Category: NSW News

Frontline emergency care across NSW has received a significant boost, with an additional 817 paramedics starting on road with NSW Ambulance since the start of the Strategic Workforce and Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) Program.

This forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to strengthen essential health services by strengthening the workforce.

These additional paramedics provide life-saving emergency and mobile health care across the state and are based out of ambulance stations across regional and metro NSW, including in:

• Western Sydney
• South Western Sydney
• Nepean Blue Mountains
• Illawarra and Shoalhaven
• Southern NSW
• New England
• Central Coast
• Northern NSW and Mid-North Coast
• Hunter
• Central West.

The SWIFT Program is delivering 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff and 30 new ambulance stations, including the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to regional and rural areas.

The Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job of rebuilding health services, including by:

• Delivering a historic pay rise and professional recognition for paramedics;
• Implementing ratios in our emergency departments;
• Saving 1,112 nurses which the Liberal Government planned to sack;
• Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the largest wage increase to healthcare workers in a decade;
• Supporting our future health workforce through providing them with study subsidies; and
• Investing $274 million to deliver an additional 250 healthcare workers at upgraded hospitals left with inadequate staff by the previous government.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park: 

“The NSW Government is investing in frontline emergency health care with more paramedics right across the state.

“With an additional 817 paramedics already on the road, local communities are seeing a real difference.

“We are investing in our frontline workers, so we can continue to deliver the high-quality health care the people of NSW deserve.”

HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes:

“Our paramedics are critical to the communities they look after, especially in regional and rural areas where medical help can often be hundreds of kilometres away.

“We welcome these new paramedics, who will also ease pressure on the workforce who are working so hard to save lives day in and day out.”

NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan: 

“These additional paramedics across NSW will enable our highly trained clinicians to deliver better health outcomes for patients.

“As demand for our services continues to grow across the state, we remain committed to providing the right care, in the right place at the right time now and into the future.”

The Minns Labor Government is introducing landmark legislation to deliver more homes through a modern, faster, and fairer planning system for NSW.

The NSW Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 is designed to make the planning system quicker and simpler to navigate, so that more homes and jobs can be delivered across the state.

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) is the foundation of the State’s housing, infrastructure, and energy delivery. Every decision made about new and existing development is determined by the EP&A Act, but after nearly 50 years, it has become overly complex and ill-equipped to meet modern challenges.

Over time, the planning system has become a barrier preventing the delivery of much needed homes by slowing decision-making and delaying construction. The level of assessment required for simple developments is disproportionate to their impact on communities – in short, we are sweating the small stuff.

As a result, not enough homes are being built. Sydney is now the second least affordable city in the world and twice as many young people are leaving NSW as are arriving. Families, young people and downsizers are being locked out of the communities they want to live in and are being forced to live far from their families, jobs, and essential services.

The EP&A Act needs modernising and following constructive conversations with the NSW Opposition the NSW Planning System Reforms Bill 2025 proposes to:

Faster, simpler approvals

• Establish the Development Coordination Authority, a single front door which will provide advice on development applications and planning proposals on behalf of all NSW Government agencies.
• Enshrine the Housing Delivery Authority in legislation, ensuring that the NSW Government has an enduring role in housing delivery across the state.
• Expand Complying Development, giving councils 10 days to approve small variations on a complying development application, or have it deemed approved.
• Introduce a new ‘Targeted Assessment Pathway’, bridging the gap between a full development assessment and Complying Development, for types of development where strategic planning and community consultation has already taken place.

More certainty for builders and communities

• Improve the standards and requirements on Development Applications (DA) to make sure planning assessments are proportionate to the scale and complexity of development.
• Standardise conditions to provide more certainty and speed up construction once approvals are granted.
• Amend the objects of the EP&A Act to include housing delivery, climate resilience and proportionality in planning decisions for the first time.
• Create a consistent approach to community consultations across the state by establishing a single, state-wide Community Participation Plan for NSW.

