Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

South-west Sydney is home to every culture and religion. This year is the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines. In Werriwa, one of the most active and involved cultural groups are Filipino Australians. Over 3,000 residents were born in the Philippines, and Tagalog is spoken by more than 2,500 of my constituents. Few countries enjoy such a close relationship as the Philippines does with Australia. Our economic, defence and development ties are indicative of the significant mutual respect and trust. It is a partnership in every sense.

Last weekend, I attended the marking of the Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo celebrations with our local Filipino community. Marked by mass officiated by Father Paul Monkerud at All Saints Liverpool, the event showcased our wonderful volunteer Philippine community. Locally, it was my pleasure to deliver an election commitment by securing a $10,000 grant to support the Philippine Australian Global Alliance for Service and Advocacy, the Visayan Association of Australia and the Philippine-Australian Community Foundation. The Albanese government is supporting the hardworking volunteers to run events throughout the year for members of the Philippine and wider Australian community in south-west Sydney. Thank you again to Juan Salazar and all of the volunteers for their work. They ensure that the friendship between our two nations continues to grow and flourish.

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is a transformational project for all of Sydney, building our economic resilience and boosting capacity for freight and tourism. The airport—named after female aviation icon Nancy-Bird Walton, founder of the Australian Women Pilots' Association and a trailblazing aviator—is about to open. In May my staff and I had the privilege of a guided tour of the new airport, hosted by executives who have delivered WSI on budget and on time. The welcoming interior and modern amenities show that this is truly a 21st century project and ranks amongst the most modern and innovative airports in the world. It will open to passengers later in the year.

The airport has already strongly supported the local economy, using Australian sourced and locally fabricated steel, and sandstone from the Central Coast, cut in Western Sydney, and contracting local IT and technology companies right here in Sydney. Even before operations have begun, the economic benefits to the local economy are strong. With the opening of the final link of the M7 to the M12 flyover, the airport is ready to open later this year and deliver the jobs and the economic dividends for our local communities.