Category: NSW News

The Minns Labor Government will invest over $140 million of new funding to safeguard the future of our states agricultural industry. As part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to build better regional communities this year’s state budget will continue the government’s focus on strengthening the state’s biosecurity program with and primary industries research capabilities.

Prioritising our state’s biosecurity

$100 million in new additional funding will be invested to further strengthen the state’s biosecurity detection, protection and response, bringing the states biosecurity budget to a historic $1.05 billion.

The Minns Labor Government is committed to making investments which grow the state’s economy. Primary industries contribute $20 billion annually to our state, as well as playing an essential role in keeping us fed and clothed, however invasive pests, diseases and weeds pose a significant threat.

This funding will drive the development of a new, sustainable and integrated biosecurity model. It will enable strengthening of surveillance and improve the state’s emergency response capacity in the event of a biosecurity incursion.

The Minns Labor Government was elected with a commitment to prioritise the state’s biosecurity, this funding will build on the work undertaken over the past years, which has delivered:

• the appointment of the state’s first ever Independent Biosecurity Commissioner
• the control management of more than 212,000 feral pigs and 18,000 feral deer
• over 200 workshops with over 5,000 attendees to equip farmers with the knowledge they need to undertake best practice pest control and management
• more than 39,000 one-on-one consultations by Local Land Service biosecurity officers
• the investment of $95 million, more than any other state, to monitor, respond to and eradicate the threat of red fire ants.

Strengthening our state’s research capabilities

$41.2 million will be invested to modernise the primary industry research and development program, including upgrades to digital infrastructure to promote research in emerging areas such as AI assisted farming.

This funding will also support a graduate program to give a pathway to young scientists ensuring NSW has a pipeline of skilled researchers, safeguarding the productivity and efficiency of our state’s agricultural industry into the future.

This builds on the over $60 million invested last year to deliver vital upgrades to seven research facilities, and five emergency response sites across regional NSW, that were neglected by the former Liberal National Government.

These upgrades and additional funding will support the staff undertaking research across the state in vital areas such as, animal nutrition, climate change, aquaculture breeding as well as biosecurity surveillance and responses.

In the face of global challenges, including climate change it is imperative that NSW farmers have the tools to adapt and thrive. This funding will ensure the vital work undertaken at research facilities becomes more strategic, focused and valuable to farmers and producers.

This new research funding is in response to the final report of the Independent Research and Development Review conducted by a panel of eminent scientist and agricultural economists chaired by the former NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Mary O’Kane AC.

Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said:

“We are working hard to build a better New South Wales, by making investments which will grow the economy and set the state up for long term prosperity.

“We know that New South Wales cannot reach its full potential if our state’s farmers and agricultural industry are not thriving and safeguarded into the future.

“I’ve been lucky to meet with many farmers across our state and listen to their concerns, whether it’s feral pigs, deer, weeds or fires ants, all of them have raised the unrelenting threat biosecurity incursions pose.

“That is why we are making this essential investment to ensure that farmers can continue to do what they do best, knowing that the Government has their back when it comes to managing weeds and pests across the state.”

Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:

“These significant budget investments build on the work we have carried out over the last two years to turbo charge the fight against ferals, pests, diseases and weeds.

“Biosecurity is receiving unprecedented attention from our Government due to the increasing risk to our farmers and landscapes. We are standing with our farmers to show them the way on how to deal with these problems and to battle any feral problems head-on to make a real difference.

“We are committed to modernising our research and development effort for primary industries with an additional $41.2 million, so that there has been more than $100 million in new funding over the last year, and it is bringing a stronger, strategic and resilient focus to the future of primary industries.

“Establishing a graduate pathway for young scientists and researchers into our primary industries research program is essential to maintaining a continuous and dedicated specialist workforce driven by purpose and achievement.”

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) has become the latest NSW hospital to implement the Safe Staffing Levels initiative, as the Minns Labor Government continues to deliver on its promise to deliver staffing reform.

CHW recently completed a successful recruitment campaign of more than 19 FTE nurses in the Emergency Department (ED), to facilitate the Safe Staffing Level requirements.

The staffing boost will enable a one-to-one nursing care ratio for generally occupied ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three generally occupied ED treatment spaces and ED short-stay unit beds on all shifts.

The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce was established to oversee the rollout of the Government’s commitment of 2,480 FTE over four years. It includes key leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), NSW Health, and local health districts.

