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Sydney Morning Herald
16-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
What we already know about this year's NSW budget
When the Minns government hands down its third state budget on June 24, it's likely to follow the fiscal restraint of the first two. That's not least because the government failed to push through its controversial workers' compensation reforms this month, which Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has claimed would save the state billions of dollars. At his budget preview speech last month, Mookhey said his first budget had been about resetting priorities, his second about dealing with NSW's losses in the GST carve-up, while his third would '[bring] the pieces together'. When Mookhey provides the full breakdown of the state's finances next Tuesday, the focus is expected to be firmly on housing and essential services, and the treasurer has already spotlighted the housing crisis and his desire to remove obstructions to the 'need to build, build, build'. Here's everything we already know about what's in the 2025 NSW budget so far (list will be updated daily): Transport The government will spend $50 million on road upgrades across the western Sydney airport development region, including traffic signals at Elizabeth Drive and Luddenham Road, and a turning lane at Mamre Road and Kerrs Road. $39 million, including $12.5 million from the federal government, will be used to plan three key routes on Devonshire Road, Devonshire Link Road and Bradfield Metro Link Road. Incident response teams will be boosted with $29.6 million to deploy rapidly to accidents and traffic delays on key routes to and from the airport, and across the south-west Sydney road network. More than 1000 new road signs will be put up across Sydney directing to the Aerotropolis and Western Sydney Airport, at a cost of $30 million. Health $492 million will be used to build a state-of-the-art pathology service in western Sydney, including an upgraded high-security lab for dangerous infectious diseases to replace the one Westmead Hospital built half a century ago. The Kookaburra Centre will be built to provide urgent care for children with chronic and complex health conditions at Westmead Children's Hospital under a $40.1 million investment. An additional $700 million will go towards the construction of the planned new Bankstown Hospital, first promised in 2019, bringing the total investment under the Minns and former Coalition governments to $2 billion. The government will invest $23 million to reduce the number of planned surgeries waiting longer than clinically recommended, enabling an estimated 3500 to be completed over the next year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service will receive an additional $15 million to support the transport of clinicians and patients to and from remote areas. Education The government will increase its spend to more than $17,000 per public school student for this calendar year to bring its total 2025 investment to $13.1 billion, including funding carried over from the 2024-25 budget. This year's small group tutoring program will be boosted to $80 million, a $27 million increase on last year, to help lift literacy and numeracy outcomes for as many as 60,000 public school students. University teaching students will be supported to gain classroom experience as tutors under the program, in which students in groups of two to five can now receive up to 15 weeks of tutoring. $100 million will be used to relocate the TAFE NSW Bankstown campus to allow for the building of the new hospital. Environment and energy The state's biosecurity systems will receive a further $100 million to develop an improved detection, protection and response model. $41.2 million will be invested in research and development in NSW's primary industries, including digital infrastructure to promote research in AI-assisted farming, and a graduate program for young scientists in the agriculture industry. The government will spend $115.5 million on a new logistics precinct at the site of the former BHP steelworks in Newcastle, to support the delivery of renewable energy across the state, including storage for wind turbines and transformers. Housing and public spaces A new homelessness package will see $20 million allocated to expand crisis and transitional housing, and an additional $10.4 million over four years for support services through the Rev Bill Crews Foundation. A $59.8 million refurbishment of the Pyrmont Bridge will conserve the heritage-listed entry point to the Sydney CBD. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan and Botanic Garden Mount Tomah will be renewed at a cost of $9 million. $10 million will be spent on maintaining infrastructure at Sydney Olympic Park's sporting and recreation precinct. The UNESCO-listed Parramatta Park will undergo a $1 million renewal across the 85-hectare site. $12.4 million will go towards maintaining and upgrading fire trails to provide safe access for firefighters to battle bushfires. The maintenance of public halls, sports facilities, walking trails and bridges and crown land will benefit from an additional $7.1 million. Crown land contaminated by agriculture, mining and other industries will be remediated and restored for use under an additional $6 million. The erosion-affected seawall shoreline at Warrawong Parklands at Lake Illawarra will be stabilised at a cost of $5 million. Penrith Beach, or 'Pondi', will return for two more summers thanks to a $5.2 million investment, while $4 million will go towards improvements to Sydney International Regatta Centre and Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Law and order Survivors of violent crime and their family members can access an additional $227 million of counselling and assistance over five years through the Victims' Support Service, including help with funeral and medical expenses, as well as a new $49.4 million hub to support them to participate in legal proceedings. Five new courtrooms will be created as part of a $34.5 million upgrade of Sydney Downing Centre and John Madison Tower, which includes audiovisual facilities for more virtual hearings. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will receive $48.3 million to fund extra solicitors. $12.8 million will support 15 staff to help reduce trauma for child victims and witnesses in sexual offence proceedings. An additional $100.5 million will be spent to address rising demand in the correctional system, including from record numbers of alleged offenders held on remand after changes to domestic violence bail laws. $9.3 million will be used to implement monitoring of offenders under Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders. $2.3 million will go towards ensuring eligible victims know about their right to sign up to registers to receive information about an offender. $11.2 million will be invested in long-term reform of family and domestic violence response systems, including early intervention and a $2 million standalone Aboriginal domestic, family and sexual violence plan. A new maritime protection and counter-terrorism vessel will replace the current 20-year-old Nemesis vessel at a cost of $46.3 million, as part of offshore efforts to combat crime and illegal drug importation. Emergency services An additional $17 million over two years will deliver at least 15 new firetrucks to replace ageing Fire and Rescue NSW vehicles. RFS aviation funding for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters will be increased to $34.4 million over four years as competition for resources increases as fire seasons extend around the world. The landline and mobile phone emergency alert system for floods and bushfires will receive an additional $6.4 million. $42.2 million will be invested to recruit 52 firefighters to staff the new Badgerys Creek Fire Station in south-west Sydney, set to become the region's largest. Culture and entertainment A $100 million capital fund is being established to begin the search for the location of a second Sydney film studio, to join Disney Studios at Moore Park. The NSW screen and digital games sector will receive a further $280 million through existing rebate programs and the Made in NSW fund, a five-year support program for the production of films and TV dramas. An overhaul of the regulatory framework for screen and games production will reduce the administrative burden on councils and productions, including tripling the time filming can occur on private land without a development approval. Integrity agencies The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will get a $42 million boost to migrate from an on-site information technology system to the cloud, improving performance and security of sensitive information. In preparation for the 2027 state election, the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) will receive $108 million in new funding to plan and deliver the poll. A $102 million investment in the NSWEC will also allow it to transition temporary staff roles to ongoing positions to stabilise the workforce across election events and strengthen integrity functions. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission will receive $13 million for additional resources amid a growing number of law enforcement-related complaints. Join us for live coverage as we bring you every detail of the NSW budget when it is handed down at noon on Tuesday, June 24.
The Age
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
What we already know about this year's NSW budget
When the Minns government hands down its third state budget on June 24, it's likely to follow the fiscal restraint of the first two. That's not least because the government failed to push through its controversial workers' compensation reforms this month, which Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has claimed would save the state billions of dollars. At his budget preview speech last month, Mookhey said his first budget had been about resetting priorities, his second about dealing with NSW's losses in the GST carve-up, while his third would '[bring] the pieces together'. When Mookhey provides the full breakdown of the state's finances next Tuesday, the focus is expected to be firmly on housing and essential services, and the treasurer has already spotlighted the housing crisis and his desire to remove obstructions to the 'need to build, build, build'. Here's everything we already know about what's in the 2025 NSW budget so far (list will be updated daily): Transport The government will spend $50 million on road upgrades across the western Sydney airport development region, including traffic signals at Elizabeth Drive and Luddenham Road, and a turning lane at Mamre Road and Kerrs Road. $39 million, including $12.5 million from the federal government, will be used to plan three key routes on Devonshire Road, Devonshire Link Road and Bradfield Metro Link Road. Incident response teams will be boosted with $29.6 million to deploy rapidly to accidents and traffic delays on key routes to and from the airport, and across the south-west Sydney road network. More than 1000 new road signs will be put up across Sydney directing to the Aerotropolis and Western Sydney Airport, at a cost of $30 million. Health $492 million will be used to build a state-of-the-art pathology service in western Sydney, including an upgraded high-security lab for dangerous infectious diseases to replace the one Westmead Hospital built half a century ago. The Kookaburra Centre will be built to provide urgent care for children with chronic and complex health conditions at Westmead Children's Hospital under a $40.1 million investment. An additional $700 million will go towards the construction of the planned new Bankstown Hospital, first promised in 2019, bringing the total investment under the Minns and former Coalition governments to $2 billion. The government will invest $23 million to reduce the number of planned surgeries waiting longer than clinically recommended, enabling an estimated 3500 to be completed over the next year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service will receive an additional $15 million to support the transport of clinicians and patients to and from remote areas. Education The government will increase its spend to more than $17,000 per public school student for this calendar year to bring its total 2025 investment to $13.1 billion, including funding carried over from the 2024-25 budget. This year's small group tutoring program will be boosted to $80 