Leppington Electorate Traffic Congestion

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-150205

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

Leppington Electorate Traffic Congestion

Mr NATHAN HAGARTY (Leppington) (14:30:36):

I move:

That this House:

(1)Notes that motorists of Leppington will benefit from fast‑tracked upgrade works at Fifteenth Avenue.

(2)Acknowledges the need for further action to address ongoing congestion issues due to the 12 years of neglect by the previous Government.

(3)Commends the Government for its commitment to easing congestion in Leppington.

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (14:37:46):

I thank the member for Leppington for moving the motion because it gives me the opportunity to talk about the Coalition's delivery versus Labor's cuts, lies and broken promises. A $1 billion upgrade of Fifteenth Avenue is fantastic, but let me make it clear that it was not Labor's idea. The win belongs to the local community and the Liverpool council, not to the member for Leppington or other Government members. A photo opportunity, a sod-turn or a novelty cheque does not mean that the member for Leppington did the work. The hard yards were put in by the local community through a hard‑fought grassroots campaign demanding an upgrade from the Government to this major roadway. I commend the local community and the fantastic mayor of Liverpool, Ned Mannoun, for their efforts in writing to MPs, Ministers and shadow Ministers, in doorknocking and conducting media campaigns. They work hard day in, day out to ensure that south‑west Sydney gets the attention it deserves from members opposite. As we all know, there was a lot of show from members opposite. But, when it came to it, they were asleep at the wheel. There must be a Federal election in the air in Australia, because what we have from members opposite is an election commitment. No money of course—it is just an election commitment.

Mr MARK COURE:

I do not need any provocation at all. Thousands of local residents signed a petition calling on that to happen, and I thank everyone who did. It was thanks to their advocacy that we can finally see some movement on this important project. But the timing of the announcement is convenient. Labor knows that its heartland electorates are under threat. Those who live in south-west Sydney know that Labor has taken them for granted for far too long. The Prime Minister knows that. That is why he coughed up $500 million for the project, forcing the Minns Labor Government to do exactly the same. I would be interested to see how many letters the member for Leppington, the member for Liverpool, the member for Camden or the member for Penrith have written to the Minister for Roads. In fact, I would like to know if the Minister at the table, Minister Kamper, actually spoke up for south-west Sydney around the Cabinet table. I am willing to bet that he did not.

Because electorates like Werriwa will determine the next Federal election, we will see more promises like that between now and whenever the Federal election will be—let's say 12 April, give or take a week or two. Federal and State Labor know that the aspirational, hardworking families who live in south-west Sydney are increasingly turning against the Labor Party. They know that living costs, transport and infrastructure, and education are major issues for south-west Sydney that are being neglected by members opposite. The Premier and the Prime Minister have also claimed that the upgrade will link Liverpool and Leppington to the aerotropolis in south-west Sydney. But, according to their own diagrams, the upgrade will not even make it that far; it will only go to Devonshire Road, which is five kilometres away from the new airport site.

The uncertainty around this announcement continues. That is not necessarily the fault of the member for Leppington. He is only a newcomer with his L plates on, so we cannot blame him. Having been a member for less than two years, he obviously does not have much experience in what good government looks like. Local residents want to know how much it will cost in total, when construction will start, how many houses will be knocked down to build it, and more. The member for Leppington was so desperate not to make Fifteenth Avenue just another Labor broken election promise that he had to beg the Prime Minister and the Premier to save it and rush the announcement even before Transport for NSW had finished the business case.

This Government is all about the photo op and never about the details. In contrast, the former Liberal‑Nationals Government has a formidable track record of delivering infrastructure across New South Wales, and indeed across south-west Sydney. When we were in government, we did not just talk about the upgrades; we delivered them. We actually built stuff: WestConnex, M5 upgrades, metro systems the M8 and more. We completed school upgrades, hospital upgrades and much more. Members on this side of the House understand the issues affecting south-west Sydney. We put south-west Sydney first time and again, and actions speak louder than words. I move:

That the motion be amended by omitting all words after "House" and instead inserting:

(1)Commends Liverpool council for its proactive approach in improving local infrastructure and easing congestion in Leppington.

(2)Acknowledges the council's leadership in fast-tracking upgrade works at Fifteenth Avenue, which will benefit local motorists and enhance connectivity.

(3)Recognises the importance of continued investment in road and transport infrastructure to meet the needs of Liverpool's growing community.

(4)Congratulates the shadow Minister for South-West Sydney, Mark Coure, MP, on his strong advocacy and support for this vital project for the region.