Phase one of Safe Staffing Levels has commenced in the level 5 and 6 emergency departments, which treat the most critically ill patients, and will then be progressively implemented across other key areas in a phased approach.

Implementing Safe Staffing Levels is just one of a range of measures that the NSW Government is embracing to build a more supported health workforce, including:

• funding the equivalent of 1,112 FTE nurse and midwife positions on an ongoing basis
• abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers
• beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“Safe staffing is one of the most significant reforms in the way our hospitals have been staffed in decades.

“Reaching Safe Staffing Levels in the Emergency Department at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead is a significant accomplishment and reflects the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to continuing to improve service delivery.”

Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis:

“We acknowledge how challenging it can be for families when a child is seriously unwell and requires treatment in hospital.

“This major staffing reform will support our dedicated frontline health staff to provide more timely, personalised care to some of our youngest, most vulnerable patients.”

The latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) quarterly update reveals a welcomed downward trend in break and enters and motor vehicle thefts across the state but domestic violence assaults in regional parts of NSW have risen to even more alarming levels. 

In the March 2025 quarterly report, recorded incidents of break and enter (both dwellings and non-dwellings), motor vehicle theft, and retail theft have all seen significant declines highlighting a strong police performance in reducing certain major offences across NSW.

However, domestic violence-related assaults increased by 3.6%, with rises recorded in 8 of 13 Regional NSW areas and 3 of 15 Greater Sydney locations. In some areas, such as the New England and North West region, the rate of violent crime is more than double the state average.

Over the past 2 years, family violence has increased by 7.3%, while the number of child victims of domestic violence has increase by 9.5%.

Intimidation, stalking and harassment are up 4.8%, while Apprehended Domestic Violence Order compliance checks continue to drop under Labor, by almost 17,000 from 113,509 in 2023 to 96,520 in 2025.

Shadow Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Natasha Maclaren-Jones said that under the Minns Labor Government family and sexual violence has reached record highs.

“These are not just statistics in a report, they represent women and children, which the Minns Labor Government is failing,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

Shadow Minister for Police Paul Toole said the latest report gave a sobering reminder of the reality of domestic violence in NSW. 

“The lack of decisive action from the Minns Labor Government is leaving victims in regional communities vulnerable and allowing domestic violence incidents to increase,” Mr Toole said. 

“The statistics speak for themselves. Whatever Labor is doing is not working and the Ministers responsible need to take some accountability. 

“We cannot continue to have innocent lives lost or permanently affected by acts of violence in their own homes, so we need new approaches, new thinking and a hell of a lot more resourcing. 

“The cries from the bush are going unanswered by this city-centric government and this cannot go on.” 

In 2024, the NSW Police Force attended 152,268 domestic and family violence incidents, equating to on average NSW Police officers responding to 560 domestic and family violence incidents each day.

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to improve essential services by fully and fairly funding public schools while delivering targeted reforms aimed at lifting student outcomes across NSW public schools.

In 2025, the NSW Government’s annual investment in every public-school student will be more than $17,000 — an increase of $2,203 per student compared to the former Liberal-National Government’s 2023 commitment.

This is a total investment of $13.1 billion by the NSW Government in the 2025 calendar year.

This follows the State and Federal Labor Governments signing a historic 10-year funding deal earlier this year that will see the Federal Government fund 25 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2034 through an additional $4.8 billion 10-year commitment, ensuring that public schools are fully funded.

The remaining 75 per cent of SRS required to fully fund NSW public schools has already been delivered by the Minns Labor Government two years ahead of schedule through a total additional $5.6 billion investment over 10 years.

This is the largest funding commitment to public school students in NSW history, ensuring every child has access to free public education and the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of where they live.

In contrast, under the former State and Federal Liberal Governments, funding was capped at 95 per cent while driving up teacher vacancies to record levels of 3,300 vacancies.

This increased funding is being directed to expand critical early intervention programs, including:

Small Group Tuition Program

The Minns Labor Government is boosting the government’s small group tutoring program to $80 million, a $27 million increase on last year. This will help lift literacy and numeracy outcomes for our students.

This additional funding means the program is now available to nearly 60,000 students with an increase in the support available for students from 10 weeks of tutoring to 15 weeks.

This program provides targeted literacy and numeracy support in small groups (of two to five students).

It will introduce an assessment for students before and after the program to measure how much they’ve improved.

University teaching students will also be able to provide hands-on classroom experience as tutors — supporting student outcomes and strengthening the future teaching workforce.

