Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

The Berejiklian Liberal government in New South Wales is treating the people of Horsley Park, Cecil Park and Mount Vernon with contempt. The new state planning instrument—the State Environmental Planning Policy (Western Sydney Aerotropolis) 2020—overrides council powers and removes the rights of residents retrospectively. I want to tell the people of Horsley Park, Cecil Park and Mount Vernon that I am on their side. While this is a state matter, I have been particularly disappointed to see the Liberal state member for Mulgoa inactive on this issue and in fact misleading the people of our community.

I am more than happy to criticise the Morrison government when they've done something wrong, as you might have noticed, Mr Deputy Speaker Gillespie. I am happy to give them a free character assessment. But I'm going to defend the Morrison government against the attack on them by the state member for Mulgoa, the Liberal member for Mulgoa. The member for Mulgoa has written to people who have raised this issue with her. She has said, 'I want to provide further clarity and important information on the changes.' Well, I'm afraid it doesn't provide much clarity. It provides disinformation, because the state member for Mulgoa goes on to say, 'The federal government has determined to restrict noise-sensitive development.' Well, I've got news for the member for Mulgoa, this is a decision of the state government, and the give-away is in the name: it's called the 'state' environmental planning policy. There's a big hint there. I will defend the Morrison government against this attack on them by the Liberal state member for Mulgoa, Tanya Davies. She should be going into the Premier's office and demanding that this document—this planning restriction—be ripped up. It should be rescinded. It has been done with no consultation with the people of Fairfield city, despite Ms Davies's claims to the contrary. There has been no consultation with the residents.

Now, everybody accepts that there shouldn't be high-rises under the flight path—although there are under the flight paths of other airports. This is not about that. Ms Davies has said, 'This will not apply to renovations, extensions or replacements of existing homes.' That's good news. You can redo your kitchen. That's great news. But the families who planned to subdivide to provide a future for their family are having their rights removed. I have been inundated by complaints from residents. I won't read them all out, but they are very angry at the way they've been treated by the Liberal government in New South Wales, and they have every right to be. I've started a petition to overturn this state environmental planning policy. It should be overturned. They should start again. They should start from scratch. They should give the people of Horsley Park their basic rights back to subdivide their five-acre lots down to 2½-acre lots. One for each child has been the plan for many families over decades. These people bought their farms 30 and 40 years ago, and since October this year their rights have been stripped away. Were they asked their opinion before it was done? They were not. The Berejiklian Liberal government should hang their heads in shame. The state member should hold her government to account, and she should stop blaming her federal colleagues.

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