Category: NSW News

Marine Rescue NSW has completed its busiest year on record with 4,786 search and rescue missions across the state in 2023, as favourable weather lures boaters onto waterways.

All six regions with Marine Rescue NSW units had a record number of rescues in 2023, including the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter/Central Coast, Greater Sydney, Illawarra and Monaro.

Surpassing last year’s record figure, the volunteer water rescue organisation safely returned 10,645 people to shore in an 18 per cent increase in rescue missions across the state’s coastal and inland waterways.

Lake Macquarie was the busiest area for rescue missions across NSW, while a quarter of the Botany Port Hacking unit’s 400 missions were emergency responses.

The Botany Port Hacking unit covers a challenging area including Botany Bay, Georges River, Port Hacking and 30 nautical miles offshore where a large volume of traffic and variable conditions can lead to boaters and paddlers needing assistance.

In its first Budget, the Minns Labor Government made a record $73 million commitment to support the vital work of Marine Rescue NSW and its 3,300 volunteers.

The significant four-year investment will bolster Marine Rescue NSW’s fleet, including new multi-purpose and rescue vessels and the refurbishment of other rescue vessels, as well as fund new bases at Stockton and Middle Harbour. 

More than 80,000 trips were logged with Marine Rescue NSW in 2023, almost 16,500 more than the previous year.

Marine Rescue NSW radio operators had a busy 2023, managing 258,742 radio calls – or a call every two minutes – with a large number managed by the 24/7 Marine Rescue NSW State Communications Centre at Belrose.

More than half the incidents in 2023 could potentially have been avoided with better boat maintenance, with 57 per cent of calls for mechanical, battery or fuel issues.

Boat users are urged to follow these steps to stay safe this boating season:

• Log On and Off with Marine Rescue via VHF Channel 16 or use the free Marine Rescue NSW app available for iOS and Android devices.
• Make sure everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket.
• Make sure your vessel’s engine and battery are working.
• Make sure you have enough fuel and some in reserve.
• Always check conditions and safety equipment.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The dedicated volunteers across the 46 Marine Rescue units answer calls night and day to keep boaters safe on our waterways, and I commend them on everything they have done over the busiest year for Marine Rescue yet.”

“After boating seasons have been impacted by wet weather brought on by La Nina, as well as Covid lockdowns, more people are now taking the opportunity to get out on our beautiful waterways and enjoy the warmer weather.”

“I encourage people to enjoy our coastline and inland waterways safely, and by logging on and off with Marine Rescue our volunteers will be in a position to respond if things don’t go to plan.”

“It is pleasing to see that over the past 12 months there has been an increase of 16,500 boaters using Marine Rescue’s free Log On service with more than 80,000 trips logged last year.”

Marine Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Darren Schott said:

“Almost a third of incidents last year were emergencies such as capsized boats, missing people, groundings and fires on vessels.”

“Response times for these incidents is reduced dramatically if a boater is logged on with Marine Rescue NSW.”

“We ask all boaters to ensure that they check their vessel’s engine and battery every time they plan to head out on the water.”

“Mechanical and fuel issues can quickly become life-threatening emergencies on the water, so make sure you have enough fuel and some in reserve.”

Breakdown of rescues across regions:

• Northern Rivers – 353 search and rescue missions including 213 emergency responses with 733 people safely returned to shore. Locations of highest demand were Point Danger, Ballina and Iluka Yamba.
• Mid North Coast – 390 search and rescue missions including 213 emergency responses with 907 people safely returned to shore. Locations of highest demand were Forster/Tuncurry, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
• Hunter/Central Coast – 1,511 search and rescue missions including 341 emergency responses with 3,079 people safely returned to shore. Locations of highest demand were Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and the Central Coast.
• Greater Sydney – 1,774 search and rescue missions including 285 emergency responses with 4,262 people safely returned to shore (across all seven Greater Sydney units). Locations of highest demand were Sydney (State Communications Centre), Botany Port Hacking and Port Jackson.
• Illawarra – 481 search and rescue missions including 245 emergency responses with 1,091 people safely returned to shore. Locations of highest demand were Port Kembla, Jervis Bay and Shoalhaven.
• Monaro – 277 search and rescue missions including 180 emergency responses with 566 people safely returned to shore. Locations of highest demand were Batemans Bay, Eden and Narooma.

