NSW Parliament This Week

Sydney Olympic Park master plan

  • Greyhound industry ban reversal

  • Container deposit scheme

  • Shark nets for the far north coast

  • Disaster relief for the central west and south east

The first sitting week of October certainly made headlines, with some decisions made by the NSW Government generating significant debate. Parliamentarians could also be forgiven for a sense of deja-vu, with many of the policy issues raised, including greyhounds and container deposit schemes, also having been discussed in the final sitting week of August.

On Monday, NSW Minister for Planning Rob Stokes revealed a new masterplan for Sydney Olympic Park, setting out a blueprint to create 10,000 new homes and 16,500 new jobs in the precinct by 2030.

The Master Plan 2030 is on exhibition from next week and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority is accepting feedback until November 15th.

Master Plan 2030

In August, PremierState reported the NSW Government had successfully passed a bill banning the State’s greyhound racing industry. This time around, the major news headlines surrounded the Government’s decision to wind back the ban on Tuesday, after Premier Mike Baird agreed to give the industry one last chance.

A summary of the Government’s greyhound reversal can be found here. The Premier's announcement can be found here.

In the same week in August, PremierState also flagged the Government’s intention to introduce a container deposit scheme. On Wednesday, NSW Minister for the Environment Mark Speakman SC officially tabled a bill to introduce the scheme, following two months of consultation with interested stakeholders. Under the bill, people who deposit containers sized between 150 millilitres and three litres at designated depots and reverse vending machines will receive 10 cents back. However, no incentive payment will be made for milk, wine and fruit juice bottles, on the basis these are not usually found in litter piles. The scheme is to be funded by beverage suppliers and will commence from July 2017.

Wednesday also saw the Premier announce the Government will trial using shark nets on the NSW far north coast for six months, after attempts to deter sharks using less intrusive methods, such as shark listening stations, aerial surveillance, eco-friendly barriers and ‘smart’ drum lines, proved to be less effective than hoped. The roll out of the nets will involve NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair liaising with the Federal Government, and will draw upon funding for the State’s $16 million Shark Management Strategy.

Finally, on Thursday, Deputy Premier Troy Grant approved a disaster assistance package for communities affected by recent floods and storms in central west and south east NSW. The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements are to be jointly funded by the NSW and Commonwealth governments, and will include:

  • assistance for damaged homes or possessions

  • support for local councils to assist with clean-up costs and asset repairs

  • low-interest loans and grants for small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profits

  • freight subsidies for primary producers.

There is another sitting week next week, before a two week break going into the middle of November. By that time, all eyes will be on the seats of Canterbury, Orange and Wollongong in the lead up to their by-elections on November 12th. PremierState will provide coverage of those by-elections closer to polling day.

Further Information
For further information or analysis, clients can contact PremierState on (02) 9223 0311 or via email

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