Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith's Private Member's Speech in Parliament November 19, 2020

Thursday, 19 November 2020 Legislative Assembly- PROOF Page 1
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Thursday, 19 November 2020
The Speaker (The Hon. Jonathan Richard O'Dea) took the chair at 09:30.
The Speaker read the prayer and acknowledgement of country.
Documents
AUDITOR-GENERAL
Reports
The CLERK: In accordance with the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, I announce receipt of the
Auditor-General's Financial Audit Report entitled State Finances 2020, dated 19 November 2020, received this
day and authorised to be printed.
In accordance with the section 63C of the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, I announce receipt of the
Auditor-General's Performance Audit Report entitled Government Advertising 2018-19 and 2019-20, dated
19 November 2020, received this day and authorised to be printed.
[Notices of motions given.]
Bills
APPROPRIATION BILL 2020
APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL 2020
PAYROLL TAX AMENDMENT BILL 2020
Second Reading Debate
Debate resumed from 17 November 2020.
The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I remind all members to extend the usual
courtesy to her and allow her to deliver her speech in reply to the budget uninterrupted.
Ms JODI McKAY (Strathfield) (09:46:31): A budget is about more than numbers or reams of
spreadsheets and an appropriation bill. The only reason budgets are important is because they impact people and
families in every way. When we think about this budget, we think about the people of New South Wales. We
think of the students finishing their HSC and wondering where and when they will get a job. We think of the small
business owners who have dipped into their savings just to make ends meet. We think of the 310,000 people out
of work and the thousands more who have simply given up looking. We think of the families, from north to south
and east to west, who are struggling to pay the mortgage. We think of the people across regional and rural
New South Wales who have been battered by bushfires, devastated by drought and left frail from floods. We think
of our multicultural communities who have been unable to celebrate during their holiest of occasions. We think
about First Nations people and the far too many gaps we have tried but failed to close. We think of the most
vulnerable in our community, the rising number of homeless people, those in our care system, our seniors, and
those with a disability.
When I listened to the Treasurer hand down this budget, I asked myself, "What does it do for these people,
for families and communities?" Labor set two tests for this budget. Test number one: Does the budget meet the
challenges of today, that is, the worst economic crisis to hit New South Wales since the Great Depression? Does
it deliver what people need right now for their lives and livelihoods? And test number two: Does the budget meet
the test of tomorrow? Does it set the vision and lay the foundations needed for New South Wales to rebuild and
thrive in a post-COVID world?
To answer those questions we need to reflect not only on the economic conditions as we come out of this
pandemic but also on those as we went into it. We entered this economic crisis from an already weakened position.
We had $13.5 billion in budget blowouts and barely a single project on time or on budget. Our net debt was
forecast to reach $41 billion by 2023—the highest level in a generation. Our taxes are growing faster than any
other State in the country. The budget projections are downgraded like clockwork. The wage growth was already
weak and is only getting weaker. We have a balance sheet that is stripped of assets and the revenue they once
provided, and our triple-A credit rating has been put on negative watch. The truth is that we tripped over on the
economy well before this terrible tumble into recession, and because of these feeble economic foundations so
much depended on the strength of our stimulus response.
I have been acutely aware during this pandemic and recession that the people of New South Wales want
their leaders to work together and to be bipartisan. All year Labor members have offered our bipartisan support
for any reasonable stimulus proposal, and we will continue to do so. Our standard for stimulus is simple: Does it
deliver what is needed for those who need it when they need it, and does it deliver jobs both now and into the
future? On this, the Government has failed time and time again.
More than 90 per cent of small businesses received no grant of any kind in this budget, meaning that more
than 710,000 small businesses are left on their own. Payroll tax relief went to less than half of all eligible
businesses; landlords and tenants received only 15 per cent of what was promised; barely half of all eligible tradies
have received licence fee waivers; sole traders, partnerships and startups were completely overlooked; and
low-income families doing it tough were promised help with their bills but only a third of what was earmarked
was distributed. The international education and tourism sectors were treated as an afterthought. Our international
students were left to fend for themselves for food and housing and our global reputation was damaged. The support
for the arts, culture and the night-time economy has been too little, too late. We have seen lots of promises and
press releases, but when you get into the detail this budget is all smoke and mirrors and cynical re-announcements.
We are in different times, yet there is nothing different or brave in this budget that recognises the challenges
ahead in a world forever altered. Because of this, our economic recovery will be harder and it will be longer. This
budget was a chance to boldly set ourselves on a road to recovery that would meet the challenges of today and
tomorrow. Instead, we have a budget that is built on heroic assumptions predicated on a world with a vaccine,
open borders and a return to trade but no plan for the world that we live in now. We have a budget that is built
upon broken promises, selling assets and cutting workers' wages. Those policies mug people's wallets and act as
a handbrake on the economy. The wages of 400,000 public sector workers have been slashed. They are the men
and women who protected us during the pandemic and bushfires. This Government is taking cash out of the
pockets of our health workers, teachers, police and prison guards, firefighters, bus and train drivers, cleaners and
so many more, hurting their ability to spend. Labor's message to them is: You have had our back and we will
always have yours. We also stand proudly with our unions and all workers who have kept us going.
This pandemic has changed a lot, but it has not changed this Government's addiction to privatisation. On
election eve in 2019 the Premier famously promised that there would be no more privatisation. She said, "If we
were, we would have told you." Of course, that was then and this is now. In the weakest of markets this
Government is privatising more. The State once generated $2.7 billion in revenue from its assets every year. That
is money that pays for essential services and infrastructure. But now, when we need it most, that money is not
there—and the Government wants to sell off what is left. This budget gives no certainty to community
organisations for the work that they do. The budget delivers rural New South Wales a new tax on farms but not
the resources needed to address a rural health crisis. It also fails to deliver more than 90 promised schools and
over a dozen promised hospitals. This is a short-term budget that does nothing to set us up for success on the other
side of the pandemic and recession.
This budget is a lot of things but the one thing it is not is surprising; it is exactly what we have come to
expect from this Government. The truth is that this is a tired 10-year-old government, and it shows in this budget.
For 10 years we have seen more than $13.5 billion worth of blowouts on megaprojects. For 10 years tolls have
gone up while wages have gone down. For 10 years the only thing growing faster than the wait for social housing
has been the wait for elective surgery. For 10 years we have seen a lack of ministerial accountability and for
10 years we have seen rolling scandals and chaos. This Government has lost sight of the very people it is elected
to serve, and that shows in a budget written by a Premier and Treasurer whose integrity has been shredded.
We have a Premier who has been dragged through the Independent Commission Against Corruption and
who not only failed to tell ICAC what she knew of Daryl Maguire's corruption but also failed to disclose her
relationship and conflict of interest under the NSW Ministerial Code of Conduct. We have a Premier who rorted
a quarter-billion dollar grants program and funnelled 95 per cent of that money into Liberal and Nationals
electorates ahead of an election. And where is the evidence of that manipulation? It was shredded and the computer
files were deleted.
Then we have a Treasurer now drained of authority and credibility who has catastrophically bungled the
workers compensation scheme. On his watch the wages of more than 50,000 sick and injured workers were. Worse
still, business premiums were used to pay 200 staff bonuses and illegally employ political staff in his office. Now
more than ever we need to restore trust and integrity in government, but if we cannot trust this Premier and this
Treasurer then we cannot trust this Government with the all-important task of our recovery. A Labor government
would deliver a very different budget based on very different foundations. Just as it did during the global financial
crisis, Labor would have acted faster and more decisively to provide stimulus for all those who need it.
Liberal-Nationals budgets keep the status quo; they just do more of the same. But Labor budgets paint on a new
canvas and seek to navigate the changes that are coming to imagine a better tomorrow.
The world has changed utterly before our very eyes, and this budget has not taken that change into account.
It is a budget that could have been delivered two years ago, five years ago or 10 years ago. It is the same old tired
template that this Government has used year after year. A Labor budget would speak to very different priorities
and values in a very different time. This Government puts property developers first; we put communities first.
This Government puts the people who own the toll roads first; we put the people who drive on them first. This
Government puts vested interests first; we put the interests of workers first. Labor members understand that a true
recovery cannot touch just one part of the economy in the short term. A true recovery will set up our State for a
decade of prosperity.
Labor would deliver a budget that deliver stimulus to our suburbs, recovery to our regions and a comeback
for country New South Wales. It would deliver jobs for young and old, jobs for women and men, jobs in the city
and the country, jobs in our regions and our suburbs, jobs in our traditional industries, jobs in the environment
sector and jobs for the future. A Labor budget would not just prioritise the construction of Sydney megaprojects.
This Government boasts of its infrastructure projects but its words are hollow, and the community foots the bill
for its budget blowouts, bungles and tolls and when the ferries do not fit under bridges or the trains do not fit the
tracks. This Government has offshored tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs. It has sourced sourcing ferries
from Indonesia, buses from Malaysia and light rail carriages from France and Spain. A couple of months ago the
Premier said that New South Wales is not good at building trains, and that is why we have to purchase them.
I despair that we have a Premier who would give up on the ability of our State to build things.
When I lived in the Hunter, I shared the pride that the community felt every time a new Tangara carriage
built in Newcastle rolled down the tracks. I have seen that sense of pride across the Illawarra and while visiting
Custom Bus in St Marys last month, where they spoke about their pioneering electric buses. Only Labor
understands that when we manufacture in New South Wales, we create jobs in New South Wales. We create
industries in New South Wales. We give businesses and entrepreneurs the confidence to employ more people,
invest in research and development, take on apprentices and contribute to local communities. Under Labor's
NSW Made policy, no longer will local jobs be a promise that can be broken; they will be a pledge that must be
met. We will create the NSW Jobs First Advocate, who will make sure government-funded projects deliver jobs
in New South Wales right through the supply chain and that government projects deliver skills and opportunities
for apprentices, trainees and cadets.
Our experiences over the past year have changed how we live and work. Our local communities have
become much more important. Confined to them, we have come to see their true value. For 10 years this
Government has failed to meet the needs of families and the communities that they live in. Roads are clogged and
parks and walking tracks are missing. Schools and commuter carparks have been promised but not delivered.
Families are moving to the outer suburbs of Sydney but the local infrastructure is years behind. What good is
a mega toll road when people spend hours in traffic in their local area dropping their children at school? What
good is a mega toll road when people cannot get a car park at their local station? When we build better
neighbourhoods we create jobs, so let us deliver local infrastructure and at the same time deliver jobs for local
people, apprenticeships for young people, local tradies on site and the use of local supply chains.
Under Labor's Building Better Neighbourhoods approach, we would work hand in hand with local councils
to deliver the infrastructure that is needed when it is needed. We would focus on every community, from western
Sydney to the Far West, the Hunter to the Illawarra, the North Coast to the South Coast and the Central Coast to
the Central West. Badgerys Creek and the aerotropolis present one of the greatest opportunities to shape
a jobs-focused future. Let us commit to a local jobs guarantee. No more lazy targets and empty promises—let us
see a real jobs commitment. Let us mandate local workers, local suppliers, local skills and local businesses.
Let us bring together the powers of local, State and Federal government to build infrastructure and expand
local jobs. Let us commit to the young people of western Sydney so they will get a job in western Sydney. Once
we have built the infrastructure we need to provide services. Today in New South Wales more than
132,000 women are out of work. During the pandemic women were the hardest hit. Empowering women's
economic participation over the next decade will require bold new reforms and dedicated workforce planning. All
year it has been Labor pushing the Government for free access to preschool and early childhood learning in
New South Wales. It is good for mums and dads and, of course, it is good for early childhood development. As
I speak, more than 70,000 young people have just finished their HSC. Many I have talked with tell me that they
are struggling. They are facing a very uncertain future. In New South Wales 90,000 young people are
unemployed. In western Sydney the rate is one in five, and it is just as high on the North Coast.
Young people are facing the worst labour market since the Great Depression, with a TAFE system that has
been gutted by this Government and without the skills that it once provided. Under this Government school
performance has fallen to the worst on record, with the worst results in maths, science and literacy in 20 years.
The generation that will most need its education is the generation that has been left wanting. This budget could
have given young people something. It could have given them support for a job or support to build their skills.
But the budget has failed to give them help and it has failed to give them hope. We need a major rethink in this
State about how we build skills, create jobs and ensure opportunities for all young people. They deserve
a guaranteed place in employment, education and training. We need to leverage opportunities in the public sector,
partner with the private sector and work with the Commonwealth. Each and every one of us has a responsibility
to act and to give young people opportunities and, most importantly, hope for the future.
One can tell more about a government by what it does not speak about than by what it does. With this
Government it is all hard hats and high-vis vests, but we do not often hear it talk about the people who are
struggling the most: kids in care; people with a disability and their carers; those waiting for shelter from domestic
violence or for social housing; and First Nations people all over New South Wales, who have been so tragically
left behind. The Government certainly does not talk about the epidemic that it is too afraid to even acknowledge—
an epidemic that reflects how the world has changed. We know our mental health system is critically
under-resourced. In New South Wales mental health patients wait longer than ever for emergency care and receive
the least community support. Young people in our schools do not have access to the support they need, with just
one counsellor for every 743 students.
Last month I attended the funeral of 18-year-old Maya. She took her own life just a year out of school. Her
mother is my friend. She knew Maya was having difficulty but her daughter could not find the help she needed.
The few services that were available were not suitable for a young person. My friend Kym shared her grief with
me the morning Maya died. Hers was the most tragic grief of all: that of a mother outliving her child. Mental
health and suicide have been in the too-hard basket for too long. When we speak of community resilience and
lessons learnt from this year, we must let mental health support be at the top of the list. We need a chance to share
stories so we learn from experience. That is why we need a royal commission into mental health and suicide—for
all the people who suffer and all who will come after us, and in memory of too many lives lost.
For Labor, this budget has two tests: the test of today and the test of tomorrow. It has failed both. It is not
a budget for today or tomorrow; it is bogged down in the failed ideas of yesterday, handed down by those who
cannot see the future because they are stuck in the past. This budget should have been a fork in the road of our
economic recovery—a chance to rebuild, reset and renew, and to meet the challenges of a changed world. Instead
it is an opportunity squandered and a promise unfilled.
Of all the budget's failings, none are greater than the failure to deliver for people: for Amro, Ashok and
Rakesh, small business owners I met last month in Seven Hills; for Zoe and Isaac, whose school in Murwillumbah
this budget does not upgrade but instead closes; for Will, Josh, Zara, Molly and James of the Cooma youth council,
who asked me for just one thing—mental health support; for the team at Lou's Place, who provide such critical
support to women in need; for Brendon, the RFS captain I met in Balmoral, who told me we could never again let
our firefighters go so under-resourced; for the proud Country Women's Association branches I meet wherever
I go; for Natasha and the team at Café Y and Project Youth, who help young people in Heathcote and Holsworthy;
and for Isaac and his family, who are still waiting for the Rouse Hill hospital. They deserved better from this
budget. They deserved better from their Government. So let us give them a budget that paints on a new canvas—
one that looks to the future, that lifts people up, that invests in tomorrow, gives hope for the next chapter and
brings people together. Let us give the people of New South Wales the Labor budget they deserve.
The SPEAKER: The question is that these bills be now read a second time.
Motion agreed to.
Third Reading
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: I move:
That these bills be now read a third time.
Motion agreed to.

Budget
BUDGET ESTIMATES AND RELATED PAPERS 2020-2021
That this House take note of the Budget Estimates and Related Papers for 2020-2021.
Debate adjourned.
BUDGET ESTIMATES AND RELATED PAPERS 2019-2020
The SPEAKER: The question is that the House take note of the Budget Estimates and Related Papers for
2019-2020.
Motion agreed to.
Bills
BUSHFIRES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2020
Consideration in Detail
Consideration of the Legislative Council's amendments.
Schedule of amendments referred to in message of 18 November 2020
No. 1 OPP No. 1 [c2020-246C]
Page 3, Schedule 1[1], lines 2–29. Omit all words on those lines.
No. 2 OPP No. 2 [c2020-246C]
Page 3, Schedule 1[2], line 31. Omit "15 members". Insert instead "20 members".
No. 3 OPP No. 3 [c2020-246C]
Page 4, Schedule 1[7]. Insert after line 10—
(n) a person employed in Fire and Rescue NSW nominated by the Fire Brigade Employees
Union,
(o) a person nominated by NTSCorp Limited (ACN 098 971 209),
(p) a person nominated by the Minister to promote the integrity of cultural burning,
(q) a volunteer rural fire fighter nominated by the NSW Rural Fire Service Association Inc,
(r) a fire fighter nominated by the Public Service Association.
No. 4 OPP No. 4 [c2020-246C]
Page 6, Schedule 1[27], proposed section 100RA(3), line 26. Insert "written" before "agreement".
No. 5 GRN No. 4 [c2020-262B]
Page 7, Schedule 1[27], proposed section 100RA. Insert after line 16—
(9) The following provisions apply to the Rural Boundary Clearing Code, and to publication of the
Code in the Gazette, in the same way as they apply to a statutory rule, and to publication of a
statutory rule on the NSW legislation website—
(a) sections 40 and 41 of the Interpretation Act 1987,
(b) section 8 of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989.
No. 6 OPP No. 8 [c2020-246C]
Page 8. Insert after line 8—
[28] Sections 138–140
Insert after section 137—
138 NSW Bushfire Inquiry—Ministerial progress reports
The Minister must cause to be laid before each House of Parliament a report on the Government's
progress in implementing all 76 recommendations of the Final Report of the NSW Bushfire
Inquiry, dated 31 July 2020, every 3 months.
139 Review of Bushfires Legislation Amendment Act 2020
(1) The Minister must review the amendments made to this Act by the Bushfires Legislation
Amendment Act 2020 to determine whether the policy objectives of the amendments
remain valid and whether the terms of the amendments remain appropriate for securing
those objectives.
(2) The review must be undertaken before 30 June 2021.
(3) The Minister must cause to be laid before each House of Parliament a report on the
outcome of the review as soon as practicable after 30 June 2021.
140 Presentation of report if Parliament not sitting
(1) If a House of Parliament is not sitting when the Minister must cause to be laid a report
before it under section 138 or 139, the Minister must present the report to the Clerk of
the House concerned.
(2) The report that is presented to the Clerk of a House—
(a) is, on presentation and for all purposes, taken to have been laid before the
House, and
(b) may be printed by authority of the Clerk of the House, and
(c) if printed, is for all purposes taken to be a document published by or under the
authority of the House, and
(d) must be recorded—
(i) for the Legislative Council, in the Minutes of Proceedings of the
Legislative Council, and
(ii) for the Legislative Assembly, in the Votes and Proceedings of the
Legislative Assembly,
on the first sitting day of the House after receipt of the report by the Clerk.
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (10:13:12): I move:

That the Legislative Council's amendments be agreed to.
As the amendments that have been made in the other place do not substantially change the nature of the bill, the
Government will not oppose them. The Bushfires Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 forms part of the
Government's response to last season's unprecedented and devastating bushfires. The bill forms part of the
Government's response to the recommendations of the independent NSW Bushfire Inquiry. The inquiry was
commissioned by the Premier in January this year to learn the lessons of last summer's bushfires, with the aim of
making New South Wales better prepared for the future. The inquiry consulted widely, receiving nearly 2,000
submissions and holding discussions with firefighters and bushfire-affected communities across the State. This
bill implements recommendations of the bushfire inquiry and draws on the consultation carried out by the inquiry.
The announcements made to date and this bill represent just the first steps of the Government's
comprehensive response to the inquiry and its recommendations. The Minister has been clear that the
Government's response to the 2019-20 bushfires will not be limited to the inquiry's recommendations. Where there
are further initiatives that will help make New South Wales safer from bushfires, then it is appropriate for the
Government to retain the discretion to consider those initiatives and, if appropriate, implement them. The
NSW Bushfire Inquiry report acknowledges that many of the recommendations cannot be immediately actioned.
That is why the inquiry report incorporates a suggested time line for the implementation of the recommendations.
For example, of a total of 76 recommendations, 21 are identified by the inquiry as requiring further research or
collaboration with other Australian governments.
However, members of the House will be well informed of the Government's progress in implementing the
inquiry's recommendations. The Government is not opposed to amendments proposed by the New South Wales
Labor Party to ensure that this critical bill can have the support of both Houses to ensure our State's safety can be
enhanced as soon as possible. The Government has agreed to recommendations from the Opposition in the other
place and will provide three-monthly reports to the Parliament on the implementation of the NSW Bushfire
Inquiry recommendations. The bill implements recommendation 28 of the inquiry, which called upon the
Government to review vegetation clearing policies to ensure they are clear and easy to navigate for the community
and that they enable appropriate bushfire risk management by individual landowners without undue cost or
complexity.
The bill simplifies vegetation clearing by permitting landholders in rural zones to clear vegetation on their
property within 25 metres of their property boundary. The bill will empower owners and occupiers to clear
vegetation on their property without the need for a licence, approval, consent or other authorisation under the
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, or any other Act
or instrument. However, clearing must be done in accordance with the Rural Boundary Clearing Code, which will
address environmental, cultural and heritage issues. I note that there was significant debate in the other place on
this code, with proponents of more clearing and those who sought no provision for our rural communities at all.
I put on record my acknowledgement of comments made by a number of members about the primacy of
life and property over trees, including the heartfelt contribution by the Hon. Mark Latham, MLC. I make it clear
that the Government would never seek to introduce legislation that puts life and property behind the lives of
animals or trees. I thank the Opposition for supporting this important ability for rural landholders to clear land on
their property. The Government has also agreed to make rural boundary clearing codes subject to review by the
Parliament, similar to the review of statutory rules. The Government has agreed that this legislation should be
subject to review. Further, Ministers will need to provide written agreement to the Rural Boundary Clearing Code.
The Government's proposal is well balanced and entirely reasonable.
The bill also creates a greater consistency between public and private landholders in a public safety-first
approach. That is in response to recommendation 24 of the inquiry, which states that public land managers should
aspire to be the best neighbours possible in terms of bushfire preparedness. This is being implemented by
amendments that allow a senior RFS officer to serve bushfire hazard reduction notices on public authorities;
introduce a penalty for public authorities and corporations that fail to comply with a bushfire hazard reduction
notice; and provide that land may not be excluded from requirements to repair or replace dividing fences under
existing section 76 or from the recovery of costs related to repairing or replacing dividing fences damaged or
destroyed by bushfire under existing section 77. If we expect private landholders to take these actions, so too
should our public landholders.
The bill improves governance arrangements for hazard reduction and bushfire preparedness by expanding
the RFS commissioner's audit powers for bushfire plans and enhancing the management of bushfire hazard
complaints and the management of bushfire hazard reduction notices. The bill makes rebuilding easier for those
who lost their homes in last season's bushfires by providing a 24-month exemption from biodiversity assessment
and offsetting for people seeking to rebuild property that was damaged or destroyed in the 2019-20 bushfires.
The Government has accepted a number of amendments moved by the Opposition, other than the
amendment regarding Bushfire Inquiry reporting that I have already mentioned. The Government has accepted
Labor amendments to remove the provision for the NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner to establish industry
brigades. We accept that more time is needed to resolve the misconceptions around this provision. We know that
even the Labor Party seemed divided on the concept of industry brigades, with the member for Cessnock objecting
to "the creation of industry brigades" and the member for Maitland stating she was "concerned about the industry
brigades". On the other hand, the member for Prospect, a volunteer firefighter himself, suggested there had been
"some confusion about what an industry brigade is" noting that it is in fact "straightforward". The member for
Prospect is not alone. The member for Lismore, representing a bushfire affected electorate, said a number of times
of the industry brigade provision, "I think it is a good thing."
The Government accepts the concerns of the Opposition about industry brigades and has agreed to remove
those provisions from the bill. It does not share those concerns, and strongly disputes the imputation that this
section of the bill was intended to privatise firefighting. It is unfortunate that members in the other place chose
not to provide New South Wales with the same industry brigade capability that is already in place in Victoria and
used effectively by Victoria's Country Fire Authority. Another area where the Government facilitated Labor
amendments was in the composition of the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee. Those amendments sought to
expand the committee. The bill as amended does not deviate substantially from the original bill and will help make
New South Wales safer from bush fires. It will implement recommendations of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry. I thank
members of the Legislative Council for their contribution and I commend the bill to the House.
Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (10:21:19): On behalf of the Labor Opposition as the shadow
Minister for emergency services I contribute to the debate on the Bushfires Legislation Amendment Bill 2020.
I accept the amendments as passed in the Legislative Council and support its resolution. I want to make a few
points in relation to those amendments. The Bushfire Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 was not the best of bills.
I believe that a range of amendments have made it better. It is still far from perfect but I really do believe that
those amendments and our efforts have improved it considerably. As the bill was rammed through the Legislative
Assembly—with none of our stakeholders consulted—we were rushed and had very little time to negotiate, to
secure support and talk to stakeholders about the impact of the bill. I am pleased that we have made several
amendments which will strengthen actions coming out of the bill. I will speak to those in a moment.
I thank my upper House colleagues for the work they did with me on this in a very short space of time.
I also thank my colleagues present in the Chamber. A number of advisors across the political spectrum have also
put in considerable time and effort in a multi-partisan way to achieve the best that we could. I also thank the
Minister's staff, particularly Dom Bondar. I make mention of the fact that the removal of industry brigades—the
issue is just being shifted down the road a little bit until there can be further consultation—is an acknowledgement
that there was no definition for those who are in the business of firefighting, either as professional firefighters or
volunteers, and gives them the opportunity to talk about what would work best at the frontline.
There was very serious concern that this was the first step towards privatising fire services, and those very
real concerns should be addressed. As some of our fire agencies have pointed out, if there are difficulties with
active members in the RFS and with protecting areas of the State then the solution is not to outsource firefighting.
The solution is to utilise the resources available which includes our professional firefighters and to look at a
collaborative approach. We need to focus on that because that was in the NSW Bushfire Inquiry report and its
recommendations.
I turn very briefly to the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee. It was a key component of our negotiations
around amendments. Increasing representation on that committee and hearing a range of important voices was
essential to that amendment. The membership of that committee should reflect the major stakeholders. Our
6,500 professional firefighters from Fire and Rescue, as the State's peak bushfire body, will have a voice. The
committee will have representation from the Public Service Association in regards to RFS staff and National Parks
crew and a representative from the volunteer body. It is important that the higher-ups in any agency listen to the
boots on the ground. That is the message I have heard over and over again in the last year as I have travelled the
State: Listen to the boots on the ground. Further, an important adjustment to this bill is that views will now be
expressed in that committee that represent the promotion and the integrity of cultural burning and our Indigenous
First Nations people will be heard.
The clearing code needs to be strengthened by other Ministers. Securing a technical amendment in having
written concurrence from all the other Ministers is just a form of reassurance to communities, especially those
who are very worried. I understand that worry about the environmental concerns. I make note that in the interests
of transparency our amendment asks for the Minister to commit to tabling a quarterly report on the status of the
76 recommendations that came out of the Bushfire Inquiry report. This is not an onerous request and it is essential.
As I mentioned in this Chamber last week, the final status report to the Special Commission of Inquiry into the
2005 Waterfall Rail Accident Report was tabled only a couple of weeks ago. In line with that sort of transparency
and accountability it is good to see that the Minister is now obliged to provide a progress report and a review of
amendments.
As the member for Blue Mountains and a proud conservationist, I am still concerned about the lack of
scientific rigour in sections of the bill that look at land clearing. Many within our environment movement have
pointed out that broad-scale land clearing was not within the recommendations of the inquiry. I believe that the
measures to provide a disallowance regulation for the Legislative Council to have oversight over the clearing code
and to bolster the voices on the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee will strengthen the voices around any kind of
clearing. A rigorous check-point review process will need to be implemented and I think that actually makes it a
little tougher to progress any of the land clearing agenda.
I thank all of my colleagues in this Chamber who have spoken to this bill and worked with me on
amendments. I thank a number of people from a range of political parties and across the environment movement,
particularly the Rural Fire Service Association, the Fire Brigade Employees Union, the Public Service
Association, and the many firefighters and environmentalists who reached out to me in a very short space of time
to talk to me about their concerns. Sometimes it feels as though we are dealing with huge issues in this place in a
miniscule amount of time—and that it is actually not enough time—but the people of New South Wales want us
to act. I will finish with a point that I made on this matter in my contribution to the second reading debate. It was
a point made by a very senior firefighter for whom I have the greatest respect. I think that it is important to make
this point. He stated:
… if the Federal Government and, for that matter, the State Governments took climate change seriously we would not be looking
down a loaded double-barrelled bushfire gun.
In conjunction with a committee that oversees planning for bushfire hazard reduction, acknowledging the work
our firefighters do across a range of agencies, strengthening the collaborative approach, having committee voices
that speak a range of views, and having a rigor in the Parliament to oversee any measures are all incredibly
important things. It is also important to acknowledging the impact of climate change. I commend the amendments
to the House.
Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (10:31:16): I speak to these amendments in my role as shadow Minister
for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty and acknowledge that this is historic legislation. It is the first time that
Aboriginal people will have a seat at the decision-making table for bushfire risk management in this State.
The Government had, I think correctly, included someone from the NSW Aboriginal Land Council in the original
bill. That was certainly appropriate and the Opposition supported that all along because of the land the council
holds, which is significant in New South Wales. But we also had representations from cultural burning
stakeholders on country, including traditional owners, to also have a seat at the table because of the significant
landholdings they have in New South Wales. We welcome the Government's decision to support their positions
on the bushfire management committees. Certainly we think that will make a difference. There has been support
from both NSW Farmers and Local Government NSW for cultural burning to be implemented in the bushfire risk
management planning. It was also recommendation No. 18.2 of the royal commission, which stated:
Recommendation 18.2 Indigenous land and fire management and public land management
Australian, state, territory and local governments should explore further opportunities to leverage Indigenous land and fire
management insights, in the development, planning and execution of public land management activities.
I thank the shadow Minister, and member for Blue Mountains, for her determination. I also thank Leighton Drury
for his commitment and his negotiation with the crossbench members. I thank the Minister's staff for accepting
this. It think this is really important. It may not seem so in the broader context of the importance of what happened
12 months ago, but certainly cultural burning gives us an opportunity to find a better way—a traditional way—to
fight bushfires. I will leave it at that. However, I recognise Tara Ali, who made representations to me about these
positions. She had been talking to the bushfire committee. Her organisation is over the moon that its lobbying has
been accepted, and it is looking forward to working broadly with the sector to get better outcomes when it comes
to bushfire management.
Ms KATE WASHINGTON (Port Stephens) (10:33:53): I speak on the proposed amendments to the
Bushfire Legislation Amendment Bill before the House. I make it clear that the New South Wales Labor
Opposition has secured significant improvements to the Berejiklian Government's Bushfires Legislation
Amendment Bill, which is to pass the Parliament. Because of Labor's successful amendments, the Government's
proposal to facilitate privatised fire brigades has been withdrawn. Because of Labor's successful amendments, the
State's Bush Fire Coordinating Committee will now include additional representatives from indigenous groups—
as members have heard today—and cultural burning experts, as well as employee representatives from the
Fire Brigade Employees Union, the NSW Rural Fire Services Association and the Public Service Association.
Because of Labor's successful amendments, the Government will now be forced to report to Parliament
every three months on the progress it has made towards the 76 recommendations of the bushfire inquiry. Because
of Labor's successful amendments, the Minister must undertake a statutory review of this legislation by June next
year to determine whether it is achieving its goals or whether it is being misused. Because of Labor's amendments,
if the code is inadequate the Parliament can disallow it and prevent clearing. These are significant changes, and
they have all been achieved by Labor from Opposition. I congratulate the shadow Minister for Emergency
Services, the impressive Trish Doyle.
Meanwhile, after all these improvements, The Greens last night issued a grubby media release attacking
Labor. I assume they thought we would just let it slide. However, let me make it very clear: Labor is not a party
built around whinging and public relations stunts. We approach legislation in this place seriously. We point out
flaws, we propose amendments and we hold the Government to account. Ultimately, we seek to improve the laws
of this State. That is what Labor did in this case. Thanks to the shadow Minister, we were able to do it alongside
and in consultation with stakeholders who are intimately involved in these matters. Did we achieve every
amendment we proposed? No, we did not. That is the unfortunate reality of not being in government: We cannot
make things perfect. This is law is far from perfect. But The Greens missed out entirely, whilst Labor proposed
amendments to better manage land clearing within this bill. The bill's 25-metre land clearing allowance along
boundaries was not a recommendation of the bushfire inquiry, as has been stated by members in this place today.
That is a complete furphy. In practice, the 25-metre rule could have been allowed to be used on both sides of the
boundary to allow 50 metres of clearing. Labor proposed amendments to make sure it was only 25 metres, but the
Government chose to not accept that.
