Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was immensely pleased the New South Wales Liberal government committed $1.2 million to our cause. Not only will the track be replaced and become a danger-free zone for young and less young athletes but the grandstand and amenities will get a revamp too. It's the only synthetic running track in the northern part of Sydney and its refurbishment will mean a world of difference thousands of kids, young athletes, amateurs and Olympians using the track every single week. Thank you for your support and patience, which has made this achievement possible.

I'm proud to report that, since my election in July 2016, under the Turnbull government we have managed to secure grants and funding for 35 community organisations. These funds go directly to the community groups which everyone on the Northern Beaches knowingly or unknowingly comes into contact with in one way or another. It goes directly to providing better services and better support for our community. The Davidson Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade was able to build a station extension. The Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association of New South Wales bought safety equipment. Volunteer Marine Rescue in Terrey Hills funded its radio room upgrade, while the Scotland Island Rural Fire Brigade bought community fire unit boxes. The Sharing Stories Foundation in Palm Beach received a grant for language workshops and equipment to work on projects with out Indigenous peoples. Northern Beaches Interchange used its funding to better care for teenagers with disabilities. A grant was allocated to the Australian National University for improving innovation connections. Playtec was supported through a business growth grant. We helped the Rotary Club of Belrose with funds to cover their fuel costs. The Tibetan Community of Australia was able to buy computer equipment.

Under the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, we funded a project with the Australian PV Institute to develop a solar-powered mapping tool currently being rolled out by the Northern Beaches Council. The Manly Warringah Women's Resource Centre was able to install new appliances, and the Be Centre Foundation upgraded its IT. The Northern Beaches Business Education Network received funding to upgrade its emergency systems, while Easylink Community Services was able to purchase a vehicle for community transport. Lifeline Northern Beaches will be getting water and flooring upgrades, and we've supported the Narrabeen Lakes Festival with equipment for a generator. The New South Wales Branch of the Scout Association of Australia was able to install solar panels and get air conditioning. The Burdekin Association will be setting up a youth hub for mental health in Pittwater under the Stronger Communities Program. MWP Community Aid received funding for iPads, and the Cottage Point Association received funding for a defibrillator and its supporting signage.

For those living in such a beautiful and natural environment, sport has always been and will always be an integral part of life on the beaches, so supporting our local sports clubs is a top priority. So far, the Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club has received funding for a function room upgrade and to install a flagpole. South Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club was able to buy a vehicle for community transport. Collaroy Surf Life Saving Club was able to upgrade its gymnasium, while Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club restored its facilities for female lifesavers. The Liberal government supported Narraweena Junior Rugby League Football Club with equipment and training costs. Both the Manly Warringah Gymnastic Club and the Pittwater Rugby Club were able to buy new equipment. The New South Wales Gun Club refurbished its disabled amenities, and the Peninsula Bridge Club bought new equipment.

Far from being a tagline, 'lest we forget' actually means something to our community on the Northern Beaches. We have a long and proud history of supporting both our ageing veterans and our current service men and women. So many individuals work tirelessly on this front, and I continue to do everything I can to ensure their work is supported. The Narrabeen RSL Sub-branch was able to purchase a public address system with help from a government grant. The Avalon Beach RSL Sub-branch received funds for salaries and administration, as well as to support and train in veterans advocacy. We are also supporting the Veterans Centre Sydney Northern Beaches with salary and administration support and have recently allocated them a grant to look into the availability of service dogs for our younger veterans. It is probably the cutest grant that I have ever made!

I'd be remiss if I ignored the fact that our region, as beautiful as it is, can also be prone to natural disasters. Anyone who lives on the beaches knows the devastating impact some of our worst storms have had on the community and how hard it is to rebuild. That's why disaster relief is so critical. After numerous representations, we managed to secure funding from the federal government to help the council cover the costs of clearing storm debris and restoring community assets after the February 2017 Sydney storms, the June 2016 east coast storms and floods, the April 2015 east coast storms and floods, and the October 2014 eastern New South Wales severe thunderstorms. That money helps ease the burden on ratepayers who ultimately bear the cost of cleaning up and rebuilding our community after these disasters.

