Category: NSW News

NAIDOC Week commencing today is an opportunity for us to learn and celebrate the oldest continuing culture on the planet.

It is also a time to celebrate and acknowledge the culture, excellence and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the 2023 NAIDOC Week theme For Our Elders encourages people to celebrate and pay homage to the Elders in communities.

“We can learn from our Elders who are the cultural knowledge holders and who are key to guiding us on the path to reconciliation and a better future for all,” Mr Speakman said.

“Their stories reflect the past struggles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through many generations, but we also learn from them that there is much to celebrate about their culture.”

Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Leslie Williams said the future path we take and the decisions we make must focus on truth telling and reflect the knowledge and experience of Elders.

“There’s a 65,000 year legacy from which we can learn and guide us on a future with better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Mrs Williams said.

“The NSW Liberals and Nationals have demonstrated a commitment to listening to our First Nations people and respecting their knowledge and insights through OCHRE, the community-focused plan for Aboriginal Affairs NSW.”

Central to OCHRE is working with and supporting Aboriginal communities by building strong partnerships that have at their heart respect for Aboriginal culture, leadership and decision making.

We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging and this NAIDOC Week celebrate For Our Elders.

Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change James Griffin has called on the NSW Labor Government to reconsider energy bill relief for households as energy price rises increase pressures on household budgets.

“From today energy prices in New South Wales will increase by around 20%, adding pressure to household budgets already feeling the squeeze under Federal Labor’s cost of living crisis,” Mr Griffin said.

“Half of all NSW households will receive no energy bill relief for seven years under this Labor Government, who dumped the Liberal and Nationals Government’s $250 rebate.”

“A re-elected Coalition government would have provided every household in NSW with $250 off their energy bills from today by simply looking for a better deal that. Instead, under this Labor Government around 1.5 million households get nothing.”

“Labor have chosen union bosses over hard-working families, having to cut essential cost of living pressures to fund their $2.5 billion public sector wage increase. They should reconsider their priorities and provide energy bill relief for all NSW families and households.”

“We’re yet to see any detail from Chris Minns and his Government on their proposed government-owned energy bureaucracy, which by his own admission won’t deliver households any savings for up to seven years.”

“Labor’s broken promises and wrong priorities mean families right across NSW are paying more.”

“Only the Liberals and Nationals can be trusted to put families ahead of unions and deliver meaningful cost of living relief,” Mr Griffin concluded.

Three classes of new probationary sheriff’s officers have successfully completed the Sheriff Office Recruitment Training Course and are ready to embark on a fulfilling career serving their community.

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Today’s attestation at Old Government House in Parramatta celebrates 56 new probationary sheriff’s officers in the largest ceremony ever held in NSW.

The work of sheriff’s officers is central to the efficient functioning of the courts and justice system. They provide security at court complexes; serve warrants, summonses and other orders issued by the courts; enforce writs, warrants and property seizure orders; administer the jury system; and they prepare courtrooms and call and swear in witnesses.

Training consists of a 10-week intensive course that includes tactical training and perimeter security. Officers learn how to anticipate and respond to risks and de-escalate tense situations.

Today’s graduates bring the number of sheriff’s officers in NSW to more than 300. They will be attached to 170 locations, including the metropolitan centres of Parramatta and Newcastle as well as regional NSW, including Lismore, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.

To find out more about becoming a sheriff’s officerlaunch, visit the Department of Communities and Justice website.

NSW Attorney General Michael Daley:

“Sheriff’s officers play an important role in the justice system, ensuring the security and safety of all court users and the community.

“It is a dynamic job offering career progression and the satisfaction of serving the community.

“I congratulate the probationary sheriff’s officers graduating today and wish them well as they embark on this exciting new career.”

Sheriff of NSW Tracey Hall said:

“Sheriff’s officers are highly skilled, through intensive training that emphasises excellent communication skills and relationship building with people and their community.

