State MPs Stake Their Claim for the West
The NSW Government and NSW Opposition yesterday shared their vision for Greater Western Sydney ahead of the March 25 election, acknowledging the contest will be won or lost in the city’s west.
Speaking at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s NSW State Election Forum at Commbank Stadium in Parramatta, the Government and Opposition re-affirmed their commitments to Greater Western Sydney 16 days out from polling day.
The forum brought together Roads Minister Natalie Ward, Penrith MP Stuart Ayres, Shadow Education Minister Prue Car and Shadow Planning Minister Paul Scully who were quizzed on their education, infrastructure, planning and social policy priorities for GWS by former state leaders John Robertson and Peter Collins AM KC.
Dialogue Chairman Christopher Brown AM said Western Sydney welcomed the election commitments from both parties, adding that whoever wins office on March 25 must commit to cementing Western Sydney as central to the nation’s future prosperity.
“We want the next NSW Government to commit to taking Western Sydney from being Sydney’s problem to Australia’s solution,” Mr Brown said.
“The election means so many different things to different parts of Western Sydney, but the central theme remains a commitment to local services, cost-of-living equality, infrastructure investment and transport connections.
“We welcomed the opportunity to put forward the key policy issues and infrastructure projects that we believe will continue the transformation of Western Sydney.”
The forum came after the Dialogue released its 2023 NSW Election Priorities. The Dialogue is calling on both sides of NSW politics to commit to:
• Fully fund Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2
• Fully fund the Western Sydney Airport Rapid Bus Network
• A job-generating roads package, including Mamre Road Stage 2, Luddenham Road, Southern Link Road, Moorebank Avenue and the crucial Castlereagh Corridor Connection
• Fund and deliver the Bradfield-Glenfield metro extension and release timelines and budgets for new extensions
• Publish the NSW Fast Rail strategy
• Improve ‘Sydney’s Worst Rounadbout’ at the intersection of Australia Avenue and Homebush Bay Drive
• A $40 million GWS tourism package over four years to boost the overlooked Western Sydney tourism economy.
Speaking at the Summit yesterday, Prue Car said the election was “all going to be about Western Sydney”
“The biggest thing that impacts on cost-of-living pinch point in Western Sydney is the incredible tolls our people have to pay every day.
That’s why Labor will introduce a $60 toll cap for people in Western Sydney,” Ms Car reiterated.
Former Minister for Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said his seat of Penrith would offer a snapshot of the election outcome.
“It is important that we keep building infrastructure to keep people moving around Western Sydney and build connections to the new Western Sydney International Airport,” Mr Ayres said.
“We’re investing in social infrastructure after we doubled down on the hard infrastructure.”
Upper House MLC Natalie Ward said the challenge was not just pitching for the next election, but the next generation.
“Western Sydney is an area we want to encourage people to live, grow and raise a family,” Ms Ward said.
Images from the event are available on our website – 2023 Dialogue Partners’ State Election Forum Photos — Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue
For media information
Nicholas Rupolo – Communications Officer Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue
nicholas@westernsydney.org.au
0468 921 230
