Category: NSW News

More than 50,000 first home buyers have found their dream home thanks to the Minns Labor Government’s signature stamp duty assistance program.

The popular initiative has seen first home buyers save an average of $20,540, easing the pressure on the key task of saving for a deposit.

Total stamp duty savings for first home buyers across NSW have topped $1 billion since July 2023.

First home buyers are using the program to get a foot on the property ladder in a market heavily influenced by investors.

The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme provides a full exemption from stamp duty for eligible buyers purchasing up to $800,000, and a concession for purchases between $800,000 and $1 million. This means first home buyers can save up to $30,529 in stamp duty.

Of the more than 50,000 first home buyers who have received support under the Minns Government’s program, more than 37,000 first home buyer households received a full exemption and more than 14,500 received a concession.

More than 3,200 buyer households in the City of Parramatta have saved a total of $74.1 million, while more than 2,100 on the Central Coast have saved a total of $47.3 million.

The 50,000 households milestone coincides with the release of a helpful dashboard detailing the program’s impact suburb-by-suburb.

The First Home Buyers Assistance Dashboard also provides program statistics by Local Government Area and regional classifications. It will be updated regularly and can be viewed here: https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/statistics/fhba-dashboard

First home buyers can learn more about the program and calculate their potential stamp duty savings here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/home-buying-assistance/first-home-buyers-assistance-scheme/how-to-apply

This program is part of a suite of reforms from the Minns Government to help address the housing crisis and ease cost of living pressures.

This includes sweeping reforms of the planning system to deliver more housing, including establishing the Housing Delivery Authority to speed up approvals.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“We have now delivered more than $1 billion for first home buyers since coming to Government.

“There is more to do on cost of living, but this is real relief that has helped 50,000 NSW singles, couples and families.

“Our Government is helping more buyers to get a foot on the ladder, without having to leave Sydney or NSW.

“This is the best first home buyer scheme in the country, and just one part of our plan to address the housing crisis and build a better NSW.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“This is an incredible milestone for this program.

“50,000 families have been able to get into their first home sooner because of this essential stamp duty relief.

“The savings mean more money in people’s pockets, easing pressure on households and giving crucial assistance in the task of saving for a deposit.”

Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos said:

“Families and households in NSW are feeling under pressure with increasing costs of living. We want to support families and households to realise the certainty of home ownership.

“This shows our program is working, delivering real savings that can make a real difference for first home buyers.”

The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to create safer communities across regional New South Wales by addressing the concerning rates of youth crime, with over $4 million to support place-based efforts across Bourke and Kempsey.

Government support for place-based initiatives reflects the fact that a one size fits all approach does not work for issues like youth crime in regional communities. This funding means local communities are empowered to make decisions, develop strategies, design programs and decide how resources are used to address local needs.  

In Bourke and Kempsey, this funding will match the Commonwealth Government’s investment in the Stronger Places, Stronger People program, which supports community-led place-based responses to local issues.

This funding will support the existing successful local teams in each community who work in tandem with Government to develop and implement projects to address identified issues.

This program, which has run since 2019 in these communities has been recognised as having positive impacts including improved social, cultural, health, justice and economic outcomes.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing work to crackdown on crime across the state, which has included:

• Amending the Bail Act to include an additional bail test for young people between 14 and 18 charged with committing a ‘serious break and enter offence’ or motor vehicle offence while on bail for a similar offence.
• Creating a new ‘post and boast’ offence under the Crimes Act, criminalising the filming and disseminating of footage of certain serious offences to publicise or advertise the commission of that offence.
• Paying recruits to attend the Goulburn Police Academy and welcoming 294 probational constables to the NSWPF ranks in December, the largest class to graduate in a decade.
• Passing and enacting ‘Jacks Law’ which provides NSW Police with powers to scan people for knives without a warrant and raised the age from 16 to 18 for the sale of knives to young people.
• Doubling the maximum penalty for certain knife crimes.
• Introducing new offences for repeated and serious breaches of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
• Introducing Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders.
• Modernising the definition of ‘stalking’ to include monitoring a person online.
• Making it harder than ever for alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail.

NSW Premier, Chris Minns said:

“We know that what works in the middle of Sydney won’t work for our regional communities, which is why we are making this long-term investment to ensure local knowledge informs the action we take to address local issues.

“We know there is no easy solution to address the issue of crime in our regional communities, but that is why we are pulling every lever possible from law reform to investing in local organisations. “

The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to address traffic concerns at one of Sydney’s worst intersections while retaining a police station in the Revesby area that is currently on the corner of the intersection.

