Category: NSW News

The Fair Work Commission yesterday ruled in favour of a “cooling off period” from 10pm last night (19 February 2025) until 1 July 2025.  

This means all industrial action will end to allow Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink to focus on negotiating and finalising a deal with the Combined Rail Unions (CRU). 

The Commission found that it was “in the public interest” for industrial action to pause. 

This morning, almost all rail services are currently running on time. 

Passengers now have certainty that their rail services will not be affected with the types of disruption that industrial action has caused recently. 

The Rail Agencies remain committed to continuing to negotiate with the CRU.  

Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink thank all passengers for their patience during this period of disruption. 

The Minns Labor Government is investing more than $15 million to deliver a safer, stronger new Warroo Bridge in the NSW Central West with construction work set to start in March.

A new concrete bridge will be built just a few metres upstream from the existing 116-year-old bridge timber truss bridge which is located over the Lachlan River 46 kilometres west of Forbes and 55 kilometres south-east of Condobolin.

Warroo Bridge is a critical connector in the region as it is the only major crossing of the Lachlan River linking the Lachlan Valley Way to the Henry Parkes Way between these two towns.

The existing narrow bridge was built in 1909 and is not suitable for use by modern agricultural equipment or heavy vehicles with higher mass limit loads.

If the existing bridge is closed for maintenance, motorists face a 93-kilometre detour to travel from one side of the bridge to the other.

The Minns Labor Government is investing in construction of a new bridge that will be safer, more reliable and allow for more efficient transport, particularly for freight operators in regional NSW.

Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd will deliver the work on behalf of Transport for NSW, with work due to start on March 3. The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic in late 2026, weather permitting.

The existing Warroo Bridge will remain open to traffic throughout the construction of the replacement bridge and will be removed completely once the new bridge is operational.

Transport for NSW will continue to update the community as construction progresses. For more information on the project visit the website of Transport for NSW. 

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“This new Warroo Bridge over the Lachlan River is an important piece of infrastructure that will make life easier for farmers, businesses and families in the Central West.

“The new bridge will be safer and more reliable than the existing bridge that is now well over 100 years old.

“This sort of investment is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to regional NSW and to driving jobs and investment across the state.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The Minns Labor Government is investing in the future of regional NSW by building better bridges that keep communities connected, improve safety and increase efficiency for freight operators.

“I’m excited to see construction start on the new Warroo Bridge which will have wider travel lanes and better road approaches, increased load capacity for heavy vehicles, and improved access for wide vehicles.”

Independent Member for Orange Phil Donato said:

“It’s great to see the contract for this project has been awarded and construction is on track to commence.

“Communities in our region rely on Warroo Bridge and when the new bridge is built it will make life so much easier for local residents and freight operators.”

NSW Labor’s Orange spokesperson Stephen Lawrence MLC said:

“The awarding of the contract to Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd to build the replacement Warroo Bridge is an important milestone in this project to improve transport efficiency and reliability in the Central West.

“When construction is complete the community will have a fantastic new asset the Minns Labor Government is proud to be delivering.”

Communities in Griffith, Deniliquin and Lake Cargelligo are set to benefit from new Key Worker Accommodation which will help attract, recruit and retain more healthcare workers to the region.

The Minns Labor Government will invest $23 million in health worker housing in the Murrumbidgee region as part of the Key Health Worker Accommodation program.

The $200.1 million program supports more than 20 projects across rural, regional and remote NSW.

The funding will secure approximately 120 dwellings across regional NSW, which includes the building of new accommodation, refurbishment of existing living quarters and the purchase of suitable properties such as residential units.

The four-year program will support the recruitment and retention of more than 500 health workers and their families by providing a range of accommodation options.

The program is one of a number of investments the Minns Labor Government is making to strengthen the regional, rural and remote health workforce and builds on the success of the NSW Government’s $73.2 million investment in key health worker accommodation across five regional local health districts (Far West, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, Hunter New England and Western NSW).

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to investing in modern, sustainable accommodation options for key health workers who are the backbone of our regional, rural and remote communities.

“Strengthening our regional health workforce is a key priority for our government and this $23 million investment in accommodation will support attraction of key healthcare workers to the Murrumbidgee.

“The Key Health Worker Accommodation program will support Murrumbidgee Local Health District in providing high-quality health services to the community.”

