Category: NSW News

A major funding boost for not-for-profit charity Little Wings will support families in regional NSW with sick children to access lifesaving treatment.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park today announced $600,000 in funding for Little Wings. This funding is in addition to $600,000 provided in 2024.

Little Wings provide free air and ground transportation to medical treatment for children living in rural and remote areas. Little Wings also transport clinicians to rural and remote areas to provide health services to children in those areas.

In 2024/2025, with the support of the Minns Labor Government, Little Wings has to date:

• Transported 439 children from regional, rural and remote NSW to receive medical treatment
• Transported 64 medical specialists to rural and remote NSW who have delivered 170 clinics which have assisted an estimated 3,250 children
• Flown to 51 locations across rural, regional and remote NSW.

Services provided by the charity are available to eligible families living in rural, regional and remote NSW whose children are receiving treatment or support at health services including:

• Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
• The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
• John Hunter Children’s Hospital
• Royal Far West in Manly.

Children are referred to the Little Wings service by hospital staff with consideration to the child’s medical condition, geographical location and regularity of travel.

For more information visit the Little Wings website.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“I am so pleased to support Little Wings in their work which is helping to ease the emotional and financial strain placed on families when they are accessing lifesaving medical treatment for a sick child.

“This important service supports families living in rural, regional and remote areas of NSW to more easily attend ongoing medical appointments, and also offers a welcome break to children during their treatment, by bringing them home for some much-needed quality time with family and friends.

“Little Wings is staffed 100 per cent by volunteer pilots and drivers and I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to those dedicated staff for their ongoing commitment to supporting these families in their time of need.”

Clare Pearson, CEO Little Wings:

“Little Wings has been operating for 13 years, working in the background to support regional families caring for a seriously ill or injured child in accessing lifesaving medical treatment that is only available at tertiary hospital.

“With the changing landscape of regional health, it is the support and funding of the NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park, and his vision to partner with purpose to ensure equitable care for families, that will transform healthcare for NSW.

“Little Wings is a proud and deeply grateful part of this vision, providing FREE air and ground transport for regional families, this grant will allow our team to work with urgency and to increase services in line with community needs and to ensure that children in regional NSW have the access to healthcare that they need to thrive.”

The Minns Labor Government is continuing its record investment in rebuilding public education, with a new primary school and co-located public preschool for Grantham Farm to meet the needs of families in the rapidly growing region of North-West Sydney.

The new primary school in Grantham Farm, located on the corner of Hamilton and Crown Street, will cater to the suburb’s increasing student population, with 24 modern classrooms, three support learning rooms, a multipurpose hall, a covered outdoor learning area, and outside of school hours care facilities.

The new primary school will open for at least 500 students on Day 1, Term 1, 2028 and will be masterplanned for future expansion. It will also include a new library, a canteen, administration facilities and staff parking. The public preschool will cater for up to 60 children per day.

As part of long-term planning for growth and infrastructure development in the area, Vineyard Public School will transition to the new school in Grantham Farm once built, to mitigate future impacts to its site from the planned Bandon Road upgrade by Transport for NSW. The new school at Grantham Farm will accommodate five times the number of students that are currently at Vineyard Public School.

Student learning will continue at Vineyard Public School until the new facilities at Grantham Farm are built. All families, students, and staff will be supported during their transition to the new school, with updates for families to be shared as the project progresses.

As the project progresses, consultation with the community will be undertaken to determine the name for the new school.

This project adds to the significant number new and upgraded schools already delivered or on the way that are adding more than 600 new permanent classrooms across Sydney’s North West, including:

• Melonba Public School
• Melonba High School
• Tallawong Public School
• Nirimba Fields Public School
• Box Hill Public School
• Box Hill High School
• Gables – new primary school
• Schofields and Tallawong – new high school
• Rouse Hill High School upgrade
• Castle Hill Public School upgrade
• Matthew Pearce Public School upgrade
• Excelsior Public School upgrade
• Glenwood High School upgrade
• John Palmer Public School upgrade
• Riverbank Public School and The Ponds High School upgrade

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s record $8.9 billion investment to deliver new and upgraded schools across NSW, including a record $3.6 billion to upgrade and build new schools in Western Sydney.

Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning, and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“This new school at Grantham Farm is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to rebuild public education and ensure every child has access to a modern, high-quality learning environment close to home.

