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New data reveals that 3,078 first home buyers in the Illawarra have been given a helping hand by the Minns Labor Government, saving an average of $22,502 off the cost of their first home.

The program provides a full stamp duty exemption of $30,412 for first home buyers purchasing a property up to $800,000 and a concession for homes priced between $800,000 and $1 million.  

It replaces the previous Liberal-National Government’s forever tax on first-home buyers, which left first-home buyers paying an annual tax back to the Government.

In the Illawarra, the top suburbs to benefit are Wollongong (618 first homes), Albion Park (519), Dapto (517) and Warilla (231).

It includes 2,103 first home buyers in the Wollongong LGA, 947 in Shellharbour LGA, and 28 in Kiama LGA.

Across NSW, 82,174 first home buyers have benefited from the First Homebuyers Assistance since July 2023. Of those, 58,111 people paid no stamp duty at all, while 24,063 individuals paid a reduced amount.

The scheme also works with the Albanese Labor Government’s 5% Deposit and Shared Equity schemes, making it even easier for people and families to buy their first home.

Housing is the number one cost-of-living pressure on young people, families and downsizers.  

Helping first home buyers is a critical piece of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to address these cost-of-living pressures and make sure NSW can be an accessible and affordable place to live.

That’s why the Minns Labor Government is delivering more homes to rent and buy, re-building essential services that families rely on, and providing long overdue investment in critical infrastructure across the Illawarra.

The First Home Buyers Assistance Dashboard has more statistics by suburb and Local Government Area and can be accessed at https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/statistics/fhba-dashboard

More information about First Home Buyers Assistance is available at https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/grants-schemes/assistance-scheme

Minister for the Illawarra Ryan Park:

“The Illawarra is a growing region, and I’m proud more people are choosing to call it home.

“This stamp duty relief is making the dream of homeownership a reality for thousands of young people and families across the Illawarra.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey:

“For more than 80,000 people, this has meant paying less upfront and getting into a home sooner.

“We’re backing first home buyers because everyone deserves a fair shot at owning a home in NSW.

“As our landmark planning reforms deliver more homes, we will continue making it easier for first-time buyers to make them their own.”

Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos:

“This is a critical piece of the puzzle in the Government’s plan to help families plant their roots across the state.

“Saving up to $30,000 on stamp duty means more money in the pockets of families and more opportunities for them to achieve the dream of home ownership.”

Sydney’s iconic new fish market has welcomed more than 230,000 people and traded more than 160 tonnes of seafood through its world-class auction, trading and retail facilities in its first week of operating.

Delivered by the Minns Labor Government, the new Sydney Fish Market is already on track to become one of Australia’s most visited destinations with hundreds of thousands of people visiting since opening last Monday.

The new Sydney Fish Market is expected to welcome over six million visitors a year and deliver a major boost to Sydney’s tourism economy and jobs sector.

As the state’s newest landmark and a striking new icon on Sydney Harbour, it is on track to receive global recognition on par with the Sydney Opera House.

This must-see waterfront experience will further secure Sydney’s reputation as a global food and tourism destination.

Seafood lovers, industry and the broader community are now enjoying double the retail space of the old fish market, with the spectacular new building offering 40 food and retail operators, from casual takeaway to premium waterfront restaurants.

The precinct features 6,000 square metres of public domain including a water play art feature, creative installations and a waterfront promenade where locals and visitors are relaxing, eating and connecting.

Additional light rail services will support the new Sydney Fish Market with even more public transport options to follow, including a new ferry wharf, upgrades to Wentworth Park light rail and the upcoming metro at Pyrmont.

The Minns Labor Government has also partnered with Mirvac to revitalise the old fish market site at Blackwattle Bay, where 1,400 new homes will be built, along with 2.6 hectares of public space as well as a new promenade completing the 15-kilometre foreshore walk from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Sydney’s new fish market has been an instant hit for locals and visitors alike welcoming more than 230,000 people through its doors in the first week of trade.

“As Sydney’s latest iconic waterfront destination, the bumper visitor numbers show the demand for beautiful public spaces like this which provide a place for people to gather, relax and celebrate with family and friends.

“The unique mix of wholesalers, retail and dining all housed under one roof is proving to be a successful formula.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“What a success to welcome over 230,000 people through its doors in the first week – a testament to the beautiful building, and the quality and diversity of the retail offering.

“Locals and visitors alike are flocking to the new markets, and these numbers give us great confidence that we will surpass the expected six million visitors in its first year.

“We knew this would be a hit and we expect that these strong numbers will continue and people will be drawn back time and time again to try everything this icon has to offer.”

