Category: NSW News

The NSW Opposition is calling on the NSW Labor Government to consider urgent bail reforms when Cabinet meets today.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said the Liberals and Nationals are urging immediate action to implement commonsense bail reform.
 
“The Opposition has put forward three measures that will improve safety for women who are victims of family and domestic violence,” Mr Speakman said.

“The Government’s response needs to be holistic and far broader than just bail reform, but this is a good starting point.”
 
“The NSW Labor Government can consider our proposals today, which address violence against women, improve protection for victims and survivors of domestic violence and enhance community safety.”
 
The NSW Opposition has proposed a three-point initial bail reform response:
 
1.      Expanded use of electronic monitoring devices to bail on serious domestic violence charges.
2.      Expanding grounds for staying the granting of bail for serious personal violence charges.
3.      Removal of the power for registrars to determine bail for serious personal violence charges where bail is opposed, given the widespread audio-visual capacity across our courthouses enabling magistrates to make orders from centralised locations if necessary.
 
The Opposition will consult on the initial three-point plan and on any other measures which are suggested to be appropriate.
 
“The NSW Opposition is committed to working constructively across the Parliament to ensure meaningful action is taken to reduce and prevent domestic and family violence across our state,” Mr Speakman concluded.

More than one year on from the election of the Minns Labor Government renters across NSW have been let down by the Government’s failure to implement key rental reforms.
 
“We are in the midst of Labor’s cost of living crisis with renters struggling every day paying sky high rents,” Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Tim James said.
 
“Over Labor’s year in power, rents in Greater Sydney have increased by more than 13%. The proportion of rental housing accessible to a median income earner in NSW has fallen from 35% in 2022-23 to 28% in 2023-24. By contrast, the Liberal and Nationals Government achieved a record high of 48% in 2020-21.”
 
“The Minns Government has shown little urgency to ease the pressures on households, and has little to show for renters after a year in power despite all of its rhetoric before the election.”
 
“The Government continues to drag its feet on progressing key planks of agreed rental reform including prohibiting no grounds eviction, establishing a portable rental bond scheme, as well as making it easier to have pets in rentals.”
 
“The only thing it has done so far is abandon its promise to end secret rent bidding in favour of undefined transparency measures.”
 
“We’ve seen no outcomes yet on any of these policies.”
 
“The government appears unable or unwilling to make key decisions about how these schemes will be run.”
 
“The NSW Rental Commissioner was meant to give renters a voice but has so far delivered little real action due to being under-resourced and under-funded.”
 
“With Parliament sitting next week, the Government needs to get on with delivering for renters. Every second the Minns government continues to delay, NSW renters pay the price,” Mr James concluded.

The NSW Government has announced the roll out of more bus services in the Tweed region to cater for an expected increase in demand when the new Tweed Valley Hospital opens.

Starting from Monday 6 May various bus route timetables will be overhauled to better connect the Tweed Valley region to the new hospital. 

Route 609 from Murwillumbah will receive an additional 10 trips each week to the new hospital. These include morning and afternoon services timed to help frontline staff get to and from the hospital as their shifts start and end.

Other improvements include:

• Route 600 (Banora Point to Tweed Mall, via Tweed City and the Tweed Hospital) will be extended to operate between Tweed Heads West and Coolangatta from Banora Central. 
• Route 601 will be amended to operate from Tweed Mall to the new Tweed Valley Hospital to service staff, patients and the community. 
• Route 605 will be extended to operate between Murwillumbah and Tweed Mall via Powell Street and Keith Compton Drive. Murwillumbah residents will be able to stay on the same bus to Tweed Mall where they can connect with Queensland Translink services.
• The 603 service will also stop at the new bus stops on Cudgen Road, outside the hospital entrance.

Before the new hospital opens on 14 May, existing route 600 and 601 buses will continue to deviate via Powell Street to service the existing hospital — however when the new hospital opens services will travel via Wharf Street at Tweed Heads and will no longer deviate via Powell Street.