“For over a decade, families in Grantham Farm were ignored by the former Liberal National Government as the suburb grew without a school.

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to delivering world-class schools for families across North West Sydney, and this new school will be a game-changer for the growing Grantham Farm community. 

“North West Sydney is one of the fastest-growing regions in NSW, and this new school and preschool will support local families for generations to come.”

Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said: 

“I’m proud to be part of a government that is committed to investing in our schools, particularly in areas experiencing rapid growth.

“Investing in our children’s future means creating spaces where students and teachers can excel, which is why it’s so exciting to see plans progressing for this much-needed new school.

“This is an exciting milestone for our families in Grantham Farm and surrounding areas, and I look forward to seeing plans progress for a modern and inclusive school that meets the needs of our growing communities.

“I also want to reassure our Vineyard Public School community that student learning will continue uninterrupted at the existing site while the new school is built, and we will continue to keep you updated as plans progress.”

Disaster assistance is now available in the Gunnedah, Gwydir, Moree Plains and MidCoast, Local Government Areas (LGAs) following widespread severe weather, including strong winds, heavy rainfall and floods.

Support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) – with assistance for the Narrabri Local Government Area already in place.

Assistance measures that may be provided to communities include: 

• Assistance for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation and essential items generally provided from evacuation or recovery centres.
• Grants for low-income, uninsured residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain basic standard of living.
• Grants for low-income, uninsured residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a basic, safe and habitable condition.
• Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and non-profit organisations and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
• Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.
• Financial support towards counter disaster activity undertaken by emergency service organisations to keep communities safe.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said this assistance would support families, local businesses, sporting clubs, and local councils in the North West of NSW continue to recover from this year’s floods and strong winds.

“I know how distressing extreme weather events and the damage they leave behind are for our communities, which is why the Albanese and Minns governments are ensuring support is available for the on-going clean-up and recovery,” Minister McBain said.

“This extension will support more impacted communities in the North West of NSW – a region that’s had more than its fair share of extreme weather events, with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged local roads and other essential public assets.”

NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the extension of the natural disaster declaration to include Gunnedah, Gwydir, Moree Plains and MidCoast is critical to ensuring the community can get back to their daily lives as soon as possible. 

“We know that people’s daily lives were seriously disrupted by the flooding which has put significant pressure on local councils. That’s why we have unlocked this funding support, so they’ll have the resources to clean up and restore any public assets impacted by the flooding,” Minister Saffin said.

“We will continue to work closely with council to make sure the community is getting the support it needs, and we will work with the Commonwealth Government to ensure no one is left behind in the recovery.” 

More information on disaster assistance can be found at https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery and www.disasterassist.gov.au

There are widespread issues on the rail and roads networks today due to flooding and extreme weather. People who need to travel are urged to leave plenty of additional time and plan ahead, as impacts are expected for the remainder of the day.

This is a fast-moving situation, rail passengers are advised to check www.transportnsw.info or live travel apps, and motorists are advised to check www.livetraffic.com before travelling.

Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink passengers travelling on the T8 Airport & South, and Central Coast & Newcastle Lines, are advised to avoid non-essential travel as heavy rain is causing localised flooding on the rail network.

Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said, “We have emergency crews deployed across the network to address rising flood waters. We are monitoring key locations and intervening to reduce impacts to passenger services.”

Passengers on the T8 Airport & South Line between Revesby and Turrella, and the Central Coast Line between Newcastle and Morrisett are advised to seek alternative travel if possible as buses are replacing trains.

10 replacement buses are in operation between Revesby and Turrella to assist with passenger movements due to flooding between Bardwell Park and Bexley North.

Trains in or near the affected area will stop on platforms or between stations for longer than normal while the incident is ongoing. Trains departing Macarthur heading to the city will be diverted via other lines to the city.

On the Central Coast & Newcastle Line, Cockle Creek has continued to flood, with water over the rail and affecting signal equipment.

Between Kotara and Cardiff, there has been a substantial landslip. We have crews on the ground now assessing the damage.

Buses are replacing trains from Newcastle to Morrisett and Wyong in both directions.

Passengers on the T2 Leppington & T3 Liverpool and Inner West, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Lines, Hunter Line, Southern Highlands Line and South Coast Lines are also seeing impacts from the extreme weather.

