Latest news with #DanielMoohkey
News.com.au
a day ago
- Health
- News.com.au
NSW government seeking power to terminate Northern Beaches Hospital contract
The NSW government will have power to terminate the operating contract of the embattled Northern Beaches Hospital as if a default had occurred under proposed legislative amendments, following the tragic deaths of two children. Two-year-old Joe Massa and newborn Harper Atkinson both died at the Sydney hospital in unrelated incidents since September, leading the government to ban any future public-private partnerships (PPPs) for acute care hospitals. The state government will next week introduce amendments to a bill by Wakehurst MP Michael Regan, which would allow the government, if required, to terminate the contract of operator Healthscope as if a default had occurred. It comes after receivers were appointed to Healthscope's parent entities – which the NSW government considers a default – with the bill giving Health Minister Ryan Park power to issue a termination notice if an agreement is not reached. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey would also be empowered to ensure that compensation negotiations occur in a 'reasonable time frame' and that an independent person would be appointed to determine compensation if an agreement is not reached. Mr Moohkey said the decision was not taken lightly. 'We are now in a position where the Liberal's privatisation mess means Healthscope's receivers are negotiating the future of the Northern Beaches Hospital,' he said. 'While an agreed exit from this failed PPP contract remains my preference – I must ensure the government has the right to step in and protect the Northern Beaches community from this dragging on.' Mr Park said the state government had 'made it clear from the very beginning that we don't support this sort of arrangement. 'This is a complex contract but the community deserves certainty. 'The other mob may have created this mess, but we are going to be the ones to clean it up.' Healthscope is the country's second-largest hospital operator, with a network of 37 hospitals across Australia. Thousands of staff and patients were left in limbo last month after Canada-based Brookfield Asset Management offered to hand control of the company to lenders. Despite an $100m funding lifeline by Commonwealth Bank and Westpac last month amid the search for a new owner, Healthscope's future remains in doubt. Earlier that month, Wakehurst MP Michael Regan introduced a private members bill to ensure no compensation would be payable on behalf of the state if the contract for the Northern Beaches Hospital was voluntarily terminated. With trilateral talks ongoing between Healthscope, its receivers, and the Northern Beaches Hospital Taskforce, the state government remained hopeful of a productive outcome, but reserved the right to commit to a voluntary termination. At the time of the receivership, Healthscope CEO Tino La Spina said the hospital network would 'continue to operate as normal' and that the appointment of receivers 'ensures a stable path to a sale, with no impacts on any hospitals, staff or patients' 'There is no interruption to the outstanding care we provide,' she said. 'The receivers and management share the same goal of maintaining our market leading standards of patient care and protecting the business, the hospitals and our amazing people.'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Everything we know about NSW budget
NSW Treasurer Daniel Moohkey will hand down the Labor government's third budget on Tuesday, with billions of dollars already announced for housing, schools, and police. The budget comes as NSW continues to grapple with a dire housing market following the failed sale of the Rosehill racecourse for what would have been 25,000 new homes. While Premier Chris Minns is yet to reveal his government's 'Plan B' for large-scale housing near the Sydney CBD, he has unveiled plans for expanded crisis housing. The NSW government will also splash hundreds of millions of dollars in the budget on new schools, police and law reform and on the new Bankstown Hospital. NSW Treasurer Daniel Moohkey will unveil the next budget on Tuesday. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Housing NSW Labor will extend tax concessions for build-to-rent housing developments and invest in crisis and homelessness accommodation as part of the 2025-26 budget. Aimed at giving investors long-term certainty, the extension will result in owners being able to access land tax concessions of 50 per cent of assessed land value indefinitely. The reduction was previously set by the former Coalition government to end in 2039, with the extension improving 'feasibility of build-to-rent developments' in NSW. Proposed 'work-in-kind' agreement guidelines will also be released as part of the budget. The agreement allows a developer to dedicate land for public purposes or deliver an infrastructure project instead of paying a Housing and Productivity Contribution. A further $30.4m will be invested as part of the budget into ensuring 'more vulnerable people can access homelessness services and find a safe place to live'. It includes $20m to expand existing crisis and transitional housing, delivering more beds and frontline support to help people in urgent need. A further $10.4m will also be spent over four years on the Bill Crews Foundation, which provides