For detailed timetable information visit Trip Planner.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“The NSW Government understands how important it is for patients, visitors and staff to have easy access to the new Tweed Valley Hospital.

“The new bus services we’re delivering will provide the vital access to healthcare, employment and opportunity critical to people in the Tweed.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:

“Many of the people visiting the new hospital are likely to have mobility issues, so providing better bus services that run direct to the facility is going to be an enormous benefit for them.

“I’m pleased to see the new services will start one week before the opening of the hospital in order to help people become familiar with the new arrangements.”

NSW Duty MLC for Tweed Emily Suvaal said:

“The NSW Government is proud to be investing in improvements to public transport in our growing regional communities and I encourage everyone in the Tweed region to take advantage of these new services.

“I also congratulate Transport for NSW and bus operator Kinetic for the work they’ve put in to deliver improvements to public transport that will benefit so many community members in the Tweed region.”

Community sport across NSW has received a $4.4 million injection following the awarding of grants in the NSW Government’s Local Sport Grant Program.

The Program provides up to $20,000 to individual clubs and associations with $50,000 available in each electorate for new equipment, programs and facilities that increase participation in community sport, with 579 projects awarded funding in this year’s program.

Some projects to receive funding include:

• Kurri Kurri Football Club who received $19,938 for their program to improve access and inclusion
• Plumpton Braves Baseball Club who received $14,973 for new equipment
• Broken Hill Soccer Association who received $11,197 for their Bonding over the BBQ Program which aims to build camaraderie in the Association
• Lismore Old Boys Rugby League Football Club who received $20,000 for their program to create pathways and a safe, inclusive culture for women and girls
• Sussex Inlet Golf Club who received $5000 for their Intro to Golf for Women and Children program.

Get more information on the Local Sport Grant Program

NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“The NSW Labor Government is focused on rebuilding our local grassroots sporting communities, on driving participation, and delivering fit-for-purpose facilities for our children.”

“The Local Sport Grant Program provides vital funds directly to grassroots community sports clubs and associations to deliver programs and equipment to support their participants.”

“With the critical role sport plays in keeping people healthy, active and socially connected, this funding is vital to community health, wellbeing and sense of identity.”

The NSW Government is meeting the growing demand for healthcare workers in the Northern Rivers region with an investment of $500,000 for the upgrade and expansion of nursing facilities at TAFE NSW Ballina.

These improvements, which include a state-of-the-art simulated nursing ward and dedicated home care training room, are designed to provide TAFE NSW nursing students with a more immersive and practical learning environment.

The upgrades come as the demand for nurses increases, with a projected shortfall of 123,000 nurses in Australia by 2030.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, visited TAFE NSW Ballina yesterday and said the upgraded facilities would increase student capacity at the campus.

It is anticipated construction will commence at TAFE NSW Ballina in May and the project is expected to reach completion in August 2024.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:  

“This investment into the nursing space at TAFE NSW Ballina will greatly enhance training opportunities for students and bring simulation learning experiences in line with best practice.

“We’re increasing our capacity by 32 students per week across Certificates III and IV in Health Services Assistance [Assistants in Nursing] and offering Diploma of Nursing students access to improved facilities to better support their learning outcomes.

“The healthcare and social assistance sector is the Ballina Shire’s largest employer, and the NSW Government is committed to investing in TAFE NSW to provide the facilities, training, and industry standard equipment to meet this workforce demand.

“The investment in equipment and facilities at the TAFE NSW Ballina campus will set up local healthcare students for further success, while supporting the region’s critical skills needs.

“Through our investment into our infrastructure, TAFE NSW is better able to continue to deliver the best standard of education and skills to the next generation of the healthcare workforce in this wonderful region,”

The NSW Government is on track to meet its target of culling 87,000 feral pigs through its $13 million Feral Pig Program.

Since October 2023, 69,343 feral pigs have been culled through the program, with 4,335 properties participating in aerial and ground control programs across NSW.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty saw these results firsthand today while visiting farmers near Orange who have been participating in the Feral Pig Program.