Hunter Line

Sandgate is flooded, we have limited buses replacing train services between Maitland, Dungog and Scone. Nine buses are in operation.

Southern Highlands Line

Train services are currently suspended between Picton and Moss Vale in both directions due to reports of flooding near Mittagong. Shuttle trains are operating between Campbelltown and Picton.

South Coast Line

At Helensburgh the rainfall monitors there are in warning mode, we are watching this, trains are being warned and slowing down through the area, resulting in minor delays.

T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra

Trains are experiencing minor delays due to water over the track earlier at Oatley, minor delays in both directions as a result.

T2 Leppington & T3 Liverpool and Inner West Lines

Passengers on these lines are experiencing flow on delays and some service gaps travelling away from the city, due to the flooding on the T8.

Blue Mountains

A failed freight train on the Blue Mountains line has been removed but passengers may experience some flow-on delays.

Roads

There are widespread impacts across the road network, with several major closures in place on the Mid North Coast, in the Hunter and across parts of Sydney.

In addition to state managed roads, many local roads managed by councils are also affected.

Floodwater is extremely dangerous, especially for drivers. If the road is flooded, forget it. Roads can close and reopen at short notice. Motorists should continue to avoid non-essential travel in flood-affected areas and visit www.livetraffic.com for the latest information.

Vivid Sydney

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said, “If you are heading in tonight to see Vivid Sydney please allow plenty of extra travel time and check your transport apps before heading out.

“The city is no place for cars during Vivid Sydney with road closures and parking restrictions in place each night on roads around the Harbour and surrounding Vivid Sydney precincts.”

For the latest public transport information, visit www.transportnsw.info or download a live travel app like the Opal app.

As severe weather continues to impact the NSW Mid-North Coast, communities are being urged to remain on high alert.

Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue throughout today, and flash flooding is a risk in the Mid-North Coast region and adjacent Northern Tablelands and the Hunter, with a particular focus between Kempsey and Dorrigo.  

While heavy rainfall continues, the impacts remain wide-reaching, with communities being strongly advised to evacuate when asked to do so by the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES).

To stay up to date with the latest warnings and advice, download the Hazards Near Me app. The number of people using the Hazards Near Me app has quadrupled in the past week from around 26,000 to more than 100,000 active users.

More than 2,500 personnel, 500 boats and vehicles and a fleet of helicopters have been deployed to support ongoing rescue efforts.

The NSW SES has responded to around 4,000 incidents since the severe weather began.

Rescues are continuing with around 300 people already brought to safety over the past 24 hours including dozens of overnight rescues.

Conditions remain challenging with fast flowing rivers, continuous rainfall and flooded roads making it difficult for emergency services to safely access some isolated areas. 

While authorities continue to work around the clock, emergency service crews can never guarantee an immediate rescue of those who remain in impacted areas.

In total, more than 500 flood rescues have been completed with the support of specialist flood and in water crews from the NSW SES, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Police, Marine Rescue NSW and VRA Rescue NSW. 

Personnel from Ambulance NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service and Surf Life Saving NSW are also assisting in the natural disaster response, along with the Australian Defence Force.

14 evacuation centres remain open across the region where hundreds of people have taken emergency shelter overnight.

The community is being urged to heed the advice of emergency services and always avoid driving through floodwaters.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib has signed a protection order for volunteers involved in responding to this weather event ensuring their employment will not be affected while they assist in the response. 

As this situation continues to unfold, the ongoing support of volunteers will be crucial over the coming days and weeks.

If you are an individual or part of a group who is ready and willing to help, consider partnering with the NSW SES, local authorities and endorsed community groups.

Your support could be invaluable for urgent tasks such as sandbagging, sharing information, and participating in clean-up activities.

For evacuation centre locations and more information, visit the NSW SES website. 

Visit the Live Traffic NSW website for the latest road closures and traffic conditions. 

If you need assistance during floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening situation, call Triple Zero (000).

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region. Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice.

“I want to thank all the amazing volunteers who are currently supporting flood-affected communities across the Mid-North Coast.

“I’ve signed a protection order for volunteers from the NSW SES and other emergency service organisations, providing employment protection while they’re undertaking vital assistance work supporting flood impacted communities.

“I encourage people to download the Hazards Near Me App which includes the latest warnings and information for impacted communities.”

