New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet has pledged to introduce stricter penalties for those who assault frontline health and emergency workers, following an NSW Sentencing Council report recommendations. This will take the form of new offences which treat the assault of these workers separately from common assault, similar to the offences associated with assaulting a police officer or other law enforcement officer. While the report— “Assaults on Emergency Service Workers”—recommended introducing new specific offences for assaults against frontline health workers and correctional staff only, Perrottet said his government would go a step further by ensuring the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and State Emergency Service workers are all covered under the new offences. “Our frontline emergency workers perform an essential public service in keeping our community safe and protecting lives, property and health,” he said. “We are committed to increasing protections for …