Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the federal member for Lindsay, I welcome the Morrison government's infrastructure investment in Western Sydney. It will create many thousands of jobs for local people. As someone who commuted for over 10 years for work, I can say that there is nothing I want more for our community than good local jobs. The Western Sydney City Deal will create 200,000 jobs over the next 20 years. This includes the Western Sydney airport and aerotropolis, which will generate jobs in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and science and technology.

During construction of the Western Sydney International Airport, over 11,300 jobs will be created. Within five years of opening, 28,000 full-time jobs will be created. This will include jobs in construction, transport and logistics, retail, hospitality and professional services which will be right in Western Sydney. We know that people who work at or near an airport often live in the local region. Eighty per cent of people working in the Kingsford Smith airport precinct live within 30 minutes of work. Today, hundreds of thousands of people commute out of Western Sydney daily.

Western Sydney airport has set employment targets for local workers to make up at least 30 per cent of the workforce during construction and 50 per cent once the airport is operational. This is a great opportunity, particularly for people who live in Lindsay. The airport is already attracting a number of high-skilled industries to the area around the airport. Northrup Grumman, one of the world's leading high-tech defence and aerospace companies, has committed to establishing a presence near the airport and will need workers with highly specialised skills.

The construction of Sydney Science Park, a $5 billion integrated science, research and residential facility in Lindsay, has recently started, and this is another example of the airport's ability to create local jobs and drive our economy in Western Sydney. The Morrison and Berejiklian governments, and local councils, are working together to attract investment in the region—all supporting the aerotropolis to become Western Sydney's advanced manufacturing aerospace, defence industries and commercial hub. The Morrison government is also providing funding for the North-South rail link, which will run from St Mary's in Lindsay to Western Sydney airport and the Badgerys Creek aerotropolis. This means more people will be able to get to the aerotropolis and to jobs within 30 minutes.

We are investing in local jobs for the people of Lindsay and for the people of Western Sydney, and I will work hard to make sure that local people in my community will be educated on these jobs of the future and will have the opportunity to work there because of the Morrison government's investment.