Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Eighteen some may say. And, of course, there will be a rise in demand for accommodation and services. So that is hundreds of additional new jobs that we have demonstrated can be created as a result of the significant investment by the federal government. It is an important commitment that has been embraced wholeheartedly by my community, and it is one that I am determined to ensure becomes a vital part of Gosford's long-term future.

We have also committed $7 million in funding for Kibbleplex, a project that will further revitalise Gosford by transforming the old market town building—once a vibrant shopping centre that I frequented as a teenager that now lies dormant and is used as a car park. The Australian government delivers on its election commitments and we will deliver funding for this project. We committed the funding in last year's budget, and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development is now awaiting information from Gosford City Council so that a value for money assessment can occur and a funding agreement can be prepared. In turn, I am advised that council is working with the State Library of New South Wales on possible locations for a city library in Gosford with the planned Kibbleplex Learning and Enterprise Centre one of the preferred places. The council has advised me it is still working to finalise the remaining tenant mix for the Kibbleplex project and the review of the state library's report will form an important part of this process. Work to build the Gosford Smart Work Hub is also well underway, and I am advised that council also plans for this to be located in Kibbleplex.

The vision that council have outlined includes a mixed-use complex, including a hub for collaboration and innovation, new business start-ups and education and research that delivers educational, business and other services to the Central Coast. As part of our growth plan we have also indicated we would consider stage 2 funding for a performing arts centre in Gosford should the New South Wales state Liberal government and Gosford council pledge support. As somebody who used to learn violin from expert violin teachers at the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music and as somebody who taught music and violin to young students on the Central Coast, I warmly welcome the Baird Liberal government's recent commitment to this project. I encourage Gosford City Council to consider applying for a grant from the federal government's National Stronger Regions Fund to assist us seeing this vision become a reality for our city.

For those who may know the city of Gosford, you will also know its proximity to the M1 and the thousands of commuters who head down the freeway to Sydney or north to Newcastle each day. In my electorate of Robertson alone, that adds up to around 30,000 commuters who leave their homes early in the morning and return late at night to their families. For decades there has been debate about building what the locals now know as the 'missing link', joining up the M1 at Wahroonga with the M2 down Pennant Hills Road. I am pleased to say that this project, now of course called NorthConnex, is underway. The first sod has been turned, and we are on track for completion in 2019. The federal government has committed $405 million towards this project which will build a nine-kilometre tunnel that will service up to 50,000 vehicles in each direction. For the people of the Central Coast who head down to work every day—including my husband Chris—NorthConnex means that you can bypass around 21 sets of traffic lights and save up to 15 minutes of travel time each way. That is 30 minutes every day, around 10 hours a month, that families with commuting members can spend at home with their family instead. With NorthConnex a reality you could also drive from Newcastle to Melbourne without a set of traffic lights. NorthConnex will also deliver 8,700 jobs as a direct result of construction each year. Once open, there will be about 120 jobs to support operation, contributing around $32 million directly to the state's economy with a flow-on effect of $17 million a year.

We are also delivering funding for local roads. Our growth plan includes $675,000 for the dangerous intersection at Langford Drive and Woy Woy Road in Kariong. In the lead-up to the 2013 election, 3,000 locals put their name to a petition, calling for us to help improve safety in the area. After consultation with Gosford City Council, I am confident that we are close to securing a traffic solution that will make this busy intersection, which is near a much loved community centre, safe for pedestrians. We are delivering a share of the Australian government's $2.1 billion Roads to Recovery program to assist with local road construction and maintenance. Just this month we have delivered the latest instalment of more than $400,000 into my electorate of Robertson. We have also announced $305,000 to fix two dangerous black spots in Narara and Kincumber as part of a separate Black Spot funding program. For the commuters I mentioned earlier we have also launched a petition for fairer petrol prices. Our petition attracted hundreds of signatures within just a few days to help put pressure on the ACCC to select our region as a place to investigate fuel price disparity.

