‘Partial privatisation’: Waterloo South public housing tenants say NSW Labor misled residents

Having promised to end sell-offs before the election, Chris Minns’ government forced to defend development plans

After the Minns government won the New South Wales election, Norrie May-Welby finally invested in a mod con to her home that would seem humdrum to most: she bought new fly screens.

This, she thought, was the end of seven years spent waiting for the day she would be relocated from her home at Waterloo South public housing estate.

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Land for 10,000 northern rivers homes flagged in NSW plan to ease housing crisis

Exclusive: Homes for 7,800 residents in areas worst hit by 2022 floods proposed in near term, with more development later

Land that could hold more than 10,000 homes across 22 sites in the northern rivers has been identified as part of a New South Wales government strategy to deal with the region’s housing crisis.

The draft northern rivers resilient lands strategy will be released on Friday, more than a year after floods devastated the region and saw thousands of people displaced. Many are still unable to return home.

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NSW politicians and public service executives hit with wage freeze to fund payrise for frontline workers

Legislation will be introduced to state parliament on Tuesday freezing the salaries of MPs and executives from July

Promised pay rises for New South Wales frontline workers will be funded by a two-year freeze on the wages of state politicians and public service senior executives.

Legislation will be introduced to state parliament on Tuesday freezing the salaries of MPs and executives from July and redirecting the millions of dollars in savings to nurses, paramedics, teachers and other frontline workers.

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Proportion of Aboriginal inmates in NSW hit a record 29.7% in February

Exclusive: State Aboriginal Legal Service calls for end to ‘over-policing’ of Indigenous people

The proportion of Aboriginal people in prisons across New South Wales has reached an all-time high, prompting an urgent call from key groups for governments to end the “over-policing” of Indigenous communities.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) figures revealed Aboriginal people accounted for a record 29.7% of the state’s adult prison population in February, dipping slightly to 29.5% in March.

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Maria Kovacic: former NSW Liberal president will replace Jim Molan in Senate as Andrew Constance’s bid fails

Kovacic ran for the lower house seat of Parramatta in the last federal election but was defeated by Labor’s Andrew Charlton

A former president of the New South Wales Liberal party will fill the Senate vacancy left by Jim Molan, who died of prostate cancer in January.

Maria Kovacic, who resigned from her official party position to run for the NSW Senate seat, defeated her closest challenger, Andrew Constance, a former NSW cabinet minister.

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NSW renewable energy zones up to two years behind schedule

‘We are not going to allow the lights to go off,’ state energy minister Penny Sharpe vows

New South Wales’ two main renewable energy zones will be delayed for as long as two years and cost more to build with landholder opposition to new transmission lines partly to blame, the energy minister, Penny Sharpe, has said.

The Minns government briefed journalists about its network infrastructure strategy on Wednesday, revealing that the central-west Orana zone would not hit its “energisation date” until 2027-28, compared with an initial 2025 target. Similarly, the New England zone will now start in 2029 compared with an initial 2027 goal.

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Two-thirds of people playing NSW pokies before 8am are problem gamblers or at risk, research shows

Exclusive: Earlier closing times could help protect gamblers, study commissioned by government says

Almost two-thirds of people playing poker machines into the morning are problem gamblers or at moderate risk of developing a problem, with research commissioned under the previous New South Wales government suggesting earlier venue closures could help protect punters.

The Roy Morgan research, prepared for Liquor and Gaming NSW, found that 22.8% of those playing poker machines between 2am and 8am were problem gamblers, while 41.8% were classified as “moderate risk problem gambling”.

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Clover Moore warns NSW government against sale of state-owned land

Exclusive: Sydney’s lord mayor says plan to sell unused parcels in order to develop housing is ‘disappointing’

The lord mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, has called a plan to rezone and develop underused state land as “really disappointing” despite the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns’ insistence that the government housing scheme did not amount to privatisation.

Moore said the state government should instead be focused on genuine investment in social and affordable housing, while thinking carefully before making any decisions to sell off land.

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Sale of Waterloo South public housing will see residents rehoused nearby, NSW government pledges

Exclusive: Tenants feel let down by Labor, but Chris Minns insists sale does not meet ‘definition of privatisation’

The New South Wales housing mister, Rose Jackson, is moving to reassure tenants in the Waterloo South public housing they will be rehoused within the suburb and offered spots back in the complex when the controversial development is completed.

The government has been fending off criticism for proceeding with the sale and is pushing forward with plans to sell more land to developers for housing, despite promising to end privatisation and freeze the sale of all social housing assets.

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NSW taxpayers to fund indemnity for 47 organisations against child abuse claims

Exclusive: State government steps in as private insurers refuse to provide coverage to organisations working with vulnerable children

The New South Wales government has been forced to provide taxpayer-funded indemnity to 47 non-government organisations, including church bodies, to cover child abuse claims, as states and territories scramble to respond to the widespread withdrawal of cover by the private insurance market.

Private insurers are now widely refusing to provide coverage for physical and sexual abuse to organisations working with vulnerable children in out-of-home care and youth homelessness services.

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NSW government moves to ban political donations from clubs with poker machines

Exclusive: Proposed changes to the state’s electoral funding act will treat some venues similar to developers

The political influence of clubs in New South Wales will be curtailed under proposed laws banning donations from venues with poker machines that are being introduced to the state parliament on Thursday.

If passed, the electoral funding act would be changed to outlaw political donations from registered clubs that have poker machines or are involved in any other wagering, betting or other gambling activities.

