Local Government NSW is calling for a $5 billion interest-free loan scheme to help councils build roads, drainage and other infrastructure needed for housing. Councils would repay the loans through developer contributions as development progresses. The peak body says thousands of homes are being delayed by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in outer metropolitan Sydney and regional areas. LGNSW president Darcy Byrne urged all political parties to back the proposal ahead of the state election. The plan also includes $3 billion in upfront state and regional infrastructure funding and allows developer contributions to fund community facilities.
The NSW government has pledged to upgrade the South Coast rail line, which connects Sydney to Nowra, at an estimated cost of $6.8 billion. The work would be delivered over a decade. An immediate $621 million would support critical infrastructure, some of it already underway. The final stretch between Kiama and Bomaderry would be electrified, allowing more frequent services. Premier Chris Minns urged locals to judge the government on what it delivers, while the state heads to the polls in March.
NSW Parliament has amended legislation so One Nation can have its election promises costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office before the March 2027 election. Party leaders, including Pauline Hanson, can submit an unlimited number of policies for examination. Minor parties and eligible independent MPs can submit two each. The Parliamentary Budget Office will publish a budget impact statement on each party's policies before ballots open. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said voters deserve to know the financial impact of election promises. Dr Michael Warlters has been appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer.
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The NSW Nationals will run candidates against independents Joe McGirr in Wagga and Helen Dalton in Murray at the 2027 state election. Wagga businessman Richard Moffatt has withdrawn from seeking preselection in Wagga, saying now is not the right time for him. He said his ambitions remain and he may consider running in another cycle. NSW Nationals state director Tory Mencshelyi said candidates are expected by December and that the party cannot take any seat for granted.
Firearms manufacturer Jeff Bacon will be second on One Nation's upper house ticket in New South Wales. He wants the state's post-Bondi gun laws repealed, saying every rifle his Tamworth company makes has been banned in the state. Bacon said his business faces collapse because of the reforms. Gun reforms passed in December limit recreational licence holders and include a federal buyback scheme. A Resolve poll in September found 63 per cent of voters supported the reforms, while 33 per cent of One Nation voters opposed them.
Greens preselected candidate Sam Ryot is contesting the Wagga Wagga seat against independent MP Joe McGirr at the March 2027 election. Ryot says public housing is the best way to address housing needs, and he opposes the proposed $15 billion Gregadoo data centre, arguing it will not help build homes. He supports government-owned supermarkets to compete with Coles and Woolworths on price. Ryot also says the Greens can appeal to voters drawn to One Nation who are frustrated with the major parties.
Vikki Campion, a News Corp columnist and wife of federal One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, has begun working as a part-time media adviser for the party's New South Wales executive ahead of the March state election. Campion said she works as a contractor and reports to the state executive, which she described as separate from the federal party. She said she has no plans to run as a candidate. Campion continues to write a weekly column for the Saturday Telegraph, which said the role was a natural extension of her career as a conservative commentator.
NSW Labor is positioning itself as a responsible economic manager by pledging to cut state debt, in contrast with the federal Albanese government. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has proposed capping net debt at 15 per cent of gross state product without privatising assets or imposing a wages cap on public servants. He said the state would keep the second-lowest debt of any state, behind Western Australia, and that all election promises could be judged against the plan. The government also intends to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act, citing Sydney's high house prices and rising interest rates that squeeze household budgets.
The NSW Labor government wants to change legislation so One Nation's policies are costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office before the March 2027 state election. Under the proposal, Labor, the Liberal and National parties and One Nation would all submit policies for costing. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said voters should receive the same independent advice on One Nation's policies that they receive on Labor and Coalition plans. The changes would only proceed with the support of the Liberal and National parties in both houses of parliament.
The NSW Labor government wants the Parliamentary Budget Office to cost One Nation's election policies, as it already does for major parties. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said voters deserve independent advice on the proposals, and accused One Nation of living in a budget fantasy land. Deputy leader Barnaby Joyce argued the office's costings rely on Labor's treasury position and said One Nation would rather use its own accountants. Under the proposed changes, Labor, the Liberals and One Nation would all have to submit policies for costing.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has pledged to get the economy moving in her first election video, as Labor and the Coalition face a challenge from One Nation. Voters go to the polls across NSW in March 2027. In the video, Ms Sloane accused Labor of slowing the economy and pledged to lower taxes, create jobs and deliver affordable housing. Premier Chris Minns, who has held office since 2023, is seeking to focus on housing reform and cost-of-living relief. One Nation leader Mark Newman has pledged to abolish the independent Planning Commission if his party is successful.
Byron Shire councillor Janet Swain has launched her campaign as Labor's candidate for the state seat of Ballina at the March 2027 NSW election. NSW Labor announced her candidacy on Friday, October 9, after she won party preselection last month. Swain said housing, services and opportunities for local families would be her priorities. She has lived in Byron Shire for more than a decade and has taught music in local primary schools for 12 years. Ballina is currently held by Greens MP Tamara Smith, who will not contest the next election.
