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Patients in rural and remote communities across regional NSW are receiving safer care, thanks to Western NSW Local Health District’s Virtual Support remote monitoring service.

The Virtual Support service operates as a patient safety net, monitoring existing digital health data of patients at 35 rural hospitals and health facilities across western NSW in real-time.

Using complex algorithms, the sophisticated remote monitoring software tracks routinely collected data points from rural and remote patients in emergency department and admitted in-patient beds, triggering alerts and generating early warning scores. 

Raw data is monitored and assessed centrally by the District’s Western Virtual clinicians 24 hours a day, seven days per week with key information and concerns relayed directly to local frontline staff caring for patients.

This monitoring helps to identify clinical deterioration earlier and allows rural clinicians to provide timely and appropriate responses when needed.

When hospital staff are alerted to patient deterioration through early detection, appropriate escalation and action is possible regardless of where the patient is located.

A two-year evaluation project led by the University of Sydney’s School of Rural Health, in collaboration with the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre, has shown the measurable improvements the Virtual Support service is delivering.

This includes improvements in patient safety, earlier detection of clinical deterioration, and an increase in health system efficiency.

Since the introduction of the Virtual Support service, there has been a 12‑percentage‑point improvement in vital signs monitoring, helping staff identify when patients may need additional support and enabling timely care when required.

This rapid response means better patient outcomes, such as reduced complications of care or earlier discharge.

Virtual Support has also helped staff in the early identification of more patients at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a serious but preventable blood clot condition and one of the leading causes of preventable death in Australian hospitals due to its ‘silent’ symptoms. 

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“Everyone should be able to access quality healthcare when they need it, and we know that initiatives like these can make a real difference for our patients in rural and regional areas.

“This innovative Virtual Support service is improving access for patients right across Western NSW, delivering safer, timely and more connected care, closer to home.”

Labor Spokesperson for Bathurst, Stephen Lawrence:

“Regional patients travel further for healthcare, but this new vital virtual care service is helping support patients and the clinical teams that treat them.

“It’s better for staff and patients, by improving care, safety and overall health outcomes for the region.”

Digital Health Cooperative ResearchCentre CEO Annette Schmiede:

“This research shows virtual support, when designed around clinicians and patients, can significantly improve safety and care quality in rural hospitals.

“It demonstrates how evidence-based digital health solutions can reduce inequity, strengthen local services, and deliver measurable value to the health system, with the potential to scale virtual models of care across regional and rural Australia.”

WNSWLHD Director of Virtual Health Meegan Connors:

“Keeping our patients safe and reducing unnecessary transfers are our biggest priorities. The Virtual Support service means more patients can receive high-quality care closer to home, without the disruption and risk of being transferred long distances.

“Feedback from local communities has described the VS service as reassuring and potentially lifesaving, particularly for patients without carers, as a means of improving continuity and safety of care.”.

University of Sydney, Associate Professor of Rural Health Georgina Luscombe:

“The Virtual Service is an investment in safety and efficiency; the research has provided valuable insight into the benefits of the service – safer care, fewer transfers, and more completed treatments for patients in rural settings.

“The research findings demonstrate the value of virtual care as a long-term investment. The findings confirm the Virtual service is delivering on its promise – improving patient safety, strengthening rural care delivery, and supporting clinicians to provide the best possible care.

“Continued investment will help ensure every rural patient in Western NSW benefits from safer, more connected healthcare.”

This collaborative research project was supported by Digital Health CRC Limited (DHCRC). DHCRC is funded under the Australian Commonwealth’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program.

Visitors to national parks are in for a much smoother ride thanks to a joint investment by the Albanese and Minns Governments.

The $16.2 million grant to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund under joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

A total of 12 tourism roads will be upgraded in flood-impacted national parks in the Central Coast and MidCoast Local Government Areas to build resilience so they can better withstand future significant rainfall events and natural disasters.

Funding for the Central Coast national parks includes Brisbane Water National Park, Bouddi National Park and Watagans National Park.

Funding for the MidCoast areas will upgrade visitor roads in Myall Lakes National Park, Khappinghat National Park, and in collaboration with MidCoast Council, a key tourism road route linking Bulahdelah and Bombah Point.

