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The NSW Shadow Attorney-General, Alister Henskens SC MP, has called on the Minns Labor Government to urgently lodge an expedited appeal against the Supreme Court’s recent single Judge decision in Kvelde v State of New South Wales.

The Court’s decision will open the door to more disruptive protest action if NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley fails to lodge an expedited appeal to ensure the anti-disruption laws operate as the NSW Parliament intended.
Last year, the NSW Coalition passed reasonable and proportionate laws with the full support of the Labor Party to prevent the kinds of disruptive activities that saw Sydney ground to a halt. The community welcomed these laws as a way to prevent the chaos created by blockades of major roads and ports by protestors.
These laws were carefully considered and balanced the important rights of freedom of speech and political communication against the need to prevent mass disruption and economic damage from protestors. The judgement also raises significant questions of law surrounding the proportionality, which Justice Gageler described in Brown v Tasmania (2017) 216 CLR 328 at [158] as, “a tool of analysis, not a constitutional principle”.
Last month, the Premier said, “You cannot have a situation where our ports are blocked for commerce because one group or another has a political disagreement with another country. That would be hugely damaging to our economy and it would be massively damaging to the reputation of both the state and the country.” 

If the Premier really meant his statements last month then he must get his Attorney-General to lodge an expedited appeal.

Last week the Premier ruled out further legislative change, leaving an appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal as the only option to save these anti-disruption laws.

The integrity of our parliamentary democracy is at stake. The untested decision of one judge should not be determining an issue that has enormous consequences for the people of NSW. The decision should be appealed by the NSW Government.

The choice for the Premier and Attorney-General is clear – they can be on the side of the commuters and businesses of NSW by lodging an appeal, or they can be captive to the left-wing of their party and do nothing.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $73 million in Marine Rescue NSW over the next four years, as the volunteer water rescue service had its busiest year on record.

The major funding was announced at Stockton today, where a new $3 million Marine Rescue NSW base was officially opened by Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib and Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley.

Built by a family-owned construction company based in NSW, the new Stockton facility is a purpose-built search and rescue coordination centre funded by a $2 million grant from NSW Crown Lands and an investment from Marine Rescue NSW.

The 600 square metre, two level building features a radio room, crew and training areas, administration areas, vessel and equipment storage and can act as a command centre during major incidents.

The Minns Labor Government is also investing significantly in Marine Rescue NSW’s fleet, including three new multi-purpose vessels currently being built in the Hunter.

These vessels will be used to assist other agencies during significant emergencies, such as floods. When the vessels are not used for flood response, they will be part of the Marine Rescue NSW fleet assisting boaters in need.

The additional funding will be invested in new fleet including new rescue vessels for Lake Macquarie, Trial Bay and Brunswick units in the first year. It will also contribute to the refurbishment of nine other rescue vessels.

Last financial year, Marine Rescue NSW conducted a record 4548 search and rescue missions, returning more than 10,000 people safely to shore, it’s busiest year to date.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are the unsung heroes of our waterways, and they play a vital role in keeping people who enjoy our oceans, lakes and rivers safe.”

“Our beautiful waterways will continue to be busy this summer, so it is important Marine Rescue NSW has the resources and facilities it needs to carry out its important role.”

“This investment is recognition of volunteers’ dedication and an assurance that they will have the resources and support needed to save lives.”

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:

“The new Marine Rescue NSW base is a welcomed addition to supporting local and visiting boaters to the Newcastle area.”

“The Hunter Coast is one the busiest boating regions in the state and it is reassuring for the community to know that the team of highly skilled volunteers are ready to respond.”

“Marine Rescue NSW and NSW Police Marine Area Command work closely together to serve the boating community and this building provides a fit-for-purpose base for joint operations.”

“On behalf of the people of the Hunter, and all of our boating visitors, I thank the hardworking Marine Rescue Newcastle volunteers for their dedication and commitment to helping keep our beautiful waterways as safe as possible.”

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said:

“The NSW Government fully supports our mission of saving lives on the water and this four-year funding agreement ensures that our skilled volunteers from the Tweed to Eden and inland at the Alpine Lakes and Moama can continue assisting boaters in need.

“In the first year this funding will facilitate the construction of new rescue vessels for our Lake Macquarie, Trial Bay and Brunswick units.

“It will also contribute to the refurbishment of nine other rescue vessels and assist with the development of 24/7 communication hubs across the state.”

Marine Rescue Newcastle Unit Commander Lyn Van Homrigh said:

“The new base provides a major boost to the region’s boating community.

“This new facility has expanded our search and rescue capabilities and has already played a vital role in numerous emergency responses.

It’s official – Western Sydney’s first beach is open for business thanks to a $1.7 million investment by the Minns Labor government.

Hundreds of visitors will today attend the grand opening of Penrith Beach to soak up the sun and cool off in the heart of Western Sydney.

Western Sydney 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.

From today, Penrith’s own beach will be open 7 days a week through to 3 March 2024, except on Christmas Day.

Visitors will find on-site car parking, change rooms, toilets and access for people with disabilities, including mats to allow wheelchairs to fully immerse in the water.