From today, students enrolled in healthcare degrees in NSW can apply for up to $12,000 in subsidies to support them in their studies.

The initiative will create a future pipeline of health workers with up to 850 nursing students, 400 medical students and 150 midwifery students expected to enter the subsidy program each year.

Subsidies are also available for students of paramedicine, Aboriginal health, dentistry and oral health therapy, psychology, pharmacy, physiotherapy and medical physics.

It is estimated the subsidies will support around one third of health worker graduates over the next 3 years.

Students successful in their application and beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4000 per year over 3 years. Existing students will receive one-off payments of $8000 after acceptance of employment for a position within NSW Health.

There are a limited number of subsidies available, and applications will remain open until all subsidies are awarded.

Students must be willing to make a 5-year commitment to working in the NSW public health system.

The NSW Government is investing $121.9 million over 5 years in the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy Program.

See the full list of eligible workforce groups and locations on the NSW Health study subsidy webpage.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“In recent years, we’ve seen hardworking NSW healthcare workers leave for other states, and the competition for graduates is just as tough.

“We are fulfilling our election commitment to recruit the next generation of health workers for the people of NSW, who rely on our public hospitals.

“We are determined to ensure the nurses, paramedics, allied health workers and doctors are there for patients when they need.

“Our government is working hard so people get the care they need, when they need it.

“We are coming from a long way behind after 12 years of neglect of our healthcare system and essential workers.

“There’s a long way to go rebuilding our healthcare system, but we’re committed and we are making progress.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“Up to 4000 subsidies are now on offer for this year for health degrees including nursing, midwifery, medicine, paramedicine, allied health and health science.

“By supporting students’ health studies and transition into the NSW Health workforce, this program is one of the many initiatives this government is rolling out to support staff and increase the workforce across the public health system.

“We are committed to building a more engaged, capable and supported workforce.”

Member for Leppington Nathan Hagart said:

“The study subsidies will help lower the barrier for many here in southwestern Sydney to pursue their dream career in healthcare.

“The southwestern Sydney region is a growing area and there will always be a large demand for healthcare services, so these subsidies are an important measure to ensure our workforce of the future can meet these growing needs.”

The NSW Opposition has welcomed today’s joint investment between the Federal and NSW Governments to improve energy efficiency in social housing but says the support doesn’t go far enough.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman is calling on Premier Chris Minns to adopt the Oppositions’ NSW Energy Bill Saver program that would allow all households to receive $250 off their energy bills and unlock up to $400 in further savings by switching energy plans to a lower deal. 
 
“Chris Minns is determined to pick winners and losers as families and households struggle under Labor’s cost of living crisis,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Everyone is struggling to make ends meet at the moment, and our NSW Energy Bill Saver program would have provided help for hard working families right across our State. Chris Minns decided to scrap this commitment and instead deliver limited energy relief.”
 
The Opposition pointed to Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s broken promise to deliver $275 off power bills, saying Chris Minns’ decision is making a bad situation worse. 
 
“It’s clear that when it comes to cost of living support Chris Minns is out of touch and Labor simply can’t deliver,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Our focus is on holding this Government to account for their cuts to Back to School vouchers, Active Kids, Creative Kids, First Lap vouchers and energy relief, cuts that are hurting families and households across NSW,” Mr Speakman said.

The NSW Opposition says Premier Chris Minns is out of touch with NSW families and doesn’t understand the current cost of living crisis after he was unaware of his cuts to Back to School vouchers.
 
“In their first Budget, the Minns Labor Government axed the Liberals and Nationals Government’s Back to School vouchers, a cost of living assistance package that gave all parents $150 per child in vouchers to help with the costs of school supplies, uniforms and technology,” Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said.
 
“In a comment which shows that Chris Minns doesn’t get the current cost of living crisis, he remarkably declared that ‘Back to School vouchers haven’t been changed’”.
 
“If Chris Minns isn’t aware of his own decisions to axe cost of living support for families, how can he possibly begin to understand the impact of his cuts?”
 
Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the axing of Back to School vouchers follows Chris Minns’ decision to break his election promise and slash Active Kids, Creative Kids and First Lap vouchers.
 
