Month: January 2025

The Minns Government is continuing its efforts to safeguard primary industries from bushfire threats, with a raft of projects announced today to help protect critical plantation timber in southern NSW under the Government’s $13 million Plantation Fire Protection funding package.

Funding has been endorsed for 15 local projects which will form a network of enhanced fire protection initiatives across the Murray region, including Greater Hume, Snowy Valleys, Cootamundra-Gundagai. Albury and Wagga Wagga LGAs.

Ranging from latest technology fire detection cameras to aerodrome-based water supplies for firefighting, the projects have been identified to collectively deliver the maximum fire protection, hazard reduction and response capabilities for plantations and communities in the region.

A panel of government and industry experts have identified the projects by analysing existing arrangements and identifying gaps and opportunities.

While the projects will protect plantation resources, they also provide increased protection for the local residents and businesses of the area.

The projects were identified by representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and the Softwoods Working Group, facilitating additional input from plantation owners, local councils, Forestry Corporation and other fire authorities.

Approved projects include:

• $1,100,000 for the upgrade of Ellerslie Range Fire Trails Program which are strategically important to protect at-risk plantation estates in the Snowy Valley which includes the Southern Cross Forest complex, Green Hills and Bago State Forests;
• $983,339 for the upgrade and maintenance of priority fire trails in Bondo, Bago, Carabost and Jingellic State Forests;
• $5,720,000 for Tumut Aerodrome, to improve water supply for aerial firefighting and the construction of hangar for fire suppression aircraft;
• $100,000 for two high volume trailer mounted water pumps for rapid refilling of water transport trucks and fire tankers, to be housed in the Bondo forest depot and Ardrossan forest depot;
• $329,490 for a network of Remote Automated Weather Stations to provide data to the Bureau of Meteorology to inform fire preparedness and response across the region;
• $145,625 for firefighting water storages in strategic locations exposed to uncontrolled fires – for both private and public plantation land in the Ellerslie forests area to the west of Adelong, forest areas to the west of Humula, Carabost State Forest and Murraguldrie State Forests;
• $456,000 for two bulk tankers to transport firefighting water, to be housed at Green Hills;
• $387,106 for specialist tractor and mulcher, based in Tumbarumba, to undertake growth suppression and non-burn hazard reduction in key fire corridors;
• $1,537,800 for an all-terrain firefighting machine with water tank and high flow water pumps that will deliver large volumes of water in difficult plantation situations to be housed in the Tumut area;
• $828,139 to expand the PSN (Public Safety Network) radio network for plantation workers, across the Murry region;
• $325,000 for three additional fire detection cameras on Mt Ikes, Table Top and Mt Flakney to complete the network monitoring the Murray Valley timber plantation estate;
• $220,000 for the Australian Fire Danger Rating System – which provides critical data to assess fire risk across the Murray region;
• $767,500 to upgrade of cabins in five fire towers to ensure early detection in Munderoo Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys), Tumorrama Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys), Burngoogie Fire Tower (Wagga Wagga), Kendall Fire Tower (Snowy Valleys) and Kangaroo Fire Tower (Cootamundra-Gundagai).

Together these projects will be administered as a pilot program, with monitoring and evaluation to be undertaken by DPIRD to help determine the potential to broaden this program across the State.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“The Murray region was hit particularly hard in the 2019/20 bushfires and we lost a significant stock of our future housing timber – we can’t afford to lose anymore.

“These projects will play a vital role in protecting the remaining critical timber supplies in the Murray region as we move into the 2024-25 bushfire season and beyond.

“These same timber plantations will produce the quality timber our NSW housing sector so desperately needs now and for generations to come, so it’s important to find ways to protect them from bushfires.

“I am confident this program will build resilience into this important regional industry through measures that deliver improved fire prevention, detection and response, making our communities safer in the process.”

The Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, said:

“Memories of the disastrous Dunns Road fire five years ago are still fresh in local minds, so these measures to reduce the fire risk in the Snowy Valleys are very welcome.

“The softwoods industry is an economic powerhouse for the local economy so it’s essential that all steps possible are taken to protect livelihoods and businesses that depend on safe and secure plantations.

“The enhancements at the Tumut aerodrome will be an important addition to the region’s firefighting capacity.

“This is the result of positive collaboration between industry, the Rural Fire Service, Snowy Valleys Council and government and I congratulate all involved.”

Thousands of NSW Seniors are set to be entertained by Todd McKenney, Rob Mills, Tarryn Stokes and Prinnie Stevens at this year’s Premier’s Gala Concerts, with free tickets available early next month.

