16 News

The Far South Coast is benefiting from a boost to frontline emergency care, with an additional eight paramedics starting work in the community earlier this month.

These additional paramedics are based at Eden Ambulance Station and are helping to deliver emergency and out-of-hospital care along the coast, contributing to NSW Ambulance’s highly mobile workforce.

This increase in clinical staffing forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to rural, regional and remote areas through the Regional 500 initiative. These additional paramedics are on top of 17 additional paramedics who commenced at Cooma Ambulance Station on 16 May.

The cohort is part of the third intake of 125 paramedics planned for regional NSW as part of the regional 500 initiative. They join the 125 paramedics who commenced across the state last year, and another 125 who began work in 2024.

Under this initiative, an additional 34 paramedics are already working across the Southern NSW zone.

The Minns Government will continue to roll out the additional 500 paramedics for regional NSW next year, with future locations determined through NSW Ambulance’s evidence-based, best practice service, and workforce planning, as well as consultation with staff and the Health Services Union.

This recruitment boost is part of Labor’s long-term commitment to meaningful investments into our health workforce, relieving pressure on our health system and meeting the needs of our regional communities.

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“Our communities in the Far South Coast deserve confidence that emergency care is available when and where it’s needed.

“More paramedics on the road in the Eden area is about improving access to care across a large and often remote region, while continuing to strengthen emergency health services in regional NSW.”

“The Coalition has criticised the Government for hiring too many health workers, but Labor understands that a supported and empowered workforce means better health outcomes for our community.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health and Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland:

“This investment in our regional paramedic workforce is about ensuring people on the Far South Coast can access high-quality emergency care, no matter where they live. It’s a practical step toward delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

NSW Ambulance Interim Chief Executive Clare Beech:  

“Strengthening the paramedic workforce in and around Eden enhances our ability to respond across a large and diverse regional area.

“With demand for ambulance services continuing to rise, this additional capacity helps ensure our teams can continue providing safe, timely care for the community.”

The border community of Wentworth is now benefiting from a boost to frontline emergency care, with an additional eight paramedics starting work in the community earlier this month.

These additional paramedics are based at Wentworth Ambulance Station and are delivering emergency and out-of-hospital care across the far southwest of the state, contributing to NSW Ambulance’s highly mobile workforce.

This increase in clinical staffing forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to rural, regional and remote areas through the Regional 500 initiative.

The cohort is part of the third intake of 125 paramedics planned for regional NSW as part of the regional 500 initiative. They join the 125 paramedics who commenced across the state last year, and another 125 who began work in 2024.

Under this initiative, an additional 33 paramedics are already working across the Central and Far West Zone zone, including an extra 18 paramedics for Broken Hill started working in the community in 2024.

The Minns Government will continue to roll out the additional 500 paramedics for regional NSW next year, with future locations determined through NSW Ambulance’s evidence-based, best practice service, and workforce planning, as well as consultation with staff and the Health Services Union.

This recruitment boost is part of Labor’s long-term commitment to meaningful investments into our health workforce, relieving pressure on our health system and meeting the needs of our regional communities.

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“Communities in far south west NSW deserve confidence that emergency care is available when it’s needed, no matter where they live.

“By increasing paramedic numbers in Wentworth, we’re improving access to care across a vast border region while continuing to strengthen emergency health services in regional and remote NSW.

“The Coalition has criticised the Government for hiring too many health workers, but Labor understands that a supported and empowered workforce means better health outcomes for our community.”

Member for Murray, Helen Dalton:

“For communities like Wentworth, having paramedics ready to respond locally can make a critical difference in a medical emergency.

“These eight additional paramedics will strengthen response capability across the far south west, helping ensure people receive timely care when it matters most.”

Labor Spokesperson for Murray, Bob Nanva:

“Paramedics are true local heroes – it’s great to see another 8 paramedics based in Wentworth and serving the Riverina region.

“I congratulate the local community and the Health Services Union (HSU) for their strong advocacy around the need for additional paramedics in Wentworth.”

