Media release: Our First 100 Days in Government

In our first 100 days the Minns Labor Government has hit the ground running to address the serious challenges facing NSW.

We were elected with a clear mandate to scrap the wages cap and sit down for a genuine negotiation with our frontline workers including nurses, paramedics, teachers, firefighters and police. 

We were elected to rebuild health and education in NSW and reinvest in our essential workforce – to put people back at the heart of government.

And from the moment our team was sworn in we have been working hard to make this happen.

We’ve made good progress – with a lot more to do.

If you require any additional information on the achievements below, please contact me at my office on 02 49331617 and maitland@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

100 Day Achievements

Aboriginal Affairs

• $500,000 in funding for the Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund (AFTF)
• $20 million to support First Nations led response to domestic violence
• $1.48 million upgrade to the training headquarters of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council at Little Bay expected to be completed this year.
• $43 million committed to remediate and restore Me-Mel and pave the way for the transfer back to the Aboriginal community.

 Agriculture

• Biosecurity Commissioner: Appointed an Interim Biosecurity Commissioner who will guide the formation of an independent biosecurity commission.
• Invested $21 million for Clarence prawn fishers and farmers for the response to and recovery from White Spot which devastated prawn fishing and farming along the Clarence River
• NSW Government will spend an additional$80 million over four years, to protect the state from red imported fire ants. 
• New round of funding for Aboriginal commercial fishing, tourism, research, and education projects.
• North Coast Agricultural Industry roundtable, bringing together representatives from across grazing, nuts, sugarcane, berries, bananas, fisheries and nurseries.
• Appointed a new NSW Chief Vetinary Officer

 Arts

• Began the construction of the Paramatta Powerhouse Museum
• Arts and Cultural Funding Program: $4.1 million funding boost to 81 individuals, groups and organisations to create homegrown arts and culture projects and experiences.

 Attorney General

• Knife Crime: passed new legislation to double the maximum penalty available for knife crime.
• Religious Vilification: introduced new legislation to prohibit vilification on the grounds of religious belief, affiliation or activity.
• Retail Workers: passed legislation to increase the penalties for people who assault retail workers.
• Independent Commission Against Corruption: strengthened the investigative powers of ICAC.

 Better Regulation and Fair Trading

• Rental Reform: Passed rental reforms to ease pressure on renters:
  • Extended the ban on soliciting rental bids so it applies to third-party platforms and owners.
  • Powers needed to implement a portable bonds scheme.
• Rental Commissioner: Commenced the process of appointing a Rental Commissioner to be a voice for.
• Free Odometer Reading: Free public access to odometer readings to combat vehicle tampering.

Building

• Committed to establishing a NSW Building Commission by the end of the year – a single body to oversee the regulation, licensing and oversight of the industry.
• Extending Project Intervene: A program that allows Owner Corporations to use the expertise of the NSW Building Commissioner with negotiation and mediation with developers in building that may have defects.

Customer Service and Digital

• ID Support NSW will be hosting more than 30 cyber security awareness events across regional NSW from the 30^th of May until the 28^th of June
• Expand the NSW Government’s MyServiceNow Account to include the ability to manage Land Tax obligations.
• Quiet Hour: Rollout of quiet hour to more than 100 Service NSW Centres to support those with low-sensory needs.
• Walks Near Me: Launched an interactive digital map to connect people to iconic locations, including parks, beaches, libraries, museums and high streets.
• Multicultural Youth Linker Program: free 45-minute appointments with dedicated frontline Service NSW staff and is designed to empower migrants and refugees aged 16-25 in accessing the government services available to them.

