It was an eventful Thursday in the Legislative Council with a matter of public importance debated related to access to National Parks before the House went on to hear the introduction of one bill and pass two further bills. One of the bills passed being the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025, a private members’ bill that was given priority to be debated on this day which would usually be reserved for government business. Read on for more…
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Early in the day, the Hon Sarah Mitchell (Nationals) moved a motion to suspend standing and sessional orders to allow the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 to be dealt with as the first order of business. Ms Mitchell argued that the hard adjournment had been lifted to deal with this bill and that by allowing members to debate this important bill earlier in the day when they are most alert and attentive. The government had intended to consider items of government business prior to going on to debate the Abortion Law Reform bill.
This motion was negatived on division (Ayes: 14/Noes: 23) with members of the Government, The Greens, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party and the Libertarian Party voting in the negative.
Read the full debate in the Hansard transcript.
MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Early on Thursday the House agreed to debate a matter of public importance, on the motion of the Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party), related to recreational access rights to New South Wales National Parks and other impacts of closures.
Contributions to the debate were made by members of the Government, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, The Greens, the Legalise Cannabis Party, the Opposition, and Independent members the Hon Mark Latham and the Hon Rod Roberts. Read all members contributions in the Hansard record, and continued here and here.
Without the requirement for a vote on a matter of public importance, the motion lapsed at the conclusion of the debate.
INTRODUCED: STATUTE LAW (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) BILL 2025
The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 was introduced in the Council by Minister the Hon John Graham on Thursday.
Statute law bills addressing ‘miscellaneous provisions’ are used to implement a range of minor amendments across multiple Acts in a single step. This method provides an efficient way to keep legislation current. These bills usually involve small policy adjustments, the repeal of obsolete provisions, corrections of typographical errors and updates to cross-references and outdated content.
The bill introduced on Thursday is outlined in detail in Mr Graham’s second reading speech. Within Schedule 1 of the bill are proposed minor policy changes to 12 Acts. The remaining Schedules deal with other small amendments to ensure the state’s legislation is current and accurate.
Following the bill’s introduction, debate was adjourned for five calendar days, according to standing order.
PASSED: COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS BILL 2025
The Community Improvement Districts Bill 2025 passed the Legislative Council on Thursday, having passed the Legislative Assembly on the previous sitting day. This bill would provide for the establishment and operation of community improvement districts and the recognition and functions of community improvement district entities.
In his second reading speech, Minister Graham explained that the bill would establish a legislative framework for creating and operating community improvement districts in NSW, aiming to foster local economic development through partnerships between businesses, councils and communities. The bill outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Authority (Transport for NSW), which will oversee the scheme, collect and distribute levies and support implementation through education and training. It mandates strong community and council engagement, five-year approval terms and a democratic ballot process involving both businesses and landowners. Levies are capped, hardship provisions apply and councils have a veto power to ensure alignment with local plans. The bill also seeks to ensure that improvement districts do not duplicate government services and must be led by incorporated associations with inclusive, voluntary membership. A phased rollout will begin with pilot councils, supported by $5 million in government funding over 10 years. Read more about the bill in Minister Graham’s second reading speech.
Contributions to the second reading debate were made by members of the Opposition, The Greens, the Libertarian Party, the Legalise Cannabis Party, the Government and Independent member the Hon Mark Latham. Read all member contributions in the Hansard record.
The second reading of the bill was agreed to on the voices before the House resolved into a committee of the whole to consider amendments…
- One amendment was moved by the Hon Natalie Ward on behalf of the Opposition which sought to allow a business that has to pay a community improvement district levy to ask the Secretary of Transport for NSW for a discount or exemption, if the landowner can show they won’t get a fair or reasonable benefit from paying the full levy. This amendment was negatived on division (Ayes: 17/Noes: 24).
