Category: NSW News

Families in Googong are set to benefit from a brand new public primary school and preschool, to be built alongside the new public high school, as part of the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild public education and ensure families in growing parts of NSW have access to world-class schools.

The announcement of the new primary school and preschool comes as construction commences on the new high school, which is on track to open on Day 1, Term 1, 2027.

The new high school, which is being master-planned for up to 2,000 students, will initially accommodate up to 700, with 26 modern classrooms, three support classrooms, a multipurpose hall and canteen, a library, multipurpose sports courts, specialist classrooms for science, performing arts and hospitality, wood and metal workshops, a sports field, and an agricultural plot.

The primary school, scheduled for completion in 2028, will accommodate more than 650 students with 28 modern classrooms, 3 support classrooms, a hall and sports courts, and the preschool will cater to up to 120 children a week.

The new primary school will be the second for the rapidly-growing town of Googong, after Googong Public School opened in 2023. The Minns Labor Government’s decision to open a brand new school, rather than limit its plans to expanding the existing public school, comes amid faster-than-anticipated enrolment growth in the area.

A second public primary school will mean there are more classrooms, and more room to grow, ensuring local families have access to world-class public schools well into the future.

The new schools are part of a raft of school infrastructure projects being delivered in the Monaro region, with the following projects recently delivered or underway:

• Bungendore High School – new permanent school
• New public school and preschool for Googong
• New high school for Googong
• Jindabyne High School (delivered)
• Jindabyne Primary School (delivered) and new public preschool
• Queanbeyan East Public School – new public preschool
• Queanbeyan South Public School – new public preschool
• Jerrabomberra High School expansion.

These projects are part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education in NSW, with $2.1 billion in the 2025-26 Budget for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW. This targeted investment will ensure families in growing communities across the state will get access to the world class public education they deserve.

In addition to delivering new and upgraded schools, Labor’s work to rebuild public education includes putting more teachers in front of students, with teacher vacancies down 61 per cent and the number of cancelled classes nearly halving since the Minns Government took office.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Member for Monaro Steve Whan said:

“I am thrilled to announce the new preschool and primary school for the growing Googong community, while turning the first sod for the high school. It’s great to be able to celebrate this important milestone with future high school students.

“We have listened to local parents who have said loud and clear that they want public school infrastructure that will meet the future needs of our rapidly growing community.

“The community of Googong had to wait for a Labor Government to get a public high school, and we will now see public education provision that anticipates population growth rather than trailing behind.

“The Minns Labor Government, with the strong advocacy of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is committed to rebuilding public education to provide local communities with free high-quality education near where people live and work.”

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:  

“This is a huge win for the growing Googong community, who can celebrate the start of construction on their new high school along with the news that they will also get a brand new public school and preschool. 

“The new high school, public school and preschool will be co-located on the same site making school drop-offs and pick-ups easier for families.

“As communities grow the Minns Labor Government is focused on delivering the vital infrastructure they need to thrive. By building a second primary school, plus a public preschool, on the same site as the new high school, families in Googong can be satisfied that their children will have a place in a world-class public school close to home.”

Googong Public School Principal, Rebekah Lindsay said:

“We are excited for the new high school within the Googong community that will continue to provide the quality education currently offered at Karabar High School.

“This new facility will create a supportive environment where students can grow academically and personally, helping every student to succeed and reach their full potential.”

The Minns Labor Government has partnered with Federation Council to fund $2 million in upgrades to RT Ball Park in the historic town of Corowa, turning a Crown reserve on the Murray River foreshore into a dynamic, thriving community space.

Crown Lands, part of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, invested $1.8 million towards the project via its Crown Reserves Improvement Fund. Federation Council funded the balance of the project to a total cost of $2.1 million.

The extensive work has turned the reserve into an area catering for a variety of recreational opportunities. Runners, cyclists and pedestrians are benefiting from 2.9 kilometres of new shared pathway that winds through the beautiful reserve and connects to other nearby parks.

The 2.5 metre wide pathway allows everyone to enjoy the reserve, whether they are families with strollers, cyclists, runners or pedestrians out for a leisurely stroll.

Picnic tables built by the local Men’s Shed have been installed at convenient spots throughout the reserve. Two pedestrian bridges were also constructed, along with a viewing platform that allows visitors an unparalleled view of the majestic Murray River.

