Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Western Sydney is the third largest economy in Australia behind the Sydney central business district and Melbourne; and

(b) the Western Sydney Airport opening in 2026 will create thousands of jobs, inject billions into the economy and support the continued growth of Western Sydney; and

(2) commends the Government:

(a) for investing nearly $2 billion extra in Western Sydney transport infrastructure, including 14 new projects and additional funding for two existing projects;

(b) for investing a total of $17.3 billion for infrastructure projects to support the growth of Western Sydney and the development of the new Western Sydney Airport; and

(c) on opening the new Moorebank Interstate Terminal, which will deliver thousands of local jobs in Western Sydney and ease congestion by removing more than 3,000 trucks off Sydney roads per day.

Western Sydney is the third-largest economy behind Sydney CBD and Melbourne in Australia, but for far too long the residents of our suburbs have paid the price, living with congestion and traffic jams, and no sewerage or parks. Our communities have been left behind. We've been subjected to underinvestment by successive state and federal coalition governments, with nothing more than press releases and photo-ops for announcements that never materialised.

This has changed dramatically since 2022. Western Sydney finally has a government that will deliver for our region. Most recently, the Albanese government announced a substantial infrastructure package for Western Sydney, with funding allocated in the most recent budget. The announcement committed $1.9 billion towards 14 new projects and additional funding for two existing projects. The new projects invest all over Western Sydney, including Mamre Road, Mulgoa Road, Elizabeth Drive, Garfield Road, Memorial Avenue and Appin Road. These projects will deliver much-needed upgrades to these congested roads. Further, the announcement on 6 May also committed $20 million to partner with the New South Wales government to expand the scope of the south-west rail planning business case to include consideration of expanding the line to the Macarthur region, something that I and the member for Macarthur have been calling for, for eight years. The Albanese government has also committed an additional $147.5 million to new planning projects and $70 million in additional Australian government funding for existing projects. Overall, it's a very impressive package that delivers for our community at a time when it most needs it. Our region has suffered from underinvestment for a decade, and this package, which is in addition to other investments, will go a long way to addressing our region's needs. It will keep our region moving during the current economic boom.

The most recent announcement builds on other investments in other projects, specifically in the electorate of Werriwa. That includes the Western Sydney airport, which is on track to open in 2026 and has already created 4,300 direct jobs during its construction. Half of those jobs are going to residents who live in Western Sydney. By having their work closer to where they live, it means they can get home to be with their families more quickly. The airport has also met its targets for employing a percentage of First Nations and CALD Australians, encouraging and creating greater on-the-job training and skills. Thousands more jobs will be created as the airport begins operating, creating more jobs for locals close to home—jobs that will be accessed by the new toll-free M12 motorway, another piece of infrastructure being delivered by the Albanese Labor government. The new motorway is currently 50 per cent complete and on track to open with the new airport, creating billions in economic activity and ensuring residents spend less time on the road and more with their families.

I also think of the recent opening of the additional commuter car park at Edmondson Park station and the commitment by the New South Wales Labor government to build a lift at Macquarie Fields railway station. The former not only meets today's commuter needs, but adds 2,000 carparks to Edmondson Park, a growing suburb in my electorate. And the latter, the final upgrade of Macquarie Fields railway station, is about righting injustices. The previous Liberal state government refused to address, over its decade in office, the fact that nobody could use that railway station if they had a pram or if they were elderly, because the 75 stairs up and down made catching a train just impossible for them.

On both of these matters, I'd like to give a particular shoutout my state colleague, the Hon. Anoulack Chanthivong, the member for Macquarie Fields. He has worked alongside us with petitions and speaking to residents to make sure that both of these infrastructure projects became a reality. Community needs change, and so do governments. The government was elected to deliver, and after years of media releases and years of inertia and years of empty promises, the people of Werriwa in south-western Sydney will get the infrastructure they deserve.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

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

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge the passion for Western Sydney held by both the member for Werriwa and the member for Macarthur. I do see that in this place, but I think the member for Werriwa was a little bit off when she talked about media releases. Quite recently, the only communications we've received from the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has been via media releases at midnight informing our community in Western Sydney that (1) we would be the most impacted community under flight paths, and (2) about the infrastructure that was ripped away and then restored.

It's actually disappointing, the outcome, for people in Western Sydney under this Labor government. Infrastructure projects had begun and the minister has now taken away funds for projects like the M7-M12 interchange. This left the New South Wales government gobsmacked. Projects have had funding more than the halved, like Mulgoa Road stage 2, which is in my electorate of Lindsay. I'd like to ask the minister where is the $117.5 million that's missing for this particular upgrade for the community of Lindsay? And we had to wait more than 90 days for the review which saw the minister take funding off the table for Western Sydney.

