Category: NSW News

The NSW Opposition has renewed calls for the Minns Labor Government to work with Federal Labor and Anthony Albanese to reduce the state’s record high immigration rates in order to alleviate pressure on the housing market in the coming years.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said the Government has made a series of announcements to address Sydney’s housing supply, but very little new housing stock will be delivered in this term of government, and some of the projects have a timeframe of up to 10-15 years.
 
“Chris Minns continues to ignore one of the biggest contributing factors to our housing supply shortage, which is unsustainable rates of immigration. His announcements will have no short term impact on rental stress and high house prices,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Once again, I repeat my offer to work with Chris Minns on the need to push for a better targeted and more sustainable immigration program for NSW. This will help to take the pressure off renters and help improve access to home ownership in the medium term.”
 
New South Wales is expected to receive more than its population share of Australia’s net overseas migrants over the coming years. Net overseas migration will contribute almost 500,000 people to the State’s total expected population growth of 580,000 in the five years to 2026-27.
 
The Opposition has also raised a number of questions regarding today’s announcement of an MOU with the Australian Turf Club.
 
“Chris Minns isn’t able to provide any detail on the cost of this proposal, timeframes for the delivery of the 25,000 houses or when the project will get underway,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“We now know the Government intends on including a new Sydney Metro West station at Rosehill, but this is at least eight years away – what does that mean for the delivery of these 25,000 new homes and their connectivity to Sydney and Parramatta?” 
 
Shadow Minister for Planning, Public Spaces and Housing Scott Farlow warned that the Government’s plans risk undermining efforts currently underway by local governments to increase housing supply.
 
“Many local councils along transport corridors are undertaking work to increase density and increasing housing supply. The risk here is that the Minns Labor Government comes in over the top and takes these plans back to the drawing board,” Mr Farlow said.
 
“Seven of the eight tier 1 sites are already captured by planning as priority growth areas and precincts with extensive planning already underway and the other, Hornsby, adopted a town centre masterplan delivering 4,900 new dwellings and facilitating 4,500 jobs only last week.”
 
“The Government needs to explain how their affordable housing requirements will be applied to existing projects in the pipeline and how their plans will take into consideration heritage constraints as nearly half the stations in Sydney they have selected are impacted by heritage conservation.” 
 
“Delays to the Sydney Metro will mean a gap between housing and infrastructure delivery in The Bays Precinct and North Strathfield Metro.”
 
“The Government still hasn’t provided detail of their ‘snap rezoning’ around 31 train stations – Chris Minns is very good at delivering headlines but poor on detail and how these plans will deliver additional housing.”

Netball NSW has unveiled the athletes which will represent the State at the 2024 National Netball Championships.

The Nationals have provided an opportunity for developing athletes, coaches, umpires and officials to prosper since their inception in 1985, with an array of Australian Diamonds having participated in the pathway event.

In 2024, the 39th edition of the Championship will see two teams (17U and 19U) from each State and Territory compete across six days to be crowned respective age-group national champions at the end of the week.

NSW has a long tradition of success at Nationals with the likes of Liz Ellis, Kim Green, Paige Hadley and Amy Parmenter all coming through the competition.

The NSW 17U Team will be coached by former ex-captain Abbey McCulloch, while another former Swift – Nardia Macdonald – will be assistant coach with Gima Crowdy travelling as an apprentice.

Amber Cross, who has previously led NSW to Nationals success, will lead the 19U team with Stephanie Harrison as her assistant and another former Swift – Samantha May – joining as an apprentice coach.

Mardi Aplin, Netball NSW General Manager of Performance & Pathways, said the selection process was very difficult due to the high calibre of athletes who trialled for selection.

“The skills on display were outstanding and that is thanks to the efforts of our pathway coaches within the Regional Academies of Sport and Netball NSW competitions,” she said.

“For example, the 17U selection process had extensive reach over the past few months with trials being held in Newcastle, Queanbeyan, Orange and Sydney across three phases.

“We are also really proud to have five regional athletes in our 17s and two in our 19s, which demonstrates that the pathway is showcasing players from all areas of NSW.

“In the 19s it is really pleasing to be able to select 10 athletes who recently undertook netball camps at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra after they were Nationally Identified this year.”

The venue and dates for the 2024 Nationals will be announced by Netball Australia in the coming months.