The funding also removed a derelict boat shed, replacing it with a sandy bank that will make it much easier for visitors to swim and enjoy other water-based recreational activities.  Excess weeds were removed to establish picnic areas, allowing families to enjoy foreshore views.

The reserve is now accessible for cars as well as pedestrians. A new sealed internal road to the lagoon carpark has been completed, and another carpark to accommodate more visitors to the reserve. A third carpark has been sealed, allowing for more vehicles to park at the site.

Minister for Lands, Property and Tourism Steve Kamper said:    

“The NSW Government is focused on building better communities, and this $1.8 million grant together with Federation Council’s contribution has transformed RT Ball Park into a premier outdoor recreational space that caters for the whole community and will also support local tourism.

“These upgrades were designed to make the reserve accessible for all to enjoy a day out by the majestic Murray River foreshore. Some of our most beautiful natural sites are on Crown land and RT Park is no exception.”

Netball NSW has welcomed the announcement of $250,000 in funding from the NSW Government to upgrade the Kiama Netball Association courts at Terralong Street, Kiama.The courts, which have become increasingly unsafe and in some cases unusable due to their deteriorating condition, are a vital hub for community sport and local events. They host weekly netball competitions, representative training, and popular community programs such as the Netball NSW Schools Cup and Koori Gala Days, which continue to grow year on year.

Netball NSW CEO Tracey Scott said the investment would make a lasting difference for the community. “We thank the NSW Government for this important investment in the Kiama Netball Association. Facility upgrades like these make a real difference to the experience of our players, umpires, coaches and volunteers and are essential to keeping our communities connected and our sport strong.” The funding will support urgent resurfacing and repairs to the outdoor courts, ensuring safe and reliable access for local players, coaches, officials, and schools. It will also allow for the installation of adjustable goal posts to encourage junior participation through the NetSetGO program, while boosting the Association’s capacity to host inclusive and culturally significant events. “It’s a big thank you to Netball NSW who have supported us in obtaining the funding,” Kiama Netball Association President Michelle Gregory said. “It is really exciting we can move forward with resurfacing the courts and bring them up to scratch so they are fit for purpose. And we shall continue to work alongside Kiama Council about the larger sports complex masterplan for the area.” The upgrades will secure the future of netball in Kiama, providing a safe and inclusive environment for thousands of participants of all ages. Ms Scott added that while the funding is a significant step forward, further investment is still needed across the state. “Today’s announcement is a wonderful step forward for netball in Kiama, and we know it will have a lasting impact on the community. We also recognise that many other netball associations are managing the challenges of ageing facilities, and we look forward to continuing to work with government to support safe and welcoming spaces for all.”

The state’s animal rehoming organisations will receive much needed support to continue their valuable work helping vulnerable cats and dogs, thanks to a $6 million funding injection from the Minns Labor Government.

The Companion Animal Welfare and Rehoming Grant program will provide grants of between $10,000 and $100,000 to eligible rehoming organisations and registered charities based in NSW.

Since 2020/21, on average these organisations have received more than 10,000 animals per year. The grant program will see $1.5 million a year available per year for 4 years to help organisations cover the costs associated with caring and rehoming companion animals across the state.

This support for animal rehoming organisations comes as the Minns Labor Government is undertaking the first review of the Companion Animals Act in over 20 years.

The review is examining all aspects of the care and management of pet dogs and cats, including ways to minimise the number of animals entering the rehoming system in the first place.

The government held 3 stakeholder workshops with close to 200 attendees and is examining over 3,600 public submissions that will inform the review.

Information on how to submit an application for the Companion Animal Welfare and Rehoming Grant program is on the Office of Local Government website: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/councils/responsible-pet-ownership/companion-animal-welfare-grants/ 

Applications for the first round for a share of $1.5 million in funding close at 5pm on Wednesday, 1 October 2025.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“Rescuing, fostering and rehoming cats and dogs is only possible because of the volunteers who give up their time and often their own money to protect abandoned animals from a cruel fate.

“These organisations do incredible and often thankless work in our community, helping thousands of animals find loving homes each year.

“We recognise they are under increased pressure and need a helping hand.

“These grants will play an important role supporting community organisations dedicated to improving the standards of animal welfare through looking after our most vulnerable animals.

“I encourage all eligible organisations to take advantage of this program and apply for funding.

“The more organisations we can support, the better the outcomes will be for animals that want nothing more than a loving home.”

The Minns Labor Government and NSW Police are supporting the parents of Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed in Queensland in 2019, to deliver school presentations across the state and warn students about the danger of knife crime.

