Month: August 2024

Leading barrister John Catsanos SC has been appointed a judge of the District Court of NSW.

Mr Catsanos has a strong track record of providing independent, specialist advice and representation to a range of clients over four decades in law, from medical malpractice and injuries in public places, to car crashes and workplace accidents.

For 37 years he has practised as a barrister at the NSW Bar and in 2019 was appointed Senior Counsel. His work has mainly consisted of complex cases such as industrial and motor accidents, professional negligence and public liability.

After earning his law degree from the University of Sydney in 1983, Mr Catsanos was employed as a solicitor with Malcolm Johns & Company. He later travelled overseas and for five months worked in London-based firm Vivyen Wells & Kennedys Solicitors, before returning to his previous practice in Sydney.

In 1987 he was admitted as a barrister and has practised ever since, most recently with Henry Parkes Chambers.

Mr Catsanos will be sworn in on 5 August 2024.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of John Catsanos SC to the District Court bench.

“Mr Catsanos’s expertise will be vital to the Court and I would like to congratulate him on this well-deserved achievement.”

Major construction work will begin next month on the widening of Mamre Road, a key focus of the Minns Labor Government’s plans to connect the fast-growing jobs precincts of western Sydney with the new Western Sydney Airport.

Mamre Road is an expanding commercial and logistics corridor linking the M4 Motorway with the new international airport at Badgerys Creek.

The 2024-25 NSW Budget poured $1 billion into road upgrades to open this part of Western Sydney to the world when the airport opens in 2026.

Western Sydney, Australia’s fastest growing region, is expected to swell from a population of over two million to more than three million over the next two decades, and the NSW Government is working to provide the roads to accommodate the expansion.

Stage 1 works, which will begin within weeks with clearing and establishment of a site compound, will double the lane capacity of Mamre Road – parts of which remain a single lane in each direction unable to meet the freight and traffic pressure the road is under.

The new four-lane format, with wide central median, will be built to allow a further upgrade to six lanes when needed in future.

The first stage of work on Mamre Road will upgrade a 3.8 kilometre stretch between Erskine Park Road and the M4 motorway at an estimated cost of $290 million.

A wider Mamre Road will reduce congestion experienced by residents and create a new, shared pedestrian-bike path.

Construction company Seymour White will deliver the work, including the construction of two bridge-sized culverts to improve drainage, upgraded intersections to improve safety and travel times, and a new shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.

The NSW Government provided $500 million in the 2024 Budget to progress Stage 2 between Erskine Park Road and Kerrs Road at Kemps Creek. That investment takes total Federal-State funding of Mamre Road to $1 billion.

On Thursday, the first sod will be turned on Access Logistics Park, a 20-hectare industrial development on Mamre Road, Kemps Creek, providing 90,000 square metres of new warehouse and office space and hundreds of jobs in its construction and operations phases. The site is owned by Rest, one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member super funds, and investment and development manager Barings.

To the west, work is continuing to transform Mulgoa Road to a four-lane dual carriageway between Glenmore Park and Jeanette Street, improving road capacity to cater for population and employment growth.

Planning is well underway to upgrade Elizabeth Drive, which will take travellers directly to the new airport and connect Mamre and Northen Roads.

More information about the Mamre Road Upgrade. 

Premier Chris Minns said:

“The NSW Labor Government is building better roads and essential infrastructure for Western Sydney.

“We inherited roads around the new airport that were not up to standard, and where upgrades were years behind.

“This area is the engine room for jobs growth and our upgrade of Mamre Road is another boost for Western Sydney’s residents and businesses.

“Our recent budget invested a record $5 billion in Western Sydney roads.

“This is all part of the Government’s plan to build infrastructure for growing communities.”

Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“It is good to see upgrade works on Mamre Rd will soon begin, and I know the community looks forward to improved traffic flow on this busy road.

“The Liberals and Nationals spent a decade squandering opportunities to upgrade transport links leading to the new Western Sydney Airport.

“We are making the investments needed to open up access to the new airport, which is a key part of Western Sydney’s economic future.”

Minister for Roads John Graham said:

“The work beginning on Mamre Road is providing construction jobs today, but it is also an investment in jobs of the future as we bring the road infrastructure up to a standard required by the commercial developments going in here.

“This upgrade will see a doubling in lane capacity – turning what is a single-lane, undivided road into a dual-lane carriageway used by about 20,000 motorists each weekday.

“The NSW Government is working hard to make the Sydney motorway system better utilised by truck freight which makes Mamre Road even more important as a critical connector between the M4 Motorway and the future airport.

“While we welcome construction on the first stage today, we also continue the important preparation for the $1 billion Stage 2 upgrade to Mamre Road.”