2024 NSW 17U Team

Acacia Elers (Newcastle)
Ellie Hart (Campbelltown District)
Ellie Stacey (Maitland)
Emily McPherson (Wagga Wagga)
Evie Economou (Sutherland Shire)
Grace Tracey (Illawarra District)
Harlym Jennings (Liverpool City)
Kelis Ogle (Liverpool City)
Matilda Percival (Newcastle)
Monique Johnson (Sutherland Shire)
Siulolo Richter (Liverpool City)
Skye Thompson (Sutherland Shire)
2024 NSW 19U Team

Charlie Hawkins (Randwick)
Eugenie Little (Manly Warringah)
Freddie Schneideman (Randwick)
Grace Whyte (Tumut)
Hope White (Newcastle)
Isabella Degei (Penrith District)
Katarina Sincek (Penrith District)
Monika ‘Otai (St George District)
Nevaeh Matenga (Liverpool City)
Nicola Barge (Sutherland Shire)
Olivia Harris (Penrith District)
Yasmeen Janschek (Randwick)

The Minister for Transport and Transport for NSW welcome the appointment of new members to the Maritime Advisory Council.

These are crucial roles, as the council provides independent, expert advice to the minister on a broad range of maritime-related matters, such as maritime safety, maritime infrastructure, and maritime property.
 
The minister for transport endorsed 10 people to form the new independent council, with 4 new members and the reappointment of 6 previous members:

• Emma Humphries (new)
• Graham Peachey (new)
• Jackie Parry (new)
• Steve Hatch (new)
• Darren Vaux (returning as Chair)
• Anthony Haworth (returning)
• John Barbouttis (returning)
• Shannon O’Brien (returning)
• Janice Thurgar (returning)
• Adam Smith (returning)

The new council members began their 3-year term on 30 November 2023, and is looking to hold an inaugural meeting in early 2024.
 
Expressions of interest were advertised over 4 weeks, before an assessment panel reviewed the large number of applications. All members were chosen for their unique expertise, with the panel focusing on a diverse membership that reflects the maritime community, with a range of age, gender and experience.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said:
 
“NSW has the most beautiful waterways in the world, and as transport minister, I take great pride in being responsible for our maritime operations.
 
“The Maritime Advisory Council is a vital body, analysing boating data, providing me with expert and independent advice, and greatly supporting our target of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our state’s waterways.

“I look forward to meeting with the council on crucial maritime matters to enhance safe and sustainable access to NSW waterways, and I thank both the new and returning members for their time and commitment.”
 
Transport for NSW Acting Deputy Secretary Safety, Environment and Regulation Sally Webb said:
 
“Every member of the Maritime Advisory Council is a passionate boater, kayaker, water skier and water lover. Their input ensures we hear from all people using our waterways. 
 
“It is important we have a diverse council to ensure decisions made cater to the whole boating community.”

Government, businesses and the not-for-profit sector now have a statewide view of internet connectivity at a suburb level, paving the way for targeted initiatives and investment opportunities.

The NSW Digital Connectivity Index is a map-based tool that measures internet and mobile phone connectivity using three metrics: access, affordability and demographics.
The new tool evaluates the state of connectivity by measuring the presence and performance of mobile and internet coverage, assessing the cost of connectivity relative to income, and considering social factors influencing the ability of residents to use digital tools.

The Connectivity Index is the first of its kind to provide data specific to each suburb across the state, enabling government agencies, local councils, businesses and service providers to make more informed decisions around digital inclusion and connectivity investment.

NSW Government agencies can also overlay their own data sets on the map-based tool to help identify priority areas for connectivity, such as bushfire prone areas or car accident blackspots.

Combining more than 200 million data points, the NSW Digital Connectivity Index supports more evidence-based decision-making, whether it is first-home buyers gauging connectivity in an area, or government agencies identifying where investment in digital initiatives or infrastructure is needed.

The tool can also be used to engage commercial telecommunications providers to address identified issues and encourage greater transparency in the services available to customers, as well as enable the NSW Government to work more closely with the Commonwealth to identify priority issues.

The Digital Connectivity Index was developed by the NSW Telco Authority with support from NSW Spatial Services. Find out more about the Digital Connectivity Index.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

“Digital technology is transforming the way people do business and access services, so understanding the reliability and uptake of digital technology across communities is an important first step in making targeted decisions.

“It is a priority for this Government to ensure everyone can confidently access and utilise the internet. The NSW Digital Connectivity Index will help identify areas where we may be able to provide support and work with other levels of government and industry to develop solutions.

“The suburb-by-suburb detail of this tool, measuring connectivity by access, affordability and demographics, is a first for Australia. It sets us on the path to building digital inclusion and community safety, from improving connectivity during natural disasters to identifying blackspots.”

