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The 2023 Premier’s Awards were held last night, recognising the exceptional work being done by public servants to make a meaningful difference in the lives of community members in every corner of NSW.

The eight award categories span the broad remit of the public sector including high-quality education and healthcare, the economy, and excellence in service delivery.

With over 265 nominations received, there was a strong field of high-performing finalists across all award categories.

The Public Servant of the Year Award celebrates an exceptional individual who demonstrates commitment to a world class public service.

The 2023 NSW Public Servant of the Year was awarded to Brad Fisher of NSW Public Works. Brad was recognised for his tireless commitment to delivering electrical upgrades to public schools across the state.

Each year, the Anthea Kerr Award is presented to a future public sector leader who exhibits outstanding achievement and a deep commitment to public sector values in their work. This award is given in honour of Anthea Kerr, who passed away suddenly at 38 years of age. At the time of Anthea’s death, she was an Assistant Director General at the Department of Finance and Services, a role which was the culmination of an outstanding career of more than 16 years in the NSW public sector.

The winner of the 2023 Anthea Kerr Award is Alexandra Rumore from Legal Aid NSW. Alexandra was recognised for her work supporting flood devastated communities across NSW. Working as a Senior Outreach Solicitor with the Disaster Response Legal Service, Alex travelled thousands of kilometres over several months to deliver trauma-informed help, ensuring communities had their legal needs met.

2023 Premier’s Award winners:

Category	Winner(s)	Agency
Anthea Kerr Award	Alexandra Rumore	Legal Aid NSW
NSW Public Servant of the Year	Brad Fisher	NSW Public Works
Building a resilient economy	Innovation project – podular construction	Department of Planning and Environment
Connecting communities	Assertive outreach program – Tweed Heads	Department of Communities and Justice
Driving public sector diversity	Quiet Hour	Department of Customer Service NSW
Excellence in service delivery	Digitising of vehicle inspections (RSafety App)	Transport for NSW
Highest quality healthcare	Testing donors for emerging infectious diseases	NSW Health Pathology
The Murrumbidgee Model	Murrumbidgee Local Health District
World class education and training	Going the extra mile for civil construction training	TAFE NSW
Assessment for complex learners project	Department of Education

Details on all the winners and finalists can be found at Premiers Awards 2023launch.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“These awards celebrate people who set the standard for our public sector.

“Congratulations to all our winners and finalists for your commitment and contributing to a better future for our state.

“I’m proud of our public service and am already looking forward to what we will achieve together for the people of NSW over the coming year.”

NSW Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo said:

“Brad Fisher’s dedication to delivering the Cooler Classrooms Program, ability under pressure and willingness to go above and beyond, enabled the program to reach more schools than originally forecast.

“Congratulations Brad and all the other deserving winners from this special evening.”

The Minns Labor Government will help deliver more desperately needed homes for families by fast-tracking buildings that choose to use high-quality, pre-approved designs – speeding up the construction of homes for buyers and renters.

The Government is developing a pattern book of endorsed housing designs for both low-rise and mid-rise (up to six storeys) buildings.

The NSW Government Architect, Abbie Galvin, is leading a process of developing the pre-approved list of designs, alongside established private-sector architects, as well as the community, as part of a comprehensive consultation process.

As part of this process, the Government will launch an international competition, calling on Australian and international architects and architecture schools to design a best-practice Sydney terrace and mid-rise apartment for the 21st century. The winning designs will be included in the pattern book.

Details of the competition will be announced in early 2024.

Developers who choose to adopt the endorsed pattern book designs will have an accelerated approval pathway – meaning builders can get on site faster, and people can move into new homes sooner.

The Minns Government is working hard to change the trajectory on the long-term housing supply crisis it inherited.

NSW has been completing fewer new builds (on a per person basis) than Victoria or Queensland. NSW last year also recorded fewer overall completions than Victoria – despite NSW’s higher population.

The housing supply shortfall is behind Sydney unit rents increasing by 24 per cent over the year to the end of September 2023, along with house rents lifting by 11 per cent.