“Sheriff’s officers come from all walks of life and backgrounds as diverse as the communities they serve.”

Communities across the Northern Rivers are being encouraged to have their say on the future of the region with the consultation period for the Draft Resilient Lands Strategy being extended to Friday, 14 July 2023.

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The Draft Strategy, released on 2 June 2023, outlines the work undertaken to date and next steps to identify a sustainable pipeline of land and housing to support the relocation of residents impacted by the 2022 floods.

It identifies 22 sites across the seven Northern Rivers Local Government Areas, 15 of which are identified for immediate investigation under the $100m Resilient Land Program.

The 15 sites in the Draft Strategy have the potential to support up to an estimated 7,800 dwellings, to be confirmed on a site-by-site basis as technical and due diligence investigations progress.

40 submissions have already been made for Draft Resilient Lands Strategy with the consultation period now extended to Friday, 14 July 2023.

The Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) developed the Draft Strategy as part of the $100 million Resilient Land Program.

To review the NRRC’s Draft Resilient Lands Strategy and make a submission and visit Resilient lands strategy.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“We recognise the devastation the community has faced and want the Resilient Land Program to support the rebuild of the Northern Rivers community. That’s why it’s important to allow more time for the community to share their feedback on the Draft Strategy.

“As consultation continues, the NRRC is already investigating 15 sites to see how they can support housing in the Northern Rivers for people impacted by the 2022 floods.”

Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin said:

“This program can help our community over the long term. I encourage people to have their say, and share ideas or solutions, about how to relieve housing problems being faced in the Northern Rivers.”

Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith said:

“I want to thank everyone who has already provided feedback to the Draft Strategy and encourage others in the community to have their say during the extended the consultation period.”

The NSW Government has today taken a significant step in the process for transferring Me-Mel (Goat Island) to Aboriginal ownership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Me-Mel Transfer Committee.

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$43 million is committed to remediate and restore Me-Mel and pave the way for the transfer back to the Aboriginal community.

The committee will identify options for the transfer, develop recommendations for cultural, tourism and public uses of the site, and provide advice on the management of the site.

It will also develop a strategic business case to be considered by the NSW Government.

The Committee is made up of key Aboriginal representatives, along with NSW Government representatives from the Cabinet Office, Aboriginal Affairs NSW and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

A wide range of engagement activities and consultation will be undertaken with the Aboriginal community, the broader public and other stakeholders on the plans for future ownership and management options.

Committee members have given unanimous support to a Registered Aboriginal Owners research project which aims to identify Aboriginal Owners of Me Mel.

This research will be independently undertaken by the Office of the Registrar of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (ORALRA) and is due to commence in the second half of 2023.

To prepare for the transfer of the island, National Parks and Wildlife Service is also undertaking a large-scale remediation and conservation program of the island’s built assets.

The 14-member committee includes:

• Aboriginal community representatives including Shane Phillips, Amanda Reynolds, Elizabeth Tierney and Ash Walker.
• Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council representatives include Allan Murray, Nathan Moran, Eunice Roberts and Jennah Dungay.
• NSW Aboriginal Land Council representatives include Heidi Hardy and Abie Wright.
• NSW Government members include Angie Stringer, Director Aboriginal Partnerships, Planning and Heritage and Deon van Rensburg, Director Greater Sydney Branch, National Parks & Wildlife Service; Nikki Williams, Director for Economic Policy Branch, The Cabinet Office; and Jonathon Captain-Webb, Director, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, Land and Economy for Aboriginal Affairs NSW.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“I am proud to be taking another step towards transferring this island to the Aboriginal community.

“The island will be a symbol of reconciliation in the heart of Sydney Harbour.

“We are listening to the Aboriginal community through this process.

“That is what the signing of this agreement is all about.

“I thank the previous government and its former premiers for their commitment to this project over many years.

“We are proud to continue this work with the committee.”

Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“This transfer is many years in the making. It represents a genuine cultural collaboration.