I am proud of these achievements. I am proud of my community, which does so much and asks so little in return, and I am privileged to represent it. There is more work to be done. Over the coming year and however long I will have the pleasure of serving you, I will fight for our fair share on the northern beaches.

For example, Cottage Point is a small community of about 250 residents, nestled on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, on the edge of Mackellar. Bounded on all sides by bushland and water, it is accessible only by a narrow road through the bush or by boat on Pittwater. This small community is home to a yacht club, a highly successful cafe, one of Sydney's best restaurants that often makes the list of top 10 restaurants in the world, Marine Rescue New South Wales, and a local Rural Fire Service brigade. The residents are highly independent and don't ask for much from government.

Currently, telecommunications are extremely poor, with virtually non-existent mobile coverage and an unreliable and old ADSL connection serviced by microwave link to Berowra. For local businesses and residents, this situation is incredibly frustrating. Businesses that depend on internet connections for EFTPOS and bookings frequently see disruptions, often at the height of busy weekend trade. Over the Christmas holidays, we saw the speed with which tragedy can unfold and the importance of having quick connectivity to Marine Rescue and other emergency services when a seaplane crashed into Pittwater, near the Hawkesbury River.

Making sure Cottage Point receives adequate connectivity remains a top priority. I will continue to push on behalf of the community for upgrades to mobile services and for federal government funding through the Mobile Black Spot Program. Given the area's exposure to bushfires and the number of visitors enjoying our beautiful Pittwater waterways, this is a safety imperative.

As well as Cottage Point, too many residents on the beaches, especially at Palm Beach, Avalon, Bilgola Plateau, Newport, Narrabeen and Oxford Falls, struggle daily with inadequate mobile phone reception. As the rollout of the NBN progresses, many residents are ditching their home phones and relying on mobile phones. Older Australians who are choosing to remain in their homes longer, aided by the provisions of home care services, often rely on medical alert systems, which run on 3G or higher mobile connections. With the increasing rollout of telehealth services, these connections will become ever more important. For these reasons and others, I will continue to work with our providers to ensure services are upgraded and these black spots are fixed. It is simply not good enough that in the 21st century we still suffer from major mobile black spots in metropolitan areas, where most people live.

The Manly Warringah Gymnastic Club, as I mentioned previously, is Australia's largest and most successful gymnastics club. Under the leadership of its CEO, Ian Hardy, the club has gone from strength to strength, with over 2½ thousand members and 220,000 visits per year. As the only high-performance centre in Northern Sydney, the club serves a huge catchment area, with members from all over Sydney. The club, however, has long outgrown its current location, with some gymnasts being turned away due to lack of space. Despite years of successive promises from local council, this premier facility is still without a plan for a new fit-for-purpose and enlarged gym. I will continue to work with local and state governments to ensure that we can find a solution to secure the long-term future of this club on the northern beaches. A club which trains some of New South Wales' and Australia's best gymnasts cannot be lost due to inaction and lack of support.

The repair of the seawall at Collaroy Beach after the storms in June 2016 has been stalled by red tape at Northern Beaches Council and disagreements with the state government. The centre of the bureaucratic storm is the location of the protective barrier and how it should be built and maintained, and this argument is still going on 18 months later. Liens on residents' properties, easements, bank guarantees and unlimited liability are conditions that Dick Persson, the council administrator—this unelected official—was attempting to impose on residents. Residents believe council is shifting the burden of maintaining the public beach onto the Crown and residents.

Meanwhile, residents live in fear of another storm where their houses will go unprotected.

The Wakehurst Parkway is a vital transport artery on the northern beaches. Far too often, however, the parkway is flooded and closed. With the increasing pace of development on the peninsula, the construction of Northern Beaches Hospital and the need for emergency access despite regular flooding near Middle Creek, the parkway will have to be widened to North Narrabeen from Seaforth to flood-proof it. In recent years, the parkway has been closed due to flooding an average of four times a year. Dredging Middle Creek and raising and widening roadways are on the table. In other words, the parkway needs to be rebuilt, including all the bridges. Preliminary funding of $5 million has been provided by the state Liberal government to support investigations by Northern Beaches Council into practical action to minimise siltration and improve water flows to prevent flooding.

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