Category: NSW News

The Minns Labor Government has launched a new online tool that will save farmers thousands of dollars and months of work as they negotiate often complex planning laws when applying for development approvals to build key on farm infrastructure.

The platform, called myFarmPlanner, is part of the NSW Government’s plan to strengthen the state’s $20 billion agriculture sector and to boost productivity by helping farmers use the latest technology to make practical, cost effective decisions.

myFarmPlanner provides farmers with all the information they need to know to lodge a development application in as little as 15 minutes using a tailored questionnaire and interactive map.

The app brings together information from all approval organisations including local councils, consenting authorities and industry guidelines.

It provides clear information about approval pathways and consent authorities, required licences, permits and approvals, details relevant legislation regulations and guidelines and provides location-specific constraints including flood zones, bushfire areas and sensitive receptors. 

Under normal circumstance it can take up to 12 months for a farmer to gather all the required DA information needed to build farm buildings, animal housing, processing facilities and other infrastructure particularly after a flood, bushfire or a storm.

By entering farm data individually, producers using the tool can also save money, with the self-service capabilities estimated to eliminate up to $2,000 in consultant fees per application.

The new tool supersedes a 2021 beta version of the tool, which was targeted at the poultry industry, and is now expanded to cover dairy, horticulture, poultry and agritourism.

Future updates of the myFarmPlanner platform will aim to include additional agriculture sectors and integrate with the Planning Portal to improve efficiencies even further.

The development of the myFarmPlanner platform was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments through the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP).

To access the tool, visit https://myfarmplanner.dpi.nsw.gov.au. 

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“Farmers across NSW are increasingly using online tools to save money and boost productivity.

“This new tool is the latest in the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensure farmers have the latest technologies to help producers make practical, cost effective on farm decisions.

“myFarmPlanner addresses critical barriers to agricultural resilience by simplifying the development application process and providing immediate, location-specific guidance on planning requirements, reducing the need for expensive consultants and enabling faster recovery decisions. 

Dairy Farmer, Woodview NSW, Terry Toohey said:

“myFarmPlanner will be a very useful tool for the dairy industry as a lot of farmers are land locked, and this will be further intensified by building barns and feedpads etc. 

“The tool will enable farmers to look at their expansion options on their farm and whether the land can accommodate their expansion plans.”

Molong Viticulturalist Martin Gransden said:

“MyFarmPlanner is a handy tool for landowners to use in the initial stages of planning their farm development to navigate the approvals required.” 

The Minns Labor Government has been caught out again trying to avoid transparency, this time attempting to weaken the State of the Environment (SoE) report before backing down after Opposition scrutiny.
 
Due to come before the NSW Parliament this week is the Environmental Legislation Amendment Bill (EPA Bill) 2025, where it has been discovered that Labor’s plan was to delay the release of the SoE from every three years to every four.
 
When exposed, the Government dropped the change in yet another retreat under pressure.
 
The SoE, prepared by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, is one of the most important accountability measurements available to the public. It tracks climate change, biodiversity, pollution, land clearing and the health of the state’s rivers, wetlands and ecosystems.
 
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the attempt showed a government with a pattern of secrecy.
 
“Labor has been caught out again. This is not an isolated mistake. It’s part of a pattern where the Minns Labor Government tries to hide or delay the truth. The State of the Environment report is vital because it gives families, communities and businesses the full picture of how our environment is tracking and whether government action is making a difference,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment James Griffin said Labor’s instinct was to delay instead of act.
 
“The 2024 State of the Environment report was damning. It revealed more threatened species, a 40 per cent surge in land clearing and serious declines in rivers and wetlands. Labor’s first response was not to act, but to delay the next report. They are more interested in covering up failure than fixing problems,” Mr Griffin said.
 
This is part of a litany of transparency failures. Time and again Labor is caught trying to hide from accountability.
 
NSW deserve honesty about the environment that the next generation will inherit, not a government that keeps playing for time.

When Chris Minns came to office his transport agenda was to review first, act second. The First Train Review produced two reports, and commuters have seen no benefit.
 
