16 News

A 100 tonne roadheader begins cutting through Sydney sandstone this morning, marking the start of tunnelling on the second stage of the Western Harbour Tunnel.

Weighing as much as 27 adult African elephants, the roadheader has commenced its journey from Cammeray excavating south towards the Warringah Freeway and onwards towards the harbour at Waverton.

The Western Harbour Tunnel project will create almost 7000 jobs and eventually take traffic pressure off the Sydney Harbour Bridge and tunnel by linking the Warringah Freeway with the soon to open Rozelle Interchange.

It will save drivers up to 20 minutes between North Sydney and Sydney Olympic Park or Leichhardt.

The roadheader will cut through 1000 tonnes of rock a day, excavating a distance of 20 to 25 metres per week before a tunnel boring machine takes over to tunnel under the harbour.

Over the course of construction of stage 2 of the Western Harbour Tunnel, 10 roadheaders will be used.

Through the hard work of more than 800 workers involved in stage 2 to date, 23,000 tonnes of material has already been excavated and over 1482 cubic metres of concrete poured in preparation for tunnelling.

Western Harbour Tunnel is a 6.5km tunnel, which will provide motorists a seamless connection from Warringah Freeway at North Sydney to the Rozelle Interchange, making it easier, faster and safer to get around Sydney.

As the first new road crossing of the harbour in over 30 years, Western Harbour Tunnel will deliver time-saving benefits to motorists, easing traffic on some of Sydney’s key arterial roads.

The tunnel’s twin 3-lane motorways are expected to reduce traffic on the Western Distributor by 35%, the harbour tunnel by 20% and the harbour bridge by 17%.

Stage 1, which is already underway, involves creating the 1.7km southern section of the tunnel from Rozelle to Birchgrove and is expected to be complete in 2025.

Stage 2 includes construction of the northern end of the tunnel, connections to the Warringah Freeway, tunnelling underneath Sydney Harbour and the complete tunnel fit out and is expected to take approximately 5 years.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“This is a milestone for the Western Harbour Tunnel project.

“This project will deliver almost 7000 jobs.

“Building this road, we will help ease congestion for drivers who use the harbour bridge, harbour tunnel, Anzac Bridge or Western Distributor.

“We’ll be keeping this important road in public hands.”

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“The start of tunnelling at Cammeray is a major milestone for this project, bringing motorists a step closer to benefiting from Sydney’s third harbour crossing.

“The new Western Harbour Tunnel will provide time-saving benefits not only for those connecting to the Rozelle Interchange, but for motorists across Sydney’s wider road network.

“Once completed, the Western Harbour Tunnel is a critical part of the NSW Government’s plan to bring traffic relief to arterial roads in the Inner West, where we know that we will have traffic issues along the Western Distributor and Victoria Road.”

The Minns Labor government is investing in the readiness and resilience of the state’s agriculture industry, with the creation of a $250 million Drought Ready and Resilient Fund (DRRF).

This fund will allow eligible primary producers to apply for low interest loans of up to $250,000 to fund a broad range of operational products, activities and services to prepare and respond to the impacts of drought.

According to research by the NSW Rural Assistance Authority, these loans, which can be paid off over 5 or 10 years, are estimated to save farmers on average $40,000 over a 5-year loan, when compared to other similar loans.

Importantly, for the first time the DRRF will allow farmers to access loans for other core activities like the purchasing of fodder and transport of livestock to protect their welfare, not just capital investments.

It ensures the NSW Government is working with the sector to provide an innovative and proactive response as parts of the state enter into drought conditions.

For those in regions not yet experiencing drier conditions, the DRRF also incentivises participation in the vital planning and preparedness phase of drought management and climate variability mitigation, improving response and recovery outcomes for farming businesses.

Unlike previous funds which are designed to support capital investment, DRRF can be used for essential items such as:

• purchasing fodder
• feeding equipment
• stock transportation costs
• veterinary and professional nutrition and welfare advice
• fencing for rotational grazing
• exclusion and cluster fencing
• construction of containment feeding pens
• stock shade structures
• planting of trees
• stock and domestic water (including its transportation).

The Minns Labor government is committed to supporting rural and region Australia in times of drought.

It’s why this fund comes in conjunction with the refocusing of the $120 million Farm Innovation Fund, to the Drought Infrastructure Fund, offering loans of up to $1 million, at a low interest rate of 2.5%.

The Drought Infrastructure Fund is designed to promote capital investment in on-farm infrastructure that assists farmers in transitioning their farms to become more resilient, productive and sustainable.

By establishing these 2 types of funds the government is opening up options and flexibility for farmers, depending on their needs and circumstances, and ensuring the viability of agricultural operations – livestock, cropping or horticulture – across NSW.

