Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Epping is the growth suburb of my electorate. You only need to look up in the sky and see the apartment buildings nearing completion or look at the vacant lots where apartment buildings are going to go up to know this. Yet, despite its growth, Epping has a major shortage of parking. When I went doorknocking in Epping last week I had the same experience locals face every single day. It took me ages to find a car park. This negatively impacts families and businesses every day. Local cafes and eateries like 2 Bunny's Cafe, Java House and Chicken on Oxford are missing out on business as people drive to other nearby neighbourhood centres that have more parking.

Epping's a suburb with great businesses and amenities, from stores like Coles to educational businesses like Summit Music School, Matrix Education, Talent 100 and Intuition Education. It's a hub for medical centres, offering dentists, orthodontists, optometrists, GPs and physios. For leisure, Epping has gyms and restaurants. It has sporting facilities at Boronia Park. It has the Epping library and the post office, offering vital services to the suburb's growing population. But the one thing it doesn't have is adequate parking to serve the local population and those people who need to visit Epping.

Parramatta council has plans to further invigorate the area and create a thriving commercial and community hub, but the message from local families is clear. They won't be able to enjoy these upgrades unless they're accompanied by significant increases in parking options. In my role as the member for Berowra and as the local representative for Epping, I will keep fighting for better parking for Epping. (Time expired)

See this speech in context