Category: NSW News

A Western Sydney primary school will soon benefit from the NSW Government’s Get NSW Active grants, as families across the state are encouraged to leave the car at home more often this National Walk Safely to School Day.

Data shows less than 25% of NSW school children currently walk or ride to and from school, down from 75% 40 years ago.

Canterbury-Bankstown Council has received a $600,000 grant to install a raised pedestrian crossing and shared pathways around Canterbury South Public School that will link to existing walking and cycling networks in the local area.

The Get NSW Active program delivers better walking and cycling connections along routes to schools across the state.

Over the last 2 years, more than 93 grants valued at $26 million have been provided to councils, including $6.6 million in Greater Sydney and $19.3 million in regional NSW. A further $10 million was recently added to the program, with successful applicants to be announced next month.

National Walk Safely to School Day is an initiative led by the Pedestrian Council of Australia with support from Transport for NSW, providing schools with information and classroom resources on the importance of road safety.

Transport for NSW also provides over 1400 trained school crossing supervisors at 970 schools across NSW, helping kids to cross the road safely. Its Safety Town website is a useful family resource for road safety tips and advice to help keep their children safe.

Get more information on the Safety Town program.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“Today is an important reminder that we all have a role to play in reducing road trauma. Teaching our children how to get to and from school safely is extremely important.

“Sadly, in the past 12 months, 20 children aged 5 to 16 years were injured in active school zones.

“I’d like to remind motorists to do their part in making sure children are safe by sticking to the speed limit in school zones and watching out for kids.”

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen:

“We want to make it easier for kids across NSW to walk safely to school, every day. Even on rainy days like today, grab the brolly and slip on some gumboots if you can.

“That’s why we’re investing millions to make it safer and easier for kids to walk to school, so parents can leave the car at home.

“The benefits of walking to school for children are enormous, and today on National Walk to School Day, it provides a great opportunity for parents to talk to their kid’s road safety, and healthy life-time travel habits.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:

“Today is great day to commit to walking to school with your kids, which can come with extra challenges in rural areas, like traveling longer distances or higher-speed traffic.

“For kids living in the bush, sometimes they have to travel long distances to get to a school. Even if you’re driving from a far distance, I encourage parents to park nearby, hold your kids’ hands and walk the rest of the way to school.

“We’ll continue to work with the federal government and local councils to roll out critical safety infrastructure, as part of the $40 million School Zone Infrastructure Sub Program for Regional NSW.”

 Member for Canterbury Sophie Cotsis said:

“I am excited that in just a few months’ time, students at Canterbury South Primary School will have a new, safer crossing and wider footpaths in the surrounding streets. The new paths will fill an important gap between the school gate and the Cooks River walking and cycling paths.

“This is a great example of council and government working together to get the best outcome for the community, and I know students and parents are going to love it.”

Pedestrian Council of Australia CEO Harold Scruby said:

“Physical activity has many social, emotional, physical and mental health benefits.

“Regular physical activity, especially walking, can improve self-esteem and confidence, help concentration and improve overall fitness. And children who are physically active before school, perform better academically.

“But the most important message remains: Until they’re ten, children must always hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road.

“Never just trust a green light. Always stop, look, listen, think, before crossing the road.”

The Central Coast community has been given a first look at Wyong Hospital’s new Palliative Care Unit, with an artist’s impression for the new facility unveiled today.

Health Minister Ryan Park said the new facility is being delivered as part of the $93 million allocated for capital investment in the NSW Government’s World Class End of Life Care program and will feature 12 palliative care bedrooms with ensuites, communal areas, meeting spaces, and flexible outdoor spaces.

“The NSW Government is committed to ensuring people with life-limiting illnesses receive the highest quality end-of-life care at the right time, and in the right place,” Mr Park said.  

“The new dedicated palliative care unit at Wyong will provide a purpose-built space for palliative care staff to deliver care and support to patients and families during what can be an extremely difficult time for all involved.”

Following extensive site investigations across the Wyong Hospital campus, the new palliative care unit will be located in an existing building at the eastern end of the campus.

Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris said the existing space will be extensively remodelled to make way for the new palliative care unit.

“It will provide privacy and space for patients and families, including individual and communal areas, outdoor spaces, and access to parking and other clinical services,” Mr Harris said.

