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

I've been a lifelong resident of Western Sydney. I grew up there, went to the local public schools and represented my community on the Liverpool City Council as a councillor, and am now am very proud to represent south-west Sydney in this House. I am proud to be from south-west Sydney. Its transformation and growth over the years has been extraordinary, and so many extraordinary people come from there. It's become the shining beacon of multiculturalism in Australia, showing the entire world the success Australia has with multiculturalism. Thousands of people have migrated from across the world to Western Sydney, helping to define our communities and contributing to the betterment of Australia.

South-west Sydney is now the third-largest economy in Australia and growing. It's become the fastest-growing region in Australia, home to 2.65 million people—with that number growing to 3.2 million people by 2036. We are booming and have been booming for decades, but, unfortunately, that was unrecognised by successive state and federal coalition governments. State coalition governments have consistently focused on the eastern half of Sydney, with little regard for those in the west. That contrast was most pronounced during the state's response to the COVID pandemic, but it is something which has been the attitude for decades. Western Sydney has not received its fair share of social, health, infrastructure and education investment, and the consequences are being felt now more than ever.

At a federal level Western Sydney barely registered in the minds of successive federal coalition governments. Many projects were announced, but, characteristic of the previous government, they were press release projects with little substance. It would have been better if there had been investment in our communities consistently over time, but as that didn't happen governments now have to play catch-up.

With the election of the Albanese government in 2022 south-west Sydney is finally receiving the proper investment it deserves. In the October 2022 budget the Albanese government allocated $6 million to the Liverpool City Council to deliver on the election commitment to connect Middleton Drive and Aviation Road. Those familiar with the suburbs of Austral and Middleton Grange know how difficult and stressful it can be to travel in and out of those suburbs during peak times. This connection will be a game changer for many in my community, and it's now time for the Liverpool City Council to deliver on this project. The funding is there, yet, unfortunately, the Liverpool City Council seems to be dragging its feet. The October 2022 budget also delivered $300 million for the Western Sydney road package, $5.25 billion for the Sydney Metro to the Western Sydney airport and $1.6 billion for the M12 motorway.

But our investment in south-west Sydney doesn't end there because our region needs significant investment over a sustained period of time. Last year the Albanese government announced an independent review of Australia's $120 billion infrastructure pipeline to ensure integrity and that projects were fit for purpose and could be delivered. As a result of that review the Albanese government can better invest in the projects that can actually be delivered, which has led to the recent announcement of the $1.9 billion investment in infrastructure for Western Sydney. This investment will deliver much-needed upgrades to traffic clogged roads and support our extraordinary growth.

I commend the New South Wales Labor government for their recent investments in Western Sydney. After more than a decade of coalition state governments, New South Wales finally has a state government that acknowledges the growth in and pressures on our part of the world. The most recent state budget delivers billions for Western Sydney roads, transport, housing, schools and hospitals. As I drive around my community, for the first time in more than a decade I see investment that our community deserves. Roads are being upgraded with funding from state and federal governments, and there are upgrades to our schools and hospitals. There are even new schools being built. This was not a common sight in our communities. Whilst there's still a long way to go to make up for those decades of underfunding, south-west Sydney and the electorate of Werriwa finally have state and federal governments who are committed to working together and supporting our community and our people in our part of the world.