I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that the Government remains focused on the delivery of infrastructure for Western Sydney, providing around $18 billion in road, rail and airport infrastructure to support Western Sydney's growth;

(2) commends the Government for the recent opening of Western Sydney International Airport, a project started under a previous Labor government and now completed under this Government; and

(3) notes that the Government is committed to continuing to work with the New South Wales State Government to deliver the infrastructure that Western Sydney and surrounds deserve.

A little while ago I sent out a community survey. There's nothing too special about that. I have done it many times in the past. But what was surprising this time was the underlying theme behind many of the responses I received. Normally, you expect to read a lot of comments about matters relating to the federal government. There were some of those, of course, but for the most part it was anger and frustration at the lack of service delivery from Liverpool council.

To set the scene, I'd ask the residents to support me in advocating that council use the money allocated to it to upgrade an intersection at Lyn Parade, Beech Road and Kurrajong Road. The council had received $6.9 million in the 2024 MYEFO allocation, more than 18 months ago. Yet again, as so often happens in the electorate of Werriwa, the money has been left unspent and the problems council says it wants to solve are compounding. But the public's patience with the council is exhausted and well and truly over. The community wants the basic things done right and their money used wisely. It seems that the council can do neither. The contrast between Liverpool council and the Albanese Labor government in terms of service delivery could not be starker. While Liverpool council does a lot of talking, complaining and blame shifting, the Albanese government just gets on with the job of delivering and helping where it matters.

Western Sydney international airport is a game changer for both my electorate and Australia. It is an idea that has been talked about for decades, and yesterday it became a reality. The investment of more than $5 billion means that people across Western Sydney now have a major airport in their own region. By the end of next year, there will be flights to over 250 destinations—places where my diverse community will go to see family and friends and to travel for work and holidays. The airport has created nearly 13,000 jobs over that construction, with about half of the jobs completed with the expertise and pride of local workers. More than 360 Western Sydney businesses have shared in more than $500 million during the construction, lending their expertise and entrepreneurial skills to the airport. The opportunities the airport will create for generations to come will be just as incredible. In a very real sense, the airport puts Western Sydney on the international map, and who could've imagined that that would happen? The opening of the airport on 25 October by the Prime Minister was a celebration in every sense. It was a celebration of nation building, a celebration of my home, a celebration of determination and resilience, and a celebration of Labor governments, going back to Bob Hawke, creating a future for millions of Australians.

The Albanese and Minns governments' investment in our community hasn't ended there. A good example of one of the major infrastructure projects being delivered by the government, this time in conjunction with the NSW government, is the upgrade of Fifteenth Avenue. The Albanese Labor government understands the reliance that Western Sydney has on road transport. We get the commute and, as a result, committed half of the $1.4 billion required to complete the project. Early works on Cowpasture Road and Fifteenth Avenue have begun. In addition to Fifteenth Avenue, $1.63 billion was invested in the M12 Motorway, providing a 16-kilometre motorway connection from the M7 near Cecil Hills to the airport, through to Luddenham, and the M12 is a toll-free road. There's also the upgrade to the M5 West between Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway. This is another joint project between the Albanese Labor government and the New South Wales government. The Commonwealth's contribution totals $190 million, and this will relieve the bottlenecks that frustrate millions of motorists.

I can't go on with all of the other infrastructure projects which are being delivered by our government throughout our community, but suffice it to say that, after the neglect of previous coalition governments at both levels and inertia by Liverpool City Council, Werriwa and South-West Sydney are finally getting the funding and services and, more importantly, jobs and opportunities they deserve.

Is the motion seconded?

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

When I entered parliament in 2019, I spoke about the future I wanted for Western Sydney: good, skilled jobs close to home; young people not moving away but staying and building careers and lives in Western Sydney; and parents spending less time travelling across Sydney for work and more time with their families. Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport was going to help make that possible. That's why I want it to succeed. But I haven't forgotten what was promised: the transformation of Western Sydney's economy. Advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defence, medical technology and international investment would bring new industries and thousands of skilled jobs to our region. Seven years later, where are those industries?