The corner of River Road and Marco Avenue has been ranked as the 6^th most confusing intersection in Sydney and has been the site of many car crashes and near misses, including the tragic death of a young man in a car crash.

Due to the location of the Revesby Police Station on the intersection it may not be possible to address issues with the intersection without relocating the police station.

As a result, at the 2023 state election, the Member for East Hills Kylie Wilkinson committed to working with the local council and the Federal Government who have committed funding to fix the intersection.

This commitment included the possible relocation of Police Station while keeping it in the Revesby area, acknowledging the critical role this station and it’s officers play keeping this community safe.

The current Member for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson is now working with all levels of government to finally fix this intersection and keep Revesby Police Station in the Revesby area.

For 12 years, the former Liberal and National Government failed to address this issue with the former Member for East Hills completely missing in action on this while in parliament.

Disappointingly the former Liberal Member who is now a Councillor has resorted to spreading misinformation in the community by falsely claiming that Revesby is set to lose a police station.

The Minns Labor Government is working to deliver a real solution by fixing this nightmare intersection while also maintaining a Police Station in the area.

This follows action already taken by the NSW Government including by providing historic pay rises to NSW Police and paying police to train – already delivering the largest graduating classes of police in a decade.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said:

“For too long this intersection outside Revesby Police Station has put lives at risk and I am proud that our government is working with council and the federal government to upgrade this intersection while retaining a police station in the Revesby area.

“It’s very disappointing that this Liberal councillor is spreading misinformation and playing politics with our police, all to stop a much needed upgraded to this dangerous intersection.

Member for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson said:

“We shouldn’t have to choose between safe roads and a safe community. That’s why we’re fixing this dangerous and confusing intersection while keeping a police station in the Revesby area.

“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have spoken to me about how dangerous this intersection is and I call on all local councillors to join us in fixing this issue once and for all.

Two Queensland businesses have been separately convicted in the NSW Local Court of breaching biosecurity regulations designed to protect NSW from red imported fire ants and in total ordered to pay $60,000.

These successful prosecutions highlight the effectiveness of the Minns Labor Government’s surveillance and compliance activities in preventing fire ants into the state.

Both businesses illegally moved turf, soil, turf underlay and compost from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW.

Since being elected in 2023 the NSW Government has made biosecurity a priority and fighting fire ants a top order.

This commitment to fight fire ants entering NSW was demonstrated by raising the funds to address the menace of the fire ants from the former Government’s low $15 million annually, to $95 million over four years, only a few months after the 2023 election.

To strengthen the fight against fire ants entering NSW in mid-November last year, the NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty took the unprecedented step of banning the movement of any turf from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW.

These recent successful prosecutions demonstrate that the Government’s crackdown on rogue businesses potentially spreading fire ants is working and is now sending a message.

The importance of movement controls and the ability of the Minns Government’s restructured NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to trace carrier movements back to their point of origin is producing successful prosecutions.

The first landscaping supply business was convicted on the 29 January and the second on Friday 7 February.

The first business, Brytarbri Pty Ltd trading as Allenview Turf, was convicted of nine offences after moving soil, turf underlay and compost into NSW from the Queensland fire ant infested area without the required biosecurity certificates.

The second business, Marlyn Compost, was convicted of 20 offences under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 for moving turf from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW without certificates.

Early detection surveillance is continuing across NSW’s border state agencies with detection cameras and operations with Police and Department of Primary Industries and Regional NSW teams working together as exemplified by Operation Victa.

So far four waves of Operation Victa have resulted in eight penalty notices issued and three warnings after stopping 352 vehicles, 156 of which were from fire ant infested areas, and ordering 12 vehicles back to Queensland, due to not meeting certification requirements.

In addition, fire ant sniffer dogs are on patrol in Kyogle and Tweed Valley sites to monitor trucks, landscaping sites and target properties.

The NSW Government’s fire ant team has completed the following since December 2023:

• Checked 1,366 voluntary community reports of potential fire ant sightings
• Received 12,750 Record of Movement declarations from businesses
• Undertaken with 1,613 surveillance events

NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“The Minns Labor Government is serious in stopping fire ants getting into NSW and in the three instances when they have got through the nets we have eradicated them quickly.

“There will be no sympathy for a business who flouts our biosecurity controls and threatens our state’s land, homes and farms with fire ants. The full force of the law will be instigated to show this is very serious and will not be tolerated.