Teacher vacancies have halved in Queanbeyan public schools since November 2022, and a new program aims to make it even lower by attracting community members into the teaching profession.

The NSW Government’s Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline (LTP) program will attract aspiring teachers with generous training allowances and in-classroom experience. In return, participants are required to teach in a NSW public school within an agreed location for 3 years.  

Queanbeyan joins Western and Southwestern Sydney, Dubbo and the Murray regions in being targeted by the program because of its particularly high demand for teachers.

Schools in the city have struggled to maintain teachers after 12 years of the former Liberal National Government’s public sector wage cap, while schools over the ACT border were paying among the best teacher wages in the country.

The Minns Labor Government has begun to address the challenge by removing the wages cap and delivering NSW public school teachers the highest pay rise in a generation, making NSW teachers among Australia’s best paid.   

The Minns Labor Government has also converted the jobs of more than 9000 temporary teachers across NSW into permanent roles, including 36 at Queanbeyan schools.

The Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline program will build on inroads being made across the state by the wage rise and temporary to permanent conversions, with a focus on attracting and retaining teachers in areas most in need. 

Candidates from Queanbeyan will be among 75 prospective teachers across the state who will be supported to complete an education qualification under the program, starting in Term 1, 2024.

Eligible schools have helped to identify local people with teaching potential for the program, including career changers, school administration and support staff, high school leavers and other community members. 

Successful candidates are offered a range of financial and other incentives to train as teachers.

The program works with interested schools to identify which subjects are most in-need locally. Schools take part in the recruitment process to ensure participants are the right fit for their school communities.

Program participants will be offered a place in 1 of 3 pathways to a qualification: 

• Undergraduate pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 4 years
• Postgraduate pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 2 years
• Industry Experience pathway, with a $30,000 training allowance over 2 years and a retention incentive of up to $30,000 paid over the first 3 years of teaching in a NSW public school in an agreed location. 

Participants will work 1 day a week in a local NSW public secondary school while completing their studies, and once qualified will be committed to teach in a NSW public school in an agreed location for a minimum of 3 years.  

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

“Fixing the teacher shortage is one of the NSW Government’s highest priorities, which is why we’ve delivered a once-in-a-generation wage rise, made thousands of temporary teachers permanent and are investing in programs like the Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline program.

“We’ve already seen a significant drop in vacancies in the Queanbeyan area over the last 12 months and we are determined to keep working to restore teaching as a career of choice in NSW.”

Monaro MP Steve Whan said:

“I heard from many teachers before and during the election campaign about the challenges local schools have been facing, and I am very pleased to see this improvement as the Minns Labor Government prioritises fixing the teacher shortage.

“This Grow Your Own Local Teacher Pipeline initiative builds on the huge boost we have had by removing the Liberal National wages cap and giving teachers a decent pay increase, and by providing permanent jobs for so many people left without job security by the former government.”

The Minns Labor government will establish a new taskforce to tackle emergency department (ED) wait times.

The ED Taskforce comes off the back of the success of the Surgical Care Taskforce – established on the Health Minister’s first day in office – which has seen overdue surgeries more than halved.

The ED Taskforce will comprise health workers and NSW Health officials, from across the state’s various local health districts and specialty networks, including from regional communities.

It will be tasked with identifying and implementing efficiencies, including:

• initiatives to reduce unnecessary presentations
• addressing bed block and improve patient flow
• safely discharging patients more quickly
• improving the experience of patients and staff in the ED
• moving patients to parts of the system with more capacity, where clinically appropriate.

The Minister for Health Ryan Park has instructed NSW Health to draft terms of reference, appoint membership of the taskforce, and set a first meeting date.

It comes after the release of 2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports and the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) quarterly results.

The 2 AIHW reports show that over 2022-23, NSW reported:

• the highest number of ED presentations of any state or territory in Australia (3 million)
• the highest proportion of presentations seen on time in Australia (74%)
• the second-highest proportion of planned surgeries completed within clinically recommended timeframes (77.3%).

The latest BHI data for the September quarter shows:

• a record number of triage 2 category (emergency) presentations (118,772)
• a 61% reduction in the number of overdue surgeries compared to September 2022.

A significant factor in the record demand on hospitals is the proportion of cases that could be treated in primary or aged care settings.

Almost half of all presentations to EDs were either category 4 (such as sprained ankle, earache) or category 5 (such as small cuts or abrasions).

