Month: March 2025

The Minns Government is asking councils to take into consideration the need for additional supply chain support when responding to any complaints about operations at warehouses and distribution centres, wholesale and retail centres.

As the community prepares for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the NSW Government is asking councils to be considerate of the exceptional circumstances and support supermarkets and other essential retailers to help keep their shelves stocked.

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and its regulation authorises councils to take compliance action in response to breaches of conditions of a development consent relating to operating hours, noise limits and vehicle movement caps.

We are reminding councils they also have discretion in choosing whether to exercise their enforcement powers. This includes considering the temporary nature of any breach, the low level of harm caused and the broader public interest in restoring supply chains.

The complex extension of Sydney Metro services from Sydenham to Bankstown will be completed in 2026 due to the ongoing impacts that industrial action has had on the project.

This conversion of a century old train line to a brand-new state of the art metro is a very complex and difficult project that the NSW Government warned last year could take over 1 year to complete.

The complexity of this project has been compounded by more than 130 days of work on the project that have been impacted by industrial action and its subsequent effects, placing increasing pressure on the construction and testing programs.

Industrial action limited access to work sites and restricted the provision of crucial work permits, which are required for contractors to safely complete work in a live electrical network environment.

This is particularly crucial at the interfaces between the future metro network and the existing Sydney Trains assets.

This has required significant reprogramming of vital construction activities including overhead wiring upgrades, electrification changes, disconnection from adjoining rail networks, track improvements, and platform extensions at Bankstown Station.

This resulted in a delay to the commencement of dynamic train testing, a crucial component of safely testing and commissioning the new railway.

Despite the significant disruptions, the project team and delivery partners have worked tirelessly to progress the Southwest Conversion.

Dynamic testing of Metro Trains on the Southwest conversion is imminent, following approval by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

Passengers on the M1 Line will have experienced some disruption to their commutes with partial closures of the service to allow for work to progress when possible. These disruptions will continue as the testing program commences. We acknowledge passengers will be frustrated and apologise for any inconvenience caused. These possessions will allow the team to complete necessary work to extend metro services to Bankstown.

All platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers along the line from Marrickville to Bankstown have been installed, taking teams approximately 500 hours to fit out each station.

Since the conversion began a large portion of works have been completed including new lifts installed at Wiley Park, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Punchbowl and Canterbury Stations, as well as new kiss and ride zones and refurbishing of station buildings and platform surfaces.

A total of 28.3 kilometres of high-tech railway fencing has been installed along the alignment, which is made up of 5.8km of segregation fencing to separate the existing freight line and the metro corridor and 22.5km of security fencing.

The security fencing includes first-of-its-kind intrusion and object detection system which uses fibre optic cables to monitor for possible intrusions.

Southwest Link buses will continue to operate and will continue to be free for passengers until the new Southwest Metro opens.

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“The Government has always said that this complex and difficult project may take longer than 1 year. We need to let people know that over 130 days of work have been impacted by industrial action. That means we’ll complete this project in 2026.

“Works like upgrades to overhead wiring and station platforms, as well as electrical work to disconnect the line from the wider train network haven’t been able to proceed on schedule. Testing will start soon but industrial action has been very disruptive.

“Converting a 130-year-old rail line to metro standards is a highly complex project and we are very sorry that passengers will have to wait a bit longer to jump on the metro from Bankstown to the Sydney CBD.

“We promise it will be worth the wait – passengers can look forward to fast, safe and reliable trips, with a train arriving every 4 minutes in the peak.

“When the extension to Bankstown opens in 2026, a trip from Bankstown to Central will take just 28 minutes, Marrickville to Macquarie University will take just 36 minutes and Dulwich Hill to Victoria Cross will take 21 minutes.”

Schools across the North Coast of NSW will be non-operational for the next two days to safeguard students and staff as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches.

Due to potential impacts of the cyclone, including a heightened risk of flooding, more than 230 public schools, 29 Catholic schools, five independent schools and 16 TAFE campuses, along with two additional TAFE campuses being used as evacuation centres, are closed. The closures are expected to impact schools from Wednesday 5 March, through to Friday 7 March 2025.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coastline north of Brisbane as a Category 2 cyclone late on Thursday or early Friday.

Substantial flooding is expected with up to a metre of rain forecast to fall in southern Queensland and north-eastern NSW over several days.

Because of these risks, families have been asked to not send children to school for the next two days.

At this stage schools are expected to resume operations on Monday 10 March 2025.

The department has a stock of essential products ready to be dispatched to support our school communities, including gloves, paper towels, pump soap, tissues, toilet paper, bottled water and personal insect repellents. Additional blow-drying units and air purifiers are also available.

The Department of Education also requires all early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to operate safely, including during extreme weather events, and is contacting services in affected regions.

The Department urges services to assess the risk of severe weather in their community and if necessary, activate their emergency plans and procedures. We encourage services to follow the advice of local authorities and the SES.

The SES has asked families to prepare their homes for strong winds, by putting away loose items around their home, trimming trees away from properties and not parking vehicles under trees or powerlines. 

Never drive, walk, ride through, play or swim in flood water, and any avoid unnecessary travel. Download the Hazards Near Me App to stay across the latest warnings and information.

