Campbelltown MP Greg Warren wants to know just one thing about almost $1 billion made from selling off Campbelltown public assets in the past five years: where was the money spent on.
“The government must explain what the money from sales has been spent on and why it hasn’t been invested back into our local area – where the funds are needed most,’’ says Mr Warren.
“The money could have been used to upgrade the notorious Appin Road, air-condition every public school in Campbelltown, establish a bus service in Macarthur Heights or hire more much-needed staff at Campbelltown Hospital.”
Documents obtained via Freedom Information recently revealed the Berejiklian Government sold 1,586 properties in the Campbelltown local government area during this period.
The sales added $975.5 million to the state government treasury coffers.
Land sold in Menangle Park brought in close to $120 million.
But the big one was more than $286 million worth of land sales in Macarthur Heights, which is located around the Campbelltown campus of Western Sydney University.
The old Campbelltown Motor Registry was also sold off for close to $5 million – a decision which Mr Warren says has caused immense inconvenience for residents in Campbelltown who now have to travel to the Gregory Hills Service NSW centre.
The Campbelltown MP introduced a notice of motion to the Parliament of NSW this week calling on the government to explain what the money from the sales had been spent on.
“The government has treated Campbelltown like a gigantic cash cow yet it has refused to adequately invest back into the area,” he said.
“Our schools are falling apart, our health system is a breaking point and our public transport is beyond a joke.
“For the past nine and a half years the Premier and her NSW Liberal colleagues have taken and taken from the people of Campbelltown but have given next to nothing back.
“On top of that we now have to pay for a new toll on the old M5 East Motorway.
“This government has essentially slapped up a big ‘for sale’ sign at the entrance Campbelltown and said ‘everything must go’.
“Ultimately, it’s residents in Campbelltown that are paying the price for this government’s greed.’’