“The Opposition understands the importance of helping families with the cost of school, sports and extracurricular activities – that’s why we implemented these vouchers,” Ms Mitchell said. 
 
“In another example of just how out of touch the Minns Labor Government is, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education described this important support as a ‘cash splash’.”
 
“Families are paying the price for Labor’s Budget mismanagement. The Opposition will continue to fight for families and for more support to address the increasing cost of living.”

The NSW Opposition is calling for Premier Chris Minns to help families struggling under Labor’s cost of living crisis by continuing the former Liberal and Nationals Government’s Back to School voucher program.
 
“In his first Budget, Chris Minns axed the former Government’s Back to School vouchers, a cost of living assistance package that gave all parents $150 in vouchers per child to help with the costs of school supplies, uniforms and technology,” Leader of the NSW Opposition Mark Speakman said.
 
“As parents and students prepare for a new school year, the pain of this decision is being felt right across our State. People are rightly asking what Chris Minns and his Government are doing to help address the rising cost of living.”
 
“The Back to School vouchers, along with slashing Active Kids, Creative Kids and First Lap vouchers, are casualties of Chris Minns’ broken promise that his union wage deals would be Budget-neutral and funded through productivity gains.”
 
“Chris Minns’ union pay deal will cost the NSW taxpayer $9.5 billion over the coming four years; this could pay for the Back to School voucher program almost 50 times over.”
 
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Education Sarah Mitchell said Chris Minns and his Education Minister were out of touch with the needs of families.
 
“As families struggle to cover schooling costs, Chris Minns’ Education Minister described this important program as a ‘cash splash’ – how arrogant and out of touch can you get? It’s time for NSW Labor to prioritise hard working families,” Ms Mitchell said.
 
“It’s estimated that the annual cost of school supplies for a primary school student is now more than $650. These vouchers didn’t cover all the costs, but they did make a meaningful difference for families.”
 
“Parents shouldn’t have to choose between a new pair of shoes, textbooks or electronic devices, but this is the reality many families across NSW face.”

The NSW Opposition is calling on the Minns Labor Government to come clean with the people of NSW regarding their plans for Corrective Services across the State.
 
Last week it emerged that wings would be closed at Bathurst, Cessnock, Goulburn and Long Bay from 12 February, but conflicting reports about the consultation undertaken requires the Minister for Corrections to come clean on the Government’s plans.
 
“On the one hand, the Department of Corrections claim sufficient consultation was undertaken, while on the other hand, the Public Services Association say the upcoming closures had been “badly handled” and the union hadn’t been made aware of the plans,” Shadow Minister for Corrections Mark Taylor said.
 
“The big question mark is over the future security of jobs at these centres, particularly in the regional centres of Bathurst and Goulburn, the Minister must come clean and guarantee these jobs.”
 
“The Minns Labor Government went to the election promising integrity, accountability, transparency and fairness, yet this is another example of the Labor Government making swift decisions behind closed doors with no consultation with the public.”
 
The NSW Opposition said this is yet another example of the Minister missing in action.
 
“It’s clear that the Minister simply doesn’t have time for this Portfolio. The Minister for Corrections must come clean on his decision to not meet with the Public Services Union to discuss these closures,” Mr Taylor said.
 
“It follows the decision in October to hand control of the Junee Correctional Facility to the heavily unionised Corrective Services NSW, a decision that was taken without the Minister even visiting the Junee Correctional Centre.”
 
“The Minister’s hands-off approach should alarm every person in NSW, we need a Minister who cares about the state of Corrections.”

The NSW Government is delivering on its election commitment for additional regional paramedics, with the first cohort beginning their six-week induction programs this month.

It will see 125 additional paramedics arriving in regional, rural and remote communities by the middle of this year. 

The following regional and rural locations have been proposed to receive the additional paramedics:

• Port Macquarie Station
• South West Rocks Station
• Lismore Station
• Goulburn Station
• Bathurst Station
• Blayney Station
• Lithgow Station
• Mudgee Station
• Parkes Station
• Broken Hill Station
• Ballina Station

NSW Ambulance will be consulting with the Health Services Union and local staff about the proposed locations. 

The HSU have been strong advocates for more regional paramedics and have worked closely with the government on the implementation of this ambitious structural reform.

These new paramedics will join a cohort of more than 6,700 NSW Ambulance staff who share a commitment to excellence in serving their communities across NSW. 