NSW Ambulance Interim Chief Executive Clare Beech:

“Adding eight additional paramedics in Wentworth strengthens our ability to respond across a large and remote regional area, supporting communities along the border.

“This additional workforce capacity helps our crews respond from one patient to the next as demand -rises, ensuring timely and reliable emergency care across the community.”

Border communities are now benefiting from enhanced frontline emergency care, with the opening of Moama Ambulance Station and 13 additional paramedics commencing work in the community earlier this month.

These additional paramedics for the Murrumbidgee zone are based at the new Moama Ambulance Station on Wild Avenue and are delivering emergency and out-of-hospital care across the Murray River, contributing to NSW Ambulance’s highly mobile workforce.

NSW Ambulance identified the Moama area as a high priority location for a new ambulance station following a comprehensive service planning process to enhance cross border resilience with Victoria.

New ambulance stations are located in areas which optimise ambulance response performance and meet the emergency and mobile medical care needs of the local community.

Moama Ambulance Station will be rostered to ensure a 24/7 service, with paramedics to be on duty during the day and at night.

This increase in clinical staffing forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to rural, regional and remote areas, through the Regional 500 initiative.

The cohort is part of the third intake of 125 paramedics planned for regional NSW as part of the regional 500 initiative. They join the 125 paramedics who commenced across the state last year, and another 125 who began work in 2024.

Under this initiative, an additional 35 paramedics are already working across the Murrumbidgee zone, including an extra 15 paramedics for Deniliquin and 10 paramedics for Albury, started working in the community last year.

The Minns Government will continue to roll out the additional 500 paramedics for regional NSW next year, with future locations determined through NSW Ambulance’s evidence-based, best practice service, and workforce planning, as well as consultation with staff and the Health Services Union.

This recruitment boost is part of Labor’s long-term commitment to meaningful investments into our health workforce, relieving pressure on our health system and meeting the needs of our regional communities.

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“The opening of Moama Ambulance Station marks an important step forward for emergency health care along the NSW–Victoria border.

“With 13 additional paramedics based locally, this new station will strengthen response capability across the Murray River region and ensure communities have access to high quality emergency care.

“The Minns Government is delivering more ambulance stations, more paramedics, and better care for communities right across NSW”

Member for Murray, Helen Dalton:

“The opening of Moama Ambulance Station is welcome news for the local community and the broader Murray River region.

“Having additional paramedics based in Moama will improve emergency responses across the border region and provide greater certainty for residents and visitors when urgent care is needed.”

Labor Spokesperson for Murray, Bob Nanva:

“Paramedics are true local heroes – it’s great to see another 13 paramedics based in Moama and serving the border region.

“I congratulate the local community and the Health Services Union (HSU) for their strong advocacy around the need for additional paramedics in Moama.”

NSW Ambulance Interim Chief Executive Clare Beech:

“With Moama Ambulance Station operational and 13 additional paramedics commencing – NSW Ambulance’s position is even further strengthened to respond to emergencies across the region.

“The increase in paramedic numbers enhances our ability to meet demand and deliver timely care across the community.”

Major construction is now underway on stage one of the Hillsborough Road upgrade, marking the beginning of a major overhaul of one of Lake Macquarie’s busiest transport corridors.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $35 million to upgrade the Crockett Street intersection, including installing new traffic lights and duplicating 700 metres of Hillsborough Road.

For the 36,000 motorists who travel this corridor each day, the Hillsborough Road upgrade will transform how people move through Lake Macquarie. The corridor is known for heavy congestion during peak periods, and difficult turning movements making it challenging for motorists to safely merge from side streets.

Start of work on stage one marks an important milestone in the NSW Government’s vision to upgrade the full 1.8 kilometre stretch of road, from the Newcastle Inner City Bypass roundabout to the existing duplication west of Crockett Street.

Construction of stage one is expected to take 18 months to complete, subject to weather.

The project has been shaped by community consultation undertaken in 2022, with further investigations and utility work completed in 2024 ahead of construction.