Member for Murray, Helen Dalton:

“This investment is set to significantly benefit communities across Griffith and Deniliquin. The success of the initiative in other areas such as Narrandera, Finley and West Wyalong shows that provision of quality housing can help to attract and retain essential healthcare professionals to regional and rural areas.

“With the new Griffith Base Hospital opening soon it is also a wonderful time to be promoting our community as an attractive destination for healthcare workers looking to take the next step in their career, or enjoy a tree change to our beautiful region.”

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler:

“Lake Cargelligo is warm and friendly community, with a dedicated team working at their MPS. Accommodation in town is tight at the best of times, so providing more places to live for health workers is essential for the community.

“More accommodation for health workers means less pressure on local rental and housing markets. Rural and remote communities desperately need more accommodation for our key workers, and this will be a good start.”

The NSW Government is taking steps to bring forward the date of the 2027 NSW State general election by two weeks to 13 March 2027 due to a clash with Easter.

The next NSW State general election is due to fall on 27 March 2027, the end of the Government’s four-year term. However, this date coincides with the Easter public holiday weekend (Good Friday, 26 March – Easter Monday, 29 March 2027).

To bring forward the election date, the Constitution Act 1902 (NSW) permits the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly up to two months prior to the end of its fixed four-year term if the election would otherwise clash with a public holiday.

The proposal to bring forward the polling day by two weeks to avoid an Easter clash is informed by consultation with the Opposition and the NSW Electoral Commission.

The Special Minister of State told NSW Parliament today that, subject to finalising consultation, the Government intends to recommend to the Governor, in due course, the making of a proclamation to dissolve the Legislative Assembly early, to achieve a 13 March 2027 election date.

Usually, the NSW state election is held on the fourth Saturday in March after a Government has served a four-year term.

The 2027 Election is the first time that the election has fallen on the Easter weekend since four-year term parliaments were approved by NSW electors at a referendum in 1995.

Special Minister of State John Graham said:

“Bringing the NSW election forward two weeks is a commonsense move. With so many people away on holiday, asking voters to get to polling booths over the Easter long weekend would create a logistical challenge for voters, but also a significant operational challenges for the NSW Electoral Commission in conducting the election.

“There is no politics in this decision, it is a simple matter of reviewing where dates fall and what is a feasible and legal solution to working around the Easter break and public holiday period.”

The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has declared eleven housing proposals State Significant Development (SSD) creating capacity for 6,400 new well-located homes, following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

The proposals were recommended for State Significance following the first meeting of the HDA, which was established by the Minns Labor Government to speed up assessment timeframes, with the option of concurrent rezoning and assessment, rather than being assessed by councils.

The HDA has received over 160 expressions of interest (EOIs) since it invited proposals in mid-January 2025. This meeting examined the first 28 proposals received.

Some applicants submitted proposals that are already well progressed along another, more suitable assessment pathway. These have been advised that they are on the right pathway for their proposal.

The HDA has resolved to meet fortnightly to consider further EOIs in a timely manner.

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure will now provide clear advice and guidance to HDA applicants on the next steps to take with their development proposal.

In some cases, this advice includes recommending an alternative planning pathway for major housing projects that may require a concurrent rezoning but do not satisfy the criteria of the HDA pathway.

High-quality housing projects that have detailed plans submitted within nine months and can begin construction within 12 months of approval and deliver affordable housing were given priority by the HDA, to set a clear benchmark for future EOI submissions.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

The HDA builds on the Minns Government’s recent reforms to the planning system to speed up the delivery of more homes, including:

·       The development of the NSW Pattern Book and accelerated planning pathway for those who use the pre-approved patterns.

·       The largest rezoning in NSW history around transport hubs.

·       The largest ever investment in the delivery of social and affordable housing in NSW.

·       $200 million in financial incentives for councils that meet the new expectations for development applications, planning proposals and strategic planning. 

·       $450 million to build new apartments for essential workers including nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers and firefighters. 

Recommendations from the HDA are published as required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 before the SSD declaration. For more information visit Housing Delivery Authority | Planning

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said: 

“These changes that we have implemented are making it easier and faster to increase housing supply near existing infrastructure, critical to delivering thousands of much needed homes for young people, families and workers.

“This new authority that is fast tracking the approval of new homes is a major but necessary change to cut through the red tape and delays that have haunted the NSW planning system for well over a decade.

“This is an important step that is helping to deliver thousands of new homes for those who need them, but we know that work does not stop here to increase housing supply.” 

