Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to update the House about my local community's campaign to improve access at Pendle Hill and Toongabbie train stations. Despite the New South Wales Liberal government's promise to dramatically increase funding for more easy access lifts at train stations, and despite hundreds of local residents signing petitions calling on the state government to deliver on their promise, Pendle Hill and Toongabbie train stations remain without lift access. For a number of years I have highlighted to the New South Wales government the need to upgrade Pendle Hill and Toongabbie train stations with lift access. The demographics of these two areas demand these upgrades. They have seen extraordinary changes in the number of people using the stations who are elderly, have a disability, have young children or have problems with mobility. Parents and new home builders, as well as empty-nesters and retirees, comprise the largest increases in age groups in these areas. There are also a number of aged-care facilities in close proximity to these stations. I am contacted on an almost weekly basis by constituents who are very frustrated about the lack of lift access at both Pendle Hill and Toongabbie stations. I have constituents who can see these stations from their homes but cannot use them. We must ensure that every member of our community has access to public transport, and lift access is crucial to this. One in five people in New South Wales has a disability, and excluding 20 per cent of the population from public transport is simply unacceptable.

I want residents to know that I will keep up the fight on their behalf so that the voices of residents in Toongabbie and Pendle Hill are heard and that they finally get the lift upgrade that they deserve.