The Toll Review has gone nowhere. The Metro Review has been ignored. The Bus Taskforce recommendations are gathering dust and buses that were promised to be built in NSW are being built in China.
 
The first Train Review sought to blame a 2017 timetable change for poor performance. The Rail Repair Plan was focused more on raising the profile of the then Transport Minister than on raising the reliability of the train network.
 
Now in May this year, the Premier ordered a second train review 25 months into the job. Documents tabled in Parliament show the review costing taxpayers at least $380,000 was due back to the Government on 21 August. Instead of managing the transport system, the Government is managing the media.
 
With the Premier setting the groundwork to point the finger and offer excuses, the Minns Labor Government has some serious questions to answer –
 
How much new capital expenditure from the consolidated fund will be provided to improve train reliability beyond what was forecast in the 2025-26 NSW Budget?
Are all the review’s recommendations fully funded? If not, why not?
Why are taxpayers paying for reviews that don’t solve the problems their taxes are paying for?
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Labor’s record is all spin and no solutions.
 
“When something goes wrong the Government does not fix the problem; instead it rushes to polish the story. People want trains that turn up and a government that does its job.
 
“Running government means making tough calls. Instead, we see a Premier who delays, blames others and leaves commuters stranded,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads Natalie Ward said the Government’s second train review in under two years shows it has failed to take meaningful action.
 
“Only NSW Labor could order a review into why trains are late and then deliver the review late as well.
 
“After three budgets and two reports, commuters don’t need more spin; they need answers. Labor can point the finger, or they can deliver solutions, but commuters have had enough,” Ms Ward said.

The latest Business NSW survey shows small businesses are being squeezed by rising costs, worker shortages and compliance pressures.
 
The survey shows that in NSW it is harder than ever to run a business, with –

• 97 per cent of businesses struggling to lift productivity.
• Rising costs identified by 65 per cent of respondents
• 42 per cent pointing to a lack of skilled labour, and
• 41 per cent saying regulatory demands were holding them back.

The Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable in August put productivity on the agenda, but business leaders say it delivered little more than talk.
 
Despite these warnings, the Minns Labor Government has doubled down on its decision to axe Business Connect. The Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Small Business have all refused to reconsider, even though Treasury’s independent review found the program delivered $1.50 back to the economy for every $1 invested, supporting more than 60,000 businesses and associated with creating over 40,000 jobs.
 
Instead of restoring this proven program, the Minns Labor Government found $7.9 million in June’s Budget to set up a shooter-dominated hunting authority in a deal with the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said this survey confirms what small business has been telling us.
 
“Costs are spiralling, pressures are at record levels, and people are stretched to breaking point – yet the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have doubled down on cutting a program that kept businesses alive and saved jobs.
 
“At the same time, they found millions for a hunting authority, demonstrating their priorities are all wrong,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope said the survey shows businesses are being squeezed by higher costs, worker shortages and red tape.
 
“At the very time businesses need help, the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have doubled down on cutting Business Connect.
 
“Instead of restoring a program proven to save jobs and support growth, Labor has found $7.9 million to fund a deal with the gun lobby,” Mr Tudehope said.
 
Shadow Minister for Small Business Tim James said Business Connect wasn’t theory; it was practical advice that delivered real results.
 
“Fewer closures, more jobs and stronger communities, yet NSW Labor axed it without another thought for a gun lobby deal.
 
“A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will bring Business Connect back” Mr James said.
 
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry and Innovation Mark Coure said small businesses are drowning under costs and red tape, but the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have refused to act.
 
“Every thriving industry in NSW, from advanced manufacturing to local startups, depends on programs like Business Connect that create jobs and drive economic growth. Instead of backing local industry and job creation, Labor chose to fund political deals and leave businesses to fend for themselves,” Mr Coure said.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $100 million to help community preschools expand their hours and cater for more children, giving working families better access to quality early education.

This next stage of the Government’s early learning reforms will lift the quality of childcare by supporting not-for-profit providers to open longer and serve more families.