“I urge everyone to do the right thing and comply with our biosecurity requirements to protect NSW from fire ants, or if you know someone is flouting the controls please let us know.

“We are applying monitoring, CCTV, police, sniffer dogs, controls and border checks to address the fire ant situation as well as supporting the Queensland Government eradicate their infestation.”

Councils in Greater Sydney and the Central Coast are invited to apply for a share of $4 million in grants to build more parks, playgrounds, walking tracks and restore local bushlands.

The Metropolitan Greenspace Program 2024-25 is available to 34 councils for projects such as shared pedestrian and cycle pathways as well as open space strategies and master plans for future works.

Established in 1983 by the Wran Labor Government, the Metropolitan Greenspace Program is the longest running open space grants program in NSW.

Since 1990, more than $56 million has been provided for 680 projects.

This funding will support the Minn’s Government’s planning reforms as we unlock more homes and deliver supporting community infrastructure and green space.

Last year, the program awarded $3 million in funding supporting better access to open spaces for more than 31,000 homes within a 10-minute walk from residential areas.

A panel of experts will assess applications against selection criteria designed to ensure funding is awarded based on merit and impact.

Applications for the 2024-25 round of the Metropolitan Greenspace Program will open on 12 February and close on 31 March 2025.

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

For more information on the Metropolitan Greenspace Program visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/infrastructure-funding/metropolitan-greenspace-program.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The NSW Government is fast-tracking the delivery of more homes, and these residential areas will need to be supported by more parks and green spaces.

“The Metropolitan Greenspace Program helps councils provide more of these facilities where people can relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

“The program has a strong track record of increasing and improving open space to create thriving places and connected communities.

“I encourage eligible councils to apply for the next round of funding so they can build more high-quality green spaces for their residents and visitors alike.”

The NSW Government will today introduce two bills to protect places of worship and further criminalise Nazi symbols, as part of a crackdown on recent racial hatred and antisemitism.

The Crimes Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025 is part of a package of reforms announced last week to give police additional powers and resources to respond to acts of racial violence and hatred.

The latest proposed changes to the Crimes Act create two new offences to ensure people of faith can attend their place of worship in safety:

• Intentionally blocking, impeding or hindering a person from accessing or leaving, or attempting to access or leave, a place of worship without a reasonable excuse; and
• Harassing, intimidating or threatening a person accessing or leaving, or attempting to access or leave, a place of worship.

The maximum penalty for the new offences is 200 penalty units and/or two years’ imprisonment.

The Bill will also amend the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 to authorise a police officer to issue a move on direction to a person who is participating in a demonstration, protest, procession or assembly occurring in or near a place of worship. This would not apply in circumstances where the relevant action is within an authorised public assembly.

The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred) Bill also:

• Clarifies that graffiti is a “public act” for the purposes of the offences of threatening or inciting violence and displaying Nazi symbols;
• Provides for tougher sentencing for displaying by public act a Nazi symbol on or near a synagogue, the Jewish Museum or a Jewish school; and
• Aggravates sentences when a person’s conduct is partially or wholly driven by hate.

These reforms provide greater protection to the community against public displays of hate and crimes that may be partially motivated by hate and prejudice.

The Department of Communities and Justice held targeted consultation on the legislation, including with faith institutions, key legal stakeholders and relevant government agencies.

The NSW Government is currently finalising new laws on hate speech.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“Disgusting acts of antisemitism and intimidation have no place in NSW – acts designed to divide will not work.

“Our package is a strong response to recent antisemitism, but will also protect any person, of any religion.

“We are sending a clear message that these disgusting attacks have to stop.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“People of faith have the right to attend their place of worship without fear or obstruction.

“Blocking access to a church, mosque, synagogue or other holy building is a completely unacceptable behaviour that has no place in our society. These proposed changes provide strong penalties and expand police powers to ensure people can practice their beliefs in safety.

“The NSW Government is also expanding the criminal law to send a clear message that inciting hatred is not just unacceptable, it will soon be criminal.

“We believe these proposed reforms strike the right balance between protecting people of faith and the community’s right to protest.”

The Minns Labor Government is today launching a new evidence-based Pave app to help more young people quit vaping.

It comes as new data shows NSW Health’s youth-targeted campaign has supported or persuaded almost 40,000 young people in NSW to quit vaping.

Meanwhile, the latest seizure data suggests a severe disruption to product availability following the introduction of laws stopping vapes at the border.