Sydney Fish Market CEO Daniel Jarosch said:

“We are absolutely thrilled with how Sydney has embraced our new Sydney Fish Market. The spectacular response from the community reinforces how important this place is to our city’s culture and identity.

“People are discovering a stunning new building, and a more diverse market experience, with an unparalleled range of seafood, dining and retail options catering for everyone, from those looking for every-day great value to an unforgettable waterfront experience.”

A single front door for all major planning projects is taking shape with the Minns Labor Government putting the proposed regulatory changes to create the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on public exhibition.

These changes will make navigating the planning system faster and easier for applicants and councils by centralising State agency advice and decision-making so applicants no longer need to navigate at times conflicting and confusing advice from up to 22 different areas of Government.

Through the DCA, the NSW Government is putting a stop to unnecessary delays ending a system which saw a DA with just one referral take an average of 60 days longer to assess than a DA without one, and where each additional referral added up to 100 days to assessment timeframes.

This is the first public exhibition to implement the landmark Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 which passed parliament with almost universal support in November 2025.

Under proposed regulatory changes the need for expert advice from the DCA and other bodies on local DAs will be consolidated from more than 800 dispersed, duplicative and inconsistent requirements across 175 planning instruments into a single list aligned with State priorities.

This list will sit in State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021, making it easier to access and understand for all users of the planning system and safeguarding areas like the environment, heritage, bush fire management and infrastructure operation with the DCA as a single point of contact on all State matters.

The DCA will be required to meet strict timelines.

The DCA and other bodies will have 28 days to provide feedback on development applications (DAs), providing consistent response times and helping speed up assessment times.

The DCA, began initial operations in December and is already helping connect applicants to the right areas of Government and providing post-development consent support so projects can begin construction sooner.

Its main functions – to bring together experts from a broad range of state agencies so conflicts can be resolved quickly and allow a single, coordinated response – will begin on 1 July. Find out more here.

The proposed changes are part of a landmark overhaul of the State’s planning system designed to tackle delays and complexity adding to construction costs and create a faster, fairer and modern planning system in NSW.

How DCA will work and proposed regulatory changes, will be exhibited from Thursday, 29 January to Wednesday, 25 February 2026. To have your say, visit https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/have-your-say-establishing-development-coordination-authority-dca

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Minns Labor Government is cutting confusion and unnecessary delays in the planning system to support more homes, jobs and improve environmental outcomes.

“The Development Coordination Authority is one part of the Minns Labor Government’s reforms to make NSW’s planning system faster and easier to navigate.

“There is nothing more frustrating for applicants than having their DA bounced from one department to another and then getting conflicting answers as to what they need to do. It has often meant that a proponent gets to the front of one queue only to be told to join another one.

“Delivering a single front door for applicants and councils needing input from NSW Government agencies on local DAs will result in clear, consistent advice supporting better outcomes for NSW.”

Families across New South Wales are being slammed by the cost-of-living crisis showing no sign of relief because it is being driven squarely by Labor’s mismanagement of the economy.
 
Figures released for the 12 months to December 2025 show that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in NSW has jumped to 3.7%, up from 3.4% in November.
 
This surge is being driven by the very essentials that every household relies on, with Labor failing to keep a lid on skyrocketing costs, including:
 
·         Water and Sewerage: up 19.4%
·         Utilities (General): up 12.4%
·         Electricity: up 11.5%
·         Gas: up 8.7%
 
Shadow Treasurer Scott Farlow said these figures prove the Minns Labor Government has no grip on the economy.
 
“NSW Families are paying the price for Labor Governments in NSW and in Canberra. With inflation running at 3.7% families and small businesses will be looking squarely at an interest rate rises that will put more pressure on struggling household and small business budgets,” Mr Farlow said.
 
“Under Chris Minns and Labor the cost of utilities and essentials have spiralled out of control. As an example, electricity is up 11.5 per cent, and Federal Government electricity subsidies expired at the end of last year, leaving NSW families to pay higher bills for Labor’s failure.”
 
“Borrowers will be watching the Reserve Bank next Tuesday anxious, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Families simply cannot afford another hit to their monthly repayments, yet Labor’s lack of fiscal discipline continues to drive the inflation that puts rates at risk.”
 
“While the cost of everything is going up, under the Minns Labor Government taxes have increased by 30% and the NSW economy is at the back of the pack, with growth in our Gross State Product at 0.9% – the lowest in the Nation.”
 
“Labor is mismanaging the economy – and NSW families are paying the price.”