Category: NSW News

The Minns Labor Government has introduced legislation which will pave the way to deliver on its election commitment to remove worksite speed limits outside construction speed hours where it is safe to do so.  

Currently, construction speed limits remain in effect outside of construction hours. While some road and lane closures do warrant ongoing speed reductions for the purposes of safety it is not uncommon for drivers to have to slow down on an unobstructed road for work that is not taking place. 

The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 presented to Parliament today requires all road authorities including Councils and their contractors undertaking road works to install, maintain and remove road work speed limit signs in compliance with a Standard to be published by Transport for NSW in the Gazette. 

The stage is set for a massive day at Netball Central on Sunday 14 September, as 12 teams go head-to-head across six grand finals in the 10th year of the DOOLEYS Metro League.

Making it to the big dance is no small feat. After 18 weeks of match play and three weeks of finals, the deciding contenders are ready to fight for championship glory. Among the standouts, Eastwood Ryde will contest three divisions, Liverpool City returns to the big stage for the first time since 2022 while two regional teams – Hunter and Illawarra District – have also earned their spots, proving the competition’s reach across the state.

In the headline clash, reigning champions and ladder leaders Eastwood Ryde take on Manly Warringah in the Division One Grand Final.

Eastwood Ryde has been the benchmark all year, finishing on top of the ladder with 16 wins and just one loss. They powered past Hills District 51-45 in the Qualifying Final to book a direct path to the decider.

“We are under immense pressure. The underdogs always want to beat the champions. We need to step up, defend the title and deliver as everyone is expecting,” co-coach of Eastwood Ryde Pipiena Lomu said.

“For us, it is playing with maturity and being game smart. It is in the defensive, doing the little things, like the defensive hands, holding the ball on turnovers and completing our centre passes. At the end of the day it comes down to who shows up and wants to win the game.”

Manly Warringah, who finished third on the ladder, have taken the long road to the final. After edging Northern Suburbs 51-50 in the Elimination Final, they overcame Hills District 59-51 in the Preliminary Final to secure their shot at the title.

“We lost both our matches to Eastwood Ryde but not by many,” Manly coach Janene van Gogh said.

“We are probably peaking at the right time. We lost to Hills by 20 in the round but beat them by nine in the Preliminary Final. There have been improvements across the court. A spectator said last week that it looks like everyone knows their job and are functioning at a high level.”

Van Gogh knows her side will need to be at their best to upset the reigning champions.

“They (Eastwood Ryde) are experienced and have been around for a long time. They won the tournament last year. It will be a grind. I told the girls they will just have to play the best they can and the match will take care of itself. We have to be consistent across the whole court.”

The excitement doesn’t stop at Division One. A full day of contests will showcase the depth of talent across the league:

• Division 2: Sutherland Shire v Liverpool City
• Division 3: Eastwood Ryde v Blacktown City
• Division 4: Randwick v Ku-Ring-Gai
• Division 5: Hunter Netball v Eastwood Ryde
• Development Series: Illawarra District v Randwick

With regional pride, first-time finalists, and powerhouse clubs all in the mix, the 2025 Grand Finals promise non-stop action and high-quality netball.

The DOOLEYS Metro League is one of New South Wales’ best netball competitions, featuring 68 teams across six divisions and played on Wangal Country at Sydney Olympic Park. It has long been a crucial stepping stone in the Netball NSW pathway, with many athletes progressing to Premier League, and ultimately Suncorp Super Netball with the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball.

DOOLEYS Catholic Club in Lidcombe has been the proud naming rights partner of this competition for the past 18 years – 10 years as Metro League and eight years previously as State League. Their ongoing support reflects a strong commitment to community, participation and excellence, helping the competition provide a platform for metro-based athletes, coaches, umpires, and administrators to shine.

With one team chasing back-to-back titles and others making history, the 2025 DOOLEYS Metro League Grand Finals will be a celebration of the competition’s depth, talent, and community spirit.

The action gets underway from 11am on Sunday 14 September at Netball Central. Tickets are $13.20 per person and available here. All matches will be streamed live at netballnsw.tv.

I would like to thank the NSW Productivity and Equality Commissioner’s for bringing his trademark analysis and big picture thinking to the night-time economy.

As this report states, previous policies have had severe unintended consequences, wiping out hundreds of venues and causing long lasting social and economic damage.

During two years in office we’ve worked hard to rebuild our night-time economy, but as the Commissioner says there is still so much work to do to harness its full potential. Overregulation, safety and the cost-of-living continue to be handbrakes on the night-time economy.

This report is a call to double down on our work.

One of the specific areas the Commissioner singles out for reform is the expensive and arduous development application process. This report shows that the DA has become a stop sign to progress.

Small businesses are being saddled with tens of thousands of dollars of costs and countless hours of work to make modest changes. We have to make it easier and less costly for hospitality businesses to boost vibrancy and productivity.

