Month: April 2025

The NSW Government has worked with Hawkesbury City Council to secure a location for the Hawkesbury Fire Control Centre, with site designs now being finalised.

The NSW Government is committed to the safety and resilience of the Hawkesbury region, with work progressing for the Fire Control Centre which will be located in Wilberforce.

Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib, and Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, visited the site of the new facility, to be built at the corner of Kurmond and McKinnons Roads in Wilberforce.

The new NSW Rural Fire Service Fire Control Centre will also include a co-located Emergency Operations Centre and NSW State Emergency Service unit base, forming the broader Hawkesbury Emergency Services Precinct.

The $16.5 million project is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing investment in critical infrastructure for regional and outer-metropolitan communities.

This purpose-built centre will bring together emergency management experts, enable faster coordination, and enhance frontline capabilities in the region.

Construction of the new Fire Control Centre will begin after the completion of the approvals and tender process, ultimately delivering a centre serving the community for decades to come.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“This new Fire Control Centre will provide the tools, infrastructure, and technology needed to coordinate emergency operations and protect lives and property in a region hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years.

“Most importantly, it reflects our government’s unwavering commitment to supporting the volunteers and professionals who work around the clock to keep our communities safe.”

Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said:

“I’m pleased that my 2022 election commitment of $1.1 million to the Hawkesbury SES and $300,000 for the NSW RFS Hawkesbury Control Centre will contribute to making this important precinct a reality.

“Hawkesbury residents have endured multiple devastating bushfires and floods in recent years.

“This precinct will be a hub for preparation and resilience—ensuring our emergency services are ready to act quickly, effectively, and safely when the next emergency hits.

“And individual brigades are each making good use of their $50,000 grant, also part of my 2022 election commitments, to support the important work they do.”

NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Peter McKechnie said:

“This project represents a critical investment in the region’s emergency response capabilities, and a strong show of support for the dedicated volunteers and emergency service personnel who protect the community.

“Our members give their all to serve the community, and this facility will ensure they have the best possible environment to do so.”

The Minns Labor Government has begun construction on the $309 million redevelopment of Penrith Stadium.

The precinct will transform into a modern venue for sport, recreation with community space and entertainment including concerts, offering a superior experience for visitors and players.

The project, led by John Holland Group, is expected to generate around 500 jobs during construction and a further 650 jobs during operation delivering significant benefits for the Western Sydney economy.

This stadium redevelopment has been long awaited by the local community. After being promised by the former Government for more than 5 years, the Minns Labor Government has designed, acquired planning approval and begun construction within 2 years.

The multipurpose venue is set to attract new sporting events to Penrith while continuing to support the growth of rugby league, union and football in Western Sydney.

Beyond sporting events, the stadium will be able to host up to 10 concerts every year with a capacity of 30,000, and smaller spaces will be available for private events such as meetings, conferences, and catered functions.

The training field adjacent to the stadium will also be remodelled to create quality open community spaces with multipurpose courts, child-friendly areas and improved landscaping.

The NSW Government has worked with award-winning architects Populous and Tyrrell Studio to ensure Penrith Stadium will be one of Australia’s premium suburban stadiums. 

Selected after a competitive tender process, John Holland has extensive experience delivering large and complex construction projects, and the NSW Government is confident they will deliver an excellent outcome for Western Sydney.

The project is expected to be ready for operations in 2027. To find out more, visit the Penrith Stadium website.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“We are thrilled to see work begin on the redevelopment of Penrith Stadium as we bring to life our vision for a modern stadium and entertainment precinct that will serve as a major Western Sydney attraction for years to come.

“With a new stadium and community facilities, the stadium will have fans cheering on better views, seating and amenity as they cheer on their favourite teams.

“What’s more, this precinct won’t just be for sports fans but for the whole community, with year-round access to public facilities including the playing field and multipurpose courts.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

“It’s an exciting day for Western Sydney as we kick off construction on the new Penrith Stadium, the proud home of our mighty Panthers.

“This project will create hundreds of jobs during construction, and provide ongoing job opportunities right here in the heart of Penrith for our local community, boosting local businesses on event days.

“I look forward to being back in the stands cheering on the Panthers in this newly upgraded, world-class stadium, right here in the heart of Penrith.

Minister for Lands and Property and Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“Since its opening in 1967, Penrith Stadium has become a cornerstone of the local community, fostering a deep sense of pride and unity among fans and residents alike.

“Breaking ground on the redevelopment of Penrith Stadium marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we transform the venue into a modern sporting venue and entertainment precinct.

“Penrith is a thriving hub in Greater Western Sydney, and we are proud to invest in this community’s future by delivering an upgraded multipurpose facility that will be universally accessible, safe and inclusive for all users.”

The Minns Labor Government is committing an additional $2.8 million in funding to support a range of initiatives which will enhance paediatric palliative respite and end of life care across the state.

This forms part of the NSW Government’s commitment to increase paediatric palliative care funding to approximately $80 million over 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27.  

12 local health districts and speciality health networks have received additional funding to strengthen specialist paediatric palliative care and improve the physical spaces where palliative and end of life care is provided.