Cutting red tape and unnecessary duplication in the planning system

• Remove the regionally significant development pathway and regional planning panels that have created unnecessary duplication and delays in planning decisions.
• Update appeal options and review processes to encourage disputes to be resolved outside of the Land and Environment Court.
• Fix longstanding miscellaneous issues.
• Since coming to office in March 2023, the Minns Government has rolled out the biggest reform agenda in NSW history to speed up the delivery of homes by:
• Undertaking the largest reforms to the planning system in the State’s history, through the Transport Oriented Development program, Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy and the Infill Affordable Housing Bonus.
• Establishing the Housing Delivery Authority, which provides a faster and more certain approvals pathway for major housing developments, with over 86,700 homes already declared State Significant.
• Delivering 30,000 new homes on surplus government land, including 8,400 new social housing units in the biggest housing investment in the State’s history.

But the need for legislative and regulatory planning reform has become clear.

These proposed changes are part of the Minns Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes, parks and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“The current system has become a bottleneck in the state’s ability to build more homes – hurting housing supply, increasing costs and reducing community confidence.

“For too long, NSW has been hamstrung by a planning system that delays good projects and makes it harder to build the homes our communities desperately need.

“This Bill is about clearing the path for the right development in the right places, with the right outcomes for the community.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“NSW is a great place to live, work, raise a family and start a business. It’s a great place to have a home – but there has been too much red tape tying up approvals and construction of new homes.

“That has to change so we can hold onto and attract the people who are vital to powering our economy.

“This is the next commonsense step to increase productivity and continue our transformational planning reforms.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The NSW planning system is responsible for supporting the delivery of our housing, infrastructure, and energy systems. This Bill is designed to make that system fit for a modern NSW.

“In NSW, 90 per cent of development applications are for less than $1 million – to put it simply, we are sweating the small stuff. We need a planning system that supports the delivery of more homes, jobs and investment in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way.

“Housing is the number one issue for the people of NSW. We need legislative reform, and we need support from every end of the political spectrum so that the system that has guided NSW’s development for the last 50 years can guide NSW’s development in the future.

“This is about making sure the planning system works for the people of NSW.”

The Minns Labor Government has today launched a new strategy to cement the Tech Central district as Australia’s innovation engine.

Tech Central is a six square kilometre precinct bordered by Haymarket, Camperdown, and South Eveleigh and currently has the highest concentration of technology businesses anywhere in Australia, including Atlassian, Block (Afterpay), Canva, Safety Culture and Rokt, along with research institutes and two world leading universities. 

The strategy was released at the Tech Council of Australia National Tech Summit in Sydney in the heart of Tech Central, where hundreds of attendees from leading Australian and multinational tech companies are gathering. 

The Tech Central Economic Development Strategy is a renewed commitment to the success of the precinct between industry, academia and government, laying out a shared vision – from world- leading researchers at the University of Sydney and UTS, to innovative startups, to our globally renowned tech unicorns (valued at over $1 billion). Sydney is home to 35 per cent of Australia’s tech workforce. 

This strategy also integrates housing, creative industries, and the visitor and 24-hour economies so the Government, industry and local community can help this world-class innovation precinct reach its full economic potential. 

This will help the district become a leading place to live, work and play—all key ingredients in continuing to attract and retain world leading innovative businesses. 

To help jump start this vision the NSW Government has committed an initial $5 million to provide support for investment attraction aligned with broader Government objectives and help establish a Tech Central governance structure to ensure key stakeholders are working together to drive the precincts success. 

This follows the allocation of nearly $80 million in the 2025/26 Budget to begin implementing the Innovation Blueprint 2035, including $38.5 million to help Tech Central flourish. 

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said: 

“Tech Central is already home to a thriving tech ecosystem, producing more research and inventions than anywhere else in NSW. 

“The time is now to define our vision for Tech Central’s future – one that is supported by innovators, for innovators.  

“With a world-class metro system opening the precinct to more Sydneysiders than ever, and unicorn companies like Atlassian building its new Australian HQ in the precinct, our strategy ensures we consider the whole picture – from housing to nightlife – to secure the precinct’s success for years to come.  

“The Tech Central Economic Development Strategy provides a shared roadmap for Tech Central’s future, with industry, university and government collaboration at its core.” 

Co-Founder and CEO of Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes said:

“We’ve backed Tech Central from the beginning because we believe in the vision. Australia has all the right ingredients for a world-class tech industry – the talent, the ideas, the track record of innovation – but a physical hub is what turns those foundations into a real ecosystem. 

“We’ve seen globally that this kind of density can be rocket fuel for innovation. Credit to the NSW Government for backing such an ambitious project. Tech Central is a big bet on the future – and the kind of long-term thinking our industry needs.”

