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‘Hear our voices’ – supporting reporting of sexual abuse of older women

The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are building a safer New South Wales for older women, with the launch today of new training and resources to improve supports for those who have experienced sexual violence.

Developed with over $500,000 funding from the Sexual Violence Project Fund, the Older Women’s Network NSW has created a package of resources, including four moving videos to raise awareness of sexual violence experienced by older women, and tools and guides to assist specialist sexual assault services respond to reports of abuse.

The 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that 3.2 per cent of women over 65 years had experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, and 0.5 per cent of those over 55 had experienced sexual violence in the last two years.

Sexual violence is often under-reported usually due to shame, fear, or guilt. Older women face similar barriers, as well as those related to ageism, positioning them as asexual, less credible and less valuable, creating a context in which disclosures are minimised or never made.

The “Hear Our Voices” initiative challenges this, and includes resources to support reporting:

A report documenting key themes and barriers to help-seeking
A ‘body mapping’ gallery documenting older women’s experiences of sexual violence, disclosure, healing and resilience
Practitioner fact sheets
An audit and planning tool
Guides for frontline services and specialist workers
Guide for trainers, educators and facilitators to deliver training safely and effectively.

The resources and training package were co-designed with older women, putting victim-survivor voices at the centre and ensuring a trauma-informed approach that is responsive to the needs of older women.

The training package is available to all service providers at: https://voices.ownnsw.org.au/

The $10 million Sexual Violence Project Fund is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments for one-off, time-limited early intervention and response projects that address sexual violence.

It is part of the NSW Government’s wider effort to address sexual violence and elder abuse in our community. This includes funding for the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline and the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission.

Federal Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Ged Kearney said:

“Women have fought for decades to have sexual violence addressed at every life stage. This funding recognises that older women deserve specialised, trauma-informed supports tailored to the unique barriers they face when accessing care.

“We know that sexual violence is underreported and under recognised, and this is especially true for older women. Age does not protect women from harm, often it can hide it and exclude them from supports. I want older women to know that we are determined to change that.

“The Albanese Labor Government has made the largest investment in Australia’s history to end family, domestic and sexual violence, $4 billion, and that commitment includes support for older women. We will continue to work in partnership with state and territory governments so that no women are left behind.”

NSW Minister for Seniors and the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“Sexual violence has a devastating impact on victim-survivors and those around them. Early intervention is critical to reducing the prevalence of sexual violence and improving responses.

“The Older Women’s Network project will close a gap in raising awareness in our community about elder sexual abuse, as well as making sure that frontline services are in a position to respond in a trauma-informed way.

“Thank you to the Older Women’s Network for its thorough approach to addressing this issue with the ‘Hear our Voices’ project.”

CEO Older Women’s Network NSW Yumi Lee said:

“For too many older women, sexual violence has been carried alone, dismissed because of their age, doubted because of stereotypes, or shamed into silence.

“This project says clearly and publicly: we hear you, we believe you, and we are building systems that will respond properly.

“I encourage all services to access these resources so older women can be better seen, heard and supported as they navigate their journey following sexual assaults, whether perpetrated in the distant past or now.”

Support:

If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, call the Police on Triple Zero / 000.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, call the 1800 FULLSTOP for free counselling and referrals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For support for elder abuse, call the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission on

For confidential advice, support, and referrals, contact 1800 ELDERHelp, 1800 RESPECT or 13 YARN.

Toll reform rort

Graham ordered public service and consultants to model electorate impacts of toll reform options

The Minns Government has directed taxpayer funded consultants and public servants to model the electorate level impacts of toll reform options. That is not public administration. It is politics.

Documents released to Parliament show that in January 2025, while four toll reform options were under active consideration, the Transport Minister’s office ordered modelling to assess how each option would affect individual electorates.

Electorates are political constructs. They are not transport metrics. They are not economic metrics. They are not congestion metrics.

There is no public interest in using taxpayer resources to understand the electorate implications of different toll reform options. The ICAC has made clear that an improper purpose arises where public power is exercised for a purpose foreign to that power, or where partisan advantage becomes relevant to decision making.

The Ministerial Code of Conduct also makes Ministers responsible for the actions of their offices and they are required to always act in the public interest.

By the end of December 2024, the Government had signed an MOU with concessionaires and entered live negotiations.

Against that backdrop, The Minns Government direction to model how reform options would impact individual electorates had no legitimate purpose, was not in the public interest and was an unethical misuse of public resources.

