Month: November 2024

The NSW Government last night has passed legislation to deliver on a key election commitment to expand support for families who have lost loved ones in road crimes.

The Victims Rights and Support Amendment (Victims Support Counselling) Bill 2024 will make counselling available through the Victims Support Scheme to family members of a person killed in a motor vehicle crash where someone is charged in relation to the crash.

Under the changes, family members will also be eligible for counselling support if charges cannot be laid because the offender has died or cannot be located if there is sufficient evidence to establish that an offence has apparently occurred.

An eligible family member will be able to access 22 hours of approved counselling, with further hours available if approved by the Commissioner of Victims Rights.

Currently, most incidents involving motor vehicles are excluded from being ‘acts of violence’ under the Victims Rights and Support Act.

Family victims of road crime experience the same trauma as any other family who has lost a loved one because of a criminal act. This legislation will ensure they receive counselling as they navigate their loss.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“This legislation delivers on our election commitment to offer grieving families the counselling support that they deserve.

“Family victims of road crimes will be able to access critical mental health support through the Victims Support Scheme.

“We have listened to the community and delivered legislation that will make a real difference.”

Wentworth Point families are set for a major education boost as the Minns Labor Government marks the beginning of a major expansion to Wentworth Point Public School, while construction nears completion at the new Wentworth Point High School.

Major upgrades to Wentworth Public School will see the delivery of 26 new classrooms, seven new multipurpose spaces, three new support classrooms and an internal renovation to the school’s library. The upgrade will allow for the removal of all 16 demountables and lift the capacity of the school from 400 to 1,000 when works are completed in mid-2026.

The beginning of upgrade works on the public school come as works near completion at the neighbouring new multimillion-dollar Wentworth Point High School. Students are set to begin classes at the new public high school from Day 1, Term 1 2025.

The new high school will cater for Year 7 students from Wentworth Point, Sydney Olympic Park, Newington, Silverwater and Rhodes in 2025, with an additional year of schooling added each year.

Stage 2 of the high school is now in planning, with construction set to begin in early 2025, which will deliver a new multipurpose hall for sports and performance, new outdoor spaces, games courts, canteen facilities and a sports field which will be open to the community outside of school hours.

Improvements to Wenworth Point education infrastructure is long overdue, following the former Liberal National Government failing to deliver on promised upgrades, and instead leaving school communities to rely on temporary demountables filling the school playgrounds.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education, which includes a record $3.6 billion to upgrade and build new schools in Western Sydney, addressing a school infrastructure backlog left after more than a decade of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“I am pleased to see upgrade works begin at Wentworth Point Public School today.

“While the population in this area grew significantly over the last decade, the Liberals and Nationals failed to plan for the schools needed in the Wentworth Point community.

“Our major investments in Wentworth Point mean families will now have certainty that their children can attend a world-class public school in their local area.”

Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:

“It is fantastic to see upgrade works starting at Wentworth Point Public School.

“We had to fight hard for our new high school, this major public school upgrade and the long-awaited Peninsula Park, which are all now underway.

“I am proud to be part of the Minns Labor Government that is delivering for our community.”

Principal of Wentworth Point Public School Jayne Muir said:

“I am excited about the upgrades and the prospect of developing an educational precinct on the Wentworth Point Peninsula.

“When our school first opened in 2018, we started with just 152 students, with a designed capacity of 419. Fast forward to 2024, and Wentworth Point Public School is in its seventh year of operation.

“We are now projecting an enrolment of over 740 students by the beginning of 2025. This rapid increase underscores the pressing need for expanded facilities to continue to provide a high-quality learning environment.”

Principal of Wentworth Point High School Melissa Johnston said:

“I am delighted to be building the foundations of a new school community, commencing with Year 7 in 2025.

“The modern six storey facility located along the beautiful Parramatta River provides flexible learning spaces for mainstream and support unit students and offers high quality specialist facilities to support diverse learning pathways and post school options,” Ms Johnston said.

“We will maximise the flexible learning spaces through student transition programs and staff inductions with explicit expectations regarding optimal teaching and learning.”

