Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House that more jobs are starting to be created on the Central Coast as part of the Turnbull government's major commitment to deliver 600 new jobs into Gosford CBD. With a development application now lodged by the successful tenderer selected by the ATO to build this centre of excellence, the reinvigoration of Gosford is gathering momentum. Local subcontractors and businesses are already engaged in the design work.

More jobs are on their way, as there is set to be a peak workforce of more than 100 people working on site when construction begins around the middle of this year, right up to completion by the end of next year of a great new building, which will be leased by the government for 600 new federal jobs. When this centre of excellence opens its doors, we will start to see the benefits of what I call 'coffee shop economics' flowing through, as 600 new employees walk up Mann Street and support Gosford's cafes, its newsagents and its other small businesses on a regular basis.

But even as things start to happen in Gosford, including the Turnbull government's $10 million investment into a performing arts centre, it is sad to see Labor's misleading campaign continue. Labor's stunts have already shown they do not understand how tender processes work. Now Labor representatives on the Central Coast are trying to create a smokescreen by claiming that they want a performing arts centre on the site of old Gosford Public School, yet when Labor were in government, they only committed funding for this centre at a different location—on Gosford city park, commonly known as Poppy Park.