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Minns Labor Government is reforming the planning system to deliver more market and affordable housing across NSW because everyone having access to a home – either to rent or buy – is a foundation of social and economic participation.

“The Housing Delivery Authority not only encourages new housing proposals by asking for expressions of interest, but it also allows existing proposals to receive fast track consideration by being assessed by the State rather than the local Council.

“The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to streamline the planning system to create more homes. In just the first meeting, we have the potential for 6,400 homes. That is thousands of families, workers and grandparents finding a home.”

The NSW Government will introduce legislation to Parliament today to confront hate speech and antisemitism by establishing a new criminal offence for intentionally inciting racial hatred.

The Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Bill 2025 responds to recent disgusting instances of antisemitic conduct and hate speech, and makes clear that inciting racial hatred has no place in NSW.

The legislation will make it a crime to intentionally and publicly incite hatred towards another person, or group of people, on the grounds of race. The bill will establish a new section, 93ZAA of the Crimes Act 1900, with a maximum penalty for an individual of two years’ imprisonment, fines of up to $11,000, or both, while corporations can face fines of $55,000.

The proposed offence will contain the following elements:

• It must be a public act;
• The public act must incite hatred;
• The incitement to hatred must be intentional; and
• The intentional incitement to hatred must be on the basis of race.

To ensure the implied freedom of political communication is protected, the new offences have been drafted to apply to specific conduct.

The new section includes an exception for directly referencing religious texts during religious teachings.

Criminalising the incitement of racial hatred is the latest measure taken by the NSW Government to respond to acts of racial violence and hatred. Other actions include:

• Introducing a new offence in the Crimes Act to ensure people of faith can attend their place of worship in safety and provide police with associated move on powers;
• Introducing a new offence in 93ZA of the Crimes Act directed to the display of a Nazi symbol on or near a synagogue or place of worship, Jewish school or the Sydney Jewish Museum;
• Amending existing graffiti offences to make it an aggravated offence to graffiti a place of worship; and
• Ensuring that hatred or prejudice as motive for an offence will be an aggravating factor on sentence regardless of the presence of other motives.

The Minns Labor Government also increased funding for the NSW Engagement and Hate Crime Unit, the Safe Places for Faith Communities Grants (led by Multicultural NSW), and the NSW Local Government Social Cohesion Grants Program.

This package of measures helps crack down on the recent escalation of troubling graffiti, racial hatred and antisemitism in the community.

It also builds on the work of the NSW Police Force, with Operation Shelter conducting more than 300 proactive patrols daily, while Strike Force Pearl has doubled its fulltime dedicated detectives from 20 to 40.

With these reforms, the NSW Government is sending a clear message about how seriously it takes racial hatred and antisemitism.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“Racial hatred and antisemitism have no place in our society, and we are making it clear with this law.

“These are strong new laws because this disgraceful behaviour must stop.

“NSW is a multicultural state. The people of NSW already stand against racial hatred, and we are making it criminal with this law.

“While this package confronts recent antisemitism, the new laws will apply to anyone, preying on any person.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“Racial hatred is unacceptable – and under this new legislation, it will be a crime to publicly and intentionally incite racial hatred.

“It is important for members of our community to be protected from conduct that causes them to fear for their safety, or to fear harassment, intimidation or violence.”

Singleton’s largest ever road infrastructure project is progressing well, with piling and pier work now underway on four bridges on the Singleton Bypass.

The eight-kilometre bypass will divert the New England Highway from travelling through Singleton, avoiding five sets of traffic lights and removing about 15,000 vehicles a day from the town centre.

It will ease the passage of freight, improve safety and congestion, and deliver time savings for the 26,000 motorists who use this section of the New England Highway each day.

The project includes the construction of six bridges. The project reached a major milestone last week when the first girder was placed on the longest bridge– a 1.6-kilometre section on Doughboy Hollow floodplain.

Work is also well underway on bridges located at the southern connection, the crossing of the Hunter River and the crossing of the New England Highway at Gowrie. Piling and construction of piers will continue across the project for about three months.

A total of 435 girders, 207 piles and 161 pier columns will be put in place over the next six months to form the bridges, while other work is continuing across the project for the relocation of utilities and major earthworks.

The Singleton Bypass will feature eight kilometres of new highway, with a single lane in each direction, a full interchange at Putty Road and connections to the New England Highway at the southern and northern ends of the bypass and at Gowrie Gates.