The Greens would like Labor to turn around, after everything else we have achieved, and vote against the
entire bill. I make it very clear to the people who have listened to The Greens members and their comments: If we
voted against this bill, the Government's original bill would have gone through this Parliament. That is the reality
we are dealing with. Uninformed media releases from The Greens will not change that reality. Is the bill before
the House today perfect? It is far from perfect. Is it better because of Labor amendments? Yes, it is. Will Labor's
amendments result in a better environmental outcome than if the Government's bill had passed this Parliament
without amendment? Yes, they will. I want to make that very clear in the House today. From Opposition, Labor
has improved a very far from perfect bill. We will not accept The Green's misrepresentations of our position and
what we have actually achieved in this House courtesy of the hard work of the shadow Minister.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): The question is that the Legislative Council amendments
be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
PUBLIC WORKS AND PROCUREMENT AMENDMENT (WORKERS COMPENSATION NOMINAL
INSURER) BILL 2020
Mr LEE EVANS (Heathcote) (10:38:30): The workers compensation Nominal Insurer [NI] is the legal
entity that provides workers compensation insurance with non-government employers. Section 154D of the
Workers Compensation Act 1987 specifically provides that the State has no beneficial interest in these assets of
the NI, is not entitled to any of the surplus and has no liability for any deficit in the fund. The exemption of the
Public Works and Procurement Act 1912 was utilised for procurements by icare for the NI that have been featured
in recent media and parliamentary coverage. However, icare is subject to obligations set out in part 11 of the
Public Works and Procurement [PWP] Act for procurement that is not for the Nominal Insurer [NI]. The proposed
reforms will apply procurement obligations in part 11 of the PWP Act to procurement by or for the Workers
Compensation Nominal Insurer.
The implications of passing this bill are that that would pre-empt the outcome of the recently announced
icare independent review that will consider inter alia the legislative framework of the Nominal Insurer, as well as
the procurement practices of icare, including for the NI. It would create a risk to the current accounting treatment
of the Nominal Insurer that could bring the Nominal Insurer within whole-of-State financial reporting. Applying
Government procurement rules that are intended to achieve broader social benefits could conflict with the
restriction on the Nominal Insurer funds that requires them to be solely used for the purpose of providing workers
compensation insurance for employers.
The Public Works and Procurement Amendment (Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer) Bill 2020
seeks to amend the legislation governing the status and operation of the Nominal Insurer. The final report of the
review is due to be delivered by the end of April 2021. The terms of reference for the independent review are
comprehensive and specifically include matters that are the subject of this bill. The terms of reference include a
comprehensive organisational review of icare, having regard to issues recently raised in the media and in
Parliament and the independent icare review. That review will cover icare's culture, governance, procurement
practices, management of probity matters such as gifts, travel and conflict of interests, and the review of the
Government-managed workers compensation schemes including the Nominal Insurer and the legislative
framework that supports them.
The review will consider the legislative and regulatory structure of the schemes to the extent they relate to
the Nominal Insurer and recommendations for improvements in line with parts 1 to 3 of the terms of reference,
including in relation to organisational effectiveness of icare and any amendments to the Workers Compensation
Act 1987 to the extent they relate to the terms of reference. Putting to one side any merit or otherwise of the
substantive changes the bill may make to the status and operation of the Nominal Insurer for the purposes of the
Public Works and Procurement Act 1912, it is simply not appropriate to make a statutory change of that nature
while a comprehensive independent review, which includes a statutory review, is being conducted by a learned
and respected former judge. To proceed with this bill would unnecessarily muddy the waters. The Hon. Robert
McDougall, QC, should be allowed to proceed with the independent review. Any recommendations for changes
to the Workers Compensation Act 1987 that the independent review makes can be considered in due course after
the final report of that independent review is delivered in early 2021. I oppose the bill.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (10:43:58): In reply: I thank all members who contributed to debate on
The Green's Public Works and Procurement Amendment (Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer) Bill 2020.
I acknowledge the comments made by the member for Ku-ring-gai, the member for Canterbury, the member for
Cessnock, the member for Mulgoa, the member for Goulburn, the member for Terrigal and the member for
Heathcote and thank them for participating in the debate. Unfortunately, there has been no clear indication from
the Government about how we should deal with the current disaster. I acknowledge the comments made by the
member for Heathcote in concluding his speech. He said that an independent review is already underway but
obviously there is much more than one issue that needs to be resolved about the icare disaster. The reason for this
bill was stated when the bill was received in this House and that was reiterated by my colleague Mr David
Shoebridge when he introduced the bill in the upper House. Let us be clear that this bill already has been passed
by the upper House, which is why it is being considered in this House today.
My colleague Mr David Shoebridge made it very clear that this legislation is urgently needed because the
rorts that have happened in icare can continue to happen while the review takes place. While there is a need for
an independent review of icare's completely disastrous management of the Workers Compensation Scheme—and
I acknowledge that currently there is an upper House inquiry into icare as well—it is very important to remember
that the issue we are dealing with in this bill is the issue of tendering. We are dealing with a loophole that exempts
icare from the normal integrity rules that apply to public sector tenders. The consequences of that loophole are
that there has been a misuse of immense amounts of money and a failure to care for tens of thousands of workers
who either got sick or were injured on the job. I appreciate that the Government might be saying that there is
already a review underway and an inquiry is also being undertaken, but the reason my colleague Mr David
Shoebridge introduced this bill is the urgent need to stop the rorts right now.
The member for Ku-ring-gai stated the Government's acknowledgement of the need to have a
root-and-branch examination of icare, but I wonder how much of an examination is actually needed? The Four
Corners program, which I appreciate was telecast a little while ago—things move quickly in politics—was an
exposé of the completely disastrous mismanagement of icare. The program revealed an $80 million wage theft
from 52,000 injured workers while icare's senior executives were paid an average of $660,000. The program
reported on extreme mismanagement and the complete failure of the scheme, as well as the desire to sweep all of
that mismanagement under the carpet. We know that icare exists to serve the interests of injured workers but that
is not happening. I note the comments made by the member for Ku-ring-gai but it is important to recognise that
all the money in the fund is for injured workers and that $660,000 paid to an icare executive is not going to injured
workers.
The member for Ku-ring-gai said we must allow the review to do its job, and I absolutely agree. But if we
have a review to examine bushfire legislation and the response to bushfires in this State, would we ask the Rural
Fire Service and all the fire brigades to pause putting out fires while that review is conducted? Surely we recognise
the urgent need to keep people safe and work in the interests of our communities while a review is being
conducted. The type of reasoning espoused by the member for Ku-ring-gai is the Government's excuse for not
supporting the bill. A review and an inquiry do not excuse the Government from failing to act. The Greens
acknowledge that both a review and an inquiry are underway. However, we also acknowledge that the rorts consist
of icare handing out money to the families of senior executives instead of applying those funds to assist injured
workers. There is nothing to stop those rorts from continuing as I speak. Icare can exploit a loophole of not having
to meet the normal standards and—although I hate using this expression—none of its conduct passes the pub test.
Icare currently does not have any requirement to meet scrutiny of its tendering processes. That is why its
executives can get away with handing money to mates and family members, and they can still do that.
If the Treasurer is happy to oversee and be responsible for a body that continues to have the ability to rort
the system unchecked, then I put him and the Government on notice. The Greens are offering the Treasurer a way
out with this bill. This is a way out of being responsible for any more dodgy rorts by icare between now and the
handing down of the review and the implementation of the recommendations. The Treasurer and the
Liberal-Nationals Government are seeking to hide behind that review. My colleague The Greens MP David
Shoebridge, who is present in the Speaker's gallery, has a good, long memory. Put down the date of 19 November
2020 in our diaries and then look at a future date when the review will recommend the changes that are in this bill
and then look again at a future date when the Government finally implements those recommendations. From today
until that future date—months or years down the track—when the Government finally acts, let us calculate how
many rorts have taken place and how much more money, which should have been going to injured workers, has
been handed over to icare executives' mates and family members. That figure will be the responsibility of the
Treasurer, to his shame.
I acknowledge the member for Canterbury and her colleague the Hon. Daniel Mookhey in the other place
who have worked closely with The Greens on this bill. I also acknowledge Unions NSW and the many advocates
for injured workers. The member for Canterbury put it simply. She said if the Government rejects this bill, it is
voting for the rorts to continue. It is basically saying that it is okay with the rorts continuing until some point in
the future. Surely that is very concerning. Knowing what we know about the appalling tender processes and how
mates and their related corporations received preferential access to icare tenders, doing nothing would be criminal.
We in this Chamber are giving the Treasurer an opportunity. I note that he has not come to the Chamber or engaged
with this debate.
There has been discussion about this problem sitting with the Minister for Finance and Small Business,
that the Treasurer does not have to worry about it and can palm it off to some unaccountable upper House MP—
who used to be in this House but is now in the Legislative Council enjoying himself on the Government benches.
He is hiding up there and enjoying the fact that he is the finance Minister. Then what happens? The Treasurer
pretends it is not his responsibility. It is clearly the Treasurer's responsibility and his problem, and he needs to fix
it. We are giving the Treasurer a way out today.
It is absolutely clear this bill is needed. No-one on the other side tried to deny that change was needed; we
simply heard that there is already a review. As the member for Canterbury said, if Government members vote
against this bill, they are voting for the rorts to continue. So from 19 November 2020 to whenever the
recommendations from the review are implemented, may all of the rorted money be on the Treasurer's head. That
is money that should have been going into the hands of injured workers in this State. Instead, it has gone into the
coffers of icare's wealthy executives, who are getting $660,000 salaries while injured workers are doing it tough
and being treated appallingly by this system and its process.
Today the Government had the chance to support The Greens bill, which came from the Legislative
Council. It is clear that more can be done to stop the rorts. The Greens, and no doubt the many members who
spoke in favour of the bill, offer our solidarity and support to the injured workers impacted by the rorts. The
system is broken. When the Four Corners story aired many people contacted my electorate office and told us of
the appalling situations that had occurred as a result of mistreatment by icare. It is supposed to support injured
workers. If someone is injured at work, it is not just their physical health that is impacted, their mental health and
ability to participate freely in society also are impacted. The fact that the icare rorts were able to happen in a
process that is supposed to support injured workers is yet another example of how out of touch the
Liberal-Nationals Government is when it comes to caring for people.
My colleague David Shoebridge is committed to caring for and being compassionate towards the people
who have been impacted by the icare scheme. Those people should be front and centre of the Government's
actions. Disgracefully, the Government tries to hide behind review processes and forgets that there are people
involved. I commend the bill to the House and I urge members on the other side who know the impacts this is
having on their communities to think hard before they vote against it and vote for the rorts to continue.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): The question is that this bill be now read a second time.
The House divided.
Ayes ................... 38
Noes ................... 46
Majority.............. 8
AYES
Aitchison, J Finn, J Minns, C
Bali, S Harris, D O'Neill, M
Barr, C Harrison, J Park, R
Butler, R Haylen, J Parker, J
Car, P Hoenig, R Scully, P
Catley, Y Kamper, S Smith, T
Chanthivong, A Lalich, N Tesch, L
Cotsis, S Leong, J Voltz, L
Crakanthorp, T Lynch, P Warren, G
Dalton, H McDermott, H Washington, K
Dib, J McKay, J Watson, A (teller)
Donato, P Mehan, D (teller) Zangari, G
Doyle, T Mihailuk, T
NOES
Anderson, K Griffin, J Preston, R
Ayres, S Gulaptis, C Provest, G
Barilaro, J Hancock, S Saunders, D
Berejiklian, G Hazzard, B Sidgreaves, P
Bromhead, S Henskens, A Singh, G
Clancy, J Johnsen, M Smith, N
Conolly, K Kean, M Speakman, M
Constance, A Lee, G Stokes, R
Cooke, S (teller) Lindsay, W Taylor, M
Coure, M Marshall, A Toole, P
Crouch, A (teller) McGirr, J Tuckerman, W
Davies, T O'Dea, J Upton, G
Dominello, V Pavey, M Ward, G
Elliott, D Perrottet, D Williams, L
Evans, L Petinos, E Williams, R
Gibbons, M
PAIRS
Atalla, E Roberts, A
Daley, M Wilson, F
Hornery, S Sidoti, J
Motion negatived.
GOVERNMENT SECTOR EMPLOYMENT AMENDMENT (TELEWORKING) BILL 2020

Debate resumed from 22 October 2020.
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH (Wollondilly) (11:07:20): I contribute to debate on the private member's
Government Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020. I admit that the member for Barwon is
my favourite crossbencher not just for his sartorial splendour, which has raised the standards of dress in this place,
but also because he is an extremely decent human being. I would like to work with him on legislation like this in
years to come—
Mr Philip Donato: Why not start now?
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: Unfortunately, he will not get my vote today.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): The member for Orange will resume his seat.
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: He and I have talked about this issue quite a bit in our conversations on
level 12 over the magnificent duck pancakes that he makes in his office. I represent the Government in the debate
on the Government Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020. For many years, government sector
staff across New South Wales have been supported to work flexibly, including remotely. In fact, my wife, who
works for a Federal Government department, has been working flexibly from home in the regional town of Bowral,
and it works very well. When Parliament is not sitting she generally goes into the city, but when Parliament is
sitting she works from home and gets quite a lot done for the Federal Government.
Mr Clayton Barr: So you are backing the bill?
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: No, she works for the Federal Government. Nice try, member for Cessnock.
The New South Wales Government Public Service Commission has developed an array of flexible arrangements
that better enable New South Wales public sector employees to do their jobs flexibly, including working online
from any location or teleworking. The Government's flexible working policy and the readiness to work remotely
were significant factors in ensuring that the New South Wales Government could respond to the COVID-19
pandemic quickly and efficiently by transitioning the workforce to home working while maintaining service
delivery and business continuity. We saw this with our own electoral officers. We had many staffers working
from home and working remotely, which they did quite successfully. I know that the Parliament's IT department
is bringing in new services for electoral staff and MPs to be able to work remotely much more easily than in the
past.
Mr Clayton Barr: So you're voting for the bill?
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: No, I am not voting for the bill. Nice try, member for Cessnock. The member
is a comedian today. The New South Wales Public Service Commission has been supporting the government
sector plan for a new normal as public service employees return to workplaces. The Government naturally
supports the availability of employment opportunities in the New South Wales government sector in rural and
regional areas, where such opportunities can be provided and where the work can be done effectively in those
areas. But there is no need to amend the Government Sector Employment Act—the GSE Act—to mandate
flexibility or the creation of jobs in rural and regional areas. There is also no need to amend the GSE Act to require
the Public Service Commissioner to make rules under the GSE Act in relation to teleworking arrangements.
There is no need for rules prohibiting employees with Sydney-based roles from teleworking from outside
Sydney. These are impractical measures that would restrict essential and business-as-usual flexible working
arrangements and collaboration across the government sector and more broadly. They would also impact
negatively on public sector employees who work remotely but who ordinarily may commute to their places of
work. The bill seeks to require the Public Service Commissioner to assess all current and future government sector
roles to determine whether they are suitable for teleworking. This task is better done by individual government
agencies, which are best placed to determine and implement their operational needs. The Public Service
Commission, which is located in central Sydney, is really not best placed to determine the human resource
requirements of regional agencies.
It is also unnecessary to require the Public Service Commissioner to report annually on teleworking
arrangements across government sector agencies. These measures are simply unnecessary. Information on flexible
working arrangements and resources to support flexible work practices, including remote and online working
arrangements, are already provided by the Public Service Commission on its website and by individual agencies
to their staff. The Government will continue to support the availability of teleworking arrangements and other
flexible working arrangements for public service employees in rural and regional areas. However, the
Government's view is that the bill is not the most effective way to achieve those objectives. I recommend that the
House oppose the bill.
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (11:12:42): I lead for the Opposition in debate on the Government
Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020. I make it very clear to the House that Labor supports
this private member's bill, which has been brought to the House by the member for Barwon. We commend his
efforts to promote good public policy that will expand opportunities for workers across New South Wales. We
want to give people in regional and rural communities the chance to secure good jobs working for the State
Government, regardless of where they live. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the status quo of many people's
working lives. This is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. While many people and many businesses have
struggled, and continue to struggle, the pandemic has shown us different ways of working and revealed new
opportunities to modernise our workplaces. With the widespread adoption of teleworking arrangements, we can
see that the old city-centric ways of working are less and less relevant.
For many years, Labor has criticised the O'Farrell, Baird and Berejiklian governments for their cuts to
public sector jobs and for their attacks on the people who keep this State running. The bill is an opportunity to
balance the ledger and restore the many hundreds of public sector jobs that have been ripped out of regional and
rural communities. It is also an opportunity to make good on some of the empty rhetoric that the Government has
been trading in for almost a decade. For as long as we can remember, the Liberals have been talking about a decade
of decentralisation, but very little has actually come of it. In fact, they seem to think decentralisation means moving
public servants all the way out to Parramatta. It shows how short-sighted and mindless the Liberals' reform agenda
is. The decade of decentralisation was always more about property sell-offs in the city and a culture war against
public servants rather than a real opportunity for country people to secure good jobs near their homes.
Labor believes it is important to create and protect jobs in country towns because they provide a vital
economic buffer for rural communities and their economies. In an economic downturn, the secure and dependable
incomes of public sector workers are a vital stabilising force in local economies. A recently released report
prepared by Equity Economics for the NSW Council of Social Service forecast that unemployment will peak in
New South Wales at 9.5 per cent in January 2021, and many regions across the State will experience double-digit
unemployment. They are the highest unemployment figures in New South Wales for a generation. The report
paints a picture of how rising unemployment will impact disadvantage in communities throughout New South
Wales. Already there is evidence that the pandemic and associated lockdowns have increased rates of domestic
violence, mental distress and housing stress, and hurt the academic performance of disadvantaged children.
Modelling suggests that disadvantage will worsen significantly when unemployment peaks shortly after
Christmas, unless there is urgent action to strengthen the social safety net and get people back into work.
Nonetheless, the Berejiklian Government has made its stance clear: It has no intention of helping rural and
regional communities by supporting a bill that would create jobs for people outside metropolitan areas. In fact,
when leading for the Government in debate on the bill, the member for Vaucluse said that it is not necessary to
support or facilitate government sector job opportunities in rural and regional New South Wales. I was startled to
hear those words come out of the member's mouth. Apparently the Berejiklian Government thinks jobs in rural
and regional New South Wales will simply take care of themselves. The member for Vaucluse pointed to the
success of remote working arrangements during COVID-19 as evidence that teleworking legislation is
unnecessary. First, flexible arrangements for public sector workers during COVID-19 only benefited those who
already worked in the public sector and, might I say, who are primarily in Sydney. Secondly, the fact that it took
a global pandemic to necessitate working-from-home arrangements at scale is exactly why we need to legislate
for those conditions.
Here is the key point: The pandemic has proven that workers can do their jobs effectively without being
chained to a desk in an office in this city. Now we need to leverage that lesson to more fairly distribute public
sector work opportunities throughout New South Wales, and that is exactly what this very sensible bill would do.
While the Berejiklian Government is voting against this solution, we in the Labor Party are doing everything in
our power to fight for jobs for people right across New South Wales. In October I introduced Labor's NSW Jobs
First Bill 2020, which will compel State government departments to buy local and support local workers. That
should be our focus; it certainly is Labor's focus. The NSW Jobs First Bill 2020 will also guarantee apprenticeships
and cadetships across industry to ensure that we have the skills necessary over the long term to keep doing the
work locally and to keep doing it to the highest standards.
Today the Labor Party commits to supporting the Government Sector Employment Amendment
(Teleworking) Bill 2020 because we want to ensure jobs for people right across New South Wales—especially as
we know that many regional and rural areas will be among the worst hit by rising unemployment resulting from
the economic downturn. As shadow Minister for Rural and Regional Jobs, I commend the member for Barwon
for bringing the bill to the Parliament. Labor is always happy to work with our crossbench colleagues. We like all
of them—unlike the member for Wollondilly, who cherrypicks and offends the member for Lake Macquarie, who
is in the chair.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): The member for Wollondilly will be very careful with his
comments from here on.
Ms YASMIN CATLEY: We are always happy to work with crossbench colleagues on good policy, and
the member for Barwon has produced just that and I thank him. The bill creates a definition in law for teleworking
arrangements and compels the Public Service Commission to establish a framework for broadscale teleworking
arrangements across the public sector within 12 months of its assent. The bill also compels the Public Service
Commissioner to assess new and existing roles for teleworking suitability. Labor members acknowledge the
importance of flexible working arrangements and we support the Public Sector Commission being empowered to
expand those opportunities for government sector workers in the State.
It is disappointing that the Government—especially The Nationals members, who are from the regions that
we are aiming to assist—has failed to seize the moment during COVID-19 and imagine these new opportunities.
For a party that has been in the news lately for its obsession with property developers' interests on the North Coast,
The Nationals should instead be investigating and promoting opportunities for workers in their electorates to apply
for good secure work in their local communities. The Nationals have been derelict in their duty to country
communities, and this bill from the member for Barwon will deliver new and expanded opportunities to those
people who have been forgotten by The Nationals who represent them. On behalf of the Opposition, I commend
the bill to the House.
Mr PHILIP DONATO (Orange) (11:21:01): I contribute to the debate on the Government Sector
Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020, introduced by my Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
colleague the member for Barwon. Although it is a short, simplistic bill of only a few pages, it is indeed a
momentous bill for the industrial rights of our citizens and for regional New South Wales—the likes of which we
have not witnessed in decades. I commend the member for Barwon for his initiative, dedication and commitment
to looking at proactive and visionary ways to encourage growth while adding to the economic prosperity of
regional New South Wales.
Mr Alister Henskens: Roy wrote this.
Mr PHILIP DONATO: No, he didn't write it. The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party is reservedly
biased for the bush, and we want to see the towns and regions of rural New South Wales grow and thrive. We
want to encourage people and make it as easy as possible for them to live and work in regional New South Wales.
We want people to relocate to regional New South Wales because it is a great place to bring up a family, add to
the local community and appreciate what a great lifestyle we share.
Recently I was joined by the Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales at the opening of the
new Department of Planning, Industry and Environment building in Orange, the Ian Armstrong Building, which
also houses the Department of Primary Industries [DPI] and other services. The DPI is a great example of
decentralisation that occurred nearly three decades ago. It was a big, bold, visionary move that has proven to be a
great success story. Relocating the DPI from Sydney to Orange was fraught with resistance and opposition with
naysayers claiming it would never work. Nothing could have been more wrong. The DPI in Orange now employs
several hundred staff and injects approximately $200 million into the local Orange economy each year. It has been
a tremendous success.
This is great, but what about the other towns, especially the smaller towns of regional New South Wales?
Decentralising an entire government department is not easy, and I accept that. But by encouraging telework and
supporting the bill it is possible to share this prosperity across towns and communities that otherwise would not
benefit—and with minimal outlay. I have listened to other members' contributions on the bill and disappointingly,
but not surprisingly, the Government opposes it. That is a shame because the Government's objections are not
about the merits of the bill but rather are selfish, egotistical, baseless excuses. Unfortunately, the Government
cannot bring itself to support a bill that is not its own. When I tell people in the community that sad but realistic
fact, they shake their heads in disbelief, and yet we wonder why there is so much disconnect and disillusionment
in the community towards politicians.
COVID-19, a once-in-a-century global pandemic, has tested all of us in every area of our lives. Who would
have thought 12 months ago that social distancing, hand sanitiser, checking in, COVID-19 safety plans, wearing
a face mark and Zoom meetings would become the new norm. Businesses and workplaces have adapted to change
to keep their doors open, keep people working and keep communities going forward. Working from home has
been a game changer, and COVID-19 has demonstrated the capability and the capacity of people to work
effectively, efficiently and productively from home. There is no good reason why people cannot continue to do
this after COVID-19.
The private sector has embraced working from home for years. A close friend of mine has been working
remotely from the mid North Coast for a large financial corporation for the past decade, running and supervising
projects both across the country and the planet. There is no good reason why the public sector should not embrace
this opportunity too. In my electorate of Orange the majority of DPI staff have been working from home during
the COVID-19 period, university lecturers at the Charles Sturt University campus in Orange have been
administering to students online and remotely. Many local council staff have been working remotely from home,
along with many other private businesses. It has been demonstrated that it can be done and that it is a productive,
efficient and effective way for people to work. As the member for Wagga Wagga so eloquently put it, the irony
is that telehealth is administered in the regions, but the Government will not mandate telework for people in
regional New South Wales by supporting the bill.
What are the benefits to rural and regional communities that the bill would deliver? First, it would inject
significant financial investment into local communities, which would support local businesses and ultimately local
jobs. It would encourage people to move, and more importantly stay, in the regions. It would go some way to
reduce traffic congestion and travel time in Sydney. More importantly, it would allow people more time to spend
with their families, rather than in a train or stuck in a traffic jam on the M4. It would grow local services in health,
education and social services in our communities and provide other spin-off opportunities. It is no secret that the
bush has done it extremely hard these past few years with the worst drought on record, then the bushfires, then
COVID-19 and now an economic recession to boot. Supporting the bill would send a strong message to the people
of rural and regional New South Wales. It would show that the Government is genuinely serious about supporting
and growing regional communities for the future. I join my colleague and call on all MPs, but especially regional
MPs, to support the bill. Their communities would benefit and they expect their interests to be put first. For those
reasons, I support the bill and commend it to the House.
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (11:26:51): I support the Government Sector Employment
Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020, which will amend the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 to
facilitate the use of teleworking arrangements for government sector employees. I commend the Shooters, Fishers
and Farmers Party and the member for Barwon for this initiative. This is a step in the right direction to improve
the working lives of people in the State. One-third of the workforce of the Central Coast in my electorate of The
Entrance commutes out of the area to work. Many of them catch a train from Lisarow, Narara, Niagara Park or
Ourimbah early in the morning to travel to Sydney or Newcastle and come home late in the evening, or they
commute on the freeways. They spend a lot of time out of the area, away from their communities and their families.
They also spend money outside the area.
The suburbs of Lisarow, Narara, Niagara Park and Wyoming grew off the back of people commuting to
Sydney to obtain work. Many people in our area dream of working on the Central Coast. These workers have
embraced the opportunity provided by the current public health orders on gathering and movement which have
mandated working from home arrangements. Instead of commuter car parks at railway stations in my electorate
being full to overflowing with cars in the morning, there are many fewer people commuting now. Those mainly
white collar workers are working from home and loving it. They are spending more time with their families,
spending more money in the area, and their working life is much improved. It is a better way to work for people
in my electorate and in other regional areas like the Central Coast.
Working from home should be a right, not a privilege. That is why this bill is a step in the right direction.
It is disappointing that the Liberal-Nationals Coalition does not embrace the opportunities provided by this bill. It
is particularly disappointing that those in The Nationals do not embrace them, given the opportunities for regional
workers afforded by the ability to undertake their work from home via teleworking. All members should support
the bill in this House. Labor supports the bill, I support the bill, I know my community supports this bill and
I commend the bill to the House.
Mrs HELEN DALTON (Murray) (11:30:00): I speak in support of my colleague, Roy Butler, the
member for Barwon's bill, the Government Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020. Passing
this bill would be fantastic for my electorate of Murray. It is the sort of bill the National Party would have
introduced 20 years ago if those in the National Party actually thought or cared about the bush. Rural
New South Wales is a great place to live but chronic underfunding of services has created many disadvantages.
Many people in the electorate of Murray live hours away from their nearest hospital. We also live a long way
from the most well-paid and secure jobs—that is, jobs in the government sector. The Government could ease this
disadvantage with the stroke of a pen or the passing of this bill.
There is no reason why people in Deniliquin, Wentworth, Barham, Griffith, Moama, Hay or Hillston should
be denied access to some of the best jobs in the State. COVID-19 has shown that so much of our work can be
done remotely. If a desk job in Sydney can be done remotely, there is no reason why someone in Deniliquin should
not be able to apply for it. The New South Wales Government, which talks so much about how it is an equal
access employer, should be doing all it can to facilitate job access for people in remote and regional communities.
Postcode discrimination is perhaps the least talked about but more prevalent form of discrimination in the State,
and it is done by The Nationals. I am so glad we finally have a bill that tries to address the issue.
The Nationals have done everything they can to destroy jobs in Deniliquin. Water mismanagement and
corruption have eliminated jobs in rice and dairy. Forestry laws have killed jobs in timber. The Government talks
big about decentralisation while centralising all the government jobs in big population centres like Wagga Wagga
and Dubbo. Well, here is a chance for the Government to give back to this wonderful town, to make it easier for
people in Deniliquin and Griffith to access secure government employment. This would provide a much-needed
economic stimulus to the bush. It would also provide another career path for those made unemployed by
COVID-19 or the New South Wales Government's border closure. Indeed, the border closure has exposed how
much New South Wales bludges on Victoria. Many small towns in my electorate have so much of their lives
dependant on the southern State.
Under The Nationals, regional New South Wales has been stripped bare of services and infrastructure. That
is why so many people live in New South Wales but work in Victoria. We need to win back jobs in our State. We
need to make jobs in Sydney accessible to all. If an employer really wants to hire the best person for the job, we
cannot keep discriminating against the millions of people who happen to live outside our capital city. Women in
rural areas have been hard hit by COVID-19 and the border closure, with so many jobs in hospitality, retail, pubs
and clubs wiped out. This bill will provide a pathway back to employment for those women. Will The Nationals,
which calls itself "the only party for regional Australia", support a bill that greatly benefits the regions? Time will
tell. Unlike the Nats, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party will always be biased for the bush, which is why
I commend this wonderful bill to the House.
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (11:33:55): I support the member for Barwon's Government Sector
Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020 and acknowledge his commitment to his community and his
vision for releasing his and other communities from the tyranny of "presenteeism" in the workplace. The public
sector deserves all the support we can possible give it. Giving public sector workers pay cuts at this crucial time
when they have been out there fighting the good fight for our communities across regional New South Wales is
an absolute smack in the face.
If the Government votes against this bill it will be so disappointing for so many people in my community
but also for the opportunities of regional and rural New South Wales to benefit from these great incomes. The
member for Wagga Wagga speaks of the professionals who have been relocated from the city into his community
whose partners would like to continue working the public sector but that is not available. There are so many
reasons to support this bill. From my community on the Central Coast 44,000 locals leave every single day to
head down to Sydney, historically, to do their work outside our beautiful community so they can put food on their
families' tables. The consequences of this for our families is really challenging. We moved to the coast to enjoy
the beautiful quality of life, the pace of life and for our beautiful environment. For those commuters who often in
winter leave home in the dark and arrive home after dark, they do not get to enjoy these things until the weekend.
This bill is an opportunity for a change in the life we live in regional and rural New South Wales and yet
the Government will deny our people this opportunity. People in my community make a sacrifice each day so that
their loved ones can enjoy our beautiful place. They cram onto trains; they sit in traffic. Long-term commuters
have been shown to have a 40 per cent increase in the risk of divorce. It reduces time for parenting and household
responsibilities. And, unfortunately, commuters have lower local engagement, which impacts on the young
generation that has moved to the coast and lowers community cohesion. Commuters shop where they work,
reducing spending with local businesses. Commuters also often perform below capability because of the increased
stress that is caused by commuting.
COVID-19 has given us few gifts but one of the gifts it has given our community is for the people mandated
to stay local and work local. It is another way. This flexible work, allowing us to work from home, has changed
so much and has released commuters from that four- to six-hour commitment every week. Working from home
will not kill productivity and it definitely will not sink the economy in regional and rural New South Wales. We
know that 150,000 government workers have worked remotely, and we know that it works. In many cases we
know that it has improved local and regional communities, and we know this bill will continue to do that across
New South Wales.
At the moment our 44,000 commuters historically have spent about $400,000 a day in Sydney, which is a
massive amount of money taken out of our community on the Central Coast and put into the big city. I understand
that city businesses are suffering but our high streets are booming. It is beautiful to see that our youth employment
rate, which often falls faster and lower than the Hunter, has fallen less than the Hunter because a lot of our
hospitality facilities are open as commuters are working in their local communities and shopping locally. For our
commuters it is a whole day a week that they now do not have to spend commuting. That is a gift that the
Government should consider giving back to our people. It is hugely important not just for people living in rural
and regional areas but also because commuters are being robbed of at least a day a week in order to travel to the
city to work.
During COVID-19 I saw so many people with happy faces on the Woy Woy waterfront. I usually see the
same people at the train station from 4.30 a.m. with grim faces, heads down, burdened by the commute. People
are out walking their dogs. The dogs on the Central Coast are happier than ever before. People are enjoying a
much better quality of life, photographing the sunrise and spending time with a new camera instead of being
trapped in the commute. It should be mandated that our community can live like this, with full hearts every day,
and be able to drop their kids to school before work and pick them up after work.
During COVID-19 and beyond I have been doing quite an extensive survey of my commuters. Of the
respondents, 84 per cent were able to continue to work from home for at least part of the week after COVID-19,
and only 12 per cent wanted to go back to the office full-time. Of respondents, 79 per cent were satisfied with
working from home, compared to 61 per cent working from the office; and 55 per cent said working from home
has had a positive impact on their productivity—of course it does when you are sleeping better, eating better,
exercising and spending time with your family. Only 10 per cent identified a negative impact on productivity.