NSW Police Youth Command officers, with Jack’s parents, Belinda and Brett Beasley from the Jack Beasley Foundation, will hold ‘One Moment’ education presentations at Sydney schools to help young people understand the devastating consequences of carrying knives and how knife crime can shatter lives.

In the past two weeks, the presentations were held in northern NSW reaching approximately 3,100 students at eight schools in Grafton, Kempsey, Armidale, Raymond Terrace, Waratah, Kurri Kurri and Wyong.

This week, presentations will be held at 12 schools in Wollongong, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Campbelltown, Bankstown, Fairfield and Penrith.

The presentations come after the NSW Government introduced legislation, which came into effect in December 2024, modelled on Queensland’s ‘Jack’s Law’, which gave NSW Police powers to wand or scan people for knives without a warrant in designated areas including shopping precincts, public transport stations and certain sporting venues.

Since the legislation was introduced, there have been 20,736 people scanned under Operation Ares. There have been 207 weapons seized and 105 people charged with weapon offences. Eleven people were charged with failing to comply with the legislation.

Of the 207 weapons seized, there were 134 knives, 23 multi-tool pocket knives, four razor blades and four scissors, two axes and two flick knives, and one machete and one sheath knife.

Police also seized knuckle dusters, sling shots, tasers and fireworks.

During the presentation, Brett and Belinda Beasley share their own experience as well as those of Jack’s brother Mitch and Jack’s friends, to show first-hand how life can change in “one moment” of senseless violence. The presentation is designed to showcase the impacts to promote better decisions and smarter choices.

Police youth officers will also speak to students about knife legislation, the rules of carrying knives, the penalties and potential ramifications

In addition to the school presentations, Youth Command, supported by the Police Transport Command and officers from Police Area Commands, will conduct knife wanding and high visibility policing operations across various metropolitan areas this week.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“These school presentations are about reaching young people early, helping them make safer choices.

“I want to thank Brett and Belinda Beasley, turning their unimaginable loss into a powerful message that could saves lives.

“Carrying a weapon can turn a normal day into a tragedy, ruining and ending lives.

“This is about sending a clear message that carrying a knife is never the answer – it puts you and others in danger.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“Knife crime can change lives in a second and too many people have experienced the devastating consequences of this firsthand.

“Police are in the community day in, day out, working hard to make it a safer place. Since wanding operations began, officers have taken more than 200 dangerous weapons off our streets – this is life-saving work.

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Brett and Belinda Beasley for their tireless advocacy.”

Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein APM, Commander of Capability, Performance and Youth Command, said:

“When young people hear the real stories and consequences, they start to understand that carrying a knife doesn’t make you safer – it puts you at greater risk.

“Knife crime has serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences.

“After hearing about the Beasley’s heartbreaking experience, we hope students recognise the dangers of carrying knives and choose a safer path.”

The Minns Labor Government is investing over a million dollars in community sporting organisations across the Kiama region as part of ongoing work to boost participation and deliver fit for purpose facilities.

These projects will help ensure local families have access to healthy recreational activities and is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to build a better New South Wales.

As communities across this region continue to grow these investments will ensure facilities are able to keep up with local need, key sporting festivals are maintained and barriers to participation are overcome.

The funding will lock-in the future of a range of important community facilities across a number of codes for years to come. These commitments include:

• $250,000 to resurface and repair the unsafe Kiama Netball Courts at Terralong Street.
• $40,000 will help cover essential costs of the Kiama Sevens tournament, which is celebrating its 54th year, welcoming 880 players and thousands of people to the South Coast of NSW, boosting the region’s local economy.
• $275,000 to install new lighting at Bonaira Oval, Home of Kiama Power AFL, which has been unable to host night matches due to inadequate lighting
• $200,000 to improve facilities and drainage works for Keith Grey Oval, the home of the Albion Park Eagles Cricket Club, which was deemed to be in very poor condition by Cricket New South Wales in its recent asset audit.
• $387,000 for new lighting at Gerry Emery Reserve, Gerringong, which hosts a range of codes including cricket, football, touch, and rugby league

In line with the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to transparency and integrity in funding, the above commitments are subject to compliance with the NSW Government Grant Administration Guidelines.

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:                        

“We understand how critical our local sporting facilities are, they are the backbone of our coastal and regional communities.

“Each one of these projects will deliver tangible outcomes for our local sporting communities whilst also encouraging participation

“I would like to thank Katelin who has been a tremendous advocate for investment in her local sporting communities.”