Education

• Started work to convert 16,000 teachers, who’ve been on temporary contracts for years, to secure, permanent teaching positions – 7,000 have already accepted permanent roles
• Hiring 400 new full-time administration staff to ease the administrative burden on teachers.
• Introduced policy to ban mobile phones in all NSW public schools by Day 1, Term 4.
• Providing free school breakfasts at 1000 schools across NSW.
• Launched the Every Day Matters campaign to address failing attendance numbers in classrooms.
• Opening three temporary schools from Term 1 next year as a stop gap measure while permanent facilities are built:
  • 400 students at a temporary high school in Marsden Park
  • 419 students at a temporary primary school in Nirimba Fields
  • 150 students at a temporary primary school in Tallawong
• Cowra Education Precinct: Establishing a new pre-school and early childhood precinct in Cowra with Cowra Early Childhood Services Co-Operative Ltd.
• Reviewing the Student Behaviour Policy to ensure schools can manage complex and challenging behaviour.
• Conducting a line-by-line audit of the policies and procedures that teachers and schools have to manage.

Energy

• Energy Relief: Announced an energy relief package from more than 6 million households and 300,000 small businesses in NSW. Eligible households will receive a $500 energy rebate on their power bills in the coming financial year, while eligible small businesses can access a $650 rebate.
• Partnered with the Commonwealth to open the first tender for firming infrastructure – improving the reliability of the state’s energy system.
• EAPA Scheme: Temporarily increasing crisis support payments under the EAPA scheme to $500. Eligible customers will be able to receive up to $500 per application for both their electricity and gas bills twice a year. This means the annual limit for these payments will increase to $2,000 per household. 
• Released the 20-year Network Plan to build the essential infrastructure to transform our energy system 
• Released Renewable Energy Zone transmission corridors for community consultation in New England
• Commissioned an independent check-up on NSW’s energy policies and the transition of our electricity sector.
• Announced a Parliamentary Inquiry into feasibility of undergrounding transmission infrastructure

 Emergency Services

• NSW Telco Authority will deliver a project to keep communities connected during a disaster.
• 10 new community recovery officers in NSW to help ongoing flood recovery efforts in communities in NSW’s Central West, New England and Riverina.
• Deployed more than 150 NSW firefighters to assist Canada combat wildfires.
• Deployed RFS Large Air Tanker to assist firefighters during the US wildfire season.
• Initiated the Long-Range Drone project, enabling Surf Life Saving NSW to trial drones on the far north coast that can assist in beach coverage as well as natural disaster response.
• Co-funded $70 million of disaster prevention initiatives with Federal Government out of the Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.
• Graduated 225 new FRNSW firefighters.
• Small businesses in the Northern Rivers boosted as deadline to claim flood recovery costs extended.

Environment

• Independent inquiry into Menindee Fish Deaths: Asked the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) to conduct an Independent Review of the unprecedented deaths of millions of fish at Menindee in March 2023.
• Reaffirmed $50,000 commitment to Calga Wildlife Walkabout Sanctuary supporting the sanctuary’s work to rehabilitate rescued wildlife.
• Action to save bilbies - Signed a recovery plan with the Commonwealth to save bilbies and return them to the wild. 
• Saved the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - Stopped plans to raise the Warragamba Dam wall protecting the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area & Aboriginal cultural heritage.
• Restored funding to the National Trust to support the NSW Heritage Festival
• Signed an MOU with the Me-Mel Transfer Committee as the next step to transfer the Island to the Aboriginal community
• Great Koala National Park: Started work to create the Great Koala National Park
• Return and Earn: 15 new Return and Earn Facilities have opened for the community.  
• Koalas released in Western Sydney: Yiraaldiya National Park predator free area in Yiraaldiya National Park  
• A new joint name for Baraguba – Montague Island  
• Held a Waste Roundtable to tackle and build our circular economy. 
• World Heritage List: Agreed to nominate Broken Hill Trades Hall on the World Heritage List, as well as the Parramatta Female Factory 
• Purchased “Waterfall” - 4,500ha of new National Park land, near Port Macquarie
• Saving Heathcote Koalas – started work to transfer land from Water NSW to National Parks in Woronora 
• Platypus returned to the Royal National Park after being extinct in the area for 50 years.
• Enhance bushfire preparedness – 130 additional National Parks staff trained
• New Koala population found at Coolah Tops National Park thanks to updated drone monitoring.
• Opened new whale watching platforms at North Head
• Opened Nura Diya Australia at Taronga Zoo: a new native wildlife conservation experience at Taronga.
• 19 critically endangered Plains-wanderers released into the wild by Saving Our Species 
• 123 loggerhead turtle hatchlings were released at Shelly Beach on the NSW Central Coast, after an emergency evacuation.
• Waste and Circular Economy Roundtable: To move faster towards a circular economy.
• Held a Roundtable with peak environment groups to discuss the government’s agenda. 
• Tasked the National Resources Commission to run an independent review into invasive species management in NSW.