The challenges identified were feelings of social isolation, difficulty achieving work-life balance, and
communication with colleagues. Around the world research is showing that good managers are giving the
appropriate support to overcome some of these challenges and support people working from home. I am pleased
that the positives outweigh the negatives. When asked what changes were needed for respondents to continue
working from home, some 35 per cent said that no changes were needed for them to be able to continue working
more flexibly. Some 17 per cent identified they would struggle to get permission from their employer. It is sad to
hear that some of the government departments hoof their people back down on the train or back down the
expressway to be tortured in the workplace when, in the minds of those people, they were achieving exactly the
same goals at home.
It was also nice to speak to Deloitte Australia, which has done a similar survey. I thank Kate Higgins and
her team for their ongoing research to do with technology and the support for teleworkers, but also the research
indicating that women in the workplace appreciate the flexibility and the work-life balance. I also thank the Public
Service Association [PSA], which has done a similar survey. I have known for a long time that people with
disabilities really do not want to do the commute to the city but they are very effective employees. They love the
flexibility of some sort of work-life balance different to the historical rush to the city to sit in rows.
What we also need as part of this conversation—and the research is showing this—are co-working hubs,
so that regional communities can have the collaboration we need. It was interesting to hear from Anna Bligh
yesterday at the parliamentary leaders' event about the examples from the National Australia Bank. I say good on
the National Australia Bank, which has kept regional banks open in the morning but then allowed teleworking
opportunities from home. Hearing the story of a lady in regional Queensland running teleworking from her home
locked in that there is a huge difference in opportunities for people with family responsibilities, women and people
with disabilities to have alternatively shaped work. This bill encourages the Government to get on board.
I thank Colin Taylor from Common on West and I also thank the Foundry at Erina, which are providing
that work from home space on the Central Coast with a co-working hub. I look forward to being more collaborative
with those groups to work out what emphasis we need to push onto the heads of Government to open up this space
to be more effective. I also acknowledge that Telstra has a regional work hub at Erina, where many employees go
to work on a hot desk instead of doing the four-hour return trip to Sydney. It is sad that the Government shut down
its co-working space Go Gosford for employees working on the coast. I would like to see more such spaces, even
though the Government will vote down this bill.
We have to change this horrific view of work that says that bums on seats mean productivity. We have to
treat people as adults, recognise that they are human beings and adapt to the changes COVID has forced on us not
just here in New South Wales but around the world. The over-reliance on presenteeism in our workplaces means
that people have to congregate around already congested and unhealthy CBDs and employment hubs, putting
crazy pressure on infrastructure. I am sure our community would much rather invest in green spaces, parks and
recreational opportunities than in another skyscraper car park tower towards the city. Governments need to look
at this as policy opportunities, not take the same old view as we saw from some Ministers a few weeks ago when
they demanded that public servants return to their desks in Parramatta.
Once again, I thank the PSA for its research supporting flexible work and the importance of different
shaped workplaces, especially for women. I thank Deloitte Australia for the work it continues to do on this subject
and the information it continues to provide to the Government that this is a future option and needs to be
considered. I also thank the member for Barwon for bringing this bill to the House. I send a shout-out to the public
sector employees across New South Wales. Labor and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party will continue to
fight for the opportunity for them to live outside the city centre. We will continue to fight beyond the
Sydney-centric focus of the Liberal-Nationals Government in this State.
Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) (11:43:38): I make a brief contribution to debate on the
Government Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking) Bill 2020. It is undeniable that the pandemic has
turned our lives upside down. Impacts across the globe have been vast, prompting the world to look at life in a
very different way, be it socially, economically or emotionally. Albert Einstein once said, "In the midst of every
crisis lies great opportunity"—and the member for Barwon has found it. Whilst this pandemic has tested our
resilience, and still tests our resilience every day, we are slowly coming up for air and now find an opportunity to
analyse this past year, to take stock, to look at what worked and what did not.
The teleworking bill calls on the need to facilitate the use of flexible working arrangements for government
sector employees. In my electorate of the Blue Mountains, the opportunity to work from home has had what
I believe to be an incredibly positive effect on our community. Teleworking on the whole was introduced as a
short-term solution, but as the months roll by it is becoming more firmly entrenched in communities across our
State. The effects of this move to working from home need to be properly acknowledged and considered and
ultimately introduced as an integral part of our framework for employment. Moving to a flexible workforce has
been a necessity during COVID-19, but the pandemic only accelerated what we have believed for a long time:
flexibility is a natural extension of the acceptance of diversity. Balancing the freedom that a flexible workforce
affords with the necessity for improved productivity brings challenges, but none that is insurmountable.
In simplified terms, the advantages of working from home include improved work-life balance; reduction
in stress due to daily commutes—and I can tell members they are long commutes from the Blue Mountains—
reduced turnover of staff and the retention of valuable employees; the support of the collaboration of employees
residing in different locations; improved inclusivity; and the potential for positive environmental impacts. Recent
research has shown that Australians like working from home. They are more likely to stay longer with their
employer should their desire for flexible working arrangements be fulfilled. This is particularly true of women
with children.
On that note, I emphasise this for all of the working mothers across this State: The contribution women
make to the workforce is vital but their ability to participate is often limited by their parenting responsibilities.
A move to teleworking creates an increased capacity for mothers to work, reducing barriers to their participation
as well as going some way towards addressing the clear gender gap at the highest levels of the New South Wales
public sector. We still live in a culture that sees the disproportionate allocation of domestic and caring roles
allocated to women. Personally I would like to see this change, but in the current absence of that change a move
to support teleworking arrangements would surely see a reduction in the disadvantages faced by women in the
workforce.
This excellent bill is not just about creating jobs in our remote communities but also addresses the need for
an examination of gender employment inequities in New South Wales. NSW Labor cares about jobs. NSW Labor
understands the need for flexibility, particularly at a time like this, to keep workers happy. Happy workers are
productive workers. Happy workers stay in their jobs and willingly contribute to their roles and the companies or
departments for which they work. This bill is a win-win for the employees of this State and for the economy of
this State. A move to the teleworking space for the government sector is a move towards the long-term
sustainability of a productive, economically resilient workforce. This is not rocket science. If we allow a greater
capacity for employment for those in rural and regional New South Wales we inevitably enhance the prospects
for those regions. The economy improves and the community's ability to be self-sustaining improves markedly.
Surely those two factors alone illustrate why Labor wholeheartedly supports this bill.
The New South Wales Government has an appalling track record of cutting public sector jobs. Members
have seen it with cuts to NSW National Parks and Wildlife staff and massive cuts to our emergency services
personnel. This Government has knowingly contributed to the demise of employment in regional locations
through mergers and its love of privatisation. This is not only problematic in terms of rural and regional economies
and community wellbeing but in the cases of NSW National Parks and Wildlife and the emergency services it is
dangerous. While today members speak more specifically to teleworking, it must be said that the overarching
issue of government employment in varying sectors in rural and regional New South Wales is crucial both to our
prosperity and our safety. There is no longer any room for this urban-priority thinking. It is outdated, limiting and
discriminatory and it is not progressive. It does not serve the people of this State.
We do not know what the coming years will bring. If we have learnt nothing else this year, we have learnt
that we need to keep an open mind and be prepared for anything. One of the best ways to do that is to create a
foundation that supports workers and creates a space where they feel valued, not just financially but for the needs
that exist in their lives outside of their employment. Working remotely allows those living in rural and regional
communities to pursue more diverse careers. Teleworking enables the embracing of inclusion, the hiring of people
from all walks of life and people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Allowing employees
to work from home supports diversity, community and family. Teleworking also creates an opportunity for those
who may otherwise struggle to find employment on site, such as people with a disability or caregivers who rely
on flexible work schedules so that they can remain in paid employment.
The bill calls on the Government to do better and to get its head out of the sand. Conservative thinking has
no place here. The future of work in regional Australia is not without its challenges but that should not be a reason
for failing to tackle the issue head-on. Well-designed, targeted and systematic responses to the generation of
employment, particularly through teleworking, will lead to significant multifaceted improvements in our regional
communities. I thank and, with deepest respect, pay tribute to the member for Barwon for introducing such an
excellent bill. Labor stands with the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party on teleworking. I commend the bill to
the House.
Mr ROY BUTLER (Barwon) (11:50:24): In reply: I thank members representing the electorates of
Vaucluse, Wagga Wagga, Coffs Harbour, Orange, Murray, Wollondilly, The Entrance, Gosford and
Blue Mountains who contributed to debate on the Government Sector Employment Amendment (Teleworking)
Bill 2020. Many other members wanted to speak but time got the better of us. Today members of this House have
a chance to support regionalisation of public service positions for the benefit of regional New South Wales and to
assure that the best possible applicants win jobs in the public service, no matter where in the State they are. The
bill will ensure that everyone in New South Wales, including residents of regional and rural communities, has
access to job opportunities.
The intent of this bill is to help people to relocate to the bush and retain their existing job or seek new
employment opportunities while working remotely. This will help to transform regional economies and provide
new opportunities for people in regional New South Wales. The bill provides the New South Wales Government
with the opportunity to lead the way in embracing changes to the way public servants work instead of lagging
behind workplace trends. COVID-19 has introduced radical changes to the way we work. Suddenly employers
have had to re-evaluate the traditional methods of working following the need to practise social distancing. We
embrace this change. We must capitalise on this innovation as remote work has been accepted, proven successful
and normalised during this time.
With millions of people currently working from home and public service productivity the same or better,
we are witnessing the biggest change to how we work since the industrial revolution. The question I direct to the
Government is: Do you want to be ahead of that, or behind it? Think about that. Since I introduced this bill more
and more private sector employers have moved towards telework. I am not a smart man and I am not a political
genius, but a curious thing happened after I started talking publicly about teleworking. It seems that the policy
advisers in the Federal National Party thought I was onto a good thing. Decentralisation Minister Andrew Gee
launched an ambitious plan to encourage city workers to work remotely from the bush. That sounds like
teleworking. It sounds like what this bill will achieve.
I wonder when he will bring legislation to the Federal Parliament. I know it would have the support of the
Deputy Prime Minister, The Nationals member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, because I asked him at the
Bush Summit in Cooma held in August, "Does regional Australia deserve the benefits that can be brought about
by wide-scale adoption of teleworking?" In response, he said that for over 10 years they tracked those people who
have moved to a regional centre, either through a decentralisation program of government or indeed having moved
there through private enterprise, and found that three regional districts—not necessarily just the regional hubs, but
regional districts—benefited to the tune of $110,000 for each family.
Members representing the electorates of Wagga Wagga, Murray, Gosford, The Entrance and
Blue Mountains all touched on the benefits of flexible working. Those members understand the social and
economic benefits of this bill to communities in regional New South Wales. It was disappointing for the
communities represented by the member for Coffs Harbour, who I think is a good member and the only Nationals
member to contribute to debate on the bill. His constituents could take up telework if this bill is passed. His
electorate could reap some of the enormous benefits that could be gained from supporting this bill, but The
Nationals said they will stick to the well-trodden path of following the Liberal Party and not voting for legislation
that will benefit regional New South Wales. Is the New South Wales National Party out of step with its Federal
counterpart? How can we have the Federal Leader of the party and the member for Calare publicly supporting
teleworking to benefit regional areas and some State Nationals speaking against the same thing?
The Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales—a good man—is The Nationals
representative in this place of the large rural and regional electorate of Northern Tablelands. He supports the
concept of flexible working arrangements. Earlier this month he stated on the record in Orange that if COVID has
taught us anything, it is that you can do all sorts of work from anywhere is New South Wales—not just in the
capital cities.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Barwon will be heard in silence.
Mr ROY BUTLER: So what is it, Nationals? Are you for job creation and population in the bush? Are
you for the empowerment of regional communities? Frankly, I am tired of the "say one thing in the bush but do
another thing here". That is tripe; it is rubbish. This is a good bill for regional New South Wales—for The
Nationals' communities. Do not disappoint me again today by toeing the city-centric Government line. In the face
of the COVID-19 pandemic—the unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime generational event that rocked the
foundations of the way we live—the Government asked our public servants to work from home. They packed
themselves up and kept the State running from home offices. And they did not just phone it in either. The data
from the public service backs me up on this point. On that topic, I take a moment to thank the Minister for Jobs,
Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney for directing me to the recent NSW Remote Working Insights report,
which is a fantastic document. The report "unpacks our experience during COVID-19 and what it means for the
future of work." It states:
COVID-19 forced a huge experiment in our ability to work remotely. By May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 46 per
cent of NSW workers were working from home.
The report goes on to state that 53 per cent of workers in New South Wales claim to be more productive when
working remotely compared with working at their employer's workplace. People also ranked having a better
work-life balance as the single best aspect of remote work, with the reduced size of road traffic and public transport
networks also benefiting those who do not or cannot work remotely. Of those who were working from home, on
average 13 per cent reported more productivity each hour compared with working on site. This proves the point
that I made in my second reading speech: Teleworking works. The Government tells us it does in the
Government's own report. That is more reason to support my bill, is it not?
The member for Wollondilly suggested that agencies are best placed to decide suitable positions for
teleworking. I totally agree with him, and the best-placed person to lead that is the Public Service Commissioner.
I will refer to a recent report by the Productivity Commission a number of times because it has a great deal of
valuable information that the Government supports—and is exactly what this bill is aimed at achieving. I refer to
the contributions to this debate by the member for Vaucluse and the member for Wollondilly, who expressed their
opposition for the bill, citing that flexible working arrangements are already implemented across the New South
Wales Government sector and there is no need for legislative amendment or any changes to that.
I worked for the public sector in three agencies for 20 years. I can attest to the fact that over the past
20 years public sector jobs have been lost due to centralisation and that enduring flexible working arrangements
—a term I use advisedly, and I am in no way referring to staying home to wait for a fridge to be delivered or to
care for a sick kid—are as rare as hen's teeth. With no clear guidance, individual staff are being left to negotiate
with managers who may or may not personally agree with the concept of remote work. Now, despite what
Government members have said, their data and their reports do not lie. The NSW Remote Working Insights report
states:
Before 2020, New South Wales was using less than half of its potential to work remotely. We estimate that while 44% of all work
tasks in the NSW economy can be done remotely, only 18% were done remotely in 2019.
Is 18 per cent really success? The bill sends a clear signal to the Public Service Commissioner and agencies that
remote work is totally acceptable and in no way imposes restrictions on either party in engaging the best person
for the job. Merit selection is what the public service is built on. Government sector jobs have been the subject of
flexible work arrangements since 2016 and, as is rightly said, having the right management and leadership culture
throughout organisations can support flexible work as a legitimate choice. Why oppose the bill if in recent months
and during the COVID-19 pandemic employee recruitments were conducted virtually? Did this prevent or
negatively impact the ability of government agencies to recruit and manage staff as appropriate for the needs of
New South Wales communities and the operational needs of the New South Wales public sector?
I thank the member for Wagga Wagga for his contribution. He is 100 per cent right in his statements: The
key to rural and regional communities are its people and having jobs for those people. I thank him for pointing
out the hypocrisy—that the Government wholeheartedly supports telework for doctors. Now I do not know about
you, but it does not make sense to me that the Government would not be enthusiastic about a person in an
administration position working remotely. If we want to attract professionals like doctors, lawyers, teachers and
nurses to regional areas, work for their spouses is a major factor in getting them there. As a doctor, the member
for Wagga Wagga should know that. This bill will help professionals get to the bush. The bill does not stop people
from working in an office or government service building. On the contrary, it will provide the Public Service
Commissioner with a merit-based approach to recruitment to ensure we get the best public value possible by
getting the best person in the State for a job, no matter where they are.
The Premier has listed having a world-class public service as one of her priorities. The priority is to
implement best-practice productivity and digital capability in the New South Wales public sector and drive public
sector diversity by 2025. The policy sets targets of having 50 per cent of senior leadership roles held by women,
increasing the number of Aboriginal people in senior leadership roles and ensuring 5.6 per cent of government
sector roles are held by people with a disability. I commend the Premier for having that priority. It is well
documented that there are many barriers to participation in the workforce for people in those demographics,
especially people with a disability, as the member for Gosford spoke about very well. The bill would remove
hurdles and provide more opportunity for people in those demographics. It could help the Premier achieve her
priority.
In September of this year, the New South Wales union movement urged the State Government to move
public service jobs to the regions to help generate jobs and cash flow. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced our
working practices to catch up to technology, which has led to time and cost savings, greater productivity and
increased flexibility for New South Wales workers and businesses. The fact is that the biggest benefit of
introducing telework in regional and rural New South Wales is the improvement in the lives of people in our
communities. That is done by creating jobs, injecting cash into local communities and businesses, increasing
consumer spending and ultimately growing the much-needed population and local services in our communities.
I urge every member to support regional New South Wales and support this bill. I commend the bill to the House.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that this bill be now read a second time.
The House divided.
Ayes ................... 41
Noes ................... 43
Majority.............. 2
AYES
Aitchison, J Finn, J Minns, C
Bali, S Greenwich, A O'Neill, M
Barr, C Harris, D Park, R
Butler, R Harrison, J Parker, J
Car, P Haylen, J Piper, G
Catley, Y Hoenig, R Scully, P
Chanthivong, A Kamper, S Smith, T
Cotsis, S Lalich, N Tesch, L
Crakanthorp, T Leong, J Voltz, L
Daley, M Lynch, P Warren, G
Dalton, H McDermott, H Washington, K
Dib, J McGirr, J Watson, A (teller)
Donato, P McKay, J Zangari, G
Doyle, T Mehan, D (teller)
NOES
Anderson, K Gibbons, M Preston, R
Ayres, S Griffin, J Provest, G
Barilaro, J Gulaptis, C Saunders, D
Berejiklian, G Hancock, S Sidgreaves, P
Bromhead, S Henskens, A Singh, G
Clancy, J Johnsen, M Smith, N
Conolly, K Kean, M Speakman, M
Constance, A Lee, G Stokes, R
Cooke, S (teller) Lindsay, W Taylor, M
Coure, M Marshall, A Toole, P
Crouch, A (teller) O'Dea, J Tuckerman, W
Davies, T Pavey, M Upton, G
Dominello, V Perrottet, D Ward, G
Elliott, D Petinos, E Williams, R
NOES
Evans, L
PAIRS
Atalla, E Roberts, A
Hornery, S Sidoti, J
Mihailuk, T Hazzard, B
Saffin, J Wilson, F
Motion negatived.
Motions
EVANS HEAD AND YAMBA SURF LIFE SAVING CLUBS GRANTS
Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (12:11:29): The importance of surf lifesaving clubs in our communities
is no secret to many members in this place, and I am privileged that a number of outstanding clubs are situated in
my electorate of Manly. They do a lot of heavy lifting to make sure that swimmers at our beaches are safe. They
also do a variety of other work that comes with running a surf lifesaving club or being a member of the lifesaving
movement. The northern beaches has some wonderful surf clubs that are well known around Australia and the
world. I particularly recognise Manly Life Saving Club because I became a nipper there and was also chosen as
the junior club captain. I made a number of rescues on the beach during the summers, and thankfully nobody ever
drowned. Surf lifesaving clubs in our communities do fantastic work, and it is important to recognise the work of
volunteers. The clubs are community hubs, and they bring people together and teach them new skills. They also
help people learn the value of volunteering in order to give back to their local communities.
I also recognise North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club, which this Government has proudly supported
through funding to improve its infrastructure and facilities. On 26 September the Minister for Police and
Emergency Services joined me in Manly at the Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club for this season's raising of the
flags ceremony. It marked the start of what will be a difficult season for the surf lifesaving movement due to the
increased number of people wanting to enjoy local beaches because of they cannot travel farther afield. I am sure
that the challenges that COVID-19 has brought will be managed by our surf lifesavers admirably over the course
of the summer.
Further north there is the wonderful Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club, the South Curl Curl Surf Lifesaving
Club and North Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club. Unfortunately, due to COVID the North Curl Curl Club was not
able to run its annual 3 Points Challenge, which is a fantastic run-swim-run event that takes competitors from Curl
Curl to Freshwater and back. I have participated a couple of times, and it proved to be great fun and a good test
of fitness. Surf lifesaving clubs do phenomenal work in our communities, and this Government has invested in
them up and down the coast through either built infrastructure or direct funding to members to ensure that they
are looked after and can continue to play their vital role in our communities. I thank those volunteers who have
put so much energy, time and effort into the surf lifesaving movement. I commend the motion to the House.
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (12:15:15): I support the motion moved by the member for Clarence.
There are four surf clubs in the electorate of Swansea. That number may soon rise to five if the recent electoral
redistribution plans are confirmed, which would give me the opportunity to represent another wonderful
organisation. All eastern seaboard MPs have a lot to do with surf lifesaving clubs because they are quintessentially
Australian. When the yellow and red flags rise every year, we know that summer is coming and we can go to the
beach where club volunteers will keep us safe. As deputy co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving
I can say that we unequivocally support surf lifesavers in New South Wales because they do such an amazing job
keeping our beaches incredibly safe. I know that all members think the same, and I am very pleased that is the
case.
COVID-19 has brought its challenges to our surf lifesaving organisations, and an initiative my club at
Caves Beach has introduced in response has been the separation of the nippers program. Those aged four to seven
now attend on Friday evenings and the other age groups have their sessions on Sunday mornings. Many parents
have told me that this set-up is working really well. In fact, my little nieces and nephews are amongst those
nippers, and it has been fantastic to see them continue to learn about critical surf safety measures and the healthy
competition that the surf lifesaving movement promotes all in a COVID safe way.
Carnivals are still taking place in the Hunter region, and on Saturday 7 November the second round of the
Newcastle Permanent Series took place at Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club. I do not normally like to
single out individuals, but earlier in the week I was looking at the under-14 results and I noticed the name of
someone I know very well: Sam Murphy. Sam is a third generation surf lifesaver whose grandfather Vince is my
father's best mate and whose dad, Adam, is an Australian champion. Sam not only won the under-14 male surf
race but also did extremely well to be part of the club's surf teams. This spanning of the generations epitomises
what is fantastic about surf lifesaving in this State. When you go to the beach you will always see grandads
watching their grandkids participating in competition.
In March next year the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships will be held at Swansea Belmont Surf Life
Saving Club, and I look forward to welcoming all members to the event. The competition will be managed in a
COVID safe way, and both Lake Macquarie City Council and Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club are
working hard to ensure that this wonderful event goes ahead. The championships will be run under a different
format but nonetheless will showcase our State's magnificent athletes and highlight the solidarity, great respect
and love we all have for surf lifesaving in New South Wales. I look forward to seeing all members there in March.
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (12:19:27): By leave: It is a pleasure to speak in support of the motion
moved by the member for Clarence. As we have heard, members are on a unity ticket when it comes to surf
lifesaving in New South Wales. I know that many Government members will want to contribute to today's
discussion. I am a very proud co-deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving, and it is
great to see surf lifesaving go from strength to strength—especially on the Central Coast, where we have some
truly wonderful clubs. There are 14 clubs across the Central Coast, seven of which are in my electorate of Terrigal.
I believe, next to the member for Pittwater, I represent the second largest number of surf life saving clubs in any
electorate. I am very proud to be able to support all of them. It has been an incredible year for surf lifesaving
because of COVID, but that has not stopped the New South Wales Government supporting clubs on the Central
Coast.
In February I confirmed that we were providing $177,000 to the Wamberal Surf Life Saving Club to finally
finish off its clubhouse. In 2009 the local council ran out of money and was not able to finish the job. The State
Government stepped up and provided that additional funding. President Adam Phillips and the rest of the
Wamberal club's 570-plus members are delighted because they have one of the world's best surf life saving clubs.
I encourage everyone to pop in to Wamberal, have a feed and look at the incredible vista. In March quite a lot of
funding was going to other surf life saving clubs. Most recently, $200,000 went towards local surf club facilities.
The Wamberal club received another $90,000 for construction of a storage room. Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving
Club received $59,818 to refurbish the male and female amenities and toilets. I have been to Avoca Beach and
the guys there have done a fantastic job. Gary and the rest of the team now have top-quality change rooms, which
are also incredibly safe for users.
The Entrance Surf Club picked up $57,000 for the installation of solar panels and refurbishment of
amenities. In addition, two clubs on the Central Coast, Avoca Beach and North Entrance, are doing the drone
rollout. Surf clubs on the Central Coast are receiving funding to continue upgrading their facilities. In addition,
we are putting in over 100,000 hours of volunteer time on Central Coast beaches to help keep people safe—and
not just our people but also visitors to the Central Coast. The Central Coast is a hotspot for tourism destinations,
and this Christmas will be no different. We know that thousands of surf lifesaving volunteers from one end of the
coast to the other will be out there keeping visitors and locals alike safe on our beaches. To show what a great job
the Central Coast surf life saving clubs do, for more than four years now we have not had a drowning on a patrolled
beach.
That is because of the incredible work of our volunteers and the fantastic education program that Surf Life
Saving Central Coast runs in our schools, which provides safe messaging around rip awareness and being safe in
the water. The combination of education and incredible volunteer surf lifesaving services from one end of the
coast to the other is keeping people safe almost all year round. It is always a pleasure to support our surf life
saving clubs on the Central Coast. I am also a proud member of the MacMasters Beach Surf Life Saving Club and
patron of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club. It is always a pleasure to attend the clubs and support the great work
they do all along the Central Coast in keeping swimmers safe. I congratulate the member for Clarence on his
excellent motion.
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (12:23:43): By leave: What an amazing joy it is to speak in support of the
motion of the member for Clarence about surf life saving clubs in New South Wales. There are only two surf life
saving clubs in my electorate, and they are the best surf life saving clubs in all of New South Wales. In fact, this
year Umina Surf Life Saving Club only just missed out to a small club in Tasmania for the national Club of the
Year award. What a champion club it is. Ocean Beach and Umina are fantastic clubs and it is a privilege to be
able to support them with funding from Community Building Partnership grants. They are part of our amazing
community—and don't they do that job well. I absolutely love the cross-section of ages of the people who
participate in surf life saving clubs and the important mentoring that many senior members of surf life saving
clubs provide to young people coming through.
A lot of young people on the Central Coast miss out because mum and dad are doing lots of commuting or
miss out for various family reasons, but there are people in our clubs who really take those young people under
their wing and look after them—not only locally, but also in the competitions that they go to around the State and
beyond. The leadership is absolutely outstanding in keeping our community safe. I am proud to be part of the
NSW Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving. It was an absolute thrill to see one of our young people, 2019
Youth Lifesaver of the Year Kai Darwin, join us at Parliament House. It gives us great pride. Kai is not only
a superb lifesaver; he also does incredible hours volunteering and is a very important role model to the young
nippers coming through.
It was with great joy that I was there to open the season, with lots of young rookies coming through our
surf clubs this year. As the member for Terrigal said, surf clubs are so important not just for keeping locals safe,
but also for keeping visitors safe. Our surf clubs are really warm and inviting places for lots of people who move
to the Central Coast and then slide into the surf club community as a point of friendship and contact with our
community. I thank the Wamberal Surf Life Saving Club, which provided me that opportunity. When I first moved
to the coast I joined the surf club and, golly, it was a fantastic, warm and inviting place for me. Surf clubs are also
a really important voice for looking after the fragile surf environment of our coast. The surf clubs watch our sands
come and go. I commend the Save Our Sands Alliance, which is part of the Wamberal surf club. The group is
looking after the future of Wamberal and Terrigal beaches, and is a voice for those very important public spaces
moving forward.
I point out the importance of Ocean Beach and Umina Beach cafes and the work they do to provide the
food that fuels our surf lifesavers, and the work that our surf lifesavers do in those cafes. I give credit to
Louise Lambeth, a local author who has written an amazing book called Annie and the Waves. The book is
providing education across surf life saving clubs on the New South Wales coast and around Australia about surf
lifesaving and the role it plays in protecting lives, especially the lives of our multicultural community members.
I congratulate Gary Mensforth on his Surf Life Saving Central Coast life membership: 40 years of commitment
from a guy who got his Bronze Medal—what an important step that was in people's lives—45 years ago and the
work he has put into our community. I thank the member for Clarence for bringing this motion to the House.
I commend the motion.
Mr LEE EVANS (Heathcote) (12:27:31): By leave: I can only concur with every comment that members
have made about surf lifesaving. Surf lifesaving is very important in my electorate because of its rugged coastline.
I have several clubs in my electorate: Garie, Era, Burning Palms, Helensburgh-Stanwell Park—that is where CEO
of Surf Life Saving NSW Steven Pearce is a member—Coalcliff and Scarborough Wombarra. I also mention
Thirroul and Bulli. Bulli was recently named the Community Club of the Year in the Illawarra and Surf Life
Saving Illawarra Club of the Year, plus Patrolling Club of the Year. I return to the surf life saving clubs within
the Royal National Park and I note that the member for Castle Hill is in the Chamber. As Minister, he provided
satellite telephones to the clubs at Garie, Era and Burning Palms because they do not have mobile phone
connections. That has saved lives. The outlay of several thousand dollars has saved so much angst for surf
lifesavers because they can communicate directly with helicopters and the like during a rescue.
I also have in my electorate the well-known Figure Eight Pools and Wedding Cake Rock. Because of its
fame, Wedding Cake Rock has become one of the biggest issues for Surf Life Saving in my electorate. Patrols
spend hours saving people from these tourist meccas. Plus there are obviously helicopter evacuations.
Unfortunately people are a bit like lemmings when it comes to hanging off Wedding Cake Rock. A fence with
razor wire has been erected to stop people climbing over and hanging off the rock. There have been several deaths
in the last couple of years where people have done that and obviously slipped. Unfortunately the recovery is left
up to Surf Life Saving. They have to pick up the pieces at the bottom of the cliff when these people have lost their
lives through misadventure.
Surf Life Saving as an organisation provides a fantastic pastime and a lifestyle for many people. Previously,
when my electorate included the Bulli area, 32,000 people out of a population of 58,000, were directly or indirectly
connected with Surf Life Saving, which is a major impact. Those people are all lifestyle driven. Saving lives and
the training regime involved to assist with that is their main concern. Together with the member for Keira and the
member for Wollongong we have decided in the Illawarra area that we will provide $10,000 each year to Surf
Life Saving clubs to spend on equipment. That allows them to purchase extra motors, inflatable rescue boats and
all-terrain vehicles every couple of years. On top of what they receive from the Surf Life Saving fund, it makes it
a lot easier for them. I thank the member for Clarence for moving the motion. It is a good motion and I completely
agree with it.
Mr TIM CRAKANTHORP (Newcastle) (12:31:47): By leave: I thank the member for Clarence for
moving the motion. I note the amendment moved by the member for Wyong and I will speak to that. Surf lifesavers
across New South Wales do a fantastic job. There is absolutely no doubt about that. I acknowledge the President
of the Board of Surf Life Saving New South Wales, George Shales, and the CEO, Steven Pearce. Recently Steven
was in my electorate to meet with me and Rhonda and Henry Scruton, who do a magnificent job in Hunter
Surf Life Saving. I pay tribute to them and recognise the wonderful leadership roles they have played across
decades in Hunter Surf Life Saving. They have been outstanding. I also thank Steven for his strong advocacy now
and moving forward.
The second point in the amendment congratulates Evans Head and Yamba Surf Life Saving clubs on their
efforts protecting lives. I certainly agree with that. I also congratulate the six Surf Life Saving clubs in Newcastle.
They do an outstanding job in our district and beyond. They do very well when they compete at the State and
national level. We breed them very well and very strong in our part of Australia. The third point in the amendment
calls on the Government to increase funding for all surf clubs in New South Wales. That is one of the most
significant points in the motion.
Stockton Surf Life Saving Club is on Stockton Beach, which most members know is at grave risk of
erosion. The surf club, while it has been fortified to an extent by the council, which has done a fantastic job, it is
at risk and we need to put some money into it if we are going to continue to keep it there. Nobbys Surf Life Saving
Club is in a beautiful historic building. It could also do with some money to help with its plans. It has a very large
membership and it struggles to maintain members in the club. Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club is one of the
oldest in the State. It is in a very difficult position geographically in amongst the hill, so to speak. It needs a
complete new club.
Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club was very lucky to receive a bequest. It has completed one-third of a
renovation but the other large building is falling down. If you get in underneath and have a look, water is coming
through power circuits and it is being held up by a lot of wooden reinforcing. Dixon Park Surf Life Saving Club
is also struggling, although it has had a recent refurbishment. Merewether Surf Life Saving Club has a plan for a
new surf club as well. We are desperate for some money. I often provide Community Building Partnership grants
to my surf clubs, but they are a drop in the ocean when it comes to funding in terms of the capital investment that
is needed. It is more important than ever that the State Government focuses on surf lifesavers and the magnificent
job that they do and back it up with some funds to make sure they have the facilities to continue to save people's
lives.
Mr GEOFF PROVEST (Tweed) (12:35:59): By leave: I support the motion moved by the member for
Clarence and note the amendment moved by the member for Wyong, which I agree with. Members on both sides
have mentioned that surf clubs do an amazing job. I am blessed in that I have been to the clubs at Evans Head and
Yamba. They are great clubs with great volunteers. In my electorate I have the Fingal Beach Surf Life Saving
Club, the Cabarita Beach Surf Life Saving Club and the Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club, which is based
in Kingscliff. They win championships. Many members have attended the raising of the flags ceremonies and are
aware of their great efforts. Steve Pearce is a regular visitor and quite supportive.
