Category: NSW News

A NSW Labor Government would legislate an end to the practice of rent bidding, to curb the spiralling cost of tenancy.

Secret rent bidding encourages renters to continually out-bid each other on price to secure a home, driving up the costs of rent. It has to stop.

The Government has had 12 years to act on this dodgy practice that is already outlawed in other states, but they have sidelined and ignored renters. 
 
Labor’s plan will mean that all rental transactions will be open and transparent. If renters want to offer more than the listed price, this is disclosed to all applicants who then have the chance to match the offer.

A Minns Labor Government will make renting in New South Wales fairer and more affordable by establishing a RentalCommissioner.
  
A NSW Rental Commissioner will be an advocate and voice for renters by working closely with government, consumer affairs, stakeholders and renters to:

• Lead consultation and drafting of legislation to introduce reasons for eviction;
• Implement Labor’s portable bonds scheme;
• Oversee a ban on secret rent bidding;
• Identify barriers to increasing housing supply for renting;
• Identify practices and gaps that erode the rights of renters;
• Identify options for longer term agreements, giving security and certainty to both renters and owners;
• Initiatives including educational resources for renters and owners to increase knowledge of their rights’
• Gather data on renting and survey renters to help inform future policy making; and
• Identify ways for renters to more easily access energy efficiency initiatives.

A re-elected Perrottet Liberal Government will invest $300,000 over the next four years into the running of the much loved Ferragosto Italian street festival.

Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said in its next term of government, the NSW Liberals and Nationals will support the running of the annual event, which is a major draw card for everyone.

“We believe in helping our state’s diverse communities be proud of who they are, and one of the ways we do that is by helping them celebrate their culture with everyone,” Mr Coure said.

“We are committing to support to this major street festival by providing $75,000 a year for four years to do just that.”

This commitment continues the NSW Liberal’s commitment to celebrating Ferragosto, which saw $75,000 invested a year over the last four years.

Liberal candidate for Drummoyne Stephanie Di Pasqua said the Italian community is an vibrant part of the state’s multicultural society.

“The Italian community has been a cherished and important part of our state for generations,” Ms Di Pasqua said.

“Ferragosto is a vibrant street festival that gives the Italian community a chance to showcase the very best of their culture, and invite everyone in to experience it.

“This commitment will be a great investment into the festival and help it achieve new heights.”

More than 2300 first home buyers have opted in to the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s First Home Buyer Choice in the first two months of the initiative, saving a collective $89 million.

Under the Liberals and Nationals:

· Eligible first home buyers can ditch stamp duty in exchange for a small annual fee on properties up to $1.5 million;

· Home owners who choose to pay a small annual fee on their first home, will also be able to opt in to the annual fee on future property purchases, until they choose to pay stamp duty;

· Victim-survivors of domestic and family violence can also access first home buyer support and interest-free rental bond loans.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said First Home Buyer Choice was already helping thousands of families get the keys to their first home sooner.

“Under the Liberals and Nationals, young people now have choice and they have embraced it, with 2,330 first home buyers opting to ditch stamp duty in favour of the small annual fee,” Mr Perrottet said.

“This game-changing policy is making it easier for first home buyers, many of whom are families, to reach the dream of home ownership sooner.

“Backing first home buyers is only possible because of the Liberal and Nationals long-term economic plan to keep our state moving forward.”

Treasurer Matt Kean said that a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government would expand the First Home Buyer Choice to give home buyers that choice for life.

“We want to ensure that first home buyers who opted into the small annual fee on their first home, or received a stamp duty exemption or concession, are able to have the choice on their future homes as well,” Mr Kean said.

“This will mean those families who move can pay tens of thousands of dollars less tax over their lifetime, unlike Labor’s policy which will bill them for a large upfront stamp duty every time they move.”

Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward said that as part of the Liberal and Nationals expansion of its home buyer support, victim-survivors of domestic and family violence would be eligible for stamp duty relief currently reserved for first home buyers.

“We know that housing security is one of the most important concerns victim-survivors have as they move on from unsafe relationships and manage their personal financial security,” Mrs Ward said.

