide a reason behind the breach. These “breaches” led to payment suspensions and cancellations, however, DEWR stopped these penalties because they were being made unlawfully at a massive scale.

DEWR revealed their plans to resume sanctions the same day that their Minister, the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, was at a conference touting her efforts to help women succeed in small business. The Minister is still yet to provide comment of any kind.

One of the payments affected is the parenting payment for parents whose youngest child is six years or older. Anyone who has ever raised a child knows that even once they’re in school, your caring responsibilities don’t just suddenly disappear, especially if you’re a single mother.

Life is getting harder, and many welfare recipients impoverished by the inadequate levels of our support payments are overwhelmed simply ensuring their own survival. Our communities battle daily with the cost of food and rent, with unpaid bills, with our elderly parents’ medical appointments and the cost of our children’s sports equipment. The list of immediate priorities is long, and it’s no wonder that returning a call from their employment services provider or remembering to check their MyGov inbox falls down the neverending to-do list.

Reconnection requirements are still a seriously risky proposition under the TCF. It’s highly likely that someone who’s failed to reconnect after 4 weeks is in serious trouble in one respect or another. They might’ve been hospitalised, they might’ve just lost their home. Regardless, a payment cancellation in these circumstances risks losing people who probably need an arm around them, and they may disengage permanently. Likewise, work refusal penalties are difficult to administer and the legislation is vague. It is on the jobseeker to argue that an offer of work is unsuitable, in a process that does not offer them a fair shout.

Anyone subject to the ridiculous ‘mutual obligations’ their provider imposes upon them knows that these activities don’t work. But the provider doesn’t care about that, because they can get a payment from the Government every time they force somebody into the provider’s own compulsory training module on shaking someone’s hand or on appearing confident, which have never worked anywhere in the world.

Greens spokesperson on Social Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“There is nothing in the Secretary’s statement that provides any confidence in the legal foundations of the system, nor their capacity to administer that system lawfully or fairly, nor any reason to believe the Ombudsman’s concerns have been appropriately addressed.

“There was nothing about improving DEWR’s capacity to monitor providers’ misconduct. They told the Ombudsman that they had an ‘app’ for that, which turned out to be a new dashboard on their existing system. There is no mention of any improved capacities in this regard anywhere.

“My office has heard reports of providers still threatening people with payment suspensions and cancellations to force people to comply with ridiculous or unnecessary requests, usually to bolster the provider’s incentive payment. That’s not helping anyone – that’s coercion.

“If these sanctions are resumed, the providers will be administering them. How can Minister Rishworth or her Department trust these providers to do the right thing, when they are financially incentivised to do otherwise? The TCF appears fundamentally at odds with lawful and fair decision-making.

“The Minister and the Department’s failure to communicate these matters in a timely, effective or comprehensible fashion is characteristic of all the worst Robodebt-style governance.”

Inquiry – Housing Catastrophe: Prices and Rents Soar Past Wages

The seventh hearing of the Greens-led Senate inquiry into intergenerational housing inequity, held in Perth today, heard evidence of a housing catastrophe with house prices and rents rising multiple times faster than wages or inflation.

Additional evidence to the committee today showed:

In the last 45 years, we have witnessed a catastrophic decoupling of house prices from wages, with real house prices soaring 350% since 1981 while real wages have increased by just 60%.
There’s been a significant fall in home ownership for people in their late 20s and early 30s resulting in life long renting.
It now takes 10.6-12.4 years to save for a 20% deposit compared to around 5 years in 1990.
Homeowners now pay on average 45% of their income on mortgage repayments, well above the 33% benchmark of housing stress.
Government schemes, such as the 5% deposit scheme, are insufficient to solving the housing crisis and have pushed up prices.
Life-term renters generally accumulate less wealth and less retirement security, are more likely to rely on commonwealth rent assistance and the age pension, signalling fiscal challenges ahead.
Lack of affordable housing is a barrier to attracting essential workers within commuting distance of their jobs.
People in WA are living in vans, tents, and caravans in relatives’ driveways. There are families by their hundreds living in cars and under bridges.
Youth homelessness has risen 32% in the past decade in Perth, while rent has increased by 50% since 2020.
On average, one young person experiencing homelessness dies every six days in Australia.
Renters are being left behind, as government policy focuses heavily on home ownership while the National Rental Affordability Scheme has ended.
There is a chronic and growing shortage of suitable housing for disabled people in WA. Disabled people face even greater barriers to securing a safe and affordable roof over their heads.
Short-stay accommodation like AirBnB is cannibalising the rental market, with 14 unhosted AirBnBs for every long-term rental available in regional WA.
WA currently remains the only state in the country that still has no grounds evictions on its rental laws.
Every year, Western Australia evicts five times more children into homelessness than New South Wales per capita.
Since WA Labor took office in 2017, more than 3,000 children have been evicted from public housing into homelessness. More than half of all these evictions were First Nations families.

Greens spokesperson for finance, housing and homelessness and Senator for South Australia, Barbara Pocock:

“Today’s evidence is clear: House prices are out of control, rents are out of control, while wages are going backwards. Working hard no longer secures a roof over people’s heads.

“In the past 45 years, real house prices have soared by 350%, while real wages have increased by just 60%. We’ve seen a catastrophic decoupling of housing and wages.

“House prices need to fall if first home buyers stand any chance of getting into the housing market.

“Rents are rising at record rates forcing people to spend much more than 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads.

‘This housing catastrophe is turbocharging inequality. At the top end, banks, developers, big property investors, and the real estate industry are profiting from disaster, which is ruining the life-chances of millions of young Australians.

“Labor’s plans to fix the housing crisis are not touching the sides. After four years of rapidly increasing house prices and astronomical increases in rents, it’s no wonder Australians are ditching the major parties.

“In a nation-wide housing catastrophe, we need rent caps and a massive long term boost in public investment in good quality homes, renting them to people at prices they can actually afford.”

Greens spokesperson for Health, Mental Health, Disability Rights, the NDIS and Youth and Senator for Western Australia, Jordan Steele- John

“Across Western Australia, people are sleeping in cars, tents and caravans because they simply cannot find an affordable home. That’s the reality of a housing crisis that governments have allowed to spiral for far too long.

“The evidence heard in Perth today makes it crystal clear that renters, young people and disabled people are paying the price for decades of political failure.

“Disabled people are being hit especially hard, with a chronic shortage of physically accessible and affordable housing leaving far too many without a safe place to call home.

“At the same time, short-stay accommodation is stripping long-term rentals from communities across WA. In some regional areas, there are fifteen entire unhosted Airbnbs for every long-term rental available. That’s a policy failure.

“This week I heard directly from people at a community forum in Secret Harbour about the impossible choices they’re being forced to make. Governments need to start delivering more public and affordable housing, stronger renter protections, and ensure there are homes that people can actually afford.

“The Greens are fighting for a housing system that puts people before property investors, and ensures everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.”

Public hearing link

Winter work prepares pools for busy summer season

Safety upgrades are being completed across City of Newcastle’s network of five inland pools as swimmers prepare to return to the water for the summer season.

Lambton Park War Memorial Swimming Centre will reopen its doors to the keenest swimmers in the community on 24 August, while Wallsend, Mayfield, Stockton and Beresfield will make a splash for summer from 26 September.

City of Newcastle’s Acting Executive Manager Community and Recreation and former Commonwealth Games medallist Donna McGovern said the winter closure provided an important annual period for essential maintenance activity.

“We know how much our community values our inland pools as hubs of recreation, connection and education,” Ms McGovern said.

“This is why we make the most of the winter closure each year to undertake a comprehensive program of essential work across all five pools.

“Our teams carry out safety upgrades, freshen up the painted surfaces including non-slip areas, service plant and equipment, undertake plumbing repairs and complete pool tile and promenade maintenance.

