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NSW Government reducing the cost of living for land lease communities

More than 40 thousand people living in residential land lease communities in NSW will be better off after changes to how these communities are regulated, making it fairer for residents.

The Minns Labor Government has today passed new laws to fix some of the biggest and most pressing challenges for these communities, including changes to fees and charges.

Residential land lease communities include caravan parks or manufactured home estates with permanent residents who own their home but lease the land on which the home sits from the community operator.

Residential land lease communities play an important part in NSW’s housing diversity, with many communities providing lower cost and affordable homes for people – especially older Australians.

The changes include:

Improving transparency of fees and charges: with rules to require operators to make it clear to prospective residents how much fees and charges will be and to make future increases more predictable.
Fairer electricity pricing: protection from excessive price rises in communities with embedded networks so residents and operators have more certainty about energy prices.
Letting residents make a house a home: with a right to make minor changes like adding window locks or screens without seeking approval.

There are more than 500 residential land lease communities in NSW, with 95 per cent of them located in rural and regional NSW.

The statutory review of the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 was completed in 2021. While the report was tabled in Parliament, the previous government did not act on its recommendations. One of those recommendations was allowing three years for land lease community providers to transition to the fairer fee structure.

To ensure relief earlier for these residents, the Minns Labor Government supported a key amendment to reduce the transition period from three years to 12 months – ensuring greater clarity sooner for people living in these communities.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Residents in these communities have been crying out for change for years.

“We’ve heard the community, and we know they’re dealing with uncertainty and cost of living pressure, so we’re getting on with it.

“These changes make fee increases clearer and ensure electricity charges are fair and equitable.

“I am proud that we have been able to pass this legislation during our first term in government, ending the inaction of the previous government that sat on its hands for nearly a decade.”

ARPRA CEO Gary Martin said:

“We are delighted with the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to making real, impactful changes for the residents of Residential Land Lease Communities.

“These new laws will provide much-needed clarity and fairness, particularly regarding fees, charges, and electricity pricing.

“The reduction of the transition period for fixed term agreements from three years to 12 months is a significant victory for residents, who have long faced uncertainty and financial pressure.

“This legislation demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the quality of life for some of the most vulnerable members of our state.”

First fully paid class of police officers to start across NSW

The first fully paid class of police recruits will be sworn into the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) today and will start duties at their new home stations next week.

Today’s Attestation is also an opportunity to recognise the outstanding contribution of serving police officers to NSW.

Inspector Amy Scott will be awarded the Commissioner’s Award for Valour for her exceptional bravery shown during the tragic Bondi Junction attack in April this year.

169 new Probationary Constables will be welcomed into the NSW Police Force this morning following 8 months of training – 4 months in-person at the Goulburn Police Academy and four months online study.

Class 362 will now undertake 12 months on-the-job-training as Probationary Constables.

Communities across NSW will see new boots on the ground on Monday:

Central Metropolitan Region: 43
Northwest Metropolitan Region: 34
Southwest Metropolitan Region: 35
Northern Region: 22
Southern Region: 19
Western Region: 17

Last year, the NSW Government made the historic announcement that recruits will be paid up to $30,894 to study at the Goulburn Police Academy, a major measure designed to boost police recruitment, address the critical shortage of police officers and attract a more diverse range of recruits to the NSWPF.

In further evidence paid study is proving to be an outstanding success, the NSW Police Force has received more than 1573 applications to train as a police officer since the announcement on October 31, last year, a 44% increase compared to the same period last year.

This is complemented by other programs specifically aimed at attracting both regional recruits and experienced officers:

You Should Be a Cop in Your Hometown ensures people from regional NSW who may not wish to move to the city and train as police then serve in, or near, their hometown after training at the Goulburn Police Academy.
The Professional Mobility Program incentivises officers from other Australian states and territories and New Zealand to join the NSWPF while keeping their equivalent rank (up to senior constable level 6).

The NSWPF is carrying more than 1500 vacancies. These vacancies are placing significant strain and a punishing workload on serving officers. Action to tackle this is critical. These measures are vital elements of that response.

The responsible decisions made in this week’s 2024-25 Budget mean we can invest in the essential services our community relies on, pay our workers fairly and keep our communities safe.

