Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Wahroonga) (18:32): I do not speak in this place about local government matters in my electorate unless they have a connection to State Government matters. The last time that I spoke about Ku-ring-gai Council in the House was November 2021, but today I raise some matters of concern. In 2016—without notifying me—Ku-ring-gai Council, together with West Pymble Football Club, applied for a State government grant to change the playing surface at Norman Griffiths Oval, which is owned by the council, converting it into artificial grass. Without my involvement, the council and football club secured that grant.

As the local member of the Government providing the grant, in 2017 I stood and was photographed with the Minister, the then mayor and a group of under-10s players to announce the successful $500,000 State Government grant, to which another $250,000 was later added. Today in 2026 the project is only partly completed, the contractor has been sacked by the council and the $3 million initial sum to complete the project has now blown out to $20 million. The football club, West Pymble community and adjoining stakeholders, like the Bicentennial Club, are devastated by the delay. The council is still prevaricating and the primary schoolkids who I stood with in the 2017 photo when the State Government grant was announced are now at university.

Despite attempts by anonymous people on social media to blame me for the appalling situation, my only involvement in the project was standing for a photo in 2017, listening to the views of the community and encouraging the council to get on with the project after the State Government gave the grant. The St Ives High School basketball court development has not received much media attention, but it tells a similar story. According to the council report dated 11 October 2017, Ku-ring-gai Council was in talks with the Department of Education in 2016—without my prior knowledge or involvement—about a joint use of local school facilities at Ku-ring-gai High School, St Ives High School and the Lindfield Learning Village.

The proposal specifically related to the use of school land to jointly develop with council some indoor sports courts and synthetic hockey and football facilities. After that report to council, Ku-ring-gai Council applied for State Government grants in 2018, which I supported. The council was awarded $2.25 million for a synthetic hockey field and $3.5 million for the council to build two basketball courts, in addition to the two courts being built by the State Government at St Ives High School. But, as is so often the case, there were massive delays in delivery by Ku-ring-gai Council. The hockey field was only completed at Ku-ring-gai High School in 2024 and the two St Ives High School basketball courts provided by the council were opened in 2026 at a cost of $30 million.

That means it took six years to replace an existing hockey surface and eight years to build two basketball courts, a car park and canteen. I had nothing to do with the St Ives High School courts project after 2019, when council rejected the opportunity to be part of the Department of Education construction contract. At the time, I received written advice from the education Minister that it would have cost the council $13.7 million to build its part of the project. The State Government rapidly completed its own part of the project in 2021 after the council decided to go it alone. The council's part of the project was completed in early 2026 at a cost of $30 million, which is $16 million more than the $13.7 million that it would have cost if it had decided to join the State Government's construction contract in 2019.

With two projects initiated by the council securing State government grants with a total cost overrun of more than $33 million, what accountability for the extra ratepayer money is being taken by the elected or employed members of the council, especially those who have continuously served on the council during that period? Were any councillors responsible for overseeing those projects? Ku-ring-gai Council is now in the process of applying to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to increase residents' rates by a huge 29 per cent to help pay for the $33 million of mismanagement of Norman Griffiths Oval and St Ives High School. All of that could cause the Bicentennial Club to close its doors due to the financial impact on its patronage. I urge Ku‑ring‑gai Council to prioritise the completion of the Norman Griffiths project, restore confidence in its processes and urgently deliver the facility that the community was promised.