During a period in which the Government has refused to disclose detail under claims of cabinet confidentiality and commercial in confidence, it was using the public service to assess how different options would affect its electoral position.

Once a deal is struck, there is no going back.

The Opposition supports toll reform. But transparency and integrity matter.

The Minister must answer:

Why was ordering electorate modelling in the public interest?
Does he believe this was an appropriate use of taxpayer resources?
Was it shared beyond the Minister’s office?
Will he be invoking the ‘Jo Haylen’ defence, saying he knows nothing about what happens in his office, on Toll Reform or this work – despite leading the reform for over 1000 days

Appeal to locate man missing from Morisset

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the state’s Hunter Region.

Douglas Nicholls, aged 20, was last seen in Morisset, about 1.10pm last Friday (13 February 2026).

When he could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Douglas’s welfare as he lives with a number of medical conditions.

Douglas is described as Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, thin build, 165cm tall, short black hair and clean shaven.

He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts and black sneakers.

Douglas is known to frequent the Morisset and Newcastle areas.

Anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to call Toronto Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Civilian employee charged – South West Metropolitan Region

A NSW Police civilian employee has been charged following an investigation into an alleged domestic violence related assault in March 2025.

On Saturday 14 February 2026, officers attached to Newcastle City Police District commenced an investigation into the alleged domestic violence assault.

Later that day, police arrested a 41-year-old woman at Burwood.

She was charged with two counts of common assault (Domestic Violence) and granted conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on Thursday 19 February 2026.

Her employment status is under review.

Labor’s made-up $30 billion AUKUS ‘announceable’ for the SA election

The Federal Labor Government today delivered a made-up $30 billion AUKUS ‘announceable’ for South Australia, that is not backed up by any budget commitment and is a stark political play weeks out from the SA State election.

Only a fraction of these funds are in the budget forecasts, nominally to build facilities at Osborne for the construction of AUKUS submarines over a decade in the future for boats that have not yet been designed.

The AUKUS Agreement is intended to enable Australia to purchase second-hand US nuclear submarines, which experts say is unlikely to occur. Meanwhile, the UK is leading the design and production of the new type of AUKUS nuclear submarine, core parts of which the UK audit office says is ‘unachievable’.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Spokesperson for Defence, said: “This $30 billion is a made-up number, we saw the same thing from Labor late last year for the Henderson precinct in WA just weeks before Albanese went to Washington.

“Labor is shameless in announcing these multi-billion dollar, uncosted AUKUS numbers without even a shred of reality, let alone budget commitments, to back them in.

“The real budgeted amount for South Australia is only a fraction of what the Albanese Government has committed to the UK and the US submarine industries. That should show you everything about the priorities of Federal and State Labor.

“We have seen this all before in South Australia, the Government spending hundreds of millions building facilities for French submarines only to spend millions more to tear it all down when the project crashed. We are watching history repeat itself with AUKUS.

“The only secure jobs this will create are for retired Labor and Liberal politicians going to work in the US and UK defence industries after they leave politics.”

Robert Simms MLC, said: “While South Australians are desperate for cost-of-living relief, Labor are wasting billions of dollars on nuclear submarines when we could instead fund healthcare, education and housing.”

Lead Upper House Candidate Melanie Selwood, said: “The major parties are bending over backwards to deliver the doomed AUKUS plan. AUKUS ties our state’s economic future to the US, defence industries, and the storage of nuclear waste. Instead we could be building a future for our state by funding local infrastructure manufacturing, building affordable housing, and investing in educational programs that serve the interests of South Australians, not the US and the UK.”

Transcript of Press Conference Angus Taylor

Topics: Cost of Living, Housing, Labor’s Taxes, Shadow Ministry

E&OE.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

It’s great to be here in Goulburn, with Jane Hume, talking to a young family, Grant and Georgia, about the challenges for them in paying the bills, in owning a home, paying the mortgage every month, and getting by, which is incredibly difficult right now. And we’ve also been talking to a local builder about the huge reduction we’ve seen in the number of new houses coming on because it’s just got too hard to build a house and to find someone who can take that on.

My top priority as the new leader, and Jane’s as well, is to protect Australians’ way of life and to restore their standard of living. And right at the heart of that is owning a home. Owning a home has always been an essential part of the Australian ideal, of the Australian journey, of what young Australians do as they start a family.