The Premier’s Gala Concerts will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Darling Harbour on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 March 2025 with two performances each day and will be live-streamed for seniors who are unable to attend in person.

The 2025 Seniors Festival Expo, held at the ICC across the same dates, will feature more than 110 exhibitors providing a variety of opportunities for seniors to get involved and stay active and connected within the community.

The Premier’s Gala Concerts are a highlight of the annual NSW Seniors Festival, which runs from Monday 3 to Sunday 16 March 2025.

The festival is the NSW Government’s way of thanking seniors for their valuable contributions to society. The theme of this year’s festival is “Time to Shine” and it’s an opportunity for older people to get involved, and stay active and connected.

Last year, the Premier Gala Concerts sold out, with 32,000 seniors attending. Seniors also showed their strong support for events around NSW, with an estimated 500,000 attending various activities across the state over the whole festival fortnight.

Free tickets for the performances will be available on the NSW Seniors Festival website from 9am on Tuesday 4 February 2025 at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/seniors-festival/whats-on/premiers-concert.

Keep up to date with all that’s happening at the NSW Seniors Festival at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/seniors-festival.

Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison said:

“The NSW Seniors Festival embraces the diversity of seniors and celebrates the wonderful work they do for their communities.

“It’s the highlight of the year for many and this year is set to deliver with a fantastic range of entertainment and activities to suit everyone.

“Seeing our seniors thoroughly enjoy themselves at one of the biggest events of the year is always special, and I encourage our seniors to get in early for tickets to the Gala Concerts.”

The Minns Labor Government welcomes Commonwealth Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic’s decision to refuse an amendment of work program and time for Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP-11) in Commonwealth waters off the coast of NSW between Newcastle and Sydney.

Minister Husic’s decision on these applications provides clarity to the proponent, coastal communities, and the general public on the outcome of the applications, ending years of uncertainty. 

To uphold the integrity of the decision-making process for the applications, NSW Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos, in her capacity as a member of the Commonwealth-New South Wales Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority, did not contribute to the final assessment of the applications on this occasion. 

Minister Husic’s decision follows strong action by the Minns Labor Government to protect our beaches and coastal environment by banning seabed petroleum and mineral mining and exploration in NSW coastal waters. 

In March 2024, the NSW Government passed the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Sea Bed Mining and Exploration) Act 2024 (NSW). The Act commenced on 13 December 2024 and prohibits exploration and recovery in the coastal waters of NSW unless specifically exempted.

Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos: 

“The NSW Government’s position on drilling and mining in NSW coastal waters is clear. I will continue to consider applications as part of the Joint Authority in Commonwealth waters on a case-by-case basis. 

“Although I did not contribute to the decision, I support Minister Husic’s decision to refuse the two applications for variation and suspension of the conditions of the permit and extension of the permit term for PEP-11. 

“I would like to acknowledge the clear sentiment on PEP-11 expressed by coastal communities and their representatives over many years.”

People wanting to enjoy the surf on Central Coast beaches this Australia Day Long Weekend will do so more safely thanks to the Minns Labor Government’s fast-tracked installation of emergency response beacons (ERBs).

ERBs directly connect callers to Surf Life Saving NSW’s State Operations Centre, enabling the rapid deployment of lifesaving and emergency services to a potential rescue site.

With most fatalities occurring on unpatrolled beaches, this can reduce response times when every second counts.

The Government has installed beacons at three Central Coast beaches – Bateau Bay, Forresters Beach and Frazer Park – as part of its fast-tracked roll out across 19 unpatrolled locations throughout NSW in 2024.

The state-wide installation of these potentially life-saving help points was almost double the number proposed for the year.

Volunteer life savers across NSW have performed more than 300,000 preventative actions to keep beachgoers safe as more than four million people flocked to the surf since 1 December.

The warm weather has encouraged big beach crowds across the state resulting in more than 1,000 rescues, serious incidents requiring lifesaving action, and first aid treatment for more than 6,000 people in the first month of summer.

More than 10% of the state-wide rescues have been performed on the Central Coast this summer, with 124 rescues and 488 preventative actions on the 450,485 people that have flocked to the region’s famed beaches since 1 December.

As the holidays continue, the NSW Government is urging those taking advantage of our beautiful coastline to play it safe at the beach with the launch of a new online water safety hub.

The hub complements the efforts of life savers by bringing together essential water safety information, featuring tips and guidance from key organisations across NSW to help communities stay informed and safe around the state’s stunning waterways.