A further BHI report on patient experiences in small rural hospitals shows that 45% of patients felt they could have been treated by a general practitioner (GP) or other health professional.

This will remain a focus of the ED Taskforce.

The NSW Government is also embracing a suite of innovative initiatives to divert unnecessary presentations to hospitals and relieve pressure on GPs.

This includes:

• rolling out 25 urgent care services across the state
• empowering pharmacists to prescribe certain medications
• increasing the use of virtual care
• making it easier for doctors in regional health districts to work in both GP and hospital settings.

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“This Emergency Department Taskforce is the latest initiative in our suite of measures to improve wait times and access to care, including supporting and boosting our workforce, and embracing innovating initiatives to divert pressure from our hospitals.

“We won’t undo 12 years of underinvestment in our health system overnight, but I can assure staff and the community that seismic structural reforms are underway to turn things around.

“Patients just want to receive the care they need and deserve in a timely manner.

“Having people and their loved ones waiting around in our hospitals for lengthy periods of time is neither good for them, nor our staff, nor other patients.

“I’ve made it a ministerial priority of mine that where we can safely improve access to care and treatment – including timeliness – we will do it.

“I’m proud of our healthcare workers across NSW who have faced serious challenges over the past couple of years but continue to show professionalism amidst record presentations and demand on our health system.”

NSW Health Deputy Secretary Adjunct Professor Matthew Daly said:

“NSW public hospitals were recognised as the best in the country on performance in emergency departments in 2022-23, ensuring patients continued to receive high-quality care during periods of sustained high demand.

“Planned surgery performance also continued to improve across NSW, with the state achieving the second-highest result nationally for the proportion of planned surgeries completed within clinically recommended timeframes.

“We thank our outstanding healthcare workers who performed exceptionally well throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we remain committed to further improving patient health outcomes and experiences in our hospitals.”

The NSW Government will soon begin a public expression of interest process for the appointment of a new Racing NSW chair and member to replace outgoing Chairman Russell Balding AO.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris has also confirmed that Dr Saranne Cooke has been reappointed as Deputy Chair for a further 2 years.

Racing NSW will continue to make decisions and function as it normally would during the absence of an appointed chair, with a quorum still in place and the deputy chair presiding at Racing NSW meetings.

“The reappointment of Dr Cooke will ensure the board can continue to make decisions and operate normally while the selection process for a new chair is underway,” Minister Harris said.  

The Act provides that Racing NSW consists of the CEO and 7 other members appointed by the minister from time to time. 

Minister Harris said the selection process to fill the chair’s role, as well as the member vacancy created by the end of Mr Balding’s tenure, will begin this month.  

“This will include the establishment of a selection panel in accordance with the legislation, with a publicly advertised call for expressions of interest,” Minister Harris said.   

“The role of the selection panel is to prepare and provide me with a list of candidates based on merit and relevant experience.”  

Minister Harris thanked Mr Balding whose term ends on 18 December, for his service on the Racing NSW Board for 12 years including the past 7 as chair.

“The board, led by Mr Balding, has successfully guided the industry and helped position NSW as the leading racing state, with new marquee events such as The Everest, a revitalised Spring Carnival and record prize money to participants.  

“I want to thank Mr Balding for his outstanding contribution as Chair of Racing NSW. His legacy is a revitalised racing industry in NSW that this government will continue to support.”

Details about the expression of interest process will be available soon on the Office of Racing website.

The Darling Harbour of tomorrow is taking shape today with a major project progressing to the next phase of development and a new 2050 vision being drafted by the NSW Government.

The State Significant Development (SSD) of Harbourside is a key project moving Darling Harbour from a 1980s’ icon into a modern and thriving destination for the next generation of visitors.

The $764.5 million SSD has now been approved and involves the demolition of the original Harbourside building to make way for a new mixed-use 50-storey residential and commercial building, with up to 265 new homes.

As part of the project, Mirvac has agreed to a $5.2 million contribution to generate affordable housing, including in the surrounding Pyrmont area.

Major renewal is also underway nearby with the restoration of the Pyrmont Bridge, expansion of the Chinese Garden, a new stage in Tumbalong Park, the opening of the new W Hotel, and the IMAX redevelopment.

The Department of Planning and Environment is currently assessing a separate SSD for the design of Harbourside’s public domain, including upgrades to the waterfront promenade with seating, greenery, heritage interpretation (storytelling of the area’s history) and public art.

