Address-In-Reply

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-105168

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Address-In-Reply

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (15:30:17):

I move:

That the following address be adopted by this House in reply to the Speech which Her Excellency made to both Houses of Parliament:

"To Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Officer of the Order of Australia, Queen's Counsel, Governor of the State of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia.

May it please Your Excellency—

We, the members of the Legislative Assembly of the State of New South Wales, in Parliament assembled, desire to express our thanks for Your Excellency's Speech, and to express our loyalty to Australia and to the people of New South Wales.

We assure Your Excellency that our earnest consideration will be given to the measures to be submitted to us, and that we will faithfully carry out the important duties entrusted to us by the people of New South Wales.

We join Your Excellency in the hope that our labours may be so directed as to advance the best interests of all sections of the community".

It is an honour and a privilege to speak in debate on the Address-in-Reply to the Governor's Speech. It is also an honour and a privilege to stand here as the re-elected member for Oatley, a role I do not take for granted. I was born and raised in the St George area. I love the community and I do not take lightly the opportunity to serve it and to give something back to an area that has given so much to me over many years. The Governor's Speech outlined the Government's election commitments to the people of New South Wales, including locking in the State's strong economy, keeping the budget in surplus and helping businesses continue to create jobs; taking the pressure off families by helping ease the cost of living and delivering better services; fixing our roads and transport networks, easing congestion and therefore making it quicker for people to travel around; investing more than ever in health so that every person has high-quality care when they need it most; and investing more than ever before in schools, giving all children in New South Wales the best possible start in life.

These commitments are achievable only under strong economic and political leadership, which the Coalition has continuously demonstrated. First, I congratulate the Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian; the Treasurer, the Hon. Dominic Perrottet; the Deputy Premier, the Hon. John Barilaro; and the recently elected Deputy Leader of the National Party, the Hon. Paul Toole. Our parties were able to provide the people of New South Wales with an option for strong economic management and getting on with the job of delivering for them, across all platforms in our communities. I congratulate Premier Gladys Berejiklian on her outstanding and historical achievement in not only leading our party to victory but also on becoming the first elected female Premier of New South Wales.

Ms Gladys Berejiklian:

Saying that will get you far.

Mr MARK COURE:

Thank you, Premier. On election night the Premier said, "Someone with a long surname, and a woman, can be Premier of New South Wales." This highlights the opportunities available in New South Wales—a State where anything and everything is possible. I congratulate the Treasurer, the Hon. Dominic Perrottet, on his economic leadership and management. As noted during the Governor's Speech, New South Wales is on track to deliver consecutive budget surpluses over the next four years and currently leads the nation on key economic indicators, including our record low unemployment rates.

Under this economic management our State is experiencing unprecedented improvements in infrastructure across all areas, including transport, roads, education, health, law and order, and the environment. This effort has resulted in a record $89.7 billion program for New South Wales, which will continue to deliver tens of thousands of jobs in New South Wales. This investment extends across New South Wales. Residents in western and regional New South Wales will continue to have excellent representation from The Nationals members in this Parliament, whom I congratulate.

Leadership is an important role—one not taken lightly—and I wish all Ministers successful terms in their new roles. Furthermore, I congratulate all newly elected members on both sides of the political spectrum. While the job of representing a local community is extremely rewarding it can be extremely demanding and, at times, it can appear thankless. I thank each and every one of you, now, for your dedication to the people of New South Wales, especially to the people in your electorates. I wish all members the very best in representing their communities in this the Fifty-Seventh Parliament of New South Wales.

During this election our Government put to the people of New South Wales our plan for getting on with the job and delivering for them. One area where this could not be more evident is across our public transport network. Our Government has delivered train station upgrades across the network, including in my electorate at Oatley and Narwee. Making public transport more accessible is a priority for this Government as patronage of our rail network is at a record high. In the past five years the number of trips has increased by over 100 million to 400 million a year, representing a 40 per cent increase in patronage. As a result, we are not only delivering station upgrades across the network but also making access to our rail network easier than ever before. Commuter car parks are being built across New South Wales. I am proud to have delivered commuter car parks for Oatley station, and to have secured much-needed funding for the same at both Beverly Hills and Riverwood stations. In total, this Government has added more than 6,000 spaces, with another 6,000 in planning or under construction.

