The Other Panopticon is the author’s tenth book and the fourth in his Millstone Series. Follow this nail-biting story weekly in Hold The news as the story unfolds.

Synopsis
It is late 2006 and ASIO’s Michael Millstone is put in charge of the Organisation’s Darwin office to oversee the security of joint Australia-US defence facilities at the Top End and Pine Gap. Days after his arrival, he interviews an immigration detainee recently-arrived from Indonesia.

The man claims to be posing as an asylum-seeker in order to gain access to Millstone. He professes to be a Singapore-based Russian (SVR) intelligence officer servicing illegal SVR intelligence networks in Darwin and at Pine Gap. He offers to help Millstone unravel those networks, insisting that Millstone act alone in doing this, because ASIO cannot be trusted to protect the would-be Russian defector’s anonymity.

Millstone suspects he is being set up. He surrounds himself with a small ASIO team of operatives he can trust then brings his old CIA confrere, Cameron Miller, on board. They soon identify the ‘asylum seeker’ as being Lvov Dmitriyevich Zorkov – head of the SVR’s Illegals Support Directorate in Singapore and begin to realise Zorkov’s offer of assistance is genuine.

With Zorkov hovering in the background, Millstone, Miller and their teams set about unravelling SVR illegal intelligence networks stretching from Darwin to the other panopticon of Pine Gap. Somehow the team needs to close down these networks without exposing their ‘insider’ in the process. Ultimately, the only way Zorkov can be protected and ‘returned’ to Moscow - as a critical ongoing asset of the CIA - is for Moscow to be fed a lie that is palatable to the Russians but extremely uncomfortable for Millstone and the Australian people.

To be continued...

Last week the “Sydney Morning Herald” featured a story which appeared recently in the London “Telegraph” on the now-deceased MI6 double agent, Oleg Antonovich Gordievsky. He was a KGB colonel who provided critical information to British Intelligence for nearly a dozen years from 1974. In 1985 MI6 exfiltrated him from the USSR - relocating him to the UK.

Gordievsky’s story, however, does not end in the mid-1980s. According to media reports, he lived a productive and fulfilling life, as a popular community figure and UK celebrity – involving himself in a variety of activities, writing books and other treatises and occasionally meeting with Western Heads of State, including then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and senior “Five – Eyes” intelligence officers.

In October 2007 Gordievsky was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to UK security. But by that year the defector’s overt lifestyle in Surrey, England had hit a brick wall. Vladimir Putin was by then well in control of Russia and relations between the West and Russia were beginning to fracture. A few months earlier, in November 2006, Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko a British-naturalised Russian defector and former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service who had been a prominent Putin critic was poisoned in London.

In November 2007 Gordievsky was himself the target of a KGB assassination operation – poisoned with thallium by a former Russian military officer who had befriended him. After being in a coma and hospitalised for a fortnight, Gordievsky managed to recover, albeit with permanent loss of feeling in his fingers. Understandably spooked as a consequence, he essentially went to ground. He died in relative social isolation in Surrey in March 2025.

In around 2008, Putin created a special ‘de-stabilisation’ unit of embattled Russian war veterans attached to his Military Intelligence apparatus – the GRU. Known as Unit 29155, this entity appeared initially to be involved in sabotage operations within Europe. By 2018, however, the Unit had been linked to the attempted Novichok poisoning in London of former Russian double agent and defector, Sergei Skripal, along with his daughter, Yulia.

As Unit 29155 began to emerge from its clandestine depths post 2018, so the world began to see it develop into a global destabilisation network - broadening its remit to encompass cyber-security attacks and probably also disinformation campaigns, in addition to its ‘standard fare’ of sabotage and assassination operations.

By the early 2020s, with Crimea now retaken, Ukraine was squarely on Putin’s radar. He could see himself featuring in the annuls of world history as the great global leader who single-handedly re-created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Only Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy stood in his way. And the gormless Zelenskyy was no match, surely, for the wily former KGB intelligence officer Putin.

No so. As we make our way carefully through the mid-2020s, we see that Ukraine has become, increasingly, a thorn in Putin’s imperialistic side; one which has grown beyond Europe, to the furthest of far-flung places in our Globe. Australia included. Consequently, it seems the once European-centric focus of Putin’s Unit 25199 has now broadened and there is enough evidence to suggest it has become actively involved in destabilisation activities in those countries around the world which are supporting Ukraine. And that includes Australia.

