Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on Labor's deception regarding the Western Sydney airport. I wish to speak particularly with regard to the duplicitous behaviour from the Labor candidate in Macquarie regarding Labor's stance and position on the airport. Contrary to this, my position has been consistent and well known. I have made my position clear previously and on many occasions, but for those who may have missed it, I will state it again.

While I have serious concerns about the flight paths and some aspects of the EIS, I am in support of an airport in Western Sydney. This will bring much needed economic and employment benefits to greater Western Sydney and, particularly, to the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions. Indeed, many of the business community, the chambers of commerce and also industry leaders in the tourism sector are very passionate about the potential growth and prosperity that a Western Sydney airport can bring to our region. Economic modelling indicates that, by the time the airport is fully operational, there will be some 35,000 new jobs around the airport. This is significant for the generations to follow.

I have been fighting, and will continue to fight, for my community and for the generations to come to ensure the protection of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Also, I will fight to ensure that an alternative location can be found to the current proposed flight paths over Blaxland. I have included these points in the submission following the release of the EIS. Additionally, I am seeking a no-impact statement on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. This is important not just for tourism but also for our environment.

The Labor spokeswoman in Macquarie has failed to tell the people of Macquarie that Labor's policy is for an airport. Yes, this is the case. I refer to Labor's National Platform document. The difference is that I have been up-front and honest with the community about our position and the coalition's commitment to the airport. The Labor spokeswoman speaks publicly against an airport, but I have been told privately by many that she is for an airport but has simply said that she needs to toe the local Labor policy line. After all, there is an election this year. But for my part, I have made representations directly to the decision makers. I have written to, and met with on more than one occasion, the former Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the honourable Warren Truss. I will be meeting with the new minister very shortly. I have met with the department of infrastructure and also with Airservices Australia. I have talked at length with them about the challenges and the perceptions and the issues that are very important to my community.

I and the coalition government are committed to having a rail-ready airport. Mr Shorten, indeed, has said this himself, and he has said that it is critical that a rail link to Badgerys Creek is fast tracked—which says to me that he and the Labor Party support an airport.

I have brought the deputy mayor and other members of the Blue Mountains council here to Canberra to meet with former minister Truss to have their concerns directly heard, and I have met with the mayor and provided access to the Minister for the Environment's office and have offered the same and other meetings to him as well.

I have spoken directly with the Prime Minister and raised not only my concerns but also the concerns of my local community. I hosted Paul Fletcher, the Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government, in the electorate and invited representatives from the Blue Mountains City Council to meet with Minister Fletcher. I have also spoken directly with Greg Hunt, the Minister for the Environment, specifically about the environmental concerns, the importance of adequate and appropriate biobanking, and about a number of species that are on the site of the proposed airport and how we can respond in the future to ensure that those species continue to be part of the Cumberland Conservation Corridor.

Earlier this month, I held several meetings with a number of environmental groups, including the conservation society, and the outgoing chair and members of the Advisory Committee of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, to meet with a senior adviser of Minister Hunt to facilitate their direct access to the minister and, indeed, to the decision makers.

I have met and spoken directly, again, with Airservices Australia. Following the first public information session in the lower Blue Mountains, in Blaxland, in October last year, I advocated for a second session, which was held at Glenbrook, and I thank the department for conducting those information sessions. I was present at both sessions to hear from people—and many people had deep concerns. There are some people in the community who do not want an airport, but there are many more who do want an airport but want to make sure that we get the best outcome for future generations while also protecting our environment and ensuring that we mitigate potential noise impacts—indeed, if we can move those flight paths, reducing or removing those noise impacts.

I am concerned, and many in the community are also concerned, about the ratepayer-funded campaign currently taking place against the airport, with the council having consultants calling for nominations for a reference group and other social media and printed materials. It is a valid question to ask: is this ratepayers' money being manoeuvred from vital services to the community for a political campaign?

Additionally, I have been contacted anonymously by staff at council. In fact, I have a copy of a letter which they wrote to Warren Truss regarding their concerns. These are council staff. They cc'ed that letter to me. They raised their concern about their time being diverted towards this airport campaign and about their staff being used, as the letter states: 'as political operatives'. The letter goes on to say: 'We have never experienced such manipulation and cynicism as this cheap attempt to politicise staff.' The writers indicate that, if there are some who are interested to fight in such a way against the airport—and of course we all know that, as federal, state and local representatives, we have a responsibility to communicate and make representations on behalf of the community—there is no problem with that. People are free to do so—providing they use their own resources and money. They are very concerned about the resources of council being used in this way.

Can I say again: I am consistent in my stance regarding the airport. I will fight for my community and ensure the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is protected; I will fight for an alternative flight path location. Additionally, I am seeking a no-impact statement on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. But I also stand here on behalf of those tourism operators and those small, medium and large businesses from the chambers of commerce across the Blue Mountains that are saying to me they want to see this airport happen. They are supportive of it. They want to see the growth in opportunities that it will bring for them, for their business and for our region, and they want to see greater Western Sydney become an employment hub for future generations to come.