Greater Western Sydney is home to around one in 10 Australians and deserves a government that will listen to our community and meet the region's continuously growing infrastructure demands. The government's immigration numbers keep climbing, yet housing construction rates are not keeping pace at all. Across every part of Western Sydney, whether you're in Camden, Fairfield or Parramatta, you are experiencing a diminishing of your local services and infrastructure. Hospitals and schools are bursting at the seams. We know this; we hear this every single day. Local roads are clogged and trains are hard to get on in peak hour. We need a government that recognises that if growth in the Western Sydney population continues to rise, then we need a lot more money invested in infrastructure rather than it being taken away. We have an airport that will face access issues as the minister refuses to invest in local roads. And there is an aerotropolis that desperately needs investment to get it going so as to meet its full potential.

I want to take us back to 2022 and some of the actions of this Labor government. The infrastructure minister committed to the previous coalition government's infrastructure agenda. Then, she backflipped and did a 90-day review. The problem is that the review was not 90 days and it uneased so many communities in Western Sydney that had been hopeful of the infrastructure commitments they were relying on. The minister, on 6 May, finally did come to Western Sydney, so she did do something other than write a press release and release it at midnight, to make her announcement about new infrastructure funding. But it wasn't new funding at all. Our shadow infrastructure minister, Senator Bridget McKenzie, has noted the 90-day review took away around $2.5 billion from our communities, yet the Labor government has only reallocated $1.9 billion. There's meant to be a north-west Sydney corridor package, but we're yet to see the full details of this. South-west Sydney, as we know, is growing at such a rapid pace. It is ridiculous that the government has made these communities wait to sign back on to critical funding to ensure families can get to work and home again sooner and safer.

We've seen money ripped away from the Blue Mountains with the axing of the Great Western Highway upgrade, which would have transformed how the Central West meets Western Sydney. That was $2 billion of funding ripped away. There's funding for a Western Sydney rapid bus infrastructure upgrade, but local mayors are already frustrated at how this will work. It was a hot topic during last week's New South Wales parliamentary hearing for the inquiry into public transport for the airport and the aerotropolis. We also know many local governments want a metro from the airport to the south-west as quickly as possible.

The 90-day infrastructure review is one failure from the minister, but let's not forget the Western Sydney Transport Infrastructure Panel she set up to review funding across the region. She received the report, but she chose to release it too late and she didn't listen to all of the recommendations—she didn't listen to the experts that were appointed to discuss multiple projects. One of the big ones was the local rural roads around Western Sydney International Airport that will soon be major freight roads. I've stood on those roads. They're in the member for Werriwa's electorate. They've got potholes on them. We have a major international airport on our doorstep. Our community deserves much better.

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

I'd like to thank my friend and colleague the member for Werriwa for moving this very important motion regarding Western Sydney. I always enjoy speaking up for our region in this parliament, as does she. For too long, during terms of the previous coalition governments, the member for Werriwa and I would advocate in this House and to ministers regarding the urgent need for transport, health and education infrastructure for our electorates, which are the fastest growing regions of the nation. Our calls went largely ignored, and, when plans for infrastructure in Western Sydney were announced, it was always a day late and a dollar short.

One of the many examples of this is the lack of rail connectivity from Western Sydney airport to south-western Sydney—an absolute joke. The airport rail link, which goes from Western Sydney airport to the north, to St Marys, will be unused, underutilised and of very little use. It was done as part of the Stuart Ayres re-election campaign. It was clearly the wrong thing to do, with the massive growth there around Macarthur, Leppington and Glenfield all to the south of the airport. It's an absolute joke. Why the previous federal and New South Wales coalition governments chose not to allocate support and provide any of these areas with a rail link to Western Sydney airport and the new city of Bradfield is beyond me. It's a real blight on the previous coalition government. It leaves our recently elected federal and New South Wales Labor governments with the very difficult task of now having to retrofit, in finding the funding and available land to build a rail line to Western Sydney airport from south-western Sydney. I'm very pleased that the minister has allocated funding for a scoping study for this, because, whatever happens, it should be evidence based, unlike previous policies of the coalition government.

I'm very concerned that, unless this rail link is built and built quickly, the new airport will become a white elephant as businesses, travellers, workers and freight won't have the transport infrastructure in place to access Western Sydney airport, which, by the way, is a magnificent piece of infrastructure. I've been out there many times. The airport terminal is just about built, as are the runways. It will be a great piece of infrastructure not just for Western Sydney and south-western Sydney but for Sydney and the country in general. But it needs connectivity to Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport. The only way that is going to happen is a rail link from Western Sydney airport through the new city of Bradfield and on to the south-west through Leppington. This should have been done as heavy rail to allow freight to use that line. It probably won't be now because of the costs involved. But a rail link is certainly vital. Our government recognises this and is getting on with the job.

