Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank my friend and colleague the member for Werriwa for moving this very important motion regarding Western Sydney. I always enjoy speaking up for our region in this parliament, as does she. For too long, during terms of the previous coalition governments, the member for Werriwa and I would advocate in this House and to ministers regarding the urgent need for transport, health and education infrastructure for our electorates, which are the fastest growing regions of the nation. Our calls went largely ignored, and, when plans for infrastructure in Western Sydney were announced, it was always a day late and a dollar short.

One of the many examples of this is the lack of rail connectivity from Western Sydney airport to south-western Sydney—an absolute joke. The airport rail link, which goes from Western Sydney airport to the north, to St Marys, will be unused, underutilised and of very little use. It was done as part of the Stuart Ayres re-election campaign. It was clearly the wrong thing to do, with the massive growth there around Macarthur, Leppington and Glenfield all to the south of the airport. It's an absolute joke. Why the previous federal and New South Wales coalition governments chose not to allocate support and provide any of these areas with a rail link to Western Sydney airport and the new city of Bradfield is beyond me. It's a real blight on the previous coalition government. It leaves our recently elected federal and New South Wales Labor governments with the very difficult task of now having to retrofit, in finding the funding and available land to build a rail line to Western Sydney airport from south-western Sydney. I'm very pleased that the minister has allocated funding for a scoping study for this, because, whatever happens, it should be evidence based, unlike previous policies of the coalition government.

I'm very concerned that, unless this rail link is built and built quickly, the new airport will become a white elephant as businesses, travellers, workers and freight won't have the transport infrastructure in place to access Western Sydney airport, which, by the way, is a magnificent piece of infrastructure. I've been out there many times. The airport terminal is just about built, as are the runways. It will be a great piece of infrastructure not just for Western Sydney and south-western Sydney but for Sydney and the country in general. But it needs connectivity to Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport. The only way that is going to happen is a rail link from Western Sydney airport through the new city of Bradfield and on to the south-west through Leppington. This should have been done as heavy rail to allow freight to use that line. It probably won't be now because of the costs involved. But a rail link is certainly vital. Our government recognises this and is getting on with the job.

The M7 and the Northern Road are already saturated with traffic, and adding more trucks, buses and cars onto them will be a disaster, both in terms of the environment and in terms of travel times. The previous government wanted a bus link to Western Sydney airport from the south-west. This would take hours and hours. A rail link is clearly what is needed and what is required. At least with Sydney airport, residents from Macarthur could commute via train into the airport for travel or work and could avoid the M5 if a major accident occurred, which often happens. The rail link would also extend the zone of economic opportunity much further, by offering transport links to thousands of residents, who could work at and around the aerotropolis.

I'm grateful that our government understands this and is taking steps needed to get a rail link underway. However, we really do not have the luxury of time on our side. Together with the New South Wales government, we need pragmatic action on this rail link as soon as possible. We've seen how poor planning under the previous government and lack of infrastructure investment can halt the economic and social aspirations of our communities, with suburbs in my electorate like Oran Park, Gregory Hills, and Macarthur Heights all being rapidly built by eager developers but with little oversight by New South Wales planning to ensure that transport, education and healthcare infrastructure is in place. For example, Oran Park experienced a 16 per cent increase in the one year between 2021 and 2022, with over 20,000 people living in this one suburb alone. Only 4,700 people resided in Oran Park in 2016. There's been a massive increase in population—which is good; we need people, particularly young people, to work in our industries. We knew it was happening, but planning authorities under the previous coalition state and federal governments did nothing and sat on the hands.

We should be prepared for population growth, but proper planning is needed. This has left a long game of catch-up for both the Albanese and the Minns government, who are working very hard to deliver crucial infrastructure to these rapidly growing suburbs. The member for Lindsay understands that very well, as does the member for Werriwa and as do I. Work is finally getting started on upgrading Appin Road, and that's a great thing as well.

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