It forms part of the Government’s commitment to rebalance a sector increasingly dominated by for-profit providers, which have grown by 90 per cent in the past decade and now account for 58 per cent of NSW’s 6,300 services.

Community preschools will be encouraged to extend their operating hours, open more days, and expand the age range of children they serve, making it easier for working families to access trusted, quality care.

With strong community roots, and an excellent record of quality service, these not-for-profits are widely regarded as among the best providers in NSW.

Through the new Expanding Quality Access program, community preschools will be supported to extend beyond current 9am–3pm hours and cater for children from birth through to school age. A strong uptake could see thousands of children gain access to services prioritising early learning.

This announcement follows the Government’s landmark legislation introduced last week to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and restore parents’ trust in early childhood education and care. The bill delivers 30 reforms to the Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010, including:

• Enshrining in law the principle that the rights and best interests of children come first.
• A 300 per cent increase in fines for non-compliant services, and a 900 per cent increase for large providers operating 25 or more services.
• A new requirement for providers to display their compliance history and details of any current investigations.

Together, these initiatives build on the Minns Labor Government’s record investment in early education, including the commitment to build 100 new public preschools — the largest ever by a state government. This will double the number of public preschools in NSW and deliver up to 9,000 new preschool places.

The $100 million investment will support eligible preschools over two years to upgrade their facilities, improve IT and administration, and build workforce capability to support expanded services. Applications for the Expanding Quality Access program open today, with providers encouraged to apply.

The community preschool sector has been arguing for increased funding and while the NSW Government doesn’t fund wages in the sector, we do provide program funding, and this is a substantial uplift for the sector that can be accessed with an application to the Expanding Quality Access Program.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“The Minns Labor Government understands the value of early education — it’s central to our commitment to universal preschool for our littlest learners. That’s why we’re backing the community preschool sector to provide more services for families who already value their fantastic, high-quality services.

“We believe every child should have access to the best possible education, regardless of their age, and this investment will help community preschools deliver that.

“We want more families to access quality early education close to home and at hours that suit them. The community preschool sector’s credentials are trusted by so many families, so it makes perfect sense to support them to grow and reach more.”

The NSW Government will today introduce legislation allowing Local Court magistrates to be known as judges to better reflect the importance of work done in this jurisdiction.

Amendments to the Local Court Act 2007 will change the title of judicial officers including Chief Magistrate, Deputy Chief Magistrate, Children’s Magistrate, Chief Industrial Magistrate, Industrial Magistrate and Acting Magistrate.

This change reflects the nature and volume of work done by the Local Court which is Australia’s busiest court.

Last year, more than 388,000 criminal matters commenced in the Local Court, a 34% increase since 2014. There were also more than 67,800 civil matters commenced, up 31% since 2022.

The title of ‘magistrate’ stems from an era where judicial officers were appointed from the ranks of public servants and sat in the Court of Petty Sessions.

Since 1955, NSW magistrates have been required to hold legal qualifications.

The bill will also amend the Judicial Officers Act 1986 to reflect the new titles while amendments to the Constitution Act 1902 will ensure protections to safeguard the independence and integrity of magistrates continue to apply.

NSW will join the Northern Territory’s Local Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia where the title of magistrate has been changed to judge.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“This important change is not just about a name.

“It’s about ensuring the skill and contributions of judicial officers in the Local Court are properly recognised.

“The Local Court is Australia’s busiest jurisdiction.

“It makes more than 90 per cent of all judicial decisions in NSW and the nature of its work is becoming increasingly complex.”

The communities of Deniliquin and Finley will soon benefit from new Key Health Worker Accommodation, which will help attract and retain more healthcare workers to the region.

Deniliquin and Finley are just two of the more than 20 Key Health Worker Accommodation projects in rural, regional and remote NSW, as part of the Minns Labor Government’s $200.1 million program.

Finishing touches are underway for the three homes in Deniliquin and two homes in Finley to ensure they will be fit-for-purpose and comfortable for healthcare workers.