Beacons installed in 2024 are now in place at the following locations:

• Central Coast: Bateau Bay, Forresters Beach, Frazer Park
• Northern Beaches: Narrabeen Beach, South Curl Curl, Fishermans Beach, North Palm Beach, Turimetta Beach
• Sydney:  Brighton-Le-Sands, Dolls Point, Gordons Bay, Lake Parramatta, Mahon Pool
• Hunter: Moonee Beach
• Illawarra: Woonona Pool, Austinmer
• Far South Coast: Bar Beach Merimbula, Camel Rock, Pambula River Mouth.

The next generation of beacons are also being rolled out, with 15 expected to be installed during 2025 at key locations up and down the NSW coast.

The new beacons are fitted with flotation devices and enhanced technology like high-definition video live-streaming to provide another set of eyes on the beach.

Currently, there are 53 ERBs strategically located at beaches frequented by both locals and tourists, ensuring quick access to emergency assistance.

The beacons are part of the NSW Government’s record $72 million additional investment in Surf Life Saving NSW.

Alongside the ERBs, the NSW Government is delivering 67 jet skis over four years, with 14 delivered to beaches along the state’s coastline for the summer.

The NSW Government continues to work in partnership with Surf Life Saving NSW, local councils and community organisations to deliver initiatives that keep residents and visitors safe.

Visit the water safety hub at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/visiting-nsw-waterways

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“Our investment in this life saving technology is a significant step forward in ensuring the safety of all beachgoers across NSW.

“These new emergency response beacons, along with our education programs and simple to use tools like the water safety hub, are here to provide a crucial safety net for communities across NSW, especially for those who are most at risk.

“We are building on the 53 Emergency Response Beacons installed across our beaches, backed by a record $72 million investment in Surf Life Saving NSW.

“With the holiday season continuing, I urge everyone to stay vigilant, follow the guidance of our lifesavers and enjoy our stunning coastline safely.”

Minister for the Central Coast David Harris said:

“The Central Coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in the state, and the installation of emergency service beacons as part of the Minns Labor Government’s record investment in Surf Life Saving NSW ensure they can be enjoyed safely by everyone.

“This investment also gives our wonderful surf lifesaver volunteers more of the top class life-saving facilities they need.”

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

“There’s no better place to be in summer than at the beach, but we want everyone to be safe while enjoying our beautiful coastline.

“Not all beaches are patrolled, which is why these beacons are so important.

“They provide direct contact to Surf Lifesaving NSW from unpatrolled beaches like Moonee Beach and Frazer Park, helping to reduce emergency response times when every second counts.”

Member for The Entrance David Mehan MP said:

“Bateau Bay is a magnet for both locals and visitors and we want to make sure people can enjoy them safely. The installation of beacons is a welcome addition to provide another set of eyes on our beaches and waterways to assist our lifeguards.”

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said:

“We’ve had an extremely busy holiday period on beaches across the state and are expecting the tempo to remain high for the remainder of the summer. The crowds do put pressure on our volunteers.

“Swimming between the red and yellow flags isn’t just a smart choice – it’s a lifesaver. No drownings have occurred at patrolled locations during patrol hours, so staying where lifesavers and lifeguards can see you is the best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

“We’re urging beachgoers to take heed of those basic safety messages; don’t swim at unpatrolled locations – look for the red and yellow flags because if our lifesavers can’t see you, they can’t save you – and understand your limits when entering the ocean.”

Power has now been restored to around 300,000 homes, businesses and other properties which were blacked out when severe storms swept across NSW, and energy crews and NSW State Emergency Service volunteers are working hard to connect the remaining 8,600 customers.

Violent electrical storms late on Wednesday 15 January damaged energy infrastructure and brought down trees and powerlines, before gale-force winds hit on Friday 17 January.

Since Wednesday, the SES has received more than 8,700 call outs, with many incidents involving live power lines. Crews will continue responding to incidents over the next few days.

At the height of Wednesday’s storms 226,000 customers lost power, and on Friday, more than 70,000 were disconnected. Some homes and businesses were hit by both weather systems.

While power has been restored to the vast majority thanks to the work of SES volunteers and Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy workers, the severity of the damage has caused some prolonged outages. Some of these jobs have required complete re-builds of parts of the network, which have taken several days to complete. Some are in isolated locations.

Ausgrid is advising customers some outages will continue into early this week. Essential Energy workers are now supporting Ausgrid in its clean up and restoration efforts.