The development of low-rise and mid-rise terraces and apartments will support density in well-located pockets of Sydney – close to transport, green space, amenities and jobs.

The pattern book will include both low-rise housing (terraces, semis, manor houses), along with apartment buildings of up to six storeys. This signals greater role for low-rise, such as a new generation of Sydney terraces. 

These endorsed designs will be made specifically for Sydney and New South Wales and will include different styles of housing.

The modern homes will be made for NSW’s climate, allow for natural light, and look to include community spaces, allowing residents to still enjoy a barbeque and a makeshift game of cricket or footy, for example.

The Government Architect is leading the process and working with the best minds in the development and construction industry, the planning and architecture profession, and councils.

While this pathway will be attractive for some developers, it will not be compulsory; builders and their architects can still design bespoke developments that will go through the regular approval pathway.

The Government wants the community involved in this process, with the public able to view draft designs and provide feedback.

In addition to the pattern book and design competition for low-rise and medium-rise dwellings, the Government will also help developers of high-rise apartments to get building sooner.

Commencing with well-located places supported by transport infrastructure, the NSW Government will allow developers of high-rise to select a designer from a list pre-approved by the NSW Government Architect. This new process will allow developers to bypass the current requirement to run a design competition, slashing assessment times by between 6-12 months.

This will ensure speed and design excellence, and the Government will later consider this approach for high-rise developments across the state.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“The NSW Government wants to ensure the future homes and apartments of Sydney are world class.

“We want to see building designs that embrace what we love about Sydney and NSW.

“I’ve heard builders and other stakeholders explain some of the long approval times they encounter.

“What I’ve announced today is the start of addressing those delays.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Despite being in the top 30 cities in the world by GDP, Sydney ranks 859th in the world when it comes to density.

“We want homes and buildings fit for 21st century Sydney. And we want them fast.

“This gives developers certainty and will make sure more homes are delivered. 

“Increasing density in well-located and well-connected parts of Sydney is a key part of the NSW Government’s housing plan.

“We want to ensure density is done well, and this package will ensure that happens.”

School leaders and health experts convened today for the Minns Labor Government’s roundtable on the growing issue of vaping in NSW schools.

Delivering an election commitment to host the panel and discuss solutions, the Vaping Roundtable heard first-hand accounts from students, teachers, principals and evidence from health experts and researchers, about vaping behaviour and how it is affecting young people.

The Roundtable also heard about the impact vaping is having on schools, and the role the wider community plays in supporting young people.

Vaping is harmful, especially for non-smokers and young people, with direct health risks including nicotine addiction, nicotine poisoning, burns and injuries from devices exploding, and lung damage, according to a comprehensive systematic review from the Australian National University.

New data shows a third of children aged 14 to 17 have vaped or used an e-cigarette, and 9 out of 10 young people found it easy to access vapes, according to University of Sydney Associate Professor Becky Freeman, who presented to the Roundtable on behalf Generation Vape and Cancer Council NSW.

Representatives from NSW Health, Cancer Council NSW, the Advocate for Children and Young People as well as students and primary and high school principals addressed the panel, with members of the public, independent and Catholic school sectors also represented.

Vaping is a complex, community-wide issue which is having an acute impact on school-aged children. Where there are opportunities for the NSW Government to help, we are determined to have a positive impact.

The Minns Labor Government thanks all the contributors, and will now consider all it heard, including solutions that can be implemented in education settings.

As we chart a path forward, a number of actions have been proposed, including creating a vaping guide to assist teachers and help students trying to quit, updating the curriculum so it better addresses the dangers of vaping, creating an online support platform for students, and building better referral pathways between schools and community services.

This is part of other reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to protect children from the harms of illegal vapes, including $6.8 million invested over three years to crack down on the sale of illegal vapes and to increase support for young people who are addicted to vaping.

The NSW Government’s work will complement other measures introduced by the Australian Government, which includes the commitment to restrict the sale of vaping products.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“Today we heard from students, teachers, principals and health experts about the significant concern vaping is causing across the NSW schooling community.