Murrumbidgee is one of one of nine local health districts to benefit from the Minns Labor Government’s investment to deliver accommodation for health workers under the Key Health Worker Accommodation Program.

The funding includes the building of new accommodation, refurbishment of existing living quarters, and the purchase of suitable properties such as residential units.

This investment builds on the $45.3 million in accommodation for key healthcare workers in the Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, and Far West Local Health Districts, which is now complete with all units delivered and now fully operational.

Investing in Key Health Worker Accommodation is just one part of the work being done by the Minns Labor Government to improve access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including:

• $83 million to boost maternity care in the bush;
• doubling rural health incentives for our hardest to fill roles;
• delivering study subsidies for regional health workers;
• boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model; and
• delivering an extra 500 regional paramedics.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“We’re committed to strengthening our regional, rural and remote workforce and this project is vital because we know that affordable, accessible accommodation is critical to attracting staff in regional and rural areas.

“The NSW Government recognises our healthcare workers are the backbone of our regional and rural communities, which is why we’re heavily investing in dedicated accommodation to support them in these areas.”

Member for Murray Helen Dalton:

“It is critical we attract and keep health workers in western New South Wales, in this case Deniliquin and Finley. A boost to accommodation facilities will hopefully encourage more key health workers to relocate to remote and rural locations, and those already here to stay.

“It is essential that health in rural and remote NSW is not neglected. It is welcome news that the government is investing in the welfare of rural and remote communities. It is critical to attract and retain more healthcare workers to these communities in order for them to grow.

“These new accommodation units will provide an opportunity to fill vacant health care positions and support communities that are currently in desperate need of quality care.”

A tunnel borer has smashed into what will become Westmead Station, marking the completion of tunnelling at the western end of the Sydney Metro West line.

The tunnel will enable a future Metro service of just 22-minutes between Westmead and the Sydney CBD.

Once complete, the city-shaping Metro West will link the Westmead to the Sydney CBD through Parramatta, Olympic Park and Five Dock in a  22-minute trip – doubling the rail capacity between those two centres.

Tunnel Boring Machine Betty worked around the clock for 2 years at a progress rate of about 200 metres a week to build the nine-kilometre tunnel from Sydney Olympic Park.

During that time, it chewed through 790,000 tonnes of earth – enough to fill 130 Olympic swimming pools – and lined the tunnel walls with 30,000 concrete segments along the way.

Fittingly, it was Betty – which is named after Olympic sprint champion Betty Cuthbert – that reached the finish line at Westmead – with TBM Dorothy about a kilometre behind and due to arrive in coming weeks.

At the other end of the Metro West line, the first of two tunnel boring machines has started cutting its way underneath Darling Harbour to complete the final section of the eastern end of the future Sydney Metro West.

Sydney Metro West has a target open date of 2032.

The project will slash current travel times to:

• Westmead – Parramatta in 2 minutes
• Westmead – Five Dock 14 minutes
• Westmead – Pyrmont in 20 minutes
• Westmead – Hunter Street in 22 minutes

New metro rail at Westmead will support the movement of millions of visitors and workers who each day access the area’s four major hospitals, five world-leading medical research institutes and two university campuses.

Westmead Station will be withing walking distance of the health and education facilities and integrate seamlessly with existing nearby transport options including T1 and T5 line trains at nearby Westmead Station, Parramatta Light Rail, the T-way and local buses.

Betty will now be dismantled before it is lifted out of the station box piece by piece over the next seven weeks.

A crew of up to 150 workers at a time have spent three years building the 500-metre underground cavern at Westmead. It is the deepest station on the Metro West line, at up to 39 metres below ground.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“This is an exciting milestone in the delivery of the Sydney Metro West project.

“With this breakthrough at what will become Westmead station, we are well on the way with this city shaping piece of transport infrastructure.

“20 minutes from the centre of the city to the heart of Parramatta – this will change the way Sydney grows and works into the future.”

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“Seeing the first tunnel reach the end of the line, and the project’s furthest point west, is a moment to celebrate as the community here in the heart of western Sydney looks forward to its own Metro line.

