16 News

Residents of south west Sydney will have greater access to renal dialysis services as a result of a $5.2 million funding grant from the Minns Labor Government.

Camden Hospital will soon welcome a new renal dialysis unit servicing the local and broader Macarthur community, reducing the need to travel for this ongoing and frequent treatment.

Campbelltown, Bowral and Liverpool Hospitals will also expand their existing renal dialysis services, allowing more patients to receive critical care close to home.

The funding will purchase the specialist equipment needed to provide the services at all four hospitals and capital works at Camden and Liverpool Hospitals to repurpose existing spaces into state-of-the-art services.

The additional and expanded renal services are expected to be operational in 2026 and will provide for around 120 additional sessions per week.

Renal dialysis is a life sustaining treatment for people who have end stage kidney failure. The treatment filters blood when a patient is experiencing kidney failure, removing excess fluid and waste products.

Patients requiring dialysis usually attend treatment several times per week, for several hours at a time.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“This $5.2 million funding boost will offer more people greater access to this life saving and life extending treatment and care closer to home.

“Renal dialysis is a life sustaining treatment and with the expected increase in population across south western Sydney, we are delivering new these new facilities to ensure capacity can meet demand.”

Member for Camden, Sally Quinnell:

“This funding boost to our local Camden hospital is crucial in ensuring our community has access to timely, accessible and quality healthcare.

“Delivering essential healthcare services across the Macarthur region means travel time will be reduced for patients and families, making lives easier.

“I’m proud to be part of a government that is bringing Camden’s healthcare opportunities back into the forefront of planning.”

Member for Liverpool, Charishma Kaliyanda:

“Dialysis is not optional—it’s essential. The expansion of services at Liverpool Hospital means our community can access this lifesaving treatment closer to home.

“This will make a real difference for many renal patients who, at present, are travelling long distances to access care.”

Member for Campbelltown, Greg Warren:

“This funding boost of $5.2 million will allow residents of Campbelltown, and the broader Macarthur region to access this critical treatment and care closer to home.

“As demand for these services continues to rise in Southwest Sydney, it is crucial that we continue to support our hospitals to meet that demand.

“For patients in South West Sydney who have to regularly attend dialysis, giving them options for care close to home can make a major, positive impact.”

Member for Wollondilly, Judy Hannan:

“This is a wonderful funding boost to a historic Hospital that means so much to the Macarthur region.

“I welcome this funding and thank the Government for their investment that matches the growth that our area is facing.

“I hope this funding shows the community the ongoing support for Camden Hospital, I look forward to further investments in future in Wollondilly and the surrounds and continuation of clinical services that are provided there at the moment.”

Sonia Marshall, Chief Executive, South Western Sydney Local Health District:

“Renal dialysis requires frequent and often lengthy treatments, allowing patients in kidney failure to live longer and maintain their quality of life.

“The expansion will mean more people than ever before across our district have access to life saving treatments that deliver for our communities.”

Today, our Government pays its deepest respects to those who have died from work-related incidents or illness on the International Day of Mourning.

Each year, the day stands as an important opportunity to remember the lives lost, and the families forever changed, by workplace incidents, injury or illness.

To those who have lost a loved one: our Government and the people of New South Wales stand with you amid the ongoing pain and grief.

Nothing we say could begin to fill the void left by your loved one, but as we reflect on the grief of those left behind, we rededicate ourselves to reducing workplace-related incidents and deaths.

Every worker deserves a safe workplace. Any workplace death is a tragedy and one death too many.

In 2024, 52 people in NSW tragically lost their lives due to work-related incidents. While lower than the previous year, it remains a devastating reminder of the importance of workplace safety.

Thank you to workers and unions, employers and industry groups, SafeWork NSW and other stakeholders who join us in building better, safer workplaces.

While we remember those who didn’t come home to their loved ones, the best tribute the NSW Government can offer is a safer future for others.

The Minns Labor Government has moved to bring a new level of accountability to employers. 

Our industrial manslaughter laws now place the responsibility for criminally unsafe workplaces on employers, encouraging safer workplaces and holding those responsible to account.

We have taken important steps to address the scourge of silicosis – a deadly disease contracted from exposure to silica dust – and continue looking for ways to better protect workers from it.

Transport gig workers now have the protection of our industrial regime.

In addition, SafeWork NSW will become a standalone agency from 1 July, sharpening the regulator’s focus on delivering safer workplaces for everyone in NSW.

A commemorative service will be held today, where families, workers, unions, and members of the community can gather to pay tribute.

We will never stop working to make workplaces safer, so that everyone can go to work and return home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day.

The rapidly growing Ryde area is set to benefit from a huge new local multi-sports facility being delivered by the Minns Labor Government, with construction now underway on the site.

The facility is being built on the former site of Marsden High School following the relocation of the school to the Meadowbank Education Precinct in 2022.

Once complete the new facility will provide a range of community and sporting spaces with a focus on netball, one of NSW’s highest participation sports, while also catering for growing sports such as basketball, futsal and badminton.

It will deliver a new 5,000 square metre indoor facility including 4 multipurpose courts and other indoor spaces, as well as outdoor facilities including 29 netball courts with amenities, communal space with open lawns, picnic tables and seating, and new car and bicycle parking spaces.

These new courts will replace existing rundown netball courts located on top of an old rubbish tip at Meadowbank Park.

As the NSW Government delivers more housing for young people and families, this project will also ensure that the community has access to world class sporting facilities and recreational spaces on their doorstep.

This multi-sports facility, was initially promised by the former Liberal National government in 2018 but they failed to even begin construction on the project. The facility will be delivered by the Minns Labor Government in 2026.

