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See behind-the-scenes at the emergency services expo – Lake Macquarie

Speers Point Park will come alive tomorrow (Saturday 25 October 2025) for the second annual Lake Macquarie and Newcastle Emergency Services and Community Resilience Expo – a community event featuring interactive displays and hands-on activities from a wide range of emergency and essential service providers.

The family-friendly expo is a fantastic opportunity to meet the heroes who keep our community safe and running during emergencies including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and many more.

The event will showcase recruitment opportunities while highlighting the capabilities of local emergency and essential services, providing a unique opportunity for the community to engage with the people behind the uniforms and discover how they keep our community safe, prepared, and resilient every day.

Lake Macquarie Police District Superintendent Tracy Chapman APM said the event provided an opportunity for the community to see behind the scenes.

“This event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and see the incredible work our local emergency services and community partners do every day. Their collaboration and commitment play a vital role in keeping Lake Macquarie safe and resilient,” Supt Chapman said.

“After great community feedback last year, we look forward to seeing the community out in large numbers again to support the event.”

NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said the event hopes to build stronger relationships between emergency services and the community.

“The Emergency Services and Community Resilience Expo is a celebration of the extraordinary commitment of our frontline workers, everything from managing natural disasters to responding to medical emergencies,” Minister Catley said.

“Events like this go beyond education and awareness – they’re important in building trust and strengthening the connection between emergency services and the communities they serve.

“When people feel connected, they’re more informed, more engaged and more confident in the support available to them.

“I’m proud to see events like this giving the public an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of these workers, ask questions and perhaps even be inspired to begin careers in these fields.”

The event will be held at Speers Point Park between 9am and 2pm tomorrow (Saturday 25 October 2025).

Come explore the vehicles, gear, and skills that power our frontline services!

Government’s climate inaction adding fuel to the housing crisis

Homeowners are paying a climate “disaster penalty” as climate-driven floods become more frequent and severe, according to a new report published by the Climate Council and Prop Track.

The report, which analysed more than two decades of property data, found that a million Australian households are already impacted with homes in flood zones collectively worth about $42 billion less due to the risk of floods:

  • Homeowners are effectively paying a “disaster penalty” of about $75,000 for a typical 3-bed, 2-bath house. 
  • As climate-driven floods become more frequent and severe, more properties could face steeper penalties. 
  • Households in Queensland and New South Wales are the hardest hit, followed by Victoria. 
  • Overall rising property prices are masking the fact that flood-prone properties start from a lower value and experience slower growth.

The Greens say urgent action is needed from the Government to address the climate crisis and the housing crisis hitting Australians.

Greens spokesperson for housing, homelessness and finance Senator Barbara Pocock:

“We’re in a housing crisis, and the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters is making the housing crisis worse. The crisis is making more homes uninsurable and uninhabitable and it is lowering the value of homes in flood prone areas affecting many lower income households and widening inequality.

“Homeownership is already out of reach for so many Australians. Climate-driven events hiking the cost of insurance and making many properties unoccupiable is making our housing crisis worse.

“This is further proof of where this Government’s priorities lie: Appease the coal and gas corporations while ignoring the costs of climate impacts on Australia’s households.

“Many households across the country spend decades saving for their home deposit and then face high recovery costs and insurance premiums arising from climate-driven disasters. Why should Australians continue to bear the costs of decades of government inaction on climate change? 

“Labor are captured by the interests of coal and gas corporations which mean that they prioritise polluters’ profits ahead of a safe climate future for everyday Australians and nature.

“The Government’s own Climate Risk Assessment Report shows 1.5 million people are at risk of their homes flooding or falling into the sea in the next 25 years. However, the Prime Minister doesn’t want to know about it.

“Labor must deliver a truly ambitious climate target based on science and based on the avoided cost of disasters that are putting too many of us at risk. 

“We have existing, affordable technologies that could deliver over 85% emissions reduction and, with the Greens, Labor has the numbers in parliament to be truly ambitious on climate.

“Labor must stop approving new coal and gas.”

Greens Deputy Leader & Spokesperson for Climate Adaptation, Resilience & Emergency Management, Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“People are buckling under the combined stressors of the housing and insurance crises, and the trauma of climate disasters destroying their homes and lives.

“It should be climate polluting fossil fuel companies paying the costs of climate-fuelled disasters, not families, communities, renters and retirees who are bearing the brunt of the housing and climate crises.

