Oatley Electorate Infrastructure

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-141056

Hansard session: Fifty-Eighth Parliament, First Session (58-1)

Oatley Electorate Infrastructure

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (20:04:32):

As I am sure everyone in this House would know, I have always been a strong advocate for investment in my local community. Since my election to this place, we have worked hard to achieve significant upgrades to local infrastructure, not just in the Oatley electorate but across the St George region. Over $740 million was delivered to upgrade St George Hospital, including the construction of a new emergency department, birthing suite and ambulatory care facility, with additional parking. This ensures that patients have, for the first time, the best possible health care and support. This $740 million is record spending over the last 10 years for St George Hospital. The $411 million stage 3 redevelopment started construction over a year and a half ago and is an important boost to healthcare services in my local community. In addition to that, the soon-to-be-completed King Georges Road widening project, after more than 60 years of waiting, was funded by the previous Liberal-Nationals Government and will be opened over the next 12 months. This will reduce travel times and boost safety along the road, helping to alleviate congestion throughout the St George region.

We also had a strong focus on education infrastructure funding, with significant upgrades to every school in my electorate and a record $45 million delivered for the redevelopment of Penshurst Public School. Over the last 10 years we funded and delivered three new commuter carparks—in Oatley, Narwee and Riverwood­­. One for Beverly Hills is currently under construction and will be built over the next year and a half, opening in 2025. These commuter car parks alleviate the pressures of parking on our local roads, ease congestion and make it easier for working families to get to and from work every day. Our rail services were upgraded for local residents, with major enhancements made to Oatley and Narwee railway stations. They were the biggest upgrades those stations have seen for over 90 years. All of this was thanks to the support of the former Liberal-Nationals Government.

We on this side of the House have a proud track record of fighting for and delivering the vital support and infrastructure our community desperately needs. In face in this year's budget, our local area needs additional funding to ensure that projects, infrastructure and services that matter most to our community continue. In last year's budget, we received no new funding for the local community—no funding for Glenlee. It is a broken promise by Labor. Before the last election, we committed $8 million to upgrade the Oatley to Como walkway, but it has now been left languishing with no sign of investment from this Government, which also has provided no new funding for Narwee, Riverwood and Oatley West public schools. In fact, what we have seen over the past six months is a $150 million cut in funding to public schools across the State. There has been no funding to upgrade Peakhurst West Swimming Pool, despite our letter to the Treasurer last year and the Department of Education stating, in a secret document, that the pool needed a major upgrade and maintenance.

The only thing this Government seems to be good at doing when handing down budgets is cutting and more cutting across our local community. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, we have seen significant cuts to the Active Kids program, the Back to School vouchers, and innovation, science and technology.

Dr Hugh McDermott:

Point of order: This is a private member's statement. It is meant to be about the member's electorate, rather than about attacking the Government. I ask you to bring him back to talk about his electorate.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Michael Kemp):

I thank the member for the point of order. The member for Oatley will return to speaking about his electorate.

Mr MARK COURE:

These cuts in my electorate—bingo—are being felt by working families across my electorate. In fact, many of the cuts were to cost-of-living support measures aimed at helping families who were doing it tough. The next State budget is approaching, so I will lay out some of the things my community would like to see from this Government. Cost-of-living support must be top of mind for the next budget. Local families want and need the Active Kids, Creative Kids, First Lap and Back to School vouchers reinstated. In my electorate, 650 people have signed my petition calling on the Government to restore the Back to School vouchers.