One of Australia’s leading clinician scientists and founder of national genomic cancer medicine centre, Omico, Professor David Thomas, received the state’s highest accolade for cancer research at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research tonight.

Professor Thomas, who was crowned Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year, is a leader in the development of precision oncology in Australia, which has extended the lives of thousands of incurable cancer patients through the use of genomics.

Professor Thomas founded Omico, a not-for-profit genomics organisation that accelerates access to precision oncology using technology to detect unique genetic and molecular variations in a person’s cancer to identify new targeted treatments.

Professor Thomas has also led the development of sarcoma research in Australia for the past 20 years, having founded the Australasian Sarcoma Study Group. His work changed the global clinical practice for giant cell tumour of bone, and effective early detection strategies for patients with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a rare hereditary disorder that increases a person’s risk of cancer.

NSW Premier Chris Minns, Minister for Health Ryan Park and Minister for Medical Research David Harris also presented seven other prestigious awards, celebrating the individuals and teams working to improve cancer outcomes in NSW, at the event in the NSW Parliament.

• Outstanding Mid-Career Researcher –Associate Professor Nicolas Hart,National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Research Fellow in Cancer Survivorship at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), for enhancing patient safety and quality of care for individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in cancer care.
• Outstanding Early Career Researcher – Dr Ashfaq Chauhan, a postdoctoral research fellow and coordinator of the Healthcare Engagement and Equity Research stream within the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University, for enhancing patient safety and quality of care for individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in cancer care.
• Rising Star PhD Candidate – Dr Robert Rawson,Tissue Pathology Staff Specialist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for his innovative research focused on assessing the pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy in melanoma.
• Outstanding Cancer Clinical Trials Unit – The Clinical Trials Unit at Melanoma Institute Australia, for its investigator-led trials, and leading the way in advancing melanoma and non-melanoma research, enrolling around 400 patients annually in diverse clinical trials.
• Cancer Control Innovation –The Zero Childhood Cancer Program team, for demonstrating unprecedented collaboration, bringing together clinicians from child cancer treatment centres across the country and leading national research partners to deliver Australia’s first precision medicine program for children with cancer.
• Improving Equitable Outcomes – Associate Professor Mei Ling Yap, radiation oncologist and clinician researcher at South Western Sydney Local Health District, The George Institute for Global Health and the Ingham Institute at UNSW, for her dedication to achieving equity in cancer control both locally and globally through increasing access to radiation therapy.
• Consumer Engagement in Cancer Research –awarded toLucy Jones, CEO Neuroblastoma Australia and consumer advocate passionate about advancing neuroblastoma research, for working tirelessly to raise awareness of the disease and fund research aimed at creating more targeted, effective, and less toxic treatments.

Each winner also received funding towards their research as part of their prize.

The NSW Government, through the Cancer Institute NSW, has awarded more than $324 million in cancer research over the last decade.

For more detailed information on award recipients, visit https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/events/nsw-premier-s-awards-for-outstanding-cancer-resear/2024

Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales said:

“NSW is a global leader in cancer research.

”We’re committed to continuing to invest in research to improve our understanding of a disease which devastates communities across our state.

“On behalf of the people of NSW, I’d like to thank the award winners and our incredible cancer research community, for working together to better understand and treat this insidious disease.”

Ryan Park, Minister for Health said:

“With one person in NSW diagnosed with cancer around every 10 minutes, almost all of us will feel the impact of this disease during our lifetime.

“Better understanding and treatment of cancer would be impossible without people like Professor Thomas and I’d like to thank him and everyone working across NSW who help reduce the impact of cancer.”

David Harris, Minister for Medical Research said:

“For people with cancer, research and clinical trials provide options and hope.

“NSW has some of the best cancer survival rates in the world and our well established research pipeline and overall excellence in cancer research is a key reason for these outcomes.”

Professor Tracey O’Brien, NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW said:

“Cancer is a global health challenge and while significant progress has been made in our understanding of cancer, it remains the leading cause of death in NSW, with sadly one in two people set to be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

“Research and innovation is key to unlocking the answers we are all searching for and I’d like to congratulate and thank the incredibly passionate, talented and collaborative research teams in NSW who are working tirelessly to save lives and keep families and communities safe and supported.”

