Category: NSW News

The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has declared a further 15 housing proposals as State Significant Development (SSD) following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

These new housing proposals, if approved, could deliver more than 7,000 new homes.

After three briefings in two months a total of 44 housing development proposals have been declared state significant under the HDA, with the potential to deliver more than 22,000 new homes, once proposals are assessed.

Since the first meeting, nine projects have also had Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements issued, the first step in the assessment process which signals a good flow of projects progressing quickly along the SSD pathway.

To date, the Authority has received over 250 expressions of interest. At its latest meeting, 32 proposals were examined.

The authority is prioritising high-quality housing projects with detailed plans that can be submitted within nine months and can begin construction within 12 months of approval. To be declared state significant, proposals submitted to the HDA that are already being assessed via another planning pathway need to be withdrawn from that pathway.

All proposals declared as SSD will have their development applications assessed by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, without needing to be approved by councils. This can cut approval times and speed up the delivery of new homes.

This is all part of the Minns 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 and shopping centres to address the “missing middle.”
• 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.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“These latest projects that I have declared as State Significant Developments have the potential to deliver more than 7,000 new homes including affordable housing.

“The Housing Delivery Authority is not a silver bullet to our housing supply challenges, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

“In three briefings, I have declared projects that could deliver more than 22,000 dwellings into a state-assessed planning pathway, proponents now have nine months to prepares their planning documents, and must commence construction if they are approved within 12 months, because the need for housing is too urgent.”

The Minns Labor Government’s crackdown on knife crime has seen more than 90 dangerous weapons seized from our streets since the NSW Police Force began wanding operations in December.

The force has conducted 34 wanding operations across metro and regional NSW, scanning 4,147 individuals, seizing 91 unlawful weapons and charging 67 people with 71 weapons offences.

Weapons seized include knives, tasers, sling shots, knuckle dusters, machetes and folding kitchen knives.

Under Operation Ares, officers are conducting high-visibility policing operations and using handheld scanners or electronic metal detecting ‘wands’ to scan individuals within a designated area for dangerous weapons.

Locations of the operations include Sydney CBD, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Blacktown, Mt Druitt, Parramatta, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Nowra, Bomaderry, Albury and Lavington.

The Minns Labor Government has taken decisive action to give police further resources to create a safer NSW and send the clear message that knife crime will not be tolerated.

Under the powers, modelled on Queensland’s Jack’s Law, police can stop and scan individuals without a warrant at designated areas.

When switched on by NSW Police, the powers can be used in public spaces including public transport stations, shopping precincts, and certain sporting venues.

These police powers complement other measures introduced by this Government to address knife crime, including:

• Doubling the penalty for selling a knife to a child under 16 to $11,000 and introducing a custodial sentence of up to 12 months for the offence; and
• Creating a new offence for selling knives to children aged 16 or 17 without a reasonable excuse.

The NSW Government remains committed to reducing knife crime and building a safer NSW through continued legislative and operational policing efforts.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said:

“The number of weapons that have been seized already is shocking.

“To have taken almost 100 knives and other weapons off our streets is as horrifying as it is important.

“Our tough knife laws are working and getting weapons out of our community.

“The NSW Government and NSW Police are confronting knife crime and sending a strong message that it is not tolerated.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley said:

“Everybody deserves to feel and be safe in public and it’s clear that these new laws are making NSW a safer place.

“I want to thank the NSW Police who are working around the clock to seize dangerous weapons and keep our community safe from the devastating effects of knife crime.

“There are very few excuses to carry a knife in public – anyone thinking about leaving home with a dangerous weapon should think again. The NSW Police are cracking down hard and you will be caught.”

NSW Police Force Public Transport and Public Safety Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Hegarty said:

“During the 34 operations we have not only seized dangerous knives and weapons, but we have arrested 67 people with offences and put them before the courts.

“There are only very few purposes for anyone to have a knife in their possession in public. In most circumstances, it is illegal and will only lead to tragedy and the death of innocent people.

“We want people to feel and be safe while they go about their daily lives at shopping centres or on public transport.