“We will ensure support is there for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence so they can look to enter the property market, secure a home and safeguard their long-term financial security.”

Labor has pledged to scrap all support for buyers of properties above $1 million and will only offer concessional stamp duty rates to buyers of properties from $800,000 to $1 million.

A re-elected Liberal Government will commit $15 million to expanding Tallawong Metro Commuter Car Park making catching public transport even easier and more convenient for commuters in Sydney’s north-west.

Liberal candidate for Riverstone, Mohit Kumar, said major upgrade works to construct additional levels to the existing Tallawong multi-storey commuter car park will deliver commuters access to new car parking spaces, including additional accessible spaces.

“A commitment to expand the Tallawong Metro Commuter Car Park will ensure that more commuters will be able to take advantage of the Liberal and Nationals Government extension of the Metro line from Tallawong to St Marys and onto Sydney’s new airport. This expansion will support thousands of jobs, additional housing and access to services across the region,” Mr Kumar said

“To ensure people can catch public transport quickly and safely there will be access to hundreds of parking spaces in close proximity to this major metro station. We are future-proofing the transport needs of our city.”

Mr Kumar said an expanded commuter carpark at Tallawong station will ensure the community has a more convenient and seamless journey.

“This announcement is a win for our community particularly in middle and outer metropolitan areas, it will give locals ease of access to the extension of the Metro service to the new airport,” he said.

“Key benefits of the upgrade works include extension of the lifts, stairs and internal ramps to the new upper levels, additional accessible parking spaces, Park&Ride boom gates and provision for future electric vehicle charging spaces.”

Other features include rooftop solar panels as well as CCTV, lighting and wayfinding for improved safety and security.

The NSW Liberal Government has also committed more than $350 million over the next four years to see the delivery of more car parking spaces across Greater Sydney.

A re-elected NSW Liberal Government will guarantee a new Children and Youth Centre in Riverstone, in Sydney’s Northwest.

The $2 million commitment will bring new facilities at the Life Anglican Church building in Quakers Hill, adding a youth centre that includes a kitchen, updated toilets, a covered walkway to link classrooms as well as an enclosed verandah with a covered car porch.

Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services Natasha Maclaren-Jones said only the Perrottet Liberal Team can be relied on to deliver much needed services to this growing part of Sydney.

“I am delighted to partner with the Life Anglican Church to help deliver what will be a terrific asset for this community,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.

“We know it’s been a tough few years for young people and it is projects like this that will create opportunities to keep them and their families connected with the community.

“The Perrottet Liberal Team is committed to ensuring young people get the best start in life and updating, expanding and modernising existing facilities will benefit people living in Riverstone, Quakers Hill, Schofields and The Ponds.”

Liberals Candidate for Riverstone Mohit Kumar said the investment in the area will also ensure the space will be welcoming for anyone and everyone.

“The Life Anglican Church has been a pillar in the local community for 100 years. This funding will help ensure their vital work can continue,” Mr Kumar said.

“I look forward to seeing the wonderful facilities such as an outdoor learning centre for children, a grassed area for play, educational programs, ESL classes, community food collection, cultural activities and a commercial kitchen for food preparation for community events,” Mr Kumar said.

Netball NSW is delighted to announce that Sallianne Faulkner has been elected as Chairperson of the organisation for a two-year term.

Faulkner, who has been on the NNSW Board of Directors since March 2021, takes over from Louise Sullivan who has served in the position for the past five years and whose term came to an end at Saturday’s Annual General Meeting.

The Chairperson (also known as the President of the Company) is elected in accordance with Clause 16 of the Netball NSW Constitution.

The NNSW Board of Directors voted on Tuesday night to elect Faulkner as the new Chair. Sullivan will remain on the NNSW Board as a Director until the end of her current Director term at the 2024 AGM and did not seek re-election to the Chair position consistent with the Board’s succession strategy.

A former President of Ramsgate Netball Club and Treasurer of the St George Netball Association, Faulkner has served as Vice President of the St George District Cricket Club and is the current President of the Ramsgate RSL Club.

