16 News

NSW Veterans and Wholly Dependent Partners will no longer need to attend a Service NSW centre to re-establish their eligibility for a vehicle registration and licence concession.

For over a decade, veterans under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 had to continually obtain documentation from Department of Veteran Affairs and verify their eligibility for a concession in person. This placed undue burden and stress on them.

From Saturday 1 July 2023, eligible veterans will receive a concession on registration and licence products by simply providing Service NSW their file number. Additionally, as a pensioner their vehicle registration will be automatically renewed, provided their file number is recorded, and green slip and pink slip (if required) are received.

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“The previous process was inefficient and at times distressing, with NSW Veterans continually attending Service NSW service centres to re-establish their eligibility for a concession.

“This change will see their Department of Veteran Affairs Gold Card validate automatically, with eligible concessions applied to licence and vehicle registration products.”

Minister for Veterans David Harris said:

“This initiative will have significant benefits for our Veterans and Wholly Dependent Partners. We’re going to improve the customer experience for our veterans by automatically validating their Gold Card and remove the burden of visiting a service centre to re-establish their pensioner status, every year.”

Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren said:

“This is a sensible and necessary step forward for veterans, removing the unnecessary red tape and burden from having to continually attend a Service NSW centre, to re-establish their eligibility for concessions.

This is an issue that has been raised regularly with me by fellow veterans. We had a commitment in opposition to address this issue and I am delighted to see this happen now.”

NSW Veterans and eligible concession holders can also now renew their licencelaunch online if they meet the required criteria.

For more information, see Registration concessions and automatic renewal for pensioners.

Toll increases on some of Sydney’s motorways take effect from Saturday, July 1 as the NSW Government renews its call for the public to take part in the independent Tolling Review underway.

Quarterly toll increases start on Saturday on the M7, M2, M5 South West, NorthConnex, Lane Cove Tunnel, Eastern Distributor and the Cross City Tunnel. Regular toll increases are set in long-term contracts between the NSW Government and motorway owner Transurban.

Tolls on WestConnex M4, M4- M5 Link, M8 and M5 East, will not change on July 1 as they are subject to annual increases each January.

Tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel, owned by the NSW Government, have remained unchanged since 2009.

The NSW Government’s independent tolling review, led by Professor Allan Fels AO and Dr David Cousins AM, is engaging with the public in its task to recommend a safer, fairer and more efficient tolling system.

Options include moving all motorways to a common pricing structure, a geographic motorway zone system, and time-of-day pricing.

Public hearings scheduled for July 11 (Sydney CBD), July 12 (Parramatta) and 13 July (Penrith) will hear from members of the public, businesses and industry stakeholders about the impacts of tolls and ideas for reform. 

People are urged to help shape the Government’s future tolling strategy by making a submission to the Tolling Review or signing up to attend public hearings via Have Your Say: Tolling Review.

The NSW Government is set to introduce a $60 a week toll cap for private motorists from January 1, and a reduction in the truck toll multiplier for heavy vehicles on the M5 East and M8 corridors from the start of next year, for 2 years.

Minister for Roads John Graham said: 

“This latest toll price rise arrives at a time when the cost of living continues to bite hard at families and individuals across NSW.

“Currently the details dictating how and when these toll increases are applied are tied up in opaque tolling contracts that we want to share with the public.

“We are committed to creating a better system and a fairer deal with less confusion for Sydney’s motorists and I urge members of the public to take part in the Fels review to help shape a fairer system for all.”

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty has today announced the appointment of Dr Joanne Coombe as the NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, within the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

“The NSW Chief Veterinary Officer is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the protection and prosperity of our livestock industry, our rural and regional economies and our environment,” Ms Moriarty said.

“All 5 of the most significant emergency animal diseases – including foot and mouth disease – have been detected in or near Australia in the past 5 years, meaning the Chief Veterinary Officer role has never been more important than it is right now.

“Dr Coombe brings significant experience and expertise to the role at a critical time.”