University of Sydney Chancellor David Thodey said:  

“The Tech Central Economic Development Strategy will accelerate ambitions for Sydney to become a world-leading digital and technology hub and the University of Sydney is excited to be involved. 

“This will help combine the ambitions of government, industry and the education and training sector into a coordinated structure, to uplift our students, skilled innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses.” 

University of Technology Sydney Vice-Chancellor Andrew Parfitt said: 

“UTS welcomes this shared approach to attracting more investment, workers and businesses to the bustling Tech Central district. 

“Innovation and collaboration are critical to the future success of New South Wales. As a long-term precinct partner, UTS welcomes the Government’s commitment to supporting the establishment of enduring leadership and governance for Tech Central, which will underpin opportunities for research, capability development and industry collaboration.”  

Damian Kassabgi, CEO of Tech Council of Australia said: 

“To make the most of the massive economic opportunity presented by the sector, we need a skilled and creative workforce: people with ideas, ambition and curiosity. And people need a home. 

“Tech Central will be that home for Australia’s technology industry. It’s more than just physical infrastructure but a community where people can connect and collaborate. 

“This investment shows the government’s commitment to supporting and growing the sector, giving certainty to overseas talent and those in Australia looking towards the future of their careers that we have a strong, stable and competitive tech industry here in NSW.” 

The Minns Labor Government has launched a new online tool that will save farmers thousands of dollars and months of work as they negotiate often complex planning laws when applying for development approvals to build key on farm infrastructure.

The platform, called myFarmPlanner, is part of the NSW Government’s plan to strengthen the state’s $20 billion agriculture sector and to boost productivity by helping farmers use the latest technology to make practical, cost effective decisions.

myFarmPlanner provides farmers with all the information they need to know to lodge a development application in as little as 15 minutes using a tailored questionnaire and interactive map.

The app brings together information from all approval organisations including local councils, consenting authorities and industry guidelines.

It provides clear information about approval pathways and consent authorities, required licences, permits and approvals, details relevant legislation regulations and guidelines and provides location-specific constraints including flood zones, bushfire areas and sensitive receptors. 

Under normal circumstance it can take up to 12 months for a farmer to gather all the required DA information needed to build farm buildings, animal housing, processing facilities and other infrastructure particularly after a flood, bushfire or a storm.

By entering farm data individually, producers using the tool can also save money, with the self-service capabilities estimated to eliminate up to $2,000 in consultant fees per application.

The new tool supersedes a 2021 beta version of the tool, which was targeted at the poultry industry, and is now expanded to cover dairy, horticulture, poultry and agritourism.

Future updates of the myFarmPlanner platform will aim to include additional agriculture sectors and integrate with the Planning Portal to improve efficiencies even further.

The development of the myFarmPlanner platform was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments through the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP).

To access the tool, visit https://myfarmplanner.dpi.nsw.gov.au. 

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“Farmers across NSW are increasingly using online tools to save money and boost productivity.

“This new tool is the latest in the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensure farmers have the latest technologies to help producers make practical, cost effective on farm decisions.

“myFarmPlanner addresses critical barriers to agricultural resilience by simplifying the development application process and providing immediate, location-specific guidance on planning requirements, reducing the need for expensive consultants and enabling faster recovery decisions. 

Dairy Farmer, Woodview NSW, Terry Toohey said:

“myFarmPlanner will be a very useful tool for the dairy industry as a lot of farmers are land locked, and this will be further intensified by building barns and feedpads etc. 

“The tool will enable farmers to look at their expansion options on their farm and whether the land can accommodate their expansion plans.”

Molong Viticulturalist Martin Gransden said:

“MyFarmPlanner is a handy tool for landowners to use in the initial stages of planning their farm development to navigate the approvals required.” 

The Minns Labor Government has been caught out again trying to avoid transparency, this time attempting to weaken the State of the Environment (SoE) report before backing down after Opposition scrutiny.
 
Due to come before the NSW Parliament this week is the Environmental Legislation Amendment Bill (EPA Bill) 2025, where it has been discovered that Labor’s plan was to delay the release of the SoE from every three years to every four.
 
When exposed, the Government dropped the change in yet another retreat under pressure.
 