With an increase in winter illnesses expected over the coming months, people across NSW are being reminded free and instant health advice and treatment is available 24/7 by calling Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

A new campaign, launched by NSW Health this week, is encouraging all NSW residents to save 1800 022 222 in their phone, to be ready for when illness strikes over winter.

An increasing number of people are turning to the service to get the advice and reassurance they need to recover quickly.

Last winter, nearly 20,000 people across NSW called Healthdirect seeking care for their cold and flu symptoms, almost double the number of people from 2023.

Of these, four in five people avoided an unnecessary trip to the emergency department, instead managing their symptoms at home with virtual care or through an appointment with a GP or at a local urgent care service.

When people call Healthdirect, a registered nurse will ask some questions about their health. Depending on their condition, the nurse will recommend the right healthcare option. This may include a nearby doctor, pharmacist or urgent care service, connecting them with specialist virtual care, or calling an ambulance if it is life-threatening.

If you need support in your language, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask to be connected to healthdirect.

If you or someone you are with is experiencing a medical emergency, please continue to call Triple Zero (000) immediately. For example, you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe bleeding, sudden collapse or are seriously injured.

The Minns Labor Government has invested half a billion dollars into ED relief, which includes:

• $189 million in tax relief to incentivise GPs to maintain bulk-billing rates, meaning people with non-life-threatening conditions don’t need to present to the ED;
• $171.4 million to expand statewide virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED;
• $100 million to continue urgent care services for a further two years to June 2027 providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients;
• $70 million to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours;
• $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times;
• $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
• $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“If you or someone you care about needs health advice, treatment or care Healthdirect should be your first call. 

“Whether it’s a tumble in the playground or a bad bug keeping you up through the night – free, instant health advice is only a phone call away.

“Have the number handy for those times when you need professional and reassuring health advice.

“Don’t wait, save the Healthdirect number 1800 022 222 today and share the number with those you love. This simple call has saved thousands of people a needless trip to the ED and has ensured people can access the right care at the right time – and fast.”

The Minns Labor Government, the University of Sydney and the Sydney Local Health District will today break ground on the $780 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator, a world class health education and research complex that will house more than 1200 researchers and clinician scientists on its 36,000 square metre site, spanning the University and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Due to open in 2028, the giant facility will be a major centre for biomedical innovation and research – bringing the disciplines of biology and medicine together to fast-track scientific discovery into real life health outcomes for patients and strengthen Australia’s global leadership in biomedicine.

Following a competitive tender process Australian-owned Richard Crookes Constructions has been selected as construction partner to build the complex, which includes two new biomedical research buildings over eight levels, and connecting bridges between the university and RPA.

An independent business with a strong track record in health construction, Richard Crookes’ expertise will be key to bringing the project’s vision to life and will employ more than 3,000 workers during construction.

Connecting the hospital and university is crucial for the new facility to enable a seamless exchange of knowledge from lab to bedside, such as by conducting targeted clinical trials.

The facility will include:

• Laboratory and collaboration spaces for researchers, clinicians, and industry, including an innovation and start-up hub.
• A high-tech biobank – a storage facility for tissue samples, cells, blood and DNA used for research.
• High-performing computing.
• Precision medicine.
• State-of-the-art surgery and anatomy research and teaching.
• Core research facilities for microscopy, preclinical imaging, drug discovery, protein production and purification.
• Clinical trials and patient-facing clinical spaces.

The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator will also help attract and retain world class researchers, provide anatomy training facilities for our future health workforce, and create career opportunities for those wanting to break into the field of medical and scientific research.

The NSW Health Research and Innovation Strategy was released this month. The Strategy seeks to foster a coordinated collaborative research environment across NSW.

Health Minister, Ryan Park:

“This new facility is set to change the game when it comes to research into diagnostics and treatments in Australia, and I am really proud that we have it here in New South Wales.

“Benchmarked against the world’s leading biomedical facilities, the Accelerator is set to change to landscape of medical research, and I hope it becomes a major drawcard for world class health researchers.  

“Cutting-edge laboratories will empower researchers to accelerate the discovery of cures and treatments for a wide range of diseases, driving medical breakthroughs with greater speed and precision.”

Minister for Medical Research, David Harris:

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is more than just a new building, it’s a launchpad for the next generation of medical breakthroughs. 

