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As part of its commitment to meeting National Housing Accord targets the Minns Labor Government is injecting $9.2 million across four years into initiatives aimed at increasing the number of building certifiers and speeding up the licensing of building tradespeople.

The critical funding will boost the certifier workforce through reducing red tape and speeding up home building licence application approvals to help fill skills gaps in the building industry.

There are around 1,300 building certifiers across different registration types in NSW working in both private industry and local government, who as public officials play an important role in conducting critical inspections required to finalise residential building approvals.

To ensure the state has enough certifiers to help meet demand as the state pushes towards building 377,000 new homes by 2029, the NSW Government will inject $4.72 million across four years into measures to make it easier for existing certifiers to stay in, and new certifiers to enter, the industry.

Under the changes, new flexible certifier registration options will be introduced, providing pro-rata registration fees for part-time certifiers, and a pause on registration fees for those on extended leave to ensure fees do not disincentivise them from practicing part-time or returning to the profession.

Building Commission NSW will also increase its capacity to process new certifier applications and renewals to facilitate faster entry into the sector.

A free continuing professional development course to support certifiers returning to work after a career break will also encourage those who have been away from the industry to get back into the profession.

Additionally, “Inspecting Up” provisions, which allow restricted building surveyors to conduct critical stage inspections under supervision, will be supported to boost capacity in the industry.

To accommodate the expected increase in the number of trades hoping to enter, re-enter or gain a new licence in the industry, a further $4.48 million across four years will create additional capacity to process home building licence applications.

This will ensure the required rigorous relevant checks and balances are completed at pace when assessing licence and certificate applications as well as renewals.

Building Commission NSW assessed almost 24,000 new home building related licencing applications in the 2024-25 financial year.

Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Building homes for the people of NSW is a top priority for the Minns Labor Government.

“Certifiers and tradespeople are the backbone of our construction sector, and with this investment we are shifting roadblocks standing in the way of getting more of these vital certifiers and trades on the tools, faster.

“With an average entry age of 49 and exit age of 55, there is a short practicing window for unrestricted certifiers, who are some of the most qualified and experienced professionals in the building industry.

“These reforms will help us attract new certifiers, whose numbers have remained static for years while also overcoming our retention barriers by making it easier to be a part-time certifier.

“The additional funds to boost the licensing team will also help the Building Commission NSW prioritise applications, so new trades can fill the skills gaps the construction sector is facing.”

NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard said:

“Building certifiers play a critical role in checking the compliance of proposed developments with planning, building and other legislative requirements.

“While we need certifiers to enter or return to the industry to meet housing targets, Building Commission NSW will not let speed get in way of quality, safety, and compliance.

“Building Commission NSW has a strong regulatory regime in place for certifiers and will ensure there is proper oversight as more enter the profession and land on sites across NSW.”

CEO of Association of Australian Certifiers Jill Brookfield said:

“This funding boost will go a long way to ensure we attract the additional certifiers needed to complete the houses we need to build, and to boost consumer confidence.

“This package provides the right incentives to retain the hardworking independent certifiers we currently have in the industry, by supporting upskilling, embracing work life balance and flexibility, and professional development.

We have been working closely with the Minister on the reforms to building certifier registration and practice and welcome the funding as part of the move to more and better quality homes being delivered.”

The Minns Labor Government will deliver Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade – enabling up to 10,000 new homes by rezoning land around Woollahra and Edgecliff stations, right next to the CBD, to tackle the housing crisis and rebalance growth across the city.

Recent reports by the NSW Productivity Commission have warned that Sydney is losing twice as many young people as we are gaining, while also finding that Woollahra is the most feasible Local Government Area (LGA) in New South Wales to build new housing.

Despite this, housing approvals in Woollahra consistently lag well behind other LGAs, and the population has declined by 11 per cent over the past 50 years while Greater Sydney as a whole has grown by 74 per cent.

The new station that will be an 8 minute trip from Sydney CBD, will be located on the Eastern Suburbs train line in Woollahra, where a station build was started in the 1970s but never completed.

