Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am really pleased to speak on this matter of public importance put forward by the member for McMahon. The member for McMahon is in fact a neighbour of mine in Western Sydney. What I find so disappointing about the member for McMahon is that his electorate, like mine, is wedged in one of the fastest-growing regions of our country. The south-west growth sector, which goes through the member for McMahon's electorate, is seeing unprecedented growth right through the region. This growth is so important for the future of Sydney. Earlier another Sydney colleague, the member for Mitchell, was talking about the issues of supply and demand. The supply and demand of real estate in Sydney is absolutely crucial. He was right when he said that Bob Carr, when he was Premier of New South Wales, made that bleeding statement: 'Sydney is full'. And let us not forget the Wran government, who sold off our corridors so that those of us who live in Western Sydney are not able to have jobs where we live and corridors to move from our homes to our work.

This supply and demand problem in Sydney is a failure in planning that was created by the former state Labor government. This is the failure of the former Labor government. The Baird government has been working to create a diverse supply of real estate for people at all income points. In my own electorate of Lindsay, on the north side of the Penrith train station UrbanGrowth—the New South Wales state government organisation—has been working to provide a diverse supply of real estate options and affordable housing. Those opposite think they can tax their way out of anything. What we need is houses for people to live in, not reckless comments by Labor premiers.

In Western Sydney, west of Parramatta, we will see one million people move west of Parramatta between now and 2031. What we need is visionary ministers—like the member for Bradfield, who is working to create roads and corridors to connect these suburbs. We are investing to be able to create these suburbs, release the land and build a diverse housing mix for the people who are choosing to call Western Sydney home.

The key aim of Thornton is to provide more diverse housing choices including innovative compact housing, seniors living accommodation, affordable housing and housing for people living with disabilities. This is a wonderful thing. Evolve Housing is one of the developers within this estate, and this developer has said:

The mixed tenure model has been expanded to private market apartments in addition to affordable and social apartments.

The mix is made up of 50% private market and 50% is a combination of affordable and social. There will be 10 social apartments, 124 affordable apartments and 134 private market apartments.

It is expected that these will be completed by mid 2017. This is what we need to see. We need to see tangible construction. We need to see housing that meets the demand. The increase in housing right across Sydney and including Western Sydney is a result of simple Year 9 economics of supply and demand. If you do not have enough supply the demand goes up. If demand goes up the price goes up. So what do you do? You supply more real estate.

The other thing about the former Labor government that completely failed New South Wales in every shape and form is that they were not investing in real estate, they were not building and they were not meeting the needs of our community. We saw their contribution to the GDP of our country fail. But under the Baird government we have seen the New South Wales economy go from last to first. I would like to congratulate the Baird government. I would also like to congratulate the member for Bradfield, who has been working tirelessly to ensure that we build the infrastructure that will release our land and that will surely provide the housing to make affordable housing for the people in Western Sydney. And that is to be commended.

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