Historic Pay Increase For Nurses & Midwives
NSW Nurses and Midwives will receive the largest pay increase in more than 20 years after the Government accepted the decision of the independent industrial umpire. Pay increases will range between 16% – 28% over three years – and be recognised and back paid from July 2025.
The NSW Government and the Nurses & Midwives’ Association had tried negotiations to bring about an agreement almost 2 years ago. When an agreement couldn’t be reached both parties entered into a process whereby the Industrial Relations Commission (the independent umpire in pay disputes) considered the arguments and then eventually made a decision. In the end the final size of the pay increase is somewhere in the middle of what both parties wanted.
The NSW Labor Government is working to repair the incredible damage done to public servants’ wages by the then Liberal-National Governments between 2011 – 2023. During that time, pay increases were limited, by law, to 2.5% (including superannuation) and even dropped to 0.3% during COVID.
The result of pushing wages low is that workers do not feel valued and appreciated and when opportunities come up in other states and territories these same workers make the shift and pursue higher wages for their work. It is little wonder that data showed NSW to be losing Nurses and Midwives at an historically high rate.
Now the NSW Government is working to turn all of that around. In addition to the record pay increase, we are also increasing the number of nurses per-patient across the state, and we are looking to employ an additional 5,000 full time nurses in our hospitals. We are also helping with study costs, to encourage growth for those looking to study for entry into our health workforce.
While it is simply impossible to fix all of the problems that the NSW Labor Government inherited from the former Government in one term, rest assured that we are heading in the right direction and we will continue to value those that work so hard for all of us.
Building The Projects That Will Build Our Future
It is impossible to overstate the importance of the new public preschools that are being built into some of our existing public schools. For many children and families, preschools are the first cog in the wheel of a lifetime of learning, although for some it is unaffordable and not available.
Preschools not only start the journey of reading, writing and numbers, they also start the journey of music and play and colours and crafts and socialising and structure in the day. Preschools get our kids ready for “big school”, starting with kindergarten.
Starting Day 1, Term 1 of 2027, or perhaps even sooner, we will have 6 new fee-free public preschools in 6 of our existing public schools. Each of these will create 80 positions for children to start their education. If someone in your life is a three- or four-year-old that looks set to start “big school” in 2028, then a preschool enrolment during 2027 might be perfect for you.
Meanwhile, the new school coming to North Rothbury, in the Huntlee development, will eventually cater for students from preschool through to year 12. To be built on a single site, right near the shops and transport, the new school is set to open on Day 1, Term 1 of 2028 for students from preschool through to year 8. Beyond this start date, works will continue to build the necessary facilities for years 9 through to 12. The year 8 group of 2028 will be the front edge of each of these stages.
And at Cameron Park I continue to fight for a new public school to be built there. The massive growth in the Cameon Park area is not unlike the growth at Huntlee or any of the other fast-growing developments across NSW. Fifteen years ago, when I was first elected, the community of Cameron Park asked where their school was and I continue to ask the NSW Government the same questions, regardless of who is in power.
Before long Bellbird will also be looking for a new public school, given the incredible growth in the developments out there. The existing and beautiful Bellbird Public School continues to see more and more demountables shipped in, at the expense of playground and oval space. And the entire site of the Bellbird PS is very limited and can only fit so much on the footprint.
Building our future requires investment in our young minds today. The benefits of these NSW Government decisions will be felt by families in the short term and then eventually felt by our society at large in 20- 30 years into the future. For those that say “Governments don’t think long term anymore”, I point you to this incredible investment in education, right here in our backyard. Today’s NSW Government is very much thinking of, and investing in, our long-term future.