“I look forward to the recommendations from the Committee”.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“This diverse committee plays a crucial role in advising government on how the transfer of Me Mel to aboriginal community could work.”

“We will look to the results of this important research project and to the Aboriginal people for what happens next.”

Temporary visa holders who arrive on or after 1 July and who intend to live in NSW for more than six months are encouraged to plan ahead and convert their licence as soon as possible so they can continue to drive with confidence.

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The new regulation changes are designed to give confidence to all road users and ensure all motorists understand the State’s road rules and abide by the same standards, with any temporary visa holder required to convert their licence within six months.

The process for converting to a NSW licence will differ depending on the age of the applicant and the country where their licence was issued.

Overseas licence holders from certain recognised countries with similar licence systems to Australia (such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Singapore) as well as experienced drivers aged 25 or older from other recognised countries (including Poland and South Korea) can visit any Service NSW Service Centre to convert their licence without the need to sit a knowledge test or a driving test. 

All other overseas licence holders will be required to pass a knowledge test and driving test at a Service Centre to receive a NSW licence. They will be exempt from the learner driver logbook requirement.

While the former government originally announced the new rules would require all overseas licence holders to apply for a NSW driver licence within six months, they backtracked in December 2022 to only apply the change to temporary visa holders arriving from 1 July 2023. The Government is examining these issues.

To support the changes, the NSW Government’s St Marys Driver Testing Centre in Western Sydney is ready to help and there are currently no wait times to book and sit a test.

The facility has 25 staff including driver testers offering about 450 driving tests each week as well as more than 1000 computer-based examinations.

Recognised countries are based on a nationally consistent framework administered by Austroads, which affects the test requirements for licence conversion.

For more information about the new regulations visit service.nsw.gov.au.

St Marys Driver Testing Centre is open from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. To find St Marys Driver Testing Centre or your closest Service Centrelaunch or call 13 77 88.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Jihad Dib said:

“Our migrants and visa holders have so much to offer our great multicultural state and it is important everyone knows these changes are coming so they can plan appropriately and get their new licence in time.”

“These changes are about making sure everyone has the right skills and understanding of local road rules which ultimately keeps everyone safer.”

“We need to introduce this change in a way that is fair to all, allowing those who enter the country to get the help they need while maintaining access for everyone who needs to take a driver test in a timely manner.

“If you need to convert to a NSW driver licence, our excellent teams at the St Marys Testing Centre and across all our Service NSW Centres are ready to help you understand the rules and book your test.”

Minister for Roads, John Graham said:

“The change introduced on 1 July is the first step to ensure new arrivals with overseas licences have the necessary skills and understanding to safely navigate our road network for the benefit of all.”

“Everyone driving in our state should have the same accountability for the road rules and adhere to the same standards.”

“The former government promised that overseas licenced drivers already living in NSW would need to convert their licence before backing away from this commitment, but the Minns Government will ensure our rules are clear and consistent for all.”

“We will extend this change to all drivers on overseas licences in a measured way that gives visitors time to adapt, with further details around the wider rollout to be announced soon, once we have assessed the initial transition.”

NSW Veterans and Wholly Dependent Partners will no longer need to attend a Service NSW centre to re-establish their eligibility for a vehicle registration and licence concession.

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For over a decade, veterans under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 had to continually obtain documentation from Department of Veteran Affairs and verify their eligibility for a concession in person. This placed undue burden and stress on them.

From Saturday 1 July 2023, eligible veterans will receive a concession on registration and licence products by simply providing Service NSW their file number. Additionally, as a pensioner their vehicle registration will be automatically renewed, provided their file number is recorded, and green slip and pink slip (if required) are received.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“The previous process was inefficient and at times distressing, with NSW Veterans continually attending Service NSW service centres to re-establish their eligibility for a concession.

“This change will see their Department of Veteran Affairs Gold Card validate automatically, with eligible concessions applied to licence and vehicle registration products.”

Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“This initiative will have significant benefits for our Veterans and Wholly Dependent Partners. We’re going to improve the customer experience for our veterans by automatically validating their Gold Card and remove the burden of visiting a service centre to re-establish their pensioner status, every year.”

Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren said:

“This is a sensible and necessary step forward for veterans, removing the unnecessary red tape and burden from having to continually attend a Service NSW centre, to re-establish their eligibility for concessions.

This is an issue that has been raised regularly with me by fellow veterans. We had a commitment in opposition to address this issue and I am delighted to see this happen now.”

NSW Veterans and eligible concession holders can also now renew their licencelaunch online if they meet the required criteria.

For more information, see Registration concessions and automatic renewal for pensioners.

Toll increases on some of Sydney’s motorways take effect from Saturday, July 1 as the NSW Government renews its call for the public to take part in the independent Tolling Review underway.

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Quarterly toll increases start on Saturday on the M7, M2, M5 South West, NorthConnex, Lane Cove Tunnel, Eastern Distributor and the Cross City Tunnel. Regular toll increases are set in long-term contracts between the NSW Government and motorway owner Transurban.

Tolls on WestConnex M4, M4- M5 Link, M8 and M5 East, will not change on July 1 as they are subject to annual increases each January.

Tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel, owned by the NSW Government, have remained unchanged since 2009.

The NSW Government’s independent tolling review, led by Professor Allan Fels AO and Dr David Cousins AM, is engaging with the public in its task to recommend a safer, fairer and more efficient tolling system.

Options include moving all motorways to a common pricing structure, a geographic motorway zone system, and time-of-day pricing.

Public hearings scheduled for July 11 (Sydney CBD), July 12 (Parramatta) and 13 July (Penrith) will hear from members of the public, businesses and industry stakeholders about the impacts of tolls and ideas for reform. 

People are urged to help shape the Government’s future tolling strategy by making a submission to the Tolling Review or signing up to attend public hearings via Have Your Say: Tolling Review.

The NSW Government is set to introduce a $60 a week toll cap for private motorists from January 1, and a reduction in the truck toll multiplier for heavy vehicles on the M5 East and M8 corridors from the start of next year, for 2 years.

Minister for Roads John Graham said: 

“This latest toll price rise arrives at a time when the cost of living continues to bite hard at families and individuals across NSW.

“Currently the details dictating how and when these toll increases are applied are tied up in opaque tolling contracts that we want to share with the public.

“We are committed to creating a better system and a fairer deal with less confusion for Sydney’s motorists and I urge members of the public to take part in the Fels review to help shape a fairer system for all.”

Motorway (Class A)	Current Maximum	July 2023	Change	How frequent
WCX M4	$9.41	$9.41	0	annually
M5 East	$7.98	$7.98	0	annually
M4 M8 link	Flat rate $5.65	$5.65	0	annually
WestConnex	Cap $11.11	$11.11	0	annually
M8	$7.98	$7.98	0	annually
Cross City Tunnel	$6.62	$6.71	0.09	quarterly
M7	$9.38	$9.51	0.13	quarterly
M2	$9:23	$9.35	0.12	quarterly
Lane Cove Tunnel	$3.84	$3.90	0.06	quarterly
NorthConnex	Flat rate $9.23	$9.35	0.12	quarterly
Eastern Distributor	Flat rate $9.09	$9.19	0.10	quarterly
M5 South-West	Flat rate $5.41	$5.49	0.08	quarterly
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel	$2.50–$4	$2.50–$4	0	N/A

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty has today announced the appointment of Dr Joanne Coombe as the NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, within the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

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“The NSW Chief Veterinary Officer is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the protection and prosperity of our livestock industry, our rural and regional economies and our environment,” Ms Moriarty said.

“All 5 of the most significant emergency animal diseases – including foot and mouth disease – have been detected in or near Australia in the past 5 years, meaning the Chief Veterinary Officer role has never been more important than it is right now.