Over the last few years the clubs in my electorate have received close to $500,000, which they have put to
value use. I often think with the Community Building Partnership program that for every dollar the Government
gives them, they turn it into $3 or $4 in some way. They are quite magical at doing that and they are trying to
become more self-sufficient. Surf lifesaving has come a long way since I was a Nipper a while ago at Wanda.
Only a few years have passed. Now there are inflatable rescue boats, jetskis and drones. In our neck of the woods,
unfortunately we have lost a few people with shark attacks and drownings, so we have technology in drones, smart
drum lines and listening posts. The amount of training to become a certified drone operator is amazing, particularly
for young members of the surf club.
Mr David Harris: They are 10 grand each.
Mr GEOFF PROVEST: Yes, they are quite expensive. It is concerning that there have been reports that
some of the drones deteriorate in the saltwater atmosphere, so their longevity is not great. An important aspect to
remember is that during the terrible bushfires on the South Coast, to the best of my knowledge every surf club
became an evacuation centre and fed and looked after people on the beaches. In my neck of the woods we did not
have a bushfire but occasionally we get a thing called a flood, and the reverse happens. The surf clubs become an
evacuation point and they use their skills in rough water with their jetskis. They do more than just save people on
the beach. They are the hub of the community. I have lost track of the number of wakes, community functions
and presentation nights I have attended at my surf clubs. It behoves members on both sides to do as much as we
can to support them, because without them our beaches would be terrible places.
Finally, the Indigenous people in my area talk about the legend of Juraki. Juraki was a young, fit Indigenous
fellow who used sit on a headland long before surf clubs ever came into existence. The Elders have told me one
of his jobs was when the silly white men got into trouble in the surf he would swim out and rescue them and bring
them back to shore. They claim that he was the first lifesaver from the First People in Australia. The Juraki Surfing
Event is named after him. God bless you, Juraki. I hope all lifesavers have a happy and safe Christmas.
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse) (12:40:20): By leave: I speak in support of this motion. I thank
the member for Clarence for moving this important motion that unites both sides of the House. Our surf lifesaving
volunteers are incredible community heroes who go above and beyond to keep our community safe in and out of
the water. I have two surf life saving clubs on our world-famous Bondi Beach. It has been a difficult year for all
community organisations. Both those clubs, North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club and Bondi Surf Life Saving Club,
were at the forefront of our COVID-19 lockdown on that fateful day in March when the Government shut down
the beach one Saturday. That shutdown brought additional pressures to my surf life saving clubs' already busy
responsibilities. I am very proud to have been able to assist both those surf life saving clubs over the years.
In 2011, just after the State election when this Government took power, I helped North Bondi Surf Life
Saving Club with a $100,000 grant to build a new state-of-the-art clubhouse. It has an amazing design—its shape
replicates the pattern of waves and the white tiles reflect the colour of the sky and water as it changes during the
day. It is really quite beautiful. In 2018 I was able to secure a $500,000 grant for an Advanced Response Lifesaving
Facility, which will relocate the club's essential lifesaving equipment for quicker response times. It will be
officially opened later this month, which is really exciting. My other wonderful club, the Bondi Surf Bathers Life
Saving Club, has received smaller grants. It is located in a Waverley Council facility, which will be renovated
soon. The club will receive a $5,000 travel subsidy for its junior athletes to attend the Australian Surf Life Saving
Championships, a $5,000 grant for surf sports equipment and $2,545 for a new surf ski for female ski paddlers.
Bondi Beach is famous, but it was also the site of a major tragedy—in fact, the deadliest ever mass surf
rescue. Back in 1938 tens of thousands of beachgoers were enjoying a very hot day at Bondi Beach when three
huge, successive waves swept 250 swimmers out to sea. Several lifesavers nearly drowned as they were pulled
under the sea by those they were trying to rescue, weighed down by their fully kitted out swim equipment and
materials. The task was made more difficult because they were also weighed down by their woollen swimsuits. It
was good to be taken back in history to see how, over time, both my surf life saving clubs have had such a strong
dedication to saving lives. In February 2018 both surf clubs came together for a re-enactment of what they call
"Black Sunday" on its eightieth anniversary. We honoured those who died. People came from across Australia
because Bondi Beach is iconic and we paid tribute to the lifesavers who helped save lives.
I acknowledge the leadership of North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club: President Andrew Christopher,
Michael Boland, Karen Stott, Danny Ekin, Eloise Starr and John Clothier. At Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving
Club I acknowledge President Brent Jackson, Jacob Waks, Dori Miller, Damon Somerfield, Brett Pattinson,
Garret O'Connor, Thomas Wetula, Narelle Moore and Amber Jones. They are an amazing group of people, and
I help them where I can. I join all members of this House to salute our surf lifesaver volunteers.
Mr CHRISTOPHER GULAPTIS (Clarence) (12:44:18): In reply: I thank members representing the
electorates of Myall Lakes, Tweed, Vaucluse, Wyong, Gosford, Heathcote, Newcastle, Manly, Swansea and
Blue Mountains for their contributions to this debate. I am sure they are just as proud of their beautiful beaches
and their lifesavers as I am of mine. I am not sure about beaches in the Blue Mountains, but I recognise that the
member for Blue Mountains is the shadow Minister for Emergency Services and values the contributions of our
lifesavers on our beaches. I acknowledge the amendment moved by the member for Wyong, which I will not
oppose. We all want to see an increase in support for our volunteers and particularly for that most iconic
Australian, the beach lifesaver.
In the Clarence electorate there are the surf clubs of Evans Head and Yamba, and at the southern end of
my electorate is the Minnie Water-Wooli Surf Life Saving Club, which is just as important as the other two.
Minnie Water and Wooli are beautiful beach communities that are inundated with tourists and beachgoers during
the summer holidays. New South Wales has the best beaches in the world but nature and the sea are dangerous
and we cannot take them for granted. The role our surf lifesavers play in our beachside communities cannot be
understated. They save lives, teach health and fitness and are great community ambassadors. That is why support
from the Government is vital to upgrade facilities, help stage events and promote their valuable work.
Our surf clubs occupy some of the best real estate in our beautiful State. Clubhouses on the beach need
constant maintenance and upgrading. Many surf clubs have restaurants and cafes and their venues are used not
only by beachgoers but also by the broader community for fine dining, celebrations for birthdays and weddings
or just to chill out by the beach. I have enjoyed some beautiful meals at The Sandbar Restaurant in Evans Head
and at other times have had a burger for lunch at the Sandpit Cafe. It is beautiful on the beach when you do not
have to fight for a piece of sand to sit on. The beach just seems endless. Dare I say, it is quite the opposite of
Byron Bay, where space on the beach is at a premium and there is no sand any way. I have also enjoyed attending
weddings and functions at the Yamba Surf Life Saving Club on the beautiful Main Beach. The beach house is
right on the sand and looks out at the ocean. When there is a king tide the waves sometimes reach the edge of the
club.
A while back I got into trouble when I made some comments about the upgrade to the Reflections Holiday
Park in Evans Head. The cabin upgrades were absolutely superb and first class. I suggested that Evans would
become the new Byron Bay, which went down like a lead balloon with some of the locals. They do not want their
secret getting out—Evans Head is paradise. In conclusion, I thank our volunteer surf lifesavers. My message to
the New South Wales Government is: Keep on supporting them because their work is invaluable and they are
worthy Australian icons.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): The question is that the amendment of the member for
Wyong be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): The question is that the motion as amended be agreed to.
Motion as amended agreed to.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY
Ms ANNA WATSON (Shellharbour) (12:50:22): I move:
That this House:
(1) Calls on the Government to introduce the same head injury protocols throughout the public health system that apply in the
case of head injuries in sport.
(2) Calls on the Government to ensure victims of domestic violence with head injuries are afforded the same treatment protocols
as is available to sports participants in public hospitals.
(3) Notes over 40 per cent of women experiencing family and domestic violence have an acquired brain injury.
It is no secret that victims of family and domestic violence have mostly acquired brain injury without even
knowing it. They present to emergency departments, if they feel safe enough to do so, but in most cases they are
not treated for their facial injuries in relation to brain injuries. It is well documented that Nick Rushworth,
executive officer of Brain Injury Australia, has been a champion in pushing this cause. Through many of my
discussions with people with acquired brain injuries, particularly women, I have learned that they do not even
know they are suffering from a brain injury. When they do finally seek assistance from their GP and their brain
injury is discovered, it is very hard to treat. It is a lifelong, permanent injury.
In the first instance, the problem we have is that these injuries are not being picked up. If you are a
sportsman and you are knocked unconscious during a game there are instant and immediate protocols put in place
to ensure that a scan is provided—that is the case throughout New South Wales. However, if you are a victim of
family and domestic violence and have facial injuries you do not get the same treatment. This is where the problem
lies. For adult and child victims this hampers their recovery and future wellbeing, and for perpetrators of brain
injury it hampers their capacity to change. For the community, the costs associated with policing, hospitalisation
and rehabilitation, the increased need for supports—such as income, housing, education and parenting—and lost
productivity and increased disability are all higher when brain injury is associated with family violence.
The Victorian Government funded research into the prevalence of acquired brain injuries among victims
and perpetrators of family violence. This is the first evidence-based study of acquired brain injury and family
violence in Australia. This research project identified a strong association between brain injury and family
violence and the significant gaps in service responses, ranging from lack of screening for brain injury through to
inadequate opportunities for effective rehabilitation, recovery and support. The research combined available
evidence with stakeholder knowledge. In 2018 Brain Injury Australia released the first study of its kind in
Australia looking at the prevalence of brain injury in victims of domestic violence. Some important statistics came
out of this study.
The study found that that 40 per cent of victims of family violence who attended Victorian hospitals over
a 10-year period sustained a brain injury. The study found that 31 per cent of family violence cases, or 5,007, were
children under the age of 15. We are not just talking about women; we are talking about children under the age of
15. I think we can do better. The study also found that 25 per cent of those victims, or 1,252, had sustained a brain
injury. A literature review also provided evidence that brain injuries were seldom diagnosed in female victims of
intimate partner violence, despite the fact that more than 80 per cent of those who attended hospital had facial
injuries. Members can imagine a woman turning up to an emergency department with obvious facial injuries but
she does not get a brain scan. It just does not make any sense. Nick Rushworth said the result was "all tip and no
iceberg", and I agree with him. He stated:
What it didn't capture was the number of brain injuries sustained by women and children in the community that would not have gone
anywhere near a hospital setting.
He goes on to say that "in each and every context" of women and children presenting for domestic and family
violence services and support more questions need to be asked. He states:
They should be asked a couple of key questions for the purposes of further testing assessment and specialist referral.
Mr Rushworth said much more understanding was required about head trauma. He continued:
The public awareness about brain injury as a result of sporting activity concussions is incredibly high … But the awareness about the
potential for brain injury for domestic and family violence is equally low.
In New South Wales there are no mandatory protocols when a person reports to the emergency department. I call
on the Government and the health Minister—we have had conversations about this and I must say that he is very
sympathetic—to support this motion so we can ensure that, at a minimum, we are screening these women and
their children for brain injuries due to family and domestic violence. It is a health issue. I urge all members
opposite to support this motion so that we can further this cause and ensure the protocols are put in place in every,
single public hospital in New South Wales, and that those people are treated the same as if they were on a football
field, a rugby union field or a netball court.
Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills) (12:57:22): I commence by recognising the member for
Shellharbour and her advocacy in the domestic violence space. She is certainly a passionate advocate, and she has
moved a very sensible motion in the House today. It deals with a very important matter. Obviously domestic
violence is an important issue, and brain injury as a result of domestic violence is one of the most serious aspects
of it. In my younger years I was a police officer in western Sydney. I have sat in hospitals, spoken to victims of
domestic violence and taken their statements. So from a personal experience this motion rings true. Members on
this side of the Chamber support the motion moved by the member for Shellharbour. Everyone in New South
Wales has a right to live free from violence and fear.
NSW Health recognises the harmful effects of domestic and family violence and all other forms of
violence, abuse and neglect on those victims. NSW Health has committed to preventing and responding to
domestic and family violence, and supporting victim survivors to rebuild their safety and their wellbeing. Head
and brain injury are some of the many health impacts that may be experienced by victims of domestic and family
violence. A recent study by Brain Injury Australia found that 40 per cent of victims of family violence attending
Victorian hospitals between July 2006 and June 2016 sustained a brain injury. All men and women presenting to
public hospitals or other NSW Health facilities with acute head injury receive treatment informed by the same
clinical practice guidelines whether the injury occurred playing sport or was sustained in the context of domestic
violence. Local protocols are also developed in some settings to support implementation of clinical practice
guidelines.
There are separate clinical practice guidelines for infants and children in recognition of their developmental
differences to adults. The response for both adults and children, no matter how a head injury occurs, includes
initial assessment to decide whether the injury is classified as severe, moderate or mild, which will determine the
necessary treatment. Treatment may or may not include a brain scan, depending on clinical assessment. Brain
scans are provided when medically recommended but are not routine, due to risks related to radiation exposure.
Health impacts of head injury can range from none or minimal impact to a variety of physical, cognitive and
behavioural deficits. Some deficits may resolve with treatment and time, such as short-term vision disturbance,
and some may be quite serious and permanent, such as paralysis or chronic pain.
The primary challenges in providing timely health care to people experiencing domestic and family
violence relate to access rather than to treatment protocols. While the same treatment protocols apply across all
patient groups, there are significant barriers for people experiencing domestic and family violence to get to
hospital and receive the treatment they need. Some key barriers to seeking help for victims of domestic and family
violence include fear of the perpetrator and the escalation of violence, shame and fear of losing their children.
This contrasts with patients presenting for treatment of acute head injury sustained while playing sport. Patients
with sporting injuries are usually able to provide the clear and timely information that is needed to NSW Health
about the nature of the injury, including when and exactly how it occurred. This assists medical staff when making
the assessment about the severity of the injury.
The injury is also likely to have been witnessed and observed by spectators and other players on the field,
providing staff with additional information to support the assessment and treatment of the injury. For people who
experience head injury due to domestic violence, it may be much harder for the victim survivors to seek support
and access treatment for the injury. Further barriers that domestic violence victim survivors may face to having
head injuries identified and treated include being prevented from leaving home and attending the hospital, leading
to delayed presentation until it is safe to do so; attending the hospital with the perpetrator and being prevented
from clearly disclosing when and how the injury occurred; experiencing an ongoing pattern of violence and
repeated injury, making it harder to provide information about specific assaults; and a lack of public awareness
that repeated head injuries due to domestic violence can place victims at risk of brain injury.
These challenges may prevent a full and timely disclosure of head injury by a victims and may create
additional barriers to receiving comprehensive health responses for the brain injury. The COVID-19 pandemic
highlighted the prevalence of domestic and family violence in Australia. The necessary restrictions on movement
during the pandemic may have further exacerbated the complexity and severity of domestic violence experienced
particularly by women and their children across the nation. NSW Health is engaged in a comprehensive program
of work to address those barriers. In addition to medical responses to head and other injuries, NSW Health has an
important role to play in identifying domestic violence, improving victims' safety and assisting recovery from
trauma. This includes working with victims and partner agencies to assess risk and respond to serious threats to
victims' safety.
For example, non-fatal strangulation, in addition to being a potential cause of head injury, is a known
high-risk indicator of severe or lethal violence particularly by men against women in intimate partner
relationships. In one in four intimate partner homicides in New South Wales that occurred in the context of
domestic violence between 10 March 2008 and 30 June 2014, there were indications that the abuser strangled the
victim prior to the fatal assault. NSW Health is working to enhance the public health system's capacity to provide
trauma-informed, integrated responses to domestic and family violence, and intersecting forms of violence, abuse
and neglect. I commend the member for Shellharbour for moving this very important motion.
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (13:04:15): I thank the member for Shellharbour for moving this
very important motion, which presents a commonsense approach to the treatment of head injuries in cases of
domestic violence. Head injuries are some of the most dangerous and sickening injuries that can occur. The true
impacts can be hard to spot initially but have large, long-term and devastating implications. We know a lot about
head knocks, their relationship to traumatic brain injuries and how to treat them properly and effectively. The
science is unquestioned and is improving every year, but we are simply not applying it to every area where it is
needed. The lack of protocol around head knocks caused by domestic violence is a blinding omission and
completely unforgivable. But, thankfully, it can be solved.
In comparison to the inaction of this Government, many Australian sports have introduced, and have
long-existing, concussion management guidelines to combat the issue and to protect sports players, especially in
male-dominated contact sports like the Australian Football League [AFL], rugby union and rugby league where
concussions are prevalent. Methods to deal with, prevent and treat concussions are continuously being updated
and researched to deal with the issue. In 2015 Cricket Australia updated its protocols. In 2013 the AFL introduced
the concussion substitute and in 2012 the National Rugby League [NRL] released a four-step set of guidelines to
protect against the impact of concussions. Psychiatrists and psychologists in Australia have long warned about
the devastating and long-term consequences of brain trauma for domestic and family violence victims, but so far
the New South Wales Government has failed to take action.
We know that domestic violence victims and survivors commonly suffer repeated blows to the head and
strangulation—trauma that has lasting effects—and those facts are clearly recognised by advocates, healthcare
providers, domestic violence liaison [DVL] officers and professionals who work in this field day in and day out.
In 2018 Brain Injury Australia released the first study of its kind in Australia looking at the prevalence of brain
injury in victims of domestic violence. It found that 40 per cent of victims of family violence who attended
Victorian hospitals over a 10-year period sustained a brain injury. The study found that 31 per cent of family
violence cases were children under the age of 15 and 25 per cent of those victims sustained a brain injury.
For too long this Government has failed to act to protect domestic violence victims in New South Wales,
who overwhelmingly are women. While male-dominated sports in particular are leading the way, our Government
time and time again sits on its hands and lags behind on critical policy that overwhelmingly relates to women.
Shame! This State should be leading on this policy, not lagging. The motion should be supported by all who wish
to make a real dent in the abhorrent impact that domestic violence has on so many women in this State. The
solution is common sense and can be put in place almost immediately. The New South Wales Government can
and should introduce specific domestic violence concussion protocols by the end of the year.
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) (13:07:42): I join the member for Seven Hills in both
acknowledging and commending the member for Shellharbour for bringing this matter to the attention of the
House. She is always very passionate, genuine and sincere when it comes to issues relating to domestic violence.
I think all members appreciate the opportunity to speak about issues relating to domestic violence in our
community. Domestic and family violence is an urgent public health issue that has multiple and serious health
impacts. Nobody in this House would disagree with that. According to the Personal Safety Survey, one in four
women and one in 13 men in Australia have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner since the age of
15.
For Australian women aged 25 to 44, intimate partner violence is the third-highest risk factor contributing
to the burden of disease. Child abuse and neglect and illicit drug use were ranked one and two respectively. Mental
health conditions, such as anxiety disorders and depression, are the largest contributor to this burden of disease,
followed by suicide and self-inflicted injuries. As these are women's core parenting years, effective health
interventions that focus on safety and recovery can reduce the exposure of children to intimate partner violence
and consequently reduce the risk of long-term harm to health, development and wellbeing. In addition to the
considerable evidence of the impact of intimate partner violence on women's health, the accompanying social
impacts, such as social isolation and housing and income insecurity, affect the quality of women's lives.
NSW Health recognises the highly adverse impacts of domestic and family violence and is committed to
working with partner agencies to improve victim safety and promote recovery from trauma. NSW Health services
are often an early point of contact for victims of domestic and family violence. For some women experiencing
domestic violence, a health service may be the one place she is able to access and may provide an opportunity for
disclosure in a safe environment. While each presentation is an opportunity for health workers to identify domestic
violence and respond, victims can experience barriers to accessing support.
In recognition of the barriers to disclosure, NSW Health conducts routine domestic violence screening with
women in particular health settings where rates are known to be high. As part of the routine screening program,
health workers promote awareness of the health impacts of domestic violence, ask questions about women's safety
in relationships and, importantly, the safety of their children and provide support and referral information. Since
2004 NSW Health has been undertaking routine screening for women accessing maternity and child and family
health services. Routine screening is also undertaken with women 16 years and over who are accessing mental
health and/or alcohol and other drug services. In addition, NSW Health is progressing the Domestic Violence
Screening and Response in Emergency Departments pilot project.
The project offers the widest scale of domestic violence screening of its kind in Australian emergency
departments, with women entering six selected emergency departments to be routinely screened for domestic
violence. Routine screening can help to reduce the severity and impacts of domestic violence through early
identification and intervention; address barriers to help-seeking behaviour by women who are experiencing
domestic violence; and identify and increase understanding of the nature of domestic violence and available
supports, even if the woman is not ready to disclose. Along with the routine screening of women in targeted health
settings, NSW Health policy and workforce development provides clear guidance to all health workers on direct
questions to ask when domestic violence is suspected and safe and supportive responses to disclosures.
Dr HUGH McDERMOTT (Prospect) (13:11:43): I support the motion that has been moved by the
member for Shellharbour. Public awareness regarding brain injury as a result of sporting activity concussions is
high but brain injury occurring due to family and domestic violence is not and it needs to be recognised and acted
upon. In 2018 Brain Injury Australia released shocking data from research which analysed the prevalence of brain
injuries in victims and survivors of domestic violence. The member for Shellharbour, the member for Seven Hills
and the member for Coogee have already discussed the data from Brain Injury Australia. One of the results is that
40 per cent of victims of domestic and family violence who attended hospitals in Victoria over a 10 year period
sustained brain injuries.
As reported by Brain Injury Australia, 1,800 hospital presentations in Victoria each year are only the "tip
of the iceberg", as 26,000 cases are also referred to specialist family violence services and 37,000 intervention
orders are sought in the Magistrate's Court and the Children's Court. The effects from a brain injury are long
lasting. Apart from the ongoing fear, anxiety, emotional upheaval and shame that victims are forced to accept
from their abusers, 15 per cent of brain injury victims also suffer ongoing symptoms for three months, according
to Associate Professor Steven Faux, a brain rehabilitation specialist at St Vincent's Hospital. I suggest that those
ongoing symptoms would last for years, if not a lifetime, depending on the seriousness of the brain injury. Those
numbers are horrific, yet they do not include victims who have remained silent, not reported the abuse and have
gone through their trauma isolated and alone.
Nick Rushworth, Chief Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, says that those figures do not include
the number of women and children who did not visit a hospital setting. Many victims feel ashamed, blame
themselves and often do not come forward. I am afraid that our community would see much higher numbers if
that were not the case. The domestic violence laws in New South Wales need to be stern, robust and clear. We
must have zero tolerance for domestic and family violence and we must have laws that assist women and children
in the aftermath of domestic and family violence incidents. Currently, New South Wales has no mandatory
protocol in its public health system to address head injuries that present to emergency departments as a result of
family and domestic violence. That means victims who report a head injury are not required to undertake
mandatory brain scans, unlike sporting athletes.
We need to do everything in our power to protect those impacted by domestic and family violence. Those
women are our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters, friends and colleagues. It is not enough to have
legislation that only criminalises the perpetrators of domestic violence. We must also have protocols in the
New South Wales public and private health systems to provide victims of domestic and family violence with
access to medical assistance and services and recognise the effects of injuries committed by their perpetrator,
including the significant impact of brain injuries. The New South Wales Government must act quickly; it must
act now. There is no time for delay on this issue. I join my colleague Anna Watson in calling on the New South
Wales Government to stand with our domestic and family violence victims and survivors and introduce a
concussion protocol to the New South Wales health system. Let us introduce a protocol that is similar to the one
for sportspeople. Let us introduce a protocol that victims of family and domestic violence truly deserve.
Mr GURMESH SINGH (Coffs Harbour) (13:15:50): I commend the member for Shellharbour for
bringing the motion to the House. I suffered a traumatic head injury a number of years ago and spent many days
in hospital with a hilarious case of amnesia. As has been highlighted by previous speakers, domestic and family
violence has a profound impact on the safety, health and wellbeing of victims and families. Health impacts are
not only injury related, they can be physical, emotional and psychological and can continue well after the violence
has ended. Those adverse health impacts are demonstrated through higher rates of health care used by women
who experience either physical or non-physical intimate partner violence compared to women who do not
experience intimate partner violence. Health and wellbeing impacts are cumulative and may get incrementally
worse for victims who have experienced multiple forms of violence, abuse and neglect. They can either co-occur
or occur at different stages across a victim's lifetime.
There is extensive evidence demonstrating that domestic and family violence, sexual assault and child
abuse and neglect often overlap within families and that victimisation is rarely experienced as a single incident.
All forms of child abuse and neglect can co-occur with domestic violence. The strong intersection between those
forms of interpersonal violence has also been highlighted in Brain Injury Australia's recent study. It found that
children under the age of 15 accounted for 31 per cent of all family violence victims presenting to Victorian
hospitals during a 10 year period. Of those children, a quarter had sustained a brain injury.
That evidence, along with Government reforms like the Domestic and Family Violence Blueprint for
Reform and the Government's response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual
Abuse, are the key drivers underpinning the Violence, Abuse and Neglect Redesign Program. A key component
of the program is the Integrated Prevention and Response to Violence, Abuse and Neglect Framework. That
framework is designed to strengthen NSW Health's response to people and families who have experienced
violence, abuse and neglect. The framework is being implemented in two overlapping phases to recognise that the
priorities for the health system will be determined by local needs across the State.
The first phase will focus on NSW Health violence, abuse and neglect services. NSW Health delivers a
wide range of specialist violence, abuse and neglect [VAN] services which help minimise the impact of trauma,
support patient recovery and promote long-term health and wellbeing. VAN services form part of a continuum of
care offered by the public health system to prevent violence and reduce potential long-term adverse impacts on
individuals and families. NSW Health's VAN services play a critical role in assisting inter-agency partners to
promote safety and justice outcomes for victims and the community, including in the areas of child protection,
sexual assault, domestic and family violence, historical trauma and abuse, and children with problematic or
harmful sexual behaviours.
The second phase of the Integrated Prevention and Response to Violence, Abuse and Neglect Framework
will focus on the development and delivery of integrated responses to violence, abuse and neglect across the whole
NSW Health system, including priority health areas such as mental health, alcohol and other drugs, maternity,
child and family health. Phase two will also include action to strengthen integrated responses with partner agencies
and services. That includes building on existing inter-agency collaborations and projects already underway,
including NSW Health's continued contribution to key inter-agency responses, such as Safer Pathway.
NSW Health acknowledges the trauma suffered by those who experience violence and the many actions
victim-survivors take to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm. The role of the health system and of
the program of work underway is to partner with victim-survivors, establish and maintain safety, and assist
victim-survivors and their families on their journey towards recovery.
Ms ANNA WATSON (Shellharbour) (13:19:41): In reply: I thank the member for Seven Hills, the
member for Coogee, the member for Prospect, the member for Port Macquarie and the member for Coffs Harbour
for their very thoughtful, considered and well-informed contributions to the debate. Illawarra-based psychiatrist
Dr Karen Williams is an incredibly smart and intelligent woman who works with victims of family and domestic
violence every day. Close to two months ago we had a Zoom meeting with the New South Wales Attorney General
in which Dr Williams expressed at length what she felt were the best solutions and outlined the protocols that
hospitals in New South Wales needed to adopt, including a concussion protocol for family and domestic violence
situations.
The Attorney General thanked us for our time and said that he would seek advice on the issue and get back
to us, but we are still waiting on his response and we have now waited long enough. It is time that the
Attorney General, and the Minister for Health and Medical Research adopted a set of protocols for brain injuries
as a result of family and domestic violence. The time for talking is over. Advocates, psychiatrists and those in the
health sector know that this must be done and it must be done now. This issue does not need legislation, it just
needs a set of protocols that are the same as or similar to acquired brain injury protocols for family and domestic
violence victims and their children. Dr Karen Williams said:
When a sports player suffers a head injury there is a precise protocol to follow, but that is not happening to victims of family and
domestic violence.
She also said:

… we need a protocol that identifies a woman that presents with an unexplained head injury, or an injury that may potentially have
been caused by a partner, so she can be asked questions and provided treatment for a potential brain trauma.
Does that not make sense? Is that not the sensible path down which we need to go? It seems clear to me and the
member for Prospect that that is the case. I am sure that Government members will agree and realise that this is
the way to go. I call on the Attorney General to advise us on the outcome of his investigations and tell us what he
is going to do about this. The Government needs to act now, and this should be something very simple for both
the Attorney General and the Minister for Health and Medical Research to do. Sally Stevenson from the Illawarra
Women's Health Centre agrees. She is helping me to lobby for funding for a trauma recovery centre in
Shellharbour, and I thank the health Minister for the $50,000 grant provided to subsidise a business case study for
the project. If successful, this centre will be an example for every hospital in New South Wales of the services
needed to treat and deal with family and domestic violence victims.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
24-HOUR ECONOMY STRATEGY
Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (13:24:23): I move:
That this House:
(1) Acknowledges the announcement of the Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy.
(2) Acknowledges the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism, hospitality and the arts sectors hard, and this strategy sets out
a pathway to activate homegrown events that create safe opportunities for people to enjoy across the Greater Sydney Region.
(3) Notes the strategy is designed to grow and support jobs hospitality, tourism, retail and the arts.
(4) Recognises the efforts of the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney; the Treasurer; their respective
offices; the Hon. Natalie Ward, MLC, and agencies that developed the strategy.
I am very keen to bring this motion to the attention of the House, and with very good reason. On 15 September
the Minister for Customer Service launched the 24-Hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney, which represents
the culmination of a lot of hard work, effort and energy from people within government, many stakeholders across
the vibrant night-time economy and the arts, entertainment and hospitality sectors. The strategy comprises
39 actions across five pillars that support more integrated planning and place making, encourages the
diversification of night-time activities, nurtures industry and cultural development, explores ways to enhance
mobility and improve connectivity, changes Sydney's night-time narrative to boost local engagement, attracts
outside visitation and encourages healthy and respectful behaviours.
In addition, what is clear when reading this strategy is it will also create jobs, foster the arts and culture,
and cement Sydney's status as Australia's only truly global city. It presents a road map for recovery through growth
for some of the State's businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, A phased implementation will be
delivered by a collaborative governance framework to set out the strategy that will ultimately be presided over by
the new role of coordinator general. The strategy goes above and beyond looking at music—although that has
been a keen focus of the work that has taken place—to activate the night-time economy and support businesses
across Sydney. It has created a neon grid that highlights the significant opportunities a 24-hour economy would
present not only in the CBD, but also throughout greater Sydney in, pleasingly for me, places like Manly. This
will bring financial benefits and jobs to different areas of Sydney. The Manly area has great potential in this
respect. It has already evolved over the course of many years from what was unfortunately a very violent and
difficult place to be after midnight into a vibrant night-time economy through the voluntary Manly Liquor Accord
and great work between the police and local pubs and clubs.
The strategy also promotes opportunities for businesses in the arts and hospitality sectors across New South
Wales. It actions a lot of the findings of the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy, the Minister
and various agencies throughout New South Wales. The strategy builds upon the September Summer Summit,
from which an outdoor dining task force was established to increase the number of venues with enhanced alfresco
dining for a wide range of performances. The Government has done a terrific amount of work developing the
Sydney 24-Hour Economy Strategy, which sets out a detailed action plan as to how we will measure success and
ultimately turn around some of the more challenging times that this city's night-time economy has experienced. It
also shines a light on the significant economic investment and jobs that a buzzing and proactive night-time
economy generates.
The strategy sets the foundations for invigorating the night-time economy and strikes the right balance
between the safety that we need and the safety that we deserve. It is true that this Government has gone above and
beyond in setting the scene for a post-COVID recovery for entertainment, hospitality and dining venues. I am
incredibly excited about that, which is why I have moved this motion in the House. Wherever people live in
New South Wales, they will reap the benefits of the Sydney 24-Hour Economy Strategy as they go out and enjoy
a newly reinvigorated and vibrant nightlife that will exist in all parts of New South Wales, and particularly in the
Sydney CBD.
Ms SOPHIE COTSIS (Canterbury) (13:30:41): I speak to the motion move by the member for Manly.
I acknowledge that the Government announced its 24-Hour Economy Strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic
in the past few months but I take exception to a comment of the member. Particularly in the past few weeks of the
parliamentary sittings, the Hon. John Graham, who is the Labor shadow Minister for Music and the Night-time
Economy, has been doing an enormous amount of work. Over the past three to four years he has been speaking
with stakeholders and, together with many stakeholders, running the Labor Loves Live Music campaign.
It has been a very difficult time for the night-time economy, particularly since 2014, for a range of reasons
which have been ventilated in this place. As we speak, the Parliamentary Friends of Music are outside supporting
the Ausmusic T-Shirt Day, which is a very important cause supporting artists and cultural performers, who have
particularly suffered this year. Thousands of hospitality workers, musicians, bars, clubs, pubs, event venues and
event management companies have done it really tough. Having spoken to many of them as the shadow Minister
responsible for this area, I know that some businesses have lost 80 per cent to 90 per cent of their turnover. It has
been very difficult for them.
