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The Minns Labor Government is continuing to progress reforms to strengthen local government, announcing changes to the way council meetings are conducted to ensure greater transparency and increase community confidence in council decision making.

All councils are required to adopt a code of meeting practice based on the Model Meeting Code issued by the Office of Local Government.

The government has now released a consultation draft of amendments to the Model Meeting Code for public comment.

The changes aim to simplify the Model Meeting Code and ensure councillors are making decisions in the full view of the communities they are elected to represent.

They also aim to increase the dignity of the council chamber and remove the general manager’s involvement in council politics.

Key changes, some of which have been recommended by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) include:

• preventing councils from holding private councillor briefing sessions
• requiring information considered at closed meetings to be made public after it ceases to be confidential
• requiring councils to give reasons when making decisions on planning matters that depart from staff recommendations
• de-politicising the role of the general manager by removing the requirement for them to prepare reports on councillors’ notices of motion
• expanding the powers of the mayor to expel councillors from meetings for acts of disorder
• requiring councillors to stand when the mayor enters and when addressing the meeting

Changes to the Model Meeting Code were flagged in a discussion paper outlining the government’s proposed reforms to the councillor code of conduct system.

Submissions will be accepted until Friday, 28 February 2025. To learn more and provide feedback, go to: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/councils/governance/model-code-of-meeting-practice/reforms-to-the-model-code-of-meeting-practice/

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“Council meetings are where a council’s most important decisions should be made.

“It concerns me that these decisions are increasingly being made behind closed doors in private briefings, locking out the community and protecting councils from public scrutiny.

“As a former mayor, I want to see all councils conducting their business in an open and public forum, where communities can engage with their council on issues that directly affect them.

“The current Model Meeting Code has become unwieldly and is prone to drawing the general manager into political disputes which should be left to elected councillors to resolve.

“These changes are part of the government’s commitment to restoring public trust in local government which has been eroded by years of neglect and a cultural shift towards secrecy over public service.”

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Roads across the Bellingen Shire are receiving nearly $11 million in government funding to help make the state’s road network more resilient to floods and fire.

Jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns Governments’ Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package and Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the betterment project will not only improve the roads’ resilience but reduce future costs following disasters in the local area.

That includes a $9.8 million package to improve Darkwood, Timboon, Valery and Martells roads and $1.19 million to upgrade a section of Kalang Road.

These works are designed to assist local residents, industry, producers, businesses, schools, bus operators and emergency services by increasing the safety and reliability of the road network.

Bellingen Shire Council is enhancing road resilience with a series of essential upgrades. These include improved drainage systems, new concrete kerbs, upgraded road pavement layers and sealing of key unsealed sections.

Additionally, road alignment adjustments, safety barrier installations and retaining walls will increase stability, and ensure a safer and more durable roadway for all.

Updates on progress will be made available at Bellingen Shire Council – infrastructure projects. 

Senator Tony Sheldon, Special Envoy for Disaster Recovery:

“The Australian Government is pleased to see work progressing in Bellingen Shire, which has been heavily impacted in recent years by both bushfires and floods.

“These projects will increase the reliability of the road network and reduce the frequency and duration of road closures during disasters.

“This will have direct social benefits by reducing the likelihood of local communities becoming isolated, and by supporting local residents to remain connected.”

NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully:

“Work to repair key parts of this road network will make a difference to the local community.

“These road improvements will mean reduced impacts following any future natural disasters.”

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:

“Ensuring local roads can remain open longer and reopen more quickly following fires and floods helps ensure travel can resume faster for locals and businesses who rely upon the transport network for their daily lives.

“Kalang Road is the only access route for the Kalang Valley and ensuring its resilience will improve the lives of the 280 people who live there, which is good news for them and a huge benefit for local businesses.

“I recently travelled along Waterfall Way in Bellingen Shire and was pleased to see work to improve that road underway with a restoration project between Bellingen and Dorrigo which is being funded through Essential Public Asset reconstruction works under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“It is good to know that this shire will now also receive $10.9 million towards the betterment of their roads through the Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package and Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements which will reduce future costs following natural disasters in the area.”

Bellingen Shire Mayor Cr Steve Allan:

“This funding from the Australian and NSW Governments is truly welcome.

