Fresh Start milestone reached in Broken Hill as program tops 1,000 recruits

Broken Hill has become home to a major milestone in the Minns Labor Government’s Fresh Start Program, with the program’s 1000th recruit now working at Broken Hill City Council.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig visited Broken Hill today to meet Nate Stenhouse, an Apprentice Arborist at Broken Hill City Council, who became the 1000th recruit employed through the Fresh Start Program.

The milestone highlights the growing impact the program is having in regional and rural communities, where councils have faced increasing challenges attracting and retaining skilled workers.

Since January 2025, the Minns Government’s $252.2 million Fresh Start Program has supported more than 1000 apprentices, trainees and cadets into council jobs across New South Wales, helping councils strengthen local services while creating real career opportunities for young people.

Broken Hill City Council has employed 11 recruits through the program, creating opportunities for local young people to build skills, gain qualifications and establish long-term careers close to home. One of those recruits, Baylee Weinert, has already secured ongoing employment with the Council after completing a traineeship in Customer Service.

The Fresh Start Program is helping councils rebuild their workforce by funding apprentices, trainees and cadets in areas facing critical skills shortages, including mechanics, plumbing, civil construction, engineering, planning, arboriculture and early childhood education.

Regional and rural councils have been among the biggest beneficiaries with around 65 percent of recruits based in councils outside metropolitan Sydney.

Across three rounds of funding the program has already supported 152 cadets, 443 trainees and 543 apprentices into training and employment with councils across the state.

Almost 80 percent of recruits are aged 25 years and younger, helping build a new generation of skilled local government workers.

Under the program, the NSW Government is fully funding the wages of Fresh Start recruits, easing pressure on councils while helping secure the future workforce local communities rely on.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig said:

“Seeing the 1000th Fresh Start recruit here in Broken Hill shows exactly why this program matters.

“Regional councils have been telling us for years how difficult it has become to attract and keep skilled workers, particularly in trades and frontline roles that communities rely on every day.

“This program is helping councils rebuild that workforce while giving young people the chance to build a secure career without having to leave their community.

“Broken Hill City Council has embraced this program, and the results are already clear. Young people are gaining skills, qualifications and real career opportunities close to home.

“The Fresh Start Program is delivering real jobs, real skills and real opportunities that will benefit local communities for years to come.

“One of the greatest things about local government is that an apprenticeship or traineeship can become a lifelong career. We’ve seen apprentices go on to become general managers and lead entire councils.

“Having spent decades in local government myself, I know the opportunities these careers can create for people and the difference a strong workforce makes to a community.

“I’ve visited councils and spoken directly with recruits across the state and the message is consistent – this program is working.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:

“I want to congratulate Nate on joining one of the more unique and interesting councils in my electorate, I hope that he has a long and prosperous career in Broken Hill.

“The Fresh Start Program is a wonderful initiative to give young people a taste of working in local government and is designed to help school leavers and job seekers learn life - long skills, earn a qualification and combat skill shortages in high demand trades. Earning a wage while you learn a trade is a win- win-win, for the Council, the community, and the apprentices.

“Broken Hill is growing, with a number of projects in the pipeline and it is estimated there will be a need for hundreds of well-trained people like Nate in the near future.”

General Secretary Graeme Kelly of the United Services Union said:

“I congratulate and recognise the investment in local government apprentices, trainees, and cadets by the Minns Labor Government.

“This will rebuild the skills that local government desperately needs to ensure that vital community services are maintained in our communities.

“This investment by the Minns Government will transform the lives of many in our communities giving opportunities to many around the state that would not have been possible without this funding.”