Works will include raising and sealing sections of gravel road to improve flood resilience, road surface upgrades for driver comfort and safety, and additional culverts and drainage structures to improve under-road drainage.

Additionally, projects will include upgrades to priority fire trails with the installation of turning and passing bays as required under Rural Fire Service certifications.

Works across the 12 road locations within Hunter Central Coast Branch of National Parks have started and there will be temporary traffic flow disruptions outside peak school time.

Visitors to these reserves are reminded to check the closure and alerts page at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/alerts

Infrastructure Betterment Fund grants assist in the rebuilding of disaster-affected roads, bridges and infrastructure, making them better able to withstand future natural disasters. This $16.2 million upgrade will repair and rebuild public assets directly impacted by consecutive natural disasters.

Infrastructure Betterment funding ensures connection and continuity of access for communities and lowers the risk of economic and environment impact following natural disasters.Find out more online at https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/infrastructure-betterment-fund

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain:

“The Albanese Government is committed to building disaster-resilient infrastructure, particularly in areas that are more vulnerable.

“With this significant funding, locals and visitors of the Brisbane Water, Bouddi and Watagans National Parks can feel safer when using roads that will be upgraded to be more flood resilient.

“We will continue working with the Minns Government to ensure that our roads and infrastructure are capable of withstanding disaster conditions.”

NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Penny Sharpe:

“These welcome upgrades are about protecting our National Parks and will help bring back tourists to the Central Coast and Mid North Coast regions.

Coast, Janelle Saffin:

“Communities across the Central Coast and Mid North Coast know all too well the disruption caused by floods and severe weather, and this funding is about making sure vital access roads in our national parks are rebuilt stronger so people can get back to enjoying these places sooner.

“Through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund, we are learning from past disasters and investing in practical improvements that reduce the impact of future events, protect local jobs and tourism, and provide more certainty for communities when extreme weather hits.

“By upgrading roads, drainage and fire trails, we are improving safety for visitors, park staff and emergency services, while helping local communities stay connected to their national parks, which are so important to regional wellbeing and recovery.”

Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid MP:

“The Central Coast region has some of the best National Parks in NSW, and both the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are making them more resilient, accessible, and safe.

“As an avid bushwalker, I know that there will be many residents on the Central Coast, and across NSW, that will be pleased to see these investments in our National Parks infrastructure.”

The Cancer Institute NSW has launched a new anti-tobacco campaign, encouraging people to quit smoking by educating them about the hidden damage caused by cigarettes.

Based on a successful UK campaign, Mutations, uses graphic computer-generated images to highlight how smoking causes cell mutations that can lead to cancer.

The imagery, which shows a tumour growing on a cigarette, will be posted in high-traffic areas at Central and Parramatta train stations and will also feature in TV commercials and across media channels and advertisements.

Mutations showcases the invisible health harms of smoking to a new generation of young people, many of whom have not seen this type of realistic and confronting messaging.

The campaign responds to the fact that despite declining smoking rates over recent years, 11 per cent of adults in NSW or 775,000 people still smoke.

In NSW, smoking remains the leading cause of cancer-related preventable disease and death. It is estimated to account for around 6,600 deaths and more than 56,000 hospitalisations each year.

The Mutations campaign will target smokers aged 18 to 45 years, including those who live in regional and rural areas or culturally and linguistically diverse audiences, who have been identified as having high smoking rates.

If you need support to quit smoking or vaping, talk to your GP or call the NSW Quitline on 13 7848. Quitline is a free, confidential and professional telephone counselling service that provides customised assistance to help you quit. Aboriginal counsellors are available, providing culturally sensitive and customised support. 

The iCanQuit website also provides information about smoking and vaping and resources and support to quit.

This builds on the work the Minns Labor Government is already doing to drive down tobacco use by cracking down on illegal tobacco, including by introducing some of the toughest penalties in the country such as:

• ramped up penalties – prison sentences of up to 7 years
• fines of over $1.5 million,
• implemented a tobacco licensing scheme to improve oversight of tobacco retailers
• and issuing short term closure orders to businesses that break the law and deter others thinking about it

Health Minister Ryan Park

“Tobacco use continues to place a significant health burden on our community and we are committed to doing everything possible to support people to quit.