- One further amendment was moved by the Hon Natalie Ward on behalf of the Opposition which sought to narrow the exemption for government owned land when it is leased on a commercial basis to a non-government body. This amendment was negatived on division (Ayes: 14/Noes: 26).
Read the full committee of the whole proceedings in the Hansard record.
With no amendments made, the bill’s third reading was agreed to on the voices and it was returned to the Legislative Assembly, ready for the Governor’s assent.
PASSED: ABORTION LAW REFORM AMENDMENT (HEALTH CARE ACCESS) BILL 2025
Consideration of the the Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 continued in the Legislative Council on Thursday. This private members’ bill, previously introduced by Dr Amanda Cohn (The Greens), would amend the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 to increase access to abortion health care. Read more about the bill in our previous blog.
With the second reading debate having taken place on a number of previous sitting days, the House resolved into a committee of the whole to consider amendments.
- Two amendments were moved by the Hon Robert Borsak on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to make the bill’s commencement date to be immediate upon assent. These amendments were agreed to on division (Ayes: 28/Noes: 11)
- Mr Borsak moved two further amendments on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to cap the ability of prescribed health practitioners to perform medical terminations to 9 weeks, and 10 weeks only if the Therapeutic Goods Administration changes its guidelines in the future. These amendments were negatived on division (Ayes: 16/Noes: 24)
- Minister the Hon Penny Sharpe moved three amendments in her capacity as a private member which sought to clarify that registered health practitioners must act within their professional scope, standards, and relevant laws; replace references to “medical practitioner” with “registered health practitioner” to reflect broader practitioner eligibility; and ensure legislative flexibility to align with evolving clinical guidelines and regulatory standards, e.g. Therapeutic Goods Administration guidelines. These amendments were agreed to on division (Ayes: 35/Noes: 4).
- Mr Borsak moved one amendment on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to remove the ability for a regulation to dictate which registered medical health practitioners can prescribe abortion medication and limit this power to nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives. This amendment was agreed to on division (Ayes: 31/Noes: 9).
- Mr Borsak moved one further amendment on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to maintain the ability for health practitioners to conscientiously object to performing a termination. This amendment was agreed to on division (Ayes: 32/Noes: 9).
- The Hon John Ruddick moved one amendment on behalf of the Libertarian Party which sought to mandate annual reporting to Parliament of terminations performed under division 2 of the Act. This amendment was negatived on division (Ayes: 14/Noes: 27).
- Mr Borsak moved one amendment on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to maintain the requirement for medical practitioners to provide information about terminations to the Secretary of the Ministry of Health. This amendment was agreed to on the voices.
- Mr Borsak moved one amendment on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to require that the Secretary of the Ministry of Health submit an annual report to Parliament detailing abortion service availability, access, clinical performance, adverse events and regional data for the previous financial year. This amendment was agreed to on division (Ayes: 21/Noes: 19).
- Mr Borsak moved one amendment on behalf of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party which sought to clarify that only those authorised under the Abortion Law Reform Act can legally perform terminations. This amendment was agreed to on division (Ayes: 27/Noes: 14).
The House then divided on the question of the amended bill being agreed to (Ayes: 27/Noes:14).
Read the full committee of the whole proceedings in the Hansard record.
With the third reading of the bill agreed to on division (Ayes: 25/Noes: 15), the bill as amended was sent on to the Legislative Assembly for concurrence.
GENERAL MOTIONS
The following motions were agreed to without debate during the course of the day:
- Condobolin Rugby Union Club and Condobolin Rugby League Club, moved by the Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals)
- Passing of Jim Carter, moved by the Hon Mark Buttigieg (Labor)
- NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel Event for Young Israeli Representatives, moved by the Hon Natalie Ward (Liberal)
- Forestry Corporation Half Yearly Report 2024-2025, moved by Ms Sue Higginson (The Greens)
- Order for Papers – employment of Ivan Robert Marko Milat – Further Order – Amendment to Resolution, moved by the Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party)