This major workforce boost will deliver better health outcomes for patients and their families, while also providing more support to our existing NSW Ambulance staff in the bush.

The NSW Government will continue to roll out the full additional 500 paramedics over a four year period. 

The recruitment of additional health workers follows the announcement of a record pay increase for paramedics announced in December. This historic four-year agreement was partially funded from savings from the Health portfolio including savings associated with paramedic recruitment challenges such as additional paramedic recruitment. 

The Minns Labor Government’s commitment to boost regional paramedics forms part of a broader suite of measures to build a supported regional workforce and improve access and delivery of healthcare across regional communities, including:

• doubling rural health incentives
• boosting more doctors in our regional GP surgeries and hospitals through the expansion of the single employer model which makes it easier for training rural doctors to maintain their employee benefits and training support between workplaces
• preparing to roll out health worker study subsidies for those working in regional and rural areas
• rolling out health worker accommodation
• delivering safe staffing levels in our hospitals, including in the bush.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said: 

“Everyone should be able to access quality healthcare, no matter where they live, including in regional NSW. 

“Our priority is to retain our existing paramedics while still delivering critical increase in paramedic numbers where they are needed most, in particular in rural and regional NSW.” 

“We know that regional, rural and remote communities are grappling with significant workforce shortages, but we are focused on boosting, recruiting and retaining more health workers. 

“We are embracing a comprehensive range of measures to do this. 

“Investing in and supporting our frontline healthcare workers with an additional 500 paramedics is a core ministerial priority. 

“I want to thank the Health Services Union for their advocacy and continued collaboration on this important structural reform.” 

NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan said: 

“The significant increase to the paramedic workforce will boost NSW Ambulance’s capacity to provide high quality care to patients across NSW. 

“I look forward to welcoming these new paramedics to NSW Ambulance, where they will be able to build upon their skills learned in training to help their local communities. 

“We have completed service demand and workforce planning to determine where these important roles will be allocated in regional and rural NSW.”

Work is ramping up at The Bays to construct the new 24-kilometre metro railway line that will transform Sydney as part of the NSW Government’s enhanced Sydney Metro West project.

Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Daphne and Beatrice are preparing to re-launch in the coming weeks, as they make their way from the Five Dock Metro Station site to Burwood North Station site.

Hundreds of pre-cast tunnel segments have been delivered to The Bays Metro Station site, ready to meet the machines as they progress up to 90 metres below Sydney’s inner west.

Each day, more than 250 precast tunnel segments will be transported from The Bays, through the newly built tunnels beneath Iron Cove to Five Dock, where they’ll meet Daphne and Beatrice.

TBMs Beatrice and Daphne launched last year from the western side of The Bays Station. Both machines have progressed significantly in their tunnelling journey, having installed approximately 30,700 of 150,000 segments that will line the new tunnel walls.

At the eastern end of the site, work has commenced to prepare the 32-metre-deep station box for two new TBMs that will launch from The Bays to tunnel under Darling Harbour towards the city in mid-2024.

These TBMs, each weighing about 1,300 tonnes, are the final two of six mega tunnelling machines for Sydney Metro West.

A second, supersized shed on the western side of The Bays site is being used for storing excavated material after it is transferred from the TBMs on conveyor belts. The shed holds a maximum of 40,000 tonnes of material that is continuously being moved for reuse on other sites across Sydney.

As announced by the NSW Government, The Bays is one of the priority precincts to be rezoned to allow for a major new housing uplift.

The Bays Metro Station will deliver a rail service to the area for the first time and support this renewal of the harbourside precinct.

Sydney Metro West is expected to be complete by 2032.

Get more information about the project.launch

Quotes attributable to Transport Minister Jo Haylen:

“Our Metro Review has ensured a new and improved Sydney Metro West will be delivered for the people of NSW, with a focus on driving housing supply.

“The Bays is in full tunnelling mode and teams here are laser-focused on constructing this new metro line that will deliver unrivalled public transport for all of Sydney.

“The benefits of this city-shaping mega project extend beyond fast, reliable travel. Sydney Metro West will transform communities, act as a catalyst for new housing and support new precincts like at The Bays which hasn’t previously been serviced by a rail connection.”