It’s an essential part of being part of this great nation. It’s an essential part of being able to build wealth, but also stability for a growing family. And that’s what we were just talking to Grant and Georgia about. But it is getting too hard.

Young Australians are giving up hope. Builders are giving up hope that they can find a market for their houses because the costs and times involved are just too great.

And young families who do have a home and have a mortgage, in some cases, are giving up or having to take on second jobs just to be able to make ends meet. This is unacceptable.

This Labor Government is making life harder for young Australians, Australians wanting to buy a home because it’s just got too expensive to make ends meet.

Interest rates are going up, inflation is surging, and now they’re talking about putting an additional tax on the home.

If you want more homes, if you want more homes, we don’t need another tax. But that’s what Labor is proposing to do.

We will fight this tax. We will fight bad taxes from a bad Labor Government that’s making life harder for Australians. Jane, over to you.

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Thanks, Gus. Grant and Georgia are an amazing couple. They work really hard, two jobs each. They have two young kids who spend time at daycare and at preschool, but they can’t seem to get ahead.

They bought this fabulous house back in 2020, and now they’re even considering selling it and downsizing it just to make ends meet. That’s because interest rates have gone up 13 times under Labor.

They’ve gone up 13 times because inflation keeps going up. That dragon has not been tamed. It makes it really hard when Grant and Georgia get those bills every month.

We saw their electricity bill, which they say has gone up by about 40 per cent since they bought this house. They’ve got childcare expenses, they’ve gone up, and they’ve got rates as well. We want families like Grant and Georgia’s to get a chance to get ahead.

We want families like Grant and Georgia to be able to say, next year is going to be better than this year. Maybe we can wind back one of those additional jobs. Maybe, Georgia, you can go and study and stop doing that second job that she’s taken on.

But it’s hard for Australians right now because this government has really let them down. A Liberal coalition government will focus on families just like Grant and Georgia’s, making sure that they have that chance to get ahead, that they have a chance for a brighter future, both them and for their kids.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, it’s one thing to talk about all of these problems. The Opposition has been talking about these sorts of problems for a long time before you came to the job. These are big economic challenges. What are your big solutions?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

We are up to fighting for Australians when it comes to these big economic challenges because they’re hurting Australians, and that’s exactly what we’ve heard.

But we do need to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates. That means we need to be prudent in government spending. We don’t need waste. We have seen waste from this government, and we’re continuing to see waste from this government.

We need to make it easier for builders and others right across Australia to do their jobs. If we’re going to have more homes, we’ve got to make it easier to build homes.

It’s really not that complicated, but Labor is making it harder to build homes. More red tape, more regulation, more regulators. That’s not what we need right now.

We need an economy where people can get out and do things, invest in building a house, invest in building their businesses, and if we make it easier for them to do that, it’s going to make it easier to own a home. And that’s the key.

JOURNALIST:

You say you’re going to fight the tax. I’m assuming you’re talking about any possible changes to capital gains tax?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

That’s right.

JOURNALIST:

Some economists argue it would cool house price growth, house price inflation. Isn’t that the desirable outcome?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

You know, there’s a pretty simple principle of economics: if you tax something more, you get less of it. If you make it more expensive, you get less of it. It’s the same for houses.

If you whack another tax on homes, you’re going to get less homes. It’s very simple. And Labor doesn’t get it, because Labor has run out of money. So they’re coming after yours.

JOURNALIST:

Doesn’t the capital gains tax help property investors with 10, 20 homes rather than first home buyers, I’m assuming you’re looking to appeal to as opposition leader?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

You can overcomplicate this. If you put an extra tax on something, you get less of it.

And we need more homes, not less. If we’re going to have more affordability, we need more supply, more homes. That’s the key.

Jim Chalmers doesn’t get this. And that’s why Australians are seeing with him as Treasurer and Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister, it’s getting harder to pay the bills. It’s getting harder to buy a home.

It’s getting harder to run a business. And it’s just getting harder to make ends meet. And we’re going to fight. Jane and I and our team are going to fight every single day for those hard-working Australians who are trying to get ahead, who believe in the Australian ideal and are giving up hope. Well, they shouldn’t give up hope, because we’re here to fight for them.

JOURNALIST:

So that’s one policy they’re opposing, the capital gains tax changes. When are we going to see any other kind of solid policies from you? Can you give us a bit of a timetable? We’ve been waiting for the immigration policy for a long time. When are we seeing policies?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, I think you’ve heard some strong comments from me in the last 24 hours on immigration. Immigration, clearly the numbers have been too high and the standards have been too low.