New Pave app to support quitting vaping

The new Pave app being launched today will provide users with helpful tips, motivation, tracking tools, distractions for when cravings hit, as well as activities and information to navigate common barriers to quitting vaping.

It provides a daily check-in feature supporting users to reflect on their progress and a click-to-call function to connect with Quitline counsellors.

The app was developed by the Cancer Institute NSW, and designed together with young people who vape or had recently quit vaping.

Their experiences informed the content and user interface of the app.

It’s free and available to download on iOS and Android.

Campaign supports or persuades 40,000 to quit

In January 2024, we launched the ‘Every vape is a hit to your health’ behaviour change campaign to reduce the health impact of vaping among 14 to 24 year olds in NSW – the campaign running across TV, public transport and social media.

The campaign connects young people to information about vaping and quit support, including telephone support through the Quitline, general practitioners and now digital apps such as Pave.

New research shows the campaign motivated 24,000 young people in NSW to quit vaping, and persuaded a further 15,000 to consider quitting.

Research also shows that 80 per cent of young Aboriginal people who vape felt motivated to try to quit after being exposed to the campaign.

The campaign is now entering a new phase which will highlight the health harms of vaping including nicotine addiction, lung damage, breathlessness, nicotine poisoning and burns from exploding vapes.

These health materials are available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Nepali and Arabic, and can be accessed here.

Tens of thousands of illegal products removed from community

Between 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024, over 47,000 vaping products were seized from 300 inspections.

This is compared to the same period the previous year, when just under 80,000 vaping products were seized from 238 inspections.

Despite the higher number of inspections, the lower number of products seized is likely the result of the disruption in product availability in the market following the introduction of the commonwealth vaping laws.

Health Minister Ryan Park:

“I am very concerned about the prevalence of illegal vapes in our community.

“In particular, I’m worried about the impacts it will have on the community’s health, and ultimately, our health system, long into the future.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment to prevent a ticking timebomb in public health.

“Our efforts against vaping cannot be solely about enforcement – we’ve got to persuade young people to take ownership of their health, as well as clean our streets of illegal products.

“I am encouraged by our efforts to create awareness among young people of the dangers of vaping, as well as to instil in them a desire to say no, or to quit.

“What I’m determined to see as minister is the requisite supports to help them do it.”

Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O’Brien AM

“It’s encouraging to see that tens of thousands of young people are trying to quit vaping or thinking about doing so.

But vaping remains a significant public health issue and the new Pave app is another option we can provide to encourage young people to seek help and stay on track on their quit journey.

“Vaping can cause significant health harms and can be highly addictive.

“Like cigarettes, vapes are also full of harmful chemicals that have been known to cause cancer and there is growing evidence that young people who vape are more likely to take up smoking, which can significantly increase their cancer risk.”

“It’s important that people avoid taking up vaping or seek help to quit. While quitting can be hard, with support, taking that first step can be life changing.”

former vaper Jillie Clarke

“The craziest thing about vaping is that I genuinely don’t believe anyone wants to be a vaper.

“I didn’t realise I was addicted until I tried to quit and I couldn’t.

“But quitting vaping is 100 per cent possible, it’s a journey but every step is progress and you can do it.

“Vaping had a noticeable impact on my breathing, it felt like my lungs were working harder than they used to and I ended up getting really sick with a lung infection.

“What was really scary for me was learning that the impacts of vaping go beyond respiratory issues, with other damage not being felt until it’s too late – I didn’t want to risk getting to that stage.”

Thirteen highly skilled design practices have been commissioned by the Minns Labor Government to contribute additional low and mid rise designs to the NSW Pattern Book.

This is the second tranche of designs to be added to the NSW Pattern Book to make the delivery of homes in NSW faster, providing more homes for those who need them.

Six designs for terraces, semi-detached dual occupancy and manor houses or low-rise apartment buildings will be produced alongside six designs for mid-rise residential flat buildings.

Additionally, one landscape design practice has been commissioned to develop design guidance for the low-rise and mid-rise patterns, for both private and shared open spaces.

Once complete, these designs will become part of the NSW Pattern Book alongside the five winners from the professional category of the NSW Housing Pattern Book Design Competition that were announced in November last year.

The NSW Pattern Book will provide families, builders and developers with a collection of pre-approved, architecturally designed and cost-effective patterns to choose from. Those that use the designs will have access to a fast-tracked planning pathway.