She is the General Manager of the Bayside Women’s Shelter, a local charity responding to women in crisis in South East Sydney, and currently the Acting CEO of ClubsNSW where she has served as Deputy Chairperson since 2019.

Also on Saturday, current Director Vincent De Luca OAM was re-elected for another term which will conclude at the March 2026 AGM, while first-time Director Jennie Thompson (a former President of the Hills District Netball Association) was elected for a first term which will also conclude in March 2026.

Netball NSW would like to thank outgoing Director Catherine Matthews who decided not to seek re-election for another term.

Faulkner said it was an honour to hold such a position in a pillar of the NSW sporting landscape.

“I have loved netball all of my life and always had the greatest admiration for the positive impact the game has across all sections of society across NSW,” she said.

“Not only is netball the leader for community and high-performance sport when it comes to women and girls, it is also one of the few sports that has strong participation in every community in both metro and regional areas.

“We have grassroots that are the envy of many and the best professional female team-sports league in the world that includes outstanding role models.

“It is time to amplify our sport to increase participation and inclusion and carve out further our rightful place in the NSW sport scene as a major code.

“Netball builds strong communities in NSW and teaches leadership and teamwork at its core.

“I would like to thank Louise for guiding the organisation through the torrid COVID-19 years and for her strong leadership through a period of tremendous change for our sport at all levels. I look forward to working closely with her and my fellow Directors over the coming years.

“I congratulate Vincent on his re-election and welcome Jennie to the Board of Directors for the first time, while I would also like to thank Catherine Matthews for her service to the game in her time as a Netball NSW Director.”

Affordable housing is not about first-home buyers.

Affordable housing is rental accommodation generally intended for people working in not-well-paid jobs in essential-services sectors, such as nurses, police, firefighters and schoolteachers.

Affordable housing is often confused with social housing, but the two are different.

Social housing is secure and affordable rental housing for people on low incomes with housing needs. It includes public, community and Aboriginal housing.

NSW Labor appears to recognise that helping first-home buyers is not the be-all and end-all of housing policy.

Good government housing policy recognises that buying your own home is an aspiration, but that living with dignity in a home is a basic necessity. Dignity in housing means your home is affordable (to you personally), in good repair, big enough for your household and located where work and community are.

That’s where good government housing policy starts.

NSW Labor’s affordable housing policy says that, if elected, it will conduct a full audit of all publicly owned land.

Suitable parcels will be put on a new Affordable Housing Land Register. This presumably means land set aside for affordable housing can’t be withdrawn by subsequent governments.

Land on the register will be fast-tracked for development through a government agency which already exists, called UrbanGrowth. It will have a mandate of 25 per cent affordable housing. UrbanGrowth will be given greater powers to push development through.

At the same time, there will be a 15 per cent affordable housing mandate on privately developed land. This means that 15 per cent of new dwellings or floor space on any land to be developed must be for affordable housing.

NSW Labor says that it will work closely with Community Housing Providers “to formulate the rules around this [affordable housing] policy”. It’s not clear if, say, a nurse who moves into a high-paying health administration job will be able to stay in affordable housing or will have to move to make way for somebody on a lower income.

Unfortunately, the elephant in NSW Labor’s policy room is social housing. That’s housing for people unable to afford affordable housing.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that NSW Labor said it would improve the delivery of social housing in NSW by merging three existing government agencies (the Land and Housing Corporation, Aboriginal Housing Office and Department of Communities and Justice Housing) into a single body, Homes NSW.

However, NSW Labor has made no commitment to building new stock in numbers.

CPSA has written to both the NSW Government and the NSW Opposition asking them to address the glaring shortfall in social housing needed to eradicate the 51,000 households on the general waiting list and end homelessness as well as asking them to clarify their policies on social housing.

The project to transform the old White City venue into the new Hakoah Club is on track after the Perrottet Liberal Government approved an additional $5 million grant.  

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said this additional support from the NSW Government will ensure that the project, which commenced in 2022, will be completed as planned after a series of cost escalations.