The bypass is expected to open to traffic in late 2026, weather permitting. It is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments, with the Commonwealth contributing $560 million and the New South Wales Government contributing $150 million.

For further information visit: www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/singleton-bypass-new-england-highway

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

“It’s fantastic to see the biggest road infrastructure project in Singleton’s history starting to take shape.

“I look forward to seeing the project progress as part of this great partnership between the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments.

“The project is also giving the local economy a welcome boost by supporting more than 1,300 jobs during construction.”

NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:

“Well done to the project team and its contractor, hitting the ground running with major construction starting last September.

“Bridge building is an important step, and motorists will soon begin to see the magnitude of the bypass taking shape before their eyes.

“The Singleton bypass will improve the lives of people living and working right across the Hunter region through safer journeys, shorter travel times and more efficient freight transport.”

Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi:

“It’s wonderful to see the progress of the Singleton Bypass, which will benefit so many people who live in, work in, and visit our region.

“This is just the start of transformative work for this project, with bridge columns coming out of the ground and the start of girder installation, which will continue over the coming months.

“I look forward to seeing the project progress.”

State Labor spokesperson for Upper Hunter Emily Suvaal:

“When the bypass is built motorists will avoid five sets of traffic lights in Singleton’s CBD and it’ll remove about 15,000 vehicles a day from the town centre — improving safety, slashing travel times and increasing efficiency for all road users.

“Well done to the Transport project team and all the staff for their hard work on building this game-changing project.”

The new Sydney Fish Market has reached a major milestone with the final roof panel installed on top of the 200-metre-long floating roof canopy, forming the iconic building’s crowning glory.

With the unique and spectacular roof now completed, Sydney’s skyline is set to change forever with this new architectural marvel, just as the Opera House did when it was built in 1973.  

This marks a pivotal moment in the project, as the focus shifts from structural work to internal finishes, bringing the building one step closer to construction completion.

The roof’s supporting structure is comprised of 594 timber roof beams – with the longest beams up to 32 metres in length – and was completed in December 2024.

Combined with over 400 roof panels, the roof weighs a staggering 2,500 tonnes. The roof requires some finishing touches including waterproofing, which will follow in the weeks ahead.

Since construction began, the project has provided a major boost to the local economy with delivery partner Multiplex awarding more than $670 million in contracts to Australian suppliers for services including maritime piling, steel reinforcement and installation of the roof cassettes.

The new Sydney Fish Market will offer a vibrant mix of retail, dining, and community spaces, including fresh seafood market, restaurants, and a seafood school. The new market will create a dynamic hub for both locals and tourists, celebrating Sydney’s reputation as a global seafood destination.

The new Sydney Fish Market is key to the transformation of Blackwattle Bay, which will unlock a connected waterfront promenade from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo, 1,100 homes on the old fish market site and more than 6,000 square metres of public space, improving pedestrian and cycling links.

The project is also supporting over 700 jobs during construction, and a further 700 jobs once operational.

For more information about the new Sydney Fish Market visit: new Sydney Fish Market.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“The revamped market will be truly spectacular, offering a world-class, authentic seafood for an expected 6 million annual local and international visitors – ensuring it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations on offer in our harbour city.”

“Excitement around the new Sydney Fish Market is growing every day as this spectacular new building, now with a completed roof, comes to life at the head of Blackwattle Bay.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“Today marks a significant milestone with the completion of the roof at the new Sydney Fish Market, a testament to world-class engineering and design.

“The roof not only enhances the market’s aesthetic with its magnificent wave-like form now in place, but also the environmental sustainability of the building.

“It is incredibly exiting to have reached this stage in the build and start work on finishes. We’re on the home stretch now and getting closer to being able to set foot in the new Sydney Fish Market, which will be an icon for Sydney and a destination for all.”

NSW Regional Director Daniel Murphy at Multiplex said:

“This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our construction team and partners. We can’t wait to see visitors enjoying this impressive building when it opens to the public.”

The public is invited to have its say on two new schemes that fulfill election commitments and build on the Minns Labor Government’s delivery of gaming reforms to address gambling harm and money laundering while supporting a thriving hospitality industry.

From today the community can give feedback on consultation papers for a proposed third-party exclusion scheme and proposed mandatory facial recognition technology to support a statewide exclusion register for NSW hotels and clubs with gaming machines. 

