Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity in the address-in-reply to thank the people of the electorate of Parramatta for re-electing me as their representative in the 42nd Parliament. It is an honour and I sincerely thank them. The address-in-reply is an opportunity to talk about my electorate of Parramatta—something that I never tire of doing. There is a comment about the area around Parramatta that I make quite often that has more heads nodding than any other comment: whatever we have seen so far in Parramatta and Western Sydney, it is really just the beginning; that everything we see, the amazing change that has come over the city in the last decade, whatever we see of its diversity and vibrancy, what we see above the surface, is nothing compared to the hidden potential beneath the surface—enormous possibility waiting to be uncovered, sometimes sitting idle, sometimes bubbling along unseen, a vibrancy, a possibility, in hidden treasures waiting to be discovered and ready to contribute to the next phase in the city’s development.

Some of the potential can be brought about largely by our own efforts; others, though, require support of governments. Today I want to talk about just two of the underdeveloped talents of Parramatta—tourism and our open spaces. Both are difficult because no single person, organisation, council, state or federal government or private company—nor the market alone—can deliver them in the way that they can be delivered, although we all have our part to play. Both things will happen if the community commits and will languish if we do not, but both will change the face of our city for the better. Both are about building a city with a sense of place, a city that is liveable with a heart and a sense of itself. Neither of these ideas are really mine; however, the patterns and priorities that have emerged from talking to many people have lead me to believe that the time for both of these ideas has come.

Parramatta sits on more heritage assets than the Rocks and most are within walking distance of the Parramatta River, yet Parramatta earns less than one per cent of its GDP from tourism and related businesses compared with five per cent Sydney-wide—although I understand that that national figure has fallen in recent years. Our hotels are full on weekdays because of CBD business but empty on the weekends. We are well overdue for tourism development. We attract passing crowds because of Rosehill Racecourse, Eastern Creek and Parramatta Stadium and we have visitors to Homebush and the showground. The problem here is not just that the rest of the country does not know about what we have in Parramatta but that many of the locals do not know either, and it is hard to imagine Parramatta developing its full potential if the locals do not know where it is that they live. I spoke to a friend of mine last month—a man in his mid-40s—who has lived in Parramatta and Blacktown all of his life and he had discovered the history of Parramatta just last month and now tells me stories about the remarkable heritage assets that he can actually see from his balcony and has been able to see for several years. I met a woman in her 20s who lives in Parramatta and who had never been to Parramatta Park or Old Government House and did not know of its significance. She was not aware that the history that she studied in primary school of Governor Phillip, Governor Macquarie and Governor Bligh actually took place down the road from where she lives. While Parramatta has the attractions, it has not created tourism products—there are no signposts or narratives, few guided tours except those within venues such as Old Government House and no tourist transport. When a tourist arrives in Parramatta, compared with tourist services elsewhere, they are still essentially on their own, in spite of some good work by the Heritage Centre.

The Parramatta council and the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce have shown a willingness to work together to develop the tourism potential of the area, and the Rudd government has committed $500,000 to its first phase, which will provide a significant springboard for further projects. Long term, Parramatta council puts the development costs at close to $10 million, but I would put it much higher. If by 2020 Parramatta is to be a major tourist destination, we cannot ignore the cost of refurbishment of heritage assets which are not costed within council’s proposals and would be expected to cost tens of millions of dollars over a decade. We cannot ignore the costs or the extraordinary potential of the Cumberland Hospital site, the female convict factory or the Parramatta jail. Parramatta jail still takes weekend prisoners but its time as a jail is coming to an end.

It is worth talking specifically about the female convict factory, which is not a tourist site at the moment since it is largely derelict within the Cumberland Hospital site. It is actually ‘the female convict factory’—not just ‘a female convict factory’ but the one from the early days of Australia’s settlement. It sits beautifully on the banks of the Parramatta River and is made of large sandstone blocks. But many of those blocks are missing. They were not taken by vandals or thieves; they were taken over to the harbour to refurbish the Hyde Park Barracks. Every time I think of that, the words ‘raiding party’ come to mind. I think it is probably time—and I do not suggest that anyone really does this—to take them back! Such is the history of heritage sites in Western Sydney.

The female orphanage, the first three-storey building in the country, was the place where the female children of convicts were housed. On the third floor of the refurbished part of the building there is a hole in the wall where red bricks were taken to refurbish a building in the Rocks. Again, you cannot imagine bricks from the Rocks being taken to refurbish a building in Western Sydney. It is time that we recognised that we have some of the most significant heritage assets in the country sitting in what was the heart of government immediately after early settlement. There are still two wings of the female orphanage that are boarded up and which have not been refurbished. Again, it sits beautifully on the banks of the Parramatta River and is quite an extraordinary building.

Geographically, Parramatta sits between Homebush and the Blue Mountains. We are literally between two major tourist attractions. But really, if you know what Parramatta has and how it should be developed in the future, we should see people visiting Olympic Park on the way to Parramatta. There is, at last, one cafe in Parramatta Park, a public park that encompasses the grounds of Old Government House and celebrates 150 years this year. There is still no bike hire and there is still insufficient signage and interpretation. This is not the fault of the park. Funding levels are way below funding to other similar parks close to the centre of Sydney. You still cannot cycle or walk along the riverbank to the park. While nearly all of the major tourist sites are within walking distance of the river, you still cannot walk along the river—

Divisions having been called in the House of Representatives—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There being no quorum present, the Main Committee is adjourned until 9.30 am tomorrow.