Daracon Contractors Pty Ltd has been awarded the contract to deliver stage one and has been establishing site since mid-April in preparation for major construction.

Work will be carried out on weekdays from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and 7am to 1pm on Saturdays, as required.

At times work will need to be carried out between 7pm and 5am to minimise impacts to traffic during peak times.

For the latest information on the project, visit nswroads.work/hillsboroughroad

Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley:

“This is a major upgrade for one of Lake Macquarie’s busiest corridors and an important investment that will deliver safer roads for the Hunter.

“Anyone who drives Hillsborough Road knows the challenges of stop-start traffic and hard merges.

“Our $35 million investment means Hunter families will spend less time in traffic and more time with their loved ones.”

Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison:

“From this week, crews will be on the ground to begin construction on the $35 million Hillsborough Road upgrade – a project Lake Macquarie locals have been calling for, and one we are getting on with delivering.

“Hillsborough Road is well known by the community as a difficult stretch of road, with heavy peak-hour congestion and drivers often needing to slow right down to safely merge from side streets.

“This upgrade is about easing that pressure for motorists and making daily trips safer, smoother and less stressful. It’s great to see work now underway, with the community set to benefit from these improvements for years to come.”

Member for Charlestown, Jodie Harrison:

“The start of major work is the first step in easing congestion of a well-known bottleneck for local motorists.

“Once complete, the first stage will improve safety and ease congestion, meaning our community will spend less time stuck in traffic and more time at home with their families.

“I’m excited to see this project progress and start benefiting locals and visitors.”

Independent Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper:

“Hillsborough Road is a critical route for thousands of local motorists every day and this upgrade will make a real difference for the community.

“As our region continues to grow, projects like this are essential to keeping people moving safely and efficiently.

“The start of major construction is an exciting milestone and a sign of continued investment in Lake Macquarie’s future.”

Lung Screening checks are available for Northern Rivers workers as the icare Lung Bus rolls into the Northern Rivers region for the first time in 2026.

The $2.5M dollar Lung Bus (Mobile Screening Clinic) is in Tweed Heads until the 5th of June with several spots available for free screenings.

Local business owners are also encouraged to register for the SafeWork Silica Worker Register and take proactive measures to screen workers exposed to hazardous dust in their workplaces.

The Lung Bus and the Silica Workers Register represent important steps in promoting regular screening and early detection of potentially life-changing hazards in the workplace.

The Register is an online portal for a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to enter details for workers that process high-risk crystalline silica substances.

SafeWork NSW uses the data to monitor compliance with work health and safety obligations. It is mandatory for PCBUs who have workers at risk of respirable crystalline silica exposures have access to health monitoring.

14 Norther Rivers businesses are registered on the Silica Worker Register, and the NSW Government is urging others to sign up to ensure the safety of their workers.

Screening spaces available from 1–5 June at the HACC Centre, Corner of Heffron St and Minjungbal Drive in Tweed Heads, with local employers encouraged to contact icare by visiting the Lung Screening Service website or calling 1800 550 027

Eliminating the risks associated with silica is a high priority for the Minns Labor Government and the Lung Bus is one of several measures which have been introduced to reduce the risks of working with CSS in NSW.

These include:

• Strengthening workplace safety through a Silica Worker Register (SWR) which monitors and tracks the health of at-risk workers
• Leading the ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing one per cent or greater crystalline silica.
• Establishing the Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce to help address silica related health risks for workers in tunnelling projects.
• Establishing a dedicated silica unit within SafeWork NSW which includes a Silica Compliance Team to enforce strengthened regulations, including proactive visits to sites conducting high-risk CSS processing.
• Allocating $5 million in critical funding to the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI) for action against silicosis to support individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust.
• Introducing a binding WHS code of practice for working with crystalline silica.

Minister for Workplace Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“The Lung Bus is about bringing essential services directly to the communities that need them most. The Lung Bus tour removes barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to screenings that could save their life.