“We know that for NSW to be a world leader in medical research we need to continue to foster collaboration across government, health, industry and academia. 

“By bringing together scientists, clinicians and innovators under one roof, we’re laying the foundation for discoveries that will shape the future of healthcare in this country and across the globe.”

Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive, Deb Willcox AM:

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator represents a transformative leap in our health and medical research landscape.

“By bringing together class-leading laboratories, clinicians and academics from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney, we can accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real‑world patient outcomes, cementing our position as a global leader in biomedical innovation.”

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO: 

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is a bold step forward in Australia’s research and development landscape.

“What makes it unique is its integration of world-class research with innovation, commercial translation, and real-world clinical outcomes. It will be a place for discovery – but also one where ideas transform into impact, accelerating solutions from the lab bench to the bedside and beyond.”

The Minns Labor Government has renewed its commitment to protect workers from dust diseases with its new $2.5 million state-of-the -art Lung Health Mobile Clinic which is providing lung health checks to thousands of people across New South Wales.

The new lung bus has arrived in Nowra to provide free lung screening checks. These lung health checks can be lifesaving by ensuring early detection and treatment of dust diseases like asbestosis, silicosis and mesothelioma.

The lung bus program provides free lung screening checks to more than 5,000 workers annually in regional NSW.

The icare Lung Bus is travelling the length and breadth of the state, including visits to Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Taree, Tuncurry, Spears Point, Tweed Heads, Gosford, Nowra, Shellharbour, Port Kembla, Bathurst, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Tamworth.

The new mobile clinic features several innovations including:

• Digital chest X-ray technology, providing precise and reliable first instance imaging.
• Enhanced spirometry (lung function) testing equipment to evaluate breathing capacity and respiratory performance.
• Digital monitoring systems to streamline diagnostics and care.
• A backup power supply to ensure uninterrupted operation in remote locations.
• Greater accessibility and comfort, with larger clinical space designed to support both staff and clients.

The brand-new Lung Bus continues the legacy of the state’s original mobile service which served the community for nearly 16 years.

That Bus travelled more than 700,000km (more than 17 times around the world), screening more than 53,000 people, and visiting over 300 destinations across NSW.

This is one of many measures to protect workers from dust diseases, including those caused by silica and asbestos.

The Minns Labor Government has established a new Expert Taskforce to help address silica related health risks in tunnelling projects, following revelations of rising silicosis cases in tunnelling leading up to 2023 and led the campaign for the national ban on engineered stone which started last year.

The NSW Government is funding a team of dedicated silica safety inspectors to ensure businesses are complying with its strengthened laws.

The Lung Health Mobile Clinic will be in Nowra on Wednesday 21 May and Thursday 22 May.

The new Lung Bus will next travel to the following destinations:

Wollongong: 26-30 May, Orange: 13 June, Dubbo: 3-4 July, Broken Hill: 21-23 July,

Wagga Wagga: 4-5 August, Griffith: 25-26 August, Newcastle: 29-30 September,

Tamworth: 27-28 October, Newcastle: 1-5 December, Gosford: 17-19 December

Whilst lung bus bookings are at capacity, for more information on lung health checks or to arrange a screening, visit:

https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au/employers/employer-obligations/lung-screening-service

Workers can also arrange a free lung screening at icare’s Sydney CBD clinic, or with local providers regionally when the lung bus is not in that part of the state. To book a free lung health check, contact icare on 1800 550 027.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“The new Mobile Clinic underscores the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to removing barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to the critical support and care they need to safeguard their health.

“Along with enforcement of the recent ban on engineered stone, the new Lung Bus demonstrates our commitment to improve outcomes for workers exposed to hazardous dust across NSW.”

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“I welcome the $2.5 million investment into the new icare Lung Bus which will provide thousands of health checks for people living in regional NSW.

“Our regional communities remain front and centre when it comes to ensuring early detection and treatment of dust diseases like asbestosis, silicosis, and mesothelioma.”

Icare Group Executive of General Insurance and Care, Britt Coombe said:

“A lung health check could save your life.

“Early detection is critical to effective treatment, and we’re here to make sure every worker, no matter where they live, has access to world-class care.”

Member for South Coast Liza Butler said:

“The Lung Bus will be in Nowra this May, and I strongly encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of this life-saving service.