The report highlights the important role of transport in the night-time economy. For our nightlife precincts to thrive, people need a safe, fast and affordable way to get home. Work is already underway to increase public transport in the right places to support growth in the night-time economy.

The Commissioner makes an important call out about the safety for women. The report says 65% of people would go out more if they felt safer, that represents a huge opportunity. Safety for women in our nightlife precincts is a fundamental human right, but the commissioner highlights that it’s also holding the night-time economy back from its full potential.

We need to continue finding ways to improve transport, cut costs and increase flexibility for venues – to build a nightlife that’s more fun, safe and affordable.

We will have more to say in response to the specific recommendations in the coming weeks and months.

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Read the Review of regulatory barriers impeding a vibrant 24-hour economy report

On behalf of the NSW Government, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of 17-year-old Annalyse Blyton who tragically passed away at John Hunter Hospital.

This was an horrific incident that has resulted in the death of a young girl who had her whole life ahead of her.   

I thank the emergency services personnel and bystanders who rushed to Annalyse’s aid during a very confronting situation, and the medical staff who provided care at John Hunter Hospital.

I also thank Singleton Council and the rangers who attended the scene. The Council is continuing to provide information to the Office of Local Government.  

NSW Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

Information will be prepared for the coroner and the NSW Government will closely consider any recommendations.

NSW has strong dog control laws to prevent attacks and improve the safety of our communities. The government is currently reviewing the Companion Animals Act 1998 alongside recommendations from recent coronial inquests into fatal dog attacks in NSW.

Our thoughts are with Annalyse’s loved ones in this terrible time.

A further 26 projects have been declared as State Significant Development (SSD) following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

Of these proposals, 24 are in metropolitan Sydney and two are in regional New South Wales.

If lodged and approved, this could create more than 7,700 homes, including affordable homes, across New South Wales.

Since the formation of the HDA in January, 85 projects have had Secretary Environmental Assessment Requirements issued and seven Development Applications have been lodged.

To date, 240 proposals amounting to more than 86,700 potential homes have been declared state significant.

Recommendations from the HDA are published as required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 before the SSD declaration.

The Ministerial Order can be found here.

The Minns Labor Government met with Australian-Indian leaders from across NSW today to discuss recent threats to cohesion in the community.

More than 40 leaders from peak bodies and community organisations joined a roundtable with the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Multiculturalism, supported by Multicultural NSW.

The NSW Government is committed to listening to the leaders in our communities, and working towards safeguarding social harmony.

A key request from the roundtable was a call for bipartisan support for the Australian-Indian community. As such, the Minns Labor Government will be moving a motion and will seek bipartisan support in the NSW Parliament.

Notice of the motion will be given today, with the expectation the motion will be debated on Wednesday 10 September.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said:

“I can say without fear of contradiction that the Australian Indian community have done so much for our country, this community is full of hard working and decent people who join communities, who raise their families, who prioritise their community, and lastly, but I think most importantly, who love Australia, who love our country.

“Today we stand together with the Australian Indian community to say unambiguously that the sort of racist rhetoric and divisive false claims we have seen over the last couple of weeks have no place in our state or country.

“When neo-Nazis and white supremacists spread lies and fear, we will call it out because the truth is that a lie can race around the world before the truth gets its pants on, and the truth is that Australian Indians are one of the most successful, patriotic and community-minded groups in our nation.”

Treasurer of New South Wales, Daniel Mookhey said:

“Australian Indians should not be used as fodder in an internal Liberal Party dispute as it works through its view on migration.

“We can debate Australia’s immigration policy without singling out any one group as being the reason why it needs to be changed.

“The Minns Labor Government has a responsibility to make sure that our Australian-Indian community is safe, is supported and hears our very clear message – this kind of dangerous rhetoric is unacceptable.”

Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper said:

“Our Australian-Indian community, like any community, has the right to feel safe and welcome in Australia. The fact that they have been intimidated and vilified is a blight on our State.

“The Australian-Indian Community is defined by their commitment to community, their aspirational ambition and their hardworking nature. They personify the very characteristics we cherish as a nation, that hard work will be met with opportunity, that contributing to the community will lead to a better life, and that respect will be met with respect. Our society is richer for their contribution.

“We will continue to work with our Australian-Indian community to ensure a better future for generations to come.”

Lower emergency department (ED) wait times have coincided with the ongoing implementation of safe staffing ratios as well as widespread uptake of urgent and virtual care health services.

But Health Minister Ryan Park reiterates that while significant improvements have been made, hospitals continue to experience high demand, and more is being done to relieve pressure on EDs.

Lower wait times & ramping

NSW hospitals achieved the highest T2 emergency treatment on time performance and lowest ambulance ramping for a June quarter since the pandemic.