Dr Coombe moved to Australia from her country of birth, Wales, in 2001, completed undergraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies at Melbourne University and worked for several years as a dairy vet in rural Victoria.

She has held roles within Dairy Australia, has consulted to various universities and animal industries and is an invited member of the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Coombe said she was looking forward to working with government, industry and the community to strengthen and protect NSW primary industries.

“I am honoured to accept the position of Chief Veterinary Officer for NSW and I’m looking forward to working with the team at NSW DPI and our stakeholders for the benefit of everyone in the state,” she said.

Minister Moriarty also thanked outgoing Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sarah Britton for her service over the past 5 years.

“Dr Britton has been a strong advocate for animal biosecurity in NSW, having led the state through a number of significant emergency animal disease responses, including outbreaks of salmonella enteritidis, Japanese encephalitis virus and white spot in prawns,” Ms Moriarty said.

“Alongside these responses, Dr Britton has also been instrumental in improving our preparedness for emergency animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease.”

Dr Coombe commenced with NSW DPI on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

The NSW Government is investing $1.85 million to give a strong start to the next generation of planners, with dozens of councils receiving a share of the funding to help pay the tuition fees for young planners.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully welcomed the overwhelming response from councils for the Strong Start Cadetship Program.

“After receiving a whopping 115 applications from 74 councils, we decided to boost the program with $250,000 in additional funding and provide $25,000 to each council that applied.

“This will help more councils invest in future planners to help address a workforce shortage and tackle the housing crisis across the state.”

“It was only a month ago that we put the call out to Councils seeking applications for the program, which had 64 grants available to help cover some or all of a student planner’s university fees,” Mr Scully said.

The Strong Start Cadetship Program was launched in response to the planning skills shortage, which is being felt particularly in regional NSW, with the grants to provide council-employed students a free or discounted degree and practical work experience, while boosting council planners.

Mr Scully said out of the 74 councils that applied, 60 were from regional areas.

“Local government has been crying out for planners, especially in some of our regional areas, where some positions have remained vacant for some time,” he said.

“We’re addressing the skills shortage from the ground up, by helping councils build a pipeline of young planning talent aimed at setting up the state’s planning future for success.

“This funding will bring a fresh wave of new planners to councils, giving them a helping hand to clear their development application backlogs and speed up assessment times, which will drive better outcomes for our communities.”

The $25,000 grant can be used to fund tuition fees for an undergraduate certificate, graduate certificate, diploma, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in planning.

Visit Strong Startlaunch for more information.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President Darriea Turley said:

“Councils and communities across NSW are suffering from the impacts of skills and labour shortages.

“I want to congratulate the government on this initiative, investing in the next generation of planning specialists in local governments across NSW.

“One of our key Local Government NSW priorities has been to call for the NSW Government to commit to incentives such as cadetships to address skills shortages in the local government sector.”

Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor Dallas Tout said:

“Wagga City Council congratulates the NSW Government on the establishment of the Strong Start Cadetship Program. Our council immediately applied for participation in the program. 

“We are absolutely confident that this initiative will be an amazing and positive step in promoting careers in planning for anyone looking to build a career and lifestyle in regional NSW.  

“This program will establish a whole new generation of planners who grew up in regional NSW and will now be employed in planning the future of their own communities – as start to a new career there will be few opportunities which are any better.”

Hornsby Shire Council Director of Planning and Compliance James Farrington said:

“Hornsby Shire Council is pleased to have been successful in obtaining a grant under the Strong Start Cadetship Program.

This funding represents a great opportunity, not only for students to learn on the job skills, but also for us as a local council to help us attract and develop a new planner at a time when we are experiencing a skills shortage.

We look forward to embarking on this program with the department’s support and assistance.”

Thousands of first home buyers will no longer pay stamp duty from tomorrow, when a fairer, simpler First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (FHBS) begins.

