Chris Minns wants council to overturn event ban on green spaces
The City of Sydney is concerned about damage to grass areas.
Councillors voted on Monday night to reaffirm the ban which has been in place since 2022.
It was introduced after the popular Night Noodle Markets left the lawn of Prince Alfred Park damaged.
Premier Chris Minns is challenging Lord Mayor Clover Moore to overturn the ban to bring 'vibrancy' back to the city.
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News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns warns trains a ‘massive' election issue after brutal report
NSW Premier Chris Minns has given a frank assessment of Sydney's train network, warning if they don't turn things around 'then voters will send a message' next election. Transport for NSW data released on Thursday revealed the bleak reality for commuters, with 16 per cent of city trains not running on time in the 2024-25 financial year. The result is the worst for Sydney's rail network in years and comes after months on instability wrought by protracted industrial action and major technical failures. Mr Minns on Thursday refused to blame industrial action as being the sole cause of the network's issues, admitting it was a 'huge challenge for the government'. 'If we don't rapidly improve performance on our railways in the coming months, then voters will send a message to us loud and clear at the next election,' he said. 'This is a massive issue for us. I'm not running away from it … I'm not putting it down to industrial disputes. 'The pressure and the responsibility is on us, the government, to increase reliability and on-time running in the public transport network. 'I can assure you, we're putting resources into it as we speak.' Mr Minns admitted solving the state's longstanding pay dispute with the Combined Rail Unions had been the government's 'focus'. With a deal reached, Mr Minns said the 'full resources' of senior leadership of Sydney Trains and TfNSW, and the Premier's office, would be on 'punctuality'. 'We're a big international city, (and) the only way big international cities work and people can get to work and from work is using public transport,' he said. 'There is no alternative, and we need to make sure that it's world class'. Mr Minns said the state government had invested $740m into backlog maintenance on the rail network. At the same time, TfNSW secretary Josh Murray announced in an email to staff on Wednesday plans to slash 950 senior positions at the transport authority. It comes after earlier jobs were cut as part of an election pledge by Mr Minns to slash senior echelons of the public service by 15 per cent. Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said the union was seeking details on the specific positions to be cut. Asked whether he could assure commuters the cuts would not affect the performance of the network, Mr Minns said: 'Yes, I can. 'I've looked and scrutinised these numbers very closely, and I'm not flippant about this. 'I realise that these are jobs, they're families, they're people's lives and … it's a difficult decision for the government to make. 'The simple truth, however, was that Transport for NSW grew by 48 per cent over four years – a massive, massive increase in the headcount of that department. 'We need more on-the-ground, frontline public servants doing the difficult but necessary job of providing that service, and that's where our focus is going.' Addressing the data later on Thursday, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said it 'came as no surprise' to commuters. 'This is not just a set of statistics. This is a set of failure by the Minns Labour government,' he said. 'We have the worst on-time performance on the city network since data started to be collected in 2019. 'One in six Sydney trains last year were late, and around one in three regional trains were late. 'This is a government that has failed to handle Sydney Trains. The Premier provides an apology but no plans to fix the trains. There's no timeline to get things fixed.' Mr Speakman called on the government to explain which jobs would be cut and how that would impact the network. When asked what he would 'do differently', Mr Speakman said he had 'a plan to get the trains running on time'. 'We have a program with clear timelines and a clear set of performance criteria to get, pardon the pun, the trains running back on track. 'What we'd be doing is having a clear plan with clear performance criteria, so you could mark whether you're making satisfactory progress.' Opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward floated removing Mr Murray as Transport secretary. The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union led the Combined Rail Unions through months of industrial action. Earlier this month, they voted to approve a deal with the state government. While the details of the pay agreement are not known, the opposition has accused Labor of providing the union with 'perks'.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the diabolical federal election result has hit the NSW Liberals
The NSW Liberals have been hit by the aftershocks of the Coalition's disastrous federal election result, with the state opposition trailing the Minns government for the first time in 18 months. In the first voter survey since the May election, which saw the federal Coalition decimated across the country, the NSW Liberals' primary vote has slumped to 32 per cent, down from 36 per cent. NSW Labor, however, has seen its primary vote jump five points to 38 per cent- its best result since September 2023 and one point higher than when it swept to power at the last state election. The exclusive Resolve Political Monitor for the Herald shows Chris Minns remains preferred premier with 35 per cent voters - down from 40 per cent - while the Liberal Leader Mark Speakman has boosted his rating by one point to 16 per cent. Crucially, 49 per cent of voters are undecided about who is best to lead NSW. Resolve director Jim Reed said the election hangover had impacted the NSW Coalition. 'NSW Labor's regain of a primary vote lead mirrors federal Labor's fortunes, and given Minns has not improved his standing there's every reason to conclude that they are benefiting from the reflective glory,' Reed said. 'The Coalition are back down to the levels we first saw post-election, but Speakman has not lost any personal capital so that looks to be a brand effect too.'
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
How the diabolical federal election result has hit the NSW Liberals
The NSW Liberals have been hit by the aftershocks of the Coalition's disastrous federal election result, with the state opposition trailing the Minns government for the first time in 18 months. In the first voter survey since the May election, which saw the federal Coalition decimated across the country, the NSW Liberals' primary vote has slumped to 32 per cent, down from 36 per cent. NSW Labor, however, has seen its primary vote jump five points to 38 per cent- its best result since September 2023 and one point higher than when it swept to power at the last state election. The exclusive Resolve Political Monitor for the Herald shows Chris Minns remains preferred premier with 35 per cent voters - down from 40 per cent - while the Liberal Leader Mark Speakman has boosted his rating by one point to 16 per cent. Crucially, 49 per cent of voters are undecided about who is best to lead NSW. Resolve director Jim Reed said the election hangover had impacted the NSW Coalition. 'NSW Labor's regain of a primary vote lead mirrors federal Labor's fortunes, and given Minns has not improved his standing there's every reason to conclude that they are benefiting from the reflective glory,' Reed said. 'The Coalition are back down to the levels we first saw post-election, but Speakman has not lost any personal capital so that looks to be a brand effect too.'