“Vaping among young people is a community-wide issue that is only increasing in its negative impact.

“It is clear from what we heard today than an evidenced-based approach is needed to tackle this problem.

“This is a complex issue and we need to work together as a community to tackle this serious problem.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“Vapes can have harmful impacts, especially on young people’s growing brains and bodies and we will continue to crack down on retailers who illegally sell nicotine vapes.

“Ask any parent, and they will tell you that these products are pervasive. We are determined to get in front of this growing public health crisis.

“In the intermediate term, we have ramped up our compliance capacity, while boosting our cessation support for young people. But where we can improve our efforts moving forward, we will, and this Roundtable is critical to bringing together the leading expert advice in tackling the prevalence of vaping.”

Dr Kerry Chant NSW Chief Health Officer said:

“NSW Health is increasingly concerned about the harmful health effects of vaping, particularly for young people.

“Vapes can cause harm to the health and development of young people, including changes to brain development, impaired learning and memory, and may worsen stress, depression and anxiety.

“NSW Health is committed to increasing support to help young people quit vaping. We have developed the ‘Do you know what you’re vaping?’ campaign and Vaping toolkit to increase awareness among young people and provide parents, schools, and health and community services with strategies to protect young people from the harms of vapes.

“NSW Health has also released a new guide to support health professionals and others who work with young people to assist young people to quit vaping.”

The NSW Opposition has slammed the Minns and Albanese Labor Governments for turning their backs on NSW and cutting major infrastructure projects that would improve safety and productivity.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said Chris Minns has failed to stand up to Anthony Albanese and the Federal Labor Government, who have taken the axe to a swathe of significant projects.
 
“Chris Minns must now confirm that his Government will find a way to fund these key projects,” Mr Speakman said.  
 
Leader of the NSW Nationals Dugald Saunders said the regions will be hit hard by the cancellation of crucial projects like the upgrade to the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow.
 
“The decision to axe this project, that would better connect Sydney with Western NSW, sends a very strong message to the regions,” Mr Saunders said.
 
“It is abundantly clear that our bush communities are not a priority for the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments, and as a result our important legacy infrastructure projects will come to a sudden stop and thousands of regional jobs will be lost.”
 
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Natalie Ward said “Western Sydney commuters will be outraged that funding for two of their key road upgrades has been cut, placing a question mark on the future of Mulgoa Road Stage 2 and the M7-M12 Interchange”.
 
“These cuts mean more congestion, less productivity and more pain for commuters and businesses. It’s clear that Chris Minns has turned his back on Western Sydney after promising to invest in transport infrastructure.”
 
Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the move will impact residents, tourists and businesses.
 
“These significant upgrades are needed to provide a safer and more reliable journey for the thousands of residents, commuters and freight operators, including those who travel between Sydney and the Central West every single day,” Mr Farraway said.
 
“This decision is also going to significantly impact the ability to move goods and products out of the regions by road, which will not only make things more difficult but cause safety issues as well.”
 
Labor’s Cancelled Projects:

1. Blaxland Road/Balaclava Road Intersection Improvements
2. Bruxner Highway – Wollongbar to Goonellabah
3. Commuter Car Park Upgrade – T1 North Shore, Northern and Western Line – Kingswood
4. Commuter Car Park Upgrade – T1 North Shore, Northern and Western Line – St Marys
5. Commuter Car Park Upgrade – Woy Woy
6. Great Western Highway Upgrade – Katoomba to Lithgow – Construction of East and West Sections
7. Gwydir Highway Improvements – Planning
8. M7-M12 Interchange
9. Mulgoa Road Stage 2
10. Northern NSW Inland Port – Narrabri
11. Oxley Highway Stage 2 – Planning
12. Remembrance Driveway Corridor Upgrade – Camden Council
13. Southern Connector Road, Jindabyne
14. Sydney to Newcastle – Tuggerah-Wyong faster rail upgrade
15. Toowoomba to Seymour – NSW – Moree Intermodal Overpass
16. Werrington Arterial Stage 2 – Planning
17. Western City Road Transport Network Development – Planning