“Westmead Station is going to be so important in plugging the health district into the rest of Sydney, with a two minute journey to Parramatta and then just 20 minutes to the Sydney CBD.

“This line will deliver more than just passengers, it will bring jobs and economic activity.”

Businesses and investors are encouraged to get their Expressions of Interest (EOIs) ready with the first round of the Investment Delivery Authority (IDA) to open within weeks.

Announced today by NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey at the National Tech Summit, the first round of EOIs will accelerate approvals for major projects aligned with government priorities, focusing on advanced technology and energy, including data centres, renewable energy and energy security projects, as well as hotel developments critical to visitor economy growth.

As the new front door to major investment, the IDA will break down barriers to large-scale private investment in NSW, by cutting red tape, coordinating across government and encouraging large projects across the state. 

The IDA, modelled off the successful Housing Delivery Authority, is expected to assist around 30 large projects per year, bringing forward up to $50 billion of investment into NSW – boosting innovation, jobs and productivity.

The EOI process will open internationally and comes just weeks after the NSW Treasurer took part in the National Economic Reform Roundtable, where boosting investment and confidence in the business sector was identified as a key factor in driving productivity. 

Eligibility criteria for the IDA include:

• A major project must be valued at $1 billion or more, be primarily non-residential, and related to data centres and technology, renewable energy and energy security
• Hotel developments must meet a $200 million threshold, supporting the delivery of the Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which outlined the need for more diverse, high-quality accommodation
• Applicants must demonstrate a capability to commence development quickly, and
• Identify where government can play a role in resolving barriers

Future EOI rounds will be expanded across other industries.

Projects recommended by the IDA will receive fast-track approvals for key initiatives, and support from a dedicated planning assessment team and multi-agency Investment Taskforce based in the Premier’s Department.

The Investment Delivery Authority was announced in the 2025-26 NSW Budget with $17.7 million to support its work to drive investment, innovation and growth.

Comprised of the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, the Treasury Secretary, the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and the Chief Executive of Infrastructure NSW, the IDA will make recommendations to the Treasurer, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and the Minister for Industry and Trade.

Further information on eligibility criteria for the IDA is available at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/investment-nsw/investment-delivery-authority.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“17 of Australia’s tech unicorns – billion-dollar companies – are based here in NSW. These businesses are the engines of jobs and growth.

“Supporting innovative businesses to scale is one of the greatest opportunities we have to improve the productivity and sustainability of the NSW economy.

“The Investment Delivery Authority is the vehicle to foster that growth – cutting red tape to boost productivity and jobs.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“We want to attract major investment to NSW, so we have created this new mechanism to systematically identify major projects and their associated land use before they enter the planning system.

“Just as we created the HDA to fast-track housing, we are now reforming the process for major new investment projects, so their needs are identified early, and the right resources and infrastructure are planned for and brought to bear. 

“As part of the IDA, we will establish a dedicated planning assessments team within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, because we know the important role planning can play speeding up and in coordinating resources investment approvals.”

Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said:

“The Minns Labor Government have set an ambitious target to grow our visitor economy to $91 billion by 2035, to achieve this, we need to deliver more than 40,000 new hotel rooms in NSW.

“By including a pathway for hotels in the new Investment Delivery Authority, we are unlocking the private capital that will help turbocharge our states visitor economy.”

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“We have heard the frustrations of businesses loud and clear – it’s taking far too long to get major projects off the ground.

“To secure our position in the future economy NSW needs to get the right infrastructure in place.  That means things like data centres and renewable energy. And that’s why the first IDA EOI round will call for projects in these areas, along with hotels critical to the visitor economy.

“The IDA will help move these projects from concept to construction faster accelerating productivity along the way.”

Tech Council of Australia CEO, Damian Kassabgi said:

“Collaboration between government and industry, including through targeted initiatives like this, is such an important driver of tech sector growth and the benefits that will deliver for this State.

“Fast and centralised approvals for digital infrastructure will be vital to making the most of the AI opportunity for Australia.”