Leppington MP Nathan Hagarty said:

“The NSW Government have committed to upgrading roads in South Western Sydney and this is another step in that process.

“Planning for the future of our community with this upgrade will save on travel times and improve connections to the future Western Sydney Airport.

“After 12 years of inaction and neglect in this part of Sydney, the Minns Labor Government is getting on with job and delivering more reliable and safer roads.”

Rest Chief Executive Officer Vicki Doyle said:

“The Access Logistics Park, located on Mamre Road, gives Rest’s 2 million members exposure to a world-class industrial facility at the heart of Australia’s next global freight and logistics hub.

“This future-focused industrial estate, as well as the upgrades to Mamre Road, will help fuel the economic development of South Western Sydney, a region where tens of thousands of Rest members live and work.”

Today the Productivity Commission has released new Closing the Gap data, including data specific to NSW.

The data shows that while we have made some progress, there is still a great deal of work to be done.

Closing the Gap is a top priority of the NSW Labor Government.
It is pleasing that progress is being made, with the majority of the Closing the Gap outcomes in NSW improving. Six of the targets are on track in the state:

• healthy birthweight
• children enrolled in early childhood education
• young people completing tertiary education
• young people engaged in employment or education
• people of working age (25 to 64 years) are employed
• housing overcrowding.

These results show Aboriginal people are getting a better start in life and capitalising on that start with better education outcomes, leading to better employment outcomes.

While these results are welcome, they are not enough.

A number of targets are going backwards, including children thriving in their early years, the number of young people in the criminal justice system, suicide rates and children in out of home care.

The NSW Government is steadfast in its commitment to work in partnership with Aboriginal organisations, communities, and people to Close the Gap.

In February 2024, the NSW Government signed a new Partnership Agreement with the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations and Local Government NSW.

Our focus is on shared decision-making. We know that when Closing the Gap solutions are designed, led, and implemented by Aboriginal people and communities, we get better outcomes.

NSW is looking beyond the four nationally agreed priorities to also focus on economic development.

We are the only jurisdiction to have a fifth priority reform under Closing the Gap, focused on employment, business growth and economic prosperity via the NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth.

We are working closely with the Aboriginal business community to harness their potential and build economic opportunities. This includes twice yearly business roundtable events and the establishment of an Investment NSW one-stop-shop for Aboriginal business support.

Today’s data is a reminder that there is still a long road ahead. The NSW Government is committed to travelling that road with our Aboriginal partners to Close the Gap.

The NSW Government is investing more than $4.4 million in non-government organisations to enhance support and care for people nearing the end of their life.

The End of Life and Palliative Care Non-Government Organisations Grants Program will provide more than $3.5 million in funding over four years to six organisations, including peak body Palliative Care NSW.

Palliative Care NSW has been funded $671,076 to deliver an expanded Community Conversations program across NSW, which builds community capacity to have conversations about what matters most and to start advance care planning.

They will also deliver the PalliLEARN formal learning program, a course-based program designed to cultivate knowledge and compassion around death, dying and grieving.

The five other grants through the End of Life and Palliative Care Non-Government Organisations Grants Program have been awarded to organisations to deliver a broad range of community initiatives across NSW:

• Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service has been funded $632,250 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Bullinah Aboriginal community.
• Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation has been funded $670,019 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Waminda Aboriginal community.
• ACON has been funded $610,000 to establish a comprehensive ‘Taking Control’ End of Life and Palliative Care program, building on their existing co-designed LGBTQI+ toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life decisions.
• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia has been funded $365,203 for the ‘Your Story, Your Decision’ project, using community radio stations to deliver relatable information about end of life and palliative care.
• The New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability has been funded $560,119 to deliver training and e-learning for health professionals, people with intellectual disability, their families and carers.

Through a separate NGO grants process, Palliative Care NSW has also been awarded $900,000 over three years to continue the delivery of the NSW Palliative Care Volunteer Services Support Program.

This program champions palliative care volunteering, and supports palliative care volunteers and volunteer services, and their development.

For more information on Palliative Care NSW and its initiatives supporting people nearing the end of their life, as well as their families and volunteers, visit https://palliativecarensw.org.au/

Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“The NSW Government is committed to enhancing palliative care services and supports for all people across NSW.

“These NGO initiatives that have been awarded grants will provide increased death and grief literacy, promote knowledge and implementation of advance care planning and provide increased grief and bereavement support for families and carers.

“The NSW Government also recognises the central role that volunteers provide for the delivery of compassionate palliative care and support for patients and families.”

Palliative Care NSW CEO Kirsty Blades

“Palliative care volunteers are actively involved in offering support and companionship to people receiving palliative care, their family, and carers.