To enable the delivery of new homes the NSW Government will lead a rezoning of Woollahra and Edgecliff stations similar to other state led rezonings to allow additional homes to be built around the stations.

Affordable housing will also make up a proportion of development on the site with the final amount of affordable housing required, to be determined as part of the rezoning process.

The area surrounding the new station is within walking distance of major green and recreational space including Cooper, Trumper, Rushcutters Bay and Centennial Parks.

The Eastern Suburbs train line between Bondi Junction and Sydney CBD also has the lowest passenger usage rates during the AM peak of any line on the Sydney network, with only 43% of operating capacity during the AM peak currently being utilised by passengers.

Additionally, there is also significant capacity in essential services with existing capacity for hundreds of additional students at public primary and high schools.

Sydney Water and Infrastructure NSW have confirmed there is capacity in the water and wastewater systems to accommodate the proposed 10,000 dwellings without major upgrades.

The rezoning is expected to take around two years and will further support the Government’s housing targets that rebalance the delivery of new homes around existing infrastructure.

Value capture will also be used to ensure the public retains some of the value unlocked through the rezoning and to offset the cost of bringing the station online.

We know that housing costs are the biggest single cost of living pressure facing the people of NSW with Sydney ranked as the second most unaffordable city in the world to buy a home.

That’s why the Minns Labor Government is committed to building more housing in the right places, where people want to live – to improve affordability, reduce building and infrastructure costs and to build a better New South Wales.

Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said:

“We are delivering on our promise to rebalance the delivery of new housing from the West of Sydney that has accepted the overwhelming number of new homes without infrastructure, towards the East and North of Sydney where there is existing infrastructure.

“For too long, young people and families in NSW have been forced to choose between moving away from the Sydney CBD or not being able to afford a home at all.

“This new train station will allow us to deliver up to ten thousand new homes right here in the heart of Sydney, close to jobs, public transport, green space and essential services.”

Minister for Transport, John Graham said:

“I applaud Neville Wran for his foresight, including a future station at Woollahra when his government completed the Eastern Suburbs line. That future has now arrived, and will deliver housing and transport close to the Sydney’s CBD.

“For decades, this site has been an opportunity squandered to provide an eight-minute, direct train trip to the Sydney CBD and allow more people to get out of their cars in the eastern suburbs.

“We look forward to working with the local community to provide an accessible station that complements active transport and other transport connections.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“The Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job, beginning a state led rezoning around Woollahra and Edgecliff to unlock up to 10,000 new homes close to the CBD, transport and greenspace.

“Completing Woollahra train station will help keep us on track to rebalance Sydney’s housing growth and tackling the state’s housing challenges.

“It has always been the Minns Government’s approach that opportunities for new homes and jobs should be pursued alongside new transport investments.”

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson said:

“For so many the Australian dream has slipped out of reach and if nothing changes our city will be one with no grandchildren. I want our city to dream again – a dream of affordable homes for all and a future for every family.

“That’s why we’re locking in a dedicated portion of affordable housing from the start, giving people from all walks of life a fair chance to live in quality homes, close to opportunity.

“We are not afraid to take on NIMBYs to deliver more housing where there is the space and infrastructure to support it. This new station just makes sense.”

The Minns Labor Government is today announcing that healthcare workers in Shoalhaven will soon benefit from new key worker accommodation, with nine townhouses in Bomaderry now purchased and final touches underway to welcome the first residents in the coming weeks.

Bomaderry is the first of more than 20 projects to be completed in rural, regional and remote NSW, under the Minns Labor Government’s $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation Program, which will help attract and retain healthcare staff in the regions.

The new modern two storey townhouses include four three-bedroom, two-bathroom units and five two-bedroom, two-bathroom dwellings. 

Each townhouse is fully furnished and features a light-filled living and dining area, modern kitchen, ensuites and a private courtyard.

The accommodation includes onsite parking, low maintenance grounds and is conveniently located next to Bomaderry CBD, only minutes from the train station.

The connection of services, furnishing, fixtures and equipment has been completed and installed to ensure the new units will be fit-for-purpose and comfortable for healthcare workers.