Our growth plan also includes funding for important community and civic infrastructure. We have delivered $3.5 million for the redevelopment of Woy Woy Oval for the construction of a new grandstand building, clubhouse, change rooms, forecourt and field relocation. Many local clubs that use this field have told me how this project will be a great boost to the peninsula as well as to its club members, and will improve the region's ability to meet the demands of population growth and the need for more recreational facilities. The project will create approximately 186 jobs during construction, which I am pleased to say is already well underway. We have also committed $100,000 for the popular Terrigal sportsground, Brendan Franklin Oval. Local sports groups have told me the field has been reshaped, irrigated and turfed and the drainage is also expected to be completed soon.

Another massive uplift for our community is the rapid rollout of the National Broadband Network into my electorate. We recently added another 17 suburbs to the rollout plan to June 2016, and have seen start-up companies choose suburbs like Koolewong as their headquarters, because they trust our NBN rollout and its rapid progress.

Unfortunately, Labor's record on the Central Coast was abysmal in this regard—just 203 connected premises after six long years in government and misleading announcements about who will be connected and when. But under this government we are delivering to more than 50,000 premises, which is great news for people living and working in places like Umina Beach, Woy Woy, Pearl Beach, Patonga, Green Point, Killcare, Killcare Heights, Ettalong Beach, Booker Bay, Daleys Point, St Huberts Island, Blackwall, Bensville, Saratoga, Davistown and Koolewong.

We also have a $100-million plan to fix mobile phone black spots, to assist people who need it most in regional areas that may be currently under-served by mobile coverage. This is an issue I campaigned on at the last election and which we included in the coalition's growth plan for the Central Coast. I am pleased to say that while there is always more work to be done in this area we have made some great progress. We have announced locations that have been nominated as having poor mobile coverage, after consultation with the community. The first list of base stations will be announced by the end of June this year.

I have also fought hard for—and now we have seen a change to—the district of workforce shortage system for the Central Coast. This will allow GPs in busy locations, like Erina, to hire more doctors, because finally the data is up to date and shows, in over 20 suburbs in my electorate, where we need more medical services. To give the House an indication of the weight of importance of this announcement, the Erina Fair Medical Centre Practice Manager, Peter Carr, has described the change as the biggest single positive step to get more GPs to the area than anything in the last 20 years. Mr Carr said it was smart policy as it gives all practices an equal opportunity, unlike the Super Clinic idea, and it does not cost the government anything to do it.

We have already delivered—or are delivering—so many things in my electorate, but there is always more to fight for on behalf of my community. There is one issue, in particular, that weighs deeply on my heart—that is, seeing a university campus in Gosford established at some stage. In our growth plan we recognised the crucial role that universities play in driving development, in regional areas, through job creation and educating the community. We pledged to work in partnership with the Central Coast community to identify further training and education opportunities, particularly in progressing approvals that are necessary to facilitate universities to develop campuses on local government owned land.

In this effort to have or fight for a strong university presence in Gosford, I welcome the state Liberal government's support for a globally connected, fully integrated Central Coast health and medical research institute. It is an issue very close to my heart. I have been lobbying the state government for around six months, alongside the University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen, for capital infrastructure funding to deliver a medical research institute and medical school attached, perhaps, to the new Gosford Hospital. This is a unique opportunity to deliver a shared vision for a university in Gosford, which would be another centre of excellence, right in the heart of the city. These facilities have the potential to become a base for world-class health care, medical research and education co-located with a fantastic hospital.

The University of Newcastle is working with partners to develop two shared components in the plan: a globally connected, fully integrated Central Coast health and medical research institute and a co-located Central Coast medical school. This plan would help tackle emerging health issues on the coast as well as attract high-quality students, clinicians, researchers and health-care professionals to Gosford. We are keen to see this happen as soon as possible. We want to work in collaboration with the world class University of Newcastle and key stakeholders across the Central Coast.

This is a government that is determined to ensure we deliver hope and opportunity to the Central Coast. Our growth plan is a major part of seeing these projects become game changers for our region. We are delivering growth, jobs and opportunity to a region that has a perception—perhaps made too real until now—of being long forgotten. But it is now seeing real solutions delivered to benefit future generations in the most important and beautiful region in our nation. I commend this bill to the House.

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