John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to address an increasing problem in my electorate of Bennelong: the inability of governments both state and federal to deliver genuine progress on the infrastructure needs of one of the fastest growing regions in our country. On 11 August this year the federal government made an election promise to contribute $2.1 billion—the largest financial commitment of the campaign—towards the construction of the Epping-Parramatta rail link. It took just 90 days for the ALP national secretary to label this election promise an election mistake. This admission may have shocked the National Press Club but the people of Bennelong were far from surprised. The Epping-Parramatta rail link has been promised by successive state and federal Labor governments for more than 12 years. This election promise was a cheap political stunt to win votes in a marginal seat. It is becoming increasingly clear that this was an empty promise that this government never had an intention of honouring. The former member for Bennelong, Maxine McKew, has noted this morning:

There was too great a gap between promises and delivery. People want to know … that you will do what you say you will do. There is no doubt that we crashed through a credibility barrier …

An infrastructure development like this needs detailed planning to get the construction right and to ensure that taxpayer money is spent as productively and efficiently as possible. Bennelong is part of the north-western region of Sydney, which is one of the fastest growing corridors in the nation, yet for too many years we have been subject to a litany of broken promises on the provision of crucial infrastructure services. As we wait, the roads become more clogged, commuters become more frustrated and the cost to business and the cost of living soar. Infrastructure has simply not kept pace. The Epping-Parramatta rail link is merely part 2 of the Chatswood-Parramatta rail link that was announced by the state Labor government in 1998. The other major transport development needed is the north-west rail link, which will provide essential rail infrastructure from Epping through to Rouse Hill, helping tens of thousands of people get off the roads.

Building both the Epping-Parramatta rail link and the north-west rail link will directly help the people of Bennelong to reclaim our streets. The price of not doing these projects is simply too high. Inaction will lead to widespread gridlock, resulting ultimately in the demise of our great city of Sydney through strangulation. We must work and fight to ensure that this does not happen. Both the Epping-Parramatta rail link and the north-west rail link must be planned and built now.