A few years ago, an attempt was made on the life of a former Australian counter-intelligence officer who had been actively involved in neutralising a number of key Russian intelligence initiatives in recent decades, both in Australia and globally. Putin, one suspects, was out to get him and it is believed that two operatives, most likely from Unit 29155, were instructed to assassinate him. They jumped the Australian in a dark street in one of our major cities, leaving him with serious head injuries – lying unconscious in a pool of blood. But for the quick actions of two elderly passers-by who nurtured him and quickly got him to a hospital, he would not be alive to tell the tale. Yet the full tale of this assassination attempt in Australia, I suggest, will never be told publicly and life will go on as normal – beyond the pale.

Sadly, this anecdote is not an anecdote. It belongs to today’s world and is the reason why our intelligence agencies in particular need to be better than just good or passable. Putin and the like are not going to go away. Nor should we.

What's really happening to the Totten Ice Shelf and why every Australian should be paying attention.
Australia's coastline is being rewritten by the quiet melting of a glacier, about the size of France, at the bottom of the world. It is a name hardly known to most people.

The Totten Glacier is located in East Antarctica, within the Australian Antarctic Territory. It's far away, very hard to get to, and for a long time, scientists thought it was stable. They were wrong.

The Scale of It
Numbers help here. One of the largest and most significant ice masses on Earth, the Totten Glacier is twice the size of Victoria and contains enough ice to contribute to a global sea level rise of over 3 metres if it were to melt completely.

It already releases up to 70 gigatonnes of fresh meltwater into the Southern Ocean each year, which is 100 times the volume of Sydney Harbour lost into the ocean each year.

● 3m+: If fully collapsed, the potential sea level rise is 3.5m to 5.3m.
● 70 GT: Meltwater discharged per year.
● 2× Victoria: Total glacier area.

The Problem Is Underneath

The particular concern with Totten is that the melting is occurring below the surface. It's taking place at the bottom — at the base of the ice shelf, where the glacier floats on the ocean.

Dr. Stephen Rintoul, a CSIRO oceanographer, led an innovative expedition to validate the scientists' long-held suspicions. His team confirmed the warm-water, basal-melt hypothesis by deploying ocean probes under the glacier using a helicopter, as detailed by the CSIRO Alumni Network.

"The Totten is a large glacier, the biggest in East Antarctica, and has enough ice in it to contribute to sea level rise of approximately 3.5 metres if it all melted, making it important to understand how it will behave in the future." — Dr. Stephen Rintoul, CSIRO

In particular, the data collected at 10 different locations indicated that warm water in the region is hotter than the local freezing point by more than 2.2°C. While this is still below freezing on the surface, it is significantly in excess of the local freezing point at these deep pressures, allowing it to melt ice quickly. Furthermore, researchers with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) discovered that the Totten Ice Shelf is actually larger than scientists previously thought, meaning a greater surface area of ice is exposed to this oceanic heat.

The team found a previously unknown deep channel, some 10km wide and up to a kilometre deep, through which warm ocean water is channelled directly under the glacier.

The Implications for Australia
Three metres of sea level rise doesn't happen overnight. However, the trajectory is what matters. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, for example, have billions of dollars of infrastructure within metres of the current sea level. The speed at which this happens will heavily impact insurance markets, coastal property values, and government planning.

Australia is funding the research (through the Australian Antarctic Division and CSIRO) that provides the rest of the world with an understanding of how serious this is. That's worth acknowledging. However, scientists are seeing that the issue is not just occurring at Totten. According to recent reports from The Invading Sea, other nearby ice systems, such as the Denman and Shackleton glaciers, are also showing signs of warm water intrusion and accelerated melting, indicating that the instability may be far more widespread across East Antarctica than previously believed.

Science in one of the most hostile environments on Earth is slow and careful. While the ice is melting faster than early models predicted, the mechanism is now confirmed, and the implications for sea level rise are real. The picture is building up clearly.

The question is no longer if the Totten Glacier is a problem. It's how fast it will arrive.

AI isn’t new, the first AI program, Logic Theorist, was created back in 1956 at Dartmouth College. But in recent years, its capabilities and usage have rocketed up. You can barely go for a day without reports of some new AI taking everyone’s jobs, or how much money is being spent on new data centers.