International and Australian road safety experts, advocates for motorists and road traffic victims, academics, as well as federal and state stakeholders will be brought together on Thursday 22 February to focus on safer roads and saving lives.

The NSW Government road safety forum will be the first time in the state’s history that experts from interstate and around the world will be brought together to tackle the issue of deaths on our roads. It will take advice from Scandinavian countries that have succeeded in reducing road fatalities over the last 20 years.

The government is hosting the forum in Sydney to lead the conversation on how to address the road toll, which has risen across Australian jurisdictions as traffic volumes have rebounded following COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

There will be a particular focus on preventing regional road fatalities. A third of the NSW population resides in regional areas, but two thirds of the state’s road fatalities take place in our regions, including urban centres in regional areas.

Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown will provide a federal perspective, with NSW keen to increase cooperation between the states and territories on this shared challenge on our roads.

The NSW Government is inviting the state opposition and members of the crossbench to be part of the forum, to be hosted by Transport for NSW.

The Minns Labor government has been active in introducing new road safety measures, including the use of mobile phone detection cameras that will this year begin enforcing the use of seatbelts.

The government has also pioneered the carrot-and-stick approach through the demerit point scheme. More than 1.3 million NSW drivers remain eligible to have a demerit point removed from their licence when the first 12 months of the trial ends on 17 January if they maintain a spotless record for a year.

Minister for Roads Minister John Graham said:  

“The Minns Labor government is focused on improving road safety and making sure everyone gets home to their loved ones every time.

“The road toll has increased across Australia and many parts of the world after Covid. This forum is an opportunity to hear from experts who have had some success in reducing the road toll and identify new measures and actions from the Road Safety Plan that could be accelerated.

“In 2023, NSW experienced the tragic loss of 351 lives on our roads. The NSW Government is issuing a resounding call for every individual to make safe driving a resolution in 2024.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility that requires the collective efforts of government agencies, communities, and individuals. The forum will provide a platform to discuss new actions to save lives. 

Minister for Regional Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said:

“While one third of our population lives in regional NSW, over two thirds of fatalities (70%) occur on regional roads.

“I have been out in the far north-west of regional, rural and remote NSW this week hearing directly from those communities about the road toll.

“Any death on a road is one too many but for regional communities where everyone knows everyone, it hits particularly hard.

“We all need to take responsibility for our actions when it comes to road safety. We need community involvement, particularly in the regions, if the government’s road safety initiatives are to succeed.  

“I hope regional leaders will participate in the forum to share their experiences and work with the government to find solutions to road safety issues.

“The forum will include discussion of how we can strengthen road safety enforcement and tackle unsafe road user behaviour.” 

Senator Carol Brown, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport said:

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility – from local, state and territory governments as well as the Australian Government and individual road users.

“I look forward to the discussions had at the forum and how the outcomes can be carried through to the National Road Safety Conference shortly after. 

“The National Road Safety Conference has been convened to bring together road safety ministers and police ministers from across the country to engage on the worrying trends we are seeing on our roads.”

The NSW Opposition has called on the Minns Labor Government to take urgent action to better protect NSW’s marine emblem, the Eastern Blue Groper.
 
Shadow Minister for the Environment Kellie Sloane said just last Friday, three female Blue Gropers were killed by a spear fisher on the NSW South Coast near Jervis Bay. This follows the January 5 spearing of a large Blue Groper at Cronulla.
 
“This is another senseless and deeply upsetting situation, and we need to make sure there are no more deaths of our iconic and much-loved Blue Groper fish this summer,” Ms Sloane said.
 
“While most recreational fishers in NSW are doing the right thing, some are either ignorant of the laws or are deliberately breaking them.”
 
“Blue Gropers are our Labradors of the sea, loved by many in our community, and the Minns Labor Government needs to urgently act to better protect this iconic fish. There is an urgent need for the NSW Government to invest in greater education campaigns, improve signage where spearfishing is occurring and review penalties to ensure they’re a sufficient deterrent.”
 
“In NSW, the Blue Groper sits alongside the Platypus and Kookaburra as part of our state emblems; they reflect the unique and rich diversity of our environment. Chris Minns and his government needs to listen to local communities, who care deeply about the iconic Blue Groper, and tell us what steps he will be taking to better protect our state’s marine emblem.”