“The new unit will be a valuable addition to Central Coast Local Health District’s existing palliative care services, including the palliative care unit at Gosford Hospital and in-home services to meet individual and family needs.

“This is an important milestone and I acknowledge the hard work of the community in advocating for this project.”

The schematic design for the new facility has been completed and is the result of extensive consultation with palliative care health professionals, carers, and community members, to ensure the best and most appropriate health outcome for the Central Coast community.

Construction timeframes will be confirmed once the detailed design phase is complete, and a builder has been appointed.

The NSW Government’s $93 million for capital investment in the World Class End of Life Care program will deliver new or redeveloped palliative care facilities across the state. Other locations to benefit from new palliative care services include Nepean, Orange, Tamworth and Westmead.

For more project information, including the latest design, visit the End of Life Care Program website.

The number of people sleeping rough in NSW has continued to rise with regional areas experiencing the biggest surge in homelessness in the past year, while metro Sydney has stabilised.

The challenge ahead is made clear by the 2024 Street Count, which found 2037 people sleeping rough compared to 1623 people last year. Street sleeping increase by 1% in City of Sydney and approximately 16% in Byron Bay – which now accounts for the largest number of street sleepers in NSW.

The NSW Government is working to address the worsening housing and rental crisis faced by so many people across the state.

Rising interest rates, cost of living pressures and a shortage of rental homes are just some of the factors that are continuing to drive homelessness and street sleeping.

The NSW Government and Homes NSW are taking action to address rising street sleeping and homelessness by:

• Addressing short term rental accommodation rules because we know the current rules aren’t working.
• Delivering more public and social homes and bringing vacant homes back online.
• Exploring modular housing that is good quality, fast and locally made to support local jobs.
• Properly supporting Special Homelessness Services (SHS) including extension to Specialist Homelessness Services contract from 2024 to 2026 and moving to 5 year contracts to create more certainty.
• Removing caps on temporary accommodation so people, especially women and children, have a safe place to stay instead of on the streets.
• Increasing support for victim-survivors, and expanding the staying home leaving violence program statewide, so victims are able to stay at home and avoid homelessness.

The NSW Government acknowledges there is much more to do to address homelessness and provide homes for people in need.

More than 300 local organisations partnered with the NSW Government to complete street counts in 400 towns and suburbs in 76 local government areas.

The 2024 street count was completed between Thursday 1 February and Friday 1 March 2024 and is published annually.

For more information about how the 2024 Street Count was done and the breakdown of results across NSW, visit the Communities and Justice website.

Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“I attended this year’s Street Count along with the CEO of Homes NSW, Rebecca Pinkstone and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre team. I think it’s important our leaders and Government are on the front line to see first-hand how we collect this data.

“While levels of street sleeping have stabilised in Sydney, we are still seeing an unprecedented increase of homelessness in many of our regional towns. We don’t just need data to tell us this – our regional communities are feeling this every day.

“The sobering street count figures again paint a harrowing picture of homelessness and street sleeping across our state.

“We have been clear – we are looking at every single option to tackle the housing and rental crisis. This includes our wide-ranging review of Short Term Rental Accommodation rules which we are in the process of finalising very soon.

“We know the current Short Term Rental Accommodation rules are having an impact on homelessness and street sleeping, especially in our regions, which is why we are acting.”

Following the Opposition’s calls for the Government to stop hiding the homelessness figures they have been forced to release the 2024 street count figures.
 
The NSW annual street count reveal the number of rough sleepers has surged over the past twelve months under Labor.
 
The data collected during the street count recorded 2,037 people sleeping rough in February 2024, an increase of 414 people since February 2023.
 
Shadow Minister for Homelessness Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the 2024 street count numbers shows the Minns Labor Government was failing our most vulnerable.
 
“The Minns Government housing and homelessness crisis just keeps getting worse with a record 2,037 people sleeping rough recorded this year, an increase of 414 people since February 2023,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones.
 
“As the housing and economic crisis continues to escalate, there is a real risk more people will experience homelessness for the first time.”
 
“As winter approaches and the number of people sleeping rough increases, the Minister for Homelessness has turned her back on homelessness providers and refuses to provide certainty for critical funding.”
 
“The NSW Labor Government must act now and provide additional funding to support our already stretched homelessness services.”

