Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Wahroonga) (18:27): In the previous sitting week, I brought to the attention of the House some of the significant investments made in the Wahroonga electorate under the previous Coalition Government. Major projects such as NorthConnex and upgrades to Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, the Pacific Highway, local schools and railway stations have been transformative for my community and have helped to support our growing population. I highlighted the impressive local investments of the former Coalition Government, and demonstrated how that investment has sadly not been matched by the current Minns Labor Government. In fact, no new infrastructure commitments have been made to my electorate in the past two years.

Despite imposing significant planning changes on the Wahroonga electorate and surrounding suburbs without community consultation or consideration, the Minns Labor Government refuses to invest in important local infrastructure. Worse still, the Minns Labor Government has tried to recover infrastructure funding that was already promised to the electorate by the former Coalition Government. For example, the Minns Labor Government has tried to recover the $40 million given to Hornsby Shire Council for the Westleigh Park upgrade, as well as money given to Ku-ring-gai Council for more parking for commuters along the North Shore train line. Those were commitments made by the former Coalition Government. It is proof that the Minns Labor Government is not serious about creating liveable cities for the people of New  South Wales.

Westleigh and its surrounding suburbs are in desperate need of usable open space. Taking this money away is an attack on our community. The Minns Labor Government has also attacked our community by selling Hillview Community Health Centre. The land for that centre was purchased by the health and transport departments in the 1970s. The State Government made this strategic investment for health services and because of its proximity to the Pacific Highway and the North Shore train line. The Minns Labor Government has announced that it will sell Hillview Community Health Centre to private property developers, which is a breach of its election promise to not privatise any public assets.

That site is of particular concern because its sale will prevent the much-needed expansion of the Pacific Highway at Turramurra and the expansion of the 100-year-old North Shore train line to accommodate the increase in our local population. It is incredibly short‑sighted. The land was invested in for the expansion of our city. The Pacific Highway is the major northern route out of Sydney. Selling this site would be a huge mistake and it would have long-lasting consequences for our city. We desperately need to expand the railway bridges over the Pacific Highway at Turramurra and Pymble to handle the population increase that is being pushed on our city by the Minns Government.

The Wahroonga electorate needs more bus services in addition to road expansions. Many of my constituents consistently ask me for more bus services, particularly young people. The Minns Labor Government continues to reject those requests. We are greatly in need of more investment in our century-old drainage and sewerage services, parks and sporting facilities. The former Coalition Government made major investments in Mark Taylor Oval and Westleigh Park. Many community members and sporting clubs are already enjoying the benefits of those investments. It is now up to the Minns Labor Government to invest in our local community. I will not be holding my breath for any funding for our local community if the first two years of this Government are anything to go by. So far, the Minns Labor Government has not invested in schools, parks, roads or sporting facilities to accompany the increases in our local population.

That is the policy of the Minns Government. Several reports from the Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils have already identified the dearth of sporting facility investments in our area. That might explain why housing approvals and housing completions have plummeted around the State in the past two years in comparison with the much higher numbers during the 12 years when the Liberal Party was in government. Rental affordability greatly increased during the 12 years of the former Coalition Government. Over the past two years rental unaffordability has reached depths never seen during the 12 years of the Coalition Government. The Government will deliver the State budget in future weeks. We can only hope that there will be true investment in local infrastructure in Wahroonga and elsewhere in our State.