Applications are welcome now for the Drought Infrastructure Fund, and for the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund applications are open from 1 December 2023. Information at the Rural Assistance Authoritylaunch website.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“We know that NSW does not thrive unless our regions and agricultural industries thrive.

“This is a significant investment that demonstrates our commitment to the resilience of farmers across our state, particularly as they enter drier and warmer weather conditions.

“We know disaster prepared is more important than ever before. This is a commonsense initiative that allows farmers to get ahead of the dry season and protect their livelihoods.” 

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting our agriculture sector and this is an important investment in the resilience of this vital industry throughout the emerging dry conditions.

“The aim of this government initiative is to give farmers access to operational funding so they can get assistance to work through a challenging period.

“This is a common sense approach to ensuring farmers and livestock producers across NSW have the resources they need in the event of drought.

“We will continue to monitor the drought indicator closely and ensure that farmers receive the support they need.

Drought information

NSW DroughtHublaunch is the one-stop online destination for information on a vast range of services and support available to primary producers, their families and communities.

The NSW Government can announce that both The Star and Crown Casino have now agreed to increased tax arrangements.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey signed the agreements last night.

Under the new casino agreements:

• Table rates for The Star and Crown will rise, backdated to 1 July 2023.
• The Star will pay a transitional levy on poker machines until a new duty regime commences on 1 July 2030.
• Thousands of jobs at The Star will be protected.

No changes have been made to the agreements Crown signed with the previous government.

Today the government will introduce legislation to create a jobs guarantee at The Star, protecting the livelihoods of more than 3000 workers over the next 6 years.

Casino tax increases were first announced by the former government in December 2022 without consultation with Sydney’s 2 casinos. 

The increases were not legislated but were written into the NSW Budget.

Consultation from the Minns Labor government has now resulted in both casinos agreeing to comply with the increased tax obligations.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“The previous government had bungled their casinos policy. It was one of the most difficult challenges I inherited. These arrangements will see both casinos pay higher taxes.

“The government can now proceed with legislation which will see more than 3000 workers have their jobs protected at The Star.

“I note Crown has made it clear that recent job losses arise from their trading conditions. 

“The government will continue to engage with Crown and The Star, as well as worker representatives, on their operating models and regulatory frameworks – especially as both are remediating their businesses.”

The NSW Government is today announcing a major increase in the powers and resources of the NSW Building Commission to deliver quality homes for people in NSW, cracking down on poor practices in the building sector and boosting enforcement powers.

While the NSW Government is committed to tackling the NSW housing supply crisis after over a decade of inaction, the government will not allow quantity of homes to come at the expense of quality.

Laws set to pass parliament next week will mean that for the first time since the Building Commissioner was appointed, he will have the power to enter any apartment or free-standing home in NSW.

The Commissioner will also have the power to uncover defects before completion of buildings and compel builders to get them fixed.

Building Commission NSW will also receive a $24 million boost, allowing it to scale up to ensure quality buildings are being delivered in NSW.

Supercharging the regulator’s powers will ensure that as the state meets the urgent need for more homes, buyers can be confident about the quality of the home they’re buying.

The new laws also make critical changes to improve compliance and enforcement systems across the industry, including:

• New measures to prevent and penalise intentional phoenixing activities in the construction industry by cancelling or refusing licenses
• Introducing new responsibilities across the building products supply chain of, ensuring that all products used in buildings are safe, compliant, and suitable for their intended use.

The changes come as the NSW Government continues its crackdown on dishonest or fraudulent elements in the building sector, with the licenses of four building certifiers cancelled this year:

• On 4 July 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Glenn Levick engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct and contravened a law with respect to fraud or dishonesty.
• On 30 August 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Orlando Da Silva engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards.
• On 14 September 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Paul Gearin engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the certification legislation and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards.
• On 6 October 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Joseph Hallal engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the certification legislation and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards.

The additional powers and resources are further supported by the NSW Government’s commitment this week to develop a pattern book of endorsed housing designs for low-rise and mid-rise (up to six storeys) buildings that will also enhance continuity of quality standards across new developments.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“We’re delivering more homes across the state but we won’t let quantity get in the way of quality.

“Home buyers in NSW can be confident that we’ve got a tough cop on the beat in the building industry, ensuring that they can have confidence in the quality of the home they’re buying.

“We’re making the right investments and delivering the right powers to rebuild trust and integrity in this sector to help tackle the housing crisis in our state.”

Minister for Building and Minister for Fair Trading and Better Regulation Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“New powers for the Building Commissioner are a critical step forward as we rebuild integrity in the NSW construction sector. There is no room in this state for rip-off merchants taking home buyers for a ride.

“We’ve already started the work required to weed-out untrustworthy players in the market, with these new powers we’ll be doing even more.

“Grifters in this sector will have nowhere to hide in NSW.”