This project is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to building a better NSW by providing the essential infrastructure growing communities deserve.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“This huge new facility that we’re delivering will create much needed sports and recreational space for this rapidly growing community.

“With over 30 new outdoor and indoor courts to open space, picnic areas and parking, this will be a great community space that people can come and enjoy whether they play sport or not.

“For years, this block was left to sit vacant. Now we’re turning it into a world class sporting facility that everyone will be able to use.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We are pleased to have begun construction on this new multi-sports facility, which will benefit local students and the broader community alike after years of delays under the Liberals.

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring growing communities across NSW are equipped with the infrastructure they need – whether that’s new or upgraded schools, or high quality sporting facilities for the whole community.

“Labor is committed to ensuring public assets continue to benefit the public, which is why we are redeveloping this former school site into a much-needed community sport facility.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“We are focused on building better communities and that means ensuring everyone has access to grassroots sporting infrastructure.

“We look forward to this space becoming a vibrant community sporting hub for the entire community to enjoy.”

Member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale said:

“With the state government committed to a new school at Melrose Park, this investment in sporting facilities for our region is crucial.

“Netball has long suffered in Ryde at substandard facilities in Meadowbank. This huge boost will support all players of all ages and provide much needed indoor sports facilities locally.”

Councillor for City of Ryde Lyndal Howison said:

“I’m delighted that this regional sports facility will be located in Ryde. The Minns government is delivering a bright, community future for the former site of Marsden High School.

“Our community has waited long enough to see it come back to life and I thank local residents and ERNA for engaging so constructively in this long process. I want to reassure residents that I will keep listening to them as we watch this site take on an important new role.”

Eastwood Ryde Netball Association (ERNA) President, Karen Waud said:

“Eastwood Ryde Netball Association are very excited about the commencing of the construction phase of our netball journey at our new facility.

“With 4 indoor courts, 29 outdoor courts, and café facilities, it will offer a fantastic experience for players and fans alike. This will be wonderful for our sports loving community in the City of Ryde.

“City of Ryde is growing, and so is the demand for quality sporting facilities.

“This is a big milestone for Eastwood Ryde Netball Association and all our members.”

The Minns Labor Government is putting the personal data of every NSW driver at risk, quietly preparing to privatise the production of driver licences in a time of when cyberattacks are an everyday occurrence across the world.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said Chris Minns and Customer Service Minister Jihad Dib were gambling with the privacy and security of millions of people.
 
” Chris Minns’ anti-privatisation rhetoric rings hollow. Cyberattacks are exploding across the world — yet he thinks now is the right time to hand over your name, your address and your facial image to private companies.
 
“This is another desperate grab to cover up the Government’s 2025 budget mess.”  Mr Speakman said.
 
Service NSW — once the gold standard for trusted, secure government services — is being gutted. First Labor axed the Fair Go for Safe Drivers program in February 2024, punishing safe drivers. Now they’re selling off your licence production without even admitting it.
 
Shadow Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government James Griffin said the move would make NSW drivers even more vulnerable to cybercriminals.
 
“Instead of investing in secure, government-controlled licence production, the Minns Labor Government is waving the white flag on privacy,” Mr Griffin said.
 
The Minns Labor Government is laying the groundwork for privatisation with NSW motorists — and hiding behind public servants and RFIs to do its dirty work.
 
This is what the Minns Labor Government wants to do — rip apart trusted services, risk your security, and leave families paying the price.
 
You can’t fix big problems with small targets. And the Minns Labor Government is the smallest target of all.

Today on Anzac Day, communities across NSW are coming together on this national day of remembrance to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans and current members of the Australian Defence Force.

The NSW Dawn Service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place commenced this morning at 4:30am, the time it is believed the first ANZACs waded ashore at Gallipoli, 110 years ago.

The service was attended by representatives of the Commonwealth and NSW Governments, including the Premier and Minster for Veterans David Harris, ex-Service Organisations, veterans’ groups and a crowd in the thousands.

NSW Premier Chris Minns recited a poem, Salute by Elliott Napier, and laid a wreath to acknowledge the service of our veterans and military personnel from New South Wales.

The Anzac Day March starts at 9am on Elizabeth Street with over 8,000 current serving members and veterans expected to march past the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.

The march will culminate with the Commemoration Service at the Anzac Memorial starting at 12:30pm with members of the public encouraged to attend.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service personnel will be recognised at the Coloured Digger event and march this afternoon in Redfern. Now in its 19th year, speeches will be given at 1pm at the Redfern Community Centre, with the march setting off at 2pm.

Official events in the Sydney CBD will close with the sunset service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place from 5pm.

With tens of thousands of people expected to attend commemorations in the CBD, it is recommended to use public transport for all Anzac Day travel.

Free travel is available for current and former Australian Defence Force members and their families on Anzac Day, with additional early morning services running into the city. To access free travel, commuters will need to: be in uniform; display service medals; or, have a War Widows Gold Card or a letter of accreditation from a branch of the RSL or other recognised ex-service organisation.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“It was 110 years ago today that the first ANZACs landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

“On this solemn day, we reflect on those ANZACs, and all who have served in the generations since, along with their families.

“There is no higher example of public service than giving one’s own life while serving in our defence forces. Today, with gratitude, we pause and acknowledge their sacrifice. Lest we forget.”

NSW Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“Today we gather to commemorate 110 years since the landing at Gallipoli, to remember those brave ANZACs and all who have served and given sacrifice to our nation since.

“Anzac Day is our opportunity to pay tribute to all the servicemen and servicewomen that have gone before, who continue to serve, and their families who have allowed us to live freely in this great state and country.

“I encourage everyone in NSW who can, to attend a commemorative service in your community today and take time with your family and friends to pause and reflect.”