Labor Candidate for Kiama Katelin McInerney said:  

“As someone who has played on these local sporting grounds and has seen the positive impact community sport can have for everyone, I could not be more thrilled by these commitments.

“Local sport is the centre of community here in the Kiama electorate. Every project being announced today will bring the community together, boost participation and ensure our key sporting faculties are fit-for-purpose”.

In a major boost to recycling efforts across New South Wales and South Australia, each state’s container deposit scheme is set to expand to accept wine and spirit bottles and larger drink containers.

The container deposit scheme – which is now active in every state and territory – is the most successful recycling program in Australia’s history and is also incredibly popular with more containers collected every year.

Each state’s recycling scheme has already seen billions of eligible bottles and cans recycled – tackling litter, reducing pressure on landfills and rewarding people for their recycling behaviours.

Now even more residents and businesses will benefit from the 10-cent refund for returning a wider range of bottles and containers, while making it a smoother transition for industry.

The expansion across both states will see nearly half a billion additional beverage containers returned each year, saved from landfill and sent for recycling.

Each container deposit program will grow to include:

• Wine and spirits glass bottles
• Cordials and juice concentrate containers
• Larger containers of up to three litres of beverages that are already in the scheme, like flavoured milk, fruit and vegetable juice.

Plain milk and health tonic containers will continue to be excluded from the schemes.

These new containers will not be accepted at refund points immediately, giving the wine and spirits industry time to adjust and allowing collection points and systems to ramp up for the additional new containers.

New South Wales and South Australia will enact these changes by late-2027.

Queensland has already integrated glass wine and spirit bottles into their container deposit scheme. Western Australia committed to expanding their scheme during their recent state election. The Northern Territory has also recently announced it will bring in legislation to expand its scheme.

As the states work together to implement these changes, people are encouraged to keep recycling these containers through their kerbside bins, until collection points are ready.

SA and NSW will be jointly inviting peak bodies representing key industries to further engagement on implementing these changes.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said:

“For almost half a century, South Australia has led the nation on container deposit legislation. It’s been an incredible success story.

“Now it is time to take the next step, and to do so in a coordinated way.

“Each year around 660 million drink containers (about 40,000 tonnes) are returned by South Australians for refund and recycling, preventing those containers from being littered or sent to landfill.

“We expect that number to increase once these changes take effect – delivering further financial benefit to community groups, sporting clubs and charities.”

NSW Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“The Container Deposit Scheme is fantastic for the environment, great for our recycling industry and also puts money back in people’s pockets. It’s also incredibly popular with more and more items collected every year.

“By expanding to include more types of beverages, it’s estimated at least 27,000 tonnes of materials will be saved from landfill each year in NSW.

“It’s really important that people don’t try to take their wine bottles to a Return and Earn machine tomorrow. We’re working with industry to ensure a smooth transition and to ensure return systems will be ready to handle the new containers by mid-2027.”

South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close said:

“Beverage container glass in the kerbside recycling system is problematic. Just 11 per cent of the nearly 36,000 tonnes of glass containers put in the kerbside co‑mingled recycling bins in SA makes it back to a glass container each year.

“By comparison, of the 42,000 tonnes of glass containers received by CDS collection depots in SA, 99 per cent of that glass is recovered for local bottle manufacturing.

“By making the container deposit scheme simpler, we reduce confusion about what’s included and what’s not. It will also help to keep glass out of landfill and support local remanufacturing.

“We’ve listened to industry concerns, particularly from smaller wine producers, and we will continue to engage closely with them as reforms roll out.

“We will assist the wine and spirit industry with this transition and will work with the industry to ensure the least cost, simplest approach possible, with a special focus on assisting smaller operations.”

Yamba Road at Palmers Channel will be upgraded to improve long-term flood immunity and make vital infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters.

The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are providing Clarence Valley Council with $9.98 million to deliver the upgrade.

Scheduled for completion in May 2026, weather permitting, the project is being delivered through the Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package (RRTRP) jointly funded under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

As the main access from Yamba to the Pacific Motorway near Maclean, the upgrade is a key component of the Yamba Road Flood Resilience Strategic Plan to improve long-term flood immunity and make vital infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters.

During the severe flood event in February and March 2022, local businesses were either almost or completely out of supplies when Yamba Road was cut off for seven days.