Public safety at the site is paramount – lifeguard services and first aid will be available in the designated and patrolled swimming zone. Water quality will also be monitored regularly during the summer.

Booking is essential, with 700 car parking spaces available daily. Access is provided through free parking vouchers, available via the website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/penrith-beach

A free shuttle bus will also operate on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, travelling from Penrith Station to Penrith Beach between 11am and 4pm. Free shuttle bus tickets are available from www.nsw.gov.au/penrith-beach

The first week will be used to gather feedback and fine-tune the experience, and we ask that people are patient during this time.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

 “What a fantastic day it is to see Penrith Beach opening for the people of Western Sydney.

“Our local communities have been waiting years for this incredible swim spot to be opened to the public, and I know locals are delighted to see this day finally come.

“I am proud to be part of this Labor Government which has finally opened the first ever beach for the people of Western Sydney.

“See you at Penrith Beach!”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This fantastic initiative will mean people can cool down at a beach in the hottest part of the year for the length of the school holidays.

“We’ve always been clear that this is the first time the beach has opened for swimming. It’s a trial through to the beginning of March 2024, so we’re asking people to be patient particularly while we fine tune the experience in its first few weeks.”

Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“This is not just about giving families and kids a safe and fun place to play over summer – it’s about bringing some balance to the opportunities available to the people of Western Sydney.

“Grab your towels, your sunshades and your sand buckets – Penrith Beach is going to be an amazing place to spend time this summer, but don’t forget to book!”

Two additional renewable energy generation projects and 3 long-duration storage projects have been successful in the latest tender round of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, cementing the state’s position at the leading edge of investment in the national energy transition.

In the third tender delivered independently by AEMO Services, one solar project, 1 wind project, 2 lithium-ion battery energy storage system projects and 1 advanced-compressed air energy storage system have been awarded Long-Term Energy Service Agreements.

The projects will be built in Twelve Mile, Culcairn, Broken Hill, Merriwa and Myrtle Creek.

Each of the 3 storage projects have a continuous discharge capacity of at least 8 hours and collectively could power the Sydney Cricket Ground lights for around 130 days.

The successful projects represent $4.2 billion in private sector investment in the state’s renewable energy infrastructure, building upon the $4.3 billion in private sector investment committed in AEMO Services’ 2 previous tenders.

The 5 projects are expected to be operational from 2028 and will contribute to broader community and economic benefits, including support for an estimated 1000 jobs over the project lifetimes, $2 billion in local supply chain benefits, $40 million towards First Nations initiatives and enough generation to power 360,000 NSW homes per year.

Following the outcome of this third tender, NSW has now locked in 5.79 GW – almost half – of its legislated 12 GW renewable target for generation. It confirms 574 MW of the legislated 2 GW target for long-duration storage.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:

“The Roadmap tenders are accelerating the transition to renewables, ensuring households and businesses have reliable access to clean and affordable electricity into the future, while providing jobs and other benefits in regional communities.

“NSW is now almost halfway there on our 2030 renewable generation target, and over a quarter of the way there on our long-duration storage target.”

Tender Round 3 successful projects

Long distance rail travel continues to pique the public interest, with more than a million journeys made so far this calendar year on NSW TrainLink’s long-distance regional train services and patronage now around three percent higher than before the COVID period.

Patronage on all routes has steadily increased overall with around 107,000 journeys now made each month on regional trains including the XPTs and XPLORERS, compared to an average of around 42,000 in 2021.

In addition, more than 440,000 coach journeys have been made in 2023, with an average patronage of around 40,000 per month, or double the 2021 figure.

The sharpest increase in demand has been on the Melbourne to Sydney train route, with a 250 per cent increase in average monthly patronage compared to 2021 and a 47 per cent increase compared to 2022.

This included a spike in bookings in September around the AFL grand final, prompting NSW TrainLink to add a sixth carriage on Melbourne services for several weeks in September.

NSW TrainLink attributes the uplift in demand to factors including an advertising campaign which has generated more than 14,000 bookings in under two months. Travellers have also responded to rail’s value for money price in the face of cost of living pressures, including the high cost of fuel and airfares.

The NSW TrainLink campaign includes a television advertisement that highlights more than 365 destinations in NSW. The video features beautiful and inspirational scenery – from the red outback to rolling green hills, which passengers can see out the window as they travel across NSW and interstate.

As a result of the campaign, there has been a rise in the number of people paying full fare.

For the environmentally-aware traveller, rail offers other benefits namely that the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for a full capacity XPT train trip from Sydney to Brisbane is around 44kg of CO2-e per passenger, compared to 73kg for flying and 134kg for driving a car.   

Demand during the cooler months was also strong this year, with all regional train journeys seeing an average 33 per cent increase during winter when compared to 2022.

On the Sydney and Melbourne XPTs, there were 90,000 passenger journeys combined for June, July and August this year, compared to 60,000 for 2022.

NSW TrainLink regional train and coach services are filling up fast, particularly going into the peak summer period and passengers are encouraged to book ahead as much as possible to avoid disappointment. The most convenient and cost-effective way to book is onlinelaunch.