There's been progress. The airport has supported thousands of construction jobs, and Bradfield's Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility is operating. It's going okay. These are important investments, but an innovation facility isn't a manufacturing industry and an investment announcement isn't a permanent job. I want to know which major manufacturers have established themselves in Western Sydney, my home, what they're producing, how many locals they're employing and what they're exporting. One of the largest developments approved near the airport is Aldi's billion-dollar automated distribution centre. Its projected 585 permanent jobs are welcome. Warehouses and distribution centres have their place, but surely our ambition for Western Sydney goes further than storing and moving goods. We should be making things the world wants to buy. We have Western Sydney University and TAFE educating engineers, scientists, technicians and skilled tradespeople. We have businesses ready to grow and young people who deserve the opportunity to build rewarding careers without having to leave. And we have something else worth protecting, and it's very important: our food bowl. Families around Luddenham have farmed productive land for generations. An international freight airport should create opportunities for food processing, agricultural technology and exporting premium Australian produce. Instead, productive farmland is under pressure, while too little has been done to turn that potential into thriving industries.

This matters beyond Western Sydney. Australia has a productivity problem and a government spending problem. These two things combined are not making us wealthier. Building infrastructure is important, but infrastructure should enable businesses to invest, workers to become more productive and Australian companies to compete internationally. That's how we lift wages, strengthen living standards and create the wealth that funds the services Australians rely on.

Government needs to get the foundations right—reliable infrastructure, education and training and an economic environment that rewards enterprise, investment and hard work—which makes Labor's failure to deliver the infrastructure surrounding this airport all the more frustrating. The airport has opened, but without its promised metro connection. Instead, passengers will rely on a temporary bus from St Marys. A 24-hour international airport needs 24-hour public transport, especially for the airport workers who keep it running overnight.

There's no dedicated aviation fuel pipeline either. Infrastructure Australia estimates future demand could require 50 to 65 B-double tanker deliveries every day, adding pressure to roads already struggling with growth, and families beneath the flight paths are still waiting for promised noise insulation. Most will not receive anything, an issue I have raised with infrastructure minister, Catherine King, countless times. Of 236 eligible properties, 74 applications have been approved, but we're yet to hear of a single installation that has been completed. One resident even invited the Prime Minister and his infrastructure minister to spend a night in her home and experience the aircraft noise themselves.

But the greatest test of this airport isn't whether the government can cut a ribbon or announce another billion dollars in investment; it's whether a young person in Penrith can become an engineer and work locally, whether a manufacturer in St Mary's can win international contracts, whether a farmer in London can reach new markets, and whether parents can spend less time commuting and more time raising their families. That's what economic opportunity looks like. Western Sydney has spent decades being told about its potential. We have the people, the talent, the ambition and now an international airport connecting us to the world.

I want Western Sydney to help lead a more productive, prosperous and self-reliant Australia. We were promised an economic powerhouse. It's time that potential became not just a dream but a true story about Aussie made prosperity.

Can I just say congratulations to everyone who's been involved in developing Western Sydney Airport. I think the Prime Minister gave a fantastic speech on Sunday at the opening for the first passenger flight to leave Western Sydney Airport. It was really exciting to be there. There were people from all sides of parliament, and I think the Prime Minister's speech was really gracious. It was great to see there Tony Abbott; Scott Morrison; Joe Hockey; Paul Fletcher; the Prime Minister; a whole range of ministers; myself; Anne Stanley, the member for Werriwa; the member for Hughes; and, of course, the wonderful Michael McCormack, the member for the Riverina, who was previously the infrastructure minister and was significant in the development of that airport.