I acknowledge the work that our shadow Minister has done and I also acknowledge Minister Ayres,
Minister Dominello and the Treasurer with respect to the 24-Hour Economy Strategy. The strategy has been
passed, which is fantastic; we want to see it in practice. Having talked to some of the stakeholders, this puts
New South Wales on par with best practice. It puts us at number one in terms of what can do to enhance our
vibrancy, particularly leading into and over summer. The alfresco innovation is thinking outside the square.
The Manly electorate is visited by many tourists; a lot of people from my community go to Manly. Other
members are saying to Sydneysiders when they are planning their staycation itinerary, "Come to my electorate".
Come to Campsie or Earlwood or south-west Sydney and enjoy what we have to offer. I am pushing for my
council to look at how to utilise our local squares to bring in musicians. Many members here represent
multicultural communities. A lot of festivals have had to be cancelled, particularly on weekends. The Deputy
Speaker is nodding in agreement; in his electorate a lot of events have been cancelled or postponed because of
COVID-19. That means that many musicians from multicultural backgrounds have suffered because they have
not had an opportunity to play. Many of them rely on performing.
It is very important that we all follow the rules. We are all being very positive and encouraging of our
communities. Councils should consider how important tourism will be and how important it is to encourage
everyone to spend in hospitality. I acknowledge our musicians from multicultural backgrounds. With Mr Assistant
Speaker's indulgence, if I could demonstrate—
Mr Geoff Provest: You're not going to sing?
Ms SOPHIE COTSIS: I will not sing and I will not play because I am crap at both. I seek leave to show
members the instrument I have.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Yes.
Ms SOPHIE COTSIS: The bouzouki, as many people would know, is played in Greek bands. Many
performers, whether they are of Arabic, Asian or Greek background, are suffering. Performers who play
instruments like the bouzouki or the pipes or who dance are suffering. They are all suffering. I acknowledge the
member for Manly for moving this motion. We are all working together to make sure that over summer we will
be able to see live bands perform. I encourage everyone who can to contribute to Ausmusic T-Shirt Day. It is very
important that we support our performers. The member for Tweed is nodding; he understands. We should
encourage people to visit rural and regional communities in particular because those communities are suffering.
We want to see people playing their musical instruments and dancing. I encourage our communities to get out
there, spend money and enjoy themselves. I urge government agencies with responsibility for implementing the
new Act to look at it in a coordinated way. Sydney is a global city and we need to demonstrate to the rest of the
world that New South Wales is the best place to be. This summer, let us showcase our amazing performers and
entertainers and let us urge people to get out there and spend.
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (13:37:56): I acknowledge the member for Manly for
introducing this motion. He is an avid supporter of the arts and the night-time economy and of ensuring that we
invest in hospitality and tourism. I acknowledge also the challenges of this year's COVID-19 pandemic for our
night-time economy. In Manly there are a lot of people who like a good night out. Since the member for Manly
and I both have two children under the age of two, and I know that the Mr Assistant Speaker has a one-year-old,
our night-time enjoyment is usually of a different nature.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Wiggles concerts.
Ms FELICITY WILSON: We look forward to getting out and about, seeing more of Sydney and more
live bands, theatre and music and having an opportunity to get involved with hospitality and our small bars and
cafes and artists. I commend the member for Manly for bringing this motion to the House today. As Mr Assistant
Speaker just noted, this time last year I was looking forward to a Wiggles concert—which, I must say, was
outstanding. For those who do not have small children and have never experienced a Wiggles concert, the Wiggles
are consummate professionals in their performances. It was an exceptional day.
Some really exciting events are coming to Sydney next year, which I will speak about in a moment. I will
speak as well about the tourism industry and the challenges it has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and how
our night-time economy strategy works to ensure that we can invest in our tourism industry as well as the broader
visitor economy and the tourism supply chain. That includes frontline businesses that directly provide services to
tourists, support businesses such as catering, the many companies providing services to events and conferences,
laundromats providing services to hotels and motels, and so on. To support the recovery and growth of these
sectors, now is the time to embrace the vibrant, diverse, inclusive, and most importantly, safe, 24-hour economy
in Sydney. I congratulate Minister Stuart Ayres for his work on this.
I was one of the members of the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy. We made key
recommendations that would open a vibrant and safe Sydney. Once again I acknowledge the work of the chair of
the committee, the Hon. Natalie Ward in the other place, and the member for Tweed, who is present in the
Chamber. The Government supported the key recommendations that the committee made and has made a number
of regulatory changes in the Sydney CBD precinct, including Oxford Street. Some of the changes now in effect
include: the removal of the 1.30 a.m. last entry for all venues in the CBD precinct; removal of restrictions on
cocktail shots and drinks in glass after midnight; extending last drinks at venues with good records by 30 minutes;
extended bottle shop opening hours; and increased patron capacity for small bars. These are all changes to help
our night-time economy bounce back, including after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy sets out a road map for recovery through growth that will
create jobs, foster arts and culture and reinforce Sydney's status as Australia's only truly global city. In June this
year the Government announced the Great Southern Nights initiative to kickstart the recovery of the live music,
entertainment and hospitality industries. Events will occur across the State with more than 2,500 artists in
300 venues. In my community of the North Shore, Big Music Studios at Crows Nest will host four events,
Music@StreetMarket in Crows Nest will host four events and The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay will host five events,
giving locals in my electorate a variety of events to attend and enjoy. Musical theatre has also returned to Sydney.
Pippin opens next week—on the Minister's birthday, I note. Hopefully that will be his birthday celebration on
24 November. To great joy, Hamilton arrives in March 2021. If my husband is watching, his early Christmas
surprise is learning that his present this year is tickets to Hamilton for next year. I look forward to watching that
with him. I am very excited about this motion and the effort going into Sydney's night-time economy. I thank the
member for Manly once again for moving the motion.
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (13:42:01): I am happy to contribute to the motion moved by the
member for Manly. Unfortunately, the Government's 24-hour Economy Strategy fails to adequately address the
issues at hand and leaves many stakeholders, businesses and punters out in the cold. Labor wants to see the soul
returned to Sydney, as well as towns and cities across New South Wales, but the Government's strategy to date
falls short. In his motion the member for Manly says that the strategy is designed to grow and support jobs in the
hospitality, tourism, retail and arts sectors. If that is the case and the Government is serious about having an impact
on these sectors then the strategy must support live music and must include the removal of live music bans. I take
this moment to acknowledge a local band from my area, Gully Days, who I have been speaking with.
Mr Geoff Provest: That's what's on the T-shirt.
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL: Yes, it is. They are a little local band straight out of Bronte that I have been
working with quite closely recently. They have been struggling as venues have been shut down and restrictions
have curbed their capacity to perform. They have been doing a great job creating their own venues but they want
to see the return of live music. What we propose is commonsense. Supporting live music is a chunky solution to
injecting much needed stimulus into the arts, hospitality, tourism and retail sectors. Here is just one example why
this should be done. Tim Freedman is not only one of the Labor movement's favourite sons, he is also the lead
singer of one of Australia's most iconic bands, The Whitlams. Tim is currently on tour in New South Wales to
promote the band's new single. The tour has 15 dates between November and January, visiting 12 different
New South Wales electorates. Wherever this tour goes it provides work for travelling crews and local crews in
each location.
The audience members come from across the State, choosing to design holidays around this fantastic live
show. However, due to the Government's restrictive legislation limiting live music in Sydney, there are very few
of Tim's performances in Sydney at all. It is great for the regions but not great for Sydney. I would love to see
him performing in the eastern suburbs at Selina's, bringing back one of Sydney's great venues. Live music and
performances provide businesses of every industry that the member for Manly named, yet the Government refuses
to support live music as part of its night-time economy strategy. By failing to give councils the power to remove
conditions from development approvals, no new venues will appear. By failing to remove bans on live music or
restrictions on mirror balls and dance floors, no new business opportunities will emerge and no new emerging
artists will have venues to play in.
What we need is a new generation of artists able to play in venues both big and small right across our great
city and the State, and they need a government that supports them to do this. The Eastern Suburbs has always
been a fertile spot for up-and-coming musicians, from fantastic small venues like Little Jack Horner right through
to the famous Selina's at Coogee Bay Hotel. But many venues like these are disappearing under this Government.
I long to see the glory days of live music returning to the Eastern Suburbs and the streets, towns and cities across
this great State. It is the responsibility of the Government to make this happen. It cannot continue to ignore the
calls from businesses and creative industries that are begging for live music to return and bring with it the vibrant,
dynamic, safe and accessible night-time economy that we all want to see again. Giving people a $25 voucher to
attend a venue does not work unless the venue has artists. The legislative instruments exist to support live
performances. Business communities and the public are right behind the support of live performances. It is the
Government that is holding them back.
Mr GEOFF PROVEST (Tweed) (13:46:28): I make a contribution to the discussion on the motion
moved by the member for Manly on the 24-hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney. I was a member of the
Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy with the member for North Sydney and others. We
toured venues in Sydney as well as Newcastle and Wollongong and looked at the various issues. We all know
why those regulations were made. We all know why Thomas Kelly's killer is serving jail time. Unfortunately,
people lost their lives. The committee made recommendations to the Government about lifting the regulations.
A large number of those have been put in place and we are seeing a revitalisation.
I am probably one of the few members in the House who worked in the industry. I was the entertainment
manager at Revesby Workers Club in its heyday in the eighties that saw Tina Turner; AC/DC;
Mental As Anything; the famed The Cockroaches, who became in their later years The Wiggles; The Radiators;
and the list went on, performing in the main auditoriums. There were also many standalone duos performing at
the club. I am a great believer in fostering local talent. What we have gone through in the pandemic is unusual.
This is a work in progress motion. There are some good things coming out of it.
I was one of those poor venue operators who would have locals ringing up saying they could not get to
sleep and the windows were shaking. I would have the licensing police there. We would turn the sound down and
the band would turn it up again. It went on and on. But a lot of people gained a lot of entertainment out of it. We
can joke about mirror balls, dancing, kissing and cuddling on the dance floor and so on but at the end of the day
our priority is to keep people safe. I was buoyed by the focus on outdoor dining. That is a good initiative. I had
the fortune to be in the city on a Sunday and I noted in The Rocks area a lot of venues had tables and chairs in the
street and it created a great atmosphere. There were some buskers and things like that. We support more integrated
planning and place-making, more "joined up" State, local government and industry collaboration to enable
24-hour economies to thrive.
One venue mentioned used the rooftop to have an outdoor barbecue, which was very popular on Sundays
and Mondays, but a block of units was built and the tenants complained about the smell of onions and steak. When
a hotel has been operating for many years we need to continually adapt our planning system. I feel very proud to
be a member of this Government. I believe my colleague the member for Cootamundra cuts the rug occasionally
in Coota at various venues, or will do once the restrictions are lifted. I can see her with a mirror ball. We need to
keep this work in progress because we have a changing market. When I worked in the industry ACDC—Acca
Dacca—Rose Tattoo and, heaven forbid, the Angels were at venues, but people's music tastes have changed as a
result of social media. This Government is recognising the change in dining habits and the entertainment industry,
and is supporting them. I support the motion.
Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (13:50:47): In reply: I thank the member for Canterbury and shadow
Minister for her contribution to this debate. I appreciate her invitation to visit Campsie and Earlwood, and her
bringing along the bazooka, which is a wonderful instrument. I also thank the member for North Shore for
acknowledging the work of the Great Southern Nights initiative and for her contribution to this debate. I thank the
member for Coogee for her passionate contribution and the promotion of her local band. I also thank the member
for Tweed, a member of the committee, for his contribution to this debate. This outstanding policy has been put
forward by this Government. I commend the Minister and all involved in bringing it to the House and ultimately
delivering on this wonderful policy that will revitalise Sydney's night life. It is an outstanding piece of work and
sets the foundation for a bright future. I commend the motion to the House.
Motion agreed to.
DUBBO DAFFODIL DAY
Mr DUGALD SAUNDERS (Dubbo) (13:52:01): I move:
That this House:
(1) Recognises the importance of fundraising activities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when so many charities are
battling due to the financial circumstances the community is facing.
(2) Commends the wonderful work done by Jason Dearmer of Dubbo who ensured a Daffodil Day event, supporting the
NSW Cancer Council, was able to proceed in the city by standing in the main street and selling 360 bunches of daffodils in a
COVID-safe manner.
(3) Highlights the community spirit shown in order to make the event happen, most notably from Church St Cafe & Bar, Hot
Poppyz Florist and Food At Yours who provided food, flowers and daffodil themed sugar cookies for the event.
I am delighted to recognise the importance of fundraising activities, especial during COVID-19 times when so
many charities have been battling due to the financial circumstances that we are facing as a community. I am here
also to commend the wonderful work done by Dubbo's Jason Dearmer who ensured that a Daffodil Day event
supporting the NSW Cancer Council was able to proceed this year and also to highlight the community spirit that
made that event happen. I pay tribute not only to Daffodil Day but also to all those amazing people across the
electorate, and indeed across the State who have continued to put others before themselves and raise money for a
range of amazing causes during the most difficult time in living memory.
There is little doubt that COVID-19 has put a strain on the disposable income of people and for those in
the bush it has been cobbled with a prolonged period of intense drought which, thankfully, has eased somewhat
with rain this year. But COVID-19 has also forced people to adapt and persevere in the way they do things.
A shining example of exactly that is Jason Dearmer from Dubbo who took it upon himself to ensure that the
Dubbo Daffodil Day went ahead in some way, shape or form.
Unfortunately, nobody is immune to the impact that cancer has on our communities. In fact I think it is
probably fair to say that most people have been touched in one way or another by cancer and it can take an awful
toll. Organisations like the Cancer Council provide really good support to people through their fight, but with so
many people out of work or on reduced hours, charities have faced a battle to access funds like they never have
in the past. Due to concerns about COVID-19, the Cancer Council determined that the usual Daffodil Day events
would not go ahead in 2020, but Jason, who has been involved with the organisation since taking part in his first
Relay For Life in 2014, would not be deterred. He ordered 360 bunches of the bright yellow flowers from local
florist Hot Poppyz, organised for a large number of delicious yellow sugar cookies to be prepared by Caitlin Amor
from Food At Yours, and joined with Errin Williamson and her crew from the Church Street Cafe to set up a
COVID-safe event.
Jason, who is also involved with the Dubbo Triathlon Club, Dubbo Rugby Club and Hear Our Heart Ear
Bus committees, found some bright yellow clothing and the end result was that $4,300 was raised for the Cancer
Council. To say this exceeded expectations would be an understatement, but it shows how supportive people in
the bush are when it comes to helping a good cause. And while Jason shined a bright yellow glow on Dubbo
during a tough time in our history, the same can also be said for those who turned the town of Mudgee pink during
October. The Pink up Mudgee campaign is held every October and it raises money for McGrath Foundation.
People wear pink, businesses get wrapped up in the colour and plenty of houses are decorated with pink to raise
awareness and funds for the cause.
Pink up Mudgee is the brainchild of real estate agent Hugh Bateman and has been running for four years.
In that time it has also spread to more than 70 other locations that use Breast Cancer Awareness Month to brighten
up their towns. Among those other locations are Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos, which are all close to Mudgee
but they have done their own thing. They have jumped on board. They are supporting their neighbours but also
contributing socially and emotionally to their own communities. A COVID-19 safe race day and golf day have
been some of the events that have been held this year to make Pink up Mudgee another great success, while a
stream of small donations are also combining to ensure that a good sum of money will be made available to the
McGrath Foundation. It is fantastic and congratulations again to the bloke behind it all, Hugh Bateman, who loves
nothing better than dressing up in pink and supporting plenty of people around the region.
Fundraising is not limited to traditional charities. Quite often these days we see crowd funding for causes
as well. Recently I mentioned Dubbo nurse Christie Gunther who did a 12-hour treadmill challenge and sought
donations through a GoFundMe campaign that has been established to help the family of Mitchell Ray, a brave
young man who is battling neuroblastoma. Despite the challenging times people got behind Christie's efforts and
the wider campaign itself to the point where almost $50,000 has been raised for the Ray family. I think the
examples I am talking about really highlight some of the rare positives to come from the COVID-19 pandemic—
the flexibility people have shown to get things done and support the community. Another example is the Late
Mail Postie Bike Ride—a charity event that raises funds for the not-for-profit organisation Wings4Kidz. The
2020 edition of the event was held recently, with organiser Jason Turner and his crew plotting a route that started
in Hargraves, visited Parkes, Condobolin, Cobar, Bourke, Lightning Ridge and Coonabarabran before ending in
Mudgee. Despite the challenges this year has thrown up, this year's ride set an amazing record and raised $232,000,
up $24,000 from the previous best return.
It once again shows the spirit of regional New South Wales that during a time when people have been
doing it tough as a result of drought and the pandemic, such generosity still exists for the most deserving of causes.
With this year's event the total over seven years is now over $1 million. Well done to Jason and his entire
committee. Of course not everyone has been able to find ways to raise money through the pandemic. I recently
received some correspondence from the Dubbo Evening View Club, whose ability to fundraise had ground to a
halt. Normally it holds card evenings and runs a Bunnings sausage sizzle, but given the group is made up of mostly
senior ladies, who are in the COVID-19 high-risk group that has all had to be cancelled this year. Normally the
club donates about $1,500 each year towards the Learning for Life program, which supports a couple of children
and ensures they have got books, clothing and excursions, basically everything they need for the best education.
The club had not been able to raise money this year, but I am happy to say that through a representation to
the Acting Minister for seniors, the Hon. Geoff Lee, the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, we have been
able to provide the Dubbo Evening View Club with a year's worth of funding, which will allow it to use the small
amount of money it had in its own account as a base to return to normal fundraising activities. I am proud to
recognise just a few of the people who have done great things across the Dubbo electorate who put others before
themselves, even in spite of the incredibly challenging year we have had in 2020. There are many more people
right across the State but I am glad to have had the opportunity to recognise some of our local heroes and
congratulate them formally for everything they do.
Debate interrupted.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I will now leave the chair. The House will resume at 2.15 p.m.
Announcements
MEMBER FOR CANTERBURY
MEMBER FOR MURRAY
MEMBER FOR PORT STEPHENS
MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
MEMBER FOR PORT MACQUARIE
MEMBER FOR KU-RING-GAI
The SPEAKER: I extend birthday greetings to the member for Canterbury, whose birthday it is today.
I also wish members representing the electorates of Murray, Port Stephens, Sydney, Port Macquarie and
Ku-ring-gai all the best for their upcoming birthdays.
BRETT WRIGHT
The SPEAKER: I inform members that Brett Wright, Senior Manager, Property and Facilities at the
Parliament is retiring at the end of the year after 38 years' service. Brett started his career at Parliament as a
mechanical fitter in the Plant section of Building Services in 1982. He has worked on almost every aspect of the
Parliament House buildings and facilities. In the past year Brett was promoted to Senior Manager, Property and
Facilities and successfully implemented the transfer of electorate office management to the Department of
Parliamentary Services. Brett has made a magnificent contribution over 38 years. Members congratulate him and
wish him all the best for a relaxing and enjoyable retirement, which I hope also gives him the opportunity to focus
on his love of football on the Central Coast.
Members applauded.
I will obviously ignore that breach of standing orders, which I participated in.
CHAMBER DRESS STANDARDS
The SPEAKER: I will address, in a relaxed way, the issue of business attire and what people wear in the
Chamber. I note that both Whips offices have asked me to do so, and I stress it is not a heavy-handed approach.
However, I reinforce that, like many legislatures around Australia, we have a sensible standard of business attire.
It is not contained in the standing or sessional orders of the House, but it has been generally understood for many
decades. Recently the Standing Orders and Procedure Committee considered the matter and whether a more
formal dress standard should be introduced, but we decided that it was not appropriate to introduce a sessional
order.
[Members interjected]
Order! I ask members to be conscious, in a general sense, of the ongoing observance of the dress standards
of the House.
Mr Paul Toole: Does that mean I have to wear a suit?
The SPEAKER: There is no standing or sessional order, and we are not introducing one. We wish to
formalise the current requirement.
Mr John Barilaro: The Speaker should wear a wig!
The SPEAKER: I will restrain myself from commenting on the request of the Deputy Premier for me to
wear a wig. I addressed that in my first speech as Speaker. I know that members are very exuberant as it is the
end of the year. However, I ask that members hold it together for one more question time. I would hate for any
members to be removed from the Chamber today. I remind members that it is the last sitting day of the year.
If I have to remove a member today it will most likely be under Standing Order 249 (1), but I do not want to have
to do that either.
Members
REPRESENTATION OF MINISTERS ABSENT DURING QUESTIONS
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: On behalf of the Premier: I inform the House that today I will answer questions
in the absence of the Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections.
Question Time
CAMELLIA LAND PURCHASE
Ms JODI McKAY (Strathfield) (14:22:18): My question is directed to the Premier. The secretary of her
department, Tim Reardon, chaired the finance and investment committee that agreed to buy toxic land at Camellia
for three times its value. Given her own Minister has asked for ICAC to investigate this purchase, will she stand
her secretary aside?
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Premier) (14:22:40): The short answer to the question is
no.
Ms Jodi McKay: Of course you wouldn't. It's standard for you.
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition has asked a question and I ask that she listen to the answer.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The further response is that either the Opposition has faith in all the
integrity agencies in New South Wales or it does not. If members opposite support the integrity agencies and
support due process they will appreciate that those bodies have the powers to deal with the matter appropriately.
Ms Jodi McKay: It is about whether you stand him aside while he is being investigated.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: I have already answered that question. What matters to the people of
New South Wales is the quality of life they have and the services and infrastructure they receive. Members
opposite talk a lot about jobs, but today the unemployment figures came out. As at today, New South Wales has
the lowest unemployment in the nation. We are the only State that has had a drop, of 0.7 per cent, since last month.
We are also the only State that has maintained its participation rate back to March levels. We are incredibly proud
of that. Every day in this job is about the people of this State and what they need. We will ensure that we deliver
on their behalf.
GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (14:23:59): My question is addressed to the Premier. Will she update
the House on how the Government has supported the community through the many challenges of 2020?
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Premier) (14:24:10): I start by acknowledging to all
colleagues in this Chamber that, no matter what electorate they represent or what part of the State they come from,
all our communities have been through a very difficult year. I remember very vividly how we started off the year.
I was with the transport Minister, and member for Bega, in Malua Bay. I will never forget the chaos and distress
I witnessed in the thick smoke that day, when families had literally just been evacuated from homes they were
unsure existed anymore. What we witnessed was a very small proportion compared with what was witnessed by
many thousands of people in the State. I hope nobody on the planet gets to experience the catastrophic fires that
Australians experienced last summer.
But as Christmas approaches, we turn our minds to the many people for whom emotions are still very raw
and for whom the scars of having experienced the bushfires have not healed. Exactly a year after bushfires broke
out in the Northern Rivers part of the State, I visited those communities again. A couple of weeks ago in the
company of the member for Clarence I saw people in his community who were still struggling with distress caused
by the bushfires. What I saw clearly demonstrated to me what the community has been through and, even though
a year has passed, what the community is still going through. In addition, for many years our State experienced
devastating drought, with families not knowing where their next pay cheque was coming from or whether they
would be able to keep their house or their farm. For many of us, that is what we read about or hear about but we
can only imagine what it is like to live through it.
On top of all of that, the State had the pandemic. We may think some people in this State would be almost
at breaking point, but instead we witnessed enormous resilience and strength. Furthermore, we witnessed the
capacity of our people to not only accept advice from health experts the Government provided for them but also
support each other during those difficult times. All of us know that, even if we had the best government in the
world that is flush with funds, no matter what happens it is our communities and community leaders who step up
and support each other. Government members see that every day when carrying out our roles. One of the
opportunities afforded members of Parliament is witnessing the community standing up, taking on leadership
roles and supporting one another.
During the bushfires we saw real community leadership. I accompanied the Minister for Police and
Emergency Services to some bushfire areas. I also accompanied the Minister for Local Government, and member
for South Coast, to one of the showgrounds in her electorate where the community came together and out of
nothing created this wonderful place where people and families who had lost everything could simply come in
and get what they needed with no questions asked—and get top quality too. That was not the Government; it was
the community who had rallied and worked together to make that happen. All colleagues who witnessed in their
communities the devastation and the sorrow of the droughts and bushfires acknowledge that many of our citizens
are still going through a difficult time.
In relation to the bushfires, the New South Wales Government recently provided additional funding. In
essence, the Government provided billions of dollars to support the State's emergency services and ensure they
have world-leading equipment. The New South Wales Government is pleased to lend much of our equipment,
including the Marie Bashir, to other States that need it. Certainly our attitude is to make sure we are best in class.
We have what we need to ensure that any catastrophic event like last summer's bushfires can be withstood. I say
to all farming communities that have been through the devastating drought that it is now time for hope and
optimism since the drought has broken in many regions of the State. When there is hope and optimism in the
regions, we know that COVID—which has affected everybody in the State, particularly in Sydney where it has
had a significant impact on jobs—can be withstood.
I am pleased with the State's latest unemployment figures. More than any other Australian city, Sydney
relies on services sectors such as tourism, hospitality and entertainment. Sydney is a global city. Today I commend
the Treasurer, the Deputy Premier and our entire team because New South Wales now has an unemployment rate
of 6.5 per cent—the lowest in the nation. The national unemployment average is 7 per cent. Last month New
South Wales was the only State that recorded a massive drop of 0.7 per cent in its unemployment rate. A decrease
in unemployment of 0.7 per cent in one month is huge. The only other State that recorded a decrease was Western
Australia, and that was a decrease of 0.1 per cent. The other States recorded an increase in their unemployment
rate. New South Wales was the only State that recorded a substantial decrease in unemployment. Western
Australia recorded a marginal decrease in unemployment but unfortunately every other State recorded an increase
in unemployment.
Those figures not only validate the policies of this Government to keep jobs, save jobs and create jobs but
also validate the State's COVID strategy of keeping the community safe and healthy but not stopping the economy,
jobs and people from being able to provide food for their families and the services their families need, as well as
not stopping people from having meaningful work. Every single day that balance has been difficult to maintain,
but we did it because we had to. [Extension of time]
The Government acknowledges that for mental health, wellbeing and quality of life people need to be safe
and healthy but they also need meaningful work. People also need to know that when they apply for meaningful
work, the opportunities are available. In addition to having the lowest unemployment rate in the nation—numbers
are just numbers—what is particularly pleasing about today's figures is that New South Wales is the first State
where participation rates have reached this year's March level. In other words, March-April, when the State went
into lockdown, was the worst period for the State but now the number of people in the workforce has been restored
to March levels, which is very positive. Unfortunately, some of the unemployment figures for the other States do
not include that their workforce participation rates fell massively. New South Wales restored its participation rates
and reduced its unemployment rate. I am incredibly proud to say that currently in New South Wales four million
people are employed and in the past three months 80,000 jobs were created.
While all of us appreciate how difficult this year has been, we also appreciate the strength and resilience
of our community. All of us have been humbled by what our State is actually capable of. Today, alongside some
of my colleagues, I was very pleased to announce further easing of restrictions and also our absolute commitment
to the strategy New South Wales has in place. I always say to my colleagues: Let's not be afraid to try things that
no-one else on the planet has tried in relation to COVID. Let's not be afraid to be world leading. Let's not be afraid
to do things that other States and other places have not done—things like quick response—QR—codes, our
borders and quarantine. I am incredibly proud of our Government's record. We are far from perfect, but
I appreciate that during a difficult year everybody has stepped up. Every single member of this House has stepped
up, no matter which political party they belong to. We have been there to support our communities as they have
supported us. Let us all hope that 2021 brings more hope and more aspirations for the people of New South Wales.
CAMELLIA LAND PURCHASE
Mr CHRIS MINNS (Kogarah) (14:31:24): In directing my question to the Minister for Transport and
Roads, I note the Minister's appropriate actions on 12 November this year when he referred questions relating to
the Camellia land purchase to the ICAC and the Auditor-General and that in 2016 Transport for NSW prepared a
briefing note signed by the Minister on 28 April approving the compulsory acquisition of the land. I ask: Was the
Minister made aware that the department had changed its position to pursue a negotiated purchase rather than
compulsory acquisition?
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega—Minister for Transport and Roads) (14:32:05): I thank the
member for Kogarah for his question. Obviously the reason I referred this to ICAC and to the Auditor-General
was to get to the bottom of the whole process, including as part of that other decisions that were made through the
committee. It is no secret. The briefing note has been in the public domain. Certainly, I absolutely signed it at that
time. I think it is important to note that I sign off hundreds of those things—hundreds—because our infrastructure
program is so big. Part of that is my expectation is full transparency in relation to this. I have made that clear. Let
us just let the Auditor-General and the ICAC work through their processes in relation to the matter.
REGIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES
Mr DUGALD SAUNDERS (Dubbo) (14:32:05): My question is directed to the Minister for Regional
Transport and Roads. Will the Minister update the House on how the Government is making holiday travel easier
for the people of New South Wales?
Mr PAUL TOOLE (Bathurst—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (14:33:17): I thank the
member for Dubbo for his question. There is no doubt that with the year drawing to a close we turn our minds to
the holiday period. I hope members consider supporting regional New South Wales and supporting our regional
economies by taking a day trip or a longer holiday. The New South Wales Liberals and Nationals have done our
part to make that holiday trip a little bit easier. Billions of dollars are being invested in regional roads and transport
across the State. In this financial year alone the Government has embarked on record investment of $8.7 billion
in regional roads and transport. I want every member of this House—especially Opposition members—to get out
to the regions to see the regions for themselves. I am always here to help. I actually think I am a pretty helpful
guy— some people call me "Helpful Tooley"—so I have organised an itinerary for the Labor frontbench so I can
help them to see some of the great projects that are underway.
I am going to start with the member for Swansea. Being on the coast is lovely, but nothing beats getting
out to the red dust of the west, so I am booking the member for Swansea in for a trip to Tibooburra to inspect our
newly sealed Silver City Highway. She can stop at the Packsaddle Roadhouse, buy a burger and talk to Mia or
she can go to The Family Hotel Tibooburra where she can talk to the elected mayor John and the locals about how
happy they are to see this project in that area. I know the member for Barwon also knows that is a great project in
his community. The member for Swansea can take a few other members of the caucus with her so that they can
see there are other people living on the other side of the Great Dividing Range.
Who is next? Where is she? The member for Maitland. I have done my homework on her. For her I am
thinking of a nice caravan trip from border to border—from Boggabilla to Finley. That will give her the chance
to inspect the 12 new overtaking lanes on the Newell Highway. They are boosting freight productivity and slashing
travel times. While she is there she will admire the beautiful farming country, but I want her to stop and eyeball
some of the farmers and think about the way she voted all year and how she has made their lives so much harder
by not supporting them. I will move on to the member for Campbelltown. I have not forgotten about him. He can
go and have a look at the Scone bypass and be reminded of what regional New South Wales actually looks like.
I tell him every time in this place that Campbelltown is different; it is not regional New South Wales.
I will finish with the Leader of the Opposition. She needs a holiday and a bit of a break, so I have organised
her a trip on the WestConnex—something that she opposed. She can have a beautiful trip over the mountains and
have a look at the upgrades to the Great Western Highway—again something that she opposed. Then she can pick
up the member for Blue Mountains, who also opposes upgrades to the Great Western Highway. Then she can go
to Dubbo, see the local member and check out the new regional rail maintenance facility. While she is there she
can see the concrete that has been poured for that facility and look at the additional 58 bus services that have been
provided to that community. She can have a look at the real-time tracking that is occurring as well.
I have got a fun holiday project for her while she is there. I want her to solve one of the great mysteries of
our State: the disappearance of Country Labor. I want her to tell us what happened to Country Labor because they
have not been sighted there for years. If we have a look at the last election in Dubbo, they got 7,000 votes—a drop
of almost 30 per cent. We are investing in regional and rural New South Wales, making life easier for the people
in those communities and making it easier to travel. I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a restful break.
I look forward to coming back in 2021 and telling the Opposition again about all of the great projects in regional
New South Wales.
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND ROADS
Mr CLAYTON BARR (Cessnock) (14:38:36): My question is directed to the Minister for Transport and
Roads. Senior National Party MP the Hon. Wes Fang—I emphasise the senior—has described the Minister as the
"greatest RINO … this Government has". RINO stands for "regional in name only". Is the Minister a RINO?
The SPEAKER: Is the Minister happy to answer the question?
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega—Minister for Transport and Roads) (14:39:33): Yes. I am not
going to miss. I would sooner be a RINO than a goose, and the member for Cessnock has been one all year. I have
to admit that I learned something today; I learned who Wes Fang was—the poor bloke. I jumped on Google and
saw that he has been fighting with this other bloke I do not know—Matthew Mason-Cox. Happy Christmas. There
are some great Nationals members. The Deputy Premier and I have had our moments this year, but I love him.
I am going to reflect on the question. I am sure Wes Fang is grateful to be on the joint Liberal-Nationals ticket
and get elected by city Liberals. I have seen his comments and there are some important messages in them.