For the companies behind AI, it has become the answer to everything, but AI is also a problem. Using AI to help you summarize an email or take notes on a video call makes life easier, and its ability to crunch numbers and vast amounts of data have transformed many industries. But their ability to create images and videos that look real, but are not, is where AI can cause trouble.

If AI can create photos or video of anyone, politicians, celebrities, you, doing and saying anything, how can you know what the truth is? The fact is, AI can create articles with supporting images easily, and all it takes is a simple prompt. The creator doesn’t need to be a writer, a photographer or a videographer to do it, they just tell an AI agent to create it, and there it is.

The problem is, there is nothing to say that it is AI. These things can be posted once and go viral, and suddenly, something entirely fictitious becomes reality to millions of people. That could be the difference between winning or losing an election for a politician, getting booked for work or not for a celebrity, and for you, an AI deepfake can lead to a ruined life.

Its not just deepfakes and images, as Wired’s recent report shows, analysis has revealed that over half of all LinkedIn posts are at least partly AI generated, and some news sites are using not only AI generated articles but have AI generated journalists on the mastheads too.
This is an issue, because AI is not some magic solution to everything. It gets things wrong, sometimes simply through error, but sometimes, because it was told to create something that simply was not true. That leaves us all with a problem. How do we know if we what we are reading is based on truth at all? First, it is important to say, this has been an issue for a long time, and it is not just AI created content.
Plenty of humans place false or misleading stuff on the internet, whether as a joke or to make money. Trusting what we read on the internet is the same whoever created it. We should all double-check references and other sources for anything important, regardless of who or what wrote it. But for AI, the images and videos to back up the words, and now, the use of AI by major brands we normally trust, takes this problem to a new level.

The same rules apply though. Check for other supporting stories, see if references are real. But saying that answers the original question. If we need to check, then no, we can’t trust what we read online. There is no easy solution to this, although for video and photos at least, forcing some kind of watermark that clearly states it is an AI product would at least be something.

Finally, people have been lying on the internet for as long as it has existed, so AI is not the problem in itself. It just gives the people who do want to do that a lot more tools to create even more convincing lies.

For decades, the design of the Australian office followed a predictable blueprint. You stepped through a revolving glass door, rode an enclosed lift, and spent your day under fluorescent lights in a sealed, climate-controlled box. Success was measured by maximum efficiency per square metre; essentially, how many desks could be squeezed onto a single floor. But if you take a look at the skylines of our major capital cities right now, you’ll see that the old layout is being completely dismantled.

The death of the boring cubicle
The traditional, clinical office is dying because workers are actively rejecting uninspiring environments, and demanding spaces that focus heavily on wellbeing, community and fresh air. Employers, too, are realising that the secret to getting people back into the office isn't forcing them , it’s creating a destination where they actually want to spend the bulk of their day.

Acupuncture for the corporate soul
This massive cultural shift has given birth to a movement known as worker-centric architecture. Forward-thinking companies are spending billions to turn commercial property into a powerful tool that actively fights corporate burnout and fosters raw collaboration. The question has flipped from "How many desks can we fit?" to "Why would anyone leave their couch to come here?"

To solve this riddle, architects are moving the spotlight away from rigid concrete structures and focusing on biophilic design, which is the practice of embedding raw nature, timber and sunlight directly into our working hours.

Think of it as acupuncture for the corporate soul. By replacing artificial environments with natural materials, these spaces are designed to lower cognitive load and trigger creative thinking the moment a worker walks through the door.

High-rises with a heartbeat
So, what does this actually look like in practice? The physical proof of this architectural pivot is popping up all across the country.
In Sydney, projects like the multi-billion-dollar Atlassian Central tower are completely rewriting the rules of construction. Built in a joint venture with Built and Obayashi Corporation, this 39-storey project moves entirely away from traditional, sealed glass envelopes. Instead, it relies on an innovative steel exoskeleton supporting independent, multi-storey modules constructed from mass timber.

Instead of endless rows of cubicles, the building's interior features expansive, naturally ventilated "habitats" laced with native plant life. Automated, operable glass façades allow fresh air to circulate naturally whenever the weather permits. It feels more like an open-air pavilion than a corporate headquarters.