It’s part of our plan to build a better NSW.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“Inspector Scott has been rightly labelled a hero. She was calm, decisive, and as a result she saved many lives.”

“She gives us all an example of what we ask of our police, many of whom are young, to walk into terrible situations as an ordinary part of their job.

“And if there was an emergency tomorrow, we’d ask them to do it all over again. Because the truth is, we don’t have a choice.

“Congratulations to the 169 probationary officers graduating today. You have dedicated your lives to keeping the people of NSW safe. It is the very best definition of public service.”

NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“Congratulations to all 169 Probationary Constables on the dedication and professionalism you have shown throughout your training.

“Today marks the start of an unwavering commitment to make a difference to the people of NSW. I wish you all a rich and rewarding career with the NSW Police Force.

“This is a Government that backs our police 100%. I have made it my personal mission, alongside Commissioner Webb, to make the NSWPF the best place to work in NSW.

“We are paying recruits to study and have announced a suite of recruitment measures aimed at filling the 1500 plus vacancies we are carrying.”

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said:

“To wear the uniform and serve the people of NSW is a great honour. I know full well the sense of pride and satisfaction you are feeling today.”

“Policing is a job like no other. It takes special people and enormous commitment. I welcome all our new recruits to the NSW police family and wish them the very best in what will be an extremely rewarding career.”

NSW leading action to prevent battery fires

At the Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Sydney today, Ministers agreed to take urgent action to help prevent potentially deadly battery fires.

During the meeting at Taronga Zoo, Ministers determined that New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria will work together to lead action on reforms to Australia’s product stewardship arrangements for all batteries.

Product stewardship is the act of minimising the health, safety and environmental impacts of a product and its packaging throughout the entire lifecycle. The state’s Container Deposit Scheme is an example of one successful type of product stewardship model.

Ongoing fires caused by batteries, notably lithium-ion batteries embedded inside a range of devices, show the critical importance of acting quickly to protect lives and property.

In response, Environment Ministers have agreed to accelerate work towards reforming the product stewardship arrangements for all batteries, acknowledging that intervention is needed through the entire lifecycle of a battery or battery-powered device.

This includes looking at options to improve the design, packaging, importation, storage and disposal of batteries.

A key focus will be on creating financial incentives to ensure the safe disposal of all types of batteries, reducing the chances of batteries ending up in our bins and landfills.

NSW will immediately start work on a draft Regulatory Impact Statement, which will assess the costs and benefits of product stewardship models. It will also consider how reforms would relate to existing product stewardship schemes, such as the B-Cycle scheme.

New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland will also start work on model legislation.

This work will enable governments to quickly identify the best reform option to reduce the risk of fires, support the battery recycling sector and deliver the most cost-effective and efficient approach for businesses and consumers.

Ministers acknowledged work already done by Queensland on safe battery disposal and discussed the issue of managing the risks of batteries as a matter of priority.

NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“Fire and Rescue NSW attended more than 270 lithium-ion battery fires in 2023 alone, but we know this is just a small fraction of the true number of battery fires. When batteries are not stored or disposed of properly, they can threaten lives and cause extensive damage to properties and waste infrastructure.

“Ministers from around the country have agreed it is time for urgent action to protect our communities. NSW is proud to work with Victoria and QLD on a regulatory approach for batteries, to drive better design and disposal.”

Regulation streamlined for Central Coast water

The NSW Government is streamlining how Central Coast Council’s water and sewerage services are regulated and administered to support good governance and sound decision making.

Until now, Central Coast Council was in a unique position – the only council in NSW providing water services under two different legislative Acts, as well as being subject to price regulation by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

A new Bill will eliminate red tape for the Council by removing regulatory double-up and complexity, paving the way for better governance.

It will provide a simpler and clearer regulatory framework for incoming Councillors and reduce costs, freeing Council up to perform its core role of providing essential services for the Central Coast.

Additionally, it will help resolve some of the complexity that contributed to Council being placed in administration in October 2020.

The Bill will also bring the provision and regulation of Central Coast Council’s water supply and sewerage services in-line with all other local governments across regional NSW and protect these utilities as publicly owned and managed assets.

