16 News

The $50 million Glen Innes Hospital Redevelopment has been given the green light, with a builder appointed to deliver main works construction and work set to start on the Redevelopment in the coming months.

The Minns Government is investing in a redevelopment of Glen Innes Hospital to deliver a new acute services building on the existing hospital campus, housing an expanded emergency department, medical imaging, ambulance drop-off and bays, and mortuary.  

There will also be a new main entry to the hospital from Ferguson Street, enhancing access to health services for patients, carers and visitors, with a convenient drop-off area located outside the new hospital building.

TCQ Construction has been engaged as the builder to deliver the main works for the Glen Innes Hospital Redevelopment following a competitive tender process.

The Glen Innes Hospital will continue to operate during the planned construction, providing ongoing care for the Glen Innes and surrounding communities, and remain as a District Hospital, networked to Armidale and Tamworth hospitals for access to specialist services.

Next steps for the project include finalising the design of the new acute services building ahead of construction starting in the coming months.

Consultation with staff, community and stakeholders will continue to ensure the new acute services building is a welcoming environment that reflects the heritage and culture of the region.

Staff and community recently participated in consultation throughout October and November 2025, providing feedback on the project’s planning application. The contractor appointment follows planning determination for the project, which was received in December 2025.

Further information on the redevelopment is available by visiting the project website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/glen-innes-hospital-redevelopment

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“We’ve reached a significant milestone for the Glen Innes Hospital Redevelopment which will deliver enhanced and contemporary healthcare facilities for Glen Innes and the surrounding communities.

“Ensuring rural and regional communities have access to the best healthcare is a key priority for the Minns Labor Government.

“We are investing in regional and rural health care services, so everyone can access quality care closer to home.

Government Spokesperson for Northern Tablelands Peter Primrose:

“The $50 million Glen Innes Hospital Redevelopment is estimated to support approximately 90 direct jobs, with the potential for supporting hundreds of indirect jobs over the life of the project.

“This will provide a huge boost to the local economy, and I look forward to the construction site being established and work commencing in the coming months.”

Women and families in the Maitland and Hunter Valley region are now able to access public home birth services with a new pilot program at Maitland Hospital.

The public home birthing service operates as part of the Maitland Midwifery Group Practice (MGP), offering planned home birth for eligible low-risk women.

Women accessing MGP services receive continuity of care from a known primary midwife in consultation with a multidisciplinary team, throughout their pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period ensuring they receive high-quality, individualised maternity care.

Maitland Hospital has developed the new home birth pilot program in close collaboration with the Women’s Health and Maternity (WHAM) Network and following extensive consultation with the community to ensure it is safe, sustainable and meets the needs of the community.

The model of care is in line with the NSW Health Guideline for Public Homebirth Services and will have strict oversight and eligibility criteria requirements governed by Hunter New England Local Health District, including:

• Defined governance, escalation, and transfer arrangements
• Workforce capability requirements and credentialing
• Equipment, medication, and safety standards
• Clear clinical accountability and monitoring processes.

The model has been embedded within the existing MGP service. The pilot program is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to increasing access to midwifery continuity of care models across the state, which was supported by a $44.8 million investment into maternity care in the 2025-26 NSW Budget which includes funding for an additional 53 FTE midwives in regional NSW.

Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“The establishment of a publicly funded home birth pilot program at Maitland Hospital provides women in Maitland and across the Hunter with more choice about where and how they give birth.”

“We know how important it is for women to feel safe, respected and supported during pregnancy and birth.

“This is why we are supporting midwifery continuity of care models that empower families, and deliver outstanding outcomes for women and their babies.”

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:

“This new public home birth pilot at Maitland Hospital is about giving local women and families in the Hunter more choice, while ensuring the highest standards of safety and care.

“Families across our region deserve access to modern, compassionate maternity services close to home, and this program is another example of the Minns Labor Government delivering for the Hunter.

“By expanding midwifery continuity of care and supporting safe home birth options for eligible women, we are putting women’s voices, experiences and wellbeing at the centre of maternity care.”

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison:

“Women deserve to give birth in the place where they feel most safe, supported and comfortable. For many, that place is their home.

“This new public home birth program will give women across Maitland and the Hunter region greater choice, allowing them to have the births they want and deserve.

“The service is part of a broader effort to expand access to midwifery continuity of care across the state and home birth services is a vital part of that model. It’s about empowering women, supporting families, and ensuring mothers and babies receive compassionate, high-quality care at one of the most significant times in their lives.”