 Gaming and Racing

• Moved to ban external gambling-related signs from pubs and clubs across the state by 1 September 2023
• Passed legislation to ban clubs with pokies from donating to NSW political parties and candidates for election.
• Reduced the number of poker machines able to be operated in NSW by more than 3,000
• Decreased the cash feed-in limit for all new poker machines to $500 from $5,000

Health

• Established a Select Committee to oversee the implementation of the 44 recommendations from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Rural, Regional and Remote Healthcare.
• Announced a review of healthcare worker safety led by the Hon. Peter Anderson
• Established the Surgical Care Governance Taskforce to drive down wait times for planned surgery.
• Announced $1.8 million for the establishment of a children’s heart transplant program at the Children’s Hospital, enabling children to receive life-saving survey in NSW.
• Established the Safe Staffing Working Group, to improve patient care in hospitals.
• Expanded the MotherSafe service weekday operating hours to 9am to 9pm, giving women more access to counsellors and pharmacists.
• Committed $17 million over 4 years to improve awareness of hyperemesis gravidarum, and access to support and services for women experiencing the condition.
• Began the Shoalhaven Hospital upgrade.
• Opened a new sensory garden at Westmead’s Children’s Hospital.
• Provided free flu vaccines to vulnerable people in NSW.
• Installed state-of the-art CPR devices in all frontline ambulance units
• Opened the RPA HealthOne Green Square that will provide local communities with access to specialised healthcare services and reduce presentations to ED’s.
• Construction underway for the $411 million third stage of the St George Hospital Redevelopment
• Sustaining NSW Families: Expansion of the Sustaining NSW Families programs to 8 new locations giving vulnerable families with young children access to free support.
• WALUWIN Place: Opening of the WALUWIN Place, Bathurst providing a range of health services to the Bathurst community.
• STRONG Medicine Centre: Launched the Strength Training, Rehabilitation and Outreach Needs in Geriatric Medicine, a new program to help older people maintain their independence, reduce their risk of falls and avoid hospital at Concord Hospital
• Progressing plans for a Metro Wollongong Health Precinct Strategy to transform Wollongong Public Hospital into a nationally significant health precinct.
• Acute Services Building: Opening a new facility as part of the Prince of Wales Hospital upgrade providing new and enhanced treatment spaces including a new and expanded ED and ICU.
• Skin cancer awareness campaign
• Celebrating 1,000th homebirth at Belmont Midwifery Group Practice
• Expanding Western Sydney urgent care service
• $19.2m raised for SCHF
• Making it easier for people to access medicines and relieving GPs through the pharmacy dispensing trial
• Record nursing and midwifery grads starting in Western Sydney
• Equipping every ambulance with automated CPR devices
• Albury Hospital: Beginning community consultation on Albury Hospital
• Extending funding for the one stop disability clinic extension at Westmead
• Opening the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital car park
• Boosting support for Kids of Macarthur
• Rolling out 80 specialist 4WD ambulances across NSW
• Hornsby Ku-ring Gai Hospital: Opening a 10 chair renal dialysis unit at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai hospital
• Long jetty Urgent Care Clinic: Announced construction of the Long jetty Urgent Care Clinic
• Bulli Urgent Care Clinic: Extending the hours of the Bulli Urgent Care Clinic
• Tumut Ambulance station: Opening of the Tumut Ambulance station
• Forster Ambulance Station: Opening of the Forster Ambulance Station
• Establishment of the Outreach Heart Failure Diagnostic Clinic, which runs specialist cardiac clinics in rural communities.
• Construction of key worker accommodation units at Tumut Hospital, designed to help recruit clinicians to regional areas.
• Opening of a MRI service (magnetic resonance imaging) at Goulburn Hospital, as part of the $165 million redevelopment.