I think the terminal is absolutely beautiful. Simon Hickey, the CEO of Western Sydney Airport Corporation, has done a great job bringing all that together—likewise, Paul O'Sullivan, the Chairman of the Board of Western Sydney Airport. We've been involved for 10 years now in the development of that that airport, and it is a great boon to Western Sydney. Have we got everything right? No, we haven't. We do need to get that metro rail link, and not just from the north. Interestingly, my eldest son was the lead engineer on that project. It's nearly finished and will be fixed in the next few months, but we really need the south-western link linking up Bradfield, Western Sydney Airport and the south-west, including my electorate of Macarthur, with the suburbs of Camden and Campbelltown. That leads to the potential to hook up with the Southern Highlands and eventually also to the Illawarra through Wollongong. That would be fantastic, those transport links joining all those suburbs and all those people together.

There are already millions of people in Western Sydney, and the member for Lindsay is quite right. They do need good jobs. They need good education. They need to be part of our modern economy, and they will be. When I was at the opening of the airport yesterday, I saw three of my old patients who'd worked on that building, including one who was one of the lead constructors of the terminal building itself. It was great to see Jonathan there. He's got a terrific job, having completed a building engineering degree. I saw other patients who were working in baggage handling and who were working in customer service. I saw one who did a lot of the technology for the telecommunications infrastructure for the airport.

There's a beautiful view from the airport across to the Blue Mountains, where I grew up. I've seen this come from cow paddocks to now a wonderful, wonderful airport. I think the Prime Minister is quite right. This is one of the best airports in Australia. There are not just exciting prospects for the airport and the surrounding aerotropolis but also economic and social opportunities for Western Sydney and south-western Sydney. I'm very excited about it. There were over 12,000 jobs created through the airport project itself, and already close to that many will be needed for the running of the airport and the local environment.

However, I will stress the critical importance of delivering proper public transport connectivity from south-western Sydney, hooking up with the aerotropolis and the airport and to the north and to the south. I'm very grateful for the federal government committing a billion dollars to preserve the land corridors needed for future rail extensions from Bradfield to Leppington and Macarthur. I think that's a great thing. But the Minns state Labor government needs to get on board as well with a link to the south-west. They have been a little reluctant, for reasons that have escaped me because many of the suburbs and electorates around south-western Sydney are Labor electorates. We need to make sure that they get that connectivity to the airport. So I'm calling on the Minns government to do the right thing and commit to the rail link from the south-west. Connecting Macarthur and Campbelltown, as well as establishing new stations in the Camden and Wollondilly region if at all possible, would be much, much appreciated and a fantastic boon to the local population. With over 400,000 residents in the Camden and Picton area and more to come with the development of Wilton and Maldon, a Leppington connection is very likely in the pipeline, but we need to hurry up and get on with it.

Congratulations to all involved, of all political parties. I'm very excited about it, and I thank everyone involved.

():  I thank the member for Macarthur for his generous bipartisanship and certainly acknowledge the Prime Minister in his words yesterday at the opening of Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. What a red-letter day it was. It was great to be there with former prime minister Morrison. He and I turned the first sod, officially kicking off construction on the $5.3 billion project back in September 2018. Of course, there was a lot of work done—a lot of cubic metres of dirt moved—to bring about what is a marvellous piece of nation-building infrastructure we opened yesterday.

I do recall, during the process—and the member for Macarthur just mentioned the word then; it was the first time I've actually heard it used since—Leppington! I recall being absolutely pilloried in the media for the $30 million that the then government spent on 12.3 hectares of land which is sited at the end of the second runway for the airport. I have to say that money, in time—I will be vindicated—will be looked upon as one of the best investments that this nation has ever made. At the time, yes, it was overpriced—no question—but I had to wear the criticism. I defended it stoutly and I defended it earnestly, as you would expect.

I have to say that, when you look at the figures, even in the Western Sydney international airport's own official documents, it says:

We know that. It says:

That is bringing the focus onto Western Sydney.