Local authorities have been calling for improvements to its flood immunity to ensure sustainability for local economies during and following severe weather events.

Council is keen to get started with this work in coming months, which will include the removal of a low spot in the road that causes it to be closed even during minor flooding.

The project will lift the level of Yamba Road by about one metre at Palmers Channel South Bank Road, to help reduce the frequency and duration of flood-related road closures.

Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain:

The whole nation witnessed the flooding across the Northern Rivers region of NSW in 2022 and, in its aftermath, it was evident more needed to be done to ensure communities were better able to recover from similar events in future.

“The Albanese Government is proud to be part of the first stage of the Yamba Road upgrade, which will help reduce the impacts on the local community during and after floods.”

NSW Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison:

“Clarence Valley Council provided clear reasoning for the improvement of Yamba Road, to reduce impact to SES and other agencies, so road access is maintained, and they can continue to respond to calls for help during emergencies.

“By raising the road embankment and providing widened and sealed shoulders, the road will be more resilient to water damage and will recover more quickly from future flooding.”

Minister for Recovery, Janelle Saffin:

“Ensuring Yamba Road recovers more quickly from inundation, is vital for Yamba and surrounding communities to stay connected.

“We are building back better and creating more resilient communities for the future.”

Clarence Valley Mayor, Ray Smith:

“Securing this funding marks a significant step forward in improving Yamba Road’s resilience to flooding.

“It’s fantastic to see us pushing forward with the Yamba Road and Palmers Channel Southbank Road intersection upgrade, it is such a critical project for our area.

“The upgrade is a key component of the Yamba Road Flood Resilience Strategic Plan, aimed at improving long-term flood immunity and strengthening the resilience of vital infrastructure.”

The NSW Liberals have exposed Labor’s attempts to take credit for projects already funded and delivered by the former Liberal Government.
 
Shadow Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Natalie Ward said Labor shouldn’t be rewarded for their dishonesty.
 
“Labor is shamelessly trying to pass off the Liberals’ work as their own because the Labor Government’s record of delivery for the Kiama electorate is practically non-existent,” Ms Ward said.
 
“Labor is claiming credit for the Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment and the new Shellharbour Hospital. Both were fully funded and initiated by the Liberals – all Labor has left to do is cut the ribbon.”
 
“These hospitals were planned, designed and funded by the Liberals, because this sort of investment requires a Government with vision and sound financial management. Labor ignored this community until a by-election forced them to show up.”
 
“Labor’s cupboard of achievements is so bare they’ve even claimed credit for the Princes Highway Upgrade and the Nowra Bypass planning, again delivered by the Liberals.”
 
“Unlike Labor, the Liberals have a strong record of delivery for the Kiama community, which means only we can be trusted to deliver.”

Assessment timeframes in major developments will be cut further as the Minns Government integrates Artificial Intelligence solutions into the assessment of State Significant Development (SSD) applications.

As the state takes on a bigger role in assessing major housing projects, this is an important step in making sure the speed of assessment is improved and quality of assessment is maintained.

The Minns Government has launched a tender for an AI solution to support SSD assessments as part of its ongoing improvement to the digital systems that support the NSW planning system.

With Sydney as the second least affordable city in the world, and NSW losing twice as many young people as it is gaining, we need to be improving every area of the planning system to make sure homes are built faster.

The new system will be required to:

• Conduct an intelligent review of documentation before lodgement,
• Accurately assess applications against key criteria,
• Reduce overall assessment timeframes, and;
• Complete post-submission checks to accelerate finalisation.

Currently, the average SSD assessment takes around eight and a half months, with three months in Government hands. By deploying AI across these processes, the Government expects to significantly reduce this timeframe while maintaining human oversight with the final decision required to be made by a person.

The initiative builds on the Government’s Early Adopter Grants Program, which is already helping 16 councils trial AI-based solutions to improve local planning processes.

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

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This is a gamechanger – maintaining the quality of assessment but continuing to speed things up to get more housing projects underway more quickly allowing construction to get underway and new keys into new doors.

“In the midst of a national shortage of planners, we need those we do have to be doing the nuanced and complex assessment work – not checking for typos or formatting errors.

“This will add an important tool to the suite of tools available to planners as they assess larger and more complex proposals.

“This is about using technology to do more of the heavy lifting in the planning system while leaving the final decision to a human decision maker.

“The integration of AI systems into the NSW planning system puts NSW at the forefront of digital integration as the only state in Australia adopting AI for larger-scale developments.”