The Feral Pig Program is one element of the NSW Government’s comprehensive plan to boost biosecurity across NSW – which also includes:

• working to recruit the state’s first independent Biosecurity Commissioner;
• $95 million to protect against the spread of red imported fire ants;
• $41 million to support the transition to mandatory sheep and goat electronic identification to improve biosecurity traceability;
• a $10 million Good Neighbour Program to clamp down on pests and weeds on public land;
• working with the Natural Resource Commission to develop a baseline report on damage from invasive species so that appropriate action can be taken to better protect NSW farmers; and
• ongoing research and development projects across DPI’s state-wide network of research stations.

Deborah and Sam Kwa have had great success managing feral pigs on their Summer Hill Creek property, working with Local Land Services on trapping and removing significant numbers of feral pigs.

A key part of the program is upskilling farmers and giving them the tools and advice to effectively manage feral pigs now and into the future.

Over the past 7 months, Local Land Services staff have provided farmers with tailored feral pig management advice through 7,394 one on one consultations and delivered 64 skill building events and workshops.

In addition, over 129,600 kg of free bait has been provided to farmers across NSW to ensure multiple control methods are being used as part of best practice pest animal management.

For more information on the Feral Pig Program visit Feral Pig Program 2023-2024 – Local Land Services (nsw.gov.au)

Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said:

“Our government is taking biosecurity and the feral pig problem seriously, so it’s great to see that our $13 million Feral Pig Program is delivering results.

“While numbers paint a picture of what activities have been carried out through the program, it’s great to hear how this program is having a positive impact at the local and individual farm level.

“Deborah and Sam are great examples of what can be achieved when farmers and government work together to tackle pest animals using an integrated approach to control.

“Here in the Central Tablelands, 3,630 feral pigs have been culled through aerial shoots and trapping programs with 288 properties participating.

“Local Land Services has also delivered 13 local events to upskill farmers and provided best practice advice through 362 one on one consultations.”

The NSW Labor Government has committed to continuing a program that has supported more than 1,000 high school students to secure jobs.

The Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program helps students engage directly with industry to explore different career paths or transition into work, apprenticeships and traineeships or further study.  

During the past three years, more than 3,000 industry partners have participated in RIEP activities with more than 180,000 students from more than 850 NSW schools.

The program has secured 1,000 direct employment outcomes for students since April 2021, including part-time jobs and school-based and full-time apprenticeships and traineeships.

Through the RIEP program, the Department is delivering on its Rural and Remote Education Strategy commitment to build strong industry partnerships to facilitate access to post-school pathways.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan today visited Madura Tea to see the outcomes of a RIEP-funded digital media and marketing workshop, which involved 120 Year 10 students from six northern NSW high schools.

Apex Ad Agency was one of the industry partners that supported the delivery of these workshops. All 28 students that connected with Apex Ad Agency have been offered work experience in Term 3.

Marketing content created by students during the industry project element of the workshop will be used by Madura Tea Estates as upcoming social media content.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“The Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program has a strong record of success, and we are pleased to continue its investment in preparing students to support local industry.

“The RIEP program actively builds bridges for students to industry so they can upskill and leverage those networks in their careers.

“Students who connect with employers while still in school have improved employment, education and wellbeing outcomes that also lead to increased future earnings.

“But the benefits of this program extend beyond our students. For businesses, this program offers a unique opportunity to shape the workforce of the future.”

Apex Ads Director + Partnership Developer Azzi Hamiliton said:

“The RIEP program has provided the talented students with a unique opportunity to develop their digital marketing skills and apply these in a real-world context.”

Madura Tea Digital Manager Kirsty Porter said:

“We were absolutely delighted that Apex Ads chose to feature our Madura products in their digital learning initiative with the students. It was a unique opportunity to see our tea become a tool for education and witness firsthand the innovative ways the next generation engages with digital media and product storytelling.”

The NSW Government will today launch an advertising campaign to raise public awareness and understanding of coercive control.

Using the tagline, “It’s not love, it’s coercive control. Know the signs of abuse,” this campaign uses video, audio and static advertisements with the slogan to show coercive control as a pattern of abusive behaviour over time.

