Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been pushing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs for some time to include the Warnervale Community Centre in a pilot program. However, today in the Main Committee, the member for Shortland was doing the bidding of her Labor factional mate Councillor Warren Welham, who is promoting himself as the Labor candidate for the state seat of Wyong.

Labor has the view that, if the federal government comes to the rescue and bails it out of its obligation, it then becomes incumbent on the federal government to keep doing so. Labor is so dishonest that it will say or do anything to get into power. The member for Shortland should know that there are two sides to a contract for funding. Two-way negotiations take time: proposals need to be requested and responded to and questions need to be asked and answered. The minister can respond only when answers are received, and this can cause delays. The state Liberal candidate for Wyong, Brenton Pavier, and I have visited the Warnervale Community Centre on a number of occasions to encourage them to get this information together as soon as possible.

I want to turn now to another issue. Several months ago, the Central Coast community successfully fought plans by Sydney Gas to mine gas in the Yarramalong and Dooralong valleys. Whilst the project was permitted under state Labor’s legislation, I worked with the Australian Gas Alliance and local residents to stall the project because of its likely effects on our local water supply. The win showed just what can be achieved when residents work together to fight proposals that are not in the best interests of our area. It was a case of people power against corporate greed and, in spite of Labor’s draconian legislation, the people won.

Sadly, we are again facing a similar encroachment: Kores Australia, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Korean Resources Corporation, a mining agency of the Korean government, want to mine the Wyong valleys for more than 40 years. The company wants approval to extract up to five million tonnes of coal a year from seams in the valleys between 350 and 650 metres below the surface.

Our water catchment is our most precious asset on the Central Coast, and the risk of contaminated water reaching our water supply is a worrying prospect for local residents and community leaders. Whilst this matter is under the jurisdiction of the New South Wales government, I have called on the Howard government to investigate the likely impacts of the company’s plans on our water catchment. I have made a formal request to the minister for a federal investigation of the project, including the likely impact of coalmining on the Central Coast watertable, the outcomes of similar projects in Australia and abroad, possible steps to ensure that our water catchment is not ruined and whether there are grounds for federal involvement.

As the federal member for Dobell it is my responsibility to run a ruler over projects in my electorate that will affect Central Coast residents and future generations. With the New South Wales Labor government set to receive up to $1 billion in royalties and millions in rail freight if the mining goes ahead, I am very concerned that it will self-approve a project that is considered by the Central Coast community to be environmentally unsound. On the ground, the local community is working hard to voice its opposition to the coalmining. A public community meeting will be held next Tuesday at the Wyong Memorial Hall, and hundreds of people are expected to attend.

I understand that Australian Gas Alliance and valley residents have also begun erecting hundreds of protest signs in a bid to get a clear message to the New South Wales Labor government. This fight affects every single resident of the Central Coast, because it is our water supply that is under threat. The valleys represent 50 per cent of the water catchment for the whole of the Central Coast. As demonstrated in the local fight against the mining plans of Sydney Gas, Central Coast Liberal Party members, state candidates and councillors are committed to protecting our natural environment and lifestyle and to supporting local residents. I speak on behalf of the Central Coast community when I say that, with the Central Coast being one of the biggest urban growth areas in New South Wales, and with our water supply at an all-time low, any project that poses even the slightest threat to our water supply should not even be on the table. I call on the New South Wales Labor government to reject this absurd proposal. If the Labor member for The Entrance and Minister for the Central Coast is serious about wanting to retain his seat, I suggest he get on to Morris Iemma as soon as possible.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I understand that in today’s matter of public importance debate mention was made of the printing allowance for members of the House of Representatives. I ask the minister at the table to please comment on what was mentioned in that MPI.