Western Sydney has led the way in improved ED wait times and ramping, with the proportion of T2 emergency patients being treated on time increasing by almost a third (from 29 per cent of T2 patients to 37.5), compared to the same quarter in 2024.

Ramping is also improving with the proportion of patients transferred to ED within 30 minutes increasing by a quarter over the past year (from 60.9 per of patients to 76.2).

At Blacktown Hospital, the proportion of T2 emergency patients treated on time almost doubled from the previous year (from 17.7 per cent of T2 patients to 31.4). It has almost tripled over the past three years (from 10.6 per cent of T2 patients in the June 2022 quarter).

Ramping at Blacktown Hospital has also improved with the proportion of patients transferred to ED within 30 minutes increasing.

This means the sickest patients – T2 emergency patients – are being treated quicker, paramedics are getting back on the road faster, and the system is working more effectively and efficiently.

Overdue surgeries are also down more than 85 per cent since they peaked in the June quarter in 2022.

More staff

The improved ED wait times and reduced ramping coincides with the workforce adding almost 3,000 FTE workers over the past year including approximately 1,200 additional FTE nurses – as health worker retention rates return to pre-pandemic levels.

This includes almost 500 additional nurses recruited to hospital EDs over the past year as part of the Minns Labor Government’s implementation of safe staffing ratios, which will see a total of 2,480 additional nurses join our EDs.

More ED alternatives

Lower wait times and ramping also coincide with 222,000 patients being diverted away from EDs in the year to 30 June 2025, thanks to Healthdirect, with many patients being referred to the NSW Government’s urgent and virtual care services.

It also coincides with increased treatment of patients from the comfort of their own home through the Hospital in the Home initiative.

More to do

The Minns Labor Government has rolled out its $500 million ED relief package which has seen:

• The recent completion of the rollout of virtual urgent care services available now across the entire state;
• 222,000 patients referred to non-ED pathways for care including urgent and virtual care services;
• Investment in the Hospital in the Home initiative which allows patients to complete recovery out of the hospital and from the comfort of their own home;
• The recruitment and deployment of discharge concierges to help identify patients for safe discharge from hospital more quickly, freeing up beds;
• The development of a new ambulance matrix which will equip paramedics with real-time data to optimise patient destination decisions, incorporating embedded referral pathways to direct patients to appropriate alternative care settings when clinically appropriate, thereby reducing unnecessary ED visits;; and
• The expansion of short stay units with an additional 22 short stay treatment spaces across five hospitals – designed to treat patients with less serious conditions and move them through the system more quickly.

One of those short stay units is located at Campbelltown Hospital’s Children’s Short Stay Unit – with children under 16 making up more than a quarter of Campbelltown Hospital’s more than 91,000 ED presentations last year.

Opened earlier this year, it sees more than 100 children each week for less serious conditions like asthma, gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, and injuries such as fractures, sprains and dislocations.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“We’re investing in more staff, more hospitals and more beds, more quickly, and we’re seeing lower wait times and less ramping.

“While lower ED wait times and ramping are promising, there is still more to be done.

“I want to thank staff for their amazing work in delivering these significant improvements.

“During periods of high demand, those with less urgent conditions can experience longer wait times when there are large numbers of seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care.

“So I want to remind the community of your options for care outside of the hospital which could spare you an unnecessary wait in an ED.

“If you have a non-life-threatening condition, please phone Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 where you will be assessed by a registered nurse who can potentially refer you to urgent care, or even virtual care from the comfort of your own home.”

The Minns Labor Government has today introduced a bill to Parliament extending tax cuts to boost new build-to-rent homes.

The legislation means that owners of an eligible new build-to-rent development will be able to access a land tax concession indefinitely, rather than the previous end date of 2039 which was set by the former government.

This ongoing program provides:

• A 50 per cent reduction in the assessable land value of eligible build-to-rent properties. There is no cap on the number of years owners can apply for the concession,
• Eligibility requirements including that construction have commenced on or after 1 July 2020 and the building has not been used for any other purpose, and
• A prohibition stopping build-to-rent properties from being subdivided, or otherwise having ownership divided, within the first 15 years of accessing the concession.

Removing the program’s end date gives confidence to developers who are making long term investment decisions, now. The changes mean developers can offer longer-term lease options, better security for tenants and more housing choices for people at different life stages.

The Minns Labor Government is working to build more homes for more people across NSW, and that includes build-to-rent options approved or underway including:

• 60 new affordable build-to-rent homes under construction in Bombaderry and due for completion in 2026.
• Approved plans for 50 new build-to-rent apartments via Landcom in Lismore.
• Plans are being finalised for 220 new build-to-rent apartments for essential workers in Annandale.

This bill also provides for exemptions or refunds for rates of stamp duty and land tax applied to foreign developers who qualify for the program.

