Month: June 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit Strong Startlaunch for more information.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President Darriea Turley said:

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

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

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

Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor Dallas Tout said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The NSW Government will introduce new legislation to parliament that prohibits vilification on the grounds of religious belief, affiliation or activity.

The NSW Labor Government committed to amending the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 to prohibit religious vilification within its first 100 days in office. This bill follows through on that commitment.

The bill amends the Anti-Discrimination Act to make it unlawful to, by a public act, incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or group of persons, because of their religious belief, affiliation or activity.

A public act includes any form of communication to the public, verbal and non-verbal.

The amendments in the bill are modelled on the existing provisions that make vilification unlawful on the grounds of race, sexuality, transgender status and HIV/AIDS status.

This new law will also protect people who do not hold religious beliefs or affiliations or who do not engage in religious activity, in recognition that these are also beliefs about religious matters that should be protected.

The government consulted closely on the proposed amendments with a broad range of stakeholder groups, including religious faith and religious advocacy organisations and community advocacy organisations, legal stakeholders and NSW Government agencies.

NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“No one should have to encounter public hate due to their religious beliefs, and it is high time the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 was changed to reflect this.

“For the most part, we are a tolerant society, and we welcome people to NSW from all over the world. However, we need to have laws that protect people of faith from public actions that incite hatred, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule for religious beliefs.

“We committed, as an election promise, to introduce legislation making religious vilification unlawful within our first 100 days in office. We are here to make good on our promises and get things done by making this change to the Anti-Discrimination Act.”

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said:

“The unfortunate reality is that certain forms of religious vilification are on the rise. No matter your personal beliefs, this is unacceptable.

“Members of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths have all raised concerns about the growing levels of intolerance towards members of their communities.

“This much needed legislation will provide our faith communities with similar protections provided to members of diverse and multicultural communities.”