Month: August 2024

Property owners impacted by coal mine subsidence will get stronger protection following the passage of new laws to provide better support and boost transparency.

Mine subsidence is the movement of the ground that can be caused by underground active or historical coal mining activities, which may cause damage to structures built above.

The Coal Mine Subsidence Compensation Fund lets responsible miners in NSW support any residents impacted by current, historic or former mining activity.

In NSW, mines subsidence areas exist across Newcastle and the Greater Hunter, as well as the Wollondilly Shire in Sydney’s southwest. Residents affected by damage to buildings and other structures are assisted by Subsidence Advisory NSW.

Under the new laws, Subsidence Advisory NSW can provide residents with temporary accommodation, payments for relocation costs and, where necessary, direct people to evacuate in a mine subsidence emergency.

While previously only property owners were entitled to compensation, the new laws give tenants reasonable relocation and short-term accommodation expenses where the property they are leasing is uninhabitable, under repair or under construction due to subsidence.

Other changes include the requirement for pre-mining property inspections to take place for areas which may be at risk of subsidence damage and giving Subsidence Advisory NSW clear powers to obtain the required information from mining companies, to ensure a comprehensive and accurate claim assessment.

In the five years to 2023, 168 mine subsidence compensation claims were paid out in NSW, which included 89 claims in active mining areas and 79 claims in non-active mining areas. In addition, 381 mine subsidence safety issues reported through Subsidence Advisory’s 24 Hour Emergency Hotlines were remediated. The hotline predominantly supports the Hunter & Lithgow regions where potholes from historical coal mining can appear on road surfaces.

The Coal Mine Subsidence Compensation Amendment Bill 2024 was introduced to NSW Parliament on 20 June 2024 following a statutory review of the Act, and a consultation process allowing residents and mine operators the chance to have their say on the amendments.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Mining is essential to the NSW economy. These changes ensure that the residents impacted by subsidence are protected.

“These important changes ensure people living above primarily historic and former mining activity get the support they need if the worst should happen.

“Whether it’s a recent mine or one from 150 years ago, these changes will grant further powers to Subsidence Advisory NSW to better assist residents.”

The Minns Labor Government has reached a significant milestone in delivering one of the largest social housing renewal projects in Australian history, with the announcement of delivery partners for Waterloo South.

Following a tender process, the NSW Government has selected Stockland, Link Wentworth Housing, City West Housing, and Birribee as the preferred partners to build homes and lead the Waterloo renewal. 

Waterloo Estate is one of the largest social housing estates in the country, it will be renewed in stages, starting with Waterloo South where 750 older public housing properties with be replaced with new, well-designed and fit-for-purpose homes. 

The delivery team is tasked with delivering a substantial increase in social and affordable housing in inner-city Sydney, with 50 percent of all new homes in Waterloo South dedicated to social and affordable housing. This adds 500 homes beyond what the previous government committed.

This is significant increase in social and affordable homes compared to the former government’s plans.

Committed to building better communities, the mixed-tenure Waterloo South project will deliver approximately 3,000 new social, affordable, and private homes, along with new facilities, retail precincts, and public open spaces. 

Homes NSW will now start negotiating contracts with the building partners to plan, design, deliver and fund the development over the next 10-15 years, as well as ongoing operations. The negotiations are expected to take six months, and are the final step in the competitive, multi-stage procurement process.  

This will ensure Homes NSW and the building partners are aligned on roles and responsibilities, a program for renewal and how the partnership will work with the community to deliver better outcomes for the people of Waterloo.

Residents of Waterloo remain the priority throughout this process, Homes NSW will work with the local community through the staged relocation process. All impacted residents will be given at least six months’ notice before having to move and provided with dedicated support every step of the way. All residents will be given the right to return when the renewal is complete. 

Homes NSW and the delivery partners will work together to support residents through change and create a vibrant and mixed inner-city community with a genuine sense of place.

For more information visit: nsw.gov.au/homes-nsw/waterloo

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“We are proud to be building Australia’s largest ever social housing project – modern, accessible and better homes to confront the housing crisis head on.

