Budget Estimates and Related Papers 2018-2019

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-104149

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

Budget Estimates and Related Papers 2018-2019

Debate resumed from 27 September 2018.

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (10:36:58):

Health and education are the top two categories of funding expenditure in the 2018-19 budget. Only good economic management can ensure our health and education systems are thriving and able to meet the demands of the future. With a combined funding record of $16 billion being invested, we are upgrading hospitals and building more schools. We are making sure our teachers and medical staff have the facilities and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. We are there to support families in times of sickness and medical emergencies. We are setting up children for a brighter future. Health and education are at the heart of this budget. We are building for tomorrow and delivering for today.

Beyond health and education, transport across New South Wales is a priority for this Government. We want a better connected State, whether that be by travelling on our train lines, our motorways or travelling for miles along country roads. This budget prioritises on-time running for public transport by maintaining and improving the reliability of services over the next four years. The second State priority is to improve road travel reliability so that 90 per cent of peak travel on key road routes is on time. We are getting on with the job of doing what we need to do to fix our transport system across New South Wales. The F6 Extension Stage 1 is a key element of this Government's transport vision for New South Wales, connecting Sydney's south to the wider motorway network. This financial year's budget has invested $178 million to continue planning and preconstruction of major road projects, including stage 1 of the F6 extension. This project will link the new M5 motorway to President Avenue in Kogarah. The M1 Princes Motorway is a key part of our State's national highway system and provides a vital arterial road link through southern Sydney. At present, there is no efficient connection to Sydney's motorway network from the south.

The existing F6 corridor was reserved in the early 1950s to meet the future needs of our growing population. The F6 extension has been identified as a key priority for this Government over its 40-year vision for transport outcomes. This completed project will have outstanding benefits to residents of my electorate and in the Sutherland Shire. Some key features of the F6 extension include twin four-kilometre tunnels linking the new M5 at Arncliffe to President Avenue, Kogarah, ramps between the main motorway tunnel and the surface intersection at President Avenue and provision for new shared cycle and pedestrian pathways. How this project will practically benefit local motorists is simply that the F6 extension will enable motorists to bypass up to 23 sets of traffic lights on the Princes Highway between St Peters and Kogarah. This is a much-needed upgrade to road infrastructure and it is part of numerous projects under this budget's $178 million investment.

In addition to the F6, King Georges Road is a major road connecting my electorate in the south of Sydney to suburbs in the south-west of Sydney. Under the previous Labor Government this main corridor was completely ignored. Congestion, which in most cases has only two lanes in each direction, is costing residents, families and small business time and money every day as they travel on it. After 40 years of patiently waiting, my local community will benefit from a $40 million injection to widen King Georges Road between Stony Creek Road, Beverly Hills and Forest Road, Hurstville. Thousands of motorists each day will benefit from the widening of the 1.5 kilometres of King Georges Road to three lanes in each direction. When it comes to King Georges Road and the widening, we are getting on with the job and I can say that it is mission accomplished.

Under this budget funding has also been secured for a multistorey car park in Edgbaston Road, Beverly Hills. Transport for NSW will commence community consultation on the concept design very soon. Planning approval is assessed to be finalised over the next six months, with construction to commence some time next year. This funding is part of the budget's $133 million transport access project. This is a great win for the entire St George community. The commuter car park at Beverly Hills will encourage public transport, unclog our streets, facilitate shorter commutes and increase productivity. This is a great win for our local community.

Community safety is one of the Government's top priorities and we are getting on with the job of building a brand-new multimillion-dollar police station at Hurstville. This state-of-the-art $29 million police station will ensure local police have the resources they need for generations to come. The St George Local Area Command does an outstanding job across the area and I thank every one of our local law enforcement officers for their proactive approach to policing to ensure local crime rates continue to fall. This Government cares about families and communities across New South Wales, particularly the ones in my electorate. I thank the Premier and Treasurer for what they have done to help deliver many real outstanding outcomes for the people of the Oatley electorate.