free meals, healthcare, and social and welfare support to people in need. Schools The state government will spend $9bn over four years on school infrastructure, including $2.6bn in the next financial year. The funds will go towards new primary schools in Emerald Hills, Grantham Farm and West Dapto and a high school in Wilton. Major upgrades will also be delivered to public schools across Greater Sydney, including in Newington, the Northern Beaches, Rydalmere, and Bayside. The investment will deliver about 140 new classrooms for about 2500 students, with the Emerald Hills school, near Leppington, to open for more than 500 students. A sketch of the proposed new Bankstown Hospital. Supplied Credit: Supplied The site for the proposed hospital. Supplied Credit: Supplied Police and justice The state government will spend $227m on the NSW justice system as part of the 2025-26 budget. The package includes $100.5m to address rising demand in the correctional system as well as $34.5m for upgrades to the Downing Centre and John Madison Tower courts. A further $48.3m will be spent on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to fund additional solicitors, 'allowing for more prosecutions'. More than $12m will be spent on 15 staff within the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program and other measures to reduce the burden on child complainants in sexual offence matters. A further $272.7m will also be spent on frontline domestic, family, and sexual violence services as well as $2.3m for the NSW Victims Register reforms. As for police, a further $42m will be spent on a new Nemesis Marine Area Command vessel. Singleton Police Station precinct will also get $8.7m for upgrades. As for emergency responses, $17m has been allocated over two years for additional firefighting appliances, including fire trucks. Health A new $492m NSW Health Pathology Statewide Hub will be funded as part of the 2025-26 hub will be located within the Westmead Health Precinct and include a new build for the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research. It will also include an upgrade to the high security PC4 biocontainment laboratory – the only one of its kind in NSW. Western Sydney The NSW government will invest in a range of measures across Western Sydney as part of the 2025-26 budget, including the new Western Sydney Airport. The Western Sydney Aerotropolis, the business precinct to adjoin the new airport, will receive $835m as part of the new budget. That will feature $150m for road infrastructure, including about $60m for new green directional signs to the airport across Sydney and incident response. Bankstown's new hospital will also get a whopping $700m in additional funding in the budget, blowing out total construction costs to $2bn. A further $100m will also be spent in relocating the TAFE NSW Bankstown campus to enable construction of the new hospital. The budget is the third for Premier Chris Minns. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia The Minns government will chip in $68m and the Albanese government a further $88m on local roads in Sydney's booming northwest. The funds will go towards to planning and development of critical road upgrades in Rooty Hill, Marsden Park, Schofields, Blacktown, and Rouse Hill. A further $42.2m will also be spent on hiring 52 new firefighters to staff the new Badgerys Creek fire station. Arts and film The Minns government will invest $100m in a capital fund to begin the hunt for the location of a second film studio for Sydney as part of a $380m arts and film package. The package includes $280m for programs to support the sector, including the Made in NSW fund and Post, Digital and Visual Effects and Digital Games Rebate programs. There is only a single film studio in Sydney, Disney Studios Australia at Moore Park, despite franchises such as Thor, Mad Max, and Planet of the Apes being made there. Agriculture and biosecurity About $140m in new funding will be provided to strengthen NSW's biosecurity detection, protection, and response, bringing the total investment to a whopping $1.05bn. That will include $41.2m to be invested into modernising the primary industry research and development program. Those programs include upgrades to digital infrastructure to promote research in emerging areas such as AI-assisted farming.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘We have listened': Revised workers compensation reform in NSW passes milestone, challenges remain
Controversial reforms to workers compensation in NSW which brought unions to the steps of Parliament House have passed the first major milestone. A revised version of the proposed plan to reform workers compensation was introduced to parliament on Tuesday by Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis. The initial proposal faced fierce backlash when it was unveiled earlier this month from unions and industry groups who slammed many of its provisions, including a 31 per cent threshold for damages for permanent impairment from psychological injury. A requirement that someone seeking damages from psychological injury due to sexual or racial harassment or bullying require a court or tribunal finding was removed. The Minns state government hopes the proposal will instil a 'culture of prevention' in the workers compensation scheme, while also securing it financially for years to come. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey told an inquiry into the proposal earlier this month he would no longer be authorising payments to the Treasury managed Fund, the state's self-insurer, into which billions of dollars had been poured by successive governments. Introducing the Bill, Ms Cotsis said that until now 'psychological injury has been left largely undefined in the Workers Compensation Act'. 'The Bill introduces new definitions for psychological injuries to make sure workers and employers have certainty on what the scheme protects,' she said. 'Clear definitions will mean less time spent on disputes and more time on prevention.' Ms Cotsis revealed the government would establish a tripartite review – which had been pushed for by Unions NSW – to review and monitor the changes and 'to help guard against unintended consequences'. 'The review will be run by a panel of experts, with at least one expert recommended from Unions NSW, Business NSW and the NSW government,' who will also determine its terms of reference, Ms Cotsis said. Ms Cotsis outlined the changes to the Bill parliament on Tuesday. 'The relevant event that caused the injury must have a real and direct connection with employment,' she said. 'Real and direct connection does not necessarily mean the relevant event has to occur in the physical workplace. 'New evidentiary requirements will support insurers to make objective and timely decisions in relation to claims. 'Relevant events include, but are not limited to, bullying, sexual harassment and indictable criminal conduct, including threats of violence and assault.' Ms Cotsis said the intent was to target workers compensation toward events and behaviours, and preserved 'in no uncertain times' compensation for PTSD caused by trauma or exposure to traumatic events. She defended the 'objective test' for bullying, excessive work demands, and racial or sexual harassment claims as 'reducing the reliance on the worker's perception', and said the Bill would provide employers with certainty around what is acceptable in the workplace. 'Interpersonal conflict and work stress are typical and reasonably expected to occur on almost a daily basis in all modern workplace,' she said. 'In contrast, bullying, excessive work demands, racial harassment or sexual harassment unacceptable in any workplace and should never be expected. 'The Bill amends the employer defences to psychological injury claims that were the result of reasonable management action.' Psychological claims for bullying or harassment would also be expedited under the Bill, including if there is a dispute to the claim. Addressing concerns about the 31 per cent WPI threshold, Ms Cotsis said 'we are listening' and that there would be a 'stepped transition'. The Bill will not apply to coal miners or frontline service workers, including police and paramedics, save for a few of the amendments. Unions pushback against workers compensation reform Unions NSW and a range of other unions, including the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and the NSW Teachers Federation, rallied outside of parliament on Monday morning in opposition to the reforms, which they said was being rushed through. Industry groups, including in the legal and sports physiotherapy sectors, as well as activist groups have also voiced opposition to the Bill, with Australians for Mental Health on Tuesday pleading with the government to 'slow down' the proposed reforms. 'We welcome the revisions the government has made. It shows our policymakers are listening, but still requiring someone to be so unwell that they can barely function before receiving the long-term support they need is alarming,' chief executive Chris Gambian said. 'We agree the current workers compensation system is unsustainable, but overhauling it so quickly could take away vital support for the likes of first responders, teachers, nurses and social workers; people who are exposed to traumatic experiences every day.' At the same time, the NSW government will also propose sweeping changes to workplace health and safety. Among the proposed changes are plans to empower the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to issue 'stop-bullying' orders as well as the Tribunal's ability to resolve industrial disputes, give new powers and manpower to SafeWork NSW – in particular, around compliance – and codify workplace accountability and codes of practise. The changes come after an $344m package from the state government and were welcomed by Ms Cotsis as a way to 'further strength the Industrial Relations Commission's ability to resolve disputes and to now resolve issues arising from Work Health and Safety legislation. 'It proposes major reform particularly around gender equality. The elimination of workplace bullying and sexual harassment are new key objectives of the IR Act. 'Workplace bullying causes serious harm to worker health and organisations. According to the Productivity Commission, bullying is estimated to cost up to $36bn annually in Australia. 'The amendments establish a 'one-stop shop' for handling complaints through the IRC and enhance its powers to resolve disputes and support injured workers' return to work. 'This legislation follows the passing of laws in 2023 which restored the independent industrial umpire, creating the structure needed to deliver meaningful improvements to the working lives of hundreds and thousands of workers in the state.'