As the Prime Minister noted, Western Sydney is a massive, massive, populated area but a huge growth area. What I'm excited about as a regional member is the fact that there will be many cargo holds of planes taking the world's best produce out of Farrer, Riverina and all those wonderful food bowl electorates, out of WSI and to international destinations. That is also, apart from just the passengers, one of the exciting things about WSI.

We are in a situation at the moment where people are just trying to tear down everything that is great about Australia. We have people just trying to rubbish everything about politics and about the nation. What we saw yesterday with Western Sydney airport was what you get when the major parties work together, bipartisanship, not just over years but over decades—working together and bringing about a common goal. That is building the infrastructure that this nation expects and deserves and yesterday received in spades.

I also have to thank Warren Truss, the former deputy prime minister. I phoned him last night. He's not well at the moment. The work that he did, with the member for Grayndler, was second to none. I pay tribute to the former member for Wide Bay. He loves aviation. He absolutely loves infrastructure. Western Sydney airport is one of his great legacies. But it's also the legacy of bipartisanship. It's the legacy of what the Liberal, National and Labor parties do when we work together for the common good. Everybody else can besmirch us. Everybody else can rubbish us. Everybody else can try and tear this nation down. But when we work together over decades for the common good, this is the result. We can build a better future, and that is indeed what we saw yesterday.

Western Sydney airport is for a better future. It's not Sydney's second airport; it's Western Sydney's first airport. It was so exciting to be there yesterday. I thank everybody for the acknowledgements for the part I played, but I do thank Warren Truss for the huge part he also played.

For some in Macquarie, the beginning of passenger flights at Western Sydney international airport isn't especially welcome, primarily due to the fears of aircraft noise 24/7. There are a range of views. To date, the hard-won restrictions on flights implemented by the Albanese government have minimised aircraft noise, meaning that for some people the noise is barely noticeable. The restrictions include the night-time reciprocal runway operations, which preferences take-offs and landings towards the south-west when possible; the strict noise abatement procedure; and the sharing of flights over the whole Sydney basin. These restrictions came about thanks to our community's dedicated and persistent involvement in each stage of the WSI consultations, resulting in significant improvements to the original proposal of a single merge point over Blaxland. But the noise has still intruded on the tranquillity of our region, including the changes to Kingsford Smith and Bankstown airports, with smaller planes moving across the mountains much more often.

The starting of passenger flights means increased activity at Western Sydney international airport from now on, which means we will hear more aircraft. My message to people who are affected by the noise is, by all means, share your frustration on social media. But it's not enough to post on social media a photo of the flight path of the plane that disturbed you. It's not enough to email me alone. For there to be credible data that backs up the feedback I provide on the flight path impacts, I urge people disturbed by noise to record a formal complaint to the Noise Complaints and Information Service at Airservices Australia. I know a formal report involves additional time and energy, so I have a set of links on my website on flight operations, runway modes and complaints options to make it easier, especially for residents who are new to the area or are hearing noise for the first time. I'll be continuing my advocacy regarding the noise impacts on residents, businesses and our natural environment based on the feedback people provide.

While concern about aircraft noise is the dominant response to the opening of the new airport, I welcome the involvement of Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Nepean businesses in providing services and growing their businesses to meet the anticipated demand on the ground at the airport. Plate Hospitality chef Matt Atkins has been providing catering services to the airport for some time, and he runs a proud Indigenous local business. Blue Mountains and Emu Plains brewery, Mountain Culture, makers of multi-award-winning craft brew Status Quo, is opening two venues at the airport. It's now up to other local businesses to seize tourism opportunities so that benefits flow through to our local economies.