Meanwhile, places like the EY Centre at 200 George Street have turned the office into a living laboratory for workplace psychology. Developed by Mirvac, the building uses golden timber louvres to bathe the interior in warm, natural light. They have completely eliminated the traditional "sea of desks," replacing them with collaborative layouts that mimic the comfort of a high-end living room.

What Zoom can't replicate
The true beauty of this new architectural wave lies in its ability to level the playing field between our digital and physical worlds. While a Zoom call can handle a basic meeting, it completely fails at creating the spontaneous, casual interactions that spark genuine innovation.

At Melbourne Connect, which is a vibrant innovation precinct developed by the University of Melbourne; the corridors, cafes, and open courtyards are deliberately structured to force "serendipitous interaction." It destroys the old corporate idea of the silo, allowing tech CEOs, researchers and students to naturally cross paths and share ideas in shared public spaces.

A workspace built for people and connection
The transformation of the Australian workspace proves that where we work doesn't have to shrink our world. By trading the clinical, default desk for fresh air, natural mass timber and vibrant public hubs, this brilliant blend of sustainable engineering and human-centric design is proving that the future of work isn't virtual at all. In fact, it is deeply human, resilient and beautifully built for connection.

Federal Parliament sitting week: Monday 25 May, Tuesday 26 May, Wednesday 27 May, Thursday 28 May

Bills Introduced
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations)
The government is proposing changes to how the NDIS operates to ensure its long-term financial sustainability. The bill will introduce new mechanisms to manage NDIS costs and access, though specific details were debated across the week. This affects everyone with a disability who receives or may receive NDIS support, and taxpayers funding the scheme.

Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1)
Two complementary bills make changes to the tax system as part of the government's broader tax reform agenda. The bills alter how tax is calculated and collected, with details to be examined in parliamentary committee. This affects all Australian taxpayers and businesses.

Treasury Laws Amendment (Delivering an Efficient and Trusted Tax System)
This bill aims to streamline tax administration and boost compliance. It introduces new reporting requirements and enforcement tools for the tax office. This affects taxpayers and businesses dealing with the Australian Taxation Office.

Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment
The bill modifies long service leave entitlements for coal mining workers. It changes how long service leave is accrued and accessed in the coal sector. This affects coal miners and coal mining companies.

Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation)
The government is requiring telecommunications companies to provide mobile coverage in outdoor areas currently lacking service. The bill sets out obligations for mobile network operators to expand coverage to underserved regions. This affects regional and remote Australians with poor mobile reception, and telecommunications companies.

Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Communications in Natural Disasters)
This bill requires telecommunications infrastructure to remain operational during natural disasters and emergencies. It introduces resilience standards and backup power requirements for networks. This affects telecommunications companies and Australians in disaster-prone areas.

Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures)
The bill adjusts how private health insurers operate, including incentive payment arrangements. It modifies regulations governing private health insurance products and insurer conduct. This affects people with private health insurance and health insurers.

Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals)
The bill updates customs tariffs—the taxes on imported goods. It incorporates new tariff proposals into law. This affects businesses importing goods and consumers buying imported products.

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Commission of Inquiry
Parliament is establishing an inquiry into the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, the body managing water for environmental purposes. The inquiry will examine the organisation's operations and effectiveness. This affects water management, agricultural water users, and environmental outcomes.

Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sex-based Rights)
The bill makes changes to sex discrimination law, focusing on sex-based rights and protections. It amends the Sex Discrimination Act to clarify or expand certain protections. This affects all Australians, particularly those experiencing sex-based discrimination.

Human Rights Bill 2026
The government is introducing a bill to establish human rights protections in Australian law. The bill creates a new framework for human rights safeguards and remedies. This affects all Australians and how government agencies operate.

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances)
This bill gives the competition regulator new temporary powers to respond to market emergencies or exceptional circumstances. It allows the ACCC to take swift action during crises affecting consumers or competition. This affects businesses and consumers during market disruptions or emergencies.

Bills Passed
Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment
This bill successfully passed the House of Representatives after being introduced, debated in detail, and approved. Coal mining workers' long service leave arrangements have been formally updated. Coal miners and mining companies can now operate under the new entitlements framework.

Treasury Laws Amendment (Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift)
This bill passed the House of Representatives after debate. It makes changes to how business registries operate. This affects businesses registering or maintaining registration with Australian business registers.