“Having the Lung Bus in the Northern Rivers is also a timely reminder for local businesses of their screening obligations for their workforce. Annual screening of your workforce who are exposed to hazardous dusts like Crystalline Respirable Silica is critical to early detection of diseases and support for workers and their health.

“The NSW Government is urging businesses in the Northern Rivers and across NSW to sign up to the Silica Worker Register to ensure the safety of their employees. Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day.”

Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:

“The Lung Bus is an excellent initiative that helps save lives through early detection of dust-related diseases.

“I encourage workers in the Tweed area to visit the Lung Bus when it comes to town. It’s an easy way to check for any risks and get peace of mind if you work in an industry where you might be exposed to dust.”

The Minns Labor Government yesterday revealed its contempt for integrity, transparency and the Parliament in an extraordinary move to indefinitely defer debate on a Bill to restore powers integral to the Parliamentary accountability process. 
 
Minutes before debate was due to commence on the Parliamentary Evidence Amendment (Attendance of Witnesses) Bill 2026 in the lower house of the NSW Parliament yesterday, Labor brought on a procedural motion to send the Bill off to a Committee stacked in its favour, which will mean these critical powers will not be restored for the foreseeable future. 
 
The Bill, which was passed in the Legislative Council earlier this year and only opposed by Labor MPs, seeks to restore the ability of Parliamentary Committees to compel witnesses to attend for questioning following the decision of Cullen v President of the Legislative Council of NSW [2025] NSWCA 278. 
 
The absence of these powers has already seen witnesses refuse to attend vital committee hearings on matters of public importance, including an inquiry into mould and maggot issues at the Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, and the allegation of leaking of information from the DPP. 
 
Shadow Minister for Government Accountability, Alister Henskens, said the Minns Labor Government’s decision to indefinitely defer debate on the Bill is an attempt to escape any form of accountability and transparency.  
 
“NSW voters expect accountability, not political games designed to run down the clock,” Mr Henskens said. 
 
“Parliamentary Committees are one of the few tools available to hold governments and powerful institutions to account. Weakening those powers, weakens democracy.” 
 
“The Premier himself said in Question Time yesterday that if the Opposition wanted to debate the Bill we should bring it on for debate, but when the time came for the debate less than an hour later, Labor kicked it out into the long grass with no date for it to resume proving that the Premier just says one thing and does another.” 
 
“If the Minns Labor Government actually believes in integrity they should let this Bill be debated and support it immediately.” 

The state’s planning system is in chaos with the Premier contradicting his Planning Minister and Department over the scope of the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).
 
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully has backed changes that would scale back the HDA in three commercial zones, ensuring commercial space is preserved.
 
However, Premier Chris Minns publicly contradicted that position today, saying the HDA’s scope should be widened.
 
Shadow Planning Minister Chris Rath said the public disagreement between the Premier and the Planning Minister exposed a Government making up housing policy on the run.
 
“This chaos at the top of government is only adding fuel to the fire of the housing crisis with Labor already 40 per cent behind on its National Housing Accord targets,” Mr Rath said.
 
“The experts have recognised that housing growth must happen alongside necessary infrastructure and employment zones, not at their expense, to ensure these areas are liveable.”
 
“Developers will not invest with confidence if the Government cannot decide what land should be protected and communities want to know that they can live in homes close to a job and services they need.”
 
“Chris Minns is so far behind on housing targets that he has abandoned a consistent affordable housing policy and is now threatening to bulldoze the very safeguards that protect Sydney’s liveability.”
 
“NSW needs more housing, and it also needs a government with a plan for the infrastructure and jobs to match.”
 
The Liberals and Nationals have a plan to boost housing supply and invest in infrastructure across NSW, without sacrificing employment precincts. It includes:
 

• State-led rezoning in Erskineville, Macdonaldtown, Newtown and St Peters for 10,000 new homes.
• Delivering the Camellia-Rosehill Place Strategy for a further 10,000 new homes.
• A $2 billion Community Benefit Fund to fund local roads, parks, schools and services tied to actual housing delivery.