Local health districts and speciality health networks will receive funding to create home-like and comfortable multi-functional spaces, which may serve a range of purposes, including paediatric palliative care and bereavement support, maternity services and post-death care, as well as to care for children with chronic and complex conditions.

The initiatives supported by this funding will help ensure families can access a range of high-quality services in a comforting environment closer to home, especially for those living in rural and regional locations.

The funding will support local health districts to undertake cosmetic upgrades, refurbishments, and repairs and maintenance to support creation of supportive spaces in special care nurseries and paediatric wards and facilities. This also includes purchase of specialised equipment and comfort items to create warm, family-friendly spaces for end-of-life care.

Additionally, the funding will allow for education and training opportunities for healthcare staff to equip them with the skills needed to deliver holistic and compassionate paediatric palliative care.

Minister for Health, Ryan Park:

“This funding underscores our commitment to supporting some of the most vulnerable children and their families in NSW.

“Paediatric palliative care is essential for providing comfort and dignity to children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

“Importantly, this funding will allow us to extend and enhance a model of care which provides families with much-needed peace of mind, knowing they can care for their child in a familiar, supportive environment during their final days.”

The Minns Labor Government has today unveiled its plan to deliver secure jobs and long-term funding to the state’s community services sector—benefiting over a million people who rely on these essential support services each year.

The Secure Jobs and Funding Certainty (SJFC) roadmap sets out a vision for a strong, stable, and sustainable community sector—one where funding certainty and job security empower service providers to plan ahead, support their staff, and deliver outcomes for the communities who need them most.

Under the former Liberal-National Government, community service organisations were trapped in a cycle of short-term, insecure funding—forced to reapply for government grants, often every year. This uncertainty flowed directly to the workforce, with many frontline staff experiencing job insecurity.

In contrast, the Minns Labor Government is delivering long-term certainty with five-year funding contracts. This reform means organisations can plan ahead, invest in their workforce, and focus on helping the people who need it—not fighting their way through funding applications.

We know that many people across NSW are doing it tough right now—facing housing stress, cost-of-living pressures, and increased demand for critical support. Community service organisations are on the frontline, helping people navigate these challenges every day.

These key reforms will bring greater stability to the sector—through five-year funding contracts, less red tape, and more secure jobs, with a focus on permanent employment pathways.  More than 7,800 non-government organisations across the sector are expected to benefit, along with the 240,000 workers they employ and over one million people they support each year.

These frontline workers—most of whom are women—play a critical role in supporting the most vulnerable people in our community. Their critical work has been especially vital during times of crisis, from natural disasters to the pandemic, and in responding to issues like homelessness and domestic and family violence.

This reform delivers on a key election commitment and was developed in partnership with peak organisations, government agencies and the Australian Services Union in consultation with the community services sector.  

The NSW Government will continue working closely with the sector to turn this shared vision into lasting outcomes for communities across the state.

Under the SJFC roadmap, longer term contracts will be balanced by clearer performance and outcome expectations, ensuring taxpayer money is being used effectively and efficiently, and always for the benefit of the community.

Further information on the SJFC roadmap is available here: https://dcj.nsw.gov.au/service-providers/secure-jobs-and-funding-certainty-for-community-services.html

Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington, said:

“This is about backing the people who back our communities.

“The community services sector shows up every day for children, families, and vulnerable people across NSW—and they deserve the security to keep doing that vital work with confidence.

“This roadmap reflects a shift in how we work with the sector—towards longer-term partnerships built on trust, accountability, stability, and shared purpose.

“It’s a foundational step in building a stronger, more sustainable sector—because when we support the people who care for our communities, everyone benefits.”

Secretary, Australian Services Union NSW/ACT, Angus McFarland said:

“The community sector workforce is made up of thousands of skilled and experienced workers, mostly women, who provide essential supports and services to the people of NSW. 

“This roadmap is an important step in the government delivering on its election commitment to provide more permanent jobs for these workers via longer-term funding for the sector.

“The ultimate beneficiaries of these reforms are the people of NSW. Five-year funding contracts enable more permanent jobs in the community sector. This means greater stability for both the workers in the sector and for the community when accessing these vital services.”

NSW Council of Social Services CEO, Cara Varian said:

“We welcome the NSW Government’s plan to give essential community workers secure jobs and stable funding.

“This plan shows that the government values the workers and organisations that spend their days helping the most vulnerable in our communities. They provide critical frontline services to support people facing homelessness, poverty, domestic violence, and trauma. This is essential work that strengthens communities and improves the health, wellbeing and resilience of NSW. 

“This initiative represents a step change in the approach to human services contracting and commissioning in NSW. We commend this positive first step and look forward to building on this reform to strengthen and support the community services sector in NSW. We look forward to working with the Minister to make sure these services stay strong and continue changing lives for the better.”

Today’s ABS building activity report is the second quarterly report card on the Minns Labor Government and shows that the Government has fallen further behind meeting its housing targets, falling 37 per cent short after six months of the National Housing Accord.
 