For the north-west of Sydney to really maximise benefits from the airport for both departing travellers and inbound tourists alike, transport connections need to improve. The Commonwealth is already investing heavily in rail connections, with the new metro from St Marys to Bradfield, and with a further $1 billion provision to start the works on an extension south to Leppington and Macarthur. But the next step has to be filling the missing link of those connections into north-west Sydney. I support my local Penrith mayor, and my other colleagues, in seeing this missing link addressed with urgency. The St Marys to Tallawong gap, with Schofields serving as a hub for the existing Richmond line and the new line to St Marys, would seem to be the most logical approach and provide much-improved connectivity for the Hawkesbury. The project is already listed as a priority by Infrastructure Australia, recognising that this is a project for the New South Wales government to develop and bring forward. When it's ready, I want to see the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments work together on the next stage of developing these connections.

My advocacy for the people of Macquarie on issues relating to Western Sydney airport is far from over. The formal community engagement forum to consider flight path issues will be created soon and provide a dedicated forum for noise matters. Noise monitors are already in place across the electorate, which you can see online in real time, and they'll move to various locations, over time, to paint a picture of the noise. Something we already know is that it's not a uniform impact, and we need to build that picture. So the start of passenger flights means just one thing to me: the next phase of work to fight for the best possible protections for my community is just beginning.

That yesterday morning the very first passenger jet departed Western Sydney international airport is something that we must celebrate as a country. It is the first major airport this country has built in over half a century.

Of course, the idea of Badgerys Creek as an airport isn't something terribly new. If we go back to the 1980s, it was in fact the Hawke Labor government that chose the site for the future airport that has become, today, Western Sydney international airport. By the early 1990s, it was the Keating government that promised Australians that flights would be departing from that airport by the middle of that decade. Unfortunately, that promise wasn't upheld, and so, year after year, report after report, that land sat empty. Governments studied it, debated it and, ultimately, shelved it. Western Sydney was told to wait, and to wait, and to wait. So, as they often do, we've seen Labor make big promises, but, when it's time to deliver for locals, it is the coalition that has to step up and take the initiative.

In April 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott made the call to commit the federal government to getting this done. So it was decided that Badgerys Creek would be Sydney's second airport, with no more excuses and no more delays, because that decision was enshrined in the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan, which was the framework for delivering what we ultimately saw come to fruition just yesterday. Isn't that extraordinary to think about: that, over 30 years from when the site was chosen, construction finally began, and it began under a Liberal government.

Now, through the challenges of the global pandemic, the airport has been delivered on time and on budget. That is something truly outstanding and worth recognising for the project team. It's important to remind those in this place of one thing—and it's something that this government seems to have forgotten in the last 4½ years. Infrastructure backed by government belongs to the people who pay for it and those who use it. Every dollar spent is a dollar taken off working Australians. That's why it's so important that, when the government commits funding to a project, they follow through, on time and on budget, as has been done here—a truly remarkable achievement.

The families of Western Sydney will no longer have to endure the disconnect between regional and metropolitan travel. As a regional MP myself, I celebrate that. Producers now have the opportunity of an international airport terminal on their doorstep. I know their local member, the member for Hume, the Leader of the Opposition, is so pleased to see that economic opportunity for his constituents.

On the other side of the country, in my own electorate, the South West is perfectly placed to be the site of Australia's next international airport. The Busselton Margaret River Airport is in desperate need of an upgrade, and the many hundreds of locals who have signed my petition also want to see it happen. The current shed—and I say 'shed' because it is one—that is labelled a terminal is not sufficient for the thousands of locals who fly in and fly out for work each week, and they deserve better, because they're travelling to the mines in Western Australia that generate the billions and billions of dollars in royalties and taxes that underpin our national prosperity here and in every other state and territory across the country.

I'm very lucky to be the representative for my special part of Australia, which has got so much on offer, and it's time that we shared that with the world. Local producers are already doing it on their own where they can. The premier Margaret River wine region is one of the best in Australia and is also internationally regarded as producing some of the world's finest wine. As much as I'd like to keep it all for myself, I think we owe it to the world to share it with them. We've heard about what this opportunity for Western Sydney airport brings to Western Sydney and its communities, and the same can be done with a little vision and a little heavy lifting from a government committed to infrastructure for the good people of Forrest.

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.