“This is another step forward in addressing the state’s housing crisis, the announcement of our delivery partners for Waterloo South means we are closer to building 1500, new and sustainable social and affordable homes.

“This has been a hugely competitive process and we look forward to continuing to partner with the sector to deliver our vision for a stronger and vibrant community for the people who need it most.

“We are especially proud to be working Birribee to deliver dedicated homes for our Aboriginal community.

“Tenants deserve to be with us every step of the journey, which is why we will continue  
our efforts to be out and about in the community, and I want to thank people for their patience.”

Member for Heffron, Ron Hoenig said:

“I have been fighting to improve the conditions of my constituents living in Waterloo Estate for more than a decade. The most important thing for me has always been ensuring the more vulnerable members of our community can live in safe and healthy homes.

“This announcement brings us a step closer to vastly improving the quality of life for these residents, many of whom have lived in their homes for many years and have built a community with their neighbours.

“Importantly, we are making sure these residents are given every right to return to their new homes once the renewal is complete so they can maintain these community ties.

“We desperately need more social housing in NSW and I am proud we are delivering the country’s largest social housing renewal project in my electorate.”

The Minns Labor Government has ensured Central Coast Council has a clearer, simpler and less costly regularity framework for its water supply and sewerage services, and protects against privatisation.

Until now, Central Coast Council was the only local body in NSW providing water services under two legislative Acts.

The passing of a Bill through Parliament yesterday ends that anomaly by removing the regulatory double-up and complexity, paving the way for better governance.

The legislative changes provide a streamlined regulatory framework for incoming Councillors following next month’s local government elections, while reducing costs and freeing Council up to perform its core role of providing essential services for the Central Coast.

Additionally, it will help resolve some of the complexity that contributed to Central Coast Council being placed in administration in October 2020.

Central Coast is the third largest water utility in the state after Sydney Water and Hunter Water. and This will bring Council’s provision and regulation of water supply and sewerage services in-line with all other local governments across regional NSW.

The Bill retains Council’s control of water services and infrastructure, and the changes will not have any impact on customers, other than positive benefits that should flow from a better governed water and sewerage utility.

The changes are also specific to Central Coast Council and do not affect other councils or local water utilities across the state.

The Bill comes off the back of a 2022 Public Inquiry into Central Coast Council which included widespread public consultation, and a Departmental review into the Council’s water utility legislative and regulatory framework in 2023.

These changes align with stakeholder feedback, as well as the review’s findings and recommendations to simplify the framework and make it more efficient.

Specifically, the Bill:

• Removes Council as a water supply authority under the Water Management Act
• Aligns the regulation of Council’s water supply and sewerage services more closely with the regulatory framework which applies to all other councils
• Retains IPART as the regulator of Council’s water supply and sewerage service prices to ensure adequate oversight of Council’s pricing and ensure fees stay fair for local residents
• Exempts Council from unnecessary and inefficient restrictions on money transfers between the water supply fund and the sewerage fund, to improve effective management of cash flow and debt funding.

Importantly, the Bill also further commits to protect our water utility on the Central Coast from privatisation, by repealing the Central Coast Water Corporation Act and Central Coast Water Corporation Regulation.

This will ensure Central Coast water remains in the hands of our community.

Minister for Water, Rose Jackson said:

“I am thrilled this Bill has passed parliament to finally give residents greater confidence that their water services are being properly managed.

“It comes after a Public Inquiry and a thorough review into Council’s administrative operations, and after listening to feedback from the entire community.

“This Bill is a great outcome and fantastic news for people across the Central Coast.”

Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong, David Harris said:

“The passing of this Bill will give Central Coast Council more clarity to efficiently go about its job to best serve residents, businesses and customers.

“Importantly, the Bill protects our water utility on the Central Coast from privatisation to ensure water and sewerage remains in the hands of our Council and our community, which is great news for everyone.”

Minister for the Hunter and Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said:

“The NSW Government has fulfilled its commitment to listen to and address the concerns of locals.