Only 23,699 homes were completed in NSW in the first six months of the Housing Accord – 14,001 homes short of our six month target of 37,700 homes. This means that NSW now needs to complete 353,301 homes over the next four and a half years to reach the 377,000 new homes target that was set by Chris Minns and Anthony Albanese.
 
If the average figure across the first six months of the Housing Accord were replicated across every quarter, there would only be 236,990 homes built over the next five years, a shortfall of 140,010 homes from the Minns Labor Government’s housing accord target.
 
Chris Minns stated in January 2024 that “it’s really important NSW is first on the east coast when it comes to completions,” yet NSW is falling behind Victoria, which is meeting its housing accord targets.

Causing further concern, the future pipeline for NSW is looking bleaker, with commencement figures of just 10,653 homes in the December 2024 quarter, a 6.4 per cent decline on the same quarter in 2023. That decline shows that the Minns Labor Government’s policies are failing in driving new home construction – which will lead to NSW seeing fewer new homes completed in the future.
 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said under the leadership of Chris Minns and Labor, higher taxes and charges have led to NSW becoming the worst performing state on mainland Australia.
 
“The Minns Labor Government has claimed that housing is the centrepiece of its agenda, but six months in, NSW can’t even beat Victoria and it’s clear that Labor won’t get anywhere close to delivering its promises under the National Housing Accord,” Mr Speakman said.
 
“Amid a mountain of Labor taxes and charges representing up to half the cost of new housing in NSW, declining commencements figures show that worsening feasibility for new housing projects is shattering the dreams of young families wanting to get onto the property ladder,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Housing Scott Farlow said the ABS building activity data shows that Labor has made the housing crisis worse amid a mountain of Labor taxes and charges and that Labor is unwilling to meaningfully address both supply and demand.
 
“As Labor imposes a $12,000 housing tax on new home builds in Greater Sydney, commencement figures running below completions figures show how the pipeline of new housing is running dry. New home delivery to market will only get worse,” Mr Farlow said.
 
“Chris Minns and Labor must finally face up to reality: NSW can’t tax our way to more housing.”
 
“The outlook for new housing is worsening but both state and federal Labor continue to drive higher demand for new housing with net migration increasing Australia’s population by one million people over the last two years.
 
“More people are being left to compete over fewer new homes, yet Chris Minns is completely unwilling to stand up to Anthony Albanese on rebalancing migration. NSW needs both demand and supply side solutions to the housing crisis.
 
“Labor has made the housing crisis worse by failing to deliver the homes to cater for our growing population, by making new homes more expensive and construction less viable and by failing to provide the essential infrastructure the sector needs to actually get on with the job of delivering more homes,” Mr Farlow said.

The Minns Labor Government has abandoned Western Sydney businesses, with new data revealing that six of the highest-risk regions for business collapse in the entire country are in Sydney’s west.

Recent data[1] has revealed business-to-business payment defaults have surged by 42 per cent nationally over the past year, a clear sign of the worsening economic pressures facing local businesses.

The situation is most dire in Bringelly–Green Valley, which now holds the grim title of the highest forecast business closure rate in Australia, with 7.9 per cent of businesses expected to shut their doors in the next 12 months.

These regions are already under pressure — with high personal insolvency, lower-than-average income levels, and rising commercial rents driving businesses to the brink.

And still, Labor has no plan.

Western Sydney is not just a region — it’s a powerhouse. It is home to roughly one in every eleven Australians[2], boasts the third-largest economy in the country, and encompasses vast national parks, waterways and green spaces. Yet despite its scale and significance, Western Sydney suffers from higher-than-average unemployment and now, rising business failure.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said Western Sydney carries the weight of this state’s economic future — and yet under Labor, it’s been treated with contempt. 

“While families lose cost-of-living support and businesses go to the wall, Chris Minns offer nothing but spin,” Mr Speakman said. 

Shadow Minister for Western Sydney Robyn Preston said Western Sydney is being hit from all sides — rising costs, fewer jobs, and no support from the very government that promised to have their back. 

“The people of Western Sydney deserve better than this,” Ms Preston said. 

Shadow Minister for Small Business Tim James said Chris Minns Labor has turned his back on the small businesses that keep this state going. 

“Whether it’s retail, construction or hospitality — these businesses are being crushed while the government cuts support and hopes no one notices,” Mr James said.

The Member for Badgerys Creek Tanya Davies said when payment defaults are up 42 per cent and entire sectors are collapsing, the Premier and Minister for Small Business should be front and centre. 

“Instead, they’re nowhere to be found. The Minns Labor Government has walked away from Western Sydney,” Ms Davies said. 

Labor’s decision to slash proven cost-of-living support like the Active Kids, Creative Kids, First Lap and Back-to-School vouchers has only made things worse for struggling families and small businesses. 

These programs, introduced by the Liberals and Nationals, delivered practical relief when it was needed most.

Under Chris Minns, Western Sydney isn’t just being forgotten — it’s being left behind.

[1] https://creditorwatch.com.au/blog/b2b-payment-defaults-42-higher-than-a-year-ago-as-cost-pressures-mount-trump-trade-war-effects-looming

[1] https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/rcegws/rcegws/About/about_greater_western_sydney