There are online discounts of 10 percent off adult fares or 20 percent off adult fares for bookings made five or more days in advance.

Cheaper options are available through online saver fares sales on selected routes, which change every season, with discounts of up to 35 per cent.

Find more about online saver fareslaunch

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“We’re incredibly pleased to see passengers embracing what NSW TrainLink has to offer, including around 127 regional train services and 605 coach services each week.

“People are recognising that it is a unique, cost-effective way to sit back and enjoy the ride, taking in the stunning scenery out the window, without the stress of driving or catching a plane.

“We also see, particularly for popular routes like Melbourne and Brisbane, are valued because passengers arrive right in the heart of the city, without the need to transfer from an airport.

“Train travel offers passengers fantastic flexibility. They’re able to visit the buffet and stretch their legs, get on and off at multiple stops, breaking up their journey or visiting more places in regional NSW and Australia.”

Average monthly patronage for calendar year 2023*

Sydney to Melbourne – 31,000 – 250% higher than 2021, 47% higher than 2022

Sydney to Canberra – 23,700 -160% higher than 2021, 31% higher than 2022

Sydney to Brisbane – 10,400 – 146% higher than 2021, 34% higher than 2022

Sydney to Casino – 10,200 – 147% higher than 2021, 35% higher than 2022

Sydney to Armidale – 9,800 – 125% higher than 2021, 36% higher than 2022

Sydney to Grafton – 8,600 – 153% higher than 2021, 36% higher than 2022

Sydney to Dubbo – 8,100 – 85% higher than 2021, 30% higher than 2022

Sydney to Moree – 4,800 – 90% higher than 2021, 36% higher than 2022

Sydney to Griffith – 1,000 – 139% higher than 2021, 31% higher than 2022

Sydney to Broken Hill – 800– 64% higher than 2021, 37% higher than 2022.

*Data is approximate, and includes journeys in both directions

Sydney motorists and visitors to the city are being warned to plan ahead as vital roadworks, including on the Warringah Freeway Upgrade, and annual traditions like extra traffic around the Sydney Fish Markets, Sydney Airport and Christmas shopping precincts will add challenges to getting around.

Transport for NSW is taking advantage of the quieter summer holiday period to work around the clock on a number of important construction tasks on the Warringah Freeway Upgrade, including building new overpass bridge piers, installing a new bus on ramp and demolishing old retaining wall and drainage structures.

The work is be carried out between Boxing Day, Tuesday 26 December and Friday 26 January 2024 – but lanes will be opened up and works shut down to facilitate traffic on New Year’s Eve.

The price of the focused roadworks campaign will be multiple temporary lane closures in the freeway corridor between Cammeray, Neutral Bay and North Sydney.

The works will save the equivalent of 70 standard night shifts throughout the year and an additional six weekend shutdowns when work goes 56 hours straight.

While the summer holiday period is the quietest on Sydney roads, the Warringah Freeway is expected to have journey times that compare with normal peak times due to the lane closure impacts.

Motorists are urged to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey. Those catching a flight should leave enough time to get to Sydney Airport and take note of recent changed traffic conditions around Sydney Gateway.

Meanwhile, the usual 36-hour seafood marathon will run at Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont from 5am 23 December until 5pm Christmas Eve, attracting more than 100,000 people and resulting in extremely heavy traffic around the markets and on approaches, including Anzac Bridge.

Motorists are reminded that double demerit points will be in force from Friday 22 December to Monday 1 January for all speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.

You can find more details on the Warringah Freeway Upgrade portallaunch.

Minister for Roads, John Graham said:

“Construction works on the Warringah Freeway are necessary and specifically timed to take advantage of the time of year that delivers the lowest traffic volumes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge approach.

“But we need to be very clear that this will mean delays. In fact, travel times are expected to resemble peak times on the Warringah Freeway at certain times based on the forecasts of Transport for NSW.

“We want all Sydney motorists to be aware of this so they can plan trips and leave enough time to get to destinations like the Sydney Airport without being surprised that this 24/7 work effort is happening at a time when people may not expect to see heavy traffic.

“We ask for people’s patience as we take advantage of this time to jump forward with the project milestones and thank them for their understanding.

“We want everyone travelling on roads this festive season to reach their destination safely – please plan your trip, follow the signs and drive carefully.

“There will be a range of road closures in place for NYE festivities this year, so if you are coming into the CBD for celebrations consider getting public transport and leaving the car at home.

Coordinator General Transport for NSW, Howard Collins said:

“Heavy traffic and delays are expected entering and leaving Sydney over the holiday period, including on NorthConnex to the north, around Sydney Airport as well as slower journey times near major works precincts such as the Warringah Freeway.

“Make sure you’re well rested before you head out, stick to the speed limit, wear your seatbelt or helmet, put down the phone and never, ever drive if you’re affected by drugs or alcohol.

“If you’re heading to sporting matches, concerts and other big crowd events over summer, we’ll have extra public transport services running to make your journey even easier.”