Our record level of infrastructure investment since coming to Government in 2011 is already delivering other significant boosts to our rail services. Earlier this week the Premier and the Minister for Transport and Roads announced that services on the new Sydney Metro Northwest rail line will commence later this month. The Sydney Metro is Australia's biggest public transport project and is the first fully automated railway in Australia. The Sydney Metro Northwest is just the first stage of this project. I congratulate everyone involved.

This is a Government that continues to deliver. As we delivered the Opal card system in our previous term of government, this Government will now deliver projects such as the light rail in Newcastle and the recently announced More Trains, More Services program, which will extensively transform our rail network, particularly on the Illawarra line. This investment in our public transport network is to ensure residents across New South Wales are spending less time commuting, and more time with their families and friends. This is only achievable, however, in conjunction with our record investment in our road network.

Across my electorate we are seeing investment in the widening of King Georges Road, a project that has been talked about for generations. For too long motorists have experienced significant congestion along this road corridor, particularly during week-day peak periods. Our Government has recognised this, and acted. The proposed improvements are designed to deliver a faster, more reliable journey. It is time to ease congestion across our road network. Furthermore, the F6 extension will also ease congestion across our network, connecting President Avenue at Kogarah to the new M5 motorway at Arncliffe. This project will remove more than 2,000 trucks a day from surface roads, returning local streets to local communities. For us, it is about creating an integrated transport solution across New South Wales. The integrated network includes the M5 widening, the M4 extension and the construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link—to name just a few—and will result in the creation of thousands of quality jobs and reduced travel times across our great State. Those projects, along with localised road projects, are also aimed at improving road safety to ensure that motorists return home from their destinations.

Perhaps my proudest achievement over the past eight years of this Government is our record spend on health infrastructure, frontline health services and staff. As the member for Oatley, I made it my mission to campaign and advocate for much-needed upgrades and the redevelopment of St George Hospital. The Government is ensuring that communities throughout New South Wales will have access to first-class health services, with state-of-the-art maternity, birthing, newborn care and paediatric facilities being delivered as part of the rebuild. My son, James, was born at St George Hospital five years ago. My wife and I are currently expecting our second, who will be on the way later this year. St George Hospital is now a hospital I feel confident in and one that we in the St George region can be proud of after 16 years of neglect.

The record $8.4 billion statewide health infrastructure building boom—on top of the nearly $10 billion invested since 2011—has been possible only because of our strong economic management. That is on top of a record 16,000 frontline staff who have been delivered since 2011, the current recruitment of an extra 8,300 frontline hospital staff and the building of another 100 new and upgraded hospitals and other health facilities in addition to the 100 already delivered. That is great news. St George Hospital is now up to stage three of its redevelopment, resulting in over $700 million in investment, including for a new acute services building, a birthing suite, an emergency services department and a car park. I look forward to updates on the $1.3 billion redevelopment of the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in addition to the millions of dollars being invested at the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick and Westmead, at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and at Ryde and Sutherland. Once again, our record spending on health infrastructure is providing jobs by the thousands, including up to 26,000 direct annual jobs in western Sydney alone.

A cornerstone of this Government is making life easier for the people of New South Wales, and that includes the rollout of Service NSW centres across our great State to deliver much-needed access to government services in a timely, friendly and helpful manner. With more than 98 per cent of residents already being reached by a Service NSW centre, we are determined to reach every corner of the State. No matter what part of New South Wales people live in, we want to make sure that all residents are able to access the rebates on offer to ease the cost of living. In 2013 the Government introduced Service NSW as a one-stop shop for vital services such as getting a birth certificate, Seniors Card or driver licence or renewing a vehicle registration. I have witnessed firsthand the amazing work of Service NSW at Hurstville. I welcome the election announcement by the Minister for Customer Service about a new centre at Roselands and at nine other locations across the State.

Extension of time

During the election campaign, the cost of living was raised continually as one of the single most important issues that people face. Under the directive of this Government, residents can now access over 40 rebates, including for free registration, Energy Switch and the Active Kids and Creative Kids vouchers. As a result, our Government has given back more than $200 million to people across New South Wales over the past year alone. I look forward to what Minister Dominello has planned in his continued efforts to reduce red tape and paperwork while also increasing the rebates available through Service NSW centres. []

As noted in Her Excellency's speech, we are a government that is focused on providing the children of New South Wales with the best possible start in life. This is why we as a government have invested $6.5 billion in education, including the rollout of 190 new and upgraded schools across the State. These include two schools in my electorate: Penshurst Public School and Penshurst West Public School. I look forward to following the progress of these redevelopments and ensuring that local students have access to state-of-the-art learning facilities. In this year alone, 17 new and upgraded schools opened for the first day of term one, providing almost 400 new classrooms for students across our great State. I am sure that I speak for all members of this Parliament who currently have a school being upgraded or redeveloped in their electorate when I say that the excitement on the faces of students—and their parents for that matter—and the gratitude of the teachers and parents speaks volumes.