“Our country roads are currently undergoing much-needed revitalisation, and it’s encouraging to see the government backing these projects to ensure safer, more reliable roads for our community.

“The impact of the recent disasters has meant the need for significant work to be done on these roads, especially as they serve as crucial links during emergencies. 

“Council is excited to now deliver these projects, which will repair significant stretches of Darkwood, Timboon, Valery, and Martells Roads, while upgrades including embankment stabilisation, drainage improvements and installation of a safety barrier on a section of Kalang Road. This will enhance its resilience, improving reliability and greatly increasing safety for everyone who uses them.

“We appreciate the understanding of the community as we work through the delivery and completion of these important works.”

A further two landslip sites have been repaired on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain as part of the ongoing natural disaster recovery effort being jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns Labor governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Throughout 2024, repairs have been successfully carried out at four Brown Mountain landslip sites thanks to $6.7 million from the Australian and NSW governments.

Of those, two landslip sites were completed recently at Brown Mountain, with almost 150 soil nails installed – each up to 11 metres long – into the damaged slope and under the road, and more than 700 metres squared of mesh and sprayed concrete, also known as shotcrete, to secure the area and prevent further erosion.

A further two landslip sites now need to be repaired with Transport for NSW beginning a procurement process to secure specialist contractors with the repair work expected to be underway in 2025.

The landslip damage was caused by a series of unprecedented natural disaster events across southern parts of the state that brought record-breaking rainfall – up to six times the average rainfall totals, in some cases.

Repair work at multiple landslip sites in southern NSW has involved crews removing thousands of tonnes of landslip spoil (rocks, soil and vegetation), installing hundreds of soil nails and spraying thousands of cubic metres of concrete to stabilise the landslip areas and prevent further erosion in future severe weather events.

Federal Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain said:

“As someone that drives Brown Mountain every week, I know how frustrating the ongoing closures from landslips and rockfalls are, which is why it’s great to see work on these two landslips now complete – in time for the peak holiday traffic.

“Our investment with the Minns Government to repair Brown Mountain is making it safer for locals to get around, and also ensuring tourists can continue to support our fantastic local businesses in Eden-Monaro.

“We know there’s more work to do, which is why I’ll continue advocating for a long-term solution to improving the safety and reliability of Brown Mountain.”

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“I want to thank work crews who have carried out these repairs. This work has been done under difficult conditions on steep and narrow sections of road, often with machinery operating in spaces narrower than a standard single car garage and with workers either suspended on platforms or abseiling ropes.”

Member for Monaro Steve Whan said:

“It’s good to see more repairs completed at Brown Mountain. This route is a key connector for freight, health, and tourism, and I am committed to ensuring the long-term planning work is done to improve its resilience to natural disasters.”

Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland said:

“We understand natural disasters have had a significant impact on travel through these important mountain roads in our region and we thank the communities impacted for their patience while these essential repairs have been carried out.”

NSW will this month reach a significant milestone, screening more than two million newborns across the state for hearing loss since the Australian first Statewide Infant Screening Hearing Program began in December 2002.

Hearing loss is a common disability, with one in ten people either being born with or later developing hearing loss in their lifetime.

Approximately 180 of the more than 90,000 newborns screened in NSW each year are detected as having significant hearing loss.

Early diagnosis and referral to specialist treatment is vital for children’s overall development, leading to better outcomes in their speech, language and communication.

Under the program, a trained screener will conduct screening on a newborn baby while they are asleep or resting. This can take place in both public and private birthing facilities, in a community clinic or in a family’s home.

The hearing screen takes no more than 20 minutes to complete, and the baby’s results are available immediately. The screener is able to explain the results right away to the baby’s parents and record the results.

Babies who do not pass the initial hearing screen will have a repeat test completed. Newborns who are identified as requiring comprehensive hearing assessment are referred to one of three paediatric audiology centres in NSW, located at The Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick and John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring all infants have the best possible start to life, by ensuring any hearing issues are identified early so they can receive specialised treatment right away.

“Hearing loss is an invisible disability and one which impacts a significant proportion of the community, highlighting the importance of early identification and intervention.

“Importantly, this essential test is offered to all parents of newborns in the first few days of life and provides reassurance to families as well as further support should they need it.”