The SoE, prepared by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, is one of the most important accountability measurements available to the public. It tracks climate change, biodiversity, pollution, land clearing and the health of the state’s rivers, wetlands and ecosystems.
 
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the attempt showed a government with a pattern of secrecy.
 
“Labor has been caught out again. This is not an isolated mistake. It’s part of a pattern where the Minns Labor Government tries to hide or delay the truth. The State of the Environment report is vital because it gives families, communities and businesses the full picture of how our environment is tracking and whether government action is making a difference,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment James Griffin said Labor’s instinct was to delay instead of act.
 
“The 2024 State of the Environment report was damning. It revealed more threatened species, a 40 per cent surge in land clearing and serious declines in rivers and wetlands. Labor’s first response was not to act, but to delay the next report. They are more interested in covering up failure than fixing problems,” Mr Griffin said.
 
This is part of a litany of transparency failures. Time and again Labor is caught trying to hide from accountability.
 
NSW deserve honesty about the environment that the next generation will inherit, not a government that keeps playing for time.

When Chris Minns came to office his transport agenda was to review first, act second. The First Train Review produced two reports, and commuters have seen no benefit.
 
The Toll Review has gone nowhere. The Metro Review has been ignored. The Bus Taskforce recommendations are gathering dust and buses that were promised to be built in NSW are being built in China.
 
The first Train Review sought to blame a 2017 timetable change for poor performance. The Rail Repair Plan was focused more on raising the profile of the then Transport Minister than on raising the reliability of the train network.
 
Now in May this year, the Premier ordered a second train review 25 months into the job. Documents tabled in Parliament show the review costing taxpayers at least $380,000 was due back to the Government on 21 August. Instead of managing the transport system, the Government is managing the media.
 
With the Premier setting the groundwork to point the finger and offer excuses, the Minns Labor Government has some serious questions to answer –
 
How much new capital expenditure from the consolidated fund will be provided to improve train reliability beyond what was forecast in the 2025-26 NSW Budget?
Are all the review’s recommendations fully funded? If not, why not?
Why are taxpayers paying for reviews that don’t solve the problems their taxes are paying for?
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Labor’s record is all spin and no solutions.
 
“When something goes wrong the Government does not fix the problem; instead it rushes to polish the story. People want trains that turn up and a government that does its job.
 
“Running government means making tough calls. Instead, we see a Premier who delays, blames others and leaves commuters stranded,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads Natalie Ward said the Government’s second train review in under two years shows it has failed to take meaningful action.
 
“Only NSW Labor could order a review into why trains are late and then deliver the review late as well.
 
“After three budgets and two reports, commuters don’t need more spin; they need answers. Labor can point the finger, or they can deliver solutions, but commuters have had enough,” Ms Ward said.

The latest Business NSW survey shows small businesses are being squeezed by rising costs, worker shortages and compliance pressures.
 
The survey shows that in NSW it is harder than ever to run a business, with –

• 97 per cent of businesses struggling to lift productivity.
• Rising costs identified by 65 per cent of respondents
• 42 per cent pointing to a lack of skilled labour, and
• 41 per cent saying regulatory demands were holding them back.

The Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable in August put productivity on the agenda, but business leaders say it delivered little more than talk.
 
Despite these warnings, the Minns Labor Government has doubled down on its decision to axe Business Connect. The Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Small Business have all refused to reconsider, even though Treasury’s independent review found the program delivered $1.50 back to the economy for every $1 invested, supporting more than 60,000 businesses and associated with creating over 40,000 jobs.
 
Instead of restoring this proven program, the Minns Labor Government found $7.9 million in June’s Budget to set up a shooter-dominated hunting authority in a deal with the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said this survey confirms what small business has been telling us.
 
“Costs are spiralling, pressures are at record levels, and people are stretched to breaking point – yet the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have doubled down on cutting a program that kept businesses alive and saved jobs.
 
“At the same time, they found millions for a hunting authority, demonstrating their priorities are all wrong,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope said the survey shows businesses are being squeezed by higher costs, worker shortages and red tape.
 
“At the very time businesses need help, the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have doubled down on cutting Business Connect.
 
“Instead of restoring a program proven to save jobs and support growth, Labor has found $7.9 million to fund a deal with the gun lobby,” Mr Tudehope said.
 
Shadow Minister for Small Business Tim James said Business Connect wasn’t theory; it was practical advice that delivered real results.
 