million, a $27 million increase on last year, to help lift literacy and numeracy outcomes for as many as 60,000 public school students. University teaching students will be supported to gain classroom experience as tutors under the program, in which students in groups of two to five can now receive up to 15 weeks of tutoring. $100 million will be used to relocate the TAFE NSW Bankstown campus to allow for the building of the new hospital. Environment and energy The state's biosecurity systems will receive a further $100 million to develop an improved detection, protection and response model. $41.2 million will be invested in research and development in NSW's primary industries, including digital infrastructure to promote research in AI-assisted farming, and a graduate program for young scientists in the agriculture industry. The government will spend $115.5 million on a new logistics precinct at the site of the former BHP steelworks in Newcastle, to support the delivery of renewable energy across the state, including storage for wind turbines and transformers. Housing and public spaces A new homelessness package will see $20 million allocated to expand crisis and transitional housing, and an additional $10.4 million over four years for support services through the Rev Bill Crews Foundation. A $59.8 million refurbishment of the Pyrmont Bridge will conserve the heritage-listed entry point to the Sydney CBD. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan and Botanic Garden Mount Tomah will be renewed at a cost of $9 million. $10 million will be spent on maintaining infrastructure at Sydney Olympic Park's sporting and recreation precinct. The UNESCO-listed Parramatta Park will undergo a $1 million renewal across the 85-hectare site. $12.4 million will go towards maintaining and upgrading fire trails to provide safe access for firefighters to battle bushfires. The maintenance of public halls, sports facilities, walking trails and bridges and crown land will benefit from an additional $7.1 million. Crown land contaminated by agriculture, mining and other industries will be remediated and restored for use under an additional $6 million. The erosion-affected seawall shoreline at Warrawong Parklands at Lake Illawarra will be stabilised at a cost of $5 million. Penrith Beach, or 'Pondi', will return for two more summers thanks to a $5.2 million investment, while $4 million will go towards improvements to Sydney International Regatta Centre and Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Law and order Survivors of violent crime and their family members can access an additional $227 million of counselling and assistance over five years through the Victims' Support Service, including help with funeral and medical expenses, as well as a new $49.4 million hub to support them to participate in legal proceedings. Five new courtrooms will be created as part of a $34.5 million upgrade of Sydney Downing Centre and John Madison Tower, which includes audiovisual facilities for more virtual hearings. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will receive $48.3 million to fund extra solicitors. $12.8 million will support 15 staff to help reduce trauma for child victims and witnesses in sexual offence proceedings. An additional $100.5 million will be spent to address rising demand in the correctional system, including from record numbers of alleged offenders held on remand after changes to domestic violence bail laws. $9.3 million will be used to implement monitoring of offenders under Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders. $2.3 million will go towards ensuring eligible victims know about their right to sign up to registers to receive information about an offender. $11.2 million will be invested in long-term reform of family and domestic violence response systems, including early intervention and a $2 million standalone Aboriginal domestic, family and sexual violence plan. A new maritime protection and counter-terrorism vessel will replace the current 20-year-old Nemesis vessel at a cost of $46.3 million, as part of offshore efforts to combat crime and illegal drug importation. Emergency services An additional $17 million over two years will deliver at least 15 new firetrucks to replace ageing Fire and Rescue NSW vehicles. RFS aviation funding for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters will be increased to $34.4 million over four years as competition for resources increases as fire seasons extend around the world. The landline and mobile phone emergency alert system for floods and bushfires will receive an additional $6.4 million. $42.2 million will be invested to recruit 52 firefighters to staff the new Badgerys Creek Fire Station in south-west Sydney, set to become the region's largest. Culture and entertainment A $100 million capital fund is being established to begin the search for the location of a second Sydney film studio, to join Disney Studios at Moore Park. The NSW screen and digital games sector will receive a further $280 million through existing rebate programs and the Made in NSW fund, a five-year support program for the production of films and TV dramas. An overhaul of the regulatory framework for screen and games production will reduce the administrative burden on councils and productions, including tripling the time filming can occur on private land without a development approval. Integrity agencies The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will get a $42 million boost to migrate from an on-site information technology system to the cloud, improving performance and security of sensitive information. In preparation for the 2027 state election, the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) will receive $108 million in new funding to plan and deliver the poll. A $102 million investment in the NSWEC will also allow it to transition temporary staff roles to ongoing positions to stabilise the workforce across election events and strengthen integrity functions. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission will receive $13 million for additional resources amid a growing number of law enforcement-related complaints. Join us for live coverage as we bring you every detail of the NSW budget when it is handed down at noon on Tuesday, June 24.
