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

My question is to the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is on the side of all Australians frustrated at getting a car park to catch the train to work?

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. She, like so many people on our side of the House, understands the immense frustration that commuters have when they want to take the train to and from work each day but can't get a car park at the local train station. Often that means that when they go to the train station, instead of being able to get there at 7 am, find a car park and jump on the train, they're searching around and perhaps have to park illegally or go to the next train station to try to find a car park. There are even many people who end up giving up and driving all the way into town to their destination, adding further congestion to the roads in the process.

There are three train stations in particular that I know the member for Lindsay is very concerned about—in particular Emu Plains train station, which she's very familiar with. It's one of those ones that fill up at seven o'clock in the morning, creating frustrations for commuters. It's a train station that people from all around the area go to to try to find a car park, including from the Lower Blue Mountains, yet they are unable to find car parks after 7 am.

This is happening right across our big cities, and we've got a plan to fix some of these things. We've got a plan to address those three key car parks in the member for Lindsay's electorate, which she has advocated for. That includes the Emu Plains one. Of course, it includes St Mary's train station car park, as well as Kingswood Station. We'll be adding more commuter car parks to those train stations so that commuters can find a car park, jump on the train and get to work more quickly, sooner and more safely.

Our plan, in fact, funds 47 commuter car parks right across our big capital cities. All up, this will make it easier for everyday residents to be able to take the train to work and back every day. Not only does it make it easier for them but it has a direct impact, as well, on addressing congestion on our major roads, because, by doing our plan for 47 commuter car parks, we will take almost 17,000 cars off the roads in the process—17,000 cars that otherwise would have been on those major freeways or the major roads, adding to congestion, which people get so frustrated about.

Of course, we're also doing those local pinch point roads, including in the member for Lindsay's electorate, such as Dunheved Road, which is a really busy road. We're going to be fixing that one and Mulgoa Road as well, which is one of the busiest roads in Western Sydney. Of course, we're doing other city-shaping roads to support people in Lindsay, including WestConnex, a road which the Leader of the Opposition says is a road to nowhere. (Time expired)