Today we very seriously made some significant inroads to try and save lives and they are not easy. It is not
easy for the community and it is not easy to work through this area of public policy. On a serious note, I would
say to him personally to go back and look at what was said at the presser today by Peter Frazer. Go back and look
at what the beautiful Abdallah family have been through this year and take note. I had a look at the stats for Wagga
Wagga, where this member of the upper House hails from. Wagga Wagga has had seven fatalities this year—way
too many for one community. Over the past five years, 1,100 people in Wagga Wagga have been in hospital
because of road accidents. We have got to try and work through this in a bipartisan way.
Ms Jodi McKay: He is actually in your own party.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: No, hang on, please. Come on, Jodi, you are better than that.
Ms Jodi McKay: Oh, Andrew!
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: Are you going to interrupt and be silly or are you going to listen?
Ms Jodi McKay: You were not answering the question.
The SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: You know what, your shadow spokesperson went out this morning a
little bit pre-emptively over this issue. Fine revenue goes into the Community Road Safety Fund to try to get
people to do what they should have been doing in the first place: sticking to the road rules. The great news that
Minister Toole and I put out today is that the net revenue in terms of removing the signs from mobile speed
cameras—
Ms Gabrielle Upton: Which Jodi wanted on.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: No, hang on. That net revenue is going to fund 3,300 kilometres of
rumble strips on country roads so that people do not veer off and end up in a paddock or wrapped around a tree.
Importantly, we are taking those measures because we do not want to see again as we have seen this year
275 people lose their lives and their families destroyed. We are bringing ourselves into line with other States in
terms of those warning signs. We are obviously hypothecating all fines revenue into the Community Road Safety
Fund, not into the Treasurer's pocket through the Consolidated Fund. That is the point.
There is a community perception that this goes into the Consolidated Fund; it does not. Last night Minister
Toole and I made time available to brief Mr Fang. I say to all members in this place that we were given information
which showed that if we made changes to the mobile speed camera program, so that the moment people back out
of their driveway they know they can be caught anywhere at anytime, up to 43 lives would be saved. That has
come from Monash University. We cannot ignore that—no-one can. I have read his nice comments. I wish he
would display a little bit more maturity about this issue. We save lives because that is what this business is all
about.
STATE BUDGET AND WORKING FAMILIES
Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) (14:44:39): I address my question to the Treasurer. Will the
Treasurer update the House on how the budget supports working families in New South Wales?
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer) (14:44:50): I thank the progressive member for
Riverstone for his question. He is a great member and a great man, and he is doing a great job for his community.
He knows that this budget delivers for the electorate of Riverstone, particularly with Rouse Hill Hospital, on
which the health Minister is working very diligently. As the Premier has said, the Australian Bureau of Statistics
[ABS] numbers that came out today were very pleasing. The unemployment rate of 6½ per cent is the lowest in
the nation. Importantly, the participation rate—as the Premier said is at March levels—is up 0.1 per cent, and the
underemployment rate is down 0.3 per cent.
If you look at the jobs in New South Wales since April 2011—the ABS does that because it obviously goes
from the point when the Government came to office—585,000 jobs were created right across the State. That is
more than twice as much as Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania combined. A part of
the story is down to the great policies of the Liberals and National Party—the Nationals and the Liberals, the
Liberals and the Nationals.
Mr Brad Hazzard: One big, happy family.
Ms Jodi McKay: Let's not call them a happy family!
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: A very happy family—as we see today—that has shown great unity
throughout the year. And what a great way to end it, thanks Wes—legend! What time did he arrive back?
Mr Andrew Constance: I don't know. I didn't pay any attention.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Anyway, good on him. A lot of this goes down to the great men and
women across New South Wales who, particularly during this pandemic, have done a fantastic job. Businesses
across the State have put in those COVID Safety Plans and QR codes that the DAC Man opposite loves so much.
That has ensured we have been able to open up safely and keep as many people in work as possible. The payroll
tax changes that we have made over the last couple of years have taken the threshold from $750,000 to $1 million.
That is 5,000 businesses falling out of the payroll tax system, saving on average around $10,000 costs—
Mr Clayton Barr: You guys capped it in 2011. Mike Baird—
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Mate, Labor ran an election campaign on increasing the payroll tax. You
were the shadow finance Minister then, weren't you?
Mr Clayton Barr: You guys capped it in 2011.
The SPEAKER: I call the member for Cessnock to order for the first time.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: The member for Keira is being very quiet. That was his great policy.
Who said, "If the Government really wanted to help businesses hire new employees they would cut the payroll
tax rate or increase the threshold"? That was Michael Daley in 2011. The Government did exactly that. We did
not do one or the other; we did both. The payroll tax rate is now 4.85 per cent, the lowest headline rate in the
nation. In Victoria the threshold rate is $650,000. Increasing that threshold from $750,000 to $1.2 million will
ensure that many more businesses across the State have the opportunity to invest and take on more staff in what
is going to be a very difficult time. As I said earlier in the week, we lost around 270,000 jobs between April and
May. Today's numbers show that we have regained 210,000, which represents a strong step in the right direction.
The Government's Small Business Support Grant scheme for businesses that do not pay payroll tax
supports over 53,000 businesses and 150,000 employees. The Small Business Recovery Grant will provide
$528 million to support over 36,000 businesses and 96,000 employees, of which $110 million has already been
paid out or approved, and the Jobs and Infrastructure Acceleration Fund will create 20,000 jobs, 12,000 of which
will be in regional New South Wales. The Government will also provide $1 billion in funding through the Working
for NSW fund, inject hundreds of millions of dollars into schools, create 1,500 jobs through our COVID-19
Recovery Plan and invest $100 million via a Regional Job Creation Fund. Right across the board this Government
is creating more jobs to make sure that—whether it is through the construction sector, in which about 150,000 jobs
will be created—the Berejiklian-Barilaro Government continues to deliver for people across the State.
BANKSTOWN-LIDCOMBE HOSPITAL
Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) (14:49:58): I direct my question to the Treasurer. My community
was promised a new hospital but the budget delivers no funds and no site, and delays completion until 2028. Will
the Treasurer ever deliver the new Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital?
Mr Brad Hazzard: That is a straight-out lie.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer) (14:50:34): What is it, Minister?
Mr Brad Hazzard: It is a straight-out lie.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: The health Minister has called it a lie, and he is completely correct.
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will withdraw that comment. It is unparliamentary. The member for
Wakehurst will remain silent.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: I withdraw the comment. This hospital will transform western Sydney.
It was never promised and never delivered by members opposite. Under the Government's health infrastructure
program, 47 new and upgraded hospitals will be built across the State. You do not build them overnight. Members
opposite would not know how to build hospitals or schools because they closed more schools—
Ms Tania Mihailuk: Point of order: My point of order is on relevance under Standing Order 129. I have
asked a question. There is no funding for this hospital and the Government has a completion date of 2028.
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is being relevant.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: The member for Bankstown will not be coming to the opening. She is
out! She is not cutting the ribbon!
The SPEAKER: The member for Bankstown will resume her seat.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: No sod turn—nothing for you! No Christmas presents—nothing for you!
The member for East Hills, the Minister, the Premier and I will be there. Does anyone else on this side of the
House want to come? The member for Parramatta wants to come.
Dr Geoff Lee: Will there be cake?
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: There is cake. Wes is not coming. He is not invited.
Mr Brad Hazzard: Wes is not invited.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Yeah, but we are going. We are going to turn the sod and build that
hospital, like we are building a record number of hospitals across the State.
Ms Tania Mihailuk: It is three State elections away.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: And that is why Labor will be in trouble at the next election.
Ms Jodi McKay: Point of order: Mr Speaker, you have given a direction previously that if there is
provocation from members opposite you would show leniency to our members. The member for Bankstown wants
to take a point of order so she can have her question answered.
The SPEAKER: The Clerk will stop the clock. The member for Bankstown was given the opportunity to
take a point of order. I ruled that the Treasurer is being relevant.
Ms Jodi McKay: She wants to take another one, Mr Speaker.
The SPEAKER: One second later the member for Bankstown tried to take another point of order, which
I did not take. I will not take repeated points of order that I regard as intended to disrupt the flow of the Treasurer.
The Treasurer has the call.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Government members love working with members of the Labor Party in
terms of delivering outcomes for their electorates. Recently we invited the member for Maitland to a topping out
ceremony.
Ms Jenny Aitchison: It was the first time.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Did you enjoy that? Did you enjoy the topping out ceremony?
Mr Paul Toole: I think she said thank you. That was a thankyou.
Ms Jenny Aitchison: Actually, I didn't get invited. I found out.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: You loved it, didn't you? You love coming to our ceremonies, don't you?
Mr Paul Toole: She is yelling from the rooftops. She loved it!
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: All those sod-turns, all those ribbon-cuttings.
Ms Yasmin Catley: Point of order: My point of order is on relevance under Standing Order 129.
Obviously the Treasurer is not being relevant. The people of Blacktown—Bankstown—deserve better.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Blacktown is another hospital the Government is building. The member
for Swansea is getting mixed up because the Government is building so many. They are everywhere. There are
hospitals in the bush. How good is the one in the Tweed?
Mr Geoff Provest: Oh, about $750 million good.
Mr Brad Hazzard: About that.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Approximately $750 million. Everywhere you go—Campbelltown,
Blacktown, Westmead, Ryde, Nepean, Grafton. I had better not be announcing the new ones!
Mr Ryan Park: Point of order—
The SPEAKER: Order! The Clerk will stop the clock.

Mr Ryan Park: It is Standing Order 129. Mr Speaker, you have repeatedly said that answers must be
generally relevant.
The SPEAKER: I have heard enough.
Mr Ryan Park: On this issue, the community has spoken clearly and loudly to the member for Bankstown.
They are entitled—
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer was being relevant when the member took his point of order. The member
will resume his seat.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Thank you, Mr Speaker, good decision. You would look better in a wig,
by the way. This new hospital is going to transform western Sydney. It is this Government that has promised it
and it will be this Government that delivers it. Those opposite never promised it. It is because of the strong
advocacy of the former member for East Hills before the election and by the current member, Wendy Lindsay,
who continues to advocate for her electorate. We will continue to invite the nice members opposite who want to
work with the Government to the ceremonies as we continue to build more hospitals right across our State.
STATE BUDGET AND LOCAL COURTS
Mr JUSTIN CLANCY (Albury) (14:56:30): My question is addressed to the Attorney General, and
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Will the Attorney General update the House on how the budget
2020-2021 provides support to our local courts?
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN (Cronulla—Attorney General, and Minister for the Prevention of
Domestic Violence) (14:56:55): I thank the member for Albury for his question and for his strong advocacy for
improved court and justice infrastructure in the Albury electorate. Back in the eighties, when the member for
Wakehurst was appearing in court—
[Members interjected.]
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: I am sorry, that was a bit ambiguous. To clarify, I meant the 1980s, not the
1880s. When the member for Liverpool, perhaps the member for Prospect and I were appearing in court,
audiovisual technology was a sparkle in the eyes of judicial officers—but not anymore. Hundreds of our courts
already have this technology, which allows evidence to be led from witnesses far away from the physical
courtroom or in a safe room sometimes just up the hall. The Treasurer's allocation of $100 million across two
years will enable us to upgrade and expand this technology across our justice system. Impassioned commentary
on the advent of technology is usually the preserve of the member for Ryde and Minister for Customer Service,
but I will take a crack at it, knowing full well that I will never surpass his suave attempts on social media. Many
of our mums follow Victor on social media and watch him cooking with his mum. Thanks to Victor, our mums
are complaining that we are not spending enough time with them or cooking enough with them. Thanks for that,
Victor.
This technology rolls out across our justice system to enable efficiency, but it is also about compassion. It
empowers vulnerable witnesses and complainants in sexual assault proceedings and next year domestic violence
proceedings to avoid facing their alleged attackers in the same room. The program is funding major security
upgrades, including improvements to perimeter and interior security with upgrades to scanning and X-ray
machines. I have seen these in action at the Downing Centre and they are impressive indeed, peering into bags
and even detecting non-metal bladed weapons. Not everyone who comes to the Downing Centre or any of our
courts in New South Wales is necessarily the sort of person that the member for Ryde or any of us would want to
bring home to meet our mothers, so we have to make sure that all court users are safe. These security upgrades
are helping us achieve that aim.
Recently I have been to the Central West and seen a number of important announcements about court
upgrades. I was in Bathurst to see the exceptional heritage courthouse and announce a major security upgrade
there, as well as a multimillion-dollar project to restore its magnificence. That project will repair the building's
sandstone, copper, metal, lead work and wood elements, replace the deteriorated sandstone cornice at the base of
the copper dome, maintain the copper-clad bell tower and restore the building's 27 chimneys. Yes, 27 chimneys—
I am told it gets cold in Bathurst. This is just one of the projects to be funded from the $100 million sustaining
critical infrastructure program. Whoever wins the tender for the work at Bathurst and at any of the other
courthouses in communities right around the State will have the very best of local and regional workforces at their
disposal. This is another way we are stimulating employment and at the same time preserving and improving
courthouses and other justice infrastructure around the State to serve everyone in New South Wales for decades
to come.
The pandemic has thrust upon us a challenge that we just could not have imagined a mere 12 months ago—
although that now seems like an eternity. Shattered economies need repair. That's what this budget is doing:
creating employment, stimulating growth and nurturing confidence in a State that will bounce back much better
than ever. We have one of the State's largest and most complex asset portfolios. Many of our court buildings are
over 100 years old. Many are heritage listed and require critical infrastructure upgrades to meet modern service
standards. This investment will deliver updated audiovisual link facilities, heritage conservation works, physical
security system upgrades, fire safety works and other asset repairs at high-priority courthouses. All of this is on
top of previous investments in our justice system, which particularly benefit the regions. I joined the member for
Dubbo to turn the sod on a multipurpose courtroom in which we are investing $3.6 million. At Orange I opened
a $2.2 million project to enhance security and accommodation for the first permanent District Court judge for the
Orange-Bathurst-Parkes circuit. [Extension of time]
This Liberal-Nationals Government, under the leadership of Glad the Gladiator, is fighting COVID and
creating jobs right across New South Wales. She is fighting COVID on the beaches; she is fighting COVID on
the landing grounds. She is fighting in the fields and in the streets; she is fighting in the hills. She will never, never
surrender.
Ms Jodi McKay: That's not what you say about her in Sutherland.
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: I acknowledge the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition. Our Gladys
is a hero right across the State, including in Cronulla, for all those reasons. But I am worried about the Leader of
the Opposition. When was the last time she came to Shark Park to barrack for the Sharkies? When was the last
time the Leader of the Opposition had a beer at Northies? I like the member for Strathfield, but what I am worried
about—rock historians and musos like the member for Tamworth will know what I am alluding to—is if the
Leader of the Opposition came to Cronulla, what would the crowd say if she were to say to them, "Am I ever
gonna see your face again?"
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
Mrs HELEN DALTON (Murray) (15:03:42): My question is directed to the Minister for Water,
Property and Housing. Given that the Minister's department approved a water licence for the Chinese Government
to buy 7,000 megalitres of water in the Gwydir valley, what checks does the Minister make to ensure our national
interest is protected while foreign governments buy and trade water?
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY (Oxley—Minister for Water, Property and Housing) (15:04:16): I thank the
member for Murray for her question. This type of negativity and criticism is a common theme on the member's
Facebook page. She should know by now, she has been a member of Parliament—
Mrs Helen Dalton: Point of order—
The SPEAKER: I am happy to hear the point of order but please make it relevant. What is the point of
order?
Mrs Helen Dalton: My point of order is under Standing Order 129. I am really pleased that the Minister
is looking at my Facebook site. Keep going, keep looking.
The SPEAKER: The Minister will continue.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: There are important things she needs to do as a member of Parliament
representing her community. Creating hatred and attitudes—
The SPEAKER: The Clerk will stop the clock. I will hear the point of order. The member should not take
a point of order just because she does do not like what is being said. What is the point of order?
Mrs Helen Dalton: My point of order is under Standing Order 129, relevance. Answer the question,
Minister.
The SPEAKER: The Minister is making introductory comments. The Minister will continue.
Mrs Helen Dalton: It is a really important question in Australia relating to the national interest.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: As I was saying, it is very important as a member of Parliament to show
leadership in your community, not to create fear, anxiety, hatred and division. That is something that the member
for Murray has made a hallmark of in her representation.
The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

Mrs Helen Dalton: My point of order is under Standing Order 129, relevance.
The SPEAKER: The Minister is being relevant. The Minister has the call.
Mr Ryan Park: Point of order: My point of order is under Standing Order 73, no imputations.
The SPEAKER: I will respond to points of order as they are raised.
Mr Ryan Park: Standing Order 73, it is very clear.
The SPEAKER: I ask the Minister to be careful with her comments in light of Standing Order 73. The
Minister has the call.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: As I was saying, it is very important to show leadership in the community,
especially such a diverse community as the electorate of Murray. Particularly around the communities of Griffith,
there is a strong population of people from diverse backgrounds—Indian, Italian, South African—who work in
and contribute to that community.
The SPEAKER: I will hear from the member for Murray again but it must be a valid point of order or
I will ask her to be seated.
Mrs Helen Dalton: My point of order is under Standing Order 129. Would the Minister like me to repeat
the question?
The SPEAKER: The member will resume her seat. The Minister has the call.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: As I was saying, these communities contribute enormously to wealth and
opportunity in Australia. As to the idea that we cannot have any investment from overseas, about 9 per cent of our
water in New South Wales has some relationship to overseas countries. The United States and the United Kingdom
make up the most of that and there is also Japan and China. As is appropriate, with major investment from overseas
there are very strong measures, guidelines and analysis in place through the Foreign Investment Review Board.
That is where any concerns around water need to be raised.
Mrs Helen Dalton: You approve the licences. It is your department. You approve the licenses.
The SPEAKER: The member for Murray will remain silent.
Mr Andrew Constance: Ask her to rule out selling her own licences to a foreigner. See if she will do
that.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: I am not going to ask the member for Murray about her family operation,
which is an absolute success and a credit to her family.
Mrs Helen Dalton: Point of order: Would the Minister like me to repeat the question?
The SPEAKER: What is the point of order?
Mrs Helen Dalton: It is not relevant to discuss my family. I'm not going to discuss your family, so don't
discuss my family.
The SPEAKER: The Minister has been relevant. I point out that the Minister will probably be less likely
to respond personally if the member ceases interrupting. It is perfectly fair, as the member is interjecting
constantly. The Minister has the call.
Mrs MELINDA PAVEY: The question is designed to create fear, loathing, anxiety and division in the
community. We have the appropriate checks and balances across this country through the Foreign Investment
Review Board. The fact is that around 10 per cent of our water is owned by foreign corporations. I can give this
guarantee: They cannot put the water in a suitcase and take it back overseas.
STATE BUDGET AND FARM SAFETY FUNDING
Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes) (15:09:51): My question is addressed to the Minister for
Better Regulation and Innovation.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister can make his way down to the Chamber. I understand that it is the
last question on a Thursday on hopefully the last day of the sitting year. Members will remain quiet.
Mr Stephen Bromhead: Will the Minister update the House on how the Government is delivering
increased farm safety in the 2020-21 budget?
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON (Tamworth—Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation) (15:10:57):
The last time I got boos like that, we needed money to be thrown. I will bring my suitcase next time; throw money
if you are going to boo. It is okay, I am used to it.
[Opposition members interjected.]
The SPEAKER: Order! The Clerk will stop the clock. A suspension of standing orders can be moved for
Mr Anthony Roberts to be asked a question. In the meantime, members will show the Minister respect and listen
to the answer in silence.
Ms Sophie Cotsis: Is this how we are going to end the year?
The SPEAKER: The Minister has the call.
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: That has been the year that is, up in the peanut gallery. I thank the member
for Myall Lakes for his question. He is a great advocate for his community. He recently received a lot of money
from the budget for Manning Base Hospital and Forster hospital, thanks to the Treasurer, who has done a great
job, and thanks to the Premier and the Deputy Premier, who have delivered a budget like no other. Don't jump.
Don't jump.
The budget has been about creating jobs in New South Wales in what has been a very difficult time on the
back of COVID, bushfires and drought. Regional New South Wales has done it tough. That is why it is important
to stimulate growth in regional New South Wales. That is why the budget has made sure that regional
New South Wales has been the key for economic growth and development. It is about creating jobs, and jobs in
regional New South Wales are important to keep food on the table and a roof over people's heads. We have to
keep our jobs safe, particularly in our farm sector. Farm safety is also very important and we need to increase
funding for that. There is $4.8 million going to farmers across regional New South Wales. Whether they are
picking berries at Coffs Harbour, apples at Batlow or oranges at Gunnedah, we want to make sure that they are
safe. Funding of $2.8 million is going to the Farm Safety Advisory Program to make sure that our farmers are
safe. A safe work officer will go in to ensure safety.
Ms Sophie Cotsis: Do you get a helmet?
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: Yes, you can get a helmet.
Mr John Barilaro: Drone?
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: You can get a drone. We will get to the drones, roll bars. Any more?
Mr Clayton Barr: Boots?
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: Boots, hats, guitars.
Ms Sophie Cotsis: Sunscreen? Zinc?
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: Sunscreen. They are all part of the Farm Safety Advisory Program. As
members know, quad bikes are pretty dangerous. We are offering rebates for quad bikes to make sure they are
safe. They are an important part of the farming enterprise but they are inherently dangerous. People think that
because they have four big fat wheels they can take these suckers anywhere, but they can't.
Mr John Barilaro: We do.
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: You do, that is right. We are suggesting that people make sure their quad
bikes are safe and not to take them into dangerous territory. It is much safer to send up a drone to take photos in
order to look at all the different areas of the farm. Our farmers are doing it tough, so we want to make sure that
they keep it safe.
Mr John Barilaro: The drought's broken.
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: The drought has broken and they are farming. There are good seasons. Rural
communities thank the Treasurer and the Deputy Premier for the budget. As this is the last question of the year,
what a hell of the year it has been. I wish everyone the very best. We are all still here having a laugh on the last
day. Don't forget to come to Tamworth. As the safe work Minister, I hope Christmas is safer than the Leader of
the Opposition's job. Thank you very much and good night.
Bills
ICAC AND OTHER INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT
(INDEPENDENT FUNDING) BILL 2020
First Reading
Bill received from the Legislative Council, introduced and read a first time.
The SPEAKER: I advise the House that I have received a written authority from the Hon. Robert Borsak,
MLC, advising that the member for Murray will have carriage of the bill in the Legislative Assembly. I order that
the second reading of the bill stand as an order of the day for a future day.
Committees
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SERVICES
Reports
Ms WENDY LINDSAY: I table the report of the Committee on Community Services dated November
2020 entitled Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places. I move:
That the report be printed.
Motion agreed to.

Business of the House
SUSPENSION OF STANDING AND SESSIONAL ORDERS: ORDER OF BUSINESS
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: I move:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended on Thursday 19 November 2020 to permit:
(1) The House to continue to sit after the conclusion of community recognition statements to consider any messages from the
Legislative Council regarding Government business, including the option for the Speaker to leave and resume the chair on
the ringing of one long bell.
(2) The House to adjourn without motion moved.
Motion agreed to.

Documents
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND DEPARTMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY SERVICES ANNUAL
REPORTS
Reports
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: By leave: I move:
That, if the House is not sitting, the reports of the Department of the Legislative Assembly and the Department of Parliamentary
Services for the year ended 30 June 2020 be received by the Speaker and printed with the authority of the House.
Motion agreed to.

Committees
STANDING COMMITTEE ON PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE AND ETHICS
Reference
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: By leave: I move:
That:
(1) The Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics conduct an inquiry into the adequacy of current procedures
to protect parliamentary privilege in circumstances where law enforcement and investigative bodies seek to use coercive,
intrusive and covert investigatory powers.
(2) The committee's initial focus should be the operation of the agreement currently in place with the Independent Commission
Against Corruption [ICAC], including:
(a) The 2009 Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] on search warrants between the Commissioner of the ICAC, the
President of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the revisions proposed but
not adopted in 2014; and
(b) The protocol currently observed in relation to notices to produce information under s.22 of the Independent
Commission Against Corruption Act 1988.
(3) The committee evaluate the need for a memorandum of understanding to be entered into with the NSW Electoral
Commission in relation to the investigation of possible offences and breaches of electoral, funding and disclosure, and
lobbying laws.
(4) The committee should examine any other relevant matter, in light of recent developments in other jurisdictions and also the
reports of the Legislative Council's Privileges Committee, entitled Execution of search warrants by the Australian Federal
Police, dated 13 October 2020, and Report No. 2, dated 18 November 2020.
(5) A message be sent informing the Legislative Council of the terms of reference for the referred inquiry.
Motion agreed to.

Petitions
PETITIONS RECEIVED
The CLERK: I announce that the following paper petitions signed by more than 500 persons have been
lodged for presentation:
Gulgong Multi Purpose Service
Petition noting that Gulgong Multi Purpose Service has been without a doctor for more than four months
and calling on the Government to appoint a doctor to the Gulgong Multi Purpose Service as a matter of urgency,
received from Mr Dugald Saunders.
Social Housing
Petition urging the Government to build 5,000 new social housing dwellings every year for the next
10 years to reduce homelessness and housing stress in New South Wales, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
Chester Hill Development Proposal
Petition noting a planning proposal for the construction of a 633-unit high-density development at
1 Leicester Street, Chester Hill, and calling on the Government to uphold existing planning controls to ensure this
planning proposal is rejected, received from Ms Tania Mihailuk.
Motions
CHRISTMAS FELICITATIONS
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Premier) (15:21:47): I move:
That this House take note of Christmas felicitations.
There can be no doubt about what a difficult year it has been. There is not a single person in New South Wales
who has not been impacted. Whether it was the bushfires, floods, natural disasters, drought or COVID, our citizens
have been through a difficult period. This is reflected in the way in which we in this place conduct our business
and our jobs. I take this opportunity to acknowledge every member of this place, irrespective of the political party
they belong to or which part of the State they are from. I commend every member for doing their best to represent
the hopes and aspirations and also the challenges and opportunities this year has brought our communities.
First and foremost, I thank our emergency and frontline workers, who have supported the State during
these difficult times. I thank the RFS, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry
Corporation, the police, the ambos and the SES. During the horrific bushfires and the subsequent natural disasters,
every single man and woman in those organisations made a difference. We turn to them all the time but especially
during this time of year we think about the sacrifices they made last year. We think about those families and
friends who are still grieving loved ones who lost their lives during those horrific bushfires. We think of the
volunteers and, of course, the overseas fighters who lost their lives in those horrific bushfires.
I take this opportunity to thank all of our frontline workers who have supported the community through
COVID. In health, I thank all of our nurses, doctors, midwives and frontline workers, our phenomenal public
health unit in the health department who have served this State and our nation well in their contact tracing capacity,
and the expert advice I have received on a daily basis—often two or three times a day—so that the Government
can make the appropriate decisions when dealing with COVID. To the police, Service NSW staff, Department of
Customer Service staff and all frontline workers, our State is indebted to you. I take the opportunity of Christmas
felicitations to thank each and every one of them.
Similarly, our Parliament has had to adjust the way in which we do things. In particular, I commend you,
Mr Speaker, for making sure that the Legislative Assembly is a COVID-safe environment. You command the
respect of all members of this place with the way in which you approach your responsibilities, support members
in their professional development and bring a good sense of ethics to this place. I commend you for your efforts
and I commend your staff for doing an unbelievable job in supporting you. I acknowledge the Deputy Speaker,
and member for Port Macquarie; the Assistant Speaker, and member for Oatley; the Leader of the House, and
Attorney General, who works night and day to make sure that the House functions properly; and the manager of
Opposition business, and member for Keira.
I also acknowledge the leaders and deputy leaders in the other place. Often the people who are the glue
that holds the Parliament together and support members are the Whips. I am so pleased that he is in the House
now, because I particularly acknowledge work of the member for Terrigal, Mr Adam Crouch, who is a wonderful
support to me personally and to all colleagues insofar as he ensures that the Parliament runs smoothly.
I acknowledge his staff members for the work they do. I acknowledge the Deputy Government Whip and member
for Heathcote, Mr Lee Evans, who supports the Government Whip; the Nationals Whip and member for
Cootamundra, Ms Steph Cooke, who does a great job; the Opposition Whip, and member for Shellharbour; and
the Deputy Opposition Whip, and member for The Entrance.
There are many individuals working hard behind the scenes to keep our Parliament functioning smoothly.
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Ms Helen Minnican, has the greatest patience of anybody I know. I am
deeply grateful for her advice and the way in which she supports all our colleagues. I acknowledge the
Deputy Clerk, Mr Leslie Gönye, and our Clerk-Assistant, Ms Carly Maxwell. I acknowledge the entire Hansard
team. We do not make their jobs easy, but we deeply appreciate the way in which they turn our words into prose.
It always reads better than it sounds. We deeply appreciate their efforts, and we know that will continue next year
and beyond. I thank the Table Office, the committee secretariats and the parliamentary attendants, who support
us in every which way and with great humility and respect for this place. We deeply appreciate their efforts.
I acknowledge the parliamentary librarians; the workers from the Department of Parliamentary Services;
our IT and support staff; our security and special constables; the NSW Police Force; and our facilities and catering
staff, who take great care of us during those long hours. Most importantly this year, I acknowledge our cleaners
and maintenance workers. Who would have thought that during COVID some of the most important people in our
State would be our cleaning staff? I am incredibly proud of every single one of the cleaners in this place and those
in the community who have kept our community safe. The members of the press gallery—the eyes and ears of all
that goes on here—have had to adjust the way they do things. I appreciate each and every one of them and the
role they have played in supporting the Government and getting information to our communities during these
difficult times, especially during lockdown, when communities were relying on the media to provide them with
accurate information and knowledge about what to do.
Away from Parliament, each and every one of us draws on the support of our offices and I thank them all.
I thank all our staff members, whether ministerial or electorate. Often when we are doing parliamentary business
or undertaking other responsibilities our electorate staff are the conduit between us and our communities. Many
electorate staff of long standing have been with their member for many years. I acknowledge each and every one
of them and thank them for the contributions they make. I thank the departmental staff who support us. I would
especially like to put on record my gratitude to the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Mr Tim
Reardon, and the secretaries of the other departments. During COVID the Secretaries Board has been instrumental
in ensuring that the public service, the Government and our frontline workers are working together to provide the
best response and to continue that best response—the pandemic is far from over.
I am incredibly proud of the way in which the public service, the Government, our frontline workers, the
community and businesses have worked together to provide our citizens with the best hope of getting through this
very difficult time. I thank all my parliamentary colleagues—every member of this place. In particular,
I acknowledge the Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade, and Leader of
The Nationals, the Hon. John Barilaro. John has continued to make an enormous contribution to this place and to
regional New South Wales. We are so glad he is back and firing up, as ever. He has been a great advocate during
COVID-19 and has certainly been a critical part of the Government's response. I thank our deputy leaders, in
particular the Treasurer and the member for Bathurst. I commend the Treasurer for delivering what has been the
most difficult but I believe most important budget in our State's history.
While this year has been very difficult, we finish the year with much to be grateful for. This Christmas in
New South Wales we will hopefully enjoy some freedoms and safety that people in other parts of the world do
not have because of the difficult situations they are going through. It is a time when we think of family and of
people having the opportunity to reunite with loved ones. We hope that everybody has a safe and prosperous time
this year. I acknowledge the Leader of the Opposition and her team, and the members of the crossbench. Whilst
we may not agree on a whole range of things, one thing we do agree on is that we are here, first and foremost, to
serve our communities and provide equality of opportunity to all our citizens. I hope 2021 brings the hopes and
aspirations of our citizens to light and is a less challenging, easier year for all. Again, I thank and commend all
those whom I have mentioned. I wish everybody a relaxing and COVID-safe break until we meet again in
February.
The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I want to apologise. I am seeing an
ambassador at 3.30 p.m. I would normally stay in the chair but I will have to leave while the Leader of the
Opposition is speaking.
Ms JODI McKAY (Strathfield) (15:30:29): For many people across our State, Christmas this year cannot
come soon enough. Families will be able to enjoy time together after many months of staying apart. Many people
will be looking forward to taking a welcome break from the hard times and uncertainty we have gone through
over the past 12 months. But this Christmas will also be a hard time for many people across our communities who
are out of work or looking for work, and who are worried about putting food on the table, keeping a roof over
their heads and being able to look after their families. It will be a hard time for those who have tragically lost
family and friends in the COVID-19 pandemic and who will be spending Christmas without their loved ones.
It will be a hard time for many families across our State, who will be facing the bitter memories of last
summer's bushfires. People lost loved ones, homes, livestock, livelihoods and family heirlooms. What was meant
to be a time for family, friends, rest and relaxation became a time of people huddling on beaches, clustered in
evacuation centres and desperately trying to fight back the flames on fire fronts all the way from Eden to Evans
Head. It will be a hard time for those communities battered by last summer's flooding, which are still recovering
almost a year down the track. On behalf of my parliamentary colleagues, from the bottom of my heart I thank the
thousands of health workers, cleaners, paramedics, nurses, doctors, police officers, transport workers and all other
workers who did so much to protect the health of our community and keep our society running during the deadliest
global pandemic since the Spanish flu of 1919.