It’s important to note the proposed changes will not have any material impact on customers. The Bill does not pursue privatisation or corporatisation and Council will retain control of services and infrastructure.

The changes are also specific to Central Coast Council and do not affect other councils or local water utilities across the state.

The Bill comes off the back of a 2022 Public Inquiry into Central Coast Council which included widespread public consultation, and a review into the Council’s water utility legislative and regulatory framework in 2023.

It aligns with stakeholder feedback, as well as the review’s findings and recommendations to simplify the framework and make it more efficient.

Specifically, the Bill will:

Remove Council as a water supply authority under the Water Management Act
Align the regulation of Council’s water supply and sewerage services more closely with the regulatory framework which applies to all other councils
Retain IPART as the regulator of Council’s water supply and sewerage service prices to ensure adequate oversight of Council’s pricing
Exempt Council from unnecessary and inefficient restrictions on money transfers between the water supply fund and the sewerage fund, to improve effective management of cash flow and debt funding
Repeal redundant Acts to improve regulatory clarity.

Minister for Water, Rose Jackson said:

“These changes are long overdue and will give residents greater confidence that their water services are being properly managed.

“It comes after a Public Inquiry and a thorough review into Council’s administrative operations, and after listening to feedback from the entire community.

“This Bill is a great outcome and fantastic news for people across the Central Coast.”

Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong, David Harris said:

“We welcome this Bill which will simplify how Central Coast Council can do its job and best serve its residents, businesses and customers.”

Minister for the Hunter and Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said:

“By simplifying processes we’re taking the focus off jumping through tricky hoops, and back onto getting the job done.

“Eliminating unnecessary obstacles will pave the way for more time to deliver the things that matter most to the people of the Central Coast.”

Member for The Entrance, David Mehan said:

“The great thing about our Bill is that it ensures our water service will remain locally owned and controlled while the simplification of regulation and IPART price oversight will make sure we are paying no more than we should for our water and sewer service.”

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch said:

“I welcome the introduction of this Bill, which will eliminate red tape for Council, so that they can focus on what matters most, providing essential services for our Central Coast community.”

Start your nursing and midwifery career with NSW Health

Graduate nurses and midwives are being encouraged to start their careers in Australia’s largest and busiest public health system, by applying to work for NSW Health.

Each year NSW Health runs GradStart, a state-wide recruitment process for graduate nurses and midwives.

Minister for Heath, Ryan Park said there are great personal and professional benefits to working in the public system.

“Our nurses and midwives are really at the heart of healthcare in our hospitals and health facilities, and I encourage graduate nurses and midwives to apply to join the NSW Health family,” Mr Park said.

“Beginning your career in the NSW public health system offers comprehensive professional development, variety, and ongoing training and support as you build your future in NSW Health.

“It also provides opportunities to work in different locations, and I hope graduates consider options in rural and regional settings which can offer both a great lifestyle and professional opportunities.”

Candidates also may be eligible for scholarships and study subsidies.

Applications for NSW Health’s 2025 GradStart intake are now open and close on 1 July 2024.

Students are eligible to apply if:

They are completing a nursing or midwifery degree between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2025
Will meet all the requirements to be registered as a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Are an Australian Citizen or hold a visa that allows ongoing full-time employment in Australia.

Find out more about GradStart

Visit by Prime Minister of Solomon Islands

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, The Hon Jeremiah Manele MP, to Australia from Sunday 23 to Saturday 29 June 2024.

It will be Prime Minister Manele’s first official international visit since taking office in May 2024.

Australia and Solomon Islands are close friends with connected futures. We share a history of close cooperation.

Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Manele will meet at Parliament House, where they will discuss opportunities to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, including through security partnerships, economic development, labour mobility pathways and infrastructure cooperation.

Prime Minister Manele will also travel to Queensland, where he will see how the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme is delivering economic benefits for both Solomon Islands and Australia and discuss our humanitarian and policing cooperation.

The visit will be the second time the leaders have met, with Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Manele both attending the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in November 2023.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Manele to Australia for his first international visit, following Solomon Islands’ historic joint elections in April.

“We highly value our position as Solomon Islands’ partner of choice.

“My Government is committed to listening and working with Solomon Islands as equals, and to discussing how we can deepen our partnership into a new era of cooperation.”

