Budget Estimates and Related Papers 2017-2018

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-100229

Hansard session: Fifty-Sixth Parliament, First Session (56-1)

Budget Estimates and Related Papers 2017-2018

Debate resumed from 16 November 2017.

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (12:55:02):

I will continue with the remarks I was making on 16 November last year in this take-note debate. I ran out of time as I when speaking about some of the wonderful initiatives of this Government, particularly for all modes of transport in New South Wales. Hopefully, the House will award me an extension of time—perhaps until 1.15 p.m.

Mr Tim Crakanthorp:

That's a long time.

Mr MARK COURE:

It is a long time; there is a lot to talk about. If the member for Newcastle is lucky he might get a special mention when I talk about Newcastle Light Rail. Sydney has a population of five million, and that is projected to grow to more than eight million by 2056. By looking at transport through this lens the Government has developed a long-term vision to deliver the infrastructure New South Wales needs. New South Wales is benefiting from this Government's record commitment to infrastructure of more than $72 billion over the next four years. This commitment was solidified in the 2017-18 budget, which allocated $8.5 billion to build and improve road, maritime and freight infrastructure; and $12.1 billion for public transport infrastructure and services. I am sure members on both sides of the House are aware that the Government has an unprecedented pipeline of major infrastructure projects—not just in Sydney but across New South Wales. Those projects include the Sydney Metro; WestConnex; NorthConnex; and light rail for Sydney, Parramatta and Newcastle; together with the Pacific Highway upgrades.

In the short time that is allocated to me I will expand on some of these projects that the Government is undertaking. For the member for Newcastle particularly I will talk about the major benefits of light rail in his electorate. I will get to that last. The Sydney Metro is one of the most exciting initiatives. It is Australia's biggest public transport project. For many years it will change the way Sydney people travel. The Sydney Metro will have a capacity of more than 40,000 customers per hour, which is similar to other metro systems around the world. By comparison, Sydney's current suburban rail network can reliably carry 24,000 people per hour per line, which represents a major increase in the ability to move people throughout our city each and every hour.

This standalone, twenty-first century rail system will include 31 metro stations extending over more than 65 kilometres of network. Together with signalling and infrastructure upgrades across the existing Sydney rail network, the Sydney Metro will increase the capacity of train services entering the Sydney central business district from 120 per hour to 200 per hour by 2024. That is an increase of 60 per cent capacity across the network to meet the growing demands of commuters travelling in and out of the city each hour. More than 30 million customer trips per year are expected within seven years of the Sydney Metro opening. Construction of stage one of the Sydney Metro Northwest is well under way. To date, more than one million tonnes of concrete have been used in the construction. The project is on time and on budget.

The Sydney Metro Northwest's twin 15-kilometre railway tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping are Australia's longest railway tunnels and were safely completed 10 months ahead of schedule. A record amount of concrete and steel was required to line the twin tunnels. The entire deck of Sydney Metro's four-kilometre skytrain between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill is locked in place high in the air, sitting on 120 concrete pillars. Here is a fun fact for House: In total, 80,000 tonnes of concrete were used for the skytrain deck. That is equivalent to 81 Olympic swimming pools of concrete. I am proud to herald the marvels of this engineering project.

Part of the Sydney Metro project is the iconic 270-metre cable-stayed rail bridge on Windsor Road, Rouse Hill. This is Australia's first concrete cable-stayed rail bridge built on a curve. It demonstrates the innovative use of concrete and steel. Stage two of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest extends the metro rail from the end of the Sydney Metro Northwest at Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour and through to new central business district stations and south-west to Bankstown. It will deliver twin rail tunnels supported by tonnes of concrete stretching 15.5 kilometres from Chatswood to Sydney, with a section more than 50 metres below the surface of Sydney Harbour.

Extension of time

There are seven new railway stations: Barangaroo, Central, Pitt Street, Martin Place, Victoria Cross at North Sydney, Crows Nest and Waterloo. Eleven stations on the Bankstown line will be upgraded. The Sydney to Bankstown metro upgrade will open a world of opportunities for the Bankstown region—which is good news for the member for Bankstown. It will include direct, fast access to North Sydney and Macquarie University. It will open the door to better connections for jobs and education. The Chatswood to Sydenham project has received planning approval. []

The Chatswood to Sydenham component of the project will support 6,200 jobs at the peak of construction. The planning approvals process for the Sydenham to Bankstown project is under way. Construction of the new twin metro rail tunnels will now begin under Sydney Harbour and in the heart of the central business district [CBD] after a major tunnelling contract was awarded in the middle of last year. The announcement of the $2.8 billion contract means that work will start immediately to get the first of the five tunnel‑boring machines in the ground. It is anticipated that work on the tunnel will begin by the end of 2018.

In November 2016 the New South Wales Government announced the Sydney Metro West, which is a new metro rail line between Parramatta and the CBD. The new metro will move up to 40,000 people per hour between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta in each direction, effectively doubling the current rail capacity. This is great news for those living in Parramatta and Western Sydney who wish to travel from home to work in the city and back again to their family and friends. The Sydney Metro West will service at least four key centres and precincts that have been identified as growth priorities in the district plans of the Greater Sydney Commission. These include Greater Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, the Bays Precinct and Sydney CBD. The Sydney Metro West is an addition to the rail network. It will create opportunities and improve service patterns on existing rail networks such as the T1 Western line. Concrete and steel is needed to build the Sydney Metro West and it will create many thousands of new jobs in Sydney alone.