“This ensures we can continue to provide safe, clean and enjoyable aquatic facilities, and enhance the longevity of these ageing community assets.”

Additional work is completed depending on the needs of each pool, including a major service of Lambton’s popular splash park feature and new fencing for the waterslide, while playground maintenance and kiosk improvements at Beresfield will keep the kids safe and happy when they’re out of the water.

Wallsend’s 50m pool is being emptied this week to repair floor tiles and replace expansion joints. A detailed inspection of the empty pool shell will be completed, while pipe fittings will be replaced to reduce the risk of water leakage during power outages in the plantroom.

Guttering repairs and security improvements will also be carried out at Wallsend, while Stockton’s bench seating will be replaced to ensure greater visitor comfort.

New staff specialists to strengthen care in Armidale and Inverell

Communities across the New England region will soon have enhanced access to specialised medical care, following the appointment of 12 senior medical professionals at Armidale and Inverell hospitals.

The incoming doctors bring experience across a broad range of clinical settings, including obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, emergency medicine, general surgery, general medicine and gastroenterology.

These appointments will help expand access to a number of treatments and services across the region, ensuring people can continue to receive safe high‑quality healthcare close to home.

As part of this recruitment, Armidale Hospital has secured 10 permanent full‑time staff specialists, including eight highly skilled international medical officers from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Canada.

Hunter New England Local Health District is currently supporting these clinicians through the recruitment and relocation process, ensuring a smooth transition into both their professional roles and local communities. The staff members are expected to arrive in the region in the coming months.

At Inverell Hospital, two local General Practitioner Visiting Medical Officers will soon commence work in the emergency department, including Dr Anton Wright, who moved to Inverell from the Central Coast with his family in 2024.

This recruitment builds on the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to rebuild essential services in the regions by hiring more staff. The Coalition failed to invest in the health workforce, refusing to hire more staff and subjecting workers to an oppressive wages cap.

The Minns Government is investing in initiatives to ensure regional communities have the health workers they need, including:

The NSW Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, which provides incentives of up to $20,000 for the hardest to fill and critically vacant positions in rural and regional NSW.
$200.1 million investment in 2024-25 to deliver more than 20 key health worker accommodation projects across regional and remote areas of NSW.
Expanded training pathways, such as the Rural Generalist Single Employer Pathway, which has assisted 74 doctors to train as rural generalists across NSW.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“Communities in regional NSW deserve the same access to specialist care as those in metropolitan areas. That’s why we are investing in initiatives that help attract more health workers to these communities.

“These new clinicians at Armidale and Inverell will improve access to critical services, ensuring people have access to care closer to home.

“We’re recruiting more staff for regional NSW, so we can deliver more services where they are needed most.

Labor Spokesperson for Northern Tablelands Peter Primrose:

“People from across the Northern Tablelands often face long travel and time away from home to receive critical health care.

“The appointment of 12 new senior medical professionals in Armidale and Inverell hospitals will make a real difference.”

Tracey McCosker PSM, Chief Executive, Hunter New England Local Health District:

“These appointments are great news for patients across the New England region, increasing access to specialist care closer to home and strengthening the services our communities rely on.

“What makes our District unique is that clinicians can enjoy the benefits of living and working in vibrant regional communities like Armidale and Inverell, while being part of one of the largest and most diverse local health districts in Australia.”

Dr Anton Wright, GP Visiting Medical Officer, Inverell Hospital:

“Working across the emergency department, inpatient care and primary care is continually stimulating and incredibly rewarding. There is a genuine sense of gratitude from patients and their families, and the continuity of care you can provide in a regional setting is truly special.

“Outside of work, Inverell is a fantastic place to raise a young family. There’s a strong sense of community, great amenities, and the New England region offers endless opportunities for outdoor adventure and travel.”

Dr Githmi Hapugoda, Armidale Hospital:

“Having worked in Sri Lanka and the UK, I feel fortunate to add Armidale Hospital to my diverse experience as a physician. It has given me a wonderful opportunity to deliver specialist care in regional Australia, and I have found the breadth of medicine we practise here to be both challenging and rewarding.