“Dr Coombe brings significant experience and expertise to the role at a critical time.”

Dr Coombe moved to Australia from her country of birth, Wales, in 2001, completed undergraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies at Melbourne University and worked for several years as a dairy vet in rural Victoria.

She has held roles within Dairy Australia, has consulted to various universities and animal industries and is an invited member of the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Coombe said she was looking forward to working with government, industry and the community to strengthen and protect NSW primary industries.

“I am honoured to accept the position of Chief Veterinary Officer for NSW and I’m looking forward to working with the team at NSW DPI and our stakeholders for the benefit of everyone in the state,” she said.

Minister Moriarty also thanked outgoing Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sarah Britton for her service over the past 5 years.

“Dr Britton has been a strong advocate for animal biosecurity in NSW, having led the state through a number of significant emergency animal disease responses, including outbreaks of salmonella enteritidis, Japanese encephalitis virus and white spot in prawns,” Ms Moriarty said.

“Alongside these responses, Dr Britton has also been instrumental in improving our preparedness for emergency animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease.”

Dr Coombe commenced with NSW DPI on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

The NSW Government is investing $1.85 million to give a strong start to the next generation of planners, with dozens of councils receiving a share of the funding to help pay the tuition fees for young planners.

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Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully welcomed the overwhelming response from councils for the Strong Start Cadetship Program.

“After receiving a whopping 115 applications from 74 councils, we decided to boost the program with $250,000 in additional funding and provide $25,000 to each council that applied.

“This will help more councils invest in future planners to help address a workforce shortage and tackle the housing crisis across the state.”

“It was only a month ago that we put the call out to Councils seeking applications for the program, which had 64 grants available to help cover some or all of a student planner’s university fees,” Mr Scully said.

The Strong Start Cadetship Program was launched in response to the planning skills shortage, which is being felt particularly in regional NSW, with the grants to provide council-employed students a free or discounted degree and practical work experience, while boosting council planners.

Mr Scully said out of the 74 councils that applied, 60 were from regional areas.

“Local government has been crying out for planners, especially in some of our regional areas, where some positions have remained vacant for some time,” he said.

“We’re addressing the skills shortage from the ground up, by helping councils build a pipeline of young planning talent aimed at setting up the state’s planning future for success.

“This funding will bring a fresh wave of new planners to councils, giving them a helping hand to clear their development application backlogs and speed up assessment times, which will drive better outcomes for our communities.”

The $25,000 grant can be used to fund tuition fees for an undergraduate certificate, graduate certificate, diploma, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in planning.

Visit Strong Startlaunch for more information.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President Darriea Turley said:

“Councils and communities across NSW are suffering from the impacts of skills and labour shortages.

“I want to congratulate the government on this initiative, investing in the next generation of planning specialists in local governments across NSW.

“One of our key Local Government NSW priorities has been to call for the NSW Government to commit to incentives such as cadetships to address skills shortages in the local government sector.”

Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor Dallas Tout said:

“Wagga City Council congratulates the NSW Government on the establishment of the Strong Start Cadetship Program. Our council immediately applied for participation in the program. 

“We are absolutely confident that this initiative will be an amazing and positive step in promoting careers in planning for anyone looking to build a career and lifestyle in regional NSW.  

“This program will establish a whole new generation of planners who grew up in regional NSW and will now be employed in planning the future of their own communities – as start to a new career there will be few opportunities which are any better.”

Hornsby Shire Council Director of Planning and Compliance James Farrington said:

“Hornsby Shire Council is pleased to have been successful in obtaining a grant under the Strong Start Cadetship Program.

This funding represents a great opportunity, not only for students to learn on the job skills, but also for us as a local council to help us attract and develop a new planner at a time when we are experiencing a skills shortage.

We look forward to embarking on this program with the department’s support and assistance.”