But we also need an immigration policy that’s true to our Australian values. If people want to come to this country and bring the hatred and violence of another place, the doors should be shut.

We’ll continue to announce our priorities and policies over the coming weeks and months. But I think these are important messages that we’re going to continue to convey.

And most importantly, we’re going to fight a bad Labor government who’s been getting these things wrong.

JOURNALIST:

What about the seat of Farrer? You’re obviously going to be fighting a by-election in the not-too-distant future. It’s looking like it’s turning out to be a four-cornered contest. That’s a lot of people to be fighting against. Are you confident that Liberals will be able to retain that seat?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, it’s never going to be easy. We’ve got a popular local member leaving. That always makes it challenging. And we know that our starting point as leaders of the party is the worst the party’s been in since 1944. So we’re realistic about this.

But we’ve got to restore confidence of voters across Australia, including in Farrer, in us and in the Coalition, to fight for them. And that’s what we’re going to do, as I say, every single day. We’re going to be focused on their challenges and the failures of this government to meet their challenges.

JOURNALIST:

Will it be a measuring stick of your leadership? If you can win the Farrah by-election, you’ll be going up against One Nation and Climate 200. They’ve already both said they’re going to run. How do you fight both the left and right flank?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, of course it’s challenging. I mean, I’ve been the first to say, I said it yesterday, that Farrer, competing in Farrer, will be challenging. We’ve got a popular local member leaving. It will be a cast of many. I don’t know how many, but a cast of many, obviously.

But we’re going to be out there fighting for our values, what we believe in. And we are absolutely committed to moving away from the politics of convenience to the politics of conviction.

We need to demonstrate to Australians that we stand for the values that Australians stand for, that we’ll fight to protect their way of life, to restore their way of living, at a time when they feel those things are under threat.

JOURNALIST:

This is one perhaps for Jane. Obviously, we’re in a regional part of Australia now, but one of the main challenges for the Liberals is going to be winning back those city voters. What’s your pitch to them in terms of bringing back their confidence to the Liberal Party that they actually do stand for the interests of city voters as well?

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

You know, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the city or whether you’re in the country. Families are feeling the same pain right around the country. That’s because the promise of a Labor government has come to naught.

It’s getting harder and harder to find a house to buy and harder and harder to find a house to rent. People are seeing their bills go up, doesn’t matter if it’s the city or the country.

Grant and Georgia’s story is not an unusual one: 40% rises in energy bills and potentially another 24% forecast for this year. 13 interest rate rises because inflation is still out of control. We were talking about going to the supermarket today.

Every time you fill up that trolley, every time you fill up your basket, it’s just that little bit more. Families are looking for an opportunity to get ahead. They want to know that next year is going to be better than last year.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the city or in the country. It doesn’t matter whether you’re regional and rural and remote or whether you’re right in the heart of a CBD. We want families to get ahead, to have brighter days ahead of them, and we want them to see that in the Liberal Party’s and the Coalition’s offerings.

Because let’s face it, it’s a Coalition that represents all Australians, not sectional interests.

JOURNALIST:

Angus, what’s your thinking around the shadow ministry? When would you like to get that out? Will you reward people that voted for you or will you reward performers like Andrew Bragg, Tim Wilson? And if I can ask you, Jane, have you decided what portfolio you’d like yet?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

I’ll start and then Jane can add to it. Look, can I say, we’ve got a lot of talented people in the Liberal Party.

And what we need right now is everyone pulling together to work hard for hard-working Australians who are struggling. And I’m going to be putting a great team on the field. And we have a great team to put on the field.

This is the important point. And they’re going to be fighting hard for Australians every single day.

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

I haven’t spoken to Angus about that yet. But I can assure you that the position, whatever position I take, will be one that allows me to best represent our party, our party’s values and our party’s priorities.

Art and environment combine to create community connections to Newcastle creek

A group of junior football players have kicked off a community art project designed to strengthen Newcastle residents’ relationships with their local waterways.

The Kotara South players took part in hands-on clay making and photography-based activities at Upper Styx Creek today, working with professional artists to create environmentally inspired artworks that will form part of a future exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.

Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe joins Ellie Hannon and Future Creek workshop facilitators Therese Keogh, Chris Brown and Holly Macdonald as they prepare for the first workshop in Kotara South on Styx Creek. The Future Creek project is one of eight initiatives supported through City of Newcastle’s most recent round of environment grants, providing more than $65,000 to support activities that strengthen local biodiversity, environmental educational, habitat restoration and connection to place.

Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe said the grants highlight the valuable role the community plays in caring for the local environment.

“City of Newcastle is proud to support community-led environmental projects that empower people to learn, create and take action,” Cr McCabe said.

“Our grants help residents connect with nature, protect biodiversity and celebrate the green spaces that make our city unique.

“These eight funded projects showcase the creativity and care that exist across Newcastle, from habitat restoration and native beehive installation to the creation of multicultural gardening spaces, the delivery of community workshops and the imaginative exploration of Styx Creek through art.”

The Future Creek project is being delivered by Newcastle artist Ellie Hannon, who will use four seasonal workshops to explore community relationships with Styx Creek from the headwaters at Nesbitt Park to its outlet near the harbour. Participants will take part in clay work, photography, printmaking, letterpress and place-based cultural learning.

An evolving moveable fabric structure known as the Future Creek Canopy will be set up at each of the workshops to act as a meeting point and will be incorporated into the final exhibition alongside artworks created during the program.

Ellie Hannon said the program aims to spark deeper connections between people and their local waterways through creativity and shared experience.

“Future Creek is all about connecting community with local waterways through creative, place-based learning. Styx Creek holds so many stories, and bringing young people, artists, ecologists and community members together is a way of building a more caring and reciprocal relationship with the urbanised environment we live in,” Hannon said.

“Each workshop explores the creek at a different moment in the year. As we move downstream, the artworks, conversations and the Future Creek Canopy will evolve with the landscape and I’m excited to see that journey culminate in an exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.”

Other grant recipients include Kotara’s March Street community garden, which also hosted its first event today in a seasonal series of pollinator workshops led by local artist Gemma Kirschner and environmental scientist Tristan Pintus. Workshops are open to members and the local community, covering topics of different pollinator species in Australia, how to keep them safe and guidance to encourage pollinators.

Volunteers of Obelisk Hill Arcadia Park Landcare planted 250 native trees on Friday as part of the next stage of their restoration works in Nesca Park, supported by the City of Newcastle grant. This followed a range of recent activities, including weed-clearing and the installation of water points and nesting boxes throughout the par, while climate change plots and educational signage will be placed in coming months to complete the project.

Other funded projects include a native beehive and student education program at Carrington Public School and the revegetation of 250 square metres on Ash Island led by the Friends of the Schoolmasters House, which will replace non-native grass with local native plants and eliminate the need for machine mowing while creating a habitat for bees, birds and other wildlife.

The grants also support Multicultural Neighbourhood Centre’s improvements to its community garden with new garden beds, a worm farm and compost bin, as well as a new sun shelter at Silsoe Street Community Garden.

Raising the roof at Penrith Stadium

The Minns Labor Government is powering ahead with the redevelopment of Penrith Stadium, reaching a major milestone with the installation of the first section of the eastern grandstand roof.

The modern roof design will significantly enhance the game-day experience. Once finished, more than half the seats in the eastern grandstand will be covered, nearly doubling the number of covered seats compared to the old grandstand.

Two Western Sydney businesses are playing a central role in the roof installation. Quality Rigging Services Australia (QRSA) is expertly rigging each of the four roof sections to prepare them for lifting, while Borgers Cranes is using a 600-tonne crane to lift the components into place, some weighing up to 70 tonnes.

In total, 172 prefabricated roof sheets each measuring 24 metres in length are being meticulously pre-assembled on the field of play to ensure precision and efficiency during installation.

Construction has progressed rapidly since the first structural members were installed late last year. All formed concrete seating plats on the eastern grandstand are now complete, while early works on the multi-level western grandstand are underway, including concrete poured for the player run-out area.

The Penrith Stadium redevelopment forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s historic multi-billion-dollar investment in Sydney’s western suburbs. It reflects the government’s commitment to building better communities across Western Sydney by investing in the critical infrastructure and services needed in both fast-growing and established areas connecting local families with jobs, recreation and opportunity.

This project will generate around 500 jobs during construction, with more than 650 ongoing jobs supported once the stadium is operational.

The next phase of works will see the installation of steps on the eastern grandstand and the pre-assembly of the western grandstand roof.