The M7 and the Northern Road are already saturated with traffic, and adding more trucks, buses and cars onto them will be a disaster, both in terms of the environment and in terms of travel times. The previous government wanted a bus link to Western Sydney airport from the south-west. This would take hours and hours. A rail link is clearly what is needed and what is required. At least with Sydney airport, residents from Macarthur could commute via train into the airport for travel or work and could avoid the M5 if a major accident occurred, which often happens. The rail link would also extend the zone of economic opportunity much further, by offering transport links to thousands of residents, who could work at and around the aerotropolis.

I'm grateful that our government understands this and is taking steps needed to get a rail link underway. However, we really do not have the luxury of time on our side. Together with the New South Wales government, we need pragmatic action on this rail link as soon as possible. We've seen how poor planning under the previous government and lack of infrastructure investment can halt the economic and social aspirations of our communities, with suburbs in my electorate like Oran Park, Gregory Hills, and Macarthur Heights all being rapidly built by eager developers but with little oversight by New South Wales planning to ensure that transport, education and healthcare infrastructure is in place. For example, Oran Park experienced a 16 per cent increase in the one year between 2021 and 2022, with over 20,000 people living in this one suburb alone. Only 4,700 people resided in Oran Park in 2016. There's been a massive increase in population—which is good; we need people, particularly young people, to work in our industries. We knew it was happening, but planning authorities under the previous coalition state and federal governments did nothing and sat on the hands.

We should be prepared for population growth, but proper planning is needed. This has left a long game of catch-up for both the Albanese and the Minns government, who are working very hard to deliver crucial infrastructure to these rapidly growing suburbs. The member for Lindsay understands that very well, as does the member for Werriwa and as do I. Work is finally getting started on upgrading Appin Road, and that's a great thing as well.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion regarding Western Sydney, and I'll particularly be turning my attention to south-western Sydney. I acknowledge the member for Werriwa, who has brought this motion. The member and I have adjoining seats and regularly see each other at events in south-western Sydney. I was very pleased to be in the chamber to hear the passion from my good friend the member for Lindsay and the shadow minister from Western Sydney, who has similarly been a very strong advocate for her area and for Western Sydney in general.

Greater Western Sydney is home to around one in 10 Australians. It's one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia and has been for many years. And it has not had the adequate planning. Every part of Western Sydney, from the Hawkesbury in the north to Wollondilly in the south to the Blue Mountains in the west to Parramatta and Liverpool in the east, needs additional infrastructure to support a rapidly growing population. My electorate of Hughes includes significant parts of south-western Sydney and parts of the Liverpool local government area. These areas are the gateway from the south of Sydney, from the Sutherland shire and from the Illawarra into Western Sydney.

Western Sydney is a major location for new immigrants, thanks to our vibrant and flourishing multicultural communities that live out there. I regularly attend citizenship ceremonies at Liverpool City Council, and it's always a privilege and a pleasure to meet and congratulate these newest Australians who are making the Liverpool local government area and the electorate of Hughes their permanent home. But our communities and our newest Australians should not have to move to an area that is facing immense pressure on our local schools, hospitals, public transport and roads.

This brings me to Heathcote Road. Heathcote Road is a 24-kilometre road, largely single-lane each way, that links southern Sydney, the Illawarra, to Western Sydney. It stretches right across my electorate, from the eastern end in Heathcote through to the western end in Moorebank. It was built in 1941 to support Holsworthy Barracks, and quite a bit has changed in southern Sydney and south-western Sydney since 1941. As I said, the road is still largely single-lane each way. It supports 36,000 car trips each and every day. There have been numerous deaths on this road, of people and also significant koala kill, over the past few years. This road needs to be duplicated. It needs to be duplicated for safety, congestion and productivity. This process was started under the previous federal and state coalition governments. At the western end, duplication has occurred, and it's currently occurring from Voyager Point right through to Moorebank.

As part of the 2022 election campaign, I pledged $17 million for a business case study for the duplication for the remainder of this road. I note that this motion concerns infrastructure, particularly road infrastructure, and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government's role in that. The infrastructure minister has cancelled this project. Therefore, when I hear about the minister's dedication to infrastructure in Western Sydney and south-western Sydney, I say that her actions do not back up her words.

That brings me to another project that has been mentioned as part of this motion and that is in my electorate, which is the Moorebank Intermodal. It opened recently. I was present at the opening with the member for Werriwa and the Prime Minister. This was a project that began construction under the federal Liberal-National government. It is an amazing project. It is a very important, if not the most important, inland port in Australia. It offers unparalleled supply chain benefits and warehousing opportunities.

I now turn to the Western Sydney airport. This has been under planning for many, many years. It is due to open next year, but it will open without an aerotropolis to support it. I wrote an op ed back in January about the federal government's need to invest in this project. It hasn't invested in this project. It is still not significantly investing in south-western Sydney.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.