“Our high-visibility operations are designed to send a message to people and deter them from carrying knives and weapons.”

The NSW Government will crack down on the predatory practice of ‘claim farming’ where vulnerable people are pressured to lodge compensation claims.Claim farmers often use unethical and high-pressure tactics to target those such as child abuse victim-survivors. The NSW Government is introducing the Claim Farming Practices Prohibition Bill 2025, to:

• prohibit a person from contacting another person to solicit them to make a relevant claim
• prohibit a person from buying or selling a relevant claim referral
• prevent lawyers who are convicted of these offences from charging legal costs in relation to the claim, and to require them to refund any costs already received.

 Claim farmers may obtain someone’s personal information without consent to make unsolicited contact and use high-pressure tactics such as harassment and intimidation. The practices used by claim farmers can cause distress to victim-survivors who are pressured to lodge civil compensation claims. Claim farmers charge referral fees to ‘sell’ the claim to a legal practice or another claim farming organisation. They often make promises about legal entitlements that may not be correct or in the claimant’s best interests. The bill will prohibit claim farming for personal injury claims under the Civil Liability Act 2002 and arising from intentional torts (intentional acts that result in injury or death). The Civil Liability Act 2002 applies to many types of claims, including serious injury, medical negligence, and public and product liability. Intentional torts cover acts such as child abuse, assault and deprivation of liberty. Existing offences such as fraud will still apply in addition to the claim farming bill. Dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception currently carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. Prohibiting claim farming will not prevent abuse victims from bringing a claim for compensation, which can be done by contacting a lawyer directly. Attorney General Michael Daley said: “It’s abhorrent that individuals and organisations are seeking to profit off vulnerable people such as victim-survivors of child sexual abuse. “The NSW Government is listening to advocates who have called for a ban on this predatory and exploitative practice that worsens the trauma experienced by victim-survivors. “We have carefully consulted with the community and are moving to stop the harm inflicted by this egregious behaviour.”

As part of the NSW State and Federal Government’s plan to improve regional and rural connectivity farmers and families across the state’s central west will benefit from major upgrades with 17 new telecommunication towers set to be built across the region by the end of 2025.

Overall, the NSW Government and Australian Governments have provided up to $6.1 million to improve rural connectivity to around 1,500 premises across Weddin Shire, Burcher, Burra, Eumungerie, Glen Davis, Talbingo in the central west and Burra, Urila and Talbingo in southern NSW.

Improvements will be delivered through new services provided by YLess4U and Connected Farms, enabling farmers to access reliable communications and data directly from their paddocks, maximising productivity and saving time and money.

Primary producers and agricultural businesses are increasingly relying on the internet, with modern farming technology such as livestock monitoring, smart irrigation systems and wireless drone inspections for land surveying now being used alongside AgTech in tractors, headers and centre-pivot watering systems.

This new funding will allow growers in the Weddin Shire and surrounding areas to fully harness modern farming technology through improved coverage.

Currently, machinery programmed to sow seeds in a designated area across Weddin Shire farmland can only be configured using farm-office based computers with wired internet connections, as there are no reliable wireless options out on the farm.

In the Weddin Agriculture Precinct, Connected Farms will deliver a network providing mobile services and high speed fixed wireless broadband to more than 200 premises in Caragabal, Bribbaree, Piney Range and Pullabooka.

Dual SIM phones will allow locals to make calls and access mobile data via the Connected Farms network, while still accessing other mobile voice and data networks.

In addition to unlocking modern Agtech methods, locals and visitors alike will have improved access to emergency services during disasters and unexpected events.

In Burcher, Burra, Eumungerie, Glen Davis, Talbingo and Urila, telecommunications provider, YLess4U will deliver high speed fixed wireless broadband to premises providing locals farmers and their families with fast and reliable internet.

For more information on the latest Regional Connectivity Program, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/internet/regional-connectivity-program

For information on co-funded regional NSW projects, visit www.nsw.gov.au/connectregionalNSW

Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland

“Every Australian deserves access to fast, reliable and affordable connectivity regardless of whether they live.