Accessibility, safety, comfort and inclusivity are at the heart of the new stadium design, featuring triple the number of wheelchair-accessible seats, double the number of female bathrooms and changerooms, improved wayfinding, and upgraded security and technology.

For more information visit: Penrith Stadium.

Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said

“We are proud to be delivering this world-class stadium upgrade that continues to take shape, right in the heart of the West.

“In a win for Western Sydney, this project is creating hundreds of jobs during construction and will support hundreds more ongoing roles once the stadium opens.

“The community is looking forward to returning to the stands for the 2027 NRL season and cheering on the Panthers in their world-class stadium.”

Minister forJobs and Tourism, Lands and Property, Multiculturalism and Sport, Steve Kamper said:

“Penrith Stadium is about more than a stadium. It’s about driving local jobs, boosting small businesses and creating an entertainment destination that supports the local economy year-round.

“The installation of the first roof section marks another significant milestone and shows just how well construction is progressing. We’re one step closer to welcoming fans back through the gates.

“The precinct won’t just host events it will help power Penrith’s economy and cement Western Sydney as a premier destination for sport and entertainment.”

Local member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:

“This milestone highlights the enormous progress being made to deliver this much needed stadium upgrade to celebrate the passion and pride of the Panthers supporters and deliver year-round community benefits.

“This redevelopment is a game changer for our community, not just for sport fans and concerts goers, but for local businesses, such as QRS and Borgers Cranes.”

Minns Labor Government continues to deliver school upgrades for Western Sydney

The Minns Labor Government is delivering another major school upgrade for Western Sydney, with construction underway at Parramatta East Public School to replace all of the school’s demountables with modern permanent classrooms.

Parramatta East will go from having 21 demountable classrooms on site to zero, with students benefiting from 24 permanent new classrooms, a learning support unit with three classrooms, 12 common rooms and multipurpose spaces, and a library.

These brand-new facilities will open from Day 1, Term 1, 2027 as the Minns Government continues its work to rebuild public education across NSW.

Once complete, Parramatta East will have capacity for more than 650 students, future-proofing the school for one of the fastest growing communities in NSW.

For more than a decade, the Liberals and Nationals neglected public schools in Western Sydney despite once-in-a-generation student enrolment growth putting pressure on schools and leading to demountables clogging valuable play space.

The former government promised to upgrade Parramatta East Public School, but failed to do so.

The upgrade to Parramatta East Public School is among 16 major education infrastructure projects being delivered across the greater Parramatta region, that will see over 200 demountables removed and replaced with more than 300 permanent classrooms.

Once complete, this work across the greater Parramatta region will provide permanent capacity for almost 7,000 additional students.

The Minns Labor Government is also building three new public preschools at Melrose Park Public School, Oatlands Public School, and Ermington West, offering 280 places per week for the area’s youngest learners.

This is all part of a record $9 billion in new schools and upgrades, including a record $3.9 billion for new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney as well as more teachers in the classroom, giving our children access to a world class public education, right where they live.

This is the largest investment in school infrastructure in NSW history and $400 million higher than when the former government left office.

Around 230 new schools, public preschools, and major upgrades are currently underway across NSW.

The delivery of new classrooms is being matched with more teachers in NSW public schools, with teacher vacancies at a 12-year low at the beginning of the 2026 school year.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“We are delivering new and upgraded schools because every child deserves access to a world-class public education.

“In Western Sydney, we were elected to address the school infrastructure backlog and deliver more classrooms and modern facilities for students and teachers.

“As the son of a public school teacher, I know just how important giving every kid access to the best education possible is, no matter where they live – and thanks to more teachers and better schools, that is exactly what we’re delivering.”

Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“The Minns Labor Government is building and upgrading schools where they’re needed, as we work to fix the mess left behind by the Liberals and Nationals.

“The former government oversaw record population growth in Western Sydney but failed to deliver the infrastructure required including new and upgraded public schools, despite promising to do so.

“Our government is working to ensure students are learning from the modern permanent classrooms they deserve.”

Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:

“During their 12 years in government the Liberals and Nationals left Parramatta East Public School behind, and the 70-year-old facilities were bursting at the seams.

“The Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job of removing demountables and building permanent classrooms for local students.

“I’m proud to be part of a government delivering for families in Parramatta and across Western Sydney.”

Parramatta East Public School Principal Justine Miller said:

“It’s wonderful to see construction progressing on this much-needed upgrade for our school community.

