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The Minns Labor Government is inviting the community to have their say on the Local Jobs First Bill, which will establish the Local Jobs First Commission, support local jobs and apprentices and help grow local businesses.

Twelve years of privatisation and sending jobs offshore under the previous Liberal-National Government deprived NSW businesses of billions of dollars in contracts and thousands of jobs.

Research by the McKell Institute found that sending contracts overseas can lead to significant economic losses, with net costs estimated to be $3.5 billion higher than if local manufacturers had been used.

Establishing the Local Jobs First Commission and appointing a Commissioner will realise an election commitment and marks a turning point in the state’s procurement practices.

By supporting the re-building of the state’s manufacturing sector and putting local jobs front and centre, we are making sure that government spending benefits families, households and businesses by creating local jobs and strengthening our economy.

It also builds on the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing procurement reforms, including ‘If not, why not’ rules, which require agencies to engage with NSW suppliers before awarding contracts worth more than $7.5 million, and raising the threshold at which government agencies can directly purchase from small businesses to $250,000.

Provisions in the Local Jobs First Bill include:

• Creating the NSW Local Jobs First Commission and a Local Jobs First Commissioner to champion local businesses, industry and jobs.
• Introducing a Local Procurement Policy that will include a 30% tender weighting for local content, job creation, small business participation, and ethical supply chains and embed training targets for apprentices and other workers learning new skills on major projects. The definition of ‘local content’ under the Jobs First Commission legislation will be any Australia or New Zealand-based enterprise.
• Establishing a Local Jobs First Advisory Board to guide policy and boost local supplier competitiveness.
• Requiring Local Procurement Plans for major contracts to secure commitments to local jobs and local content.
• Enabling a supplier debarment scheme to ensure accountability and remove suppliers found to have committed serious misconduct from the government supply chain.

The draft Local Jobs First Bill is now open for public comment. Submissions are invited from businesses, unions, industry groups, and the broader community.

• Consultation period: Opens on Monday 22 December 2025 and closes Friday 20 February 2026
• To read the draft Bill and make a submission, visit https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-local-jobs-first-commissioner

This is your opportunity to help shape a policy that will drive investment in local industry, create jobs, and strengthen the NSW economy.

Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos said:

“This legislation is an important next step of procurement reform. We are delivering on our election commitment to establish the Local Jobs First Commission.

“We want the NSW Government to spend taxpayer dollars in a way that supports local businesses, creates jobs, and builds skills for the future.

“We want to hear from industry, workers and their unions, and the community to make sure this Bill delivers for NSW.

“By embedding local content requirements into procurement, we’re not just creating jobs, we’re building a resilient economy that benefits communities across the state.”

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“NSW is home to some of the most innovative and dynamic businesses in the Southern Hemisphere, and we’re proud to continue supporting them through legislation like this.

“The Local Jobs First Bill will help to grow local manufacturing and create more jobs in every corner of our state.

“This is all about backing local businesses and creating more economic opportunities for industry.”

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

“We’re working with industry and unions to create real opportunities for apprentices and trainees across NSW, while driving greater participation for women in construction. This is about building a workforce that reflects our community and ensuring every major project delivers skills for the future.

“This legislation builds on the success of the Infrastructure Skills Legacy Program by making sure we aren’t just delivering roads, hospitals, and schools, but also securing the pipeline of skilled tradies we need to get the job done. It’s about investing in people as much as projects.”

The Minns Labor Government is continuing its work to rebuild public education across NSW, with construction underway on a major upgrade to Vincentia High School on the state’s South Coast.

The $13 million upgrade will provide the high school with a new two-storey building featuring 16 permanent modern classrooms, replacing ageing temporary demountables, and new bathrooms.

The project also includes internal roadwork upgrades to improve safety and provide better on-site parking.

The beginning of construction marks a significant step in delivering this Labor election commitment for families on the South Coast, with the upgrades on track for completion by Day 1, Term 1, 2027.

Once complete, the upgraded high school will have capacity for 1,300 students, future-proofing the school for the growing local community.

The upgrades are being delivered as part of the Minns Labor Government’s record education investment, including $2.1 billion for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW.

This targeted investment will ensure growing communities have access to a world-class public education, close to home.