This $200.1 million investment by the NSW Government in key health worker accommodation across rural and regional areas was made as part of the 2024-25 NSW Budget.

This is a Minns Labor Government initiative, from start to finish as part of our commitment to rebuild regional health services.

By contrast, the former Liberal National Government capped wages for health workers, teachers firefighters and police for 12 years, tried to privatise Shellharbour Hospital, and even left 1,112 nurses and midwives funded only temporarily — including 61 jobs on the South Coast. Labor had to step in and save them.

This investment in key health worker accommodation builds on the Minns Labor Government’s efforts to improve access to care in regional communities like the South Coast, including:

• Lifting the Liberals’ wages cap and giving all health workers the largest pay rise in over a decade, resulting in more health workers in our hospitals;
• Upgrading Shoalhaven Hospital and building a new Shellharbour Hospital complete with a helipad;
• Delivering safe staffing levels at Shoalhaven and Shellharbour Hospitals
• $83 million to boost maternity care in the bush;
• doubling rural health incentives and delivering study subsidies for regional health workers;
• Providing payroll tax relief to GPs that bulk bill making it easier to see a GP and reducing the strain on our emergency departments;
• boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model; and
• delivering an extra 500 regional paramedics.

Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said:

“While we’re upgrading Shoalhaven Hospital and building a new Shellharbour Hospital, we know that it’s health workers that are the backbone of our regional and rural communities, which is why we’re heavily investing in dedicated accommodation right here in Bomaderry.

“This project is especially important in the Shoalhaven, where housing is hard to find and increasingly expensive — making it even more difficult to retain the essential workers our communities depend on.

“To keep this momentum going, Kiama needs Katelin McInerney – a strong local voice inside the NSW Government who will fight for this community and make sure projects like this keep getting delivered.”

Minister for Health, Ryan Park said:

“Accessible and affordable housing is critical to attracting and retaining essential healthcare workers, including right here in Bomaderry.

“Today, we’re announcing new accommodation will be available for health staff in the Shoalhaven with the acquisition of 9 new townhouses in Bomaderry.

“This is the first of more than 20 key health worker accommodation projects being rolled out across regional, rural and remote NSW under a $200.1 million investment from the NSW Government.

“More staff, more hospitals, more investment, lower wait times – we’ve got a way to go, but we’re making good progress.”

Labor candidate for Kiama, Katelin McInerney said:

“This is just another example of the Minns Labor Government delivering the essential services our community needs – from brand new and upgraded hospitals to accommodation for the incredible health workers in them.

“It’s projects like this that a strong local voice in the Minns Labor Government will deliver for our community, so that we have access to world class health care.

“Bomaderry’s key health worker accommodation townhouses look fantastic, are well designed and equipped, which will make it easier for healthcare staff to live comfortably and enhance delivery of care in the Shoalhaven.”

Liberal candidate for Kiama Serena Copley welcomed the commitment by NSW Liberal Leader Mark Speakman that a NSW Liberal Government will deliver a lifesaving helipad for the new $780 million Shellharbour Hospital.
 
Ms Copley said she has been listening to the local community and health workers, who have very clearly said that a helipad at Shellharbour Hospital is vital to saving lives.
 
“In an emergency, every minute matters and a helipad for the growing Shellharbour population is essential. The current hospital has one and the new hospital should have one too.
 
“People on the South Coast have been ignored by the Labor Government, but we deserve access to healthcare services that we need – and only the Liberals have the proven record of delivering infrastructure and services for Kiama,” said Ms Copley. “Labor should not be rewarded for neglecting our region.”
 
“The former NSW Liberal Government had a strong track record of delivering for the Illawarra and South Coast, while the last Labor government neglected the region for 16 years.
 
“That’s why the former Liberal Government invested $780 million to build the new Shellharbour Hospital and $440 million for the Shoalhaven Hospital redevelopment.
 
“While the Labor Government is refusing to commit to building a helipad that the community has been crying out for – a Liberal Government will deliver it.”