Category: NSW News

Families with young children in Sydney’s North West are set to benefit from significant upgrades that will see more than 100 demountables replaced with permanent facilities at Castle Hill Public School, Matthew Pearce Public School, Carlingford West Public School and Cumberland High School.

Schools in the area have been well over capacity for more than a decade as the population in the area soared under the former Liberal National Government, which failed to provide the necessary school infrastructure to the North West growth area during its 12 years in power. 

Construction has now begun on the long-awaited upgrades, which will see the removal of 19 demountables from Castle Hill Public School and another 22 at Matthew Pearce Public School.

There are currently 64 demountables at Carlingford West Public School and 26 demountables at Cumberland High School.

Of the demountables at Castle Hill Public School, 12 have been on site for more than five years and half are 20 years old. The demountables at Matthew Pearce Public School have been on site for at least five years, with some more than 25 years old.

The upgrade at Castle Hill will see the addition of a new three-storey building with 36 modern classrooms, as well as a new hall, canteen, covered outdoor learning area (COLA) and student amenities. It will also provide facilities for specialist support classes, and refurbished administration and staff areas.

The upgrades at Matthew Pearce Public School will deliver three new buildings and 24 new modern classrooms to replace existing demountable buildings. It will also provide facilities for specialist support classes, as well as a new hall, student amenities, and new outside of school hours care (OOSHC) facilities.

The upgrade at Cumberland High School will deliver 77 new and upgraded classrooms including spaces for wood workshops, visual arts, sport and performance, a new hall, library, play courts, canteen, and refurbished staff and administration facilities.

Carlingford West Public School’s upgrade will deliver 56 new classrooms, a new hall, library, play court, canteen, and refurbished staff and administration areas.

The upgrades at the four schools will provide core facilities catering to nearly 6,000 students combined, which will help support the growing population in Sydney’s North West. All four upgrades are expected to be completed by early 2026.

As part of its plan to address the backlog of essential services in the North West growth area, the Minns Labor Government is also fast-tracking new public schools at Tallawong and Nirimba Fields, and a high school for Melonba, all of which will open temporary facilities for students in Term 1 next year. The government will also build a new high school for Schofields/Tallawong to open in 2027.

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

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring families in Sydney’s growth areas have the essential services they need, like quality local public schools.

“I am thrilled to see construction begin on these important upgrades at Carlingford West Public School, Cumberland High School, Castle Hill Public School and Matthew Pearce Public School, providing high quality permanent facilities to meet growing enrolment demand in Sydney’s north-west suburbs.

“We are delivering on our promise to provide communities with high quality public school facilities to enable students to thrive.”

The NSW Government has announced stronger employment protections are now in place for waste management workers employed by NSW councils and council contractors.

Changes to the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 have been gazetted to ensure greater protection for the employment of waste workers when council waste management contracts go to tender. 

Currently, potential tenderers are not required to offer employment to employees of the current contractor or to preserve the existing terms and conditions of their employment.

This is also the case if waste management services are provided by council staff.

There are numerous examples in recent history of waste management contracts changing between service providers, and workers are offered an identical role with the new contractor but with lower pay and loss of entitlements.

The regulation changes now in effect mean tenderers for domestic or other waste management services must now offer employment to existing staff on at least the same terms as their current employer and with no loss to their entitlements.

Tenderers must also agree to award annual pay increases based on the applicable industrial instrument or the Local Government (State) Award, if one does not exist.

The Office of Local Government will support councils who have upcoming waste management tenders to comply with the new regulations.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“Most council waste workers have lived and worked in their local government area for years or even decades.

“They deserve to be treated fairly and know that they will not be left worse off if a council makes the decision to enter a new waste contract.

“These changes will prevent waste contractors from undercutting during tenders and winning contracts on the basis of paying workers less if their employer changes.

“This is an important change and will help ensure council waste services can continue to run smoothly and provide certainty to the essential workers who provide this critical service to NSW communities.

“Rubbish collection is an essential council service that keeps our streets clean and safe. It’s one of the three ‘Rs’ of local government.”

Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have broken through solid rock to arrive at the Five Dock Metro Station site, putting Sydney Metro West on the map as the first project in the southern hemisphere to achieve a double TBM breakthrough. 

This breakthrough marks an important milestone in the Minns Government’s plan to build an enhanced Sydney Metro West project that also helps drive housing supply.

These are the first two TBM breakthroughs for the project as work powers ahead to build twin 24km metro tunnels that will transform how people live in and move across Sydney’s west. 

TBM Daphne broke through first, followed closely by TBM Beatrice, after building the 4.3km section of metro tunnel from The Bays to Five Dock for around 7 months. 

To date, the huge machines have excavated a total of 437,463 tonnes of material each. Combined, this is enough to fill 135 Olympic swimming pools. 

This once-in-a-century infrastructure investment will also double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, making it easier and faster to travel around western Sydney; link new communities to rail services and support employment growth and housing supply.   

The NSW Government is also reaffirming its commitment to building more housing in the right places, where people want to live – to improve affordability, reduce building and infrastructure costs and create thriving communities. 

This includes a proposal, which was brought to the NSW Government by the ATC, centering around the potential to build more than 25,000 new homes on the Rosehill Racecourse site. This would allow the government to explore the feasibility of a new Metro West Station at Rosehill. 

NSW Premier Chris Minns said: 

“This breakthrough at Five Dock is an important milestone as we progress towards the completion of this project and the creation of thousands of new homes.” 

“We’re building this major public transport project at the same time as we’re turbocharging the creation of new housing in our state. We know more supply is the key to making housing more affordable.” 

“This project won’t just change the way people move around our city; it will now also provide the well-located homes for future generations to live in.” 

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said: 

“Now this is truly ground-breaking – never before has a project in the southern hemisphere achieved what we are seeing right here with this double breakthrough.” 

“Record-breaking milestones like this offer a snapshot at the sheer scale and ambitious nature of Sydney Metro West, that will completely transform this great city.”  

“Sydney Metro West will transform travel in Sydney’s west including right here in Five Dock, a location that will welcome its very first railway connection to put both the Sydney CBD and Western Sydney at its doorstep.”

TBM Beatrice and Daphne fast facts:  

• TBMs are double-shield, hard rock TBMs specifically designed to excavate through the sandstone and shale ground conditions.   
• A team of 15 workers per shift operate the TBM as it excavates an average of 200m per week.  
• The TBMs are 165m long (more than the length of 2x A380’s which are approximately 73m).  
• TBMs are built using refurbished cutterheads, front shields and gripper shields from TBMs used on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.  
• Each TBM is approximately 7m in diameter.  
• 34x disc cutters per cutterhead (disc cutters are approx. 48cm in diameter).  
• Heaviest pieces of the TBM are the front shield and gripper shield both approx. 280 tonnes each, the cutterhead is approximately 102 tonnes.
• The two 1,300-tonne machines will spend the next few weeks traversing to the western end of the station box cavern.
• During this time, the machines will undergo maintenance before being relaunched to continue their journey to Sydney Olympic Park.
• The Five Dock station box cavern was excavated with about 286,047 tonnes of material removed to create the box-like structure that is 22m wide and 15m deep. 
• Next stop for the TBMs is the Burwood North Metro Station site about two km away, where they are due to arrive in early 2024. 
• TBMs Beatrice and Daphne are 2 of 6 TBMs building the tunnels for the new Sydney Metro West line connecting Greater Parramatta to the Sydney CBD.  
• A total of 30,732 precast concrete segments have been installed by both TBMs to line the new 7m wide tunnels. 
• Two TBMs are currently tunnelling between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead, while the final fifth and sixth TBMs will launch in 2024, starting at The Bays, moving under harbour to Pyrmont and onto Hunter Street.

A stunning design has been unveiled for Bank Street Park, transforming land fenced off from the community for decades into a green and accessible waterfront park against the backdrop of the iconic ANZAC Bridge in Pyrmont.

Accessibility to the water and to Sydney CBD is a key feature of Bank Street Park. Plans include a new cycleway and walkways to and from the area, and new and improved access to Blackwattle Bay for recreational water users such as kayakers and other paddle craft.

