MATTERS OF STATE
By PHILIP DONATO, State Member for Orange
Launch of the NSW Office for Youth
Recently I joined Minister for Youth Rose Jackson MLC in NSW Parliament for the official launch of the NSW Office for Youth.
Young people made their expectations clear through 12 months of consultation and at the 2024 NSW Youth Summit: consultation without follow-through is no longer acceptable. They expressed their need for genuine influence in shaping policy. The NSW Government listened and has now taken action through launching this new agency.
The Office for Youth will:
Engage young people on their terms - in urban and regional areas, online, and through community-based initiatives.
Embed youth perspectives across government policies and programs from the outset, not as an afterthought.
Cut through red tape and duplication that currently exists.
This is a fantastic initiative, which acknowledges the importance of our young people in making decisions which impact and shape their future.
I congratulate Minister Jackson and the NSW Government on establishing this office.
WOMEN OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS OPEN
Do you know a woman making a difference? She could be the next NSW Woman of the Year!
The NSW Women of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate women and girls who inspire us with their actions, whether they are ground-breaking thinkers, everyday heroes, social reformers or innovative role models.
Nominations are open for the following categories:
NSW Premier's Woman of Excellence Award
NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award
NSW Community Hero Award
NSW Regional Woman of the Year Award
NSW Young Woman of the Year Award (ages 16-30 years old)
Ones to Watch (ages 7-15 years old)
Nominations close 11.59pm, Tuesday 9 September 2025.
The recipients of the awards will be announced at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday 5 March 2026, as part of NSW Women’s Week 2026 which will run from Monday 2 March to Sunday 8 March.
Nominate now … https://shorturl.at/5PFDJ
PUBLIC SECTOR JOB CUTS IN REGIONAL NSW
I’ve been deeply troubled by the recent announcement from the NSW Government to cut over 1,500 public sector positions across the state, which include TAFE and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
TAFE has been the bedrock of vocational education in our state, delivering training that powers industries and bolsters workforce capacity.
Yet the government's plan to eliminate around 100 non-teaching roles, largely administrative, worries me greatly.
Although teaching positions are reportedly safe from cuts, the removal of these critical support roles threatens TAFE’s ability to function effectively, adapt to student and industry needs, and meet surging demand in many courses. I am advised that 13 positions are likely to be axed in the Orange electorate.
DPIRD faces cuts of up to 165 positions, or roughly four per cent of its workforce, with 45 jobs expected to be lost from Orange.
Over 75 per cent of DPIRD’s staff serve in regional areas, and the planned reductions cut across vital teams - including regional development, agriculture, biosecurity, regional development, and program delivery.
These cuts arrive amid a cost of living crisis. Workers losing their positions will reduce consumer spending in local economies. Regional job seekers face added burdens: relocation, dislocation of families, and fewer alternatives compared to the city job markets.
Public sector roles in regional NSW often anchor local economies. Cutting them undermines not only individual stability but also broader community resilience - affecting everything from spending to private-sector employment.
Many of those facing potential redundancy are not guaranteed redeployment or support, creating widespread anxiety and uncertainty across affected communities.
Although the government may frame these efficiency measures as necessary for fiscal consolidation post-COVID, these positions represent investment in services, expertise, and frontline preparedness.
A more constructive approach would involve redeploying and retraining existing staff to meet evolving service demands - rather than wholesale cuts of both critical capabilities and people.
I have urged the government to urgently reconsider these proposals, given their disproportionate impact in regional communities and the current economic pressures facing many residents.
Cutting roles that underpin education, biosecurity, and agricultural services is not mere budget savings - it’s weakening the foundations of a resilient and prosperous society.
To see the speech I delivered in the NSW Parliament, visit: https://shorturl.at/I6bGz