“Fewer closures, more jobs and stronger communities, yet NSW Labor axed it without another thought for a gun lobby deal.
 
“A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will bring Business Connect back” Mr James said.
 
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry and Innovation Mark Coure said small businesses are drowning under costs and red tape, but the Premier, Treasurer and Small Business Minister have refused to act.
 
“Every thriving industry in NSW, from advanced manufacturing to local startups, depends on programs like Business Connect that create jobs and drive economic growth. Instead of backing local industry and job creation, Labor chose to fund political deals and leave businesses to fend for themselves,” Mr Coure said.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $100 million to help community preschools expand their hours and cater for more children, giving working families better access to quality early education.

This next stage of the Government’s early learning reforms will lift the quality of childcare by supporting not-for-profit providers to open longer and serve more families.

It forms part of the Government’s commitment to rebalance a sector increasingly dominated by for-profit providers, which have grown by 90 per cent in the past decade and now account for 58 per cent of NSW’s 6,300 services.

Community preschools will be encouraged to extend their operating hours, open more days, and expand the age range of children they serve, making it easier for working families to access trusted, quality care.

With strong community roots, and an excellent record of quality service, these not-for-profits are widely regarded as among the best providers in NSW.

Through the new Expanding Quality Access program, community preschools will be supported to extend beyond current 9am–3pm hours and cater for children from birth through to school age. A strong uptake could see thousands of children gain access to services prioritising early learning.

This announcement follows the Government’s landmark legislation introduced last week to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and restore parents’ trust in early childhood education and care. The bill delivers 30 reforms to the Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010, including:

• Enshrining in law the principle that the rights and best interests of children come first.
• A 300 per cent increase in fines for non-compliant services, and a 900 per cent increase for large providers operating 25 or more services.
• A new requirement for providers to display their compliance history and details of any current investigations.

Together, these initiatives build on the Minns Labor Government’s record investment in early education, including the commitment to build 100 new public preschools — the largest ever by a state government. This will double the number of public preschools in NSW and deliver up to 9,000 new preschool places.

The $100 million investment will support eligible preschools over two years to upgrade their facilities, improve IT and administration, and build workforce capability to support expanded services. Applications for the Expanding Quality Access program open today, with providers encouraged to apply.

The community preschool sector has been arguing for increased funding and while the NSW Government doesn’t fund wages in the sector, we do provide program funding, and this is a substantial uplift for the sector that can be accessed with an application to the Expanding Quality Access Program.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“The Minns Labor Government understands the value of early education — it’s central to our commitment to universal preschool for our littlest learners. That’s why we’re backing the community preschool sector to provide more services for families who already value their fantastic, high-quality services.

“We believe every child should have access to the best possible education, regardless of their age, and this investment will help community preschools deliver that.

“We want more families to access quality early education close to home and at hours that suit them. The community preschool sector’s credentials are trusted by so many families, so it makes perfect sense to support them to grow and reach more.”

The NSW Government will today introduce legislation allowing Local Court magistrates to be known as judges to better reflect the importance of work done in this jurisdiction.

Amendments to the Local Court Act 2007 will change the title of judicial officers including Chief Magistrate, Deputy Chief Magistrate, Children’s Magistrate, Chief Industrial Magistrate, Industrial Magistrate and Acting Magistrate.

This change reflects the nature and volume of work done by the Local Court which is Australia’s busiest court.

Last year, more than 388,000 criminal matters commenced in the Local Court, a 34% increase since 2014. There were also more than 67,800 civil matters commenced, up 31% since 2022.

The title of ‘magistrate’ stems from an era where judicial officers were appointed from the ranks of public servants and sat in the Court of Petty Sessions.

Since 1955, NSW magistrates have been required to hold legal qualifications.

The bill will also amend the Judicial Officers Act 1986 to reflect the new titles while amendments to the Constitution Act 1902 will ensure protections to safeguard the independence and integrity of magistrates continue to apply.

NSW will join the Northern Territory’s Local Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia where the title of magistrate has been changed to judge.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“This important change is not just about a name.

“It’s about ensuring the skill and contributions of judicial officers in the Local Court are properly recognised.

“The Local Court is Australia’s busiest jurisdiction.

“It makes more than 90 per cent of all judicial decisions in NSW and the nature of its work is becoming increasingly complex.”