Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities. Will the minister update the House on how the government is delivering its commitment to a City Deal for Western Sydney? How will this process improve liveability and encourage jobs and growth in the Western Sydney region? Is the minister aware of any other alternate approaches?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for Hughes, who is a strong advocate for Western and south-western Sydney. As he rightly says, on 4 March the Western Sydney City Deal was announced by the Prime Minister together with the Premier of New South Wales and the mayors of eight Western Sydney councils, reflecting the cooperation between three levels of government.

This is a coordinated plan, designed to deliver long-term prosperity for the region. And there are multiple pillars of this plan—planning reforms and the release of land for housing over the next 20 years, and transport infrastructure so that the people living in that housing can be connected to jobs and other places they want to go. Of course, there is the Western Sydney Airport, a $5.3 billion investment; the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, a $3.6 billion investment in multiple roads—

Dr Freelander interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Macarthur will cease interjecting or leave the chamber.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, of course, there is a commitment to rail, a joint commitment by the Australian government and the New South Wales government to stage 1 of the north-south rail to run from St Marys to the Badgerys Creek aerotropolis, via Western Sydney Airport, and with a joint objective to have rail connected to Western Sydney Airport in time for its opening. And the third pillar is generating jobs in Western Sydney. At Western Sydney Airport itself, there will be 13,000 jobs by 2031. Then there is the aerotropolis, an urban area near the airport which will become Western Sydney's advanced manufacturing, research, medical, education and commercial hub. We're going to drive investment and attract high-value jobs. There are many other elements to the Western Sydney City Deal, including a $150 million liveability program.

This is a clear plan for Western Sydney across three levels of government. But I'm asked, 'Are there other approaches?' Of course, there's Labor's 2015 plan, under which they were going to deliver 14 kilometres of rail, from Leppington to the airport, for $400 million. It's a miracle! Fourteen kilometres of heavy rail for $400 million. That shows a complete lack of understanding of how much heavy rail costs. Then we had the New South Wales Leader of the Opposition, Luke Foley, say, after the City Deal was announced, that a state Labor government would deliver the rail link faster. New South Wales Labor is claiming they would deliver a rail link faster than the coalition!

This is the same New South Wales Labor that was in power from 1995 to 2001. They announced 12 separate rail projects. They delivered exactly half. We never saw the Bondi Beach rail line. We never saw high-speed rail from to Sutherland to Wollongong. We never saw the CBD to Rozelle metro. Labor has a hopeless record of delivery. We've got a plan for Western Sydney. (Time expired)