“Since coming to office, the Albanese Government has been working to bridge the digital divide with a focus on regional New South Wales.

“These upgrades will make a meaningful difference to residents, local businesses and visitors to the Central West.

“Labor’s vision is for Australia to be the most connected continent, and we are working with the NSW Government and industry to deliver this.”

NSW Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty

“Residents in rural and regional areas deserve dependable telecommunications services to support their everyday needs and that is what this program is providing.

“Improved digital services is important for both the productivity of the farm business and for the daily logistical challenges of living in a rural area.

“Farmers and their families shouldn’t have to stand in the back yard waving their phones around to make a call. 

“These upgrades will mean school children can easily contact their parents when the school bus drops them off at the farm gate.

co-founder and Growth Lead at Connected Farms Melissa Andrews

“These connectivity services will provide farmers with a platform to utilise the latest in real time digital and precision agricultural technologies across their farms to increase their operational efficiency,” Ms Andrews said.

”For many years, connectivity in many parts of Weddin Shire has been very limited and these services will also enable better communications and farm safety capability.”

YLess4U director Jason Green

“We’re proud to partner with the NSW Government as part of the Australian Government’s Regional Connectivity Program to deliver fixed wireless broadband services to over 900 homes and businesses across six communities in regional New South Wales,” Mr Green said.

“Once complete, residents and businesses will have access to faster, more reliable internet and a wide range of plans and pricing options, importantly at prices equivalent to those found in metropolitan areas.

Case study – Stuart McKellar

In the Weddin Shire, sheep and cropping farmer Stuart McKellar runs a large family operation alongside his wife, Cath, brother, Brett, and son, Scott.

Since the land was handed down from Stuart’s parents, the family have managed the farm together and as residents of rural Weddin Shire, they are all too familiar with the challenges brought on by the digital divide.

In 2023, when Stuart’s truck broke down 40 kilometres outside of Grenfell, he deliberately stopped the vehicle on a hill, knowing it was his only chance to get enough mobile reception to call for help.

When the mechanic arrived on-site, they realised that he would need to make five separate trips back into town to access the phone and internet coverage needed to diagnose the mechanical fault and get Stuart’s truck back on the road.

Unfortunately, these incidents aren’t the only way the digital divide affects Stuart and his family; it also impacts their daily sheep and cropping operations.

The business is forced to rely on paper-based vendor declarations and contracts because they lack the internet access required to download even low-megabyte digital resources.

Poor connectivity makes it hard for farmers to use modern tools like Variable Rate (VR) fertiliser tech, which usually lets them upload field data, like soil tests, straight from their tractor.

Without internet in the field, Stuart is forced to return to the home office to upload the required data and make adjustments before getting back to spreading fertiliser where it’s needed most.

This slows things down and means they can’t always make the best use of expensive inputs like lime and gypsum, or maximise crop growth efficiently.

Once the Connected Farms service becomes available in the area, challenges like Stuart’s will soon become a thing of the past and residents will finally have access to reliable mobile phone reception and metropolitan-grade internet, whether during car breakdowns or for everyday farming needs.

Weddin Shire farmer Stuart McKellar said:

“Connectivity has always been very poor around here and our dependence on data is getting greater and greater,” Mr McKellar said.

“Accidents often happen where there is no service, and that improved connectivity would not only make residents’ day-to-day lives easier but would increase farm safety across the shire.

“I recently broke down 40 kilometres from Grenfell and the mechanic had to make five trips out from town to fix the issue as we couldn’t get data out at the worksite. It’s an awful lot of travelling and time wasted and if we had decent internet connection, it would have been a simple fix.

“Currently, your phone will only work near a certain tree or on a hill, we have to use a paper-based vendor declaration because electronic ones won’t load, and we rely on internet in the home office to do simple things like searching the weather forecast.

“Any AgTech field adjustments that need to be done on farm machinery must be done on the house computer too – our farm is spread out across 30 kilometres so when you go out to the field and realise what you’ve preplanned is wrong, you have to take it back to the home office, where the internet is, to make the necessary adjustments.