“We look forward to the project continuing to take shape and seeing our students benefit from these new and improved facilities for many years to come.”

Additional public primary and public high school upgrades and new builds being delivered across the greater Parramatta region:

Carlingford West Public School – upgrade
Cumberland High School – upgrade
Darcy Road Public School – upgrade
Dundas Public School – upgrade
Ermington West Public School – upgrade
Girraween Public School – upgrade
Melrose Park – new high school
Melrose Park Public School – redevelopment
Newington Public School – upgrade
Northmead Public School – upgrade
Rydalmere Public School – upgrade
Rydalmere East Public School – upgrade
Telopea Public School – upgrade
Wentworth Point Public School – upgrade (Stage 2)
Westmead Public School – upgrade

$2.5m Lung Bus arrives in Blacktown to protect workers against dust diseases

The Minns Labor Government maintains its commitment to protect workers from dust diseases with its $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 lung bus has arrived in Blacktown 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.

In collaboration with SafeWork, icare also supports the NSW Silica Worker Register (SWR), which helps identify and monitor workers who have been exposed to respirable crystalline silica across their working lives.

By linking registry data with services such as the mobile clinic, icare is helping ensure workers most at risk are prioritised for screening, follow-up care and specialist referral where needed.

Data from SafeWork NSW shows there have been 12,214 workers registered on the SWR from 597 businesses as at 31 December 2025, most of which are in the construction and manufacturing industries. Close to 3,850 workers are listed as working in tunnelling-related roles.

Launched on 1 October 2025, the SWR is used to help monitor and track the health of at-risk workers undertaking high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS).

In Blacktown, 62 employers are currently on the Register, with their workers being prioritised for screening due to potential occupational silica exposure.

Lung health checks are painless and only take around 30 minutes. The process includes chest X-rays to detect abnormalities or damage, lung function testing to assess respiratory performance, consultation with a specialist doctor, who interprets results and provides tailored advice and referral for a CT scan, if required, to get a better image of the chest and lungs.

The Lung Health Mobile Clinic will be located at Blacktown International Sports Park – Athletics Centreon Monday 16 February.

Eliminating the risks associated with silica is a high priority for the Minns Government and the Lung Bus is one of several measures which have been introduced to reduce the risks of working with CSS in NSW.

These include:

Strengthening workplace safety through a Silica Worker Register (SWR) which monitors and tracks the health of at-risk workers undertaking high-risk processing of crystalline silica substances (CSS).
Leading the ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs containing one per cent or greater crystalline silica. This included a national ban on its importation from January 1, 2025.
Establishing the Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce to help address silica related health risks for workers in tunnelling projects. The Taskforce is made up of Government, medical, industry and union representatives and provides expert guidance to prevent and manage silica and other dust related disease associated with tunnelling projects in NSW.
Establishing a dedicated silica unit within SafeWork NSW which includes a Silica Compliance Team to enforce strengthened regulations, including proactive visits to sites conducting high-risk CSS processing.
Allocating $5 million in critical funding for silicosis research and a patient support program for individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust. The grant funding, administered collaboratively by icare and the Dust Diseases Board, will be provided over three years to the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI).

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.

The Dust Diseases Care team can help facilitate lung health checks at icare’s Sydney CBD Kent Street clinic or their mobile clinic or through local services.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:

“The icare 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.

“The Lung Bus is another important step towards protecting workers from dust diseases and builds on the Government’s recent actions including the Silica Worker Register, the ban on engineered stone, the establishment of the Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce and a dedicated Silica unit within SafeWork NSW.

“Every worker has the right to go to work and return home safely.”

Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali said:

“We want to make sure that people in Blacktown have access to the healthcare they need, when and where they need it.

“For too many, life gets in the way of regular check-ups so by bringing this service directly to the community, we’re removing one more barrier to staying healthy.

“Whether you’re working in construction, mining, manufacturing or just living in the area – we’re urging everyone to take a few minutes to get checked.”

Member for Riverstone Warren Kirby said:

“The Lung Bus is a terrific initiative that plays a vital role in keeping workers safe and healthy.

“These health checks can be lifesaving by enabling the early detection and treatment of dust-related diseases.

“By bringing these essential services directly to the communities that need them most, the icare Lung Bus is helping to protect the health and futures of our workers.”

Icare Group Executive of General Insurance and Care Sarah Johnson 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.”