“Eliminating unnecessary obstacles will pave the way for more time to deliver the things that matter most to the people of the Central Coast.

“Locals can now enjoy peace of mind, knowing that their water bills are being managed with care and transparency.”

Member for The Entrance, David Mehan said:

“The great thing about our Bill is that it ensures our water service will remain locally owned and controlled.

“The simplification of regulation and IPART price oversight will make sure we are paying no more than we should for our water and sewer service.”

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch said:

“With the passing of this Bill, the NSW Government has simplified the legislation controlling Central Coast water and sewerage services, taking the complexity out of Council governance and decision making.

“I welcome the passing of this Bill, which streamlines Council’s regulatory structure and allows Council to get back to their core function, providing essential services to our community.”

Expressions of Interest are being sought for suitable sites to build new ambulance stations as part of the NSW Government’s $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

The NSW Government is delivering 30 additional ambulance stations and more than 2,500 additional staff across the state as part of its commitment to boost frontline emergency care for communities.

As part of this program, Health Infrastructure is working with NSW Ambulance and other key stakeholders across government to identify potential sites for additional ambulance stations and prioritise delivery.

This includes conducting a thorough land search to identify potential locations that best meet the needs of the community for ambulance operations.

To progress this planning, an Expressions of Interest process for land will be undertaken at 10 locations including: Cherrybrook, Kincumber, Raby, Edgeworth, Glenmore Park, Dee Why, Sutherland, Bargo, Berkeley Vale and Doonside.

Locations for new stations are determined by NSW Ambulance following a comprehensive service planning process using best practice modelling software which maps Triple Zero calls.

The exact locations of the new stations will be confirmed once the land search and acquisition process is finalised. Construction and operational timeframes will be determined as the project planning progresses.

The infrastructure rollout for the $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program is progressing with land purchased for new ambulance stations at North Sydney, South Windsor, Oran Park and Berowra.

To find out more, or lodge an Expression of Interest visit: www.hinfra.health.nsw.gov.au/ambulance-infrastructure-program

Each year, NSW Ambulance receives more than 1.1 million Triple Zero (000) calls for assistance and our vehicles travel more than 46 million kilometres to keep the community safe.

NSW Ambulance provides high quality clinical care, compassion, relief of pain and suffering and rescue and retrieval services to the more than 8.1 million people of NSW.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“We are progressing with planning to identify suitable sites to deliver new, modern and purpose-built ambulance stations which will support local paramedics to provide the best emergency medical care now and into the future.”

“This new infrastructure will improve network coverage and support the existing stations in the ambulance network in NSW.”

“These new ambulance stations will bolster emergency care for growing communities across the state and provide a first-class purpose-built workplace for our hardworking paramedics.”

The NSW Government is inviting members of the community to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions regarding social media use ahead of the Social Media Summit, at which Frances Haugen, meta whistleblower and advocate for accountability and transparency in social media, will be a keynote speaker.

The two-day summit, a joint initiative between the NSW Government and Government of South Australia, will take place in Sydney on October 10 and in Adelaide on October 11.

The “Have Your Say” survey invites all NSW residents to offer insights and feedback which will directly inform the discussions at the summit and help the government formulate practical solutions to address the issues posed by social media, particularly for young people.

By engaging with the community through this consultation, the NSW Government is committed to making informed decisions that reflect the needs and concerns of its citizens.

The Social Media Summit will bring together a diverse group of experts, policymakers, academics, young people, and the wider community to explore key areas including the impacts of social media on children, online safety, social media’s role in disinformation and misinformation, addressing online hate and extremism, and how social media is changing the way government delivers services.

It comes in response to increasing concerns about the harmful effects of social media on young people, including exposure to inappropriate and illegal content, cyberbullying, and negative impacts on their mental health and development.

Day one of the summit in Sydney will explore key themes including:

• Formulating a public health response to social media harm minimisation
• Opportunities to address social media harms within educational settings
• Understanding the role of social media in identity, belonging and worldviews
• Unpacking links between extremism, misogyny and social media
• Reclaiming the digital town square – creating positive digital communities

Frances Haugen, prominent whistleblower and advocate for transparency in social media, will be a keynote speaker on day one.