Hunter New England Local Health District, Executive Director of Operations, Susan Heyman:

“We’ve developed this new home birth pilot program in collaboration with our Women’s Health and Maternity (WHAM) Network to give women another safe and supported way to give birth.

“The pilot proposes a safe, evidence‑based, and controlled approach to planned home birth for low‑risk women, delivered by experienced midwives and embedded within the public hospital system with defined escalation pathways to Maitland Hospital.”

The Bondi Community Hub is set to change format at the end of this week as the recovery focus moves to the delivery of embedded community supports and resources, following the worst terror attack in Australia’s history.

Stood up in the aftermath of the 14 December antisemitic terror attack with the goal of providing immediate support to people impacted by the event, the hub has been an important resource for the initial two months. There have been more than 1,400 visits since it opened in December, with more than 650 applications now lodged with Victims Support Services and over 400 businesses supported.

Now that many people are registered with NSW Government services, a streamlined hub will operate at The Pavillion for the coming months, with the crucial services of Lifeline for mental health support, plus Legal Aid NSW to assist with Victim Support Services applications available.

While the hub has been operating, the NSW Government has been focused on embedding ongoing supports to service the entire community, including dedicated case workers, mental health services, and grants for community organisations.

• A pop-up Medicare Mental Health Centre is now operating in Bondi Junction providing confidential mental health information and services. Medicare Mental Health Centres are free for everyone who walks in the door, with no appointment or referral needed.
• Embedded Community Resilience and Engagement Officers are established within eight organisations including Surf Life Saving NSW, Waverley Council and community organisations to coordinate and deliver tailored long-term support, and ensure community voices continue to be heard.
• The NSW Government’s $1 million Jewish Community Response Grants Program has funded 24 organisations to deliver their own programs for the community. These include mental health support and resilience-building initiatives for impacted children and young people, like weekly workshops, a safe drop-in space for community connection, and school-based programs. The grants will also fund Jewish community gatherings and events that promote cultural healing.
• Resilience Support Services will allow organisations to deliver specialised counselling, community outreach and other essential services, both in person and over the phone. Local multicultural services, and youth organisations will be funded to run targeted programs and ensure that every cohort of the community has access to support.

Coordinators General Michele Goldman and Joseph La Posta will continue to lead ongoing engagement with the Bondi community to ensure those affected receive the long-term support they need.

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:

“Our focus continues to be on working in partnership with communities as we grapple with the profound impacts of this horrific attack.

“We are making sure all those impacted by the Bondi Beach attack have coordinated systems of support that are well resourced and designed to operate for as long as they are needed.

“Having support embedded within organisations means we can make sure we are listening to the community’s changing needs, and are doing everything we can to make them feel supported, whether it be a month, six months or long term.”

Coordinator General Michele Goldman said:

“Community healing remains at the very heart of everything we do, and we’re ensuring that the next phase of recovery is well coordinated, and the supports that people rely on are guaranteed over the long-term.

“Embedded resources give our communities a voice – a key part of this job will be active engagement with community leaders and organisations to make sure they are getting the help and support they need.”

Coordinator General Joseph La Posta said:

“There have been more than 1,400 visits to the community hub since its doors opened in the days immediately following the Bondi terror attack. Our gratitude to Coogee Intercontinental Hotel and North Bondi RSL, and then to Waverley Council, for providing us safe and accessible spaces at the Bondi Pavillion to provide these critical response services.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone who gave their time and expertise, whether you offered clinical expertise, helped someone to access a grant or other assistance, or were just simply there with someone in need as a caring presence – you’ve made an enormous impact.”

Aboriginal children and families will soon benefit from greater access to Aboriginal Family Preservation, a new model of intensive support for Aboriginal families.

The Minns Labor Government is investing a record $350 million over five years in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to deliver evidence-based support to reduce risks to children and keep families safely together.

Family Preservation services offer intensive support to families in an effort to prevent children from entering foster care by strengthening families, building parenting skills and creating safe home environments.

This new program was developed in partnership with AbSec and co-designed with Aboriginal families, communities, and ACCOs. The eight-week tender process was also supported by AbSec, who were funded to provide access to specialist tender-writing support to 35 established, emerging, and new ACCOs, reflecting strong interest and engagement across the sector.

These reforms are part of the NSW Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap on the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.

The Minns Labor Government is delivering historic long-term support to ACCOs, reflecting the strengths, knowledge and connection of Aboriginal communities, and investing in the future of Aboriginal-led service delivery in NSW.