Professor David Thomas, said:

“It’s a great honour to be recognised for the work our teams have been leading, which is transforming cancer care. Genomics is a fundamental technology that provides answers to the two most common questions patients ask ‘why did this happen to me?’ and ‘what can you do about it?’

“After screening more than 15,000 incurable cancer patients, there’s no question that precision oncology can significantly extend life for one in three cancer patients. I am proud to see the growth of Omico’s national clinical trial network from eight cancer centres at conception in 2018, to 61 centres across Australia and New Zealand today.”

The Minns Labor Government has put stronger sanctions in place for irresponsible and disruptive activities that block the passage of trains, endangering the safety of rail workers and disrupting passengers.

Legislation passed by the NSW Parliament last night put in place a maximum fine of $22,000 for the offence of “obstructing a railway”. Previously, the offence provision under the Crimes Act 1900 does not specify a fine.

The penalties for blocking the passage of trains now align with changes to laws, passed by the NSW Parliament in 2022, making it an offence to block or obstruct major roads, bridges and tunnels and major facilities like ports and railway stations.

Many of the protesters causing mayhem in the Hunter Valley earlier this year were charged with obstructing a railway. This provision also covers people found to have assisted those who directly commit the offence.

Strengthening the penalty aims to deter extremely dangerous conduct that puts train driver, rail worker and passenger safety at risk.

Blocking railway tracks disrupts commuters and commerce and diverts the precious resources of NSW Police.

Hardworking train drivers should not have to work in fear, worrying about whether they will need to apply an emergency brake to avoid striking a trespasser. Everyone across our state should be able to use our rail network safely.

It is critical that we deter people from engaging in this behaviour, which could also see them killed on the tracks.

While recent rail line protest activity has centred on the Hunter region, this change will apply to every railway line in the state. The provision also covers blocking the passage of light rail vehicles.

While the Government respects the right of people to lawfully protest, illegal protests on railway tracks or on major facilities, which could cost lives, will not be tolerated.

Those found guilty of obstructing a railway, or damaging or disrupting major facilities, will now all face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $22,000 (200 penalty units), or both.

By aligning the penalties for these offences, the NSW Government is sending a message about how seriously it views this kind of illegal conduct.

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“This is about preventing dangerous and disruptive conduct.

“This conduct is already illegal, and we are sending a clear message with these stronger penalties.”

NSW parliament rises for the last time this week, marking 20 months since the Labor government came to power in NSW, aided by the state’s union movement. In March 2023, Chris Minns and his team promised the world simultaneously to voters and to the unions who carried them to election victory. The euphoria that accompanied the Labor win has long lost its lustre and Chris Minns and his Labor ministers are now facing the reality of what is required to govern – and the consequences of being beholden to the union movement.
 
We have unions holding the government hostage – paralysing our public transport network and stranding commuters one week, elective and planned surgeries cancelled the next, while for nearly a year ongoing action from the Electrical Trades Union has delayed critical electrical connections, impacting everything from thousands of homes to billions of dollars of state-significant infrastructure.
 
What’s clear is that the unions which got Labor elected, which control Labor preselections, man booths on polling day and make donations to the ALP, are now running this state. The Labor Party that promised great reform has instead delivered paralysis.
 
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, NSW has lost nearly 26,000 “working days” to industrial action since the Minns government came to power, up-ending the lives of people. NSW has gone from being the “Premier State” to the “Strike State”.
 
Meanwhile, under the Minns Labor government, Sydney’s cost of living is spiralling. The overall cost of living in Sydney is 22% higher than Melbourne, 25% higher than Perth, 49% higher than Adelaide, and 41% higher than Darwin. Rent in Sydney is 36% more expensive than Melbourne, 45% higher than Perth, and 49% higher than Adelaide.
 
Sydney families pay $1000 more in rent each month than in Melbourne. That’s $12,000 a year more that Sydney families could be spending on their children, grocery bills, or saving for their future. Housing approvals and commencements in NSW have collapsed to their lowest levels in 12 years, rents have skyrocketed, and families are being priced out of their communities. Hospitals are going backwards, and cost-of-living pressures continue to get worse.
 