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Labor warns NSW facing a ‘momentous task’ in transition to renewables

Energy minister Penny Sharpe says state will need to decarbonise its electricity sector at a faster rate

New South Wales faces a “momentous task” to decarbonise its electricity sector and will need to accelerate the state’s transition to renewables, the new energy minister, Penny Sharpe, has said.

The electricity infrastructure roadmap, inherited from the previous Coalition government, aims to drive 12 gigawatts of new renewable generation and 2GW of long-duration storage into the grid by 2030. The plan’s first tender secured 1.4GW of new capacity at record low minimum prices, the government said earlier this week.

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Short-term rental properties in NSW surge by 13,000 since December 2021

Exclusive: 45,209 rentals now registered as minister prepares to review proposed annual limits

The number of properties listed as short-term rentals across New South Wales has surged by 42% since 2021 to exceed 45,000, with the state’s planning minister to review proposed annual caps later this year.

Paul Scully said his department would interrogate the calls for 60-day caps, amid pressure from mayors to allow councils to set their own limits to deal with the rise in listings that they say is adding to the statewide housing crisis.

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Australia news live: defence strategic review ‘a cannibalisation of army mobility’, Hastie says; Victorian jockey dies after race fall

Review calls for ADF to develop ability to precisely strike targets at longer range and to develop stronger network. Follow the day’s news live

Plibersek v Joyce on Newspoll

In their regular spot on Sunrise, environment minister Tanya Plibersek and Coalition frontbencher Barnaby Joyce weighed in on those Newspoll results.

They’re very strong support numbers, and I tell you the reason is not based on polling but what people tell me when I’m out around the country.

People tell me that they’re pleased to see a government that is just getting on with the job, doing what we promised and they’re impressed that the prime minister is just sticking with what he said he’d do.

We don’t have an election tomorrow and that’s a good thing.

A lot of people are starting to focus now on issues such as the voice and saying, “I don’t feel comfortable with this.”

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NSW’s most popular holiday spots divided over limits on Airbnb rentals

Not all councils agree on best way to tackle homelessness caused in part by popularity of short-term rentals such as Airbnb

Councils responsible for some of New South Wales’ most popular tourism destinations are urging the incoming Minns government to give them the power to further restrict short-term holiday rentals.

In December, the Byron shire council, which has the highest rate of homelessness in the state outside Sydney, voted in favour of introducing a 90-day cap on some short-term holiday rentals in an effort to generate more long-term rental supply.

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Advice on voice a ‘cynical political tactic’ to confuse voters, Coalition claims – as it happened

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Ed Husic says board appointments alone won’t guarantee RBA diversity

The ministry for industry, Ed Husic, says he believes new appointments to the RBA board alone isn’t enough to bring diversity to the central bank – he says there need to be “deeper structures” put in place.

As a government, I can give you this assurance. We do like to take into account people’s views from different vantage points. I do think it is important that where decisions have an impact – not just in terms of investors or industry but the people that work in them or the broader community – I think it’s a healthier decision …

Some people will fix on ‘well, someone should have a seat at the board’ for that to occur and I understand why they’ll make those arguments. I’m not necessarily convinced that that specifically guarantees that will occur, just having one person on the board. There need to be a lot deeper structures for people to have that sense that they’ve had a say and that they can have an ability to influence and inform decision making.

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Three strikes: NSW falls behind rest of nation as Queensland reforms drug possession laws

Queensland health minister says progressive changes will open up pathways for people to receive treatment

New South Wales will become the only state that doesn’t allow cautions for people possessing drugs after Queensland moved to mandate a three-strike system.

Doctors, police and drug reform advocates are welcoming reforms, passed on Thursday night, that will see Queensland take a more progressive approach to policing the personal consumption of illegal drugs.

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Chris Minns leaves door open to renegotiate gaming tax rise as Star casino cuts jobs

NSW premier criticises former state government’s tax policy for casinos which he says lacked due diligence

The New South Wales government has left the door open to renegotiate a gaming tax forecast to raise $364m over three years, as the financial health of casino operator Star Entertainment deteriorates.

Star announced on Wednesday that it would eliminate 500 jobs and freeze salaries for non-unionised staff as it looked for $100m in annual savings.

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NSW Labor will hold off on Hills Shire council inquiry ‘at request of Icac’

Premier says government will not proceed with public inquiry as it could affect investigation being conducted by commission

The New South Wales state parliament will hold off on conducting further public inquiries into alleged impropriety at Hills Shire council while the state’s anti-corruption commission conducts its own investigation.

A previous upper house inquiry, launched after allegations aired in parliament by NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams about senior members of his own party, became a focal point of the recent election campaign when it sparked a manhunt for one of former premier Dominic Perrottet’s brothers.

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NT police minister defends kinship care system after Price abuse claims – as it happened

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Indigenous voice would benefit Alice Springs if people were ‘prepared to be honest’: Price

Price said she wanted the federal government to run the child protection system in the Territory in order to prioritise the “human rights for children regardless of racial heritage, in this country”.

I support the idea of regional and remote legislated bodies that would represent issues going on, on the ground. That’s what I would support. That is what the Coalition supports going forward.

What I have advocated for is I don’t believe in separating us along the lines of race within our constitution. What I have always advocated for is the voices of people in remote and regional communities to be amplified because of the circumstances in those regional/remote communities are very different to other communities.

Someone from somewhere like Balgo, Docker River, Yuendumu, Indigenous voices from there are very different to Indigenous voices from suburban Sydney or Brisbane, or even Alice Springs. And their voices in the bush are often not heard, are not amplified in these discussions, even more so the vulnerable voices in those communities are not heard.

We need to say that children who are living in circumstances where their human rights are being upheld should not be removed for the sake of putting children back with kin.

And I know of circumstances where children have been put in danger because of that provision.

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