“I have also come to love Armidale as a place to live. It is a welcoming town with rich cultural diversity and a wide range of activities to enjoy, offering a great balance between work and personal life.”

NSW strengthens correctional system to keep serious offenders off our streets

Changes to inmate intake and remand operations across metropolitan Sydney will improve the movement of prisoners through the correctional system, support police operations and help manage growing demand across correctional centres.

The Minns Labor Government is strengthening the state’s correctional system, announcing a major overhaul of remand reception and prisoner intake operations in metropolitan Sydney to better manage the state’s prison population.

The changes will improve the movement and management of inmates, helping Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) support the Government’s commitment to holding serious offenders accountable while maintaining a safe, secure and efficient correctional system.

As more serious offenders are being held on remand, the current intake system is no longer fit for purpose. The state’s main reception centre, the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC) at Silverwater, stops accepting new inmates each afternoon, meaning police can be left holding bail refused prisoners until space becomes available.

From 1 October 2026, MRRC will become the central 24-hour, seven-day-a-week metropolitan intake hub allowing police to transfer bail refused prisoners directly into the correctional system at any time, improving the movement of inmates, reducing pressure on police cells and making better use of prison capacity across metropolitan Sydney.

The changes come as the NSW prison population continues to grow, with more than 1,100 additional inmates entering custody since December 2025 and an increase in the number of people being held on remand.

This growth reflects stronger action across the justice system, with police, courts and Corrective Services NSW continuing to hold more serious offenders to account, particularly domestic and family violence offenders, following the Minns Labor Government’s tougher laws.

With the transition of MRRC to 24/7 operations, the much smaller Amber Laurel Correctional Centre, which currently operates as a 24-hour intake and transit facility for people on remand, will cease operations.

Additionally, Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre will transition to a 30-bed facility, as previously announced on 20 March 2026, and Mary Wade Correctional Centre will transition back to housing female prisoners with a focus on external leave and work release for women.

Parklea Correctional Centre will operate as a predominantly remand-focused facility once it transitions from private to public management on 1 October 2026.

Together, these operational changes will deliver a more coordinated and efficient remand network, improving the management of inmate admissions and movements while ensuring correctional capacity is available where and when it is needed most.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“The first responsibility of any government is keeping the community safe, and that means ensuring serious and violent offenders are held accountable and kept off our streets.

“Police are arresting more serious offenders, the courts are remanding more people into custody and we’re making sure Corrective Services has the capacity to respond. That’s what these reforms are about.”

Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Community safety comes first, and these reforms will ensure our correctional system has the capacity and flexibility it needs to meet growing demand.

“More offenders are being held on remand and more serious criminals are being taken off our streets, including perpetrators of domestic and family violence.

“That’s a positive outcome for community safety, and these changes will support the system by improving efficiency across our correctional centres and ensuring resources are being used where they will have the greatest impact.

“This is about planning for the future, so we can continue holding serious offenders accountable and keeping communities safe.”

CSNSW Commissioner Gary McCahon PSM said:

“This plan represents a bold and crucial step toward building a correctional system that recognises and responds to the unique needs and experiences of people entering custody.

“This new model has been designed in consultation with government agencies, non-government partners and other important voices.

“By addressing the systemic issues we are facing, we envision a future where these operational transformations support staff as they work help keep our community safe.

“Due to the significance of the changes at MRRC, we will focus on workforce readiness, safety and operational excellence to ensure the centre is prepared to meet current and future correctional needs.”

Final Concept Design unveiled for treasured Anzac Park

The Minns Labor Government has unveiled the final concept design for Anzac Park in West Ryde, delivering on a $6 million election commitment to transform the treasured 90-year-old park into a vibrant and accessible green space for the growing community.

The upgrade will revitalise one of West Ryde’s most valued open spaces while protecting the ANZAC memorial at its heart, making sure it remains a place for recreation, reflection, and community connection for generations to come.