Light rail projects are undertaken not only in Sydney but also in Parramatta and in Newcastle. We are working hard to deliver innovative public transport options for New South Wales. For example, light rail will play a central role in the future of transport in New South Wales. I have said many times that light rail is a connector between many modes of transport. The Parramatta Light Rail is one of our major infrastructure projects. It will change the region and connect the community with great places so that people can explore what the region has to offer. The Parramatta North Urban Transformation Program will link the Parramatta CBD, the train station to Westmead health precinct, the new Western Sydney Stadium, Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, and the Western Sydney University campuses at Parramatta, Rydalmere and Westmead.

The light rail project is being delivered in stages to ensure the infrastructure that is needed to support the current growth of Greater Parramatta and Western Sydney is in place and operating as soon as possible to support the thousands of new homes being built and jobs being created. An extension to Epping is also possible. I am advised that work on the final business case for the Parramatta Light Rail project is near completion and will be submitted for approval shortly. The environmental impact statement was exhibited late last year. It builds on the extensive community and stakeholder engagement with the project team that has taken place since early 2016.

The CBD and South East Light Rail is a new light rail network for Sydney that is currently under construction. It is great news for those who have ventured onto George Street and to many other parts of the city to see the light rail in progress. Once complete, the $2.1 billion project will improve transport access, support urban renewal and change Sydney's CBD. It is a high-capacity, reliable and sustainable mode of public transport that will ease the pressure on Sydney's roads by reducing the city's reliance on buses. Construction is continuing along the 12-kilometre route, with approximately 8.5 kilometres of track laid so far. To date, the project has used more than 23,000 tonnes of concrete, including 9,748 tonnes—43 per cent—of recycled materials, which exceeds all targets.

Almost every block of George Street is being renewed and upgraded, with more than $4 billion of private investment along George and Alfred streets providing a clear endorsement of this project. I am pleased to report that the CBD and South East Light Rail project remains on budget and on track for operation in early 2019. But it does not stop there. I note the member for Newcastle is in the Chamber. This Government is investing more than $500 million in Newcastle through Revitalising Newcastle projects to bring new life to the city.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Aplin):

Order! Members on both sides of the Chamber will come to order.

Mr MARK COURE:

Most members would say "thank you". If $500 million were provided to my electorate I would say "thank you". The Newcastle revitalisation program will receive $500 million.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Aplin):

Order! The member for Newcastle has been very restrained up until now. I advise him to continue that restraint.

Interruption

[]

Mr MARK COURE:

I think that word is unparliamentary.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Aplin):

I call the member for Newcastle to order for the first time.

Mr MARK COURE:

I have seen on Facebook photographs of the member for Newcastle inspecting the site of the light rail system. Infrastructure work is not limited to Sydney. Regional contractors are helping the Government with the important tasks in Newcastle, and light rail is a key pillar to this program. Six new light rail vehicles are on order, major construction is set to start early this year, and services are set to roll out in early 2019. The light rail will connect key precincts in the city centre between the new multi-modal interchange at Wickham in Newcastle's west end and Pacific Park in the east end, which is just 200 metres from the iconic Newcastle Beach. This is great news for the residents of Newcastle, for those who travel to and from Newcastle, and for those who live, work and study in Newcastle.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Aplin):

Order! The member for Port Stephens will come to order.

Mr MARK COURE:

Most members would say "thank you". Newcastle West was chosen for the interchange due to the potential of the interchange to trigger further development and economic growth in what has been identified as the city's future central business district. I am pleased to advise that the Newcastle interchange is on track to be completed early this year, if it is not already completed. The Government has many road projects in New South Wales underway. I will talk about WestConnex—which will provoke members of the Opposition, particularly the member for Strathfield. WestConnex supports 10,000 jobs, both direct and indirect, during its construction. So far, more than 27,500 tonnes of concrete have been used to provide a long, overdue underground link between the M4 and the M5.

Time expired

By directing heavy traffic from surface roads into underground tunnels, local streets will be returned to the community—particularly in the electorate of the member for Heffron—and more than 18 hectares of open space will be created for local communities. That is great news for everyone, particularly for the members on the opposite side of the Chamber who represent the electorates of Heffron, Newtown and Summer Hill, and the list goes on. As a result of WestConnex, by 2031 greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by more than 610,000 tonnes a year and Sydney will be moving again, with motorists saving a combined 100,000 hours each day through reduced traffic congestion and 45,000 fewer motor vehicles and 10,000 fewer trucks a day on Parramatta Road. Unique to WestConnex is the innovative financing model being used to deliver this project. This involves an initial contribution from the New South Wales and Australian governments and the private sector, with tolling revenue providing the remaining funding for the project. I want to speak about NorthConnex but I have run out of time. I will continue my contribution to this take‑note debate at a later date. [.]

Debate interrupted.