The New South Wales Government's record investment in new and upgraded schools is on top of the $1.3 billion to wipe the existing school maintenance backlog to zero and the $500 million for the Cooler Classrooms Program to provide air conditioning in more classrooms than ever before. As previously mentioned, our Government is focused on easing the cost-of-living pressure on families, which will include access to before‑ and after‑school care. We aim to reduce the cost of before- and after-school care by up to $225 per child per year via a capped rental subsidy. The $120 million strategy over four years includes $50 million to help schools buy new equipment and expand their facilities. Investing in education invests in our children's future, and our investment stretches across all stages of education from early childhood education to primary and secondary through to our TAFE network.

Our plan to expand and boost funding to TAFE across New South Wales is bold and ambitious. It will include 700,000 free TAFE courses over four years; eight new TAFE campuses in regional locations that have never experienced a major TAFE presence before; a new super campus in western Sydney; and an additional $227 million in new funding for TAFE over four years. On a personal note, my son, James, started his first year of school in January and my wife is a high school teacher. Education is therefore a huge passion of mine. I am proud to stand on this side of the Chamber representing a government that is continuing to invest in every facet of our education system across this State. While I am speaking about family, I feel it is a perfect time to bring up our Government's continued investment in protecting our communities.

I attended my local area command's monthly community safety precinct meeting and it is always encouraging to hear the great news that the New South Wales police continue to keep the community safe, with crime statistics continuing to show that all major categories are either stable or falling. Police men and women across the State continue to deliver time and again, putting their personal safety on the line to ensure that our communities are safe and protected. I am proud to be part of a government that recognises this incredible work and is investing accordingly to allow officers to continue this daunting task. For example, in last year's budget the Government announced $29 million to upgrade and redevelop Hurstville Police Station. My local community was thrilled with this announcement, as I am sure were many other communities across the State with similar announcements.

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Last week the Premier and the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, along with Her Excellency the Governor, welcomed Class 337 to the NSW Police Force—which includes 261 new probationary constables, 16 of whom are in my electorate. With only 2 minutes of my speech remaining, I once again thank Her Excellency for her address to both Houses. I wish Her Excellency every success in her new role—a role she will approach with the same grace, dignity and excellence as she has approached her numerous previous roles. I also take this opportunity to once again congratulate everyone who has been elected to the Fifty‑Seventh Parliament—particularly the new faces who join this family we call the New South Wales Parliament.

Like any family, we are going to disagree, debate, fight and argue but the diversity in this room is reflective of the great State of New South Wales that we are here to represent. Each member has had their own path to walk which has shaped the ideas and perspectives they bring today to this Chamber. We are all here to ensure that New South Wales is the best possible version of itself it can be. I thank the people of New South Wales for placing their trust in our Government as we get on with the job of delivering for them. My commitment to my electorate and to this side of the Chamber is that I will continue to fight for what my community needs. I want to ensure that the community that raised me continues to be what I believe is the best place to live, work and raise a family.

Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra) (15:50:08):

I second the motion to adopt the address‑in‑reply. I address the House in support of this motion most humbly and I am deeply honoured to follow the member for Oatley in reply to the address of the Governor of New South Wales. While Her Excellency's term as Governor may have just begun, her service to New South Wales throughout an extraordinary legal career speaks for itself. The Governor spoke about respect. Respect from our constituents is not a given; it does not come tied up with a bow and a tag attached with "member" written on it. Over the next four years we must work for it at a grassroots level; and we must work hard.

The member for Oatley has painted for us today a stunning picture of progress, and nowhere is that image sharper than in regional New South Wales. Never before have our people—country people—seen the level of investment in their towns and villages as they are seeing now. This investment is a result of the dogged determination of individual members and an overarching policy platform with the vision and economic know‑how to get things done. Among my Nationals colleagues are the hardest working members in the State. They cover vast distances and they deliver for their people, and their people have delivered impressive victories in return. The Nationals represent nearly half of the State's 30-odd rural, regional and coastal seats. We are their voice, and their voice is loud. Our people delivered for us a third term in government for the first time in 50 years. It is a loud vote of confidence in our vision—a vision that has grown over a century, as this year the Nationals celebrate our 100th year in representing the interests of the bush.