“In NSW, there are currently more than 1,100 volunteers from 38 palliative care volunteer services.  Services may provide, among other things, psychosocial support, carer respite, grief and bereavement support, and biography work, in hospitals, and at home in the community.

“Funding of the Palliative Care Volunteer Services Support Program provides resources, education and support to palliative care volunteers and volunteer services and helps build capacity in the sector.”

The NSW Government will engage with Central Coast Council over the next summer on shark management, with a focus on the future use of shark nets, and the exploration of local decision-making on the removal or use of nets. 

From September 2024 the newly elected Central Coast Council will have the opportunity to consult with the community on shark management at local beaches along the coast.

The future use or removal of shark nets along with other tools for managing shark interactions and safety on beaches, can be covered in the consultation.

This will ensure community expectations are met and the right balance is struck between ensuring beach goers are safe and protecting our local marine life.

There will also be engagement with Surf Life Saving NSW and Surfing NSW who are partners with the NSW Government in delivering the Shark Management Program for 2024-25 and into the future.

The Shark Management Program for the coming summer, released today, includes a suite of new measures to be trialled, which will increase protections for marine life while shark nets remain in use, including:

• Removing shark nets one month earlier on 31 March 2025, to respond to increased turtle activity in April
• Increasing the frequency of net inspections by contractors during March from every 3rd day to every 2nd day
• SLS drone surveillance increased over nets during March to scout for turtles on the days contractors aren’t inspecting
• Trial of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement during February and March.

Shark nets across NSW, including the 11 in operation on the Central Coast, are also fitted with acoustic warning devices, such as dolphin pingers and whale alarms, to deter and minimise the risks to those marine mammals.

Over the 2023-24 season 400 drone pilots for Surf Life Saving NSW were trained, who flew more than 36,000 flights across nearly 10,000 hours. Through this use of drones 362 sharks were observed.

SMART drumlines, including the 32 in operation on the Central Coast, have also been used as an effective tool to keep swimmers safe on New South Wales Beaches, allowing over 413 target sharks such as white, tiger and bull sharks, to be caught, tagged and released last year.

Once tagged, the state’s 37 coastal tagged shark listening stations, including the three on the Central Coast, can track these sharks near the beaches where the device is based – with this information available to anyone with the SharkSmart app, website of on X (Twitter).

Over 2,000 target sharks have been tagged over the life of the program and are monitored by listening stations.

Please go to this website to see a map of Central Coast shark mitigation measures: Central-Coast-LGA-Shark-Mitigation-Measures.pdf (nsw.gov.au)

People in Sydney’s inner south and Canterbury Bankstown area will be able to avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department (ED) for urgent conditions, thanks to an expansion of local urgent care services.

The Minns Labor Government has announced two new urgent care services at Green Square and Belmore will open next Monday, 15 July.

Both services will be open 365 days a year, from 8am to 8pm, staffed by General Practitioners and nurses, with important diagnostic services close by including radiology and pathology.

The services are well-supported to treat a range of illnesses and injuries that are deemed urgent, but not life-threatening, such as minor wounds that need stitches, suspected broken bones and skin infections that need antibiotics.

To access the services, patients should call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

A registered nurse will assess the patient’s condition and then discuss with the patient the best place for their care needs.

This may include an appointment at an Urgent Care Service, a telehealth appointment with the virtualKIDS or virtualGP services, or escalating their care to other services like NSW Ambulance if required.

NSW Health is partnering with primary health networks to deliver additional urgent care services right across the state to ease pressure on busy hospital EDs and ensure the people of NSW continue to receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

The NSW Government has committed $124 million over two years to deliver 25 urgent care services in NSW by mid-2025. It is also supported by funding from the Commonwealth Government.

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 additional virtual care services helping 180,000 people avoid a trip to the ED.
• $100 million to continue funding our urgent care services for a further two years 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 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed.
• $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.

The Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“At a time when our EDs are packed and it’s difficult to find a GP, this government is delivering alternative pathways to healthcare so people across the state get the timely healthcare they deserve.”

“It’s a win for patients who will get care closer to home when they need it, and it’s a win for hospitals because it helps relieve pressure on our busy EDs.”

The Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“I’m committed to increasing availability of healthcare to communities through urgent care services just like these, which are aimed at bridging the gap between primary care and emergency care, ensuring that patients have fast access to the urgent care they need.”

“Our health care system is under immense pressure, especially at this time of year with a huge volume of respiratory viruses circulating in the community.”

The report exposes the full impact of toll road privatisation by the former government.

