Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to commend the recent announcement by the New South Wales transport minister, Gladys Berejiklian, that the state government will install lifts at the Arncliffe railway station within my electorate of Barton. For years, community groups and individual constituents with mobility issues have been raising their concerns about the lack of a lift at the station. For residents who are elderly, mothers with prams and children, and those with impairments that prevent them from walking upstairs, the lack of a lift had presented a significant problem. For the average able-bodied person, no lift at a train station means the opportunity for exercise, or a slight inconvenience if you are carrying bags or are tired after a long day at work. For those with small children, disabilities or the elderly, however, it is the difference between accessing train services and being unable to travel.

Representatives such as John Flowers, the member for Rockdale, and Councillor Michael Nagi of Rockdale City Council, have been joining their voices to those of the community regarding this issue, and now their calls have been heeded by the New South Wales Liberal government. This is an encouraging move, which ratifies the clear intentions of Sydney Trains and the minister for transport to make Sydney's stations accessible for all. I commend the transport minister for considering the most vulnerable within my electorate and call on all responsible bodies to make haste in installing the much-needed lifts at Arncliffe railway station.