“Once we have reliable coverage, it’ll be a big time saving and big benefit if we can make those adjustments on the spot.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey will today warn parliament that the State’s workers compensation system is unsustainable without reform to how it deals with workplace psychological injury.

Mr Mookhey will set out plans to make greater use of workplace health and safety laws to prevent psychological injuries, instead of relying solely on the state’s workers compensation system as the main response. 

In a Ministerial Statement, the Treasurer will also advise Parliament that:

• If claims continue growing at recent rates, the State insurer icare expects an additional 80,000 people will make psychological injury claims over the next five years,
• For every $1 needed to care for injured workers, the State’s main workers compensation scheme currently holds only 85 cents in assets, and
• Without reform, premiums for businesses facing no claims against them are forecast to rise by 36 per cent over the three years to 2027-28.

Mr Mookhey will outline a program of consultation with Business NSW and Unions NSW, as well as other interested parties, to create the reform. The model he will outline will see NSW:

1. Give the NSW Industrial Relation Commission a bullying & harassment jurisdiction ahead of requiring those claims to be heard there first before a claim can be pursued for compensation. This will allow the Commission to address psychological hazards, fostering a culture of prevention.
2. Define psychological injury, as well as ‘reasonable management action’, to provide workers and businesses with certainty – rather than let the definitions remain the subject of litigation.
3. Align whole-person-impairment thresholds to standards established in South Australia and Queensland.
4. Adopt some of the anti-fraud measures recently enacted by the Commonwealth to protect the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
5. Respond further to the recommendations retired Supreme Court justice Robert McDougall made in his independent review of Safe Work NSW.

The Treasurer has been working closely with Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis and Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib on the reform.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“Our workers compensation system was designed at a time when most people did physical labour – on farms and building sites, in mines or in factories.

“A system that approaches all psychological workplace hazards the same way as physical dangers, needs to change.

“Allowing the system to stay on autopilot will only trap more employees, employers, and the state of NSW to a fate we can avoid.

“We must build a system that is fit for purpose – one that reflects modern workplaces and modern ways of working.”

Jim Chalmers has today confirmed that he does not know how much he is taxing Australians. 

Australian taxpayers are being smashed under Labor’s economic mismanagement with the average taxpayer in this year alone forking out $3,500 more in tax compared to when Jim Chalmers became Treasurer. That’s $7,000 more in tax for a dual income household.

This analysis includes Labor’s Cost of Living Tax Cuts and is based on the numbers in Jim Chalmers’ own Budget. 

The Treasurer is more interested in fighting the Opposition than he is in fighting for Australians. For Jim Chalmers, the tax paid by Australians is just something he can spend – not something Australians work hard for. 

Australians are paying more because of Labor’s reckless policies and irresponsible spending. 

The Treasurer confirmed today despite higher taxes and higher inflation, he has turned windfall surpluses into ongoing deficits, which will only put further pressure on prices and further pressure on debt. Ultimately, Jim Chalmers and Labor are relying on hard-working Australians to pick up the tab through higher taxes. 

Jim Chalmers is patting himself on the back while Australians suffer the largest fall in living standards on record. 

This yet another example of a distracted government focusing on the wrong priorities. 

Treasury analysis of Labor’s changes to the stage 3 tax cuts showed that over the decade, taxes would increase by $28 billion by 2034 compared to the original policy. 

Analysis of PBO data shows that on a household level, that impact will be profound. The average taxpayer will be paying over $8,900 in more tax from the 2028-2029 tax year compared to 2021-22 levels, if Labor’s Budget settings continue for another four years. That’s almost $18,000 for a dual income household. 

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Chalmers’ gaffe proves the Treasurer’s speciality is spin, not economics. 

“Australians are paying the price for this out-of-touch Treasurer who does not even know how much tax Australians are paying,” Mr Taylor said. 

“Labor’s only plan to fix the budget is to take from family budgets to bolster their own. 