As one of the newer members in the ranks, to be bestowed the honour of serving as The Nationals Whip is a surprising and immense privilege. I thank the member for Myall Lakes, who has kept this motley crew in line for four years, and acknowledge all those who have come before me. Beyond the personal honour, I believe this appointment truly demonstrates that we are not a party afraid of change or new perspectives. Built on the legacy of our forebears, we are a party for today and for the next 100 years. All of our members should take great pride in that. The Governor eloquently outlined today the Government's vision, and it begins with people who have been liberated and enabled by a strong economy to achieve and strive for greatness.

Our economy matters, not because we like sitting in a tower counting our coins but because it allows us to invest in our people and in building and supporting communities young and old. As a result of the strength of our economy, in two years The Nationals are delivering more than 1,300 community infrastructure projects in rural and regional New South Wales through the $1.6 billion Regional Growth Fund. Today, shoulder to shoulder, we form a majority government that has been built on the back of delivering on our commitments. In my 18 months as the member for Cootamundra, Temora Hospital has gone from a vital facility on the brink of closure to the joyous opening of a $2.3 million brand new operating theatre at the hospital.

We have opened a $1 million fisheries research centre in Narrandera and announced a $60 million upgrade to the Junee to Griffith rail line. This is in an electorate without a major regional centre. Those milestones were made possible because of a government that does not measure value by population density. The decentralisation of the Department of Primary Industries [DPI] to Orange—back to the country where it belongs—is generating a $98 million boost for the local economy, with 40 jobs created in planning and 130 direct jobs in construction.

In January this year the Government announced 14 new overtaking lanes for the Newell Highway between Narrandera and Parkes. This improvement is desperately needed and has long been called for. Since 2011 the Government has invested a historic $523 million in the Newell Highway and $31.9 billion in regional roads. In February the Deputy Premier launched a visionary set of policies tied to The Nationals 20‑year economic vision for regional New South Wales. Many of our opponents ran on a dull political platform of making electorates marginal; but when faced with record-smashing investment all across the State, that becomes hard to justify.

The truth is that irrespective of whether an electorate is marginal, a safe seat or held by the Opposition, The Nationals care about the prosperity and the future of regional New South Wales. We live in regional areas of New South Wales and we care about our communities. Among The Nationals team will not be found career political hacks, celebrity candidates or wealthy wildcards looking to further their own private agendas. What unites us is geographical disadvantage and a determination to level the playing field. Of course, building a stronger future starts with our children. The Government is building or upgrading upwards of 170 schools to ensure that distance is not a barrier to the best education. In Cootamundra students are lighting up Bunsen burners in brand new, $630,000 upgraded science laboratories. These facilities are part of the historic, statewide, $6 billion school building program.

The Government is cooling all public schools with a mean maximum temperature of more than 30 degrees—that would have to be close to every single school represented by a Nats member—and will clear the schools maintenance backlog by July 2020. That represents a $12.7 million spend in my electorate alone. Since 2017 The Nationals have delivered 14 new or upgraded TAFE campuses across rural and regional New South Wales. Eight additional new campuses are planned for Byron Bay, Cobar, Hay, Jindabyne, Nambucca Heads, Griffith, Bega and West Wyalong. Amazing facilities create an environment that is conducive to learning. But even more important, as the Governor put it so well, are our teachers. The Government continues to boost our teacher numbers across the State and will ensure a full-time counsellor and mental health support worker at every one of our public high schools.

While we put our younger generation on the path to success, we need paths made of dirt, gravel and tar that are safe and ready for the freight demands of tomorrow. It is important to note that The Nationals are investing an additional $1.54 billion to fix rural roads and bridges. Over the next 10 years, the Government will duplicate the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow, complete the Muswellbrook bypass, continue to seal the Cobb and Silver highways and complete the Coffs Harbour bypass. As I announced on a blustery Thursday, the Government will flood-proof the Newell Highway between Forbes and West Wyalong. Previous flood events, such as the one in 2016 that closed the highway for six weeks left locals stranded and unable to get to work and schools and to access basic services. This $200 million upgrade will help to safeguard against that ever happening again.