TENDER AWARDED FOR BRUNNERS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

The Albanese and Minns governments continue to partner with local governments across New South Wales to get high-priority road and community infrastructure off the ground.
As part of this, the Brunners Bridge located on Gresford Road over the Glendon Brook, en route to the Hunter Regional Livestock Exchange (HRLX), will be replaced to boost road safety and connectivity.
Supported by $700,000 from the Albanese Government’s Bridges Renewal Program and $6.5 million from the Restart NSW Fixing Country Roads Program, the project will include full demolition of the existing bridge and construction of a new structure.
Singleton Council awarded the $5.34 million tender for the construction of the new Brunners Bridge to Saunders Civilbuild at Tuesday night’s (18 June) ordinary meeting.
Works are due to begin in August 2024, and are estimated to be completed by late 2025 (weather dependent) – with a detour in place for all vehicles throughout the construction period.
For more information and for construction updates, visit: https://www.singleton.nsw.gov.au/brunnersbridge.
From July 1 2024, the Bridges Renewal Program will be merged into the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program – with $200 million per year to be available to support councils improve the safety of their local road networks.

Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Kristy McBain MP:
“More people are moving to our regions and this is putting more pressure on the roads we use every day, which is why we’re partnering with local councils to help ensure that their local road networks are fit-for-purpose, long into the future.
“Brunners Bridge is a critical access point, and is essential to the efficient delivery of products and services in the Singleton region, which is why we’re supporting its replacement and making this local road network safer.”

Federal Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi MP:
“This much needed new bridge will help strengthen our supply chain and keep the Hunter moving forward.
“Roads and bridges that support heavier loads, considerably cut down travel time and means large trucks spend less time on our roads.
“For every extra 100 kilometres travelled by a truck, costs can rise by more than $300, so building this vital new infrastructure will reduce the amount of time on the road and will ultimately help reduce costs for families and make our roads a lot safer.”

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, the Hon Jenny Aitchison MP:
“It is fantastic to see all levels of government working together to make a project like the Brunners Bridge replacement possible. “Gresford Road is an essential route for residents and the agricultural suppliers of the region. This bridge replacement will allow larger trucks that can carry more freight per trip to safely cross the bridge. “Replacing the bridge and facilitating access for more efficient trucks will also have a positive impact in lowering heavy vehicle traffic volumes in the region.”

Mayor of Singleton, Cr Sue Moore:
“The replacement of the 80-year-old bridge has been a key item on Council’s Infrastructure Advocacy Agenda for several years, and would support both local and regional economic development outcomes.
“Brunners Bridge is located on a freight route between Singleton, Elderslie and Gresford and we are extremely grateful to the NSW Government for their support to enable this integral infrastructure renewal project for Singleton.
“Gresford Road is an important economic link for the region and this project further supports heavy vehicle infrastructure to accommodate new and existing agribusiness opportunities in our area, bolstering economic productivity by reducing the cost of getting goods to market.”

Council’s Acting Director Infrastructure and Planning Services, Aaron Malloy:
“The new Brunners Bridge will provide safer access for freight movements to access the Singleton township as well as see the removal of load and speed restrictions for heavy vehicles.
“The current bridge has a load limit of 42 tonnes and can only accommodate one heavy vehicle at a time, whereas the new bridge will accommodate 68.5 tonnes, increasing operational efficiencies and improving accessibility for cattle delivery to HRLX.
“And it’s not just heavy vehicles that will benefit – works will also see an improved road surface and wider lanes, ultimately improving safety for all vehicles.”

Review of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme

The Albanese Government has appointed Ms Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM to lead an independent review of the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020 (the Act), which underpins the Foreign Arrangements Scheme.

The review will ensure the legislative framework underpinning the Scheme is effective and responsive to a complex international environment. As required by the legislation, the review will identify possible improvements to the operation of the Act and consider the effectiveness of the Act in meeting its objectives.

The Foreign Arrangements Scheme was introduced to ensure that Australian governments at all levels and Australian public universities enter agreements with foreign countries that do not adversely affect Australia’s foreign relations and are not inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy.

Over the last three years, the Scheme has highlighted the scale and depth of Australia’s international engagement. More than 9,000 arrangements have been listed on the Public Register, across a broad range of themes and countries.