“Report after report reinforces what scientists and people on the front line of climate disasters have been demanding: the strongest action to tackle the climate emergency is needed urgently.

“Insurance has become a major stressor for at-risk communities as it becomes increasingly unaffordable or unavailable, with insurance companies either pulling out or hiking premiums and making people’s lives even harder.

“Labor needs to stop pouring fuel on the fire of the climate crisis. That means taking every action to transition away from coal and gas right now.”

Greens introduce Cat Containment Laws in NSW Parliament

Greens MP Sue Higginson will introduce a bill to the NSW Parliament today that would create a responsibility for cat owners to prevent their animal from roaming outside of their property. The bill would require cat owners to take reasonable steps to prevent their pet from roaming, and introduce a tiered fine system to encourage community education and cultural change.

Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment said:

“NSW has fallen behind the rest of Australia when it comes to managing roaming cats as a harmful and invasive species, we have to fix this and these laws will do just that,”

“In Sydney alone, roaming pet cats are estimated to have killed over 62 million native animals in 2024 – a shocking number and a significant contributor to the decline of our precious and unique wildlife across the landscape,”

“Roaming cats are also a risk to human and community health, with these animals being the main domestic source of toxoplasmosis – a disease that infects one in five Australians. Toxoplasmosis can cause miscarriages, blindness and brain damage, and roaming pet cats are walking, hunting disease vectors that threaten public health,”

“Cats in Australia have been an unmitigated disaster and have caused the extinction of at least 27 native species and continue to threaten 120 other species with extinction. As long as domestic cats are allowed outside to kill and maim native species, they will continue to be a leading cause of local extinctions in our neighbourhoods,”

“Our biosecurity laws recognise the serious risks that uncontrolled introduced species pose to our unique ecology in Australia, but pet cats have been given a free pass. Today, community expectations are on the side of applying controls to cats in the same way we do with pet dogs, with at least 66% of the community supporting laws to prevent cats from roaming and killing native animals,”

“This reform is well overdue and only possible thanks to the decades of work by the community and organisations that work on the frontline of nature conservation. It’s time to get this done and I hope the Government and the opposition will support this critical change,” Ms Higginson said.

Greens: Labor must back ICJ ruling for Israel to allow unimpeded aid and must sanction Israel

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to allow unimpeded aid into Gaza and has confirmed that the restrictions placed on aid over the past two years have breached Israel’s obligations under international law. The Court found that Israel had a duty not to impede the work of UN organisations, including UNRWA, that were providing aid to Gaza, and that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was not a suitable substitute.

Since the so-called ceasefire early in October, Israel has continued to bomb Palestinians and has stopped most of the aid outside Gaza from getting in, and major crossings remain blocked. The ‘ceasefire’ stipulates that 600 aid trucks must enter each day, yet the daily average of trucks entering has been below 100.

Australian F-35 parts and steel have been sent to Israel to fuel its war machine during the genocide. The Foreign Minister should substantially increase the aid being provided to Gaza and should take all possible actions, including sanctions, to force Israel to comply with this ICJ decision.

Greens Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for International Aid & Global Justice, Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“The latest damning ICJ finding confirms Israel’s deliberate and sustained undermining of UNRWA and finally banning it, as it used starvation as a weapon of war. It was unconscionable of the Albanese Labor government to play a part in this by suspending funding to UNRWA for months, based on unsubstantiated allegations and flimsy Israeli propaganda.

“Since the beginning of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has allowed only a fraction of the aid required into Gaza. The peace plan backed by Australia is showing to be the farce that we all knew it would be.

“Now is the time for Australia to back this ICJ advisory opinion and use all tools available to force Israel to let aid into Gaza and ensure UNRWA is able to operate unimpeded. UNRWA is the only organisation with the capacity to adequately address the situation in Gaza, which remains catastrophic.

“These latest findings confirm what we already know, that Israel has broken international rule after international rule with impunity and cover provided by western countries like Australia and the USA.

“Not only must we sanction Israel and stop the arms trade to force the flow of aid into Gaza, but Israel must be held to account for their genocide, war crimes, and atrocities.

“Australia has a moral obligation to contribute generously to rebuilding Gaza as part of a self-determined Palestinian state. Aid cannot just be the token amounts announced so far, and our contribution must atone for Australia’s role in supplying F-35 parts and steel to the Israeli war machine that continues to kill Palestinians.”