Labor has delivered at least 52 announcements of taskforces, inquiries and reviews, but no meaningful outcomes for the people of NSW. Instead, we have a weak Labor Premier and a small target government which hides behind empty promises.
 
We’ve seen this before. Between 1998 and 2011, NSW Labor promised at least five major rail projects – and none of them were delivered. Chris Minns is Bob Carr 2.0 – big talk, no action, and endless disappointment.
 
He is happy to cut the ribbons for projects delivered by the previous Coalition government, but he can’t lead when required.
 
The constant industrial chaos is a sobering reminder of a Labor government too weak to lead, too afraid to make decisions, and too paralysed to act. After nearly two years of the Minns Labor government, families aren’t better off – they’re worse off.

Regional NSW is no longer a reprieve for Sydneysiders looking to escape skyrocketing rents in the city, with affordability in the regions hitting record lows, according to the tenth annual National Shelter-SGS Economics and Planning Rental Affordability Index released today.

Low income earners are bearing the brunt of the rental crisis with single JobSeekers facing Extremely Unaffordable rents, with 69 per cent of their income going towards rent. Single part-time workers on parent benefits are also struggling with Extremely Unaffordable rents, sacrificing 56 per cent of their income to rent.

The average rental household in regional NSW is now paying almost 30 per cent of the gross income of $89,977 if renting at the median rate. Renting in regional NSW straddles the border between Moderately Unaffordable and Unaffordable with a RAI score of 101.

CEO of Shelter NSW John Engeler said: “The regional rental market is spiraling out of control, with people across the state struggling to afford to keep a roof over their head. What was once affordable is now out of reach.

“The regions used to be seen as an affordable alternative for Sydneysiders to escape to when city rents became unaffordable. But this is not the case, especially for regional residents on local wages. This is not sustainable and will only get worse as these regional populations grow.

“We are urging the NSW Government to provide more social housing, that is public and community housing for low-income people, and restore the social housing safety net to 5 per cent of all housing stock by 2027, working towards a goal of 10 per cent of all housing by 2040.“

“Renters deserve stable and secure long-term housing. While we commend the NSW Government for its reform to make renting fairer we now need it to commit to delivering substantial numbers of genuinely affordable rental housing for low to average income households. We also need urgent action to wind back the short term rental market. The stock of private rental properties has been gutted in many regional cities and towns leaving local people with no option but to leave.”  

The greatest affordability decline in regional NSW has been seen along coastal areas such as Tweed Heads, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, as well as inland areas such as Orange and Dubbo. Before the Covid-19 pandemic these areas shifted from Affordable to Moderately Unaffordable and Unaffordable. 

Byron Bay has been found to be one of the least affordable suburbs across the entire country, with the entire coastline of NSW offering Moderately Unaffordablerents.

While there are some areas with Acceptable to Very Affordable rents, they tend to be remote with limited access to services such as hospitals, schools and emergency services.

Ellen Witte Principal at SGS Economics & Planning said: “There are very few affordable long-term rentals on offer, pushing households to the brink of homelessness. This is a serious problem that needs to be urgently addressed by the NSW Government.

“We need to rapidly expand social and affordable housing and strengthen renters’ rights. Rental affordability in the regions is a serious issue that needs urgent intervention.”

Household	Affordability	Rent as share of income	RAI score
Single person on JobSeeker	Extremely unaffordable	69 per cent	44
Single pensioner	Severely unaffordable	43 per cent	70
Pensioner couple	Severely unaffordable	37 per cent	80
Single part-time worker on parent benefits	Extremely unaffordable	56 per cent	53
Single full-time working parent	Acceptable	22 per cent	138
Single income couple with children	Moderately unaffordable	36 per cent	82
Dual income couple with children	Very affordable	13 per cent	225
Student share house (three bedroom)	Moderately unaffordable	29 per cent	104
Minimum wage couple	Acceptable	25 per cent	122
Hospitality worker	Moderately unaffordable	36 per cent	115

* Table comparing each household in regional NSW and their rent as a share of income, as well as RAI score and affordability.