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances)
This bill completed all House stages and passed. The competition regulator now has new emergency powers. The ACCC can respond more quickly to market crises.

Appropriation Bills (No. 5 & 6, 2025-2026)
Funding bills for the 2025-2026 financial year passed both the House and Senate. Government spending for the remainder of the 2025-2026 budget year is now formally approved. All government agencies and programs relying on these appropriations can proceed with their funded operations.

Worth Watching
Tax reform bills remain in the introduction phase and have been referred to parliamentary committee for detailed examination. Expect further debate and potential amendments before they progress to votes.

The Human Rights Bill and Sex Discrimination Amendment are early in the legislative process—these contentious issues will likely generate significant debate in coming weeks.

The NDIS sustainability bill will be closely watched by disability advocates and taxpayers, with concerns about potential restrictions to services.

Weekly Federal Parliament Briefing — sourced from Hansard via OpenAustralia API. Parliamentary material Copyright Commonwealth of Australia. This is a summary only.

It’s devastating. Imagine looking into your dog or cat's eyes, knowing you have to choose between filling their bowl or keeping your lights on.

The unfairest of ultimatums
Right now, animal shelters across the country are facing a silent, devastating crisis that's breaking hearts in living rooms everywhere. Everyday people are being forced to make the unthinkable choice to give up their beloved dogs, cats and other pets.

The most tragic part? This isn't about a lack of love or irresponsible ownership. It's because the crushing cost of everyday survival has made keeping a pet an impossible luxury.

When families are hit with skyrocketing supermarket checkout bills, staggering veterinary invoices, and a brutal rental market that actively locks out pet owners, something eventually has to give. For a growing number of families, that breaking point means handing over their best friend to an already overflowing shelter.

The crushing reality of the household budget
So, how deep does this financial strain actually run? The data coming out of the veterinary and rescue sectors is telling. Recent insights from the Petstock Foundation revealed a staggering statistic: one in six Australian pet owners has actively considered rehoming their companion animal due to intense cost of living pressures.

When the price of standard pet food doubles and a routine trip to the local vet for an ear infection clears out their emergency savings, the financial stress becomes entirely overwhelming.

It's a double whammy with the current housing crisis. Frontline data tracked by RSPCA Australia shows a massive wave of surrenders driven strictly by housing barriers and sudden household financial distress.

Landlords are tightening rules, pet friendly rentals are practically non-existent, and desperate tenants are being told they can have a roof over their heads or they can have their dog, but not both. It's an unfair ultimatum that is leaving shelters completely stretched to the limit.

Finding a way forward for our best friends
The true heartbreak of this situation is the immense emotional toll it takes on both the animals and the people who love them. Giving up a pet causes a profound sense of grief and failure for owners, while shelters are left trying to pick up the pieces of a broken system.

Thankfully, the community is starting to step up with practical solutions, from localised pet food pantries to subsidised veterinary clinics designed to keep animals right where they belong, at home.

Keeping a pet is a beautiful, life enhancing bond that supports collective mental health. By building more flexible rental policies and supporting local community aid programs, we can help ensure that no Australian is ever forced to say a permanent, tearful goodbye to a loyal family member just to keep a roof over their head.

Resources
RSPCA Western Australia's Housing and Cost of Living Crisis Analysis

NSW Parliament sitting week: Tuesday 26 May, Wednesday 27 May, Thursday 28 May

Bills Introduced
No bills of major public significance were introduced this week.

Bills Debated or Passed
Energy and Environment
Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill aims to increase the share of renewable energy in NSW's electricity supply.
It does this through amendments to energy legislation to prioritise renewable energy projects.
The changes affect electricity generators, retailers, and consumers across NSW.

Electricity Supply Amendment (Renewable Fuel Scheme) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill establishes a scheme to encourage renewable electricity generation.
It creates a new renewable fuel scheme framework for electricity suppliers.
Electricity generators and retailers will need to comply with the scheme's requirements.

Law and Order
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Organised and Gang-Related Crime Reforms) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill introduces tougher measures against organised and gang-related criminal activity.
It amends crimes legislation to create new offences and penalties related to gang involvement.
Criminal organisations, gang members, and law enforcement will be affected.