“Labor has broken every promise on tax it made before the last election, and hard-working Australians are paying the price. 

“This is the biggest spending, biggest taxing government in Australian history. It is clear taxes are on the rise if Labor’s policy settings continue. 

“Labor abolished the tax cap in its first budget, the Coalition will restore it. 

“This upcoming budget must restore a tax to GDP cap and fiscal guardrails to reduce wasteful spending so Australians don’t face higher taxes on top of higher inflation. 

“Australians cannot afford another three years of Labor’s economy.”

The Minns Labor Government has awarded funding to a Newcastle-based researcher focussed on improving outcomes for regional and rural cancer patients as part of a $10 million boost to cancer research across NSW.

The 18 grants, delivered by the Cancer Institute NSW, include $798,790 to the University of Newcastle’s Dr Jennifer Mackney to improve patient access to prehabilitation services in rural and regional NSW.

Surgery is essential in cancer care. In 2024 approximately 165,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in Australia, around 132,000 of these people will need surgery, often multiple times.

Greater physical fitness and wellbeing is associated with better cancer surgery outcomes. However, the impact of cancer and associated treatments reduces physical activity, nutrition, and fitness resulting in an increased risk of poor cancer outcomes.

The pre-surgery program developed by Dr Mackney will help overcome this via exercise, nutrition and psychological support which has been shown to dramatically improve patients’ physical function, reduce complications and time in hospital post-op.

The hybrid model of care will be delivered by health providers via in-person care within the participant communities, along with a telehealth team based out of Newcastle.

The grant will enable Dr Mackney to extend access to the prehabilitation program for cancer patients across five regional and rural hospitals, three in the Hunter New England LHD and two in the Mid North Coast LHD.

The NSW Government, through the Cancer Institute NSW, is one of the largest funders of cancer research in NSW, having invested more than $470 million in the past 20 years across nearly 1,000 competitive research awards and grants.

This year’s grants cover four categories, with Dr Mackney one of two Accelerated Research Implementation Grant recipients totalling almost $1.6 million to support teams to rapidly transition research into clinical practice to improve cancer care in regional and rural NSW.

The category’s other recipient is a program to reduce the incidence and increase survival of anal cancer of people with HIV in the regions run by Associate Professor Vincent Cornelisse from the University of New South Wales.

The other three categories comprise:

• 11 Early Career Fellowships
• 3 Career Development Fellowships
• 2 Aboriginal Cancer Research Grants.

To view all 2024/2025 Cancer Institute NSW grants recipients go here: https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/research-and-data/grants/grants-we-ve-funded

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said:

“Ensuring patients in our regional and rural communities receive better access to medical care is a priority of the Minns Labor Government and programs funded by the Cancer Institute NSW grants are helping achieve this.

“The NSW Government is proud to be supporting researchers and projects designed to reduce the impact of cancer and save lives.

“Our researchers strive every day to improve the lives of people in NSW and across the world, and we’re proud to invest in them to continue their work and help improve cancer outcomes for all.

“We’re committed to doing what is needed to prevent cancer, improve access to care and support our expert clinicians and researchers to make the discoveries needed to save lives.”

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

“Our dedicated and inspirational cancer researchers are key to improving our understanding of a disease which touches the lives of so many of us.

“While significant progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer, it remains the leading cause of death in NSW with sadly one in two people being diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

“NSW is recognised as a global leader in tackling cancer with people, communities and organisations coming together to support all people impacted by cancer and help rewrite the future of cancer.”

Accelerated Research Grant recipient Dr Jennifer Mackney said:

“Prehabilitation before cancer surgery – including exercise, nutritional optimisation, and psychological support – has been shown to improve physical function, halve postoperative pulmonary complications, and reduce postoperative hospital length of stay.

“A model of care for the delivery of prehabilitation using in-person and telehealth intervention has been developed in Newcastle over the past five years and utilised clinically. However, currently rural and regional patients don’t have equitable access to formal prehabilitation programs.

“The grant awarded to our team by Cancer Institute NSW will enable us to extend this work to improve access to multimodal prehabilitation services for cancer patients across five regional and rural hospitals in NSW.”