Call the NSW SES on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance in floods and storms. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au

Visit the Department of Education website for up-to-date list on information on schools that are non-operational. A list of TAFE NSW campuses that are non-operation is available on the TAFE NSW website.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“As our communities prioritise their safety and prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Alfred, we are ensuring teachers, students and school staff are not unnecessary placed in harm’s way by attending school.

“Keeping our students and families safe must always be our top priority.

“While we usually do not advocate for the closure of schools and places of learning, in these circumstances, an abundance of caution can be what keeps our community safe.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“It is important that at this critical time we plan ahead, and we are asking the community to keep their children home from school.

“Please follow the advice of emergency services and continue to check the NSW State Emergency Service website for the latest information and, if you haven’t already, download the Hazards Near Me App which includes the latest warnings and information.

“The NSW Government is doing all we can to prepare ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred crossing the coast later this week and we are asking the community to take steps now to ensure that they are prepared.”

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

“Our number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff, students and their families.

“We are incredibly grateful to our team of dedicated TAFE NSW staff who have a wonderful track record of supporting their communities by ensuring campuses can be turned into evacuation centres during natural disaster events.”

Deputy Secretary of Public Schools Deborah Summerhayes said:

“The department is taking a safety-first approach. We know a lot of our North Coast communities have been through difficult periods in recent years –  with the 2022 floods still fresh in their memories.

“That’s why we are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

“We want to do everything we can to ensure our school communities are well supported and our staff and students are safe.”

This morning, the Governor of NSW appointed Ms Rachael Ward as the Acting Children’s Guardian while a Special Ministerial Inquiry is conducted into the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

Mr Steve Kinmond, who commenced as Children’s Guardian in January 2023, has agreed to step aside from that role for the duration of the Inquiry. 

Ms Ward has more than 23 years’ experience specialising in child protection law and is a member of the Children’s Court Advisory Committee. She has, most recently, served as Director of Child Law within the Department of Communities and Justice.  I am confident Ms Ward’s knowledge and experience will be an asset to the Office of the Children’s Guardian during this time.

The Western Sydney Aerotropolis is set to take-off, with the official opening of the first building at Bradfield City Centre and the release of the Minns Labor Government’s infrastructure delivery plan which will drive further investment into the region.

The Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) – is the first step in delivering the new city of Bradfield at the heart of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the start of an innovation ecosystem that will boost the NSW manufacturing industry.

A landmark partnership agreement between the AMRF and 11 NSW and ACT universities will see this ecosystem rapidly evolve with the world class research capabilities of the universities combined with the AMRF’s industrial expertise and infrastructure.

Under the agreement, the parties will work together to translate research into production and develop the next generation of advanced manufacturing experts through a paid internship program.

Critical to facilitating further growth in the precinct, the NSW Government has released the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, which sets out how essential government infrastructure will be delivered quickly and efficiently to service the development of thousands of hectares of employment land.

The Sector Plan, developed by Infrastructure NSW, provides certainty to industry, the community, and all levels of government around how infrastructure will be sequenced and prioritised in the Aerotropolis.

This will enhance the State’s competitiveness and boost the supply of serviced land to combat the critical shortage across NSW. It will also assist planning assessment authorities to align development with infrastructure capacity in the region.

This is the first time the Aerotropolis has had a concrete road map that brings together planning and infrastructure coordination.

With the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport due to open by the end of 2026, investment in Bradfield City Centre and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis capitalises on the opportunity to deliver more than 120,000 high-quality jobs and new industries that will see the Western Sydney economy boom.

This work builds on the Minns Labor Government’s historic investment in Western Sydney to deliver more homes, jobs and investment to the region.     

To find out more about Bradfield City Centre, First Building and AMRF collaboration with NSW VCC visit: Bradfield Development Authority | NSW Government

To find out more and read the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, visit: Aerotropolis Sector Plan  | NSW Government

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“The Aerotropolis is almost 40 times the size of Sydney CBD and provides an unprecedented economic opportunity for Western Sydney.

“We’re backing the region with over $25 billion of infrastructure investment that is going to ensure the critical roads and services are delivered as quickly as possible to give industry certainty and confidence to invest in the area.

“We asked Infrastructure NSW to develop the Aerotropolis Sector Plan to identify how and when we will do this. Today’s announcement demonstrates the value in utilising whole-of-government coordination to deliver on our commitments.

“With Bradfield and the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF), we’re showcasing the NSW Government’s commitment to rebuilding the state’s critical manufacturing capability and delivering economic growth in the region.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“Western Sydney is a rich and diverse region set to boom with the opening of the new Airport. We’re building better communities by investing in the region.

“With Bradfield and the Aerotropolis, we’re giving kids in Western Sydney the opportunity to dream about a future with high quality jobs close to home.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The First Building opening is another example of the genuine momentum building around Australia’s first new city in over 100 years.

“This is just the beginning of Bradfield’s future growth as it evolves into a world class city with 10,000 homes, 20,000 high quality jobs, and critical green open spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology

After two years of inaction, the Minns Labor Government has officially broken its promise to enforce a 50% local content target for rolling-stock contracts, delaying real action for another decade and leaving NSW workers behind.
 