This is part of the Minns Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes, parks and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“Extending the tax cuts for build-to-rent developers gives industry the certainty to invest now.

“That confidence means we can unlock a steady pipeline of build-to-rent developments to build high-quality rental homes across NSW.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“In addition to the nine build-to-rent projects in the planning system, Landcom is undertaking build-to-rent projects in Bombaderry, Lismore and Annandale – and this legislation will help unlock many more across the state.

“This change removes unnecessary red tape and gives developers the confidence to commit to projects that will deliver homes for decades to come.”

Victim-survivors of domestic violence will soon have greater power to leave unsafe homes and protect their privacy under new rental reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government in NSW Parliament today.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment (Domestic Violence Reform) Bill 2025 introduces changes to the process for leaving a tenancy due to domestic violence to better support victim-survivors.

The reforms will:

Make it easier for victim-survivors to leave a tenancy by:

• Removing the need for victim-survivors to notify an alleged perpetrator that they have left their shared lease due to domestic abuse;
• Expanding the list of approved people who can declare a renter is experiencing domestic violence so they can break a lease without penalty.
• The expanded list will help vulnerable groups such as people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people from non-English speaking backgrounds better access protections under the Act.

Strengthen privacy and security protections by:

• Allowing locks to be changed without landlord approval if there is a court order or bail or parole conditions that exclude the alleged perpetrator from the property;
• Requiring permission from renters for images or videos of the exterior of the property that show their belongings to be published in advertising in order to reduce the risk of victim-survivors being tracked down by perpetrators.

Improve a ban on listing victims on residential tenancy databases by allowing Fair Trading to order a listing be removed if the victim-survivor can provide evidence of domestic abuse.

Make it clear victim-survivors are not liable for property damage caused by a perpetrator by allowing NCAT to decide whether the damage was likely to have been caused during an incident of domestic abuse.  

Support victim-survivors to recover their share of the rental bond by giving NCAT the power to break up the bond and ordering partial repayments to a co-tenant.

The changes follow extensive consultation with more than 400 individuals and 40 organisations, including frontline services, and deliver on recommendations from the statutory review of the domestic violence provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.

These reforms build on our work to expand the Rentstart Bond Loan scheme, which allows victim-survivors of domestic violence to access a loan of up to 100 per cent of their rental bond to secure accommodation.

Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said:

“These reforms are about making common-sense changes so women and families can get out of unsafe situations quickly, without unnecessary red tape.”

“We’ve listened to victim-survivors and frontline services. The message was clear: the law needed to work better in real-life situations. That’s exactly what these changes deliver.”

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“These rental reforms are practical and compassionate changes which make it easier for victim-survivors to leave unsafe situations without facing unnecessary barriers.

“Access to safe and affordable housing is a critical issue for victim-survivors of domestic violence. Many victim-survivors are unable to leave abusive relationships because they have nowhere else to live.

“For those victim-survivors who manage to leave, the negative consequences of the abusive relationship often reverberate through their lives and increase financial hardship for many years.

“We’ve listened to those with lived experience and the services that support them to ensure these changes provide real, meaningful protections.

“These critical reforms have been developed in close consultation with victim-survivors and frontline service providers. They will make a real difference to the safety and security of people experiencing domestic violence in NSW.

“At the heart of these reforms are safety, dignity and fairness and a desire to ensure rental laws work for those who need them most.”

Minister for Women and Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“No one should have to choose between their safety and their home, and these changes make it easier for victim survivors to leave their rental home quickly and reduce risk of further financial harm.”

“These reforms are about the NSW Government strengthening protections for victim survivors of domestic and family violence including reducing liability for property damage and supporting them to recover their share of the rental bond.

“We’re continuing to work hard to address domestic and family violence in our state and these changes ensure victim-survivors have clear, practical pathways to safety.”

After strong pressure by the Kiama community and advocacy by the Kiama Liberal candidate Serena Copley, Labor has been dragged kicking and screaming to guaranteeing the future of David Berry Hospital.
 
Shadow Minister for Health Kellie Sloane said that while the NSW Liberals had been committed to saving David Berry Hospital, the Labor Government had only agreed to keep delivering public health services at the Hospital because of the pending by-election.
 
“When legislation was introduced into Parliament to protect David Berry Hospital, the Liberals supported it but Labor didn’t,” said Ms Sloane.
 
“We’ve always wanted to safeguard David Berry Hospital’s health services for the people of Berry.
 
“This community deserves quality healthcare delivered in the community, rather than being sold off by the Labor Government.
 
“This is how the Labor Government has been treating Kiama for the last two years, they’ve been ignoring the community’s needs and wishes – and are only paying attention now that there’s a by-election.
 
“Kiama voters have a clear choice at this by-election, and Labor should not be rewarded for ignoring this community for two years.”