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment (Good Character) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill changes how courts consider a person's good character when imposing sentences.
It amends sentencing procedure legislation to alter the weight given to good character evidence.
The bill passed the Legislative Assembly this week and will affect how judges sentence offenders.

Motor Accident Injuries Amendment (Claim Farming Practices Prohibition) Bill 2025
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill cracks down on claim farming in motor accident injury cases.
It prohibits certain practices that encourage unnecessary insurance claims.
Insurance claimants, insurers, and legal practitioners will be affected.

Housing and Planning
Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill reforms the building approval process and regulates building practitioners.
It amends building legislation to streamline approvals and establish new practitioner standards.
Developers, builders, certifiers, and homeowners will be affected.

Consumer Protection
Fair Trading Amendment (Fuelcheck) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill creates a new fuel price transparency scheme called Fuelcheck.
It amends the Fair Trading Act to require service stations to report fuel prices to help consumers find cheaper petrol.
Service station operators and motorists will be affected.
The bill passed the Legislative Council this week.

Transport
Road Transport Amendment (Non-Registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill clarifies the registration status of certain types of motor vehicles.
It amends road transport legislation to define which vehicles do not need to be registered.
Vehicle owners and the Roads and Maritime Services will be affected.
The bill passed the Legislative Council this week.

Road Transport Amendment (Demerit Points Reduction) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill modifies the demerit points system for traffic offences.
It amends road transport legislation to change how demerit points are accumulated and reduced.
Drivers across NSW will be affected.

Health
Health Services Amendment (Right to Primary Health Care) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill establishes a right to access primary health care services.
It amends health services legislation to enshrine access to primary care as a legal right.
Patients, GPs, and other primary health care providers will be affected.

Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill makes various amendments to health legislation.
It modifies several health-related laws to address minor issues and updates.
Health services, practitioners, and the general public will be affected.

Other
Library Amendment Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill reforms NSW public library services and governance.
It amends library legislation to modernise operations and management structures.
Library services, staff, and library users across NSW will be affected.
The bill passed the Legislative Assembly this week.

Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Amendment (Review) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill requires a review of the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust.
It amends the Trust's governing legislation to mandate a formal review of operations.
Parkland users and the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust will be affected.

Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment (Places of Public Worship) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill modifies planning rules for places of public worship.
It amends local government and planning legislation to adjust approval processes for religious buildings.
Councils, religious organisations, and local communities will be affected.

Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (Landlord Offences) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill makes landlords responsible for enforcing smoke-free rental properties.
It amends public health legislation to create new offences for landlords who permit smoking in rental premises.
Landlords, tenants, and public health authorities will be affected.

Standard Time Amendment (Reduction of Daylight Saving) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill shortens NSW's daylight saving period.
It amends the Standard Time Act to reduce the number of months daylight saving applies.
All NSW residents will be affected by any change to daylight saving times.

Water Management Amendment (Easements for Inundation) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill clarifies easement rights for water-related infrastructure.
It amends water management legislation to address inundation easements.
The bill received assent this week and will affect landowners and water authorities.

Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026
Introduced by the government in the Legislative Council.
The bill makes technical and minor amendments across various NSW laws.
It updates and corrects numerous pieces of legislation in a single omnibus bill.
Various government agencies and the public will be minimally affected.

Worth Watching
Parliamentary Budget Officer Amendment Bill 2026 — Introduced in the Legislative Council this week, this bill will modify the role and powers of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Details of specific changes remain under debate. The bill could affect how parliament scrutinises government spending.

Local Jobs First Bill 2026 — Introduced in the Legislative Council this week, this bill is expected to require government procurement to prioritise local NSW jobs. The bill's full scope is still being debated.

Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2025 — Introduced in the Legislative Assembly this week, this bill would repeal existing prohibitions on uranium mining and nuclear facilities in NSW. This represents a significant shift in energy and environmental policy and will likely attract substantial debate.

Electoral Funding Amendment (Major Political Donors) Bill 2025 — Introduced in the Legislative Assembly this week, this bill will modify electoral funding rules as they apply to major political donors. The specifics are still to be debated.

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Weekly NSW Parliament Briefing — sourced from NSW Parliament Hansard API. Parliamentary material Copyright NSW Parliament. This is a summary only.