Housing

• Froze the sell-off of all social and public housing.
• Announced $32 million partnership with Federal Government to deliver 65 new homes across three Western Sydney sites dedicated to social, affordable and key worker housing.
• Greenacre Project: Announced 12 new units for vulnerable women at risk of homelessness as part of a joint initiative with Muslim Women Australia, construction is underway with completion due early 2024.
• Creating Homes NSW and auditing NSW Government land to identify options for more housing.
• More social housing in Inner City Sydney:
  • Refurbished 35 vacant properties in Glebe to boost social housing. 5 properties have been restored and 21 currently undergoing renovations.
  • Stopping the previous Government’s redevelopment of the Franklyn St Estate
  • 17 more dwellings at 82 Wentworth Park Road

Homelessness

• Scraping seeker diaries to make it easier for homeless and vulnerable people to access temporary accommodation.
• Granted a two-year extension of Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) contracts providing certainty to SHS providers.
• $50,000 pledge to Vinnies CEO Sleepout

 Land and Property

• Lake Illawarra: Retain ownership of an 8.2-hectare parcel of land on the Lake Illawarra foreshore at Warrawong and develop a masterplan to transform the foreshore location
• Grave Sites: Announced the amalgamation of three Crown cemetery managers - Rookwood General, Northern Metropolitan and Southern Metropolitan – to create a single entity that can get on with the job of increasing the supply of graves.
• Appointment of Metropolitan Cemeteries and Crematoria (MCC) Administrator to oversee the amalgamation of the three Crown operators into the MCC.
• Invested $100,000 to repair and upgrade Hanging Rock Falls and Bean Creek Falls in Lismore.
• Old Parkes Fire Station: Appointing the Parkes Antique Motor Club to revive the site of the old station turning it into a fire brigade museum.
• Macarthur Memorial Park: fast-tracking the approval of a new 136,000 plot Crown land cemetery at Varroville to help solve Sydney’s impending burial crisis.

 Local Government

• Delivered $33 million in grants to animal welfare and rehoming agencies
• Waived $485,000 in rates for owners in Mascot Towers

Mental Health

• Pledged $10,000 to the Gidget Foundation Australia (GFA) to boost mental health support for expectant and new parents.
• Pledged $15,000 to Chumpy Pullin Foundation to tackle youth mental health.

 Multiculturalism

• Multicultural Youth Linker Program: free 45-minute appointments with dedicated frontline Service NSW staff and is designed to empower migrants and refugees aged 16-25 in accessing the government services available to them.
• Multicultural Advisory Board - Opened nominations for one youth member and several other positions on the Advisory Board.
• Community Harmony - Launched the Stronger Together Project Grants 2023

Music and Night-time Economy

• VIVID: Biggest attendance record in history with a crowd of more than 3.28 million.
• Koreatown: $198,200 grant to the Korean Community of Commerce to turn Eastwood into Koreatown
• Uptown Grants: Funding boost for 21 going-out districts in Greater Sydney

 Natural Resources 

• Establishment of a refund scheme for miners impacted by the small-scale titles revalidation scheme.
• Announced an independent review into the current statutory framework for administration and regulation of small-scale opal titles. 
• Appointed Stephen Lawrence MLC as Local Government Envoy to liaise with opal mine operators.