West Australian
13-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
A mother's worst nightmare: Yasmine's story and the reality of preterm birth
Born 15 weeks early, Ava weighed little more than a tub of butter when she came into the world. Her tiny hands were no bigger than her parents' wedding rings and her fragile little body could fit in the palm of their hands. Born weighing 580 grams, she was small yet mighty enough to tackle the complex challenges a marathon 101-day stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit would bring for the brave micro preemie. Ava's sudden introduction to the world was a life-and-death decision made by the world-class team of experts at Perth's King Edward Memorial Hospital. Up until three days prior to her hurried delivery via emergency classical caesarean section under a general anaesthetic, her mum Yasmine Phillips had experienced a smooth pregnancy where the expected side effects like morning sickness brought much comfort. But a sudden onset of excruciating rib pain that would come and go, and bouts of vomiting, prompted Yasmine to visit a Geraldton emergency department while visiting relatives for Christmas. Doctors hoped it was merely festive food poisoning but warned they were preparing for a worst-case scenario of HELLP Syndrome, an uncommon and severe form of pre-eclampsia that can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and baby. For the safety of the unborn baby and mother, the pair were flown to Perth via the Royal Flying Doctor Service and transferred to KEMH where Yasmine's condition quickly declined, a HELLP Syndrome diagnosis was confirmed and a life-saving decision was made to deliver Ava. 'Those early days and weeks in the NICU were some of the most terrifying moments you can imagine,' Yasmine said. 'There was so much uncertainty and fear, and many worrying thoughts as we watched Ava breathing through a ventilator, covered in wires and confined to an incubator.' Ava is one of more than 26,000 premature babies born in Australia every year with one in every twelve pregnancies ending too early. 'During Ava's three-and-a-half months in the NICU, it became like a second home to us and we felt so blessed to have had such an amazing team of people caring for our daughter who really celebrated every milestone and felt deeply every low,' Phillips said. Chair of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance Professor John Newnham explains that preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children up to five years of age in the developed world. 'Preterm birth is defined as birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy whilst early term birth is the 14-day period between 37 and 39 weeks of pregnancy,' he said. In March of this year the Australian Government announced it was continuing its investment in Australia's world-first national program to safely reduce rates of early birth with $5.3 million to expand the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Collaborative. 'This program, which has been adopted in maternity hospitals all over Australia, brings together health professionals, First Nations leaders, quality improvement experts and those with a lived experience, to improve pregnancy outcomes for more women across the country,' Professor Newnham said. Driven by the potentially life-long consequences of prematurity and HELLP Syndrome, Yasmine has joined the effort to help raise awareness of preterm birth. Almost four years after the early arrival of Ava, she welcomed another little girl into the world. Sage spent a week in the NICU in the bed right next to where Ava spent the first few months of her life. Due to the complications from her first pregnancy, doctors deemed it safest for Yasmine's second baby girl to be delivered at 37 weeks. But even with her experience, she stresses that nothing quite prepares you for a newborn baby being taken away to the NICU while you are stuck in recovery from a caesarean section. 'When we made it to our planned delivery date at 37 weeks, I thought everything had gone to plan this time around, so I took Sage's transferto the NICU really hard,' Yasmine said. 'Whether a baby spends one day, a week or 15 weeks in the NICU, there is an all-consuming worry that will not rest until everyone is hopefully home safe and under the one roof together.' Identifying the early warning signs and providing timely interventions are critical to preventing preterm birth and its far-reaching impacts. To learn more about The Every Week Counts National Program, and the strategies being implemented to lower rates of early birth and make pregnancies safer for all women and babies, you can visit the Every Week Counts website .