Mrs Maclaren-Jones is also calling on the Minister for Homelessness to broaden the scope of reporting to encompass all types of homelessness, including nuances like couch surfing and other forms of non-secure housing, which is not captured in the street count.
 
“People are experiencing many types of housing stress, from rough sleeping to couch surfing and living in overcrowded accommodation. To effectively address homelessness, we must have accurate and timely data that shows the true extent of homelessness,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

To view the 2024 NSW street count results, visit www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/housing-reforms/homelessness/street-count.

A new report by the Property Council has confirmed that new taxes introduced by the Minns Labor Government is slowing the delivery of homes across NSW. 

Labor’s new taxes – the Housing and Productivity Contribution and the Sydney Water Development Servicing Plan (DSP) – are rendering new housing projects economically unviable according to industry. 

The ABS’ recent data show that after a year of Labor new dwellings approved from April 2023 to March 2024 have dropped by 5,530 – a fall of 11 per cent. The NSW Planning Performance Dashboard shows that in the nine months since May 2023, there has been a 25% decline in DAs submitted and a 27% fall in DAs determined. 

Labor’s $12,000 housing tax on each new home built in Greater Sydney, Illawarra, the Hunter and Central Coast has been confirmed as “a tax on the very thing we are trying to fix,” as warned by industry. 

The Liberals and Nationals voted against Labor’s housing tax, rightly stating that the tax would “only act as a disincentive on building”. 

Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow, says the Minns Labor Government did not listen warnings from industry and now need to admit that their new taxes have contributed to building approvals falling to the lowest level in a decade. 

“Only Labor would decide to impose new taxes and drive up the cost of building homes in the middle of a housing crisis. Now the supply of new housing is falling with no end in sight because of Labor’s higher taxes,” Mr Farlow said. 

“This is yet another example of the Minns Labor Government arrogant approach to housing, pretending to know better than industry and proceeding with a new housing tax against all the warnings,” Mr Farlow said. 

“The Planning Minister last May said his new housing tax ‘will have a negligible impact on the feasibility of development projects’. It is clear Paul Scully was wrong.” 

“Industry has stressed that a typical apartment or greenfield housing project is now unviable to deliver today, but will be even more unviable in two years because Labor’s housing taxes are due to increase. Under Labor, fewer new homes are now under construction and more buyers and renters searching for properties that simply won’t exist.” 

“The Minns Labor Government needs to reverse course and lower the taxation burden to build new housing supply or else any ambition to increase housing supply will fail,” Mr Farlow concluded. 

The NSW Government has activated a biosecurity response and engaged the Commonwealth and other State Governments after receiving advice that white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has been detected by scientists in wild-caught school prawns from the inshore ocean area off the Richmond River estuary near Ballina.

The NSW Government’s biosecurity response arrangements have been activated and will establish a control zone prohibiting the movement of raw product, including all decapod crustaceans and polychaete worms, but excluding high value lobster, crabs and bugs destined for human consumption, from rivers near Ballina and just offshore.

White spot does not pose a threat to human health or food safety. NSW seafood, including prawns, remains safe to eat.

White spot syndrome virus presents a biosecurity risk to prawn industries and can impact on the trade of prawns and all crustaceans.

Restriction on the movement of uncooked prawns and polychaete worms from the control zone is necessary to protect access to valuable national and international seafood markets by all crustaceans fisheries in NSW and Australia.

Prawn fishers can continue to catch prawns in the control zone but all prawns must be cooked to deactivate the virus before they can be moved into markets.

The NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty has directed her agency to urgently communicate directly with prawn and seafood industry stakeholders in northern NSW to provide details on the implementation of a control zone on the movement of uncooked prawns and polychaete worms. Working closely and collaboratively with the industry is a Government priority.

This action is critical to preserve both interstate and international trade for all crustacean species and other non-affected areas of NSW where crustacean fisheries operate.

The control zone restricts the movement of green, uncooked, school and king prawns and other decapod crustaceans, including polycheate worms out of the area.

Importantly, for many commercial fishers and seafood industry operators in Northern NSW, the Government is excluding the Mud, blue swimmer, three spot and spanner crabs, lobsters and bugs from the movement restrictions, as these species are solely used for human consumption and do not present a risk of being reintroduced to other waterways.