The Hakoah Club project is set to deliver a modern hub for sport and community facilities in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

Included in the development will be a full sized floodlit football field, enclosed multi-use courts, learn-to-swim and outdoor pools, a large fitness Centre, nine tennis courts, a cafe, and a restaurant as well as community facilities for wellness, arts and culture.

“Sport plays an important part in the fabric of local communities,” Minister Henskens said. “Providing the Hakoah Club with the financial support required to see this project through will go a long way to ensuring that more people in Sydney’s East can enjoy these benefits.”

The Hakoah Club has previously received $7.5 million from the NSW Government through the Office of Sport to support the redevelopment of the former White City Tennis complex in Paddington.

Liberal Candidate for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane said it’s wonderful to see the redevelopment of this modern sporting hub back on track for the community.

Liberal Candidate for Coogee Dr Kylie von Muenster said it is only the Perrottet Liberal Government that continues to invest in local communities through initiatives such as this.

Hakoah Club President Steven Lowy AM said: “We are deeply grateful to the NSW Government for this additional funding.

“At a critical time in the project, we faced an unprecedented construction inflation environment, and we asked both our donor community and the NSW Government for additional support.” Mr Lowy said.

Every child in NSW will gain a financial head-start under a life-changing Liberal plan to futureproof the finances of generations to come, giving them the best start to life.

This is the most significant financial security investment in NSW history.

Under a re-elected Perrottet Liberal Government, every child in Drummoyne aged 10 and under – and continuing each year with every newborn child – will be eligible for a Kids Future Fund account, which will receive a $400 starting payment from the Government.

Parents and grandparents will be able to contribute to the fund each year, with payments matched by the Government up to $400 per year, with interest also earned over time.

Once the child turns 18 they will be able to withdraw from their fund – which could be worth between $28,000 and $49,000 per child – for education and housing so they can begin to secure their own financial future.

Liberal candidate for Drummoyne, Stephanie Di Pasqua, said this landmark initiative is the first of its kind in Australia and will help provide financial security to an entire generation in Drummoyne.

“This investment will change the lives of children in Drummoyne and across NSW forever” Ms Di Pasqua said.

“It will give generations to come the financial foundation for the rest of their life.”

“By making small investments over time, we will be able to grow the wealth of an entire generation in Drummoyne so they can secure their financial future with education and housing.

“This is a way for families and Government to work together to invest in our next generation.”

“We know that grandparents want the best start in life for their grandchildren.”

“For some kids in Drummoyne, there could be up to six adults contributing to a child’s account, making small investments over time” Ms Di Pasqua said.

The Kids Future Fund:

• Each account will receive an initial $400 contribution provided by the Government when it is created.
• Each year, the child’s parents (or grandparents) will be able to contribute up to $1,000 per year to the account. The Government will match these contributions up to $400 per year until the child turns 18.  
• If parents (or grandparents) make a contribution of $400 each year, alongside the Government’s co-contribution, the fund is expected to be around $28,500 by the time the child turns 18. 
• If parents (or grandparents) contribute the maximum amount of $1,000 per year, the fund is expected to be around $49,000.
• For families receiving Commonwealth Family Tax Benefit A, the Government will automatically contribute $200 a year to the child’s account without requiring a matched contribution from parents (or grandparents). 
• If the parents (or grandparents) also contribute $200 each year, the Government will match this with an additional $200.
• Contributions can be made to the fund after the child turns 18, however the Government will not provide any further matched contributions. 
• When the child turns 18 they will be able to draw down on the fund for only two purposes:
  • Housing – e.g. a contribution towards purchasing a residential property
  • Education – e.g. textbooks and other learning materials, laptops, private tuition fees, micro-credentials, tools required for getting a qualification
• The fund will be open for children aged up to 10 years old (in the 2023 calendar year). From 2024, new accounts will only be created for newborns.
• There are around 974,000 babies and children aged up to 10 years old in NSW in 2023.
• There are around 100,000 babies born in NSW each year.