The fossil fuel industry has lost what little public trust it had left

Background

Reports from the Environment Department reveal that Inpex spilled 36,000L of oil into Darwin Harbour on the 12th of October. This comes in the wake of their admission that they under-reported their emissions of benzene, a chemical linked to cancer, by 13,400% since 2018. 

It is clear that the fossil fuel industry cannot be trusted to measure and report on their emissions in a timely and accurate manner. And more importantly, they cannot be trusted to operate in a way that is safe for our environment and our communities. 

We note that the Chair of the NT EPA, Mr Paul Vogel, has had to excuse himself from this matter because of a conflict of interest. It is concerning that the EPA Chair has had to recuse himself due to conflicts of interest arising from his involvement in the fossil fuel industry.

The NT Greens call for an urgent parliamentary inquiry into this crisis in the fossil fuel industry. 

Kat McNamara MLA , Greens Member for Nightcliff

“The failures at Inpex continue, as they not only poison our air with cancer-causing chemicals but we now find out they’ve polluted our harbour with tens of thousands of litres of oil. This is a crisis.”

“Having found out that Inpex underestimated their emissions by 13,400 percent, how are we expected to believe that these oil leak figures are anywhere near accurate?”

“I want the CEO of Inpex and our Environment Minister to look Darwin families in the eyes and say that they think it’s acceptable for our children to be breathing in substances linked to leukaemia.”

“I will be calling for an urgent Parliamentary Inquiry with public hearings to be held on this ongoing crisis of enormous leaks and dangerous pollution from the gas industry.

Merewether Surf Club maintenance works are complete

This important maintenance initiative was completed earlier than expected thanks to favourable weather conditions and the partnership with local contractor, Collaborative Construction Solutions.  

The building was first constructed in 1972, followed by subsequent extensions and renewals in 1980 and 2000. This work was undertaken to replace the existing roof to address leaks occurring during storm events, while also addressing essential electrical maintenance. 

The key works completed included: 

  • replacement of the existing roof and structure to improve the slope of the roof
  • increasing the capacity of the roof drainage system, including new box gutters, overflows and downpipes
  • essential improvements of the electrical services
  • repairs to windows and the eastern façade
  • improvements to the internal fit out. 

This venue is used by a diverse range of community members, and this work ensures the facility remains safe and sustainable. 

This project was co-funded by the NSW Government’s Surf Club Facility Program (SCFP) and builds on similar SCFP-funded maintenance work completed at Dixon Park SLSC in April 2024. 

Nation leading child safety reforms pass the NSW parliament

Nation leading reforms to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our youngest learners and crack down on dodgy providers to restore parents’ trust in early childhood education services have passed the NSW Parliament.

The new laws mean service providers will have stronger child-first obligations, families will have more transparency and better access to information, and a mobile phone ban with significant penalties will be introduced in early childhood centres.

Provisions in the Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010 (National Law) that make the rights and best interests of children paramount will take effect immediately upon the legislation receiving assent by the NSW Governor.

The Minns Labor Government introduced the legislation last month after an independent review by the Deputy Premier into early childhood education and care regulation, which found the Regulator was significantly constrained by the existing National Law.

These changes fast-track and significantly expand on nationally agreed reforms. While some improvements to the National Law are being developed, these reforms go further and implement nationally agreed reform for children in NSW now.

The Minns Labor Government will not delay action in the best interests of children and families, and we will continue to advocate for national consistency, so that all children in Australia can receive the same level of protection now provided in NSW.

More than 30 reforms are included in the legislation. NSW nation leading reforms will provide:

  • An obligation for services to prioritise child safety, including compulsory child protection training and child safe recruitment practices. Parents will be notified when the regulatory authority commences an investigation into a serious incident to ensure they are aware of what is happening in their child’s service.  
  • A 900 per cent increase to maximum penalties for large providers operating 25 or more services, across all offences. 
  • New powers enabling the Regulator to publish more information about high-risk services, including details of current investigations. 
  • Authority for the Regulator to suspend or revoke quality ratings during or following investigations. 
  • Strengthened whistleblower protections. 