 Police

• Operation Foil: two-day state-wide operation targeting knife related crime, which saw 172 people charged with 565 offences and 294 knives seized.
• 318 police have attested and commenced work as probationary constables.

Planning and Public Spaces

• Announced support for Local Councils to address planning skill shortages. NSW councils will receive $25,000 to pay young planners tuition fees to help tackle the housing crisis. Grants will be distributed before EOFY and all Councils who applied are receiving one.
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Housing and Productivity) Contributions Bills has passed the Legislative Assembly. The bill will secure $1 billion to support investment in community infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, parks and schools to support housing growth.
• Planning reforms to deliver more social and affordable housing faster.
• Improving the planning system to incentivise residential housing developers that include at least 15% affordable housing in their plans.
• Northern Rivers: Declared the Northern Rivers a formal reconstruction area to help support the building of home after last year’s floods.

 Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 

• Extended and expanded a pilot program helping victim-survivors of domestic violence navigate the justice system. (AG) 
• Opened a new refuge supporting women and children affected by domestic, family and sexual violence in Penrith and announced a new facility in Dubbo 
• Began the process of putting specialist DV support officers in police stations and courts right across NSW. (Police) 
• Established a new taskforce to look into better housing outcomes for Domestic Violence Victim-Survivors.   
• $5.2 million for the Accompanied Children’s Support Service – a first of its kind pilot specifically designed to support children who are at risk of homelessness due to domestic and family violence and will run across two locations – Dubbo and Blacktown 
• Committed to building 39 women’s refuges across regional NSW to support more than 2,9000 women and children who experience family and domestic violence. Refuges will be completed by 2026.  
• Equally co-funded with Muslim Women Australia (MWA) and the NSW Government under the Community Housing Innovation Fund (CHIF), the project will deliver 12 units valued at $7.2 million in Greenacre on MWA acquired land. 
• $711,619 in funding for Relationships Australia NSW to support 2 community-based projects, along with 10 other community-based projects and specialist workers to support children and young people in priority refuges.
• $6.36million funding for specialist workers to support children and young people in priority refuges.  

Regional Roads

• Hunter Bus Services: Added 506 extra weekly bus services for the Hunter region.
• Expanded the trial of ski season buses.
• Announced $2.1 million in funding for better, safer bus stops to improve transport accessibility.
• Dubbo Railway Station: Announced the final design for the upgrade of the Dubbo Railway Station under the Transport Access Program.
• Grafton and Casio Station: Completed access upgrades to the Grafton and Casino railway stations.
• Completed $7.1 million flood immunity works on the Gwydir Highway East of Moree.
• Committed to additional flood mitigation works on the Newell Highway between West Wyalong and Forbes.
• Commenced repairs on the Cobb Highway to restore access between Booligal and Ivanhoe.
• Consulted with communities on the transport improvements between Bungendore and Braidwood.
• Silverton Rd: Finalised the sealing of Silverton Road between Broken Hill and Silverton.
• Commenced work on a new overtaking lane on the Newell Highway, North of Narranderra.
• Narooma Birdge: Commenced essential safety upgrades on the Narooma Bridge.
• Opened the new flyover bridge on the New England Highway Upgrade at Belford.
• Returned the Murray River ‘Spirit of Wymah’ ferry to service, linking NSW to Victoria, ahead of schedule.
• Announced $3.3 million for a new heavy vehicle inspection station to be built on the Golden Highway to make one of the state’s key freight links safer. The Federal Government has committed $3.7 million for the project.
• Started work to improve safety on the M1 Pacific Motorway Ourimbah interchange
• Completion of the Main Road upgrade at Heddon Greta.