Additionally, the NSW Government has announced it is developing a Darling Harbour 2050 Vision to provide a ‘big picture’ for the community, allowing the precinct to evolve over time while keeping its unique, world-famous character.

The vision is being developed in partnership with the community with over 1100 participants engaging in an online survey, pop-up stalls and focus groups. Emerging themes from these sessions highlight opportunities to connect to the water, a need for more trees as well as greener and open space. Aboriginal community engagement is currently underway, and the feedback will form an important part of the vision.

The vision will deliver a planning framework to shape it into a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable waterfront precinct. A draft is expected to be exhibited for feedback mid-next year and will reflect the views of the community.

For more information, visit:

•  Darling Harbour 2050 Visionlaunch
• NSW Planning Portallaunch.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Darling Harbour is the third most visited destination in NSW and so many of us have celebrated big moments there.

“The NSW Government is focussed on continuing to rejuvenate this iconic part of Sydney’s harbour foreshore, and to drive more housing in well-connected locations.

“This major SSD approval will support the Darling Harbour of tomorrow and create hundreds of new homes close to transport and services.

“The 2050 Vision will also guide future decision-making and secure Darling Harbour as a world-famous destination for generations to come.”

The NSW Government has launched a 6-month campaign targeting silica dust exposure in the construction and tunnelling industry.

While manufactured stone is the leading cause of silicosis, workers can also be exposed to silica dust during tunnelling, demolition and excavation work, or from uncontrolled cutting, grinding and drilling of common building materials including bricks, concrete, sandstone and tiles.

SafeWork NSW inspectors will target these areas to prevent a false sense of security ahead of the coming ban on manufactured stone in NSW.

Inspectors will ensure businesses are compliant with regulations and speak to workers about managing the risk of exposure to silica dust.

Silicosis is a deadly disease that has devastating effects on the lungs and is becoming increasingly prevalent in Australian workers, especially those in the engineered-stone industry.

SafeWork inspectors take a zero-tolerance approach to workers’ lives being placed at risk through exposure to silica dust and can issue stop work notices for activities that generate high levels of dust, or when a worksite hasn’t got adequate dust control measures in place.

If these notices are not complied with, employers can face penalties of up to $130,000.

The Minns Labor government also recently passed laws to establish a silica worker register, to track and trace exposed workers and enable early intervention.

The NSW Government will be supporting a ban on engineered stone at the upcoming national meeting of Work Health and Safety ministers on the 13 December and will act unilaterally if no agreement is made.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“This campaign is to protect workers who may be exposed to the deadly risks of silica dust and will help ensure safer workplaces in NSW.

“The NSW Government is committed a nationally consistent ban on manufactured stone

“Exposure to silica dust is an incredibly serious issue for workers in a range of industries and we must learn from the hard lessons of asbestos.”

Applications are now open for the 2023/24 MVP Ventures Program, which offers grants to early stage startups and small and medium enterprises to drive the commercialisation of new and highly innovative products or processes in NSW.

A total of $3 million has been allocated each year for the next four years, with individual grants of between $25,000 to $50,000 available to successful recipients.

Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said the program is designed to help move projects along the Technology Readiness Level scale to help them attract large-scale private investment.

“We know this program provides important targeted support to businesses ready to take the next step in their commercialisation journey,” Mr Chanthivong said.

“Our main objective through this program is to help increase commercialisation in NSW to ensure we both attract and retain this entrepreneurial activity in the state for years to come.

Since resuming the program 24 previously submitted applications have been approved, with $1.8 million in funding now available for the remainder of the financial year.

Mr Chanthivong said MVP Venture applicants will benefit from increased certainty of when an outcome will be determined, through a revised application process.

“A new two-stage application process now starts with a simplified EOI application, with applicants hearing back on their eligibility within 15 days of submission. For those deemed eligible through the EOI, further information will be sought, with a 30-business day assessment of their final detailed application.

Applications will be assessed in the order in which they are received.

“I encourage all eligible businesses to review the program guidelines if they haven’t already and submit an expression of interest in a timely manner,” Mr Chanthivong said.

Co-Founder of climate tech start-up Farmed Carbon and recent MVP Ventures Program grant recipient Stuart Grover said the program will help his business commercialise and allow it to continue developing its innovative technology.

“One of the biggest challenges we’re facing as a business is figuring out how we can commercialise our sustainable products such as our carbon negative concrete. This support will give us the kick-start we need to take the next step,” Mr Grover said.

To download the program guidelines and to submit an expression of interest application please visit www.investment.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-rebates/mvp-venturesExternal Link launch.