Here's what you need to know this morning.
Labor won't campaign on nurse-to-patient ratio
NSW Labor will not take a nurse-to-patient ratio to the 2023 election but has promised enforceable staffing levels.
The nurses and midwives union has been pushing for a one-nurse-to-four-patients ratio, which it says is necessary to deliver safe health care.
But the state opposition has instead pledged to enforce a minimum number of nurses and midwives per shift.
Labor leader Chris Minns said this plan was chosen as it was more fiscally responsible for a state that is already in significant debt.
"I don't want to have pie-in-the-sky policy initiatives, we want to make sure that anything we promise in the lead-up to the election will be delivered in full and the people who work in our emergencies and public hospitals believe that'll be the case," he said.
Labor has also promised to recruit an additional 1,200 nurses and midwives over four years if it wins the March 2023 election.
This is on top of the 10,000 extra health staff pledged in the government's budget.
Double demerits from today for four days
Drivers in NSW will face double demerits for four days due to the public holiday for the Queen's death.
From today, all speeding, seatbelt, and mobile phone offences will incur twice the usual penalty.
Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward said the state government is legally obliged to introduce double demerits around long weekends.
"With the public holiday being announced on Thursday by the Commonwealth government, we have a regulation in place that requires us to implement double demerits for any long weekend where it falls on a Thursday or the following days surrounding that long weekend," Ms Ward said.
Confronting environment ad to roll out
A confronting new ad will roll out across the state today ahead of a ban on single-use plastics.
The campaign shows a turtle choking on a plastic bag and images of plastic waste floating in the ocean.
Single-use plastic items such as straws, cutlery, plates, polystyrene food containers, cotton buds and personal care items containing plastic microbeads will be banned in NSW from November 1.
It follows a ban on single-use lightweight plastic bags which came into effect on July 1.
NSW Environment Minister James Griffin said single-use plastic items make up around 60 per cent of all litter in NSW.
“The amount of plastic in our oceans is predicted to outweigh the amount of fish by 2050,” he said.
“That is a horrifying prediction and a call to action to ensure our wildlife, like the turtle featured in the campaign, can have a brighter future.”
Masks rule lifts today
The state government's decision to lift mask mandates on public transport has been met with criticism and praise.
From today, the NSW government says commuters don't have to wear facemasks on buses, trains, taxis, rideshares and in transport waiting areas anymore.
Australian Medical Association president, Steve Robson, says the rule change puts vulnerable community members at risk.
"Even though the end is probably in sight with the pandemic, it's an important time to not let our guard down and to make sure we still protect people in the community who need protection," he said.
But the Property Council of Australia said it would encourage workers to return to Sydney's CBD.
"We believe the wearing of masks on public transport has been a big deterrent to people returning, particularly to the office," a spokesperson said.
"Small businesses will be welcoming it across the CBD."
The NSW government still recommends people wear face masks if they can't socially distance, if they're around vulnerable people or are vulnerable themselves.
Warragamba set to spill
WaterNSW says Warragamba Dam in the Blue Mountains could hit capacity late on Thursday as Sydney braces for the return of wet weather.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting rain across the Sydney basin from today.
Downpours have led Warragamba to receive twice its volume in the past 18 months, and on Tuesday afternoon it was sitting at 97.9 per cent capacity.
WaterNSW said in a statement the dam was expected to receive enough rain to hit 100 per cent tomorrow.
Since November 2021, WaterNSW has made controlled releases of 1,000 gigalitres of water — about half the dam's storage — to reduce levels.
The dam has received approximately 4,200GL of water during the past year-and-a-half, which equates to more than eight times the volume of Sydney Harbour.
Bankwest branches to close on east coast
Bankwest is set to close 14 branches on Australia's east coast.
The West Australian bank, which is a subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank, announced its plans last night.
Branches in NSW set to shut include Erina, Hurstville, Parramatta, Liverpool and George Street in Sydney's CBD.
It means the only branches left open will be in Western Australia.
Julia Angrisano, national secretary of the Finance Sector Union, criticised the move, saying it's set to affect employees at branches in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
She accused the banks of having "abandoned" customers and staff in order to maximise profits.
In a statement, Bankwest executive general manager Jason Chan said the bank needed to invest in areas where customers were based.
He also said a growing number of customers were choosing to use online services instead of banking in person.