I thank the Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, the SES, paramedics, the NSW Police Force and
Australian Defence Force personnel, who gave their all to protect lives and property during last summer's terrible
bushfire season. I pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice; my thoughts are with their families and
friends, who will miss them terribly this Christmas. I thank the people of New South Wales as a whole for looking
after one another during what has been a terrible year. We saw people from our cities supporting their fellow
citizens in rural and regional New South Wales after the fires, and we saw the whole of the community work to
comply with the public health orders and beat back the pandemic. I thank them for their care for their fellow
citizens and for their patience during such difficult times.
This year has also been difficult for our Parliament. With that in mind, Mr Speaker, I thank you, along with
Madam Deputy Speaker and the Assistant Speaker, for your hard work and cooperation regarding COVID-safe
proceedings in the House. I acknowledge the Temporary Speakers, Sonia Hornery, Greg Piper, Gurmesh Singh,
Felicity Wilson and Lee Evans. Mr Speaker, I thank you for showing me a little leniency at times. It has been a
difficult year and you do a fine job in your role. I sincerely thank you on behalf of the Opposition. I especially
acknowledge the people who worked to keep this Parliament running in extraordinary circumstances over the
course of 2020. I congratulate Ms Helen Minnican, our wonderful Clerk, on her 30 years of service; David Blunt,
the Clerk of the other place, on his 30 years of service; Julie Langsworth, the Deputy CEO of the Department of
Parliamentary Services, on her 25 years of service; and Simon Johnson, the Legislative Assembly
Serjeant-at-Arms, on his 15 years of service.
I thank the CEO, Mark Webb, for another year of service across the many operations of this building.
I thank our wonderful Chamber support staff for all their work in keeping this Chamber running smoothly: Diane
Chapman, Ian Delahunty, Danny Heldal, Hayley Jarrett, April Lowndes, Monica Parsotam and Peter Tuziak. This
year Chamber tours have been few and far between. Like all of us, I hope we see the return of school groups, who
usually visit this place. I extend my thanks to those working behind the scenes in the Legislative Assembly. I thank
Carly Maxwell, John Young, Elspeth Dyer, John Hatfield, Rickee Murray, Chris Papadopoulos, Rohan Tyler,
Thomas Isaksen and Natasha Zammit from the Table Office. The Opposition likes to throw the occasional spanner
in the works. Their assistance in ensuring the smooth running of the Parliament is greatly appreciated. I thank the
facilities team, without whom this building would literally not be able to function. I thank Pete Smith, Roger Yu,
Lourdes Gutierrez, Miguel Romero, David Auert, Ralph Ewen, Song Charoenkitti and Patrick Dias for their work.
This year has seen changes to the Parliament's cleaning practices and security arrangements beyond anything we
have ever experienced.
I make special mention of Ashok Kumar for his 15 years of service to the Parliament, and of Selma Wong
and Irma Carrion for their 25 years of service. Last week I was delighted to join my deputy leader, Yasmin Catley,
to present Irma with flowers to celebrate that wonderful milestone. I also extend deep thanks to our Information
Technology Services team. In a year where everyone in this place had to adapt to working from home and holding
meetings by Zoom and Webex, Helen Johnston and her team of Marcelo de Oliveira, Stephen Smith and Luke
Marshall have helped us all adjust to those new ways of working. I thank Helen for putting up with my many
calls. I also thank Annette O'Callaghan and her team at the NSW Parliamentary Counsel. In Opposition we have
achieved much this year in amending legislation. That would not be possible without the support, the advice and
the quick work of Annette and her team, for which we are deeply grateful. We know that it is not always easy to
give Opposition members precedence but Annette and her team never made us feel unimportant to the work that
happens in this place.
I extend my deep thanks to our catering team: Kylie Cook, Lubo Varga, Chandelle Adams, Anong
Vichapol, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Charlotte Page, Gary Chan, Vanessa Harcourt, Emily Garland and Sunny Modi
and their management team of Carlos Andrade and Lee Kwiez. With parliamentary sittings suspended, limited
functions being booked and large numbers of members and staff working offsite for large parts of the year, the
catering team has had to adapt more than most. In particular, I thank them for their incredible work with OzHarvest
throughout the pandemic. I acknowledge specifically Carmen Vella for her 35 years of service in the parliamentary
library; Gary Chan for his 25 years of service in the public cafe and bar; and Danny Heldal for his 20 years of
service in the Chamber. I acknowledge every other member of the library, information services, Hansard, Chamber
support and catering teams for the work they do every day, including our wonderful Special Constables, who still
deserve a pay rise.
I thank my wonderful deputy leader, Yasmin Catley; the manager of Opposition business and member for
Keira, Ryan Park; and all my Labor colleagues. This has been a year like no other but we have fought the good
fight alongside our trade union movement and those in the Labor Party's rank and file. I also acknowledge the
Government Whips—the member for Terrigal and the member for Cootamundra—and, of course, the Leader of
the House and member for Cronulla. I thank the Labor leadership team in the Legislative Council, including the
Hon. Adam Searle, the Hon. Penny Sharpe, the Hon. Walt Secord, the Hon. Mark Buttigieg and the Hon. Anthony
D'Adam for their work in holding the Government to account, along with every other Labor member of the
New South Wales Legislative Council. I thank the member for Shellharbour and Opposition Whip Anna Watson
for her work over the course of the year, along with the member for The Entrance and Deputy Whip David Mehan.
I also thank Colleen Symington in the Opposition Whip's office who is the backbone of our operation in the
Legislative Assembly.
I pay tribute to all the staff in my office who have worked through this extraordinary year: my chief of staff
Stephen Fitzpatrick, deputy chief of staff Matthew McLean, Pia Brunner, Nicole Chettle, Josh Wright, Edward
Ovadia, Morgan Campbell, Leon Fry-Kontaxis, Rebecca Davis, Ash Witoslawski, Roland Kay-Smith,
Mitch Wright, Sravya Abbineni—she will be watching this—Michael Ng, Jenny Williams and Lucy Margeit.
I also thank my driver, Domenic Mirarchi, for his tireless efforts to get me where I need to be, even though most
of the time I am running late. I thank my wonderful electorate office staff. Oh my goodness! I could not survive
without them. I love them and I am deeply appreciative of everything they do and of the care that they give to so
many people in my electorate. I thank Jacqui Thorburn, Maryanne Duggan, Riki Chiba, Joanne Mai, Alison Chen
and Jonah Bechara for everything that they do for me and for the people of Strathfield.
I also acknowledge the press gallery. I was quite relieved that we did not have the press gallery drinks the
night before I gave my budget-in-reply speech. I thank them for being a great press gallery and also for giving us
a hard time when we need it. Of course, I wish the Premier and the Deputy Premier and their families a happy
Christmas. I thank them for their work over the course of the pandemic. I thank my wonderful husband who
supports, encourages and feeds me. No-one in this place needs feeding more than I do because I do not and cannot
cook. I hope every member of this place gets to spend plenty of time with their loved ones over the summer break
and has a restful holiday season. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2021. I thank the House.
Mr JOHN BARILARO (Monaro—Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade,
and Deputy Premier) (15:40:24): Given the year we have all had, it is a great feeling to be at the end of another
year in Parliament, speaking on Christmas felicitations. I echo what has been said by the Premier and the Leader
of the Opposition. I acknowledge that it has been a very big year for the State of New South Wales, particularly
for regional New South Wales. Through the battle with drought and the terrible bushfires over last Christmas and
the new year and now through the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been unexpected and difficult. But
New South Wales is a strong State and its people have dealt with each challenge with resilience and compassion,
supporting each other and our communities through it all. I am truly proud to represent the people of this great
State and to have the opportunity to call regional New South Wales home.
It is true that this year has been called "unprecedented" many times. The events of this year may well be
studied in our history books in years to come. In February, as we emerged from the bushfire season and started
work towards recovery, suddenly we encountered a global and unprecedented pandemic. The work of this State
and, indeed, of the entire country has been remarkable. I commend the leadership team of this Government and
all governments for their work during the pandemic. In particular, I commend the Premier and Minister Hazzard,
who have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and health of the citizens of New South Wales. I commend the
Treasurer, who delivered a nation-leading budget this week to help us recover from the economic effects that the
year has thrown at us. With their help, we have delivered a budget that delivers for the whole State. Its focus on
regional and rural New South Wales will erase the dark days of early 2020—the fires, the drought and, of course,
the pandemic—to set up the regions for future prosperity.
Most importantly, I recognise the hard work and resilience of the residents of regional New South Wales,
who have dealt with lockdowns, border closures, labour shortages during harvest season and international trade
disagreements. Throughout all of that, they have kept going. In particular, it is important to recognise their role in
providing our State with the essential products and services that have got us through the pandemic. They have
kept the power on and food on the table. They have even kept us in good supply of toilet paper when we needed
it most.
I pay tribute to the staff of the Parliament, without whom this place would simply not function. In particular,
I thank the Legislative Assembly Clerk, Helen Minnican, her deputy and the staff of the committees and Table
offices. I thank the Hansard staff who are often here with us working late to make us look and sound better than
we are. I also recognise the work of all Department of Parliamentary Services staff. Many people work to keep
this place running and they do so exceptionally: the maintenance and cleaning teams, the caterers,
the Parliamentary Library, the attendants and the Special Constables. I thank them for the work they do to keep
us and this place safe.
I thank the hardworking Liberals and Nationals members of this Government, led by our great Premier.
I know we have had our tough moments this year. Like every family does, we lay out our grievances, but I am
grateful each and every day to have the opportunity to build on those relationships and to work with such
passionate advocates for the people of New South Wales. I look forward to everything we can achieve over the
next two years together. I also thank my Nationals leadership team for their loyal friendship and counsel. In
particular, I thank my deputy leader, Paul Toole, who stepped up in my absence. I acknowledge my colleagues in
the other place, particularly the Hon. Sarah Mitchell and the Hon. Bronnie Taylor, without whom we could not
achieve what we have achieved for the regions. I thank my National Party colleagues and their families, who make
great sacrifices for us to sit here in the Chamber, as we spend long periods away from home in order to travel to
this place to serve our communities as members of Parliament.
I thank the Speaker and member for Davidson, the Deputy Speaker and member for Port Macquarie, the
Leader of the House and member for Cronulla, and the Government Whips, Adam Crouch and Steph Cooke, for
all they do to keep this place running smoothly. I thank all members in this place on the crossbench and in
Opposition, especially the Leader of the Opposition, and wish them the best over the Christmas season. I sincerely
thank the staff at the NSW Nationals head office, led by Joe Lundy, for the support they show our parliamentarians
and The Nationals membership.
I also thank my ministerial staff, ably led day in, day out by my great chief of staff, Siobhan Hamblin, and
my deputy chief of staff, Jeff McCormack. I have so many wonderful staff and I wish I could name them all.
I give a special shout-out to Olivia Graham, who delivers the funding to the regions and works with our members
through the Expenditure Review Committee. She fights the Treasurer's office to make sure that regional and rural
New South Wales gets its fair share. In my mind, Liv Graham is the staff member in my office that we cannot do
without. They do an outstanding job and put in a huge effort. They make coming to work every day a highlight.
I am grateful for their counsel but, most importantly, their friendship.
Finally, I thank the residents of Monaro who continue to put their faith in me, and my hardworking
electorate staff, exceptionally led by Sarah Bannerman. I look forward to going home to spend time with my
family over the Christmas break but I am coming back to hit the ground running in the new year. I am in the best
possible position in this place. I know I am biased when I say that I get to travel to the most beautiful regions of
New South Wales and meet with the best people. For me, regional New South Wales cannot be beat. It is the best
place to live, work and thrive.
I also acknowledge my family—my girls—who do without and who end up with a broken version of me
at the end of each week as I spend time away here in Parliament and across the State. I have had my issues this
year, which were widely published, but I am stronger for it. Without their support I would not be here today.
Without the support of many in this House, who have reached out to me, I would not be here today. It is easy at
times to take for granted our physical and mental health. This Christmas my wish and prayer for everybody is
good health across the board. I wish everyone in this place and across the State a merry Christmas and a happy
new year. May 2021 be a year in which we achieve even greater things for the people of New South Wales and
we continue to do it together.
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (15:47:06): Every year has its challenges but this year has presented
a range of unique obstacles, thanks to the global pandemic we are still grappling with. It has put things in
perspective for many of us and a reminder of what is truly important: our health, our families and our communities.
I hope we all finish the year in Parliament with a sense of perspective about who we are here to serve and why.
I also hope we commence next year with renewed motivation to produce the best outcomes for the people we
represent around this wonderful State. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the work of the Parliament, just as
it has impacted all workplaces. It has changed the way that we do our jobs in this place and how we engage with
members of our community in our electorates. Many parliamentary staff have been on reduced hours as a result
of the lockdown and restrictions, and I acknowledge that this has been a difficult time for them.
We have been conscious of the challenges for parliamentary staff and many of us have fought internally
for people to be redeployed and kept working, wherever possible. In the midst of those challenges, parliamentary
staff pivoted to do some good for people in need. The member for Keira and I wrote to the Speaker to suggest that
the parliamentary catering team be kept working—as they were by the Andrews Government in the Victorian
Parliament—by cooking meals for the homeless. I am pleased to inform the House that they have now cooked
more than 92,000 meals under that arrangement and improved the lives of hundreds of vulnerable people across
the city. That has kept the catering team working hard during a time when hospitality workers were some of the
hardest hit workers in our economy. I thank them so much for their efforts. At the end of this turbulent year,
I honour all those who work in and around the Parliament. I thank Government and Opposition members and
Ministers, the leaders of the various parties, the Speaker, the Temporary Speakers, the Deputy Speaker, the Leader
of the House and the Government and Opposition Whips.
I also thank all of my colleagues. There are many people who work tirelessly to keep this ship afloat day
after day. Firstly, I thank Colleen Symington from the Opposition Whip's office for her support in bringing order
to the madness and making sure we are all in the House on time. I also note the work of Mitchell Wright for his
contribution on sitting days to the running of Opposition business in the Chamber. I recognise the expertise and
devotion of Trish Marinozzi from the Opposition Whip's office in the Legislative Council. The New South Wales
Labor Party depends on Trish and she is someone without whom the significant and important work of the
Opposition in the upper House would not be a success. I acknowledge the hard work of the Clerk's team, including
Helen Minnican, Leslie Gönye, Jonathan Elliott, Carly Maxwell and Simon Johnston. I especially acknowledge
the significant milestones of Helen Minnican and Simon Johnston, who have served the Parliament for 30 years
and 15 years respectively. To that end, I also acknowledge the Clerk of the Legislative Council, David Blunt, on
serving 30 years in the Parliament.
I thank the Legislative Assembly reception staff and attendants, including April Lowndes, Danny Heldal—
who has served 20 years with the Parliament this year—as well as Monica, Hayley and Ian. Chris Papadopoulos
and Peter Tuziak from the Legislative Assembly team have also been doing work upstairs with the procedures
team at the Legislative Assembly Table office, and I acknowledge the significant and tireless contributions made
by Natasha, Tom, John and Chris and their director of procedure, John Young. I thank the library staff for the
incredibly important work they do. They have had a tumultuous year with the library being rebuilt and they have
done a terrific job. Probably more than most in this place, I know the importance of their work and I value it.
I remind my colleagues on both sides of the Chamber of the contribution that they make not only to this building
but also to the development and refinement of the policies and legislation that we produce in this place.
I particularly acknowledge Carmen Vella in the library team, who has given 35 years of service to the Parliament.
I congratulate her on that milestone.
I also thank Lisa Gelzinnis and the rest of the Hansard team, who work so hard. Without them, democracy
does not reign. Without the timely and accurate work of Hansard, Parliament would not be nearly as democratic
and transparent a place. The services of Hansard must be bolstered and improved, not watered down, and I will
continue to fight for that. Hansard workers do long, irregular and unpredictable hours and they are a skilled,
specialist workforce without whom the Parliament could not function. I also thank the information technology
team for running the operations and systems that enable us to work efficiently. Helen Johnston in particular has
an enthusiastic and can-do attitude. She is always helpful and available. I thank her whole team, who are always
pleasant and patient, even when my requests are challenging. I thank the building services and maintenance team,
including the carpenter Peter Smith, as well as Roger, Ashok and Justin. I acknowledge that Ashok Kumar has
served 15 years with the Parliament and I thank him for his contribution in building and upgrading the
telecommunications systems—not once, but twice—within the Parliament over that time.
I thank Carlos and Lee and their staff in the catering team. I especially thank Kylie Cook, Andrew
Fitzpatrick, Chandelle Adams and Lubo Varga for the work they do and the friendly, welcoming and patient way
they do it. I see them every morning when I walk in and without my coffee this place would be very different.
I also pause to acknowledge the 25 years of service from Gary Chan in the cafe and bar. He is always smiling.
I thank him and congratulate him. I particularly thank the cleaners for their hard work every day in this place.
I am very fortunate to spend time each morning with the wonderful Irma Carrion, who works on level 10 in
the cleaning team. I know from my parliamentary colleagues that the cleaning staff are valued and appreciated
right across this building. A number of the cleaning staff have served here for many, many years. Irma has
provided 25 years of dedicated service, and so too have Selma and Gloria. These hardworking, dedicated members
of the Parliament House team are valued and respected for the contributions they make and I thank and
congratulate them all.
I also thank the work of the Special Constables, like Glenn Scott and Jodie Mitchell, who protect this
building at all hours of every day. There are too many of them to name individually, but we thank them very much
for keeping us safe. I also pass on my sincere thanks and wish a merry Christmas to the members of the Press
Gallery. The Fourth Estate is an essential institution. I am glad they are here to report on the events of Parliament
to keep the public informed and, most importantly, to hold power to account.
I am grateful to all of my Labor colleagues for their support and friendship through the year. I thank them
for their support and encouragement during my first year as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party. I wish all of my
colleagues a very merry Christmas. In particular, I thank Jodi McKay for her leadership and dedication. I hope
that Jodi is able to find time to relax and unwind, and to spend some quality time with her family. In particular,
I thank and wish a merry Christmas to all of the people in Swansea who have given me the honour of serving
them in this place.
I offer my sincerest thanks, and best wishes and wish a merry Christmas to my staff: my political adviser,
Tom Harris-Brassil, here in Parliament, as well as my electorate office team of Victoria Jack, Cheryl Murphy,
Matthew McMullen, Joseph Steel and Jenny Dalziel. I am so grateful for all they do to keep the electorate office
running smoothly and the support that they provide to our local community. To that end, I acknowledge the
significant contribution made by all electorate officers in every member's office, because without our staff we
cannot do our job. Our electorate offices are often the first port of call for vulnerable people in distress who need
assistance, and they are an essential public service.
Finally, I acknowledge all those in this place and all around the State who will be working over the
Christmas period, especially those in the public sector who keep our society moving and our communities safe
during the 12 months of rolling disasters and crises. This has been an incredibly difficult and testing period for all
of us. I hope people will find time in their busy work schedules to spend time with their families and loved ones
during the festive season. Madam Deputy Speaker, Labor colleagues, crossbench members, Government members
and parliamentary staff, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Debate interrupted.
Petitions
SYDNEY BUS SERVICES
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It being close to 4.00 p.m. Christmas felicitations are interrupted for
consideration of the petition signed by 10,000 or more persons listed on the business paper, with the first debate
to be on the petition regarding bus service cuts, lodged by the member for Maroubra. Before we commence the
first debate, and for the benefit of the public who are listening online, I take this opportunity to explain the process
and rationale behind this unique debate. It is unique because it enables the public to bring their concerns directly
to the attention of the House. The intent of this procedure is that the petition debate will start with a speech from
the member which, in most cases, will be the member who lodged the petition, followed by four other members
and then by a Minister in response and, to conclude the debate, the first speaker will speak in reply.
After all members have spoken, the House will vote on the question that the House take note of the petition.
This question will, in most cases, be determined on the voices and be passed. However, if this is challenged by a
member, it may proceed to a division, where the bells are rung and members vote on the motion to take note of
the petition by sitting on the appropriate side of the House.
The question is that the House take note of the petition.
Mr MICHAEL DALEY (Maroubra) (15:58:21): The petition that we are discussing this afternoon
states:
This petition of concerned residents and commuters brings to the attention of the House our strong community opposition to the NSW
Government's plans to cut 16 bus routes from our area – the equivalent of removing 1600 buses from the network each weekday.
Mr Tim Crakanthorp: Shame!

Mr MICHAEL DALEY: It is a shame. It then goes into all of the routes that will be completely cancelled,
but I will speak about those shortly. First, I thank the residents of the electorate of Maroubra, my fellow residents,
for signing this petition. It is no easy feat to circulate a petition and in quick time garner 10,000 signatures, which
enables it to be brought to the floor of this House. But when we consider that last week my colleague the member
for Coogee also brought a similar petition with well over 10,000 signatures to this House, and the member for
Heffron, who will also speak on this petition today, has been doing the same sort of activity, it speaks of a great
unrest in the Eastern Suburbs, in our communities, in our homes, about what the Government is doing to transport
services in our area.
Consider that in the year 2020 we will soon have worse transport outcomes than we did five, 10, 15 or
20 years ago—I know; I still catch the buses into Parliament House from time to time. The people in my area love
the buses. Much has been said about the difficulties that COVID has brought upon communities, but it has also
brought some opportunities. One of the opportunities that COVID has brought to our community has been a
real-life and live instant comparison between the light rail and the buses, which we all love. Currently, we have
the buses running concurrently with the light rail, despite the fact that the Government said it cannot be done, it
will not be done and it should not be done. It is being done and we want to keep it being done.
At the moment, even at the height of COVID when people are being told to socially distance, the buses are
full. People are voting with their feet; they are on the buses with their masks on. They would rather take the risk
sitting on a bus with other commuters than have to hop on the light rail. It does not matter what time of day you
stand along any part of Alison Road or Anzac Parade and have a look at the light rail, it is the longest tram in the
world and it is also the least-used tram in the world. There is no-one on it; there is one person per tram. The
commuters of our area have already made their choice and they are saying loud and clear: Do not make us catch
the light rail. The light rail was over time, it was over budget and it destroyed many businesses along the route
right through to Surry Hills: They have not recovered and they will not recover.
In addition, if you catch the bus into the city now you can hop on at La Perouse. From the furthest reach
of our realm you can still get to the city in 30 or 40 minutes on a bus at any time of day. Hop on a light rail at one
o'clock in the morning and it will still take you 55 minutes to get to Circular Quay. It is a dog. As I have said in
this House, that is not my phrase for it; that is the Minister for Transport's description of it. When he took over
the portfolio from the hapless former transport Minister, who now happens to have been promoted to the position
of Premier, he called it a dog and asked his department to see if he could cancel the contract. The answer came
back "No", and that is the crux of what the people of Maroubra, Coogee and Heffron are suffering.
This is not a better transport outcome. This was a bad decision made by Barry O'Farrell from Opposition
in an unsuccessful attempt to defend former member for Coogee Bruce Notley-Smith from Marjorie O'Neill—as
if that juggernaut was ever going to be stopped—and now we are stuck with a 15-year contract that provides a
worse service. So here we are in 2020 and when Elon Musk is signing contracts with the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration to send people to Mars, within our area we get worse transport outcomes than we did
when I was a little boy in shorts at Maroubra Beach. How the hell, $3 billion later, can you get a worse transport
outcome?
What made me laugh is that the budget came out this week. I picked it up and for Maroubra the budget is
paper thin. This is what we are getting for transport: $251,000 to complete a design for bus priority infrastructure
on Anzac Parade, Maroubra Junction. What is that? A lick of paint on the road? They are getting rid of the buses
and they are giving us $251,000 for buses that go nowhere. [Time expired.]
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (16:03:36): I thank the member for Maroubra for allowing me
to make a contribution today—nay, I say a tribute to buses today. I brought a model of one of my favourite buses
here today, one of the great innovations of this Liberal-Nationals Government, the B-Line, because my
community, like the member for Maroubra's community, loves its buses—even more so than the member for
Maroubra's community because the last census statistics show that about 40 per cent of my community use public
transport compared with about 20 per cent of his community. I would say that has significantly increased with
the additional investments of this Government in his electorate. The member for Maroubra can say thank you—
we would appreciate that. Before I speak more about how great this Government has been for public transport,
and how much we love it, I want to speak about buses as my tribute to my almost two-year-old daughter, Eleonor,
who is obsessed with them. Even when she is undertaking active transport as we walk along Military Road, she
is shouting out, "Bus!" left, right and centre. "Yellow bus!" "Blue bus!" "Red bus!" She loves her buses. We love
our buses in the electorate of North Shore. I thank the member for Maroubra for allowing me to make this tribute
today on behalf of my daughter, Eleonor.
As I said, my community has some of the highest public transport use—buses, trains, ferries and we are
soon to have the metro too. We love the extra services and investment occurring throughout our transport network
and in my local community. For those opposite, that is record investment. Those opposite may not have noticed
that this year's budget is making record investments, which means investments like those never before seen. Just
so we are clear, that means Labor never, ever, ever—ever—spent as much on public transport as this Government
is today and has in the years leading up to now. Labor never invested anything near the extent of the expenditure
of the Berijiklian Government. Who are the parties—because we are a Coalition—for public transport? We are,
the Liberals and The Nationals. But I love that those opposite want to give us this opportunity to talk about it.
I love hearing from those opposite when they carp and complain, because they are never entirely sure about
the attitude to public transport investment. Because we are making the investment, they want to criticise, complain
and carp. I am not sure if it is part of what they think their job description is or if the negativity is just in their
nature. But I am a positive individual and I am positive about this Government and its investment in public
transport systems and infrastructure, and so is my community. I want to talk through a couple of the examples of
Labor's attitude towards public transport. We know those opposite carp and complain about us. We know they
criticise light rail in south-east Sydney, in Newcastle and in Parramatta—and then they ask for more of it. They
ask for it to be extended. They did not want it but now they want more of it, so they are not really sure of what
they want.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Swansea will come to order. The member will have
an opportunity to contribute to the debate.
Ms FELICITY WILSON: But then I think back to those projects that Labor backed, the Labor legacy,
shall we say? Let's talk about the Labor legacy in public transport. When Labor was in Government it promised
12 rail lines, it had nine transport master plans, it had six transport Ministers but sadly, at the end of the day, after
16 years of failure it delivered only half a rail line at twice the cost. That is the Epping to Parramatta rail line
which was meant to be all the way from Chatswood to Parramatta. It was half done and twice the price. Let's think
back to the CBD Metro. Do those opposite remember the CBD Metro? They like the concept of metro before we
delivered it. That was half a billion dollars wasted before Labor ended up scrapping it and not proceeding with it.
Labor complains about public transport investments from our Government but I think it is probably just a
little bit of jealousy and a little bit of concern because we are able to deliver projects for people not just in my
community with the wonderful B-Line and the Sydney Metro but also across Sydney and New South Wales.
When we talk about Labor waste we can also talk about a number of different examples because those opposite
had a whole pile of train lines they chose to cancel. Those opposite supposedly invested in the Chatswood to
Parramatta rail line. They wasted $100 million on the T-card. That is okay—we brought out the Opal card and did
the job for them. They handed back $81 million to the Commonwealth for the west metro because they reneged
on it. They wasted almost half a billion dollars on the CBD or Rozelle metro.
Those opposite also failed to introduce air conditioning on trains that they had committed to on the
30-year-old non-air-conditioned trains. They only had about 72 per cent of the services air-conditioned, including
in their own communities. Only half of the inner west and Bankstown line services were air-conditioned and there
were no Cumberland or Carlingford line services air-conditioned. Labor likes to talk the talk and attack this
Coalition Government but we are the ones who love public transport. We are the ones with record investments in
public transport for our communities and for theirs, and we will never resile from that.
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (16:08:43): I thank the member for Maroubra for tabling this
important petition. Now more than 80,000 have signed petitions in New South Wales voicing their concern and
discontent against this State Government's cuts to public transport. I thank all the residents of Coogee and around
the Eastern Suburbs and people across New South Wales who have signed our petitions. I also thank the
Rail, Tram and Bus Union and Unions NSW for their great advocacy for our constituents who desperately love
these buses. I speak today on behalf of constituents in my electorate—people like Lindsay, a 76-year-old from my
electorate who visited my office to tell her story of what the loss of the 373 from Coogee to Circular Quay would
mean to her.
Most weeks Lindsay takes the bus to access cultural activities in the city because the 373 bus travels from
Circular Quay via Museum. She is able to walk to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Sydney,
the Museum of Contemporary Art and performances at the Sydney Opera House. She meets her two friends there
and these trips are a big part of her social life and mean that she can stay vitally connected to her social groups.
Losing this bus service will have a big consequence for Lindsay. She will need to take a bus to Randwick, cross
several streets and wait for the light rail to take her to Circular Quay. The return journey home will take her an
additional 20 minutes. Lindsay has also mentioned that she does not feel safe changing between the buses and the
light rail either at Central or at Randwick Junction.
If the 373 bus service disappears it will have a huge impact on thousands of people just like Lindsay. This
is just one bus service, and 16 bus services are slated to be removed, each with thousands of regular customers
with their own individual story. Bianca is a small business owner in Randwick whose business was directly
impacted by the years of light rail construction when Randwick became a no-go zone. Even now, as it is finished,
she faces cuts to the bus services that bring clients to her salon and ensure her staff can turn up to work on time.
Els is a resident of Coogee who came to see me to express her extreme concern and anxiety over the pending bus
cuts. Els is visually impaired and cannot drive. She is completely reliant on the local services for her independent
travel to access her medical appointments, attend social events and engage with her community.
The loss of these bus services will do far more than just inconvenience Els. It will critically impact her
independence, which will dramatically reduce her quality of life. Currently the buses come to Els but with the lost
bus service she will need to go to the light rail. Upon meeting Els, I wanted to do my own research over the
disability accessibility of the light rail so I asked a couple of questions on notice. The first one was: Are there
guards and/or support staff located at each light rail stop to support those who have a disability and other
passengers needing support or assistance? The answer was that customer service officers are available across key
locations during peak times. So at the majority of the stations for the majority of the time no-one is there to help
the people that need the help. That is great! So billions of dollars have been spent on public transport infrastructure
that is not disability accessible. That sounds fair, doesn't it!
I get it. I understand that this Government is running a protection racket for the Premier and it needs to
justify the spend of this dog piece of infrastructure. I understand that the only way those opposite can justify it is
by forcing people onto it, a piece of infrastructure that no-one wants to use. Why would they? It is double the
travel time of the existing bus services. It does not take people where they need to go and it is unsafe, as we have
just seen. It has no lifeguards on it and from day dot it has broken down. Within hours it had its first breakdown.
Even for the New Year's Test it had a breakdown. It broke down twice. In my office we were able to get real-time
information about this breakdown, as one of my wonderful staff, Jeremy, was trapped on the light rail. He was
able to provide us with real-time information about the dangerous temperatures in the light rail as it was travelling.
He missed the first ball of the test as well—what a shame!
Most recently, just last week, there was a huge malfunction when electricity infrastructure shattered a
window. The electricity infrastructure smashed through a front window on the light rail service. After years of
enduring disruptive construction the public was promised world-class light rail services but what they have been
given is a complete and utter joke. No-one wants to catch the light rail, and rightly so. It is unsafe, it is slow and
it does not go where people need to go. The Government has a responsibility to make the lives of people better.
Removing these buses without any community consultation is doing the exact opposite. The Government is
making the lives of people worse. People like Els who depend on these buses will have their independence stripped
from them. Keep your hands off our buses and stay out of the Eastern Suburbs.
Mrs TANYA DAVIES (Mulgoa) (16:13:55): I am pleased to contribute to debate on this petition in
relation to bus changes. It is well known that from 25 October bus services across Sydney and surrounding areas
have changed. Some of those changes included new faster services on Parramatta Road and extra services on key
routes, as well as almost 1,000 additional weekly bus services for the inner west. More than 530 additional weekly
bus services were introduced in other areas, with many services added in the early morning and evening on some
routes. Some minor changes to bus stop arrangements along Anzac Parade in Kensington were also included.
These changes will improve the frequency of services on key routes, improve travel times and give
customers more choice around when they travel. Some routes will be withdrawn. The M10 and M50 are two routes
that extend from the inner west to the Eastern Suburbs. Less than 4 per cent of customers on these routes travel
between these two regions, and with other frequent bus and light rail services customers will be served better by
using those buses on other routes. Customers travelling between the inner west and the CBD will have access to
frequent services along Parramatta Road and Victoria Road, while other bus routes and light rail services between
the CBD and Eastern Suburbs run every five to 10 minutes.
The CBD and South East Light Rail light rail passenger services are now operating on both the
L2 Randwick line and the L3 Kingsford line. Regular services are running around every four minutes between
Circular Quay and Moore Park, and around every eight minutes between Moore Park and Randwick and
Moore Park and Kingsford in the 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. peak on weekdays. It also provides public transport to
important health precincts for workers and the community. The 12-kilometre route features 19 stops, extending
from Circular Quay along George Street to Central Station, and through Surry Hills to Moore Park precinct, which
includes the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium. After this, it travels to Kensington and Kingsford via
Anzac Parade, and to Randwick via Alison Road and High Street, taking in the racecourse, the University of
New South Wales and the Prince of Wales Hospital. The stops are designed to service major transport hubs and
create easy interchange points with buses, trains, ferries and the Inner West Light Rail. Each light rail service can
carry around 450 passengers, which is as many as up to nine standard buses.
