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Twenty-eight trainees across Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) have celebrated their graduation at a ceremony in Dubbo, paving the way to begin or continue their careers in health and make meaningful impacts in their communities.

Sixteen trainees graduated from the Adult Traineeships program, including four Aboriginal trainees, which offers the opportunity to work while learning across a 12-month period to gain qualifications in disciplines like Assistant in Nursing and Administration.

A dozen Year 11 and 12 students graduated from the School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) program with Pharmacy, Allied Health, and Assistant in Nursing qualifications, including eight Aboriginal trainees funded by the NSW Government’s Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant.

The SBAT program is a Department of Education initiative which provides students the opportunity to earn an industry-recognised qualification, working 100 days of paid work experience over two years while studying as part of their Higher School Certificate.

For more information on WNSWLHD’s scholarship, traineeship, and cadetship programs visit the WNSWLHD website.

Regional Health Minister Ryan Park:

“It takes incredible dedication, no matter your age or background, to complete study while also working and I wholeheartedly congratulate all 28 of the trainees from Western NSW who have graduated.

“These programs provide a range of opportunities to kick-start a career in healthcare, to continue building skill, act a stepping stone into further study or, for some adult trainees, take another step forward in a career change.

“No matter the pathway they choose from here, whether it be moving directly into employment, training further, or heading to university, I have no doubt these graduates will have a huge impact on their communities in the future.”

Labor Spokesperson for Dubbo, Stephen Lawrence, MLC:

“I wish all of this year’s graduates from Western NSW the very best and offer my sincere congratulations. Completing studies is a huge milestone, and these qualifications will open up a range of pathways for graduates.

“I’m thrilled that a number of graduating trainees this year plan on staying and working in the Western NSW Local Health District, and a number have also gained early entry into university. It’s exciting to see their careers develop, and the impact they will have as healthcare workers.”

WNSWLHD Manager Graduate Programs and Traineeship Jackie Corliss:

“Our graduates come from all over the District and have different backgrounds and life experience. It is so exciting to see the vast majority of this year’s graduates are from smaller, rural areas including Walgett, Grenfell, Collarenebri, and Lightning Ridge.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this kind of opportunity to so many people. Their dedication and commitment has been incredible and we cannot congratulate them enough as they celebrate their well-earned graduation.”

The Minns Labor Government is today announcing the establishment of a new state-led approval pathway for major residential housing projects, as well as a process for rezonings – neither having to be approved by councils, cutting approval times and speeding up the delivery of new homes.

The Housing Delivery Authority

This reform will come into effect in early 2025 following a short and sharp consultation with stakeholders.

This will be available for new housing developments above an estimated development cost of $60 million (on average 100 or more homes) in Greater Sydney and a cost of approximately $30 million (on average 40 or more homes) in regional NSW.

This pathway will be overseen by the new Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) and will be established within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).

The HDA will include the Secretary of the Premier’s Department Simon Draper, the Secretary of the Department of Planning Kiersten Fishburn and the Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure NSW, Tom Gellibrand.

The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces remains the consent authority for projects through this pathway.

Housing is the biggest single cost of living pressure people are dealing with right now.

And while we have already pushed through the biggest housing reforms in a generation there is still a disconnect between the state’s need to support new housing, and our ability to make it happen through the current planning system.

Proposals in this pathway will not be required to be considered by councils for development and will benefit from an approval timeline that is potentially reduced by years.

Proposals will also be selected through an expression of interest (EOI) process with established criteria. They will be assessed on merit with a flexible approach to planning controls, including any incremental zoning changes required to pursue a development application.

Rezoning process

As part of this reform the Minns Labor Government is also introducing a new pathway that will allow selected projects which would deliver significant housing uplift, but require more significant rezonings, to go through a DPHI led fast track rezoning pathway that does not require a council process.

These projects will also be selected through an EOI process run by the HDA, where proponents will be able to submit rezoning proposals for consideration.

The proposals will be considered against a set of criteria which the HDA will now consult stakeholders on, that are consistent with the state’s housing priorities.

This approach will have the benefit of allowing new projects to go through rezoning and development assessment at the same time.

These reforms will reduce the number of large complex development applications councils are required to assess each year, freeing up resources for councils to assess less complex development applications before them.

These measures build on a series of transformative reforms to simplify the planning system and unlock housing supply after a decade of inaction by the former government, including:

• The largest ever rezoning in NSW history.
• Housing targets for councils to rebalance housing across Greater Sydney.
• $450 million to build new apartments for essential workers including nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers and fire fighters.
• A council league table to measure housing delivery.
• The largest ever investment in the state’s history with $5.1 billion dedicated to delivering social and affordable housing.
• A land audit of vacant government owned land that will unlock 30,000 homes including 8,400 public homes built by the government.

Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns:

“These are huge reforms that we are not proposing lightly, however the scale of the problem requires this significant change.