“Health campaigns like Mutations are designed to evoke a strong emotional response and this is backed by research which demonstrates this is a highly effective way to encourage people to quit smoking.

“The recent closures should serve as a reminder for those people in the community who are doing the wrong thing that we are serious and they will be prosecuted.”

Chief Cancer Officer NSW and Chief Executive Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM.

“While we’ve made encouraging progress in reducing smoking rates, we cannot become complacent. Powerful campaigns like Mutations play a key role in motivating people, particularly younger people who smoke to better understand what smoking is doing to their health and how they can take steps to quit.

“Smoking is a leading cause of disease and premature death in NSW and among the worst things you can do for your health. It’s important that people don’t start smoking and those who do smoke try to quit with support from their doctor or services like Quitline and iCanQuit.com.au.”

The Minns Labor Government is providing a funding boost to an Australian-first alliance that’s fast-tracking cancer patients across NSW onto potentially life-saving early-stage clinical trials.

Coordinated by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research with funding support from the NSW Government’s Cancer Institute NSW, the NSW Early Phase Clinical Trials Alliance (NECTA) is a state-wide network of doctors, researchers, clinical trial specialists, and hospitals who are collaborating to boost access to early-stage clinical trials that are critical to successful treatment.

The NSW Government invested $450,000 into the Cancer Institute this year to fund NECTA for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years, taking total investment in the program to $975,000. The investment has helped bolster the annual number of trials available from 150 to more than 180 over the past three years

Since its establishment in 2017, NECTA has seen a steady increase in the number of people accessing early-stage clinical trials across an increasing number of cancer types. More than 800 patients have been able to access early-stage clinical trials through NECTA.

The trials are the first step in testing new therapies in humans, following extensive laboratory and pre-clinical testing to both accelerate research and offer hope and a treatment pathway to those with limited options.

NECTA accelerates patient access to world class trials through a streamlined screening and referral system, requiring only a blood test instead of the more invasive tumour DNA testing.

One grateful recipient is Julian from Soldiers Point, north of Newcastle, who was diagnosed with stage four metastatic oesophageal cancer in 2019.

Julian’s prospects were not good until he secured a place on the NECTA program in 2022 giving him access to a ground-breaking trial and treatment not otherwise available in Australia.

Four years later he is enjoying a full and active life.

As well as opening doors to world-class clinical trials, the network provides access to trials at a wider array of hospitals, in regional and rural NSW, with around one in four patients who access these trials living outside of metropolitan areas.

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said:

“NECTA is a great example of our leading health agencies working together to improve outcomes for patients now and in the future.

“We are proud to support this approach that puts the patient at the centre of coordinated care to ensure more people benefit from advances in state-of-the-art cancer treatment, no matter whether they live in cities, regional towns or rural communities in our state.”

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

“Access to early-phase clinical trials is not just about hope, it’s about progress. For individuals, these trials can open doors to innovative treatments when options are limited.

“By working together through a network of public and private hospitals in metro and regional NSW, we’re increasing access for all people in NSW and as a cancer system building on our commitment to equity, excellence, and leadership in cancer care.

“Every breakthrough that saves lives tomorrow begins with a trial today. Early-phase clinical trials are the critical first step in turning discoveries into treatments, generating the evidence that drives drug development and deepens our understanding of cancer. Through NECTA, we’re accelerating this process and expanding access for people across NSW.”

Lab Head at the Garvan Institute and Head of Medical Oncology at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. Professor Anthony Joshua said:

“Early phase trials can offer another chance for patients who have few options left. But these trials are complex, and access can depend on where a patient lives or whether their doctor is aware of suitable studies. NECTA helps remove those barriers.

“Clinical trial networks such as NECTA are an incredibly powerful resource, with transformative benefits to advance our research. The alliance has made it possible to translate our laboratory findings into clinical trials much more efficiently.”

Cancer survivor Julian said:

“Through the NECTA network, I found hope when the outlook wasn’t good. The trial gave me access to cutting-edge science that wouldn’t otherwise be available in Australia for years. My tumours shrank to less than a centimetre, so then I was a candidate for surgery.