As communities impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred begin clean-up and recovery efforts, there are warnings today to remain vigilant against potential fundraising scams to ensure you’re not wasting your donation.

The great Aussie spirit that sees many people want to dig deep to help others in a time of need can be taken advantage of by scammers.

NSW Fair Trading is warning donors against scammers who often seek to exploit this goodwill by setting up fake fundraising pages or posing as legitimate charities.

Top tips to avoid fundraising scams:

• Check credentials: Only donate to registered charities with a charitable fundraising licence.
• Avoid unsolicited requests: Be wary of phone calls, emails, or social media messages asking for donations.
• Research before you donate: Use official channels like the ACNC Charity Register and Verify NSW.
• Report suspicious activity: Visit Scamwatch and NSW Fair Trading.

To check if a charity is legitimate and holds a charitable fundraising licence, visit Verify NSW here: https://verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/home/Charities or use the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Charity Register here: https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities.

To report a scam or express concerns about illegitimate fundraising activities, visit Contact Scamwatch here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ and NSW Fair Trading here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/complaints-and-enquiries or call NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

People looking to make a financial contribution or to donate other goods such as food or clothing are encouraged to visit the GIVIT website (a non-profit organisation partnering with the NSW and Queensland Governments to support communities impacted by Cyclone Alfred) here: https://www.givit.org.au/tropical-cyclone-alfred.

GIVIT lists essential goods and services required by people and recovery groups in specific communities and allows people to donate the item or contribute financially towards it.

The list of items is regularly updated as recovery efforts progress.

For more information and support on how to donate responsibly, please visit the NSW Government website here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery/donations.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong:

“It’s inspiring to see the outpouring of support to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred victims from NSW communities, but we want to ensure donations reach those in need rather than unscrupulous scammers.

“That’s why we are urging everyone, before donating, please take a moment to verify that the charity or fundraiser you intend to donate to is licensed and legitimate.

“Unfortunately, scammers will take advantage of people’s goodwill during a natural disaster like ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

“Scammers can be very convincing, often using emotional appeals, fake social media pages, or crowdfunding platforms so please be scam-aware and contact NSW Fair Trading if you are in doubt.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib:

“Thank you to the thousands of volunteers across the NSW State Emergency Service and other emergency agencies who worked tirelessly to assist Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast communities this past week.

“It speaks volumes that people that want to help but please consider donating to help those in need through GIVIT or another reputable charity you feel comfortable with.

“These charities will ensure people get exactly what they need when they need it.”

The NSW Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee will conduct an inquiry into the safety and quality of health services provided by Northern Beaches Hospital, after a request by Health Minister Ryan Park.

Minister Park wrote to the Committee’s Chair Jason Yat-Sen Li requesting the inquiry following the tragic death of Joe Massa after receiving care at the hospital.

The scope of the inquiry will stretch back to the hospital’s commencement as a privately operated facility from October 2018.

It will consider incidents at the hospital including those the subject of serious adverse event reviews (SAERs); how the hospital responded; and the extent to which it implemented changes prompted by those incidents.

It will look at how the hospital supports patient and carer escalation, including the Recognise, Engage, Act, Call, Help is on its way (REACH) protocol – an initiative which was found to be insufficiently accessible in the case of Joe Massa. 

It will also examine the adequacy of systems and processes designed to prevent adverse events, as well as the staff standards and capabilities.

The hospital was similarly the subject of another parliamentary inquiry in 2019, which looked at its operation and management.

The upcoming inquiry will focus more on the safety and quality of health services at the hospital, while also having regard to the findings of the 2019 inquiry, in particular, the extent to which findings and recommendations from that inquiry have since been implemented.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“We made a commitment to Elouise and Danny to undertake the necessary reviews to understand how they and their son have been let down, as well as to learn what changes need to be made to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.

“To that end, I’ve asked the NSW Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to conduct an inquiry into the safety and quality of health services provided at Northern Beaches Hospital. 