As of 6am Monday 20 January, around 8,600 homes and business across NSW were without power.

• Ausgrid has 8,500 customers without power:
  • 1,500 in Newcastle/Hunter, including 350 in Port Stephens
  • 1,000 Central Coast
  • 6,000 in Sydney

More than 200,000 Ausgrid customers have been impacted by the storms.

• Endeavour Energy has around 100 customers without power in Sydney.
  This is down from a total of 78,000 Endeavour Energy customers impacted by the storms.
• Essential Energy has restored all power outages from the storms.
  A total of 31,500 Essential Energy customers were impacted.

The safety of the community and energy crews is the number one priority as crews work to get the power back on.

Residents are urged to follow these safety measures:

• Always assume a fallen wire is live and dangerous, stay at least 8 metres clear of them.
• Avoid wires that are hanging low, on the ground or tangled in trees and storm debris.  
• Never drive across fallen powerlines.
• Report fallen powerlines immediately by calling your electricity distributor:
• If you’re using a portable generator for power, avoid deadly exhaust fumes entering your home.
• If you have an emergency, call Triple 0 (000) or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 for non-urgent matters.

The Australian and NSW Governments have confirmed a Natural Disaster Declaration for select local government areas affected by these storms, and more assessments are underway. Find out more information about the assistance available.

The Minns Labor Government is also waiving the waste levy in many affected local government areas to speed up recovery efforts and reduce the financial burden on households and businesses.

Affected customers should contact their electricity distributor to see if further support is available. For example, Ausgrid customers may be eligible for up to $250 from Ausgrid to cover food spoilage due to power outages.

Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe said:

“It has been a massive task to restore power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses since these wild storms hit, and we thank the SES volunteers and energy crews who have worked around the clock to make it happen.

“This important but difficult work is still going. There are customers who are still without power, and we know that is incredibly difficult. Crews are working as hard as possible to reconnect everyone.”

Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib said:

“The situation is challenging for communities and emergency responders, but we have also seen the best in people and from our incredible emergency response volunteers and personnel.

“The NSW State Emergency Service and other first responders, including Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service and VRA Rescue NSW, have made a mammoth effort to help communities get back on their feet during these difficult times.

“The NSW Government is working with councils and communities to provide support where it is needed, with joint federal and state funding already available for some LGAs and assessments well underway for others.”

One million drivers who remained offence-free on the road over the past 12 months are being rewarded for their contribution to safety with a demerit point scrubbed from their licence.

 

The results of the second year of the Government’s demerit point return scheme show drivers in car-reliant areas of Western Sydney and regional NSW are the biggest beneficiaries this year.

The scheme provides a rare ‘carrot’ for people to drive safely as a counterbalance to the longstanding ‘stick’ of fines, double demerits and the loss of licence.

 

Almost 1.5 million drivers were eligible to have a demerit point removed when the second year of the trial started on January 17, with just over one million drivers (1,003,610) remaining offence-free. 

There are now more than 420,000 drivers who have had a demerit point wiped two years running. Topping the list of suburbs was Blacktown where more than 6000 drivers are getting a point wiped. Castle Hill, Merrylands, Auburn, and Maroubra round out the top five suburbs, each with 4500 or more drivers to benefit. 

Regional drivers were also doing the right thing in great numbers with motorists in Orange, Dubbo, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour notching up over 16,000 demerit points removed. 

Motorists will begin to see their licence demerit tally updated from the second quarter of 2025. 

As the scheme enters its third year, the NSW Government is making an important adjustment to the end date of the 12-month period which will in future run to 31 January starting in 2026. This means that drivers who are close to benefiting with a point will need to drive safely and offence-free throughout the critical month of January which has in the past been marred by holiday crashes and deaths. 

There are 1,483,926 drivers eligible to benefit if they stay within the rules until 31 January 2026.

 

The NSW Government introduced a range of new road safety measures in 2024 which will continue or expand in 2025. 

They include: 

    – The trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles in 2025

    – Doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with an additional 2,700 new sites where a camera can be deployed. Total enforcement hours will remain the same 

    – Seatbelt enforcement via the state’s existing mobile phone cameras

    – Removing a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six months 

    – Implementing recommendations from the Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce to stamp out rorting of the system by mainly visiting foreign nationals 

    – Releasing more ratings for bicycle helmets as part of the star rating system 

    – Signing the National Road Safety Data Agreement with the Commonwealth 

The demerit point reward scheme is open to eligible unrestricted and professional licence holders with active demerit points.