The park design features a foreshore promenade, the next piece in the puzzle towards completing a 15km continuous harbourside walk between Woolloomooloo and Rozelle Bay, which will be one of Australia’s longest harbourfront walkways and a ‘must see’ attraction in Sydney. 

Providing more than 1ha of open space, the new park was designed by landscape architect OCULUS with Collins + Turner, Greenshoot Consulting and Greenaway Architects and marks a significant step towards the area’s redevelopment.

Building the park first means people can start enjoying recreational benefits before new homes and jobs are created in the surrounding area.

Key features of the new design include:

• recreational facilities including a multipurpose court, playground and fitness stations  
• a new community building to house a new community space, café and marina office
• water access and storage for dragon boats and personal paddle craft including a new accessible public pontoon
• harbourside promenade and increased accessibility to the water with new footpaths and cycleways
• public art that honours the park’s unique connection to the ANZAC Bridge and the significant contributions of First Nations servicemen and servicewomen
• adaptive reuse of buildings along Bank Street.

The local community and key stakeholders have been integral in informing the park’s design, and the wider community is now encouraged to have their say. 

Get more information on Blackwattle Baylaunch.

Minister for Lands and Property, Steve Kamper said:

“We are excited to unveil this iconic waterfront park, that will be loved by the community and a space that can be enjoyed by all on Sydney’s stunning harbour.

“I am proud to reveal the design of Bank Street Park today, which involved close collaboration with First Nations representatives, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, and Black Diggers, which is of special significance given its connection to the ANZAC Bridge.

“Bank Street Park will be the first piece in the wider development of Blackwattle Bay, which will see the current Fish Market site transformed into new homes, retail and public space.” 

“We heard from the community they would like to see some of the buildings retained and we have engaged local architects to assist in the adaptive reuse of one building for public amenities and provide an ‘Interpretation Garden’ using the existing foundations of another building.”

Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich said:

“The community has been actively involved in shaping the park’s features and activities, and we will continue to bring them on the journey as the park is brought to life.

“Once complete, Bank Street Park will ensure Sydney Harbour is more accessible for leisure activities, including private paddle craft, walking and cycling. The community will be able to kayak or paddleboard right up to the park, where they can enjoy a coffee from the café and walk along the foreshore before visiting the new Sydney Fish Market.”

Two state-of-the-art jet aircraft will soon join the NSW Ambulance fleet, optimising response times for patients in rural and regional areas.

Minister for Health Ryan Park said for the first time, NSW Ambulance will have 2 new Pilatus PC-24 jet aircraft in its fleet, as part of a $54.3 million boost to increase the capability of Aeromedical Operations.

“These 2 new jets are equipped with the latest technology and medical equipment to better serve our patients, flight nurses, doctors and pilots,” Mr Park said.

“These jets can fly faster and further without the need for refuelling and they will be an invaluable resource for communities in regional, rural and remote NSW.

“Whether responding to a motor vehicle accident or transferring a critically ill patient from a regional hospital to a tertiary health facility, these PC-24 aircraft will be a major boost for the health of regional and remote communities throughout NSW.

“NSW Ambulance is the first state government ambulance service in Australia to specifically design the PC-24 interior and patient fit-out for aeromedical operations.”

NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan said flight nurse training has now commenced for the PC-24 jets.

“Our dedicated team of flight nurses, doctors and pilots already provide high-level clinical care for all patients throughout NSW,” Dr Morgan said.

“That level of care will be enhanced thanks to the increased range, speed and optimised internal medical fit-out of these aircraft.

“These two new jets will complement the existing five Beechcraft King Air 350C planes in the NSW Ambulance fleet.”

The new PC-24 aircraft will be operated and maintained by Pel-Air, as part of a 10-year contract with NSW Ambulance.

Pel-Air Chairman, the Hon. John Sharp AM, said these will be the first jet aircraft to join the NSW Ambulance fleet.

“Pel-Air congratulates NSW Ambulance for making this significant visionary investment in aerial emergency medical response,” Mr Sharp said.