“I am grateful to the Massas for their generosity in time and spirit in working with us to honour Joe’s memory.”

Chair, NSW Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Jason Yat-Sen Li:

“I understand the strong community interest in this matter, and I am confident the committee is well placed to undertake this important inquiry.

“I am determined to get this inquiry underway as quickly as possible, but I also want to get it right.

“We will announce the opening of submissions as well as hearing dates in due course.”

In the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the Minns Labor Government has taken immediate action to ensure that fire ant carrying materials, such as hay, sourced from both the storm impacted and infested areas of southeast Queensland are now banned from entering NSW while the aftereffects are being assessed.

Until there is a consolidated understanding of the impact on fire ant mobility and locations in the infected areas and outside that region, NSW must firstly protect its communities, farms and landscape.

The Group Biosecurity Emergency Permit, which allowed movements of hay from lower risk areas in the fire ant biosecurity zone of Southeast Queensland under certain conditions, will be suspended for one month effective immediately.

To protect our primary industries the Minns Government is cracking down on the movement of materials such as hay, plus instigating increased surveillance and monitoring of movements across the border.

The recent cyclonic high winds, rainfall and flooding has disrupted fire ants in southeast Queensland and consequently people in those areas may not be aware of fire ants moving into their businesses and stored materials such as hay, soil, landscaping materials, pots and soils.

This follows the NSW Government’s suspension of turf being moved from Queensland Fire Ant Infested Areas into NSW from November last year.

The NSW Fire Ant Team has stepped-up efforts to prevent the spread of fire ants with proactive early detection surveillance across northern New South Wales. The initiative uses specially trained detection dogs and human surveillance teams to monitor high-risk sites to detect and prevent.

This swift response follows the surveillance of multiple fire ant colonies moving in flood waters in Queensland, within the Logan River catchment. While the catchment flows to the northeast and into Moreton Bay, the risk of mobile fire ant colonies being transported into NSW in known carrier materials is increased because they may appear in new Queensland locations. 

This suspension of hay movement allows the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to further assess the distribution of fire ants following the flooding events and clearly determine the current biosecurity risk.

Fodder material such as baled hay could be unsuspectedly transported into NSW without appropriate processing and endanger NSW primary industries.

Other materials such as soil, sand, vegetation and debris are also regulated as high-risk carriers of fire ants and must be treated and handled according to the Order before they can be moved into NSW from the Queensland fire ant infested area.

Surveillance will target high-risk locations identified through tracing of fire ant carrier materials, along with areas highlighted by habitat suitability modeling.

The NSW Government is committed to protecting the state’s primary industries and has instigated record funding for biosecurity, $945 million, and specifically for combatting fire ants, $95 million.

Since December 2023, over 390 record of movement declarations have been made for hay, documenting the movement of over 6,500t of hay into NSW.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty:

“We’ve all seen the images of wind and rain in Queensland, and this is making the fire ants mobile over the coming weeks. The temporary suspension of the hay permit is a necessary step to mitigate the movement of these highly invasive pests.

“The impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred are being felt in our agricultural sector in the north of the state. They need our support to get them back on their feet and don’t want a fire ant incursion adding stress and strain to their recovery.

“We have increased surveillance focusing on high-risk areas and are employing advanced tracking and modelling techniques, taking strong preventative measures to stop fire ants.

“Fire ants won’t march into NSW they will either be carried with materials such as soil, mulch, hay and turf, or fly in by natural spread from QLD. Which is why we’re ramping up surveillance in these high-risk areas.

“Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility, so it’s critical that businesses moving these types of materials comply with the Biosecurity Fire Ant Emergency Order.”

NSW Chief Invasive Species Officer Scott Charlton:

“We know that fire ants will raft in water as a survival mechanism and move following rain and flooding events.

“The recent videos and images on social media of fire ants forming rafts are no doubt concerning. However, we know from hydrological analysis that ants floating into NSW is not possible.

“What we can do is mitigate the increased risks of human-assisted movement of fire ants from the infested areas of Queensland and suspend the hay permit.”