 Regional NSW

• Finalised planning approval for construction of the new $48 million NSW Government workplace hub in Dubbo.
• Announced Dubbo Railway Station upgrade to deliver better access for all rail passengers.
• Stockton Beach:Began work on fixing coastal erosion at Stockton Beach starting with the movement of 100,000 cubic metres of sand will be sourced from shipping channels within Newcastle Harbour. This is the first step of a $6.2 million project to address coastal erosion at Stockton Beach.
• Established a partnership with Rugby NSW to take the game to remote areas of western NSW.
• Announced a culturally strong and Aboriginal-led project,Marathon Health to deliver improved mental health services and support local employment.
• Announced theEssential Worker Attraction Program, to help boost the number of essential frontline workers moving to regional areas to deliver vital services to regional communities. 

 Roads

• Started the independent review of tolling arrangements in NSW, including publishing a discussion paper and establishment of public hearings in July.
• Abolished hidden speed cameras.
• Overheight trucks: Working to get over height trucks off the road by enforcing registration suspension of heavy vehicles that close Sydney tunnels, strengthening advance warning system and raising awareness through driver education.
• Demerits: Removing one demerit point for one year of safe driving as opposed to three years
• Overheight Trucks: Established a Taskforce responsible for reducing the number of overheight truck incidents.
• Veterans: Cut red tape to give veterans ongoing access to rego and licence concessions. This change will see their Department of Veteran Affairs Gold Card validate automatically, with eligible concessions applied to licence and vehicle registration products.
• Cancelled the Northern Beaches Link Project.

Small Business 

• Launch the NSW Business Grants and Funding Finder, which brings more than 500 grants and rebates across 46 agencies into one simple finder. 
• Launch of the NSW Small Business Month Grants. 

Special Minister of State

• Strengthening grants regulation: Passed the Government Sector Finance Amendment (Grants) Bill 2023 to strengthen grants regulation and improve the transparency, accountability and fairness of the administration of government grants.
• Introduced to Parliament legislation freezing the pay of state MPs and public service senior executives for 2 years saving $260 million.

Sport

• UFC- Established a partnership between the NSW Government and the UFC for three Pay Per View events take place in Sydney over the next four years, with the first in September.
• Launched the Shoosh for Kids campaign to promote positive spectator behaviour so that kids want to keep playing junior sport.
• Completed $1.1 million upgrade to the Illawarra Hockey Centre. 
• Began the process of naming a stand at Accor Stadium after a female athlete.
• Removal of Concert Cap at Allianz Stadium
• Opened and provided $8.7 million in funding for the new Rabbitohs Centre of Excellence
• Announced a further $3.23 million under the NSW Football Legacy Fund available to football clubs, associations and councils for new and upgraded football facilities and participation programs.
• Partnership between NSW Institute of Sport and Regional Academies of Sport to launch Pursu32+, high performance regional talent program for the 2032 Olympics
• McDonald Jones Stadium: Announced two new LED matchday screens for McDonald Jones Stadium for the 2024 NRL season.
• Initiated a merit-based, independent process to select the Chairperson of Venues NSW for the first time ever.
• Launched the FIFA WWC Trophy Tour and Unity Pitch in celebration of the upcoming FIFA WWC.

TAFE, Skills and Tertiary Education

• Committed over $7 million for Smart and Skilled approved training providers to remove the cap on needs-based loadings for the 2023-24 contract period to help VET completion rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with a disability and the long term unemployed.
• Released the 23-24 provider contracts for skills and training across New South Wales.
• TAFE Board: Announced that the first appointment to the TAFE Commission Board will be a TAFE NSW teacher.
• Delivering a new Maritime Course at TAFE Newcastle for the first time in nearly a decade to meet the demand for skilled maritime workers in Newcastle.
• VET Review: Implemented an election commitment to conduct a comprehensive review of the vocational education system to determine the full impact of the cuts made to TAFE and establish a path forward.
• Spot a Spot: Launched a new free online TAFE course to train hairdressers to spot skin cancer.
• Released new transparent guidelines for appointments to university councils
• Skills Agreement: Commenced negotiations with the Federal Government for a new Skills Agreement
• Exposed $200m in cuts to the TAFE budget imposed by the former government