Ms Haugen is internationally recognised for her courageous efforts to expose the inner workings of social media companies and her advocacy for accountability and ethical practices by the digital giants.

Further information about additional speakers, panellists and detailed event schedules will be made available later in the year.

The “Have Your Say” online consultation survey is now live and accessible at https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/social-media-usage-and-impacts

For more information about the Social Media Summit, please visit www.nsw.gov.au/socialmediasummit

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“Social media presents serious risks. We need to ensure that our policies keep pace with the rapid changes in technology.

“We are committed to listening to particularly young people about their experiences online and creating a safer and more positive online environment for everyone.

“The insights gathered from the ‘Have Your Say’ survey will help us shape effective policies and programs to support the community.

“I’m pleased that Frances Haugen has accepted our invitation to deliver an address at the summit.

“I enjoyed meeting with her recently to discuss the critical issues surrounding social media’s impact on our society. Her insights and expertise will be invaluable at the summit.”

Frances Haugen said:

“We have stood by, for more than a decade, as unaccountable American social media companies have experimented on Australian children. The time has come for us to demand more from our online public squares for children and ourselves.

“We can have social media that brings out the best in us – but only if we fight for it.”

More than 30 emergency services personnel and youth volunteers have been recognised for their commitment and outstanding efforts over the past year at the 10^th NSW Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA).

Minister for Health Ryan Park and Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib congratulated all 28 finalists across the emergency services agencies and the four finalists of the Dorothy Hennessy OAM Emergency Services Youth Scholarship, for volunteers between 18 and 25 years of age, in a ceremony at Bankstown Sports Club last night.

The awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the community service of personnel from agencies including NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service, Marine Rescue NSW, Surf Life Saving NSW, and VRA Rescue NSW.

The Rotary awards are community nominated, with seven winners across the agencies, two overall winners, and one recipient of the youth scholarship.

The winners by emergency service agency are:

• NSW Ambulance: David Press – Clinical Volunteer – Community Emergency Response Team, Manildra
• Fire and Rescue NSW: Jen Sullivan – Wellbeing Officer – Mental Health East
• Marine Rescue NSW: Nancy Weatherman – Deputy Unit Commander, Eden
• Surf Life Saving NSW: Mollie Murphy – Club Director of Lifesaving, Umina Beach
• VRA Rescue NSW: Malcolm Barry – Captain, Narooma Rescue Squad, Narooma
• NSW Rural Fire Service: Michael Carey – Group Captain 3, Southern Tablelands Zone, Wee Jasper
• NSW State Emergency Service: Benjamin Power – Land Search Operations Instructor, Ku-ring-gai

The officer named overall winner in a volunteer capacity was Michael Carey, Group Captain 3 of the Southern Tablelands Zone with the NSW Rural Fire Service based at Wee Jasper. The officer named overall winner in a paid capacity was David Press, Clinical Volunteer Community Emergency Response Team with NSW Ambulance based at Manildra.

The overall winners go on to represent NSW at the AusRESCA (Australian RESCA) ceremony in Canberra in October.

The recipient of the $1,000 Dorothy Hennessy OAM Emergency Services Youth Scholarship winner was Kayla McKenzie, Patrol Captain with Surf Lifesaving NSW based in Wollongong.

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“I’m immensely proud of the endless dedication and efforts to go above and beyond from all our paramedics and emergency services individuals who make it their life’s work to provide us with care in some of our darkest moments.

“These awards are an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous contributions these special individuals give to our health system, and to communities all over NSW.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“It is a privilege to be the Minister for Emergency Services and to meet the incredible people on the frontline who keep our communities safe, often in the face of personal risk.”

“It’s the sense of volunteerism and the eagerness to lend a hand that make emergency services personnel so worthy of celebration, and that’s what these awards are about – recognising the vast community contributions these individuals make.”