“For over a decade in NSW, governments have made it harder to build the homes we need, not easier – but this cannot continue if we want to be a city that young people can afford to live in.

“NSW needs significant new housing supply near existing infrastructure but at the same time too many well-located areas in Sydney have put too many barriers up for too long.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Minns Government is doing everything in its power to tackle the housing crisis and encourage developers to build and boost housing supply and overall affordability.

“These latest reforms mean the State is taking control of major housing projects so that they have the attention they deserve and get through the assessment process much faster.

“The former government increased red tape so that getting approval to build homes has become incredibly hard.

“The NSW Government will do whatever it takes to build a better future for NSW so young people, families and workers have somewhere to live.”

The Minns Labor Government has completed major restoration work at the Coast Centre for Seniors in Little Bay, preserving one of 13 State-heritage listed buildings and assets in the Prince Henry Precinct at Little Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Crown Lands, part of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, funded the $784,560 project as part of ongoing maintenance and restoration work at the historic precinct.

The Coast Centre, originally built in 1897 as the Nurses’ Home for the Coast Hospital, has served the community since 1994 as a space where residents over 55 can enjoy activities that deepen community bonds, alleviate loneliness, and support mental health.

The Prince Henry site has a rich history. established in 1881 as NSW’s first hospital for infectious diseases. The hospital was the first government-controlled public hospital in NSW’s post-convict era. 

Following recommendations of an independent engineering assessment and a heritage consultant, Crown Lands engaged NSW Public Works to undertake important repair work on the Coast Centre for Seniors that was sympathetic to the building’s heritage character. 
Contractor A J Bristow & Sons Pty Ltd was commissioned to carry out the work, which included:

• Replacement of the verandah floor surface.
• Concrete repairs to the underside of the slab and treatment of corrosion.
• New joints and repairs to existing joints in brickwork and render.
• Repointing of brickwork and replacement of individual heritage bricks where required.
• Repair of render, concrete, and mortar on external walls, columns, and balustrades.
• Cleaning and painting of verandas including render, columns, balustrades, stair    handrails, and ceilings.
• Minor drainage improvements to prevent future structural water damage.

This project has improved accessibility and ensured the facility remains a welcoming hub for older residents.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
 

“Crown land plays a critical role in preserving areas and buildings of cultural and heritage significance across the state, including the Coast Centre for Seniors and Prince Henry Precinct.

“Multipurpose facilities such as these play a vital role in strengthening communities by bringing people together to promote well-being and bolster spirits through a range of events.”

Member for Maroubra Michael Daley said:

“The Coast Centre for Seniors is a wonderful facility at the heart of Little Bay that offers a range of activities to ensure our seniors keep active, healthy and happy.

“This significant investment from the NSW Government will ensure this beautiful, historic building maintains its heritage value and remains structurally sound and well used by community members for many years to come.”

General Manager Little Bay Coast Centre for Seniors Linda Mearing said:

“It is a very great privilege for our members to be able to access such a distinguished heritage building every day. We don’t take it for granted, and we always seek to educate the public about the facility’s deep ties to the community and its historical importance.

“We are delighted Crown Lands has funded this important maintenance work to ensure the building’s beautiful heritage features can be preserved for everybody and so we can continue to offer our services to our local community.”

The Minns Labor Government has today revealed six outstanding designs that have been selected as the winners of the NSW Pattern Book Design Competition, helping deliver more well-built homes, faster.

This competition was established to speed up the delivery of homes after the NSW Government inherited a housing supply crisis that has led to Sydney losing twice as many young people as it is gaining, putting us at risk of becoming a city with no grandchildren.

These designs will also deliver homes faster by providing anyone who uses the endorsed pattern book designs with an accelerated approval pathway – meaning builders can get on site faster, and people can move into new homes sooner.

Winning designs, comprising three terraces and three mid-rise apartments, will help shape the future face of housing across New South Wales.

The winning designs were picked because of their accessibility, adaptability to changing lifestyle needs, affordability and environmental sustainability. They respond to the unique Australian climate, including a focus on indoor and outdoor living and how to incorporate shade and ventilation.

These designs will also be brought to life and built on a selection of five NSW Government-owned sites from Homes NSW, Landcom and Sydney Olympic Park Authority, so that the public can walk through and experience them first-hand.

The NSW Pattern Book Design Competition was overseen by a five-person jury of international design professionals, chaired by NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin and endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects.

Now the public is invited to find its favourite, with the most popular design to be announced early next year. The community will be able to vote on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure website, with voting to open this month.

All five professional winners will now work with Government Architect NSW to refine their designs and ensure they meet required standards for inclusion in the NSW Housing Pattern Book.

The Pattern Book is all part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so young people, families and workers have somewhere to live.

The NSW Government will launch the NSW Housing Pattern Book of housing designs in mid-2025, and anyone who uses one of the designs will have access to the fast-tracked planning pathway.