“This aircraft is a game changer for aeromedical services in a state as vast as NSW, and will help NSW Ambulance save lives.”

Aerolite, Switzerland and Total Aerospace Solutions in Sydney have been contracted to complete the medical fit out of the Pilatus PC-24s.

Member for Heffron Minister Ron Hoenig joined Minister Park at Sydney airport to take a first look at the new aircraft.

“NSW Ambulance has an incredible aeromedical history and have been operating one of its bases out of Kingsford Smith for more than 55 years,” Mr Hoenig said.

“I am sure these state of the art new planes will make a welcome addition to operations based out of Mascot, when they enter service next year.”

NSW Ambulance Fixed Wing Operations clinicians transport more than 6000 patients every year.

Both PC-24s aircraft will be ready to take to the skies to treat and transport patients by mid-2024.

The NSW Government’s Independent Panel on Gaming Reform has agreed on a bigger and broader cashless gaming trial as the Government continues its gambling reforms.

This expanded trial will include around 4500 machines across 28 clubs and hotels across 24 metropolitan and regional local government areas.

The independent panel has endorsed a broad range of venues of various sizes for the trial, ensuring information can be collected and recommendations developed for the NSW Government.

To participate in the trial, minimum requirements included harm minimisation protections, anti-money laundering protections, data security and privacy protections.

Five technology providers have been given conditional approval to participate in the extended trial, subject to essential cybersecurity requirements.

These new machines are in addition to more than 250 machines that have already completed trials at Wests Newcastle and Club York, providing important early insights to the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2024, the new venues will provide insights into the use of cashless gaming technology in hotels and clubs, particularly on reducing gambling harm and money laundering, and impacts on club and hotel employees as well as infrastructure requirements and costs.

The information gathered will give valuable insight considering no jurisdiction in Australia has implemented a state-wide cashless gaming system.

The cashless gaming trial is being overseen by the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform, which was established by the NSW Government in July.

The Panel brings together representatives from industry, for example, ClubsNSW, harm minimisation groups, for example, Wesley Mission, academia, law enforcement, unions and a person with lived experience to find consensus on a pathway for gambling reform in NSW.

The Independent Panel is scheduled to provide a gaming reform report to the NSW Government by November 2024, which will include information from the cashless gaming trial.

The Minns Government has already implemented a number of reforms to reduce gambling harm and prevent money laundering: 

• reduced the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for all new poker machines from 1 July 
• reduced the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements by more than 3000 
• banned political donations from clubs involved in gaming
• removed VIP gaming signage across NSW
• invested $100m into gambling harm minimisation over the next four years.

Further information about the trial can be found at Independent Panel on Gaming Reform – Liquor & Gaming NSWlaunch on the NSW Liquor and Gaming website.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris, said:

“This trial is bigger, broader and delivers 9 times more machines than we committed to during the election campaign.

“The independent panel has lit the next step in our reform agenda. I want to thank Mr Foggo and the panel for their ongoing work coming together to build consensus.

“The strong interest in participating in the cashless gaming trial proves just how serious clubs and hotels are about working with the government to reduce gambling harm and money laundering associated with electronic gaming machines.

“The industry is clearly behind us as we undergo these landmark gaming reforms as part of our commitment to addressing money laundering and gambling harm in NSW.”

Panel Chair Michael Foggo, said:

“The independent panel – which comprises key industry, law enforcement, community, and harm minimisation representatives – has been buoyed by the large number of applications it received for the trial.

“This demonstrates the depth of genuine support this trial has in the industry and its commitment to addressing gambling harm and money laundering.

“We look forward to working with the trial participants in the coming months and monitoring and gaining insights from this important project.”

The state-led rezoning for Parramatta’s Church Street North precinct, alongside the Parramatta Light Rail, is now complete, allowing for up to 1800 new homes to be built.

The rezoning follows an announcement by NSW Premier Chris Minns earlier this year outlining plans to revitalise the precinct and help address the state’s long-term housing supply crisis. 

New planning controls will provide more housing near the soon-to-be-opened Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1, while also supporting growth of the Parramatta CBD and facilitating the renewal of Church Street as a vibrant public place.