Ms Huxtable has extensive public service and national security experience, including as a former Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Finance.

The review will be informed by a public consultation process. The Government values the role of Australia’s states, territories, local governments and universities in advancing Australia’s interests abroad, and welcomes their participation in the review.

The Government is now inviting written submissions from the public. Further information on the review, including the terms of reference and how to make a submission, can be found at www.foreignarrangements.gov.au. The closing date for submissions is 2 August 2024. The findings of the review will be provided to Government in late 2024.

Foreign Minister Wong:

“It is essential to ensure that agreements with foreign countries are consistent with Australia’s national interests.
“The Albanese Government’s review of the Foreign Relations Act will better equip Australian subnational governments and public universities to manage risks and to benefit from opportunities.”

Assistant Foreign Minister Watts:

“The Albanese Government’s review of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme provides a valuable opportunity to learn from the practical administration of the scheme.
“This Review will ensure the Foreign Arrangements Scheme supports Australia’s engagement with foreign countries effectively as our international environment becomes increasingly complex.”

Enhancing health security across our region

Australia is investing in our region’s shared health security, drawing on the lessons of COVID-19 to help us be better prepared for the next pandemic.

We are building a series of new partnerships to support our region to better prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies and infectious diseases.

Building the capacity of our region’s veterinarians supports rural livelihoods and reduces the risk of disease spillovers from animals into humans. A new $5 million partnership with a consortium led by the University of Sydney will improve training available for veterinary epidemiologists, supporting countries in our region to identify and better respond to disease outbreaks in animals.

An $11 million partnership with the Menzies School of Health Research will help to strengthen disease surveillance in partner countries in Southeast Asia, including greater support to monitor antimicrobial resistance, a serious global health threat.

The package also includes $16 million to support the development of new treatments for neglected tropical diseases through the Australian not-for-profit biopharmaceutical company Medicines Development for Global Health.

The new partnerships are part of the Australian Government’s five-year Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, which is working with partner countries to build resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

“We are drawing on Australia’s expertise to support our region to better prepare for, and respond to, health security threats including animal and human disease outbreaks.
“These new partnerships will support governments across the Pacific and Southeast Asia to build more resilient, effective health systems, which is critical to ensuring our shared prosperity and security.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Australia’s investment will support partners across the Pacific and Southeast Asia to ensure they have the right foundations in place to prepare for, and respond to, future disease outbreaks.”

Strengthening preparedness across our region

Australia will help our region better prepare for, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks by investing in a program of new partnerships between Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and governments across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Under the program, CSIRO will leverage its expertise across animal and human health, as well as its world-class facilities, to partner with countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Fiji to improve their ability to identify, track and respond to health emergencies.

The new partnerships, totalling $24.2 million, will help to ensure frontline teams have the right skills to protect communities, and our region, from the spread of disease.

As part of the program, CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness will receive over $12 million in funding to strengthen selected animal health laboratories in Southeast Asia, improve testing for infectious diseases at high-risk locations such as wildlife markets and boost field diagnostic networks in the Pacific.

The program also includes support for a new biomanufacturing partnership to strengthen capabilities in Southeast Asia to develop and manufacture vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and drug products.

In addition, the program will support the Australian e-Health Research Centre to use its world-leading capabilities in digital health to assist partners to strengthen their health data systems, expand regional data sharing and improve disease surveillance.

The new program is part of the Australian Government’s five-year $620 million Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, which is working with partner countries to build resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems that can respond to our shared challenges.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

“The Albanese Government’s investments, coupled with the CSIRO’s expertise, will make our region healthier, safer and more secure.
“A healthy and prosperous Pacific and Southeast Asia benefits us all, so we’re pleased to be investing in these important new partnerships.”

Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ed Husic MP:

“Australians can be proud of the way CSIRO has helped in the fight against infectious diseases to improve the health and quality of life of our friends in the region.
“These partnerships build on that and will see CSIRO continue to apply their know-how to support better health at home and abroad.”

Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“CSIRO has world-class expertise to share with our region.
“Under this new program, CSIRO will support partners across the Pacific and Southeast Asia to ensure they have the right foundations in place to prepare for, and respond to, future disease outbreaks.”