Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is working hard to deliver for the people of Western Sydney by busting congestion and getting on with delivering the jobs of the future and the jobs of today. As the member for Lindsay, I welcome our governments infrastructure investment for Western Sydney ensuring that more people can get to work and home again safer and quicker and that more people can work where they live and not have to do that long commute out of the area for a good job. I did that commute for over 10 years—15 hours a week—and I'm proud to see that investment in our community so that our kids won't have to do that long commute. They will have access to good local jobs.

In New South Wales alone we are investing $39.2 billion in infrastructure. In Western Sydney over $5.3 billion will be invested to deliver congestion-busting infrastructure in roads and rail. The Morrison government, in partnership with the New South Wales government, is delivering the Western Sydney City Deal, and our goal of a 30-minute city, by delivering the first stage of the North South Rail Link, which starts in the electorate of Lindsay and goes to the airport and aerotropolis. The Western Sydney City Deal will bring over 200,000 jobs over the next 20 years. By supercharging the aerotropolis and the agribusiness precinct it will be the advanced manufacturing capital of Australia, upskilling our residents and our children in those jobs of the future and initiating new education opportunities. Airport, road and rail infrastructure will help provide the employment, housing, transport and educational opportunities needed to accommodate population growth.

I have established the Lindsay Jobs of the Future Network working together with local schools, industry and business to ensure that our kids in Lindsay and Western Sydney are being trained and educated in those jobs of the future so that they won't have to commute out of the area like many of us do today. They will be getting the jobs that are coming with the airport and the aerotropolis.

How easy is it going to be for them to get to work on the North South Rail Link from St Marys? This $3.5 billion investment by the Morrison government will provide an important local rail connection to the new airport and create the public transport spine of the new city in Western Sydney. We're working towards this important rail link being open in time for the airport's opening in 2026.

During construction of the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, over 11,300 jobs will be created. Within five years of opening it will be 28,000 jobs, and this project is already attracting a number of high-skilled industries into the area around the airport. The local target for these jobs is 30 per cent during construction and 50 per cent once the airport is operational, and I'm told that there are already up to levels of over 50 per cent local people in those jobs. We're working hard to deliver local jobs for the people in Western Sydney, and this is a priority for both the Prime Minister and me, as the member for Lindsay.

Having recently attended the opening of the Western Sydney International Airport Experience Centre with the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the minister for cities and the Minister for Finance, I can proudly say that the Morrison government is committed to easing congestion on our local roads and building the infrastructure to create more local jobs and investment in Western Sydney. This includes the construction of the M12 motorway and a $200 million Local Roads Package. A total of $170 million has been awarded for local contracts within our local community, and this is great for small and medium-sized businesses. This is great for local families.

The $2.9 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan will ease congestion, provide better roads in Western Sydney and the region, and create 4,000 local jobs. But it's not just about rail; we're investing in road upgrades—these include the Northern Road at Jamison Road in Penrith and the upgrade to Bringelly Road, the Northern Road and Camden Valley Way. We're also investing in the upgrade of Mulgoa Road between Blaikie Road and Jeanette Street—this is all in the electorate of Lindsay—and the upgrade of Dunheved Road, which is a very important road in the electorate of Lindsay. We also have upgrades to Emu Plains Station, Kingswood railway station and, importantly, with the development of the airport, St Marys railway station.

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