On top of the upgrades to Vincentia High School, the Minns Labor Government’s investment across South Coast schools includes:

• Batemans Bay High School – High Potential and Gifted Education upgrade
• Bomaderry High School – upgrade
• Former Shoalhaven Anglican School site – redevelopment for public education use
• Milton Public School – upgrade
• Moruya High School – High Potential and Gifted Education upgrade and new support unit
• Nowra East Public School – upgrade
• Ulladulla High School – upgrade
• Ulladulla Public School – upgrade
• Worrigee – new public school

The Minns Labor Government is also delivering new co-located public preschools at existing public schools in Barrack Heights, Berkeley West, Bomaderry, Cringila, Greenwell Point, Hayes Park, Lake Heights, Lake Illawarra, Sanctuary Point, and Worrigee.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 100 new public preschools by 2027, including 49 in regional NSW.

This investment doubles the number of public preschools in the state, the largest expansion of early learning in NSW history.

Once complete, up to 9,000 children will benefit from access to fee-free, quality early education in their community, prioritised in areas of the highest need based on a rigorous selection process.

In addition to building new schools where they are needed, the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild public education includes ensuring each NSW classroom has a qualified teacher.

Since March 2023, the Minns Labor Government has reduced teacher vacancies by 81 per cent in the South Coast electorate, leading to a significant reduction in the number of cancelled classes.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“Investing in regional communities is a top priority for the Minns Government, and this upgrade is part of our commitment to ensure all NSW students can access a world-class public education.

“For too long under the Liberals and Nationals, families on the South Coast were promised investment in education infrastructure but little was delivered.

“Our government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier Prue Car, is investing in local public schools to provide benefits to local children and their families for years to come.”

Member for the South Coast Liza Butler MP said: 

“I’m so pleased to be here for another sod turn on the South Coast to see the commencement of works at Vincentia High School.

“This school upgrade will enrich the lives of every student at Vincentia High School academically, physically, and creatively for years to come.”

Vincentia High School Principal Ruth Winfield said:

“I’m so excited about what this new building will mean for our growing school. We’re proud of our strong connection to country and the diverse range of learning pathways offered to our community.”

A woman will face court following an investigation into alleged intimidation at a university in Sydney’s Inner West.

On Thursday 9 October 2025, a group of Jewish students and other members of the Jewish community were celebrating the Jewish holiday Sukkot within the grounds of the university at Darlington campus, when a female passer-by yelled anti-Semitic comments at the group.

The matter was reported to officers from Inner West Police Area Command, who commenced an investigation in October into the incident.

Following inquiries, on Monday 22 December 2025, a 53-year-old woman was arrested at Parramatta Police Station.

She was charged with three offences – stalk/intimidate intend fear/physical harm (two counts) and offensive conduct.

The woman was granted conditional bail to appear at Newtown Local Court on Tuesday 3 February 2026.

The NSW Government will introduce tough new laws into NSW Parliament to significantly tighten gun laws and reduce the risk of mass violence, following the devastating terrorist attack at Bondi Beach.

The reforms respond directly to lessons from the attack, where the offender brought multiple firearms into a public place, and are designed to limit access to high-risk weapons, strengthen oversight and put community safety first.

If passed these reforms will ensure that NSW has the toughest laws in the country when it comes to firearms.

The new laws will include:

Capping and restricting the number and types of firearms:

• Imposing a cap of four firearms per individual, with strict exemptions for primary producers and sports shooters, who may hold a maximum of 10 firearms.
• Reclassifying straight-pull/pump-action and button/lever release firearms into Category C, limiting their access primarily to primary producers.
• Reducing magazine capacity for Category A and B firearms to a maximum of five to ten rounds, from a current unlimted capacity.
• Introducing a complete ban on firearms that can use belt-fed magazines.

Strengthening firearms licence checks and accountability:

• Removing the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) review pathway, ensuring we can use sensitive police intelligence without concern that a decision will be overturned by a tribunal, while retaining a rebust internal review process to ensure fairness and accountability.
• Reducing standard firearms licence terms from five years to two years, increasing the frequency of safety and suitability checks.
• Restricting firearms licences to Australian citizens only, with a carve out for New Zealand permanent residents engaged in roles such as primary production or security.
• Replace a current exemption allowing unlicensed shooting at shooting ranges with a robust NSWPF permit system to suitably assess unlicensed individuals before they access firearms.