Tender outcomes will be announced in March, with new contracts commencing on 1 July 2026.

The Minns Labor Government’s broader Family Preservation reform is backed by a $900 million investment over five years, including the historic 40% dedicated to ACCO service delivery. The government’s reforms aim to improve the quality of intensive supports available to families at risk of child protection intervention, and for the first time in NSW, will allocate family preservation packages to areas based on need.

Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington said:

“This investment is about providing high-quality, culturally appropriate supports for Aboriginal families to stay safely together. It’s designed to drive self-determination by empowering Aboriginal communities to support Aboriginal families.

“For the first time in NSW history, we are delivering funding to Aboriginal community organisations that matches the shocking level of over-representation we are all working hard to address.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, David Harris said: 

“The Minns Labor Government is delivering record investment to support Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations to help deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal families and communities.

“Our investment is about supporting the long-term sustainability of the Aboriginal community services sector and turning Closing the Gap commitments into action to improve lives.”

AbSec CEO, John Leha, said:

“This is an important step forward – a sign that policy is beginning to translate into real action. Aligning with the Priority Reforms under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, this framework signals a stronger role for ACCOs in designing and delivering effective and culturally responsive supports for our people.

“AbSec recognises how important it is that ACCOs are well-equipped and positioned to lead this work, and this is central to our mission. This work is about self-determination in practice – Aboriginal communities shaping the services that affect their children and families. That’s how change is sustained, across communities and across generations.” 

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) has confirmed that they will investigate the Police Operation at Town Hall on 9 February 2026, including actions by individual officers. The investigation was prompted by a significant number of complaints made to the LECC by community members.

Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said:

“This is the first important step forward for transparency after the awful experience that thousands in our community had at the hands of the NSW Police last Monday,”

“I’m relieved that the LECC have decided to take this course of action, despite the Premier saying yesterday in Parliament that he did not support an independent investigation into police actions,”

“We are lucky in NSW that we have a strong police oversight body in the LECC, and I am very grateful that they have authority to act on the reports that they have received,”

“This investigation will have the opportunity for hearings, and will result in a public report made to Parliament. This is what the community needs, and it’s what the Police need too. It is in no one’s interest to have police acting with impunity, it leads to violence, and Labor leaders Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley should cooperate fully with this investigation,” Ms Higginson said.

Last night the Minns Labor Government’s digital work safety bill passed the NSW Parliament.

The bill will ensure that all work demands must be safe, whether they come from a human or come through artificial intelligence (AI) or algorithms. 

This will particularly benefit the growing number of gig workers who receive work instructions through an app or digital platform, including thousands food delivery drivers and riders, warehouse workers and home care workers.  

NSW is the home of innovation in Australia and digital work systems are being used extensively in NSW to grow productivity and efficiencies. The bill will ensure this continues safely.  

Throughout the public debate on the bill, including in Parliamentary inquiries since 2020, NSW has heard of the growing concerns of workers, including stories of workers using an app penalised for taking breaks, penalised if they don’t take an unsafe delivery route or pressured to rush care for NDIS clients. 

The need for these protections is underscored by the more than 366 total incidents involving gig food delivery riders, including tragically 7 fatalities in NSW.  

The bill requires industry guidelines, in consultation with business and unions, before any inspection powers are switched on. This will include specialised guidelines for the food delivery industry. 

The guidelines will provide further clarity to workers and businesses about what their rights and obligations under the new legislation are.  These measures will ensure that NSW gets the balance right. 

The Government and SafeWork NSW will also make a funding package available to assist businesses and unions in understanding those obligations. 

The bill also extends the well understood and existing right of entry framework under the Work Health and Safety Act (2011) (WHS Act) to digital systems.   

Despite the misinformation campaign from the NSW Opposition, the Bill does not override the existing safeguards in the WHS Act, including protections on data and privacy and penalties for misusing inspection powers.  

The passage of the bill demonstrates the commitment of the Minns Labor Government to keeping all workers safe at work, no matter how they work.  

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said: 

“The Minns Labor Government is ensuring that workers are protected in the digital age. Behind every safety statistic is a person, a family, and a community. Our focus is simple: making sure every worker gets home safe at the end of the day.

“This reform follows the $127.7 Million package to workplace health and safety, ensuring better support for workers and businesses.