The Australian Government Productivity Commission’s report on school funding identified that small-group tuition can improve learning outcomes in reading by up to 4 months, and mathematics outcomes by up to 3 months.

Year 1 Phonics Support Program

All Year 1 students currently take a short phonics test to help identify how strong their key early reading skills are. The check helps teachers quickly spot students who need extra help and provide them with support.

The Minns Labor Government is supporting this work with more classroom resources and targeted support with 144 schools  participating this year in a focused support program, providing extra training, tools and leadership support to lift phonics outcomes.                                                                                                                                                      

Year 1 Number Screening Check

The Minns Labor Government is trialling a new check across 165 public schools to assess Year 1 students’ early numeracy skills.

This is helping over 7,000 Year 1 students to identify gaps in key numeracy skills — including counting, ordering, and basic operations — giving teachers immediate insights to deliver tailored support.

The check is part of the government’s plan to lift student outcomes after years of decline in NAPLAN results.

Rebuilding public education

This is all part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education and improve student outcomes by addressing over a decade of neglect by the former Government.

We are ensuring that students across NSW can attend a public school close to home, and that all families can access a world class education.

We know there’s much more to do, but we’re getting on with the job of rebuilding public education by:

• Banning mobile phones in all public schools, which has meant reduced distractions in school;
• Paying our teachers more, which has seen a 40 per cent drop in teacher vacancies since coming to office. That means more teachers in front our classrooms;
• Making more than 16,000 teachers and school support staff on temporary contracts permanent;
• Delivering a record $8.9 billion investment in new and upgraded schools across NSW.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“This is the single largest investment in public school students in NSW history, because every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live or what their background is.”

“We know that funding alone isn’t enough. That’s why we’re also delivering practical changes like early literacy and numeracy checks and expanded tutoring — to make sure students get the right support when they need it.”

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“This announcement is a tribute to Deputy Premier Prue Car and her tireless work to deliver record education funding and ensure that every public school student can achieve their full potential.

“This is part of our work to reverse declining student outcomes after more than a decade of neglect and mismanagement under the former Liberal-National Government.  

“The Minns Labor Government is rebuilding the NSW public education system to ensur

The Canowindra community is one step closer to integrated, easily accessible healthcare services, with construction of the Canowindra HealthOne facility now underway.

The local community joined healthcare workers and the project teams on site today for a groundbreaking event to mark the milestone.

More than $8 million will be spent on the new HealthOne facility which will be built on the existing hospital site and include contemporary spaces to accommodate a range of multi-disciplinary providers like General Practitioners (GPs) and community healthcare services.

The first stage of construction includes upgrades to roads and infrastructure surrounding the existing hospital, which will enable the safe build of the new HealthOne without impacting on services or hospital access.

Construction is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete. Zauner Constructions has been engaged as the main works contractor for the new health facility.

For more information on the Canowindra HealthOne project visit the Engage Western NSW platform.

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“It’s fantastic to see construction underway on the new Canowindra HealthOne. With a range of healthcare providers on one site, this new health facility won’t just improve access to healthcare, it will also reduce the need to travel for our local and broader communities.

“I’m certain the Canowindra HealthOne will provide wonderful opportunities for healthcare professionals across a range of disciplines to establish themselves in a welcoming, friendly community.”

Member for Orange, Phil Donato:

“This new health facility will make a significant difference to patients, their families and our healthcare professionals, not just in Canowindra but for the surrounding communities as well.

“With a range of services right next door to the hospital, I’m sure our patients will experience a far more seamless transition between care providers, which will increase their comfort levels and their overall wellbeing.”

Matt McGrath, Canowindra Health Service Manager:

“This is an exciting milestone for this project, our health service and our staff, but also for our entire community here in Canowindra.

“Our community has been involved in this project from the start, and I’d like to thank them again for their input during the planning and design phases.

“I’m thrilled to see construction start, and while there will be some minor disruption as you’d expect with any major redevelopment, we will do everything we can to minimise that where possible.

“I’d ask our community keeps their eyes open on the campus, as there will be some changes to traffic flow as we move through construction, to ensure everyone’s safety until the new HealthOne is complete and fully operational.”

The Minns Labor Government is pushing ahead with the $190M upgrade of The Horsley Drive at Horsley Park, with detailed design work now under way to widen key sections of the route and improve congested intersections. 

The Horsley Drive is a key connection through to the M7 Motorway. The project is essential to this growing community and is set to cut travel times, improve safety for all road users and improve freight movement. 

The upgrade is backed by a joint $190 million investment from the NSW and Federal Governments.