The changes will allow for increased building heights of up to 30 storeys along Church Street to accommodate more homes – two-thirds the size of current height limits in the Parramatta CBD.

Strengthened protections will also be in place for open space at Prince Alfred Square and the Parramatta River foreshore.

The rezoning builds on work already completed under the City of Parramatta Council’s Parramatta CBD Planning Proposal, which maps out the precinct’s future vision to meet the growing needs of Parramatta’s changing population.

The changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy Amendment (Church Street North Precinct) will apply from 1 July 2024.

This will give the City of Parramatta Council time to make sure the right Development Control Plan (DCP) and local infrastructure framework are in place.

All future development proposals for the precinct will go through the usual development application process before any development works can begin.

For more information, visit the NSW Planning websitelaunch.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This state-led rezoning will help transform an ageing area in need of renewal while providing more housing right on the doorstep of Sydney’s second largest CBD.

“The Minns Government is continuing to tackle the housing crisis in NSW and this rezoning will provide hundreds of well-located homes close to public transport, schools, jobs, parks and shops.

“This rezoning strikes the right balance between more homes located where people want to live and easy access to green open space and jobs.”

Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:

“The rezoning of Church Street North will provide housing for the next generation next to light rail and right in the heart of Parramatta.

“Our government has introduced reforms to improve housing quality ensuring that Church Street North will deliver great places to live.

“I look forward to seeing the creative way new, quality developments along Church Street North can complement the neighbouring heritage conservation areas that showcase Parramatta’s links to the past.”

Today’s half year budget review confirms that Labor has lost control of the NSW budget, with the budget bottom line worsening in just three months by a staggering $1.7 billion this financial year and $3.7 billion over the four years to 2026-27.
 
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey is blaming everyone else for the worsened budget result, but it’s time for Chris Minns and him to take responsibility for the poor results just three months after their first budget.
 
The half-year review reveals that in just three months the state’s public sector employee expenses have already gone up by $1 billion over the four years to 2026-27, without including yesterday’s half a billion-dollar deal with the paramedics or the impact of Labor’s new union-dominated industrial relations system.
 
Despite blaming the worsened budget results on Federal Labor’s infrastructure funding cuts, the Minns Labor Government has failed to confirm whether the 17 infrastructure projects will be completed at all.
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has slammed Chris Minns and Daniel Mookhey for losing control of the State’s budget in less than three months.
 
“The Minns Labor Government handed down its first budget just three months ago, and it’s taken just three months for a $3.7 billion deterioration,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“If this is what happens in just three months, I’m very concerned it will only get worse over the next three years.”
 
“Labor has failed to provide cost of living relief to families who’ll feel the pain of higher energy costs and grocery bills as they sweat through summer.”
 
Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope has called out the Treasurer for his failure to exercise fiscal responsibility which will only hurt NSW families and businesses for years to come.
 
“This review is the NSW taxpayers’ nightmare before Christmas – Labor’s inability to balance the state’s books is now on display for all to see,” Mr Tudehope said.
 
“It’s only been three months since Treasurer Mookhey’s first budget and it’s already in shambles. He can try to blame Federal Labor for his own inability to manage a budget, but it wasn’t Anthony Albanese that agreed to an unfunded 29% pay rise for paramedics”.
 
“Despite his Federal Labor mates cutting $3.6 billion in infrastructure funding for NSW, the Treasurer is just hoping Prime Minister Albanese will fix his budget blackhole.”
 
“Instead of wishful thinking, what NSW needs is a Premier and Treasurer who’ll stand up to Canberra and get NSW’s infrastructure funding restored.”
 
The claim by Finance Minister Courtney Houssos that the Minns Labor Government has ‘instituted fiscal discipline’ is a cruel joke.
 
The abandonment of Labor’s pre-election promise to identify productivity offsets for wage rises means more savage cuts to health and other services – on top of the 4.1% real cut to health spending this year, 3.6% real cut to education spending, 1.8% real cut to police spending, and a more than 5.5% real cut to both TAFE and Fire and Rescue spending, as well as the $150 million already ripped out from palliative care.

