Month: July 2024

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to leverage surplus government land to build more homes, more quickly, with the first tranche of sites announced today.

In the recent budget, the NSW Government announced it will deliver up to 30,000 well-located homes, close to infrastructure and transport, with amenities and work opportunities, with surplus land to be made available for housing over the next four years.

Following a comprehensive statewide audit of government land, a former clothing store precinct in the heart of Sydney is among the first of four sites identified as being suitable to deliver much needed social and affordable housing stock.

Located in the Carriageworks Precinct in North Eveleigh, the historic Clothing Store sub-precinct is located close to essential infrastructure and services like, train stations, shops, and open spaces.

To be developed by Homes NSW, this site will allow for approximately 500 new dwellings to be built, 50 per cent of which will be social and affordable homes.

Planning, due diligence and design work will now begin prior to construction.

Under the former government this site has been left neglected, with the first concept designs first announced in 2008.

A further three sites that will made available for housing include:

• 301 Samantha Riley Drive, Kellyville: Currently this site, located adjacent to Rouse Hill Metro station, is expected to deliver between 75-83 new home, 50 per cent of which will be social and affordable, to be delivered by Homes NSW.
• 72, 82 and 86 Menangle Road, Camden: Approximately 10 social and affordable homes will be built on this site, delivered by Homes NSW.
• WestConnex Dive site, Parramatta Road, Camperdown: Over 100 homes will be delivered in a mixed use development on this site, to be delivered in partnership with the private sector.

The Minns Labor Government is determined to pull every lever to address the housing affordability and availability crisis in New South Wales. Today’s announcement is an important step as the Government works to deliver the housing New South Wales need.

The NSW Government is making an unprecedented intervention in the housing market, with $5.1 billion being invested to deliver new public housing on well-located sites like, Clothing Store Precinct in North Eveleigh.

In a major step to help those escaping family and domestic violence, over 50 per cent of new homes will be built for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.

Now that these sites have been identified further due diligence and planning will take place.

Additional sites assessed as suitable for housing delivery will continue to be announced over coming months.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“We know that housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing the people of New South Wales, and that without an immediate, comprehensive intervention, Sydney is at risk of becoming a city with no young people.

“We are prioritising building better homes for New South Wales, to ensure we continue to address the housing crisis for renters, people wanting to enter the housing market, and the most vulnerable members of our community.

“The site in North Eveleigh is an example of the importance of the property audit. Well located spaces, close to vital infrastructure and transport should not be left unused – and under this Government they won’t.”

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said

“This is the NSW Government showing that pulling every lever can result in action. Without this land audit, these sites may have sat idle for decades, but in just a few years there will be families and communities calling these places home.”

“We had a very clear directive to scour the state for any possible piece of land that can be turned into housing and we’re delighted with the results so far.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“The NSW Government has been clear from day one, we need to address the housing crisis and we need to do it with a whole-of-government approach. The Property Audit is a complex process that has never been done before by the NSW Government for the purpose of delivering housing.

“The first tranche of sites from the Property Audit will assist the NSW Government in it’s plan build 30,000 new homes, including 8,400 public homes.

“Under the former Government, we saw what happened when you sit on your hands as things get more and more unaffordable. Our Government will leave no stone unturned to deliver on our states housing needs.”

The Minns Labor Government is investing $10.6 million to make patient experience officers available across all NSW hospitals, relieving pressure on busy clinicians and improving patient wellbeing. 

Patient experience officers provide additional support in emergency departments (EDs) to patients, carers and their families.

These officers are the first point of contact for patients when they arrive.

They can provide advice and information on ED processes and waiting times to patients and their carers to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Importantly, this also eases the workload on our busy clinicians so they can focus on treating patients.

A recent evaluation report has shown the positive impact patient experience officers have had on both patients and hospital staffs’ experiences and wellbeing in hospital EDs, as well patient health outcomes.

The Evaluation of the NSW Health Emergency Department Patient Experience Officer report found more than 85 per cent of respondents agreed the position was ‘successful’, ‘moderately successful’ or ‘very successful’, with patient experience officers rated highly for patient communication in the waiting room (89.7 per cent) followed by managing stress/anxiety (81.6 per cent).

Patient experience officers were first introduced in some NSW hospitals in July 2019 during a period of high demand in EDs. Following the success of the pilot program, patient experience officers are now available across all Local Health Districts and Specialty Health Networks.

The Minns Labor Government has a plan to relieve pressure on EDs and reduce wait times, through our budget emergency department relief package which will invest:

• $171.4 million to introduce three additional virtual care services helping 180,000 people avoid a trip to the ED;
• $100 million to back in our urgent care services to provide 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 to 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; and
• $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identifying patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“Our emergency departments are under more pressure than ever before.

“When people and their loved ones arrive at a busy ED, it can often be a stressful and anxious event.

“Patient experience officers are there to welcome patients and their families, and provide support in difficult and challenging circumstances.

“I’m so pleased we are ensuring their role in our hospitals to continue to provide kind and compassionate care.”

Patient Experience Officer Sunita Oberholzer:

“This is a rewarding role that allows you to really make a difference in the local community.

“Coming to work each day with the knowledge that I am going to positively impact many people’s days has been an immense privilege.
“It is deeply gratifying to know that you are helping patients and their families feel more comfortable with their hospital experience, especially during stressful times.

“This in turn creates a flow-on effect which improves the staff’s ability to provide exceptional care.”

For more information on the Emergency Department Patient Experience Program visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/patients/experience/Pages/emergency-department.aspx

As Sydney CBD businesses face an increased rate of insolvencies, the Opposition points to the failure of the recent State Budget to deliver any meaningful support for small businesses despite record levels of taxation – including for payroll tax and land tax that directly affect the bottom line for many struggling businesses.

“Total taxation over the four years of this Budget is a whopping $43 billion higher than the total taxation in the four years covered by the Coalition’s Pre-Election Budget Update. By 2027-28 Labor will be taxing the families and businesses of NSW over $55 billion – a massive 43% higher than the tax collected in the last year of the Liberal and National Government”, said Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope.
“Despite already set to receive $88 billion in property taxes – transfer duty and land tax – the greedy Minns Labor Government has abandoned the indexation of the land tax threshold to raise and additional $1.5 billion. This will mean many struggling small businesses will be hit with a rent rise that may tip them over the edge into insolvency,” Damien Tudehope said.
“The previous Coalition Government raised the payroll tax threshold from $750,000 in 2018 to $1.2 million in 2021. The Minns Government ignored a call from the business sector to raise it to $1.3 million and drop the rate to below 5%,” Damien Tudehope said.
“All this extra tax is going straight to settle billions of dollars of public sector wage rises on Labor’s union mates – $9 billion and counting with current demands from  just four unions totalling a further $6 billion. This is why there was nothing to support struggling businesses in the Budget,” Damien Tudehope said.
“The Minns Government cancelled the successful Open for Lunch and Noel Sydney events, It cut the budget for Destination NSW. The recent Vivid was managed so poorly that small business stall holders lost money through their participation,” Wendy Tuckerman, Shadow Minister for Small Business said.

“The previous Coalition Government used a range of measures to support small businesses, including the popular dine and discover vouchers as we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minns Government lacks both the commitment and the imagination to deliver for small businesses, including those Sydney CBD businesses currently doing it tough,” Wendy Tuckerman said.