This routine testing is part of the national white spot surveillance program, which began in 2017 following the white spot outbreak in Southeast Queensland. Genetic testing is being conducted to confirm the DNA of the WSSV collected near Ballina to check if there are any relationships with previous detections in Queensland and NSW.  

NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:

“The community can rest assured this discovery of white spot syndrome virus in samples of wild caught school prawns off Ballina is not a health risk and NSW seafood is safe to eat.

“Our biosecurity response has swiftly swung into action and will aim to control the impact and advise all stakeholders on next steps.

“I have requested my Department to work closely with the northern NSW seafood industry and ensure they have all the information they need to understand the issue and to work collaboratively with Government.

“Our Government’s epidemiologists, biosecurity, fisheries and aquatic health specialists are working to develop response plans to support the industry”.

Communities across regional NSW can now have their first look at a $45.3 million dollar NSW Government investment into key healthcare worker accommodation, set to be rolled out across Broken Hill, Balranald, Cooma, Finley, Leeton, Narrandera and West Wyalong.

An off-site prototype unit has been completed alongside final artist impressions for each site, giving local communities their chance to view the modern and sustainable design of the new units.

The units will support heath care workers looking to establish themselves in a new community by providing accommodation close to work. This is a key factor in attracting and retaining health workers at rural and regional hospitals.

Extensive consultation with clinicians has been undertaken as part of the planning and design process, which has been used to inform the prototype.

The prototype allows the units to be tested before they are built to ensure they will be fit-for-purpose, safe and comfortable for local and visiting healthcare workers.

The units will be built off-site and then installed on hospital grounds in Cooma, Broken Hill, Finley, Leeton, Narrandera and West Wyalong. The sites were selected following consultation with local health districts to determine which facilities had the most urgent need for accessible, affordable accommodation to support their workforce.

Two pre-fabricated accommodation cabins, each with 2 units, have been delivered and installed at Balranald Hospital. Works on site are currently being finalised and the units are expected to be ready for occupation in the coming months.

All accommodation will follow the same architectural design, and sustainability will be a focus with the units fully electrified and solar ready.

Offsite construction of the accommodation will commence shortly after feedback on the prototype is considered. The new units will be installed starting in mid-2024 and are expected to become available to key workers in late 2024/early 2025.    

The NSW Government’s investment into the key worker accommodation is just part of a range of measures we are rolling out to improve access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including:

• doubling rural health incentives which has seen more health workers recruited or retained in the bush
• boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model
• delivering an extra 500 regional paramedics.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“We know recruitment is 1 of the biggest challenges facing our regional, rural and remote health services.

“I’ve always said everyone deserves access to quality healthcare from our amazing healthcare workers, no matter where they live.

“Critical to achieving this has been bringing more health workers to our regions, and these units will support staff looking to establish themselves in a new community.”

Minister for Regional NSW and Minister for Western NSW, Tara Moriarty:

“The NSW Government is improving regional service delivery and the $45.3 million health worker accommodation program is another example of how we are getting on with the job.

“Communities in the Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW and Far West will be pleased to see this progress and I look forward to seeing the accommodation become available to health workers by the end of this year.

“Our government is making a real difference in the regions with better decisions and smart investments that deliver a positive difference in health, education, business and utilities.”

Member for Monaro Steve Whan:

“The completion of the prototype is an exciting milestone in this project, which will see accommodation for 12 healthcare workers at any one time in Cooma.

“I am really pleased Cooma has been selected as site for this purpose-built accommodation, and I hope it encourages healthcare workers to consider a move to Cooma or one of the state’s other wonderful regional communities where this is on offer.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler:

“Broken Hill is an incredible place to work and live, and I welcome this investment which will support up to 20 health workers looking to establish themselves in Far Western NSW.

“Having safe and comfortable housing close to our hospital, will go a long way to removing a significant barrier in attracting staff to this unique part of the world.”

Member for Murray Helen Dalton:

“This investment will entice much needed medical professionals to consider a career in the region.

“The establishment of purpose built, considered accommodation is not only beneficial for healthcare staff but also for the communities in Finley, Leeton and Narrandera who will benefit from skilled healthcare professionals.”

The NSW Labor Government has today given councils and their communities the power to make decisions about their future with the Local Government Amendment (De-amalgamations) Bill 2024 passing both Houses of Parliament.

The new legislation provides certainty to councils that have been left in limbo due to legal flaws within the Local Government Act.