The detailed design work includes upgrading The Horsley Drive in two stages, with the first stage including:  

• an additional eastbound lane, west of Wallgrove Road
• an additional right turn lane westbound (onto Wallgrove Road Northbound)
• an additional eastbound lane between the M7 Motorway and Wallgrove Road
• an additional right turn lane on Wallgrove Road northbound (onto The Horsley Drive Eastbound)
• new medians and traffic islands
• provision for future shared bike and walking paths.

In addition, the NSW Government is reviewing a Voluntary Planning Agreement recently put forward by a developer. If progressed alongside stage one, this proposal would see The Horsley Drive upgraded to two lanes in each direction between the M7 and Cowpasture Road.

Community feedback on the agreement, gathered earlier this year, is now being carefully considered. 

Construction tenders for the Wallgrove Road and M7 intersection upgrades are expected to open in mid-2026, with work anticipated to take around two years once contracts are awarded.

Geotechnical and utilities investigation works will start soon, with lane closures and traffic controls in place as part of the final design process.

For further information about the project, go to The Horsley Drive upgrade web page.

Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said: 

“This is another essential step for what is an incredibly important project we are determined to push forward with.

“It’s one of many critical arterial roads in Western Sydney where we are having to play catch up after years of Coalition failure to build infrastructure to support fast population growth.

“Western Sydney is projected to house more than 3 million people by 2036 and absorb two-thirds of Sydney’s total population growth. This needs a significant injection of supporting infrastructure that really improves people’s daily lives.

“The 2024-25 NSW Budget allocated $1 billion for new roads, connecting communities with the Airport and Bradfield City Centre. This investment brings the total program for Western Sydney Roads to $5.2 billion over four years.” 

Member for Fairfield, David Saliba said:

“This upgrade is fantastic news for residents who’ve faced congestion on The Horsley Drive for years.

“It’s a great example of our State and Federal Governments working together to deliver the infrastructure our community needs.”

Member for Prospect, Hugh McDermott said:

“This project will ease traffic and improve safety for families and commuters in Prospect.

“I’m proud to see our community’s safety concerns being addressed by the joint investments of our State and Federal Labor Governments.”

Federal Member for McMahon, Chris Bowen said:

“This upgrade will help people get home safer and faster and support the growth of Western Sydney.

“The Albanese Government is committed to delivering the infrastructure our communities deserve.” 

The Minns Labor Government is fast-tracking the delivery of new homes and infrastructure with temporary groundwater license exemptions now in place to speed up construction, slashing red tape and costs for developers.

The exemptions are estimated to support the delivery of 377,000 new homes by 2029, making it easier for eligible projects to access the water they need while maintaining essential environmental safeguards.

Previously, developers required a license to remove more than 3 megalitres of water during excavation and construction activities – a process known as infrastructure dewatering.

Short-term dewatering is common, especially in coastal areas where groundwater tables can be higher, causing water to funnel into work sites, tunnels and foundations. This water must be extracted so projects can proceed safely and efficiently.

The licence exemptions apply to:

• coastal construction projects until June 2029
• essential infrastructure projects including road, rail, utility and other works delivered by public authorities across NSW
• water infrastructure projects delivered by private bodies with approved schemes under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006.

Eligible works are automatically exempt from needing a water licence; however, developers will still need to comply with the relevant water management rules and regulatory requirements throughout the course of construction.

These requirements may include gaining a water supply work approval through WaterNSW and recording and reporting water take to the Natural Resources Access Regulator.

The reforms involve changes to the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 and are part of the commitments made in the Housing Approvals Reform Action Plan announced in February.

For more information, visit the Groundwater access licence exemptions web page.

Minister for Water Rose Jackson:

“This is about removing pointless delays and getting homes built. We’re making it easier to start building the homes and infrastructure our communities need, while keeping strong environmental protections in place. Tackling the housing crisis means backing practical solutions that get homes built across NSW.

“We’re using every lever at our disposal to supercharge housing and infrastructure for New South Wales, by slashing unnecessary red tape and streamlining approvals to allow builders to get shovels in the ground sooner.

“We asked NSW Government agencies to work together to find smarter solutions to fast-track the housing and infrastructure we desperately need.

“Importantly, there are no changes to the existing approvals processes, which thoroughly assess all projects and can place appropriate caps on dewatering on a case-by-case basis.

“These exemptions are a great step forward, addressing industry concerns and getting homes and critical infrastructure built faster.”