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Cruise ship brain bleed strands WA dad in Darwin hospital
A WA family is living through a nightmare after a loving husband and father was left stranded in a hospital in Darwin. Peter and Amanda Jackson were on a cruise from Sydney to Fremantle to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary when their fun-filled holiday turned to horror. While re-embarking on the Crown Princess on Anzac Day in Darwin, Mr Jackson fell backwards and hit his head. The 63-year-old suffered a brain bleed and was taken to the ship's medical bay before being transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital. He had two operations and was unconscious for two days. 'He was unconscious for two days and we were told he was in trouble and to prepare ourselves,' Mr Jackson's daughter Chloe Moloney told this week. 'We were told Dad was too unwell to be transported and he needed to be stable for an airlift. Once he was stable, an airlift was to be done. 'Dad came around and improved and was moved to a ward.' Peter Jackson in hospital in Darwin. Credit: Supplied But just when it looked like some relief was on the way with a transfer back to WA, it was cancelled. 'We couldn't understand why,' Ms Moloney said. 'Dad needs to be admitted to a neuro-rehab facility once a bed becomes available back home. 'Dad's speech has been impacted quite severely, he is quite hard to understand now. He also has issues with his right arm and his high-level balance. 'Flying home commercially is not an option for us, with his condition.' Ms Moloney fears her father has fallen through the cracks in the national and State health systems. 'On Wednesday last week, we were told that neither the WA or NT governments wanted to pay for Dad to get home, even though he needed to be admitted to a neuro-rehab facility,' she said. 'They said we needed to pay to get him on a commercial flight. 'From the research I have done I'm sure this falls under the national health form agreement, where the national government pays or they split the cost.' Chloe Moloney with her parents Peter and Amanda Jackson on her wedding day. Credit: Supplied Ms Moloney said her parents had premium ambulance cover but were struggling to access it. She said the Royal Flying Doctor Service had quoted the family $80,000 to get her dad home, while another quote to have a nurse sit with her father on a commercial flight had come in at $15,000. 'Where is she (Mum) supposed to get all this money from when she has already spent thousands on accommodation so far to stay with Dad?' Ms Moloney said. 'It's been a nightmare. We just want to get him home safely and get the ongoing care he needs. 'My dad is the most beautiful man. When he was of sound mind he would go out of his way to help anyone. 'Well now he needs help and we just can't get it.' The WA Government has been contacted for comment.
Perth Now
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
WA boy hailed hero for saving dad in horror tractor accident
Paul 'Pablo' Sleeman, who saved his father's life following an horrendous tractor accident, has been named the Shire of Denmark's Youth Citizen of the Year. The 13-year-old, known by all as Pablo, called 000 and alerted his mother when his father, Dr Alex Sleeman, was critically injured after his tractor rolled in September last year, pinning him underneath. The popular Denmark GP suffered serious spinal injuries, but his son's quick actions helped get him to Denmark Hospital within the hour and then, via the Royal Flying Doctor Service, to Perth. Since the accident, with his father learning to walk again, Pablo has raised more than $32,000 for the RFDS, which has also included a family fitness challenge. Deputy shire president Jan Lewis said he had also helped rescue swimmers from local beaches. 'He has shown exceptional bravery and compassion, leadership and dedication to community safety, making him an inspiring role model,' she said. Shaun Ossinger, a dedicated environmentalist, sports coach and mentor, was named the shire's Community Citizen of the Year. Cr Lewis said his leadership of the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee was testament to his dedication to environmental matters. Paul 'Pablo' Sleeman, 13, Bradley Woodruff, Lesley Murphy, Anthony McEwan, Jy Drummond, 15, Shaun Ossinger and Darin Hockley. Credit: Serena Kirby 'Shaun's unwavering commitment to our environment and community has left a profound and lasting impact on the shire,' she said. As well as being an environmental champion, Mr Ossinger is also a basketball coach, a student mentor and drives a sailing safety boat. The Senior Citizen of the Year was Lesley Murphy, recognised for her tireless volunteer work with St John WA, the St Ayles Skiffs and the Bowling and Recreation Club. 'Her dedication, leadership and quiet acts of kindness make her an inspiration and deeply deserving community champion,' Cr Lewis said. Capt. Darin Hockey accepted the Group Citizen of the Year award, representing the Denmark Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service. A shire statement said the group was recognised for 'over 60 years of courage, leadership, and community spirit, in responding to emergencies, educating the public, and mentoring future volunteers'. In the sport presentations, Anthony McEwan earned the senior award having been recognised for his contribution to Denmark's surf lifesaving club. Mountain biker Jy Drummond, 15, won the junior award while the Service to Sport award went to Bradley Woodruff for his commitment to supporting young athletes across multiple sports. The awards were announced at a volunteer appreciation sundowner at the town's Resource Centre Gallery on Saturday. The theme of the evening was National Volunteer Week's Connecting Communities.