Key features of the park will include:

upgraded pedestrian paths,
more seating, shade, and gathering spaces,
a new fitness zone,
a welcoming park entrance,
improved BBQ facilities, and
a new, modern, and accessible amenities building.

The final concept design was developed in close collaboration with City of Ryde Council, with two rounds of community consultation undertaken to inform the park’s masterplan.

More than 300 community submissions, together with detailed technical site investigations, have helped shape the final park design, creating a more welcoming and connected park for residents and visitors while meeting the needs of a growing population.

Anzac Park forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s broader investments in delivering more open spaces and community infrastructure that keeps pace with housing growth and helps create liveable neighbourhoods where people can stay active, connected, and close to nature.

The Minns Labor Government is investing in parks and open space across the state with:

$520 million for open space and active transport in Transport Oriented Development precincts to complement broader investments in liveable communities,
$200 million through the Faster Assessments Incentive Program to support councils in high- and medium-growth areas over the next three years, and
$40 million through the Better Open Spaces program for parks, sports fields, swim spots, and town squares.

City of Ryde Council will manage and deliver construction of the upgrades, with completion expected in 2028.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“Ryde is continuing to grow, with thousands of new homes expected over the coming years, and projects like this help existing and future residents have access to the quality green spaces that make neighbourhoods great places to live.

“Delivering the Anzac Park masterplan was a key election commitment and reflects our commitment to creating communities where people can stay active, connect with others and enjoy the benefits of quality open space close to home.

“This upgrade will enhance the park’s recreational facilities while preserving its important heritage values, ensuring it continues to serve as both a place of remembrance and a vibrant community gathering space for generations to come.”

City of Ryde Councillor, Lyndal Howison said:

“I’ve heard from so many local families about how much this park means to them, and it’s fantastic to see that feedback reflected in the final design.

“Ryde is growing fast, and projects like this are exactly what our community needs, quality open space that keeps pace with new housing and gives people somewhere to stay active and connected.”

NSW Government introduces sweeping new laws to target organised crime

New legislation introduced to Parliament will strengthen the powers of police and the NSW Crime Commission to investigate organised crime, access critical evidence and disrupt criminal networks.

The NSW Government is today introducing new laws into Parliament to modernise the fight against organised crime, giving the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission stronger powers to investigate sophisticated criminal networks, disrupt their operations and hold offenders to account.

The reforms respond to the changing nature of organised crime, with criminal syndicates increasingly outsourcing violence, relying on encrypted technology, exploiting the illicit tobacco market, recruiting children to carry out offending and using layers of associates to distance themselves from the crimes they orchestrate.

These tactics are designed to frustrate investigations and shield offenders from accountability. The new laws will ensure law enforcement has the modern powers it needs to respond to these evolving threats.

Strengthening police investigations

Digital Evidence Access Orders

Police increasingly rely on mobile phones and other digital devices to investigate organised crime. However, current laws can delay access to critical evidence.

In an Australian-first, a new Digital Evidence Access Order will allow police to compel an individual to supply access information for digital devices suspected to be associated with organised crime.

Currently, a device can only be ordered to be unlocked if it is seized as part of a Search or Crime Scene warrant. This significantly limits the circumstances in which police can access devices.

Our bill extends these orders for prescribed serious offences linked to organised crime, including drug supply, the illicit tobacco trade, fire-bombings and public place shootings.

This means police can quickly access digital devices and gather critical evidence to assist with fast-moving investigations.

The bill also increases the maximum penalty for non-compliance from five to seven years.

Access to unredacted images captured by toll cameras on public toll roads

It will also enable police investigating suspected serious indictable offences, or responding to missing person cases, to access unredacted images captured by toll cameras on public toll roads.

If the Bill passes Parliament, the Government will commence preparations for a staged implementation of these reforms, beginning with cameras on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel.

The changes are targeted and will not affect law-abiding motorists, with access to unredacted toll camera images only available for investigations into suspected serious indictable offences or missing person reports.