In the professional category, the terrace winners are:

·       Housing is a Verb – a collaborative team including Other Architects, NMBW Architecture Studio and TARN – NSW and Victoria.

·       Officer Woods Architects – Western Australia

In the student category:

·       In Common Studio – Madeleine Gallagher, Poppy Brown, Kangyun Kim, Paris Perry, John Suh and Catherine Taylor from The University of Sydney, NSW

In the professional category, the mid-rise winners are:

·       Andrew Burges Architects – NSW

·       Neeson Murcutt Neille, Finding Infinity and Monash Urban Lab – NSW and Victoria

·       Spacecraft Architects – New Zealand

For more information on the Pattern Book Design Competition and to choose your favourite design please visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/housing-design/nsw-housing-pattern-book/pattern-book-design-competition/shortlisted-finalists-and-jury.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“The Design Competition called for world class, high-quality designs and the winners have certainly delivered.

“These beautifully designed mid-rise apartments and terraces are the future of housing in NSW.

“The designs are innovative, adaptable and functional. More importantly, incorporating these designs into the NSW Housing Pattern Book will help us deliver more homes faster.

“I look forward to seeing these designs and more come to fruition as part of a finalised NSW Housing Pattern Book next year.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Pattern Book Design Competition attracted the best of the best architects and students from Australia and around the world.

“These homes will have access to a fast-track pathway, which means the delivery of more, well built homes, faster.

“We have less housing diversity today than we did 100 years ago, the Pattern Book along with our fast-track DA process will go a long way reintroduce that diversity back into our streets.

“Bold and innovative ideas for terrace houses and mid-rise apartments are critical for increasing the supply of housing in NSW and will help fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings.”

Government Architect NSW Abbie Galvin said:

“The quality of entries was extremely high both at the Expressions of Interest stage and among the shortlisted candidates.

“This made the task of selecting the winning designs very challenging.

“The architects behind the six entries stood out from a tough field of architects from Australia and around the world with their thoughtful, innovative and well-integrated designs.

“The homes in their designs will enhance living standards, be an asset to our neighbourhoods and can be readily adopted across NSW.

“Now that the jury has made its choice, it is over to the public to choose its favourite.”

The Wollongong community will soon have access to enhanced emergency health care, with construction of Fairy Meadow’s new ambulance station now complete.

Keys to the new ambulance station have been handed over to NSW Ambulance paramedics and the new Ambulance station will become operational in the coming weeks.

The modern, purpose-built Ambulance station, which is co-located at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus, features internal parking bays including an internal wash bay, administration and office areas, staff rest facilities, gym, logistics and storage areas, and on-site parking.

An additional 25 paramedics have been recruited for the new Ambulance station and are already on the road, temporarily operating from other nearby stations.

The new Ambulance station is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s $232 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration (RAIR) program. The RAIR program is delivering 54 new or upgraded ambulance stations and is the single largest infrastructure investment in regional NSW Ambulance’s almost 130-year history.

The NSW Government is recruiting 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff as part of the Strategic Workforce and Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) program, including 500 paramedics to rural and regional areas, to boost emergency and mobile healthcare for our metropolitan and regional communities.

The $1.76 billion SWIFT program is also delivering 30 additional ambulance stations to help save lives and provide critical emergency care across NSW.

New Ambulance stations are also planned at Warilla and Unanderra to bolster the network of stations across the Illawarra as part of the NSW Government’s $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“Once operational the new Fairy Meadow Ambulance station on Innovation Way will significantly enhance access to mobile emergency health care for the growing community across the Illawarra.

“The new Ambulance station will also provide paramedics with a high-quality base with the latest facilities and equipment to meet the current and future emergency care needs of the local community.

“The NSW Government is committed to investing in rural and regional health infrastructure to support better health outcomes for local communities.”

Member for Wollongong Paul Scully:

“I’m pleased Fairy Meadow’s first ambulance station is nearly complete and look forward to the day when paramedics move into this state-of-the-art facility and add to the local ambulance network.

“As Wollongong grows, it is important that we invest in health infrastructure to meet the needs of the local community.”

The Minns Labor Government has cemented its place as the government of taskforces, round tables and inquiries, with Premier Chris Minns once again choosing to dodge real action by announcing yet another taskforce, as exclusively revealed by the NSW Opposition on radio yesterday. No work, no outcomes—just endless committees and hollow promises.

This is at least the 51st time Chris Minns has promised “action” through a taskforce, round table or inquiry, yet all we’ve seen is a government that has become an expert in the blame game. 

It’s been almost 20 months since Chris Minns came to office, but the tally of real results sits at zero. What has Labor achieved in all this time?

Even the latest “secret” housing taskforce, reportedly set up in September under the former Infrastructure NSW CEO Janine Lonergan, hasn’t delivered anything beyond rhetoric. 

With housing approvals down 14.8% in September, if this taskforce had actually m