“Thank you to everyone involved and who contributed, especially those who gave evidence at the parliamentary inquiries that informed this Bill, and the families who have lost their loved ones to an unsafe system.

“I look forward to our continuing, productive dialogue with industry and unions to keep working Australians safe.” 

A bold and vibrant red illuminated the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House on Thursday night to mark the Year of the Horse as part of a Lunar New Year event hosted by the NSW Premier and Minister for Multiculturalism.

The event and illumination of Sydney’s most iconic landmark come ahead of Lunar New Year beginning on February 17 and marks the start of Lunar celebrations across the city and state, which include a month of fabulous feasts, spectacular shows and magnificent artwork.

Hosted by Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper, hundreds of community members gathered at the Museum of Contemporary Art at The Rocks to mark the important celebration and watch together as the Opera House was bathed in a deep red.

Lunar New Year has become a highlight of the multicultural calendar, reflecting the state’s diverse cultural heritage and the strong ties that link communities to this ancient tradition. More than 100 events are planned across NSW this year.

In Sydney, Lunar New Year festivities have grown to include street parades, night markets and cultural performances that attract both residents and visitors.  

As home to one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in the Asia–Pacific, Sydney sees a surge in tourism that delivers a significant boost to the NSW economy, and the Minns Labor Government expects that visitation surge to continue this month as the city celebrates the Year of the Horse.

Details of Lunar New Year events across the state can be found here.

Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said:

“Lunar New Year is a special time to celebrate life, family and culture, and to express gratitude, hope and joy.

“As a festival it is a wonderful example of how deeply we are connected to global traditions while giving them a uniquely local twist.

“The Minns Labor government wishes all communities celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.”

Multicultural NSW Acting CEO James Jegasothy said:

“Lunar New Year is now a major fixture on NSW’s cultural calendar, celebrated by people right across the state.  

“The many public events, from traditional performances to food and art, create opportunities for people of all backgrounds to come together.

“At its heart, Lunar New Year is about renewal, family and connection, values that resonate strongly across our multicultural society.”

The Minns Labor Government is unlocking up to 2,500 new social, affordable, and market homes within the Bellambi estate, as part of a staged renewal of the site led by Homes NSW.

The State Assessed Rezoning Proposal, now on public exhibition, is being assessed under the Social and Affordable Housing Pathway and will seek changes to the Wollongong Local Environmental Plan to enable:

• a minimum 30 per cent new social homes
• maximum building heights of between three and six storeys
• a new local centre with shops and services
• improved open space and community facilities
• increased tree planting and landscaping, targeting a minimum 30 per cent canopy cover.

Renewing Bellambi estate will enable Homes NSW to deliver more contemporary, fit-for-purpose social and affordable homes that better meet the needs of current and future residents.

Most of homes in Bellambi estate were built in the 1950s and 60s with some now more than 70 years old.

The long-term proposal will also help ease pressure on the housing market by increasing local housing supply and choice for Wollongong residents. The renewal will be delivered in stages over several years.

Since the NSW Government announced the area as suitable for housing renewal in June 2024, Homes NSW has undertaken extensive engagement with residents and the local community, with findings published in the Bellambi People and Place Plan in October 2025.

The Minns Labor Government has made a record $6.6 billion investment in social housing.

This is all part of the Minns Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so people have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

The Rezoning Proposal is on public exhibition for 28 days and we encourage all members of the community to submit their feedback via the NSW Planning Portal before 5pm Friday, 13 March.

Community drop-in sessions will be held to enable residents to view the plans and provide feedback.

For more information, visit Homes NSW.

Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast and Member for Keira Ryan Park said:

“This community-led renewal will deliver much-needed housing to the Illawarra region, while also delivering improved roads, parks, and public spaces for the Wollongong community.

“It’s about strengthening our community and ensuring Bellambi remains a welcoming and vibrant place for the people of Wollongong for generations to come.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said:

“This is a major milestone for Bellambi, which supports sustainable housing growth by enabling the thousands more social, affordable and market homes for current and future residents.

“The rezoning will also improve access to open space and amenities, making Bellambi a great place to live.”

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“Renewing Bellambi means providing more and better homes that meet local needs, while addressing the housing challenges across the Illawarra and NSW.

“We’re locking in a minimum 30 per cent social housing from the start to ensure our most vulnerable are looked after, plus we’re proposing some big improvements to community amenities.

“We’ve listened closely to the community since August 2024, and we now want to hear their feedback on this proposal, which reflects the priorities and vision of residents, stakeholders, and the community.”