It’s fair to say that NSW Premier Chris Minns did not come to this morning’s business breakfast at Club Menangle bearing gifts for South Western Sydney.
This is an annual event put on by the Narellan chamber, and once again it was packed with mayors, council CEOs and business leaders from across the three council areas of Macarthur.
Mr Minns sat with his local MPs from Campbelltown, Leppington and Camden, the independent MP for Wollondilly and the three mayors.
It’s always hoped that on the rare occasion the leader of the state of NSW visits our neck of the woods he or she may bring some good news for the region.
It’s fair to say that the premier acknowledged – several times – that new housing communities ought to be linked to infrastructure.
And God knows, we have new housing estates popping up like mushrooms.
Mr Minns mentioned how the metro in central Sydney has opened and how wonderful it all is.
But when he responded to his own statements about the need for spending on infrastructure out here, he more or less wheeled out the “money’s tight’’ excuse.
Spending $21 billion on the metro, yet another mode of transport for central Sydney, which is saturated with such infrastructure – yep, sure, let’s tick that box.
But there isn’t a couple of million dollars for a lift at Macquarie Fields station so local people with disability can access the platforms.
“We need to reduce debt, which is at $180 billion and is the largest ever recorded in the state’s history,’’ Mr Minns said about the government’s top priorities.
“And somebody’s got to pay it off.
“We made decisions in the last two budgets to reduce spending.’’
Mr Minns did hint that now the metro is out of the way, the government may have new priorities moving forward.
“Where are the new houses and the infrastructure needed in the next 10 years going to be? South Western Sydney is providing a lot of that,’’ he said.
“What we need to ensure is the provision of essential infrastructure to go with new housing – a bypass, new schools, or something as basic as sewerage connection.
“That’s our priority now the metro has been opened.’’