These proposed changes are the latest in a suite of reforms and funding aimed at giving NSW Police and the NSW Crime Commission the tools they need to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks.

They recognise that organised crime today rarely involves a single offender. Instead, criminal networks increasingly rely on third parties and technology to try and evade the law.

Doubling penalties for obstructing Crime Commission investigations

The legislation will also strengthen the powers of the NSW Crime Commission by doubling the maximum penalties for failing to comply with Commission orders – including refusing to answer questions, providing false or misleading evidence, or obstructing investigations – to up to 10 years imprisonment, while streamlining contempt processes.

NSW to participate in the Commonwealth face-matching service

The Bill will enable NSW to participate in the Commonwealth’s national Face Matching Services to help prevent stolen identity documents being used for organised crime purposes, including being sold on the dark web.

NSW will join Western Australia and South Australia, which are already connected to the National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution, strengthening the national effort to combat identity crime.

This works by allowing Transport for NSW to securely share driver licence and photo card images through the National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution, in accordance with Commonwealth identity verification laws.

If a person’s driver licence, Medicare details or other identity information are exposed in a data breach and obtained by organised criminals, the Face Matching Service can help prevent those documents being used to create fraudulent identities.

For example, where a criminal attempts to use stolen identity documents to open a bank account, facial verification can identify that the person presenting the documents does not match the legitimate owner, preventing the fraud attempt.

About 1 in 4 Australians every year are impacted by identity theft, which costs Australian business about $2.2 billion annually. Face Matching Services provide a critical tool to combat identity theft.

Backing police with stronger laws and greater capability

The package builds on the Minns Labor Government’s work to combat organised crime, including:

Cracking down on ‘kill cars’ and targeting public shootings and fire-bombings
Introducing new offences targeting the recruitment of children into organised crime
Providing law enforcement with additional powers to tackle emerging criminal threats

This includes a $126.6 million investment in the 2026/27 NSW Budget, $108.8 million to continue our nation-leading ICT infrastructure and capability to fight criminals through major enhancements to cyber security, vital policing technology systems and digital evidence management, and $17.4 million for the NSW Crime Commission to disrupt organised violence and confiscate proceeds of crime. 

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“Organised crime has changed, and our laws need to change with it. Criminal syndicates are exploiting encrypted technology, the dark web and layers of intermediaries to distance themselves from the violence they commission.

“Often, the people directing serious offences are nowhere near the crime scene. They’re recruiting others to steal cars, source weapons or carry out shootings while they hide in the background. We are making it harder for those criminals to operate.

“We’re giving police stronger powers to access critical evidence stored on encrypted devices that have been lawfully seized, ensuring technology can’t be used to shield organised criminals from justice.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“The operating model of organised crime is evolving and we’re ensuring police have the powers they need to stay ahead of threats.

“Criminals are increasingly facilitating and coordinating their crimes online, thinking they can distance themselves from the law. This couldn’t be further from the truth: the NSW Government is giving police every tool to come after them hard.

“We’ve listened to NSW Police, we’ve listened to the NSW Crime Commission and this is what they’ve told us they need to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks and keep our streets safe.

“We will continue to be informed by law enforcement and support them with the tools, laws and budget necessary to continue targeting serious and organised crime.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“Organised crime is evolving and we need to make sure that our laws keep up.

“These are innovative measures that will give investigators strong and effective powers to combat the threats posed by new technologies that can be exploited by criminals.

“Our Government’s message is clear: If you try to block the Crime Commission’s work in disrupting and reducing organised crime, you will face significant penalties. If you engage in or facilitate organised crime in this State, you can expect to be caught and prosecuted.”

Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“Our toll road network generates information that can be valuable to police – supporting investigations into serious criminal offences, organised crime, coronial matters, and helping to reunite missing people with their families.

“These changes will give investigators access to another important source of evidence when examining serious crimes, strengthening their ability to identify offenders, progress investigations and help keep the people of NSW safe.”

