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State Budget and Oatley Electorate

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-142607

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


State Budget and Oatley Electorate

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (21:23:30):

I comment on the impact of the New South Wales Labor Government's budget on my electorate and the broader St George region. To be blunt, the State budget that was handed down yesterday by the Treasurer has completely failed the people of New South Wales. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my electorate of Oatley. When the New South Wales Labor Government handed down its first budget last year, it signalled the beginning a worrying trend. In 2023 the Labor State budget delivered next to nothing for my community. Our infrastructure needs were ignored despite commitments made by Labor. However, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it was an oversight that the New South Wales Labor Government had simply forgotten its election commitments to fund those vital projects within my community.

This budget has shown that the Labor Government is just like a broken record—an endless cycle of cuts, lies and broken promises to my electorate. Again, this year's budget has no significant investments in the projects and infrastructure upgrades that the local community and I have been fighting for tirelessly. There is no funding to rebuild Carss Park swimming pool; to build the Oatley-Como walkway and cycleway; to upgrade Peakhurst West swimming pool, any of our local schools or Belmore Road; to widen the bridge over the railway line at Riverwood; or to revitalise Salt Pan Creek Reserve in Riverwood. Local residents continue to navigate down the same pothole‑ridden State roads, cram into overcrowded trains during peak hour and wait for the promised local infrastructure to be delivered. Whilst I am pleased to see funding continued for the completion of stage one and the planning of stage 2A of the widening of King Georges Road, it does not change the fact that under Labor our area is moving backwards. We are in serious danger of falling behind. But it was not always like this.

Despite years of neglect under Labor, my community saw a complete transformation thanks to strong investment from the former Liberal Government. The former Liberal Government delivered an over $740 million upgrade to St George Hospital for a new emergency care department, a birthing unit and ambulatory care facilities. It delivered significant upgrades to Oatley and Narwee railway stations, which provides accessible and modern public transport solutions and the King Georges Road widening project, which will significantly reduce congestion by upgrading the road to three lanes in each direction. It delivered more parking spaces in Riverwood and Beverly Hills by building two brand new multi‑level commuter carparks. It delivered an upgrade to every school in my local community, including a record $45 million for the redevelopment of Penshurst Public School.

There are thousands of households and businesses being left behind under this Government. Every day I hear from residents who feel let down and ignored. They are tired of the empty promises and are losing faith in this Government, which has no vision for our local area. During this difficult time our community is turning to the Liberal Party for more help. My electorate office has never been busier. We are seeing more and more people each day requesting urgent support due to the cost‑of‑living crisis. Local families are amongst the worst hit, with continued cuts to vital programs such as Back to School vouchers and Active Kids vouchers. Our local schools are also facing the pressure, with almost $150 million cut from school budgets across the State.

What does the Minns Labor Government do in response to this? It does not deliver on any new cost‑of‑living relief or rebates. Instead, it is making life more expensive for hardworking families. This Labor Government will collect more revenue than any government in the history of our State, yet none of that revenue will go back into our community or the family budget. The State budget shows that when Labor runs out of money, it will come after yours. It is clear that the Minns Labor Government has totally lost control of New South Wales' finances. Local families will continue to pay the price for Labor's mismanagement. The people of New South Wales need a government that prioritises action over empty words. I will continue to hold this Government to account and make sure that our area receives the funding it deserves.