Additionally, the legislation brings forward timelines for nationally agreed positions announced earlier this year, and extends the national position in several instances including:

  • A legal obligation for the early childhood sector and the Regulator to put the rights and best interests of children above all else, ensuring their safety and wellbeing are at the centre of every decision. 
  • Greater transparency for families, with services expected to display a short-form compliance history at their premises and on their website, providing families with more transparency about their child’s service. 
  • Tripled penalties in line with nationally agreed changes. 
  • Authority for the Regulator to suspend or impose supervision orders on individual educators. 
  • Making it an offence for people providing, or working in, early childhood education and care to subject a child or children to inappropriate conduct. 
  • Extending the limitation period for offences to be prosecuted. Consistent with the national approach, NSW will now apply the limitation for offences from when the regulator is notified, not the date of the offence. 

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“This Government said we’d strengthen the laws, increase fines for poor quality operators, and improve transparency to rebuild trust in the early childhood sector.

“This is the most significant reform to the National Law in 15 years, strengthening protections for every child in early education and care services across NSW.

“These changes – initiated by the Deputy Premier Prue Car – set clear expectations and will allow us to implement all the Wheeler recommendations in short order.

“Families deserve to know their children are safe, respected, and nurtured when they attend childcare, preschool, or outside school care. This legislation will ensure the safety and wellbeing of children comes first.” 

Minns Labor Government passes laws strengthening protections for war memorials

The Minns Labor Government has passed legislation strengthening penalties for vandals who seriously damage war memorials.

The Crimes Legislation Amendment (War Memorial Offences) Bill 2025 passed Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, creating an aggravated offence of intentional or reckless property damage or destruction applying to war memorials.

It increases the maximum penalty from five to seven years’ imprisonment for intentionally or recklessly damaging a war memorial.

The bill also amended the Summary Offences Act to allow the court to order a convicted person to pay up to $4,400 in compensation for any loss or damage caused.

This discretionary order means local councils, RSLs or other community organisations that maintain war memorials will not have to foot the bill for remediation.

One war memorial desecrated is one too many. The NSW Government is making sure the courts have the toughest possible penalties available to deter this unacceptable behaviour.

The protection of our war memorials is vital. Local war memorials play a crucial role in honouring the service and sacrifice of all those who have served.

They provide a space for communities to gather, reflect and educate the next generation.

Attributable to the Attorney General:

“The passage of this important legislation sends the clear message that the vandalism of our war memorials is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“It provides the strongest possible penalties for this unacceptable conduct and also means local organisations will not be left with the bill to repair any damage caused.”

Attributable to the Minister for Veterans David Harris:

“This legislation demonstrates this Government’s commitment to our veterans and their families and honouring their service and sacrifice.

“The strengthened provisions will ensure those who act inappropriately and desecrate the memories of veterans will feel the full weight of the law.

”We’ve listened to veterans and acted.”

Innovative virtual care program reduces time in hospital for sick children

A nation-leading program is giving sick children and their families in NSW a new option for care, allowing some children who would previously have been admitted to hospital short stay units to be safely managed at home.

This Virtual Care Awareness Week, the Minns Government is shining a light on the success of virtual care programs in NSW.

More than 100 paediatric patients have been admitted to the virtualKIDS Emergency Department (ED) Short Stay Unit since the trial began in March 2024, with 80 per cent recovering in the comfort of their own home.

The program developed in collaboration with the EDs and virtualKIDS at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network has been proven so successful, it has now been awarded a $500,000 funding boost to expand services as part of the Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS).

TRGS funding will allow care provided through virtualKIDS ED Short Stay Unit to include state of the art home monitoring devices.

Suitable patients will be sent home with wearable devices which enable clinicians to remotely monitor vital signs such as oxygen levels and heart rate, enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of virtual healthcare.

This will mean children with respiratory illnesses can avoid a hospital admission, while receiving ongoing care at home. The roll out will be staged and is expected to be underway by December.

The model is also being assessed for statewide expansion, with a potential roll out to regional partners in Dubbo.

The Minns Labor Government’s 2024-25 NSW Budget delivered a half a billion-dollar investment to relieve pressure on EDs, by creating more pathways to care outside the hospital, as well as improving patient flow inside the hospital.

Across the state, virtual care programs are providing much-needed relief to busy emergency departments while ensuring people receive quality care when they need it.

Families can access virtual care services by first phoning healthdirect, where you will speak to a registered nurse, who will assess what pathway is most appropriate.

healthdirect helps people access the right care – whether it’s advice on how to look after yourself at home, finding a nearby GP, or being connected to a doctor, urgent care service or other healthcare provider online.

Around 178 callers per day avoided unnecessary trips to the ED and were referred to an alternative health care provider during the last financial year.