NSW must do more to house veterans

The NSW Liberals and Nationals are calling on the Minns Labor Government to expand veteran housing support to stop former ADF members falling through the cracks.

An estimated 5,800 former Australian Defence Force members experience homelessness over the course of a year.

During Homelessness Week, Shadow Minister for Veterans Tim James said it was a national disgrace that Australians who had served their country faced the risk of homelessness almost three times higher than the broader population.

“These are people who were prepared to risk their lives for our country. We should not accept veterans who have finished their service being left without a safe place to live,” Mr James said.

“NSW already has valuable programs and support staff, including Rent Choice Veterans and RSL LifeCare’s Homes for Heroes. But the continuing rate of veteran homelessness tells us we need to do more. Existing programs cannot be the limit of our ambition.”

Mr James called on the NSW Government to expand the capacity of veteran-specific services and provide more pathways into secure, long-term housing.

“Veterans face unique challenges and are at particular risk when they transition to civilian life. Some leave Defence without a conventional rental history. Others are dealing with injuries, unemployment or the breakdown of a relationship,” Mr James said.

“Homelessness is getting worse across NSW under Labor and veterans are among those at particular risk,” Mr James said.

Mr James also called for the potential conversion to veterans housing to be considered before the Commonwealth moves to divest dozens of Defence properties.

“Where Defence land is genuinely surplus and suitable for housing, governments should consider setting aside part of it for veterans before simply selling it to the highest bidder,” Mr James said.

“A home provides the foundation for recovery, employment and rebuilding family relationships. Veterans have already served Australia. Supporting them when they need a home is the very least Australia can do.”

Shadow Minister for Homelessness Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the Minns Government has failed to get a grip on the homelessness crisis, with a 42 per cent increase in the number of people sleeping rough across the state since 2023.

“Rents are skyrocketing, homelessness services are at breaking point, and tens of thousands are trapped in a system that can’t cope.”

The 2026 NSW Street Count recorded 2,308 people sleeping rough across the state, a five per cent increase in one year. The number has risen by more than 40 per cent from the 1,623 people recorded in 2023.

The next Census will be held on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 and will provide the next national snapshot of veteran homelessness. This will be a key statistic that policy makers must take note of and action.

NAPLAN results show Minns Labor failing students

The 2026 NAPLAN results for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 released today show the Minns Labor Government is failing our students on the basics of reading, writing and numeracy.

Some of the damning NAPLAN results include:
· the number of NSW Year 3 students needing additional support for numeracy increasing by over a quarter in the three years since NSW Labor came to office
· increases over last year, and in the three years since NSW Labor came to office, in the numbers of students needing additional support in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for reading and writing
· around 30 per cent of NSW Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students not meeting national benchmarks for reading, writing and numeracy.
· NSW being outperformed by Victoria, the closest comparable state, on 11 of the 12 NAPLAN averages for reading, writing and numeracy.

Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said the Minns Labor Government should stop congratulating itself and focus on the children who are being left behind.

“Every parent expects their child to develop strong foundations in reading and writing, but almost one in ten Year 3 students in NSW now require additional support in reading, with the proportion also rising in writing,” Ms Sloane said.

“Improvement at the top cannot be used to ignore a growing problem at the bottom.”

Shadow Minister for Education Mark Speakman said the Government’s failure to improve reading, writing and numeracy outcomes is undermining confidence in public schools.

“The Government seems to have thrown in the towel – this year’s Budget cuts education employee expenses by around five per cent after inflation and assumes falling public school enrolments and teacher numbers,” Mr Speakman said.

The Government must snap out of its complacency and urgently review its approach across the board including:
· teaching methods for mathematics
· initial and ongoing training of teaching maths
· ensuring explicit teaching and phonics policies are actually being implemented
· ensuring teachers are being given enough support for classroom behaviour management
· ensuring technology is not being counter-productive in classrooms
· support for children with disability
· the primary school mathematics curriculum.