Facial recognition technology will support gambling harm-minimisation by removing the guesswork of staff identifying excluded patrons, often in crowded venues. There would still need to be human interaction to verify the match made by the system. Currently, the list of excluded patrons and images that venue staff need to memorise can be difficult to manage.

The Government is building strict parameters into the reforms to protect people’s privacy to ensure hotels and clubs can only use facial recognition for the purpose of identifying excluded patrons. Venues will be prohibited from using the technology for customer tracking, surveillance and marketing purposes.

The Government is also delivering on its election commitment to introduce a third-party exclusion scheme that would allow family, friends and venues to apply to ban someone experiencing significant gambling harm.

Research estimates that more than a million Australians experienced harm in the past year because of another person’s gambling.

It is proposed the minimum period for an exclusion order would be 12 months, with a maximum period of two or three years, with a temporary exclusion of 21 days while an application is considered.

In addition to the consultation papers, the Government has also developed a draft facial recognition Code of Practice that gives pubs and clubs already operating the technology guidelines to support identification of self-excluded patrons.

The code has been developed over several rounds of consultation with government, industry and community stakeholders, including cyber security and privacy experts.

The Independent Panel for Gaming Reform provided advice on considerations for third party exclusion and facial recognition technology in its Roadmap Report. The issues raised in this advice were incorporated in both discussion papers.   

These measures are the latest in a suite of reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to reduce gambling harm, delivering more in 22 months than the previous government did in 12 years, including:

• reducing the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for all new gaming machines;
• reducing the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements by approximately 3,000;
• banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines;
• banning external gaming-related signage, and internal gaming-related signage that can be seen from outside the venue;
• requiring that venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements have a Responsible Gambling Officer on duty while poker machines are in operation;
• mandating that venues keep an updated Gaming Plan of Management and a Gaming Incident Register;
• banning the placement of any signage or advertising relating to gaming machines either on, or visible from an ATM or EFTPOS terminal with cash withdrawal facilities;
• announcing a ban on gaming advertising from public transport; and
• establishing the Independent Panel for Gaming Reform and commissioning its roadmap report, which the Government is considering.

The Third-Party Exclusion Consultation Paper is available here: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/third-party-exclusion-pubs-and-clubs and Facial Recognition Technology in Pubs and Clubs Consultation Paper is available here:  https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/facial-recognition-technology. The consultation period will close on 14 March 2025.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to addressing gambling harm through evidence-based policy and it’s important that we get the balance right. 

“Third-party exclusions are designed to help those experiencing gambling harm and their loved ones when other avenues to seek help may have failed.

“It recognises the physical, psychological, emotional and financial flow-on effects of gambling on a person’s family and friends.

“This is complex reform which is why we are seeking feedback on a range of issues.

“Facial recognition will also be an important harm-minimisation tool by providing another way to identify excluded patrons in crowded venue environments, which can often be challenging for venue staff.

“I encourage everyone to have their say on these important harm-minimisation measures.”

The Coffs Harbour community is set to benefit from new Key Worker Accommodation which will help attract, recruit and retain more healthcare workers to the region.

The Minns Labor Government will invest $5.5 million in health worker housing in Coffs Harbour as part of the Key Health Worker Accommodation program.

The $200.1 million program supports more than 20 projects across rural, regional and remote NSW.

The funding will secure approximately 120 dwellings across regional NSW, which includes the building of new accommodation, refurbishment of existing living quarters and the purchase of suitable properties such as residential units.

The four-year program will support the recruitment and retention of more than 500 health workers and their families by providing a range of accommodation options.

The program is one of a number of investments the Minns Labor Government is making to strengthen the regional, rural and remote health workforce and builds on the success of the NSW Government’s $73.2 million investment in key health worker accommodation across five regional local health districts (Far West, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, Hunter New England and Western NSW).

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to investing in modern, sustainable accommodation options for key health workers who are the backbone of our regional, rural and remote communities.

“Strengthening our regional health workforce is a key priority for our government and this $5.5 million investment in accommodation will support the attraction of key healthcare workers to Coffs Harbour.

“The Key Health Worker Accommodation program will support the Mid North Coast Local Health District in continuing to provide high-quality health services to the community.”

Labor Spokesperson for Coffs Harbour, Cameron Murphy MLC:

“The Mid North Coast is among the state’s fastest growing regions and demand for housing is only increasing.

“Coffs Harbour is already a fantastic place to live and work, but the Minns Labor Government’s investment in health worker housing here will just make it that little more attractive to prospective employees and their families.”