Under the Government’s new laws, councils seeking to demerge must work in close consultation with their community to ensure local democracy is enshrined throughout the entire process.

The new pathway will require councils to develop a robust business case for de-amalgamation with community input so that residents are adequately informed of potential implications upfront.

The business case should consider the impacts of de-amalgamation including financial ramifications, long-term strategic plans, and the capacity of new councils to deliver services.

The Minister will then refer the business case to the Local Government Boundaries Commission for independent review and assessment.

If the Minister is satisfied by the Boundaries Commission’s recommendation a proposal is sound, a compulsory referendum may then be held to give the community the final say on whether they wish to de-amalgamate.

The majority of the community must support this vote for the demerger to proceed.

The new legislation will also apply to any council that has been amalgamated, removing a provision that placed a 10-year period for councils to enact demerger proceedings.

It also provides for a mechanism for the Government to contribute to funding the costs of demergers incurred by councils. 

Following its passage through both Houses of Parliament the Bill will soon be signed into law by the NSW Governor.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig:

“Today the NSW Labor Government has put an end to a disappointing chapter in local government history.

“Councils and communities across the state have suffered for too long without a clear mechanism to undo the amalgamations that were forced upon them.

“This Bill rightly puts those decisions that directly affect communities back into their hands.

“It provides a legal pathway to achieve de-amalgamation whilst mandating robust engagement with the community throughout the entire process.

“This is to ensure communities understand the consequences and can make an informed decision about their future.

“Whether that is to proceed down the path of de-amalgamation, or to get on with the job of providing for their community, this Bill delivers much-needed certainty.”

The NSW Government has today confirmed and eradicated an immature fire ant nest at South Murwillumbah, where fire ants were first detected in NSW in November 2023.

The nest was reported, identified and eradicated today demonstrating the swift action undertaken by the NSW Government and National Fire Ant Eradication Program (NFAEP) teams.

The treatment of the South Murwillumbah infested area has been managed as a multi-stage process. Detections surrounding infested sites are to be expected, highlighting the importance of the multiple stage treatment and surveillance approach that is required over a extended period.

All known nests receive a direct nest injection with fipronil. Then a broadcast treatment, either aerial or ground team application, using insect growth regulator spread out between 2km to 5km, which this site has received. There are two further treatments scheduled for the South Murwillumbah site.

There is an existing control order in place for this area from the initial detection in November 2023, restricting how potential fire ant carrier materials can be moved or transported. There is no need to extend that current movement control.

The nest has been categorised as low-risk due to the absence of reproductive ants.

The site is currently being investigated by the NFAEP, NSW Government and Tweed Council teams. The nest is confirmed to be low risk with no signs that it has yet produced reproductive ants.

Residents and businesses can report any suspicious ant activity to 1800 680 244 or by visiting Report Exotic Ants.

Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“We don’t want these ants to spread any further into NSW, which is why this Government committed $95 million to the National Program raising it from the $15 million committed by the former Nationals Liberal Government.

“The NSW Government is working closely with the Tweed Shire Council and the National Program, to ensure we’re keeping the community updated and applying all available resources to the area.

“I urge everyone in the local area to check their premises, yards and paddocks for the red imported fire ants and then reporting any suspected sighting immediately.

“Biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and everyone working together is needed to keep fire ants out of NSW.”

The NSW Liberals and Nationals today introduced the Bail Amendment (Serious Personal Violence and Electronic Monitoring) Bill 2024, progressing commonsense proposals to strengthen bail laws in NSW.
 
Despite broad support across the Parliament for urgent action the NSW Labor Government appears to have no interest in working collaboratively or adopting a bipartisan approach to improving our state’s bail laws.
 
Since the NSW Labor Government blocked our attempt to strengthen bail laws on Tuesday, we have seen more reported cases of serious domestic violence against women – this is unacceptable.
 
More action can follow, but the time to act on bail is now.
 
The Opposition is proposing an extension of the current parole electronic monitoring to bail in cases of serious domestic violence charges. BOCSAR, the Department of Communities & Justice’s research unit found that electronic monitoring reduced DV reoffending by 33%. 
 
The Opposition understand this; why doesn’t the NSW Labor Government?
 
If the NSW Labor Government does not present its bail reforms to the Parliament next week, the Opposition will again move to have our Bill debated and progressed.