On Saturday 1 July, the threshold for stamp duty exemptions will increase from $650,000 to $800,000 and the threshold for stamp duty concessions will rise from $800,000 to $1 million.

It means first home buyers purchasing a property up to $800,00 will pay no stamp duty, saving up to $30,735 under the changes.

Based on the current housing market, NSW Treasury expects about 8600 first home buyers in the $650,000 to $800,000 range to pay no stamp duty over the next year, and about 4400 first home buyers in the $800,000 to $1 million range to pay a concessional rate of stamp duty.

The former government’s unfair “forever” land tax scheme gave people paying between $1 million and $1.5 million much larger stamp duty reductions than those able to afford homes up to $1 million.

The former scheme closes on Friday 30 June 2023.  Buyers who opted in will continue to pay property tax until they sell that property.

Suburbs where the house price median is between $650,000 and $800,000 include: Colyton, Hassal Grove, Cambridge Park, North St Marys, Richmond, Werrington, Rosemeadow, Warragamba, Leumeah and Whalan.

Suburbs where the apartment price median is between $650,000 and $800,000 include: Waitara, Ashfield, Padstow, Arncliffe, Kogarah, Petersham, Epping, Hillsdale, Sutherland and Wolli Creek.

Suburbs where the house price median is between $800,000 and $1 million include: Guildford, Smithfield, Casula, Liverpool, Ashcroft, Prestons, Fairfield Heights, Merrylands West, Seven Hills and Prospect.

Suburbs where the apartment median price is between $800,000 and $1 million include: Waterloo, Maroubra, Surry Hills, Ultimo, Lewisham, Leichhardt, Oatlands, Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills

Regional centres where the median house price is between $650,000 and $800,000 include: Valla Beach, Bellingen, Sandy Beach, North Arm Cove, Coffs Harbour, Batemans Bay, Queanbeyan West, Albury, Eden and Braidwood.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“July 1 will be a great day for thousands of extra first home buyers who will now pay zero stamp duty on their first home purchase. 

“These changes will help 5 out of every 6 first home buyers pay no stamp duty, or a concessional rate, and deliver a key election commitment.

“The changes implemented ensure first home buyer assistance in NSW is simpler and fairer, helping those who most need support.

“We know stamp duty can be a considerable barrier for first home buyers. The changes starting today will allow thousands of first home buyers to enter the market sooner and give them a boost when competing with other buyers.”

NSW coastal communities have been betrayed by the Member for Sydney, the Labor government and the Greens, as they try to derail and delay the Bill to ban offshore drilling in NSW Waters (PEP-11).

Shadow Environment Minister Kellie Sloane said the Labor and accomplices now must answer to the community for this terrible decision.

“Labor MPs said time and time again, before the election, that they were opposed to PEP-11 and would ban it,” said Ms Sloane. “They’ve had a chance to do so, and instead chose to break their promise to our coastal communities.”

“Protecting our environment and marine estate from the risks posed by offshore drilling is vitally important and there is no time for delay.”

Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change James Griffin said that this set back would not deter the Coalition, who will continue to work on making this Bill come to fruition.

“Let there be no doubt. Today we had an opportunity to legislate against offshore drilling,” Mr Griffin said. “That opportunity no longer exists thanks to a vote by Labor, Greens and the Member for Sydney. However, we’re not discouraged and will continue to work on bringing this important legislation to a vote.”

“It’s up to each MP who voted against proceeding with this Bill to explain themselves to their communities.”

Member for Pittwater, Rory Amon called out the Government’s decision to not support the Bill as more evidence of their inability to deliver for the people of NSW.

“Labor, Greens and the Member for Sydney talked big about protecting our oceans, but instead of taking action they chose instead to gad debate in Parliament on this Bill,” said Mr Amon. “This is either an attempt to see offshore gas mining and exploration proceed, or cynical politics to try and introduce a copy-cat Bill.”

“However, their ploy has real costs, as this delays any action on offshore gas projects until well into 2024 and leaves communities at risk.”