Western Sydney Local Health District SWISH Area Coordinator, Judith McCloskey:

“By the time an infant says their first word, they will have been listening to the way we talk for some time, from when they were developing in their mum’s womb to their first few months following birth. So, it’s important to know early on how well they can hear so their family can get the right advice and support.

“Evidence supports prior to the role out of SWISH newborn hearing program, children with a significant hearing loss would not develop language or educational standings on par with their normal hearing peers. Thanks to the SWISH program, these children are now being identified and diagnosed early, enabling them to be on par with their normal hearing peers.”

The quality of home building in the Coffs Harbour area has been given a tick for compliance after recent surprise visits by Building Commission NSW inspectors.

Building Commission inspectors inspected two apartment buildings and seven freestanding homes in November, following a construction compliance blitz in April this year.

Inspectors were pleased to discover all sites except one were compliant and met the quality standards Building Commission NSW expects from developers, builders, and practitioners.

Defects were discovered at just one Class 1 residential building site and orders were issued for the problems to be fixed. Inspectors also identified safety concerns with the worksite and reported those matters to SafeWork NSW.

Building Commission NSW was established by the Minns Labor Government on 1 December 2023 and is the state’s building regulator, ensuring the quality of residential buildings.

The regulator is striking a balance between compliance, education, and collaboration to ensure consumers get well built homes for their hard-earned investment. This includes educating practitioners about the value of building right the first time, to reduce costs and increase value and reputation.

Building Commission NSW will continue to target building projects for compliance with planned visits to metropolitan and regional locations including follow-up ‘anytime, anywhere’ audits to the same sites.

Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“The quality of work at most of the sites clearly point to a trend of improving standards across the NSW construction industry.

“Despite discovering defects at one site, it is promising to see most projects visited are on the right track, which proves the Building Commission is already seeing real results.

“The message is simple – designing and building it right the first time will not only deliver quality homes the people of NSW need but will save consumers time and money by not having to redo substandard work.”

ServiceNSW, once the gold standard of government engagement created by the Liberals and Nationals, has been weaponised by the Minns Labor Government in a cruel and chaotic cash grab targeting New South Wales’ smallest businesses.

Over 63,000 letters have been sent to micro-businesses, demanding reviews, or repayments of COVID-19 micro-business grants. Many of these businesses, with turnovers between $30,000 and $75,000 per year, are already under immense pressure from rising costs and economic uncertainty. Now they are being forced to spend money they don’t have on accountants just to prove their innocence. If they fail to respond within 10 business days, RevenueNSW is unleashed to begin debt recovery.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said Labor’s actions were a betrayal of small businesses and an indictment of the government’s financial desperation.

“ServiceNSW was created by the Liberals and Nationals to make government accessible, efficient, and fair. It became a trusted partner for families and businesses during tough times. 

This is not a government working for the people—it’s a government scrambling to cover black holes in its budget. Instead of delivering Christmas cheer, they’re delivering chaos and crushing small businesses,” Mr Speakman said. 

The Minns Labor Government has already gutted ServiceNSW with $109.6 million in cuts, including slashing 25% of Risk, Strategy and Customer Support and 31% of the Business Bureau—the very divisions needed to support businesses through this process. The results have been disastrous, with countless errors emerging.

Shadow Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government James Griffin said Labor has tarnished the reputation of one of NSW’s most trusted departments.

“ServiceNSW was a flagship achievement of the Liberals and Nationals, envied across the country for its customer-focused approach. 

Under Chris Minns, it has been reduced to a Grinch-like debt collector, leaving small business owners to bear the brunt of Labor’s chaos,” Mr Griffin said. 

Instead of helping businesses recover, Labor is crushing them with unnecessary stress and expense during the busiest time of year. This is a government that has no heart and no plan—just a desperation to cover its tracks.

Some businesses have been sent letters for grants they never applied for, while others are being forced to repay funds they were entitled to. Sole traders have reported spending hundreds of dollars on accountants to navigate the chaotic process. One business owner wrongly pursued for $15,000 was cleared only after providing a medical hardship letter from her doctor.

With Treasurer Daniel Mookhey poised to deliver a financial reveal with his Half Yearly Budget Review this week, just in time for Christmas, NSW families and businesses are bracing for more budget surprises.

NSW deserves better than a government that prioritises budget panic over small business recovery. 

NSW is worse off under the Minns Labor Government.