This is a 42 per cent increase compared to the previous 12 months.

This helps to reduce pressure on NSW public hospitals while ensuring patients receive timely care through more appropriate care pathways.

The community is reminded to use the healthdirect service for non-life-threatening conditions. If you or someone you are with is experiencing a medical emergency, please continue to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“We are relieving pressure on our hospitals and emergency departments by investing in alternative care pathways.

“The virtualKIDS ED Short Stay Unit has already helped more than 100 children and their families avoid an extended stay in hospital while receiving expert medical care from home, for free.

“This research funding will help expand the already successful service, so we can continue to improve access to health care for everyone in NSW.

“More pathways to care outside of the hospital; more staff; more hospitals; lower wait times – it’s as simple as that.”

Minister for Medical Research David Harris:

“Programs like this innovative virtual short stay unit are a great example of how medical research can be translated into practical programs that have real positive outcomes for patients.

“It is particularly pleasing that this program is enabling sick children to receive state-of-the art care they need in the comfort of home with their family.

“The Translational Research Grants Scheme is an important part of our efforts to strengthen research capacity to ultimately improve the delivery of our health services.”

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Director of Research Adj A/Professor Paula Bray:

“This innovative program allows us to personalise care to eligible families, improving health outcomes and responding to the state’s evolving paediatric healthcare needs.

“It means families can access care that’s not only tailored to their needs but also backed by the latest scientific evidence.”

Women in local government celebrated at prestigious awards

Women achieving great things for their local communities in all corners of NSW have been recognised today at the 2025 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government.

The award winners were announced at a ceremony at NSW Parliament House hosted by Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig and Minister for Women Jodie Harrison.

The prestigious awards now in their 18th year, celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of women in councils across NSW.

This year saw an impressive field of winners from over 100 nominations, highlighting the many incredible women serving as councillors and working in diverse careers in local government.  

The winners of the 2025 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government are:

Alternate Pathways Award – Metro:

  • Jessica Speechly – Senior Coordinator Environmental Health (Blacktown City Council)

Alternate Pathways Award – Regional/Rural:

  • Kira Mendes – Parks Maintenance Supervisor (Bathurst Regional Council)

Champion of Change Award – Metro:

  • Vanessa Parkes – Director City Living (Blacktown City Council)

Champion of Change Award – Regional/Rural:

  • Naomi Searle – Director Sustainable Communities and Environment (Tweed Shire Council)

Elected Representative Award – Metro:

  • Cr Carolyn Corrigan – Councillor (Mosman Municipal Council)

Elected Representative Award – Regional/Rural:

  • Cr Leah Anderson – Mayor (Port Stephens Council)

Woman of Distinction Award – Metro (joint winners):

  • Katie Anderson – Director Community & Culture (Randwick City Council)
  • Helen Bradley – Manager, Resource Recovery Planning (Inner West Council)

Woman of Distinction Award – Regional/Rural:

  • Karen Partington – Manager Assets (Lake Macquarie City Council)

Young Achiever’s Award – Metro:

  • Ceyda Nalbantoglu – Digital Assistant (Liverpool City Council)

Young Achiever’s Award – Regional/Rural

  • Rani Diggs – Relieving Grader Operator Team Leader (Gilgandra Shire Council)

Councillor Lilliane Brady OAM Award

  • Cr Phyllis Miller OAM – Mayor Forbes Shire Council, President of Local Government NSW

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“It’s an honour to present these awards which celebrate the outstanding achievements of women in local government across NSW.

“The winners represent the countless women working for their communities as elected representatives and council staff – from those just starting out, to women with decades of experience in local government.

“While their career journeys are diverse, the common thread among all the winners is the impact they see local government having in their community.

“These awards are a chance to recognise the invaluable contribution women make to councils across NSW every day and I’d like to congratulate not just our winners, but all nominees for their exceptional hard work and dedication.”

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

“These awards shine the light on significant achievements of women working in our councils for their communities. They provide important recognition and celebrate the inspirational women in local government who are leading the way for the next generation of young women.

“We have been making great inroads towards increasing female representation on our councils. The number of women elected at last year’s local government elections reached a record 40.5 per cent of all councillors, but we know there is still more work to do.

“These exceptional women are role models for those coming through to follow in their footsteps towards a meaningful career in councils.”

For more information about the awards visit: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/our-minister/ministers-awards-for-women-in-local-government /