“These trials have let me live life to the full, enjoying each extra day that I’m blessed with. I play pickleball three times a week, go paddling, travel and do things on my bucket list.”

Thirty-three new life-saving projects will make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers across regional New South Wales, targeting high-risk locations and delivering practical upgrades where they are needed most.

The Albanese and Minns Governments are partnering to deliver these projects with a joint 50/50 investment of over $19.7 million through the Road Safety Program, one of the most significant targeted safety investments currently rolling out across regional NSW.

Spanning 20 Local Government Areas, the works focus on notorious crossings, intersections and key thoroughfares to reduce the frequency and severity of serious and fatal crashes, helping protect local families and road users. The projects will deliver critical safety upgrades including wombat crossings, refuges, kerb ramps and shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

They will also included improved roundabouts, lighting, fencing, safety barriers and bus bays to ensure better access to public transport.

Councils receiving funding include Cabonne, Central Darling Shire, Coffs Harbour City, Dubbo Regional, Inverell Shire, Kempsey Shire, Leeton Shire, Lismore City, Mid Coast, Narrandera Shire, Orange City, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, Richmond Valley, Snowy Valleys , Tamworth Regional, Upper Lachlan Shire, Wentworth Shire,  Wingecarribee Shire, Wollongong City and Yass Valley Council.

Key works will include:

• Road safety improvements including installation of a safety barrier, road widening and additional lanes on Tooma Road at Tumbarumba ($2,736,000)
• Pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements including installation of a shared path on Cleaton Street, Hood Street and Field Street at Wilcannia ($819,000)
• Pedestrian safety improvements including installation of a footpath and refuges on Park Road, Purcell Street and Derby Street at Bowral ($1,068,000)
• Road safety improvements including shoulder/road widening and installation of a safety barrier on Wombeyan Caves Road at Wombeyan Caves ($1,640,000)
• Pedestrian safety improvements including installation of footpath adjacent to Korora Public School on James Small Drive at Korora ($176,000)
• Road safety intersection improvements including installation of a roundabout and pedestrian fencing at the intersection of Forbes Street and Obley Street at Yeoval ($1,792,000)
• Road safety improvements including the installation of safety barriers and motorcycle protection on Oallen Road ($1,184,000)
• Road safety improvements including installation of shared path, footpath, bus bay, sealed shoulder and parking installation adjacent to Binalong Public School on Dickinson Street at Binalong ($283,000)

The Road Safety Program plays a vital role in implementing treatments designed to reduce deaths and serious injuries on NSW roads, with particular emphasis on helping protect vulnerable pedestrians and motorists.

Since its launch in early 2024, the Road Safety Program has allocated $125 million to councils across NSW, supporting projects to improve road safety for all communities.

For more information, visit: 

File

Road Safety Program Additional local council projects March 2026 (PDF 129.71KB)

Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain MP:

“As someone who represents an electorate that covers more than 30,000 square kilometres, I know how important it is that people who travel on NSW’s regional road network get home safely each time they travel.

“The Albanese Government is committed to reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries on our roads, and I thank the Minns Government for its collaboration on this.

“These projects will make a significant difference to the road safety in regional NSW.”

NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to reducing the trauma on our roads by making them safer, more reliable and more resilient for every community across NSW.

“This funding will help councils deliver critical infrastructure upgrades in towns and regional centres where they will have the greatest impact.

“It’s part of our ongoing commitment to significantly reduce road deaths and serious injuries, particularly in regional communities across NSW.

“These upgrades and other initiatives are saving lives, however they cannot override a decision made when we sit in the driver’s seat. We should all make safety our number one priority and drive responsibly whenever we drive. We owe it to ourselves, to the people we love, and to those we share the road with.”

The Minns Labor Government has announced successful grant recipients in two research commercialisation programs and launched a new $20 million funding program to support companies developing high-tech innovations in NSW.

At an event at Greenhouse, Sydney’s climate tech hub, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong congratulated companies being supported through both the Biosciences Fund and RNA Pipeline Grants program and announced the launch of the new Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund.

Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund

The Minns Labor Government is serious about science and innovation and recognises the real economic returns it brings for the people of NSW. That’s why the Government has launched the new Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund: a $20 million, multi-year initiative to support innovative young companies developing systems, devices and therapeutics across all branches of science.

The Fund incorporates elements of the Biosciences Fund and Physical Sciences Fund as well as broadening support by placing an enhanced focus on innovations to boost local manufacturing capabilities.

The Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund is designed to help NSW startups turn world-class research into market-ready products, services and systems, creating high-value jobs and ensuring NSW remains the best place in Australia to start and grow an innovative business.

The first round has a funding pool of $7 million and opens at 10:00am on Friday 6 March. Guidelines and an application form can be found at this webpage:

https://www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/etcf

Biosciences Fund recipients

The Biosciences Fund is a $4.75 million, competitive commercialisation program which supports NSW startups in biotechnology and life sciences to develop and bring their technologies to market. In this round four companies were awarded grants, spanning sectors from renewable energy through to infant nutrition.       

• All G is addressing the nutrition gap between infant formula – derived from cow milk – and human milk by replicating the composition and function of breast milk more closely.
• HydGene Renewables has developed a breakthrough biocacatalyst technology that converts waste biomass into green hydrogen for producing key primary molecules at low cost – such as ammonia and methanol – without fossil fuels.
• Number 8 Bio is tackling the approximately 6% of total carbon emissions created by the world’s 2.6 billion cattle and 1.2 billion sheep. The company has identified a methane inhibitor molecule that is highly effective, safe and can be produced at scale and low cost. This active ingredient is incorporated into a small cylinder, which is delivered orally and dissolves in the stomach over 4-6 months.
• Swan Genomics has developed a world-first DNA sequencing technology that is simpler and cheaper than conventional platforms that rely on bulk optics and highly complex chemistries. Their technology is designed with scalability and accessibility at its core and can be deployed in regional hospitals, diagnostic labs, and field sites.

RNA Pipeline Grants program recipients

The RNA Pipeline Grants program is a $6 million, single-round, competitive technology development and commercialisation program which supports startups developing innovative RNA-based therapies, vaccines and technologies. The program is helping to build a robust pipeline of RNA-based products in NSW that could be manufactured at the soon-to-be-opened RNA Research and Manufacturing Facility.  RNA Pipeline Grants program is part of the NSW Government’s $119 million RNA R&D Initiatives.  Two companies were successful:

• Platypus Bio is developing ‘TRICK’ – Trigger RNA-Induced Cell Killing. This highly targeted RNA therapeutic only activates inside cancer cells that carry specific harmful RNA mutation signals, destroying the diseased cell while sparing healthy tissue.
• Vaxosome is developing a multiplexed mRNA TB vaccine to address the key limitations in the current treatment of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is still the world’s leading cause of death from an infection disease, and the current vaccination doesn’t reliably protect adolescents and adults from the most common lung form of the disease.

Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“This is an important night for NSW. We gather to celebrate globally significant innovations being developed by NSW companies, which will have tangible impacts on people around the world. Tonight’s Biosciences Fund recipients are developing unique solutions for infant formula, green hydrogen for chemical applications, livestock emissions reduction and low-cost genomic sequencing.

“Meanwhile, the RNA Pipeline Grants recipients are developing world-leading therapeutics that could save lives – a highly targeted treatment for cancer, including acute myeloid leukaemia, and an mRNA tuberculosis vaccine offering improved immune protection over current treatments.

“The RNA Pipeline Grants also serve an important role in developing RNA capabilities that will make the most of our new RNA Manufacturing Facility, which will open soon.

“I’m also excited to announce the launch of our newest program supporting innovation in NSW, the Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund.

“Stemming from our Innovation Blueprint, the Emerging Technologies Commercialisation Fund targets the well‑known ‘gap’ in the innovation pipeline: the stage where promising technologies have early evidence but still need funding and support to mature into investable, scalable solutions. The new Fund does this through repayable grants that help de‑risk development and accelerate commercialisation outcomes.

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to providing ongoing support to innovative companies to solve real-world challenges, such as tonight’s recipients who are achieving landmark health, environmental and economic outcomes right on our doorstep.”