Strengthening oversight, storage and compliance:

• Making gun club membership mandatory for all firearms licence holders, with the ability to exempt certain licence holders in the regulations.
• Requiring all gun clubs to use the GunSafe online platform to improve record-keeping, compliance and traceability of club membership and activities.
• Making safe storage inspections mandatory prior to the issue of a first permit to acquire a firearm, individuals will now need to meet the safe keeping requirements before obtaining a permit to aquire a firearm.
• Prevent any permit or licence holder from acquiring a firearm unless the Commissioner is satisfied that they meet safe keeping requirements. Police may conduct an inspection for this purpose.
• Tightening rules around deceased estates, requiring firearms licence holders to nominate alternative storage arrangements for safe keeping of their firearms in the event of their death when applying for, or renewing, their licence. Police will also be able to seize these firearms, if required.

In addition to new legislation, the Government will move quickly on a range of practical changes, including:

• Expanding disqualifying offences in the regulations, including personal and domestic violence offences within the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007.
• Increasing the use of criminal intelligence in firearms licensing decisions.
• A comprehensive audit of existing firearms licences, prioritising higher-risk cases, noting that licence holders will now be subject to scruitinty on reapplication evey two years, instead of five years.

A comprehensive buyback scheme will accompany these changes:

• These reforms will be paired with a buyback scheme, with further details to be announced before the changes are in force, in line the announcement by the Commonwealth Government.
• The NSW buyback scheme will be operated and funded in partnership with the Federal Government and AFP, to encourage gun owners to hand back guns that will now no longer be legal, to be destroyed.
• Existing unregistered firearms are already captured by the permanent national firearms amnesty and should be surrendered through that scheme.

The NSW Government will move to control access to all dangerous weapons – not just guns

• Consultation will commence around whether further knives or bladed articles should be made prohibited weapons under the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998, as well as how knives are stored in retail settings.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“Gun reform alone will not solve hatred or extremism, but we can’t fail to act on restricting access to weapons which could lead to further violence against our citizens.

“We cannot undo what happened in Bondi, but we can act decisively to reduce the risk of this ever happening again.

“These reforms are about one thing: protecting people.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“These reforms are about putting the safety of the community above all else.

“Owning a firearm is a privilege, not a right and we are balancing that privilege with the overwhelming need for public safety.

“Our strong legislation reduces risk and increases oversight around firearms ownership with the aim of making this state safer for all.” 

The Federal and NSW Governments have declared Sunday 21 December a Day of Reflection to honour the victims of the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach and to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.

The Commonwealth and State government will also work closely with the Jewish community on arrangements for a National Day of Mourning to be held in the New Year. This will allow families the time and space to lay their loved ones to rest and to support those still recovering.

The Day of Reflection will be observed on the final full day of Chanukah, a time traditionally associated with light, faith and resilience, making the loss felt by the Jewish community even more profound. All Australians share in their grief.

On Sunday, flags on Australian and NSW Government buildings will be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect for the lives lost and the grief shared across the country.

We invite people across the country to light a candle at 6:47pm, one week since the attack unfolded, as a quiet act of remembrance with family, friends or loved ones. We are also asking Australians to observe a minute of silence.

This day is about standing with the Jewish community, wrapping our arms around them, and sharing their grief as one state.

It is a moment to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and violence will never define who we are.

The Day will include a number of ways to help the state reflect:

• Buildings will light up yellow for the evening.
• Light will beam into the sky from Bondi Pavilion
• NSW Government will support Jewish leaders to deliver a community memorial event
• Television and radio networks will be asked to pause for a minute’s silence at 6.47pm.
• A shareable candle image, will be used on social media to pledge support for Jewish Australians. This will be available on nsw.gov.au

The NSW Government has also partnered with Rotary to establish a dedicated fundraising appeal for the Bondi Beach attack.

The Unite for Bondi – Bondi Terror Attack Appeal will provide support to the survivors and families of those who lost their lives. People who wish to donate can do so via rawcs.org.au

Supports are available for everyone impacted by this attack. Information is at www.nsw.gov.au/bondibeachattack