Restoring choice and diversity is at the centre of the Minns Government’s housing reforms. This means building more homes that offer people at different stages of life more options.

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

·       Establishment of the Housing Delivery Authority to allow for major housing projects to be prioritised by being assessed directly by the NSW Government.

·       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 fire fighters. 

For more information on the Pattern Book please visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/housing-design/nsw-housing-pattern-book.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Sydney is currently the second most expensive city in the world and has less housing diversity than it did a century ago. This means less optionality and less opportunity for our families, young people, workers and downsizers to live in NSW.

“As we see the average household change and evolve, we want to make sure there are homes to suit everyone, and this means more than just single dwellings and high-rise apartments.

“We’re not sacrificing quality for quantity as we deliver more homes, the NSW Pattern Book will have the stamp of approval from the NSW Government Architect.

“We want new homes to be built faster, but the Pattern Book will mean those homes are good quality, sustainable and cost-effective.”

Northwest communities around the Lightning Ridge opal fields are now better protected from bushfires following the Minns Labor Government’s completion of more than $1.35 million in fire trail upgrades and other protection works.

At Lightning Ridge, a network of 34 fire trails spanning approximately 28 kilometres has been established through upgrades to existing access tracks on a Crown land reserve managed by the Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve.

A further 6 fire trails at Grawin covering about 6.7 kilometres, and 13 fire trails at Glengarry covering about 17 kilometres upgrades were also undertaken.

Work included hazard reduction burns, the removal of excess vegetation, and improving fire trails to meet Rural Fire Service standards. Upgrades involved grading, drainage improvements to prevent erosion, and compacted gravel surfacing of some trails for year-round access. Turning and passing bays were also installed to support firefighting efforts. 

Separately, Crown Lands and the Rural Fire Service collaborated on a $34,500 project to install and fence a 110,000-litre water supply tank to support firefighting at Grawin and surrounds.

These critical upgrades undertaken by Crown Lands, with the support of the Soil Conservation Service, Rural Fire Service, Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve land manager, Walgett Shire Council, and community members will improve emergency access and help safeguard residents, businesses, and the local environment from the threat of bushfires.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“These critical fire trail upgrades enable firefighters to do their job battling bushfires.

They are imperative to improving emergency access to help keep communities protected against bushfires.

There are over 1,180 fires trails on Crown land across NSW covering over 2,120 kilometres and over 660 hectares of bushfire asset protection zones, with Crown Lands delivering projects each year to help guard against bushfires.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:

“Following the recent bushfires in the Lightning Ridge area and the massive effort from firefighters to contain it, this is incredibly welcome news from the NSW Government, and I hope this work continues throughout NSW.

Firefighters rely on a network of roads, trails, and tracks to prevent, manage, and contain bushfires. Maintaining NSW’s fire trails by removing excess fuel loads is critical to keeping firefighters safe and helping them reduce the risk and impact of fires on people, property, and the environment.

Reducing fuel loads also significantly reduces the severity and impact of bushfires and assists emergency services in controlling and managing them.”

The NSW and ACT Governments are taking important steps towards developing the first joint water trading framework to deliver an extra 6.36 gigalitres (GL) of water to the environment.

Both jurisdictions are working closely together to develop a robust water trading framework that will help them meet their commitments to the Commonwealth’s Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Once in place, the framework will enable environmental water from the ACT to be released into the Murrumbidgee River in NSW through Burrinjuck Dam, supporting healthier rivers, ecosystems and communities.

Currently, there is no way that water can be transferred into NSW from the ACT under the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source Water Sharing Plan, so the NSW Government is proposing to amend these rules by 1 July 2025.

Targeted information sessions and consultation that will provide more detail on the amendments to establish a water trading framework will be carried out in late February 2025.

To learn more, visit the web page about the Murrumbidgee region.

NSW Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“As a fellow signatory to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, we want to support the ACT in meeting its environmental water targets and ensuring everyone is doing their bit to restore our rivers.

“The reality is the national capital is landlocked by our state, and they can’t deliver this water back to the system without our help.

“The proposed water trading framework will not only be good news for the environment – it will also allow us to explore how we can work together to improve access and support greater regional development in the future.”

ACT Minister for Water Suzanne Orr said:

“This is an important step which will benefit our local waterways and fulfill our commitment to return water to the system.

“Improving river flows within the Murrumbidgee River catchment not only helps support the Murray-Darlin Basin but also catchment health, the environment and regional communities.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with the NSW Government to progress this critical work.”