Coercive control is insidious and can manifest in many ways. It is a pattern of behaviour which may include financial abuse, threats against pets or loved ones, tracking someone’s movements, or isolating them from friends and family to control them.

This campaign was a recommendation of the Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control, which highlighted the need to support community awareness of coercive control prior to the commencement of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022.

NSW is the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce a standalone dedicated offence of coercive control.

The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022 will criminalise coercive control in current or former intimate partner relationships in NSW starting from 1 July 2024. If found guilty, perpetrators can face up to a maximum of 7 years in prison.

The campaign was developed with over 70 stakeholders from the Coercive Control Implementation and Evaluation Taskforce and ten associated reference groups. This included victim-survivors through the Lived Expertise Reference Group.

This campaign follows the launch of a website in August 2023, designed to ensure the NSW public has access to credible information about coercive control.

NSW Police are also undergoing coercive control training, to ensure they are prepared for the implementation of this reform.

Members of the NSW Government will be joined by other NSW Parliamentary Members, in a signal that a multipartisan approach will be taken on issues of women’s safety and domestic and family violence.

The importance of an awareness campaign on this topic was laid bare by market research which showed that 32 percent of respondents had not heard of the term coercive control, and only 26 percent had both heard the term and understood what it meant.

Coercive control has been strongly linked to intimate partner homicide, with the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team finding that in 97% of intimate partner domestic violence homicides in NSW between 2000 and 2018 were preceded by the perpetrator using emotional and psychological abuse as a form of coercive control towards the victim.

Find out more about coercive control

Prue Car, Deputy Premier of New South Wales, said:

“Coercive control is an insidious and damaging form of domestic violence – it can leave victim survivors feeling isolated, vulnerable, and alone.

“This campaign is vital in ensuring the broader public know what coercive control looks like, and perpetrators know what they are doing is wrong.

“The past few weeks have brought into sharp focus the need for urgent action on women’s safety.

“The NSW Government is committed to taking meaningful action when it comes to domestic and family violence, with a special Cabinet meeting to be held this week to discuss the Government’s response to gendered and domestic violence.

“All options are on the table when it comes to the prevention of family and domestic violence.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“From 1 July, coercive control in current and former intimate partner relationships will be a crime punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment.

“The NSW Government is committed to addressing domestic abuse, including coercive control.

“This campaign highlights that abuse against a current or former intimate partner is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“Coercive control is behaviour designed to exercise domination and control over another, and can be hard to spot because it can be deeply contextual.

“This campaign is vital because it helps build community awareness of coercive control and what it looks like in intimate partner relationships, with the ultimate goal of saving lives.

“These ads depict abusive behaviours that are, regrettably, all too familiar to some people in our community. It shines a light on this insidious abuse before it escalates and results in homicide.

“Coercive control laws will have a profound impact on the way that our justice system assesses and manages domestic violence cases, and the government is now making sure people recognise the signs and know what it is.”

Emma Hurst, Member of the Legislative Council, Member of the Animal Justice Party, said:

“As someone who has been the victim of domestic violence, I have also experienced the effects of coercive control. It is hard to explain the experience of coercive control, but someone having to know where you are at all times, and being continuously verbally abusive, has the ability to destroy someone’s life in so many ways.

“Animals are frequently used as tools of coercive control, which can involve threatening violence towards the animal, or to kill or get rid of the animal, if the victim does not comply. We continue to look towards legislative options to tackle this insidious form of coercive control.”

Member of the Alex Greenwich, Independent Member for Sydney said:

“The NSW Parliament came together to pass landmark legislation to criminalise coercive control, and now with the nation’s focus rightly on gendered violence this advertisement campaign seeks to make NSW a safer place by helping people in all types of relationships, including same-sex relationships, recognise and report coercive control.”

Michael Regan, Independent Member for Wakehurst said:

“Having seen up close the personal damage coercive control has on a person and those around them, I am proud that NSW Parliament is leading the nation with these reforms. We need the whole country to get on board on now.”