The report highlights Sydney’s toll road network is a poorly functioning patchwork of numerous different price structures that will cost motorists $195 billion in nominal terms in tolls over the next three and a half decades on top of the billions they have already paid.

The report notes the lack of a unified tolling system has created complexity, inefficiency, inequities and unfairness, with those in Western Sydney financially impacted the most.

There are a range of recommendations presented to Government by Professor Fels and Dr Cousins for consideration including:

• Tolls should be based on a declining distance basis charged on a per kilometre basis but with the per kilometre rate declining the greater the distance travelled. This would deliver greater fairness to motorists in Western Sydney.
• An infrastructure charge should be introduced for parts of toll roads that have been costly to build e.g. ventilated tunnels, Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Two-way tolling on the two current Harbour crossings and the Eastern Distributor, with this additional revenue gained being put into the lowering of tolls on the remainder of the network. This will also ensure a consistent tolling and traffic integration approach when the Western Harbour tunnel opens around 2028.
• Decisions on toll setting should be overseen by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

The Government notes the final report also provides two distinct “bookend” scenarios that model the impact on motorists spend when additional toll relief is provided or removed from the system.

The NSW Government will now consider the report and respond in due course.

The Government promised at the election to introduce long-term reform for the world’s most tolled city and an end to the Liberals’ “toll mania” in Sydney.

The NSW Government is committed to reforming Sydney’s toll network to restore fairness, simplicity and transparency to the system and put the interests of motorists above those of private investors.

The Toll Review confirms this will be a complex task but one that the state must embark on as the Government provides essential cost-of-living relief through Labor’s $60 toll cap.

Roads Minister John Graham said:

“Toll reform is critical for Sydney and this is a once in a generation chance to address this issue.”

“Former governments have had an attitude of set and forget on tolls, but the result is now a combined burden of $195 billion to be paid out to 2060 and a city that is more congested, more divided.”

“Under these long-term contracts, Sydney is a place in which people make choices about where they work based on the need to avoid paying tolls. The problem grows each year. Over decades, it will become unsustainable.”

“We are determined to put motorists first as we push ahead with these challenging reforms.”

“I welcome the offer by motorway concessionaires to work with the Government on a new, network approach to tolling. We will also consider legislation consistent with the recommendations in the final report to achieve this important reform.”

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:  

“The NSW Government is committed to relief and reform.”

“Relief began with our $60 toll cap.  And today’s report is the next important step in reforming an unnecessarily complex and costly system.”

“Every year motorists are paying $2.5 billion in tolls. Without reform, that burden will continue to land heaviest on those who can least afford it in Western Sydney and other car-reliant areas.”

Full final report of the Independent Toll Review: https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/toll-review 

Last quarter alone there were 810,291 ED attendances up 5.2% on the same quarter last year, which is an additional 40,235 attendances in just one quarter within 12 months.

If you combined the populations of the Penrith, Newcastle, Wollongong and Fairfield Local Government Areas you would still just fall short of the number of ED attendances in NSW hospitals over 3 months.

It’s why last month our Budget delivered almost a half a billion dollars towards an ED Relief Package.

Today I announce the first stages of implementing this critical investment.

Firstly, to support people with alternatives to EDs.

The fact of the matter is sometimes people turn up to hospital when it’s not an emergency.

We’ve seen what happens when alternatives are available.

Our virtualKIDS service has cared for more than 3,600 children in just 4 months. We’ll next roll-out virtualADULTS to help to manage urgent care that can be safely assessed and treated by virtual care in the patient’s home.

If you or a loved one are feeling unwell, worried about symptoms or need health advice you can call healthdirect anytime on 1800 022 222 to get the help you need.

A registered nurse will assess your condition and connect you with the care you need, whether an appointment at a local urgent care service or virtual care.

It means healthcare, anywhere, in the time it takes to make a phone call.

Secondly, we need to enhance our capacity in EDs. Short Stay Units get people in and out of EDs swiftly and safely when they don’t require a hospital admission.

We’re investing a further $70 million in expanding these units.

The first additional unit is now operational at Maitland Hospital.

Thirdly, we seek to get patients safely out of hospital and into the comfort of their own homes quicker.

We’ve invested $53.9 million towards a new Discharge Concierge Service.

These roles will ensure the often complex and time-consuming discharge process is better coordinated.

The ED relief package will mean 290,00 trips to the ED and 76,800 hours waiting in the ED are avoided each year.

For health workers, who have been through so much in recent years, means more time with their patients, more colleagues to share this immense workload and better tools to do their job.

For patients, it will mean more options to get care beyond the ED, a shorter wait when they do need an ED – more time at home, less time in hospital.

For our state, it means the right level of care, support, and access.