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Mark Coure, has condemned the Government’s failure to deliver on its key election commitment, calling it a betrayal of local workers and manufacturers.
 
“This was a clear and simple promise from Labor—50% minimum local content for rolling-stock contracts. Instead, they’ve kicked the can down the road for another 10 years. That’s a decade of lost jobs and missed opportunities for NSW,” Mr Coure said.
 
The Minns Labor Government has released yet another industry policy filled with roadmaps, plans, studies, taskforces, and commissions, but has failed to take real action to create jobs and invest in local manufacturing.
 
“We’ve had enough of the reports and strategies, NSW workers need action now. Instead of mandating local manufacturing, Labor is still handing contracts to overseas companies while highly skilled workers here in NSW are left out in the cold,” Mr Coure said.
 
Despite their repeated promises, Labor has chosen to build buses overseas instead of supporting and upskilling our local manufacturers.
 
“This is a blatant betrayal of NSW workers. If the Minns Labor Government was serious about local industry, they would enforce local content requirements now, not in 10 years,” Mr Coure said.
 
“NSW can’t afford another decade of inaction. The Minns Labor Government must step up, enforce their own commitments, and start building in NSW, not overseas”.

After 700 days of talk, press conferences and expensive reports, the Minns Labor Government’s so-called Toll Review has delivered nothing for drivers. Instead, the Minns Labor Government has secretly explored new tolls and longer contracts, meaning motorists will be paying more, for longer.
 
Labor has now quietly dumped former Toll Review Chair Allan Fels as lead negotiator and is paying an estimated $990,000 for a replacement, while signing off on a $2,750,000 new legal bill for outside lawyers.
 
Before the election, Labor made sweeping promises:

• No new tolls under Labor
• Tolls would be cheaper under Labor
• Toll roads would be returned to public ownership
• Opposing two-way tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel

But after nearly two years in government, this is what has happened instead:

• $5.4 million wasted on a review with no outcome
• $1.7 million paid to ex-bureaucrats for three reports that have been ignored
• The Toll Review Chair charging taxpayers for $750 a night for five-star hotels stays, plus business class flights
• Secret briefings to ratings agencies on extending toll road contracts, meaning drivers will pay tolls for even longer
• Exploring new tolls on the M5 West, M5 East, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Distributor
• Toll hikes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel
• Traffic modelling showing some drivers could be hit with toll increases up to nine times higher
• Warnings ignored that Labor’s traffic modelling was unfit for negotiations

Chris Minns and Labor campaigned on lowering tolls but have instead delivered secrecy, waste, and higher costs for drivers.
 
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Chris Minns made big promises on tolls, and he is breaking them one by one.
 
“For 700 days, he has dodged, delayed, and dissembled. It‘s time he came clean,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads Natalie Ward said Labor’s toll policy was to say one thing before the election, and then do the opposite.
 
“If Labor introduces new tolls or extends toll contracts, it will be Chris Minns’ ‘no carbon tax under my government’ moment,” Ms Ward said.
 
Secret meetings, million-dollar consultants, and five-star hotels—this is what toll reform looks like under Labor.
 
After 700 days, drivers are still waiting.

The Minns Labor Government has once again failed to deliver a reliable transport network, with Sydney Trains recording a dismal 81.6% on-time performance for February—falling far short of the 93% target for services arriving within five minutes of the scheduled time.

This latest failure comes despite a break from disruptive union strikes, proving that Labor’s mismanagement runs deeper than industrial action. Meanwhile, Sydney Metro commuters faced reduced services on Monday with no warning, and bus reliability in the North Shore and St George areas continues to deteriorate.

Since Labor took office, Sydney Trains has only met its on-time target twice, with the last successful month being January 2024. Transport for NSW’s own data shows that under the previous Government, commuters were consistently provided a more reliable service before Unions NSW boss Mark Morey declared 2022 the “year of the strike.”

While Labor blames union action for the chaos, the reality is that Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW are failing under their leadership. Commuters across Sydney can see it for themselves.

Instead of taking responsibility, the Government desperately tried blaming a 2017 timetable change—a feeble excuse that does nothing to address the real issue: a lack of a plan and leadership.

In 2023, the Government was warned that its hand-picked Transport Secretary was an “operational risk”, with the Secretary himself admitting he had no experience running a transport network.

Shadow Transport Minister Natalie Ward said:

“Has there ever been a time when Sydney’s transport network was this unreliable?

“The Government has spent a fortune on endless reviews, yet commuters are only getting more delays and worse services. What is the plan?

“Labor is about to pay a ransom to the unions, yet there is no talk about improvements in reliability or productivity—the two things that matter most to commuters and taxpayers.”
 
Member for Oatley Mark Coure said:

“Locals in St George and the South have had enough of unreliable transport services. Whether it’s train delays, reduced bus services, or Metro disruptions, this Government has no plan to fix the mess they’ve created.

“The Minns Government has spent a fortune on reviews and excuses, but commuters don’t need more spin—they need real improvements. When will Labor take responsibility and start delivering results?”