Dr. Joe McGirr, Independent Member for Wagga Wagga said:

“It’s alarming to realise that 97 per cent of domestic violence murder victims had been subject to coercive control prior to their deaths.

“Coercive control is a red flag that can point to horrifying outcomes so it’s very important to raise awareness about this totally unacceptable abuse as part of wider efforts to prevent domestic violence and improve safety for women and children.”

Roy Butler, Independent Member for Barwon said:

“The signs of Domestic Violence are often obvious: physical injury, loud, aggressive interactions – it’s a scourge in our community. Coercive Control can be even more damaging, and when it occurs, it’s often not noticeable to anyone but the victim and perpetrator. Coercive Control can also be a precursor to physical violence and has no place in society. I welcome this new protection against coercive control.”

Judy Hannan, Independent Member for Wollondilly said:

“While we stand here to call out violence against women, we need to remember we have a voice and there are many others that should be here today who have been taken at no fault of their own. It is the victim’s silence that we need to remember and we need to call out for them.”

Support Services:

If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, call the Police on Triple Zero / 000.

For confidential advice, support, and referrals, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

The future of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney will be expertly guided by a new Chief Executive following a competitive global search.

Simon Duffy AM will join the Gardens from Taronga Zoo where he spent the last 27 years leading education, tourism, science, conservation, place-making, and fundraising initiatives. Mr Duffy also successfully led Taronga’s transformation from a traditional zoo to a zoo-based conservation organisation.

The appointment is aligned with, and reinforces, the Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s position as a global leader in biodiversity, sustainability, scientific research and conservation, as well as its significance as a cherished destination for families, nature-lovers, scientists and tourists alike.

Mr Duffy brings to the role exceptional experience and a visionary approach to creating and communicating biodiversity projects on a local, national, and international level.

In 2019, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his work in conservation in both Australia and Africa.

Mr Duffy will commence as Chief Executive of Botanic Gardens of Sydney on Monday, 3 June 2024.

Find out more about the Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The appointment of Simon Duffy AM to the role of Chief Executive of the Botanic Gardens is an important appointment for the future of this much-loved public space.

“Mr Duffy’s passion, leadership and experience position him well to lead the Gardens team and the Gardens themselves into the future, continuing the outstanding work in scientific research, sustainability, biodiversity conservation and nurturing some of Sydney’s most iconic public spaces.”

Chief Executive Botanic Gardens of Sydney Simon Duffy AM said:

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the wonderful team at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney.

“What an opportunity to work with Australia’s oldest scientific institution and a team that conducts critical research and action for plant and biodiversity conservation.

“As part of the Gardens team, I look forward to championing critical science and education programs and preserving the natural beauty of the Gardens for future generations so we can continue to lead and inspire our community towards a better, brighter, and more sustainable future.”

Experienced commercial barrister Tim Faulkner SC has been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Mr Faulkner has acted for some of the largest law firms in Australia in professional negligence cases and specialises in insurance and reinsurance, both in courts and arbitration.

In 2020, he acted for corporate regulator ASIC in Australian Securities and Investments Commission v MLC Nominees Pty Ltd [2020] FCA 1306, which resulted in a civil penalty of $57.5 million – one of the largest civil penalties obtained by ASIC.

Mr Faulkner was admitted as a solicitor in 1990 after studying a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Economics at Australian National University. He also completed a Master of Laws at the University of Sydney in 1995.

He worked for King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney and Herbert Smith in London before he was called to the Bar in 1999. He took silk in 2014 and is currently a member of 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers.

Mr Faulkner has broadly practised in the areas of commercial law, competition and consumer law, equity, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence, property, consumer protection, corporations law, alternative dispute resolution, and appeals.

When he commences at the Supreme Court, Mr Faulkner will be a judge of the Common Law Division.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Tim Faulkner SC to the Supreme Court bench.

“Mr Faulkner is a highly experienced lawyer, and his knowledge will be invaluable to the Court and everyone who interacts with it.

“I congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment.”