Latest news with #MinnsGovernment
Daily Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
NSW Budget: $835m for Aerotropolis infrastructure
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. The biggest fire station in Western Sydney, upgraded roads and new stormwater infrastructure will be major headline acts in next week's NSW Budget, as the Minns government injects more than $835 million into infrastructure in the Aerotropolis to support the new Western Sydney Airport. The investment package will include more than $150 million for upgrades to local roads across the Aerotropolis. More than 1000 green direction signs will be installed across Sydney to direct traffic to the area, along with new traffic lights and signals at the Elizabeth Drive and Luddenham Road intersection. The money will also go to planning three key routes along Devonshire Road, Devonshire Link Road and the Bradfield Metro Link Road. The new money will bring the total allocated in the upcoming budget to Aerotropolis road projects over four years to $2.7 billion, which is jointly funded with the Federal government. Renders of the new Badgerys Creek fire station. Picture: supplied Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the new road funding focused on the 'must-have priorities' to get the road network ready for the opening of the new airport. 'New and widened roads, intersections, safety upgrades – that will bust congestion in this growing area,' she said. The budget will also include $42.2 million to finish the Badgerys Creek fire station, which will be constructed on Adams Road in Luddenham, and will be the largest in Western Sydney when complete. The funding brings the total cost of the station to $57.6 million, including the recruiting of 52 new firefighters for the 24 hour station. The now completed Western Sydney International Airport Terminal. Picture: NewsWire Handout via WSIA Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the position of the new station is designed to allow crews to easily respond to fires at the new airport when it opens towards the end of next year. 'The fire station's proximity to the airport means it can immediately respond and support aviation firefighters in any emergency,' he said. 'It's also a reflection of our ongoing commitment to firefighter wellbeing through modern design and safety-focused infrastructure.' Jeremy Fewtrell, the Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner, said the position of the new station is designed to allow crews to easily respond to fires at the new airport when it opens towards the end of next year. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw Construction on the station will begin later this year, to be completed by the end of 2026. State-owned utility provider Sydney Water will also fund an additional $644 million in stormwater and recycled water infrastructure for the Aerotropolis, designed to service the 1,020-hectare Mamre Road industrial precinct, and kick-start water connections for 7,267 hectares of industrial land around the new Western Sydney Airport. Premier Chris Minns said enabling infrastructure in the Aerotropolis was critical. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard The funding will prioritise the building of naturalised channels and waterways instead of concrete pipes and drains in the area. It will also fund land acquisition for the development of new wetlands for the purposes of stormwater capture and harvesting. The $644 million was largely funded by infrastructure contribution fees paid by property developers with projects on the Mamre Road precinct. Premier Chris Minns said funding the enabling infrastructure was critical to unlocking 'the full potential of the Aerotropolis'. 'With billions of dollars now committed, we're not just talking about building a new airport—we're creating a connected, thriving region that will deliver jobs, homes and opportunity for generations to come,' he said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aussies sitting on $130m bonanza
NSW motorists are sitting on a $130m bonanza and have just over two weeks to claim it back in toll relief. The NSW government last year introduced a $60-a-week cap on tolls and under the scheme motorists can claim back up to $340 every week per vehicle. Since the cost-of-living measure was introduced by the Minns government, $139m has been claimed back by motorists, mostly in Sydney's western suburbs. And the government said that a further $130m was sitting in its coffers unclaimed. Sunday June 30 marks the final day that motorists can claim back excess tolls which were accrued in 2024. According to government numbers, Blacktown, Baulkham Hills and Auburn are the suburbs hit hardest by tolls, with $2m in relief claimed in all three suburbs since the introduction of the scheme. Over $1m in toll relief has been claimed in a further 10 suburbs - Merrylands, Marsden Park, Castle Hill, Quakers Hill, Lakemba, Kellyville, Bankstown, Greystanes, West Pennant Hills and Punchbowl. 'The $60 toll cap is a critical cost-of-living support and I am pleased to see it has been laser-like in getting to where it is needed most, suburbs like Blacktown, Baulkham Hills, Marsden Park and Bankstown,' Transport minister John Graham said. 'These are the parts of western Sydney where paying a toll is not a choice and in many cases relying on public transport is not a viable choice either.' Toll relief can be claimed via the Services NSW website. Those needing extra assistance can visit a Service NSW centre or call 13 77 88.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Aussies sitting on unclaimed $130m bonanza