“I know firsthand how costly lung tests can be—my husband requires them for his job, and they can cost hundreds of dollars each time. That’s why I’m so pleased to see the Minns Labor Government delivering this essential service free of charge to our community.

“This is another example of our government’s philosophy of putting people first.”

The Albanese and Minns Governments have activated disaster assistance to communities in 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Hunter and Mid North Coast following severe weather, including heavy rainfall.

The NSW Government’s Natural Disaster Declaration applies to the LGAs of: Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, MidCoast, Nambucca, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter.

Support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Assistance measures that may be provided to communities include:

• Assistance for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation and essential items generally provided from evacuation or recovery centres.
• Grants for low-income, uninsured residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain basic standard of living.
• Grants for low-income, uninsured residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a basic, safe and habitable condition.
• Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and non-profit organisations and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
• Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.
• Financial support towards counter disaster activity undertaken by emergency service organisations to keep communities safe.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the Albanese Government is working closely with the Minns Government to ensure support is available for Hunter and Mid North Coast communities impacted by flooding. 

“These floods and severe weather are having a huge impact on communities across the Hunter and Mid North Coast, which is why we’re working with the Minns Government to activate this support,” Minister McBain said.

“From emergency accommodation, to support for small businesses and councils to repair damages – we’re ensuring support is available during this event and as communities turn their focus to recovery.

“These conditions are expected to continue into the week, so it’s really important that people are aware of the flood risk in their area by keeping up to date with the warnings and that they listen to the advice of emergency services.”

NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the NSW Government is activating a range of basic support to assist flood impacted communities and councils 

“We know this is a challenging time for people in many parts of NSW, and we are rolling out these support measures so communities can begin the clean-up and recovery process as soon as possible,” Minister Saffin said.

“We are still in the response phase but the NSW Reconstruction Authority is working closely with the State Emergency Service and partner agencies to ensure a smooth transition to recovery and the delivery of targeted support for our affected communities.

“The Government and the Reconstruction Authority will continue to work closely with local councils and communities to ensure they can get essential support and activate further assistance if it is required.”

More information on disaster assistance can be found at

https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery and www.disasterassist.gov.au

Motorists are reminded to slow down and look out for animals on country roads as Transport for NSW launches its annual ‘Animals on country roads’ public education initiative between 19 May to 30 June.

Transport for NSW Deputy Secretary, Safety, Policy, Environment & Regulation, Sally Webb said driving on country roads often involves driving around livestock and wildlife that can be unpredictable and move quickly.

“It’s important to always take care, follow the road signs and expect the unexpected when driving around animals to ensure we protect both human lives and our wildlife.” 

“One in every 41 crashes on country roads involves a vehicle hitting an animal, so it’s important that drivers and riders know the best way to react when an animal approaches,” said Ms Webb.

From 2014 to 2023, there were 1,344 crashes that involved an animal which sadly resulted in 27 people dying and 1,503 people injured.

“This campaign is a great reminder to all motorists about the risks of driving around wildlife and to be vigilant and cautious.

“Animals can be more active at sunrise and sunset, when visibility is reduced. Stay alert when driving on country roads and if you see an animal when driving or riding, don’t panic, apply your brakes carefully and in a controlled manner and don’t swerve to avoid an animal,” said Ms Webb.

 

To help reduce the risk of a crash and keep everyone safe, motorists should always do the following: 

•    Reduce your speed – slow down and look out for wildlife on or near the roadside 

•    Stay alert – Animals can be fast and unpredictable. Stay alert and expect the unexpected 

•    Brake safely – Apply your brakes in a careful, controlled manner. Leave space and pass with care when it’s safe to do so 

•    Don’t swerve – Take great care if you manoeuvre to avoid an animal. You may lose control of your vehicle if you swerve too harshly 

•    Follow animal warning signs – Take note of warning signs alerting you to the presence of animals in the area. If you see these signs, slow down, stay alert and be prepared to stop if required 

•    Report injured wildlife – Call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or use the IFAW Wildlife rescue app to find a suitable wildlife rescue organisation for your area.  

Social media, radio and digital displays are now rolling out to remind motorists how to stay safe around animals on the roads. For more information on road safety and driving tips in animal-prone areas, visit the www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/road-users/drivers/animals