The NSW Government has today released its Half-Yearly Review following the September Budget.

The review is reporting a $1.7 billion budget deterioration this financial year, followed by modest surpluses over the forward estimates.

High inflation, high bond yields, a reduction in the national GST pool and the Federal Government’s infrastructure cuts are responsible for the pressure on the budget result.

The Federal Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook delivered yesterday identified $9.8 billion in savings and reprioritisations.  $7.4 billion of those savings over the forward estimates are through cuts to state infrastructure funding.

The federal infrastructure cuts will create an estimated budget deterioration to NSW of $1.6 billion over five years.

The NSW Government remains clear that it expects every cent taken out of NSW to be returned to NSW. Those conversations continue.

Interest costs have also risen by $500 million in 2023-24, arising from higher bond yields charged against the record levels of debt the government inherited.

The state’s insurance liabilities have also grown and have worsened the budget result by $900 million over the four years to 2026-27. It follows additional claims against the iCare administered Treasury Managed Fund as well as lower than expected investment returns.

High inflation and rising interest rates are impacting household consumption, with the State’s GST receipts forecast at $1.9 billion lower over the four years to 2026-27.

In the months since the September budget, global ratings agencies Moody’s and Fitch both affirmed NSW’s triple-A credit ratings, while S&P maintained its double-A plus rating – all endorsing the Minns Government’s responsible budget approach.

Read the full Half-Yearly Reviewlaunch

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“I’ve been upfront about how challenging it is to return the state’s budget to surplus. Recent decisions by the Federal Government haven’t helped.

“The review is another reminder about why it’s so important for the government to carefully manage its finances, just like every NSW family is having to do.

“By continuing to repair the state’s finances we will be in a better position to help families through this once in a generation cost of living crisis.”

Minister for Finance, Courtney Houssos said:

“In this year’s Budget, the Minns Labor Government began the long process of winding back 12 years of waste and mismanagement under the Liberals and Nationals.

“It’s clear NSW still faces external challenges with economic headwinds and the withdrawal of significant Commonwealth government funding.

“We’ve reined in the previous Liberal-National Government’s waste, adjusted the state’s debt trajectory, and instituted fiscal discipline. This has made NSW more resilient to withstand external pressures.

“We understand the pressures that families and households are facing, and our Government has begun to rebuild the essential public services they rely on.”

Grassroots groups across NSW are set to share in more than $400,000 worth of new funding thanks to Community Road Safety Grants delivered by the Minns Labor government.

Supported through the Community Road Safety Grants program, 19 groups will each receive up to $30,000 to roll out projects that will increase road safety awareness and support safer road use.

Projects approved in round 9 of the grants program include:

• free or subsidised driver education for disadvantaged and indigenous youths
• a courtesy bus to reduce drink driving in Regional NSW
• a program to help newly arrived refugees navigate NSW road rules
• training to improve road safety for children with disabilities as passengers in motor vehicles
• an 8-episode bilingual radio series on youth road safety.

The new projects funded by the Community Road Safety Grants program are among more than 200, worth a total of more than $3 million, that have now been delivered by Transport for NSW since the program was established in 2015.

For more information about the Community Road Safety Grants and the full list of projects visit Transport for NSWlaunch.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“These grants will empower community groups to tackle a range of road safety issues head on, with a laser focus and at a local level.

“Projects to be delivered will be spread across metropolitan and regional areas, with key at-risk groups a major focus, as we look to promote further awareness of Towards Zero and getting everyone home safely.

“Community groups like the Clontarf Foundation, PCYC and all those receiving funding do such important work and the Minns Labor government is proud to be backing in their efforts on road safety.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“We know that while around one-third of the population lives in regional areas, this group makes up nearly two-thirds of deaths that occur on regional roads.

“The statistics sadly reinforce the need to deliver critical road safety investments in the regions and these Community Road Safety Grants are part of the Minns Labor government’s commitment to reducing the road toll across every corner of NSW.

“From Gulgong to Collarenebri and Singleton to the Central Coast, these projects and the community groups delivering them will save lives and make our roads safer for everyone.”