That there is the difference between Labor's perception of what government does with infrastructure versus
the Liberal-Nationals Government's perception. How do they build infrastructure?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Coogee has had her chance to contribute to the debate.
Mrs TANYA DAVIES: Those members opposite actually want to build for the population that we have
right now, whereas this Government builds with vision. Believe it or not, this city is actually going to grow by
another million people. We are building and futureproofing our network for the coming community.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Coogee will come to order.
Mrs TANYA DAVIES: With Sydney's population set to increase by another million people over the next
10 years, transport capacity needs to grow and flex. The new Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail play a key
role in enabling the city's future transport needs by transporting thousands of customers between the CBD and
Randwick or Kingsford in the south-eastern suburbs. Transport for NSW is developing a new integrated south-east
light rail and bus plan. A combined bus and light rail network will significantly improve public transport across
the health precinct in Randwick, the University of NSW, TAFE and other major sporting and entertainment
facilities at Moore Park and Randwick. Additional light rail services will provide extra capacity for major events.
Before any changes are made to the south-east bus network, Transport for NSW is continuing to monitor customer
travel behaviour following the opening of the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford light rail lines. This includes
considering the impact of COVID-19 on travel behaviour.
More than 2,000 additional weekly bus services will be added in Sydney's Northern Beaches and lower
North Shore in December. The new services include overnight B-Line services operating between Mona Vale and
the Sydney CBD for the first time, and buses operating every 10 minutes on key routes as part of the creation of
an all-day frequent network operating throughout the day, seven days a week, including between Dee Why and
Chatswood. The new frequent routes operating every 10 minutes across the day, seven days a week, include route
100—Mosman to City, route 144—Manly to Chatswood via St Leonards and others. The new B-Line overnight
services will be introduced, operating every 30 minutes seven days a week between Mona Vale and the CBD
between midnight and 4.00 a.m. I could go on and on about the vast array of services that this Government is
providing to meet not only the current but the future needs of the growing city of Sydney.
Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (16:19:05): The Government's response to this petition indicates that it is
a tired, deteriorating 10-year-old Government. Unfortunately it is demonstrating the incompetence and arrogance
of ageing governments dying like the embers of a discarded fire. In the last several months some 30,000 people,
chiefly from the electorate of Coogee, signed a petition concerned about the loss of their bus services. Where is
the transport Minister? Where is the courtesy and respect from the transport Minister to respond to 30,000 people?
The Minister is not here in the Chamber. I will tell members what demonstrates this arrogance. The electorate of
Coogee, represented by Dr O'Neill, is a must-win seat for whoever wants to be the government of the day.
Ms Eleni Petinos: No, we govern without it.
Mr RON HOENIG: It is a must-win seat. It is arrogance to dismiss tens of thousands of people from
Coogee. No-one makes that political decision. Members would think that the Minister would at least stand in the
House and respond to that significant portion of people. But what does the Government do? It sends down the
member for North Shore, who represents Mosman, to try to give an explanation to the people of Coogee as to why
it should cancel its Mercedes-Benz buses, while Government members get into their own Mercedes S-Class cars
to drive to wherever they want to go. I talk to members not only about the Government's arrogance but also its
incompetence. On behalf of her constituents the member for Coogee—one of the outstanding local members in
this House—took it upon herself to write to the transport Minister with her concerns about the loss of bus services
with the withdrawal of routes M10 and M50. The response she received, dated 10 November, states:
A number of travel options remain available throughout the day for customers traveling between the Eastern Suburbs to the CBD or
Central Station. Customers currently using route M10 in Maroubra, Kingsford or Kensington—
in my electorate of Heffron—
can access frequent services on routes 391, 392, 393,394, L94, 395 … 373 … 376, 377 …
This letter of a week ago to the member for Coogee was signed by the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and
Roads, Eleni Petinos. Those are the buses that the Government is cancelling! This is indicative of an incompetence
that goes through dying and ageing governments. Apart from the services that it cut to my electorate, the worst
part about the Government's decision-making process is that it is doing it in the middle of a pandemic on the hope
and prayer that people will get into that empty tram—that $3 billion pilot project that does not work and that
breaks down. People do not get onto it. No wonder Infrastructure NSW recommended against it. But the then
transport Minister, and now Premier, went ahead and spent, firstly, $1.2 billion, $1.6 billion and, now, $3 billion
on a project that does not work.
The member for North Shore represents Milsons Point and Kirribilli. She represents Luna Park. Let her
take the light rail and move it to Luna Park to replace the ghost train—because that is all it is good for. Quite
frankly, and realistically, if the Government believed that changing modes of transport between buses and this
light rail actually worked it would wait, would it not, until after the pandemic. It would wait to see, before it
changed services, how it could integrate them efficiently. In normal situations some 50,000 people go to the
University of NSW; they are not going there now. Before the pandemic there were tens of thousands of people on
Anzac Parade in Kensington leaving that university in the morning and the afternoon. The Government cannot
make these decisions now. [Time expired.]
Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (16:24:21): I am delighted that Opposition members actually read the
correspondence that Government members send them, although at this point I acknowledge that I am a poor
substitute for the Minister.
Ms Yasmin Catley: I don't think you do.
Ms ELENI PETINOS: I am saying to Opposition members what I have said in response to every other
petition on buses: The New South Wales Government is committed to delivering the best possible public transport
network for our customers and that means delivering more services when and where they are needed. As outlined
in the CBD & South East Light Rail Environmental Impact Statement in 2013, bus services in Sydney's south-east
will be adjusted to reflect changed customer travel patterns while express bus services will be retained to
complement the light rail.
Planning for these changes is ongoing and is being informed by Opal data, changed customer travel patterns
and feedback. The detailed plan has not been finalised and will be released to the public for feedback in 2021.
However, I am advised that customer demand for public transport in Sydney's south-east has grown significantly
in recent years, and the new integrated light rail and bus transport plan will provide much-needed capacity for
those travelling into and out of the Sydney CBD.
Public transport capacity between the CBD and the south-east has increased with the introduction of the
CBD & South East Light Rail. Our plan for an integrated light rail and bus network will cater for this growth,
including extra capacity where it is needed most. Early modelling shows that overall capacity of a redesigned bus
and light rail network will be increased by more than 30 per cent in the morning peak. Any changes to bus routes
and timetables are designed to improve the frequency of services on key routes and give customers more choice
around how and when they travel.
To help reduce duplication on the network and improve efficiency, some routes may be replaced by new
routes or extra services on other routes, modifications to existing routes, and more express services. Again, the
detailed bus plan for Sydney's south eastern suburbs has not been finalised and any planned changes will be
informed by customer feedback, Opal data, and changed customer travel patterns. Before any changes are made
customers in Sydney's south-east can be assured that they will be informed of any modifications to their services.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
Ms ELENI PETINOS: We expect this plan to be released next year for public feedback before any
changes are refined and rolled out. This will ensure that customers, the community and stakeholders are involved
in the development of the network where possible and are adequately informed of the proposed changes.
I appreciate the community's patience as this Government works to deliver a transport system to keep pace with
Sydney's current and future transport needs. I am very disappointed we will not be here to do yet another bus
petition next week.
Mr MICHAEL DALEY (Maroubra) (16:27:11): In reply: I thank the members for Coogee and Heffron
for assisting the people of Maroubra in debate on this petition. It is disappointing that the Minister for Transport
and Roads is not present in the Chamber, despite the discussion being centred on his project. Instead Coalition
members from the North Shore, Mulgoa and Cronulla come into the Chamber to read carefully prepared notes
that have been given to them by the Minister's office, but not him. It is ironic that this week the Minister for
Transport and Roads and the Premier have been singing the praises of the newly opened NorthConnex, which
saves commuters from Sydney's west to the Central Coast 20 minutes, whereas this Government has forced upon
the people of Maroubra, Coogee and Heffron a light rail system that adds 20, 30 or 40 minutes to their trip to the
CBD. It beggars belief.
While this debate was being held this afternoon the member for Kogarah brought to my attention that the
Auditor-General released a report stating that the final cost of the light rail is not $3.1 billion but now is
$3.3 billion. In other words, it has blown out by an additional $200 million. As at March this year, Transport for
NSW under the auspices of Andrew Constance was still trying to work out how much it was going to cost. So it
is open; it is up and running; there was no official opening; the ribbon was not cut because there was no fanfare—
no-one wanted to go near the thing when it opened—but it is operating. The Opposition asked Andrew Constance,
"How much did this cost?" and he replied, "We don't know." Well, now we know—until it blows out again. It has
now cost $1.7 billion more than its original $1.6 billion cost.
The blowout is bigger than the original cost of the project, yet Government members have the hide to tell
this House that this is transport in the twenty-first century. This is an absolute joke. Andrew Constance was right—
it is a dog. Leave it alone. Let it keep running and let the contract run out but let our buses run as well. That is
what we want.
Petition noted.
LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: In accordance with the resolution of the House on 18 November 2020 the
House will now consider the electronic petition signed by 20,000 or more persons listed on the Business Paper
regarding Save Our Stages New South Wales, lodged by the member for Sydney. This is a historic moment in the
New South Wales Parliament. It is the first ePetition to be considered by the Legislative Assembly. I congratulate
the member for Sydney. Before we commence the debate and for the benefit of hopefully many of the signatories
to the petition watching on YouTube I take this opportunity to explain the process and rationale behind this unique
debate. It is unique because it enables the public to bring their concerns directly to the attention of this House.
The intent of this procedure is that the petition debate will commence with a speech from the member who in most
cases is the member who lodged the petition, as in this case, followed by up to four other members and then
followed by a Minister in response. To conclude the debate, the first speaker will reply. After all members have
spoken, the House will vote on the question that the House take note of the petition. This question in most cases
will be determined on the voices and be passed. However, if this is challenged by a member it may proceed to a
division in which case the bells are rung.
The question is that the House take note of the e-Petition.
Mr ALEX GREENWICH (Sydney) (16:31:37): This State's live music industry is one of the best in the
world. We have some of the greatest artists, performers and venues, and the industry supports a social, cultural
and economic ecosystem that makes us one of the most attractive places in which to live, work and visit. But the
dedicated live music venues that underpin the industry face permanent closure from the COVID-19 pandemic and
today I join nearly 30,000 New South Wales residents to call for urgent Government stimulus to save the State's
stages.
The debate of this ePetition is a historic moment for the Legislative Assembly. It is the first of its kind to
be debated. It took the Save Our Stages campaign just over 24 hours to reach 20,000 signature threshold,
demonstrating the love people have for their live music venues. The Save Our Stages campaign identified
175 dedicated live music venues in this State that are at risk of closing. They range from small venues with
audiences of fewer than 100 to large venues exceeding 1,000 patrons. They represent the State's geographic
diversity and include venues like the Milton Theatre in Milton, Navigate Arts in Tanja, the Star Court Theatre in
Lismore, The Studio Armidale, the Enmore Theatre in Enmore, The Concourse in Chatswood and the Oxford Art
Factory in Darlinghurst in my electorate.
What these venues have in common is that they have little to no alternative source of income other than
live music and performance. They cannot diversify to provide food or takeaway liquor. They have no pokies and
those that are operating are doing so with significantly smaller audiences—as low as 20 per cent—to comply with
COVID-19 safety measures. Some venues have been closed for over nine months. They have lost the international
acts that guarantee sold-out shows. Uncertain State borders make interstate artists a further challenge. Meanwhile
staff overheads remain high and new staff have had to be engaged to enforce physical distancing and increased
cleansing. Rent is still due.
For an industry that operates on a very lean profit margin, venues have used up their capital reserves and
are now accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. The inner-city venues in my electorate were
already on the backfoot when the pandemic hit having suffered from over six years of crippling lockouts. Stimulus
funding has focused on artists and not-for-profits, but there has been nothing for the spaces that support them. The
al fresco renaissance cannot help stages. Venues now rely on JobKeeper to keep staff employed, but this will end
in March. Those that I spoke to tell me they could permanently close before the end of the financial year.
If our dedicated live music venues close, it would severely undermine the State's live music industry, which
is worth around $3.6 billion, employs about 12,000 workers and launches the careers of local musicians and
performers. It would put the New South Wales Government's recently announced 24-hour Economy Strategy at
risk.
Concert venues support other local businesses like restaurants, bars, taxis and rideshare, tourism and
accommodation. A walk down Enmore Road before or after a show at the Enmore Theatre shows the input that
concert patrons have to the local economy, which for that venue alone has been valued at $39 million. We cannot
just replace closed venues. Hosting live music has significant commercial risks, high costs and no guarantees of
profit. Existing venues have navigated the difficult business environment to establish a reputation to attract acts
and patrons. Future entrepreneurs will be reluctant to invest and may not have the experience to succeed, especially
in a slower economy with uncertain patron habits.
If Australia can continue to contain COVID-19 while international acts remain suspended, we have an
opportunity to nurture the local music industry, and build up artists and shows for future export. That cannot
happen without the support of stages, and stages cannot operate without financial support. Victoria and
Queensland have issued support packages to keep dedicated live music venues open during this difficult time.
Victoria's package injected $20 million into the live music industry. Similar initiatives have been implemented in
Austin, Texas; Ireland; the United Kingdom; Canada; and Scotland. If New South Wales does not act, the live
music industry will collapse and we will lose business to Victoria. We will reduce the chance of an economic
recovery fuelled by increased domestic tourism and migration.
Dedicated live music venues in New South Wales need a $24.5 million injection of funds before the end
of the year to stay open. That investment will ensure that New South Wales can continue to be a world leader in
the arts and music with a thriving late-night economy into the future. I call on the Government to urgently
implement a rescue package for venues that need support for live shows. I have been assured that Treasury is
looking into this funding request. I commend the petition to the House.
Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (16:36:30): It is a great privilege to join the member for Sydney and
speak on the first ever e-Petition, which generated 20,000 signatures for a very important issue. I acknowledge
the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation in the Chamber. The Government is committed to seeing a
speedy recovery and return to growth for the live music and performance sector. As a result, the Government has
put in place a number of important initiatives that will create more opportunities for live music and other
performers, as well as for the entertainment, arts and creative sectors more broadly. The passage on 12 November
of the Liquor Amendment (24-hour Economy) Bill—which I spoke to in some detail this morning—by the upper
House marks a significant milestone in the State's support for the night economy, and the live music and
performance industry.
The bill comprises a raft of reforms to New South Wales liquor legislation that will, among other things,
reduce restrictions and cut red tape for live music at licensed venues, making it easier for artists to bring vibrancy,
entertainment and culture to the night-time economy. Complementing the aims of the bill, in September the
Government launched its 24-hour economy strategy—a new vision for a vibrant, diverse, inclusive and safe
night-time economy in greater Sydney. The strategy comprises 39 actions across five strategic pillars.
The first pillar is to support more integrated planning and place making, and more "joined-up" State, local
government and industry collaboration to enable the 24-hour economy to thrive. The second is to encourage the
diversification of night-time activities by supporting a wider variety of businesses at night. The third pillar is to
nurture industry and cultural development to help entrepreneurs thrive in the 24-hour economy. The fourth is to
explore ways to enhance mobility and improve connectivity between 24-hour economy hubs through safe and
reliable transport. Finally, the fifth pillar is to change the narrative for Sydney to drive more local consumption,
highlight Sydney as a world-class night-time destination and encourage healthy behaviours.
Supporters of the New South Wales live music industry will have been gratified to see many of their
suggested measures included as actions in this strategy. They will also be pleased with its clear commitment to
continue to work in partnership with industry and councils, and across government to implement this ambitious
road map. The strategy includes measures to directly support more roadside artistic activations and indoor
small-scale art and culture events, and to work with councils to realise unique and vibrant 24-hour economy hubs.
Although the strategy is focused on Greater Sydney, it will provide a template for activations that can take place
across New South Wales. A 24-hour Economy Commissioner will soon be appointed to lead the implementation
of the strategy. The commissioner will work closely with the sector, councils and communities, and lead a
whole-of-government effort to implement the strategy.
In October the Government announced a groundbreaking partnership with the City of Sydney to support
the activation of outdoor spaces for alfresco dining and cultural events. We are jointly planning for a slew of
musical and artistic events in public spaces and streets in the Sydney CBD, where they are much-needed and
where they will be appreciated. On 4 November the Government announced that it would fund CBD activation
grants with the City of Sydney. The grants will support partnerships between retailers, cafes and restaurants and
musicians, performers and artists, with the aim of attracting and entertaining visitors and revitalising spaces that
have been underused since the pandemic began. Individual artists, businesses and entrepreneurs are encouraged
to apply for the grant and realise their ideas to revitalise Sydney's CBD.
In addition, following the Summer Summit on 18 September, the Government formed an outdoor dining
task force, which will also help to increase the number of venues available to performers, with funding provided
to enhance the alfresco dining experience with a range of performances. The Government has prepared advice
and tools to help councils and businesses safely and easily expand their outdoor dining, performance and events
spaces over summer. I commend the member for Sydney for bringing the first ever e-Petition of 20,000 signatures
to the House. It is entirely appropriate that it is on this important matter at this point in time. I commend the
petition to the House.
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) (16:41:14): I thank the member for Sydney for bringing this
e-Petition to the House. New South Wales is home to the biggest music industry in the country, but today that
industry is sadly on its knees. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, live music venues have been burdened by increased
operational costs and drastically reduced incomes. Without urgent financial assistance from the Government,
New South Wales is at significant risk of permanently losing key regional and metropolitan live music venues.
There are more than 750 venues in New South Wales that offer live music, yet 85 per cent of music venues
surveyed by Music NSW in September this year reported that they will likely be forced to close permanently
within the next six to 12 months. If that happens, a critical mass of skilled music professionals will be forced out
of the industry.
More than 23,000 people are directly employed in the music industry, half of whom are in regional and
rural New South Wales. There are thousands more jobs created indirectly by the music industry. All of those
people stand to lose their livelihoods and their incomes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic
downturn unless the Government urgently provides a stimulus package that will ensure the survival of the music
industry. Since COVID-19, live music venues in New South Wales have amassed on average $133,000 in debt
per business. As the member for Sydney has already mentioned, Oxford Art Factory in his electorate has a venue
capacity of 500 in its main room, yet under COVID-19 restrictions it is only allowed to seat 90 people—the math
explains why it is so tough for businesses. In other words, it is forced to operate at less than 20 per cent of its
capacity. Down in Victoria, live music venues have been given a lifeline of $15 million by the Victorian
Government because it understands how important and vibrant cities must be, and you need a live music industry
to do that. Unfortunately, live music venues in New South Wales have been left out of arts and cultural survival
and restart packages, and they received nothing in this week's budget.
We have to decide what kind of city we want to be. Do we want to live in a State where the doors of live
music venues have long since closed, where there is nowhere to watch our favourite touring bands, where there is
nowhere for the up-and-coming performers to hone their craft, and where there is nowhere for local cover bands
to entertain punters? Who in this room has not asked for Cold Chisel's Khe Sanh to be played at the end of the
night? We do not want to live in that sort of city.
More than 70 live music venues from across New South Wales have joined forces for the first time to form
the emergency association Save Our Stages NSW. Live music venues have persevered through months of
hardship and uncertainty, constructively seeking a solution to this terrible predicament, yet the Government has
failed to extend them a helping hand. The reality is that without a stimulus package, our much-loved music venues
are doomed. When JobKeeper ends the doors will start to close, causing a massive ecosystem disruption to the
$3.6 billion New South Wales music industry that will force thousands of people out of their jobs.
The Hon. John Graham has been working extremely hard to ensure that our night-time economy is vibrant,
and most essential to that is the health of live music venues. I call on the Government to provide urgent support
for venues on death's door due to COVID, otherwise their demise will be placed squarely at the feet of the
Government. As the member for Sydney said in his contribution, it took just 24 hours for more than 20,000 people
to sign an ePetition calling on the Government to provide a stimulus package for these venues to ensure that the
live music industry can survive the impacts of COVID-19. I say to the Minister that if he fails to keep these venues
alive, the people of this State will blame the Government on the day the music dies.
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON (Tamworth—Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation) (16:45:51):
I commend the member for Sydney for bringing this petition forward on behalf of music lovers, entertainers and
performers across the State. As someone who has been in and out of bands for the past 30 years, I know how
important the live music industry is. Hearing live music transcends the soul, lifts the spirits and just makes you
feel good. I echo the sentiment of the member for Swansea when she asked who hadn't ever called for Khe Sanh
to be played at the end of a night . My bands and I have often played Khe Sanh very late at night, and the more
you drink, the better we sound.
Ms Yasmin Catley: I will be calling on it tonight, if you've got your guitar.
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: One hundred per cent. Coming from Tamworth, live music is in my soul. We
know how important the Tamworth Country Music Festival is to the area, and live music is its centrepiece. The
highlight of the festival is the Country Music Awards of Australia, and the final nominees for the forty-ninth
annual ceremony were released a few hours ago. Live music is so important because it puts food on the table and
keeps a roof over the heads of those who rely on the industry. But quite often sophisticated financial systems are
not set up, so things like superannuation and being able to plan financially are not on the agenda. Musicians and
industry workers often live hand to mouth, waiting for the next gig to come round to get paid, so keeping live
music venues open is critical. Unfortunately, JobKeeper did not help many in the industry because they did not
have an ABN. Certainly many brilliant musician friends of mine were unable to access JobKeeper because they
did not have the financial structure in place that will allow them to receive that support.
As I mentioned, today the 49th Annual Country Music Awards of Australia nominees were announced,
and big stars such as Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Travis Collins, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole all featured, as
well as many artists who have busked on the "Boulevard of Dreams"—Peel Street in Tamworth—before they
found commercial success. This year the awards will be held during a festival that has been cancelled due to
COVID, so this has had a huge impact on the lives of many musicians. Other nominees include: Adam Eckersley,
Adam Harvey, Lee Kernaghan, Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds and hometown girl Allison Forbes. After
reaching the final of the 2016 Toyota Star Maker competition, Allison's highly anticipated debut album
Bonedigger has entered the iTunes country chart at number five and seen her receive nominations in four
categories: Alt Country Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, New Talent of the Year and Bluegrass
Recording of the Year, which she did with The Weeping Willows. This is an incredible achievement for
Tamworth's Allison Forbes and goes to show the talent that is currently in and around the Australian country
music scene.
I thank Alison for persevering because she, like many musicians, has struggled for their success, but they
fight their way back. She went on the road during COVID to try to get her career back on track, so to see her
nominated at the Country Music Awards of Australia and Bonedigger debuting at number five is outstanding.
I look forward to seeing all the nominees at the awards next January, and I invite all members to log on and enjoy
the finest that Australian country music has to offer. I thank the Minister for the outstanding Great Southern Nights
event, which got people back onstage doing what they do best. The Government has supported the live music
industry and musicians, and I am especially grateful for that because a lot of my mates were able to get back
onstage as a result. I look forward to a billion great songs about heartache, isolation, and running out of food and
booze when all these musicians come out of this dark period. I thank the member for Sydney for bringing this
petition to the House.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (16:50:56): I make a contribution on behalf of The Greens to the debate.
The arts and music industries have been smashed by this pandemic, and yet it is sad to see that they have only
received a fraction of the Government support that other affected industries such as professional sporting codes,
tourism and manufacturing. The scale of the response to this petition shows how passionately the community
cares about the live music industry. While the recent announcement to support theatres, arts spaces, festivals,
museums and performance companies across New South Wales through a $50 million stimulus package was very
welcome, unfortunately the live music sector missed out. I appreciate that the structure of the industry means that
responsibility for its support can fall across a range of government departments, but we need to do better. Nearly
all musicians are independent sole traders and are therefore not associated with an employer or parent organisation,
so they rely purely on music sales and gig fees paid by venues to make a living. But these venues have received
virtually no support from the Government during the pandemic, despite the fact that they are vital for the industry,
and desperately need investment and support to stay alive during these difficult times.
While the recent changes to the night-time economy laws are welcome and help simplify the law for venues
that can afford to pay musicians, times are still tough. Because of the COVID restrictions, bars and music venues
cannot operate at full capacity. This means that those packed-out nights when a venue turns the kind of profit that
allows them to pay the bills and, most importantly, the artist are not happening. Instead of people pressed up
against each to listen to live music, venues are being forced to space patrons four square metres on chairs. That
means that venues are operating at around 30 per cent or 50 per cent of their normal maximum capacity.
Save our Stages NSW has been doing vital work to raise awareness of the looming disaster for the live
music industry, and over 70 independent venues have banded together to form an emergency association to save
the industry. Yesterday it was wonderful to hear the concerns of Emily Collins from MusicNSW and Mark Gerber
from the Oxford Art Factory. I recognise local venue legends Kerri Glasscock from Venue 505 and Sam Nardo
from Century Venues for their work to highlight issues in the live music industry, something that they have done
for many years. Alarmingly, 85 per cent of the music venues they surveyed said that they would be closed by
mid-2021, and these venues will not come back. They will become ugly apartments, unnecessary office blocks or
a range of things that this city does not need. What is more, there is currently no register of those venues, so if
they are lost then they are gone for good.
The live music industry needs investment. I appreciate the passion shown by the Minister for Better
Regulation and Innovation, and I acknowledge the activities in Newtown as part of the Great Southern Nights
initiative, but we need a genuine commitment from Ministers to deliver a stimulus package for the industry that
will ensure the survival of its venues. We need to support those in the entertainment community who depend on
live music for their existence in order to safeguard the future of the industry.
This petition currently has 27,734 signatures, and it took about 24 hours to gather that many. We need the
New South Wales Government to sit down and work with MusicNSW, Save Our Stages NSW and these venues
to be able to deliver. I appreciate the member for Tamworth and Minister's passion for live music, but it is not
enough for us to glorify the idea of living from paycheque to paycheque, struggling to be able to afford food or
a beer. What we need to do is support our musicians, and the Government and Ministers who are in this Chamber
can do that right now. I congratulate Save Our Stages and I congratulate the member for Sydney on his good work
in bringing this petition to this place. I congratulate the thousands and thousands of musicians, bands, creatives,
producers, events teams and venue staff and all music lovers for being so loud when we need them to be loud,
singing to the Government to save our stages. I stand with them, the electorate of Newtown stands with them and
The Greens stand with them in the struggle to save our stages.
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney)
(16:55:47): This petition reflects the passion for live music shared by everyone in this Chamber who has spoken
on it and by so many people around New South Wales. Live music is such an important part of the cultural offering
of this city. I completely agree with the member for Tamworth that musicians will help us understand, tell the
story and go through the emotional rollercoaster of coming out of COVID. I want the music venues that are open
and operating in Sydney today to still be there at the end of COVID. In fact, I want to see more of them. I want to
be able to take advantage of the outbreak of bipartisanship that saw the Liquor Amendment (24-hour Economy)
Bill 2020 pass through this House and the approach to policy-making we have been able to have in both Chambers.
The Government has worked with members of the industry to create the 24-Hour Economy Strategy, which firmly
embeds into the policy settings of this Government the creation of opportunities for live music to continue to take
place.
A number of COVID-related investments and stimulus grants have been made available to people across
the music industry. I know some of those things do not meet exactly what Save Our Stages is looking for. Anyone
from Save Our Stages can come through my door and talk to me about the things that they see as pressing issues.
What we have seen in the New South Wales economy is very different to what has happened in a State like
Victoria, where there was literally no activity. We have taken a more nuanced approach. Small businesses and
sole traders have had access to the $1,500 small business rebate. Our Sydney Summer Summit series of activities
and funding has seen close cooperation between the New South Wales Government and the City of Sydney, which
will now see $3 million going into CBD activations for music.
We have the "play the city" grants, which have $500,000 attached to them. We also have the contemporary
music grants for performers and organisations from Create NSW, which have over $640,000 available. And we
have Great Southern Nights. Just to prove that I am committed to live music—I did not even know this until I put
my suit on this morning—here is my Max Watt's card and here is my Great Southern Nights coaster, which
I picked up at my most recent Great Southern Nights event. That initiative has over 3,500 artists and over
1,100 gigs are happening in November. It has activated over 350 venues in 140 towns around New South Wales.
That is what we have done to save our stages and save our artists and get them through this. We will continue to
work with artists and venues to ensure that they survive through the course of the pandemic.
Mr ALEX GREENWICH (Sydney) (16:59:00): In reply: The nearly 30,000 people who signed this
historic first e-Petition can be assured by the seriousness with which this Parliament has treated their concerns.
The debate has heard from not one, but two Cabinet ministers: the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and
Western Sydney and the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation and member for Tamworth. We have also
heard from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition as well as passionate speeches from the member for Manly and
the member for Newtown. In addition, the Lord Mayor of Sydney and I have written directly to the Treasurer
asking for urgent stimulus funding and a rescue package for dedicated live music venues. If that is not immediately
evident, there will be a negative ripple effect on local economies in the City of Sydney and other areas.
As I said at the outset, I have been given an assurance that Treasury is looking into that funding request,
and I do hope they move on it. We are talking about some of the most loved venues in our State—venues that add
to the culture and heart of our State. To lose them would indeed be a tragedy. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic
created the need for electronic petitions, it has also created the need for urgent funding for stages. I pay tribute to
all of the organisations involved in the Save Our Stages NSW campaign, which brought together over 70 dedicated
live music venues across the State. Their voices have been heard loud and clear. This is the final petition of the
year for the New South Wales Parliament and a historic first e-petition. I thank everyone who signed it for having
such a massive impact. Hopefully it will be the thing that leads to the stimulus package to rescue our favourite
dedicated live music venues across New South Wales.
Petition noted.
Documents
NSW BUSH FIRE SEASON OUTLOOK 202021
Tabling
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: By leave: As per the recommendation of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry, I table the
NSW Bush Fire Season Outlook 2020-21.
Motions
CHRISTMAS FELICITATIONS
Debate resumed from an earlier hour.
Domestic Violence) (17:01:55): Every day is like Christmas when you wake up in the shire. It is an honour to
represent the people of Cronulla, and my first greetings for the season are for the people who repose in me their
trust to represent them in this place. I thank them for that honour. I thank those in my Cronulla office who help
me do just that. Senior electorate officer Michelle Lawson leads a dedicated team of shirelings committed to
keeping my back. I thank her for that, along with Daniel Rindfleish, Lachlan Fraser and Ruby Ward. Their work
is all the more challenging because of the demands of ministerial office.
My chief of staff, Cheryl Gwilliam, has the incredible wisdom of exceptional experience in State and
Federal government. Under her leadership, the ministerial office has achieved an enormous amount this year,
including guiding 13 bills through this place and the other place, and emergency legislation to deal with the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Doing a lot of that work is the remarkable Mary Klein. Members in both Houses will be familiar with her.
She styles herself, far too humbly, as the First Paralegal of the Land. She is a policy sounding board whose advice
may sometimes be more frank and fearless than I would prefer, but her honesty, intellect and insight have served
to improve legislation and therefore outcomes for the people of this State. I thank all the policy advisors in my
office. Di Mann's and Jo Yates' advice and input have been invaluable in our mission to do our best to rid the State
of the scourge of domestic violence. Nick Johnson, along with his diligent advice this year, carried with him one
of the finest examples of coiffure pandemique.
I thank Michael Peng, who recently departed as my outstanding associate. Speaking of excellence, my
media communications people, co-directors Brooke Eggleton and Damien Smith along with Sean Robertson, are
truly remarkable human beings. If my downstairs office neighbour at Cronulla knew them as well as I do, he
would probably say, "How good are they?" The sunny Astrid Pedersen and Patrick Wynne, my parliamentary
liaison officers, deal deftly with portfolio-related enquiries from members such as yourself, Mr Assistant Speaker.
To my right hand, my office manager Cecilia Falson has followed me for many years through my political career.
I thank her for keeping me on the straight and narrow, making sure I am where I need to be when I need to be
there. The departmental liaison team does a remarkable job under intense pressure. I thank former senior
departmental liaison officer Kelly Stewart, who left the office last week. A more cheerful and hardworking
departmental professional would be hard to find. Kelly is replaced by Alex Zbaras who, having been with the
office a while, is having a running start. Thanks too to Amanda Balis and Sarah Dutton, who has the often daunting
duty of answering the ministerial office phone to hear distressing details of callers' most personal issues.
To the Department of Communities and Justice staff, from my Secretary, Michael Coutts-Trotter, through
to the Sheriff's Officers around the State: You are all dedicated to the goal of making New South Wales a safer,
more compassionate community, a task for which we are all grateful. I thank all our judicial officers and tribunal
members. The task of administering justice fairly and without favour, malice or ill will, is the bedrock of our civil
society. You can be the subject of frequent and often unfair criticism for merely executing your duty. Judicial
officers and the legal profession have adapted extremely well to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,
keeping the wheels of justice moving in New South Wales. They deserve the thanks of everyone in this place.
For the last six months I have had the honour of managing Government business in the House. I have had
the very able support of Alex Gibson, who doubles