Thank you Mr Speaker,

I rise today to speak on a couple of issues we are presently facing in my electorate of Macarthur.

I often speak within this chamber on the need for respective state and federal governments to provide adequate levels of infrastructure to meet the needs and demands of our growing population. The reality is Mr Speaker, that my community, and indeed other areas of South-West Sydney, are experiencing exponential growth in population.

In Macarthur, we are witnessing rapid development, with old farms being converted into entire new suburbs virtually overnight and new homes cropping up daily. Thousands upon thousands of people are taking up residence in Macarthur, moving into areas such as Gilead, Campbelltown, Oran Park, Gregory Hills, Leppington, Catherine Field and Emerald Hills.

These growing communities are filled with great people, who have decided to call the Macarthur region home. It is my distinct pleasure to represent them all within this place. Many young families, in particular, are moving into the area, having decided that our community is the area in which they want to raise their children. They have moved to Macarthur seeking out opportunities in employment, business, and education; with the desire to find a thriving community to call home.

I am working hard to secure better outcomes for these people, and indeed for future residents of my community.

Time and time again, I have lobbied for the appropriate level of services and infrastructure to be established, to meet the present and future demand of my community. We are experiencing exponential growth, and it is necessary that essential infrastructure is established now.

Mr Speaker, the reality is that these residents have been let down by Liberal National Governments on a state and federal level.

It is not sufficient for the incumbent governments to continue negating all responsibility in these areas. We are already falling behind – our services are stretched thin, our roads are congested, our carparks are full, and our schools are at breaking point. I can only hazard a guess at how bad a state we will be in over the next few decades, when our region’s population is projected to surpass that of cities such as Wollongong.

Our local councils do their best to provide adequate services and local infrastructure, however the reality is that the Berejiklian Government in NSW has stripped away their powers and is giving a green light to mass development with little to no consideration as to the needs of the present and future population.

I have made innumerate representations, as have my colleagues in the State Parliament, to the federal and state Governments, highlighting the concerns of my constituents and offering advice on our region’s needs in terms of the provision of services and infrastructure.

Time and time again, my concerns fall on deaf ears, with the Morrison Government and the Berejiklian Government treating the Macarthur region with contempt. They have no concern for our community’s needs, and lack any vision for the future of Macarthur and South West Sydney.

I did not get into this job to score political points, I came here to secure better outcomes for my community with a willingness to work with whoever is in power to get this done. It would be nice if, just once, the Morrison Government took some of my community’s feedback on board and helped me deliver for my community. Instead, they appear intent on making life harder for my constituency.

The Labor Party, on the other hand, has adopted a range of policy initiatives, which will benefit the Macarthur region into the future, Mr Speaker.

One example of this is our recently announced policy in Early Childhood education, which will truly make a difference to the lives of many young families in my community. Residents from all over the Macarthur region have supported this decision, which not only extend preschool funding for 2 364 four year olds in my electorate, but will also provide up to 15 hours of subsidised early childhood education for 2 465 3 year olds from my community. This is great news for the many young families who call my electorate home, and are struggling to make ends meet.

This plan, like so many other initiatives we have been working on, is good for Macarthur children, good for Macarthur Parents, and good for our economy. This will be the biggest investment ever in early childhood education in Australia, and will help to ensure that we are a fairer and more successful nation.