Transport

• Initiated reviews of trouble-plagued transport programs and sectors including: 
• Sydney Metro.  
• Sydney Trains.  
• Establishing the Bus Industry Taskforce 
• Announced that the Government will implement all recommendations of the Sydney Trains Review 
• Initiated the Sydney Rail Repair Plan: $97 million to be spend on repairing more than 1,900 high priority defects and 3,700 repairs, upgrades and refurbishments to reduce the huge maintenance backlog that has led to major shutdowns under the previous Government. 
• Announced $39.5 million for more than 80 walking and cycling projects across the state as part of the Get NSW Active program.  
• Uber Agreement: Australia first agreement with Uber to limit surge pricing in during transport disruptions. 
• Queenscliff Ferry: Upgrading and returning the Freshwater Ferries to Sydney Harbour.  
• Bus Driver Recruitment: Taken immediate action to recruit more bus drivers, including waiving the $70 application fee for the next 12 months  
• Broadened the remit of the Bus Industry Taskforce to look at bus safety and seatbelts.   
• Australian Made Ferries: Awarded the construction tender for 7 new Australian-made ferries designed by naval engineers based in the Northern Beaches.  
• Announced additional services for the Inner West Light Rail adding more than 100 light rail services each week to the L1 Dulwich Hill Line.  
• New InterCity Fleet – resolved outstanding industrial relations issues to enable the modification of the new intercity trains for introduction in 2024. 
• Launched crackdown on rouge taxi drivers increasing penalties for fare related offences. 

 Treasury

• Announced a line-by-line Comprehensive Expenditure Review.
• First Home Buyers: Threshold for stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers will be lifted from $650,000 to $800,000 and stamp duty concessions from $800,000 to $1 million.
• Delivered June Economic Statement
• Discovered a $7 billion black hole of unfunded programs and extreme cost pressures left by the former government.

 Veterans

• War Memorial Grants: $125,189 grants were awarded to 22 war memorials.
• Premier’s ANZAC Scholarship
• Survey of returned veterans about a Memorial for Contemporary Conflicts

 Water

• Passed a bill to protect Sydney and Hunter Water in the state’s constitution.
• No meter, no pump: Crackdown on non-urban metering compliance through a review into non-urban metering rules to make it easier for water users to become complainant and ensure water use is being measured and managed fairly and sustainably.
• Namoi Regional Water Strategy: Launched the Namoi Regional Water Strategy to pave the way for a safer, more secure and sustainable water supply for Tamworth and the Namoi
• Warragamba Dam: not proceeding with the former Government’s proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation purposes.
• Saving taxpayers $632 million by not proceeding with the Dungowan Dam project

WHS and IR

• Announced the largest review in a decade of legacy workplace health and safety codes of practice.
• Halted wasteful review of IR Guidelines; Building and Construction Procurement.
• Increased public sector wages by 4.5%, the largest pay increase for the NSW Public Sector in more than a decade. The offer is 60% higher than the Coalition’s plan.
• Established and Industrial Relations Taskforce to build a co-operative and productivity based bargaining system that will improve public services and wages and conditions for workers.
• Anytime Anywhere Campaign: SafeWork inspectors will conduct surprise inspections of building sites over the next 12 months to promote compliance with safety regulations
• Introduced legislation to increase the penalties for people who assault retail workers.
• Introduced legislation to appoint a worker representative and employer representative to the board of icare.
• Prevented business being hit with a 20% average workers compensation premium increase.

Women

• Announced $2.7 million to fund 13 projects supporting women to gain employment as part of the Return-to-Work Pathways Program. The program will support more than 1,000 women over the next two years.  
• Announced applications are open for the new NSW Women’s Advisory Council 
• Volunteering Diversity and Inclusion Grants: Funding boost for projects encouraging volunteers from diverse communities with $500,000 in grants for 23 projects.
• $500,000 to support and empower women in small business through the Women in Business Networks grant.