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

I often speak in this chamber on the need for state and federal governments to provide adequate levels of infrastructure to meet the needs and demands of the ever-growing population of Macarthur. The reality is that my community, and indeed other areas of western and south-western Sydney, are experiencing exponential growth in population. This brings with it benefits but also certain problems. In the last few months we've heard much talk and discussion of population growth in the rapidly growing metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane et cetera. In Macarthur we're witnessing very rapid development, with old farms being converted into entire new suburbs virtually overnight and new homes cropping up every day. Literally thousands upon thousands of people are taking up residence in Macarthur, moving into suburbs such as Gilead, Campbelltown, Oran Park, Gregory Hills, Leppington, Catherine Field, Emerald Hills and Willowdale, to name just a few.

These growing communities are filled with great people who have decided to call Macarthur home, and it's my pleasure to represent them all in this place. Many young families, in particular, are moving into the area with young children, having decided that our community is the area where they want to raise their children and make a life. They've moved to Macarthur seeking out opportunities in employment, business and education and just to have a better life, with a desire to find a thriving community to call home.

I'm working hard to secure better outcomes for these people and, indeed, for future residents of my community. However, time and again I've lobbied for the appropriate level of services and infrastructure to be established to meet the present and future demands of my community. We are experiencing exponential growth and it's necessary that essential infrastructure is established now, not later. The reality is that these residents have been let down by national government and state governments for a long time. It's not sufficient for incumbent governments to continue negating all responsibility in these areas. We are already behind and falling further behind in transport, education and health services. Our schools are at breaking point. Some of the infrastructure is 40, 50 and 60 years old and really breaking down as I watch. I can only hazard a guess at how bad a state we'll be in over the next few decades unless something is done.

There have been really very terrible attempts at public relations exercises to inform my population of how much infrastructure is being provided, which has clearly not been the case. The City Deal promoted by the Turnbull government really was a very bad, politicised outcome for my community. Transport is terrible and getting worse. The federal and state governments have not provided a rail link from my community to the new Western Sydney Airport, considered essential by all public transport and airport consultants. Our train timetable has become so much worse that it now takes 20 minutes longer to get into the city from Campbelltown than it did only 12 months ago. We have been failed by state and federal governments. We have been presented with a group of spin doctors' documents that have failed to recognise the importance of providing proper infrastructure for these rapidly growing communities.

Immigration has been good for our community in many ways, but state and federal governments have failed to understand the importance of providing infrastructure for these communities now, not later. I'm very disappointed in the response of the New South Wales state government, in particular, who can spend billions of dollars on reproducing stadiums that are not needed and will be used very little by Macarthur residents, instead of proper public transport and proper funding for our schools. I'm very disappointed in the federal government's City Deal, which has been very bad for Macarthur and Campbelltown in particular. I'm very disappointed in their planning documents, which have removed all responsibility for planning from the local community and given it to developers and the moneyed few of the inner city and the north and east of Sydney and very little to Macarthur residents. It's a very poor outcome.

It's not sufficient for our state and federal governments to say they're doing the right thing when they're clearly not. I've made many, many representations, as have my state colleagues, to the federal and state governments, highlighting the concerns of my constituents and the need for urgent action. Time and time again my concerns have fallen on deaf ears, with the Morrison government and the Berejiklian government now treating the Macarthur region with contempt. I've written to the minister to come and see the core infrastructure— (Time expired)