NSW motorists are sitting on a $130m bonanza and have just over two weeks to claim it back in toll relief. The NSW government last year introduced a $60-a-week cap on tolls and under the scheme motorists can claim back up to $340 every week per vehicle. Since the cost-of-living measure was introduced by the Minns government, $139m has been claimed back by motorists, mostly in Sydney's western suburbs. And the government said that a further $130m was sitting in its coffers unclaimed. Sunday June 30 marks the final day that motorists can claim back excess tolls which were accrued in 2024. According to government numbers, Blacktown, Baulkham Hills and Auburn are the suburbs hit hardest by tolls, with $2m in relief claimed in all three suburbs since the introduction of the scheme. Over $1m in toll relief has been claimed in a further 10 suburbs - Merrylands, Marsden Park, Castle Hill, Quakers Hill, Lakemba, Kellyville, Bankstown, Greystanes, West Pennant Hills and Punchbowl. 'The $60 toll cap is a critical cost-of-living support and I am pleased to see it has been laser-like in getting to where it is needed most, suburbs like Blacktown, Baulkham Hills, Marsden Park and Bankstown,' Transport minister John Graham said.
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Ban on ticketless parking fines takes effect in July, months after NSW law passed
A Sydney man who unknowingly received seven parking fines has hit out at how long a tickletless infringements ban is taking to begin. More than six months after the Minns government claimed to be ending the "unfair" practice, rangers are still issuing fines without attaching physical notices to vehicles. Jye Smith learnt this the hard way after being repeatedly stung near his office in Surry Hills. His rage against the parking machine began mid-last year, when he discovered his vehicle registration had been cancelled due to unpaid infringements. "After looking into it, it seems I'd acquired seven parking fines having no idea, parking around the corner from work," he said. He said the penalty notices never arrived in the mail, even though he had updated his address. "We had no idea that we'd been ticketed, because there were no tickets left on the window. "I wouldn't have parked for another seven weeks there and accumulated well over $2,000 worth of fines." The lack of immediate deterrent was one of the main reasons Labor moved to end the ticketless system, which was brought in by the Coalition government during the pandemic. In March last year, Finance Minister Courtney Houssos requested councils revert to issuing on-the-spot notifications to drivers. But her polite letter was not enough to sway councils, which were collecting tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue thanks to ticketless fines. Despite the protests of local authorities, which raised concerns about the safety of rangers, the government passed legislation in November to force compliance. But the new laws are yet to take effect, with the government having spent months developing regulations specifying the form of the mandated notifications, and other details like the font colour required on certain signs. The ABC can now reveal the end of the road for ticketless fines is in sight, with the practice finally set to be outlawed on July 1. "From the 1st of July, if it's not done in accordance with the legislation, those parking fines will be invalid," Ms Houssos said on Thursday. Asked why the government had taken so long to enliven the ban, the minister said it had introduced "what we thought was a reasonable period" for councils to make the necessary changes. "But there's nothing stopping councils introducing those notifications immediately today," Ms Houssos added. The City of Sydney, which raised more than $40 million from ticketless parking fines in 2023-24, said it would not implement the changes until the new financial year. "Motorists should be aware the current system of paperless fines remains in place until the legislation comes into force on 1 July," a spokesperson for the council said. Mr Smith said it was a "long time" between the legislation passing and the ban coming into force. He said it was "obvious" why the City of Sydney had not brought back traditional tickets of its own volition. "I'm sure they're going to lose a huge source of revenue as this comes in, because this will be a deterrent," he said. "And I think that's why they're avoiding it, because they know it'll actually stop people from parking there."