The Nationals live where we live because we want to. No-one knows that better than our constituents. We live where we live because we love our communities, take pride in our industries and relish the superior quality of life. And we can make it so much better. The legacy of the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Scheme will be invested solely in generational projects for regional, rural and remote New South Wales. What a coup for the people of the Cootamundra electorate that the first major project to benefit from that funding is in our own backyard. I am talking about the $650 million investment to raise the Wyangala Dam. The project is logistically difficult but fundamentally vital to secure water for towns in the Lachlan Valley, including Cowra, Forbes and Condobolin. Environmental and economic studies will begin this year. We are already investigating new and replacement weirs at Walgett, Gin Gin and Wilcannia, and new pipelines, including from Lake Rowlands to Carcoar. These dams are about futureproofing our rural communities, but I am also incredibly proud to be a part of a government that recognises the extreme challenges and, for many, the pain of the present.

Drought is felt nowhere more acutely than in regional New South Wales. During the election campaign my Labor opponent criticised me for "only caring about farmers". That demonstrates, quite beautifully, the problem with Labor. Labor just does not get it. Labor does not understand that supporting our farmers through drought will ensure that food remains on tables in the inner west, job cuts at abattoirs in my electorate will be limited, cafes in Armidale will stay open and local schools will attract quality teachers to the bush. The election may be over; the drought is not. This Government's commitment to its unprecedented $1.5 billion drought support package is unwavering. We will also introduce an Agricultural Commissioner to ensure that the integrity of those working on the land is protected. Three new Doppler weather stations at Parkes, Brewarrina and Hillston‑Ivanhoe—covering almost 30 per cent of the State—will deliver real-time data and improve our ability to plan during challenging times on the land. We will never hang our farmers out to dry.

We cannot talk about infrastructure without acknowledging this Coalition Government's record on health. Across the State more than 50 regional hospitals have either been built or upgraded. In February this year construction of the new renal unit at Dubbo hospital got underway, which proves that progress does not pause for elections. This was the latest stage in the $241 million project to make the hospital a major rural referral centre. In last year's budget $202.6 million was allocated to continue the investment at Albury, Broken Hill, Bulli, Gosford, Goulburn, Lismore, Muswellbrook, Port Macquarie, Shellharbour, Wagga Wagga and Wyong hospitals; $108 million was pledged for ongoing builds at Macksville, Maitland, Mudgee and Tweed; and there is $67 million to continue investment at Coifs Harbour, Cooma, Grafton, Inverell and Manning hospitals. As of the election, country seats have continued to be supported by this Government, with funding of $70 million for the redevelopment of Cowra District Hospital, $140 million for Manning Base Hospital and $80 million for Moree Hospital.

Finally, I thank the Governor for digging through the Government's various policies to identify what should be our guiding star: equality. I am also incredibly proud of the first actions of the Deputy Premier as we commence our third term in office. In July last year a youth forum was held at Henry Lawson High School, Grenfell. The students who took part in that forum were engaged and expressed electric optimism. They discussed their lives, their worries and what makes them happy. That youth forum, and others held across the State, put the power back into the hands of our kids. Sadly, for many young people in regional New South Wales optimism fades as opportunity and support seem to dwindle, and disparate unemployment, suicide and substance abuse rates tell that story in cold numbers. But what really drives the message home is the slow feeling of a town that our kids have fled, the call of condolence to a family who will not get to celebrate a member's eighteenth birthday or a 15‑year‑old with promise and spark who is driven to drugs out of boredom. We have to do more.

The Hon. Bronnie Taylor has been appointed as this State's first dedicated Minister for regional youth to tackle these issues head‑on. I am thrilled at her appointment. I know she will bring to the role the profound compassion and impressive expertise for which she is so respected and loved. We will create the first regional youth strategy in this State and continue our investment in policy to tackle regional homelessness and underemployment, mental health and the scourge of crystal methamphetamine, known as "ice", in our country towns. Indeed, it is our duty and obligation—as the Governor so rightly said—to not put it in the too‑hard basket.

No, it is our duty to shine a light on it, to be ambitious, to be brave and to make our communities safer, more inclusive and more productive for everyone who lives in them. I know I speak for The Nationals when I thank the people of New South Wales for trusting the Coalition Government with a third term. It is the first time we have been honoured with such an opportunity in 50 years, and we intend to continue to earn the place we are now privileged to hold in this House. I hope those who ran on a platform of "holding the Government to account" will also turn the mirror upon themselves, ensuring that the many promises they made during the campaign are met. Once again, it is an honour to speak on this motion today, reflect on the term past and mark the beginning of an exciting four years ahead for the great people of regional New South Wales. We have just begun.

Debate adjourned.