The two local Labor MPs have dismissed today’s NSW Budget for 2018-19 as having the wrong priorities and being unfair on South West Sydney.
Macquarie Fields MP Anoulack Chanthivong said the urgent needs of his constituents had once again been ignored.
“This Liberal budget fails to deliver on the most pressing issues for my constituents,” he said.
Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said the government had put stadiums before schools and hospitals.
“Any budget that prioritises spending $770 million knocking down and rebuilding a stadium in the Eastern Suburbs, instead of delivering hospital upgrades or building new schools, is simply out of touch and not consistent with what our community deserves,” he said.
Patients and their families visiting Campbelltown Hospital will benefit from an additional 669 car parking spaces with a further $25.4 million investment in the budget, says Member for Camden and government MP, Chris Patterson.
He said the investment included in today’s State Budget comes in addition to the $8.7 million already allocated in last year’s budget.
“Our region is growing so it is only natural that the demand on our hospital will also grow,” Mr Patterson said.
“I have worked hand in hand with the community to guarantee these upgrades to our hospital as I know too well how crucial these services are for locals.
“Not only will this carpark meet current demands, it will also take into account projected growth for the future of our hospital,” Mr Patterson said.
Mr Chanthivong said money allocated to the upgrade of Campbelltown Road was “too little, too late’’.
“The upgrade of Campbelltown Road should have been completed before people started moving in to Bardia, Willowdale and Edmondson Park,’’ he said.
The government had allocated a “measly $150,000 to investigate more parking at Edmondson Park station’’.
Mr Chanthivong said the budget failed the most basic of tests: fairness.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Where’s the fairness when there are no funds allocated to improving Macquarie Fields police station or to returning the life-saving Bronto fire truck to St Andrews,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
Despite forecasts of schools in the Macarthur region being inundated by more than 40,000 extra students in the next two decades, the 2018 Budget does not contain a single dollar for new schools or school upgrades in the Campbelltown electorate, says Greg Warren.
“It means that the ongoing problems of maintenance backlogs, excessive demountable classrooms and overcrowding are likely to worsen,’’ he said.
Mr Warren said Campbelltown Hospital was also short-changed, with the stage two upgrade not due to be delivered until the middle of next decade.
“Yet the Government’s $770 million knock-down and rebuild of the Sydney Football Stadium in the Eastern Suburbs is being given greater priority and is expected to be finished at least two years sooner,’’ he said.
“The budget also locks in the government’s plans for a paid carpark at Campbelltown Hospital, which is set to see users paying rates of up to $24 per day as is the case at other hospitals in South West Sydney.
“Vital road infrastructure projects were also overlooked, with both the Appin Road and the Spring Farm Parkway again only receiving planning money of $1 million and $4.3 million respectively, with no solid commitment or timeline for their completion.
“Public transport users don’t fare much better, as the Budget makes no changes to the disastrous new train timetable and has no funding to connect the Campbelltown rail line to the future Badgerys Creek Airport.
“As sure as a budget must be balanced, it must also be about priorities, but this government and their budget simply have the wrong priorities.
“Under the Government’s own urban growth plans, our region is set to see hundreds of thousands of new residents in the coming years, but this budget has no funding for the infrastructure and services needed to manage that growth.’’
What do you expect Labor to say about a Liberal budget ?