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
NSW government failing to measure or reduce gambling harm, damning audit finds
The New South Wales government has not set targets to reduce the harm caused by about 90,000 poker machines in the state and does not know if it is protecting people, according to a damning audit. The state's auditor general has also said the NSW government is doing 'relatively little' to assess whether pubs and clubs are identifying and preventing gambling harm at their venues. The report assesses government conduct from 2019 to mid-2024 across Labor and Coalition governments, but is likely to add to political pressure on the Minns government. Last week, a leading charity accused it of not doing enough to prevent serious harm caused by pokies. The Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport's 'strategy for regulating gaming machines is not based on a clear understanding of current levels of gambling harm and it does not set any targets for reducing harm associated with gaming machines,' the audit report said. 'The department does not have benchmarks, targets or other performance measures in place to assess outcomes against key measures of harm minimisation. 'There have been no evaluations of its compliance programs to measure their impact on harm minimisation outcomes. As a result, the department does not know whether its regulatory strategy is effective in minimising gambling harm.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The audit report said gambling harm appears to have increased despite the government's efforts. 'Calls to the GambleAware helpline increased by 8.5% in 2023–24 and gaming machine losses have increased in each of the last three years,' the report said. 'The results of the 2024 NSW Gambling Survey did not indicate a reduction in the level of gambling harm in NSW.' The report confirmed revenue from gambling taxes would increase from $2.47bn this financial year to $2.91bn in 2027-28. 'The forecast increase in gaming machine profits is due to expected increases in the use of gaming machines,' the report said. The chair of the state's independent liquor and gaming authority, Caroline Lamb, supported all recommendations from the audit. 'We propose to take a more structured approach to stakeholder engagement and acknowledge our responsibility, in conjunction with hospitality and racing, to ensure licensees meet their statutory obligations,' Lamb said. The state's gaming minister, David Harris, said the government 'takes harm minimisation seriously and has implemented a number of initiatives'. These initiatives include reducing the cash limit on new machines from $5,000 to $500, banning external signage at venues, putting more responsible gaming officers in venues and investing $100m in a gambling harm minimisation fund. But Wesley Mission's chief executive, Stu Cameron, believes these 'limited reforms' are 'clearly not having an impact'. 'While we didn't need an audit to know the system is broken, as frontline services have been saying this for years, now it is in black and white: the NSW government has done next to nothing to reduce gambling harm while clubs and hotels pocket billions.' In November last year, an independent panel advising the government on gambling reform wrote a 'roadmap' for overhauling the state's regulation of poker machines and limiting harm. The Minns government is yet to formally respond to the report's recommendations, which were contested by some panel members. Labor had promised to force poker machines to be made cashless by 2028, but a pilot of a gaming scheme attracted only 32 participants. The project was subsequently criticised by the Australian Hotels Association – whose members operate poker machines – which questioned the evidence base for further action. 'The research findings of the cashless gaming trial are embarrassing and not credible,' an AHA spokesperson said after preliminary results of the trial were released. ClubsNSW said the cashless gaming trial had a 'significantly low uptake' and said calls for it to become mandatory were based on 'no economic modelling' about its potential impacts. 'With only 14 genuine and active users participating in the trial, such a low adoption should necessitate a cautious, measured, voluntary approach to implementation of account-based gaming, rather than a short timeframe for a statewide, mandatory rollout,' ClubsNSW said in December last year. The shadow minister for gaming, Kevin Anderson, said 'gambling losses continue to skyrocket in NSW while the independent panel's report gathers dust on the desks of the premier and minister'. 'The Minns government must urgently respond to the recommendations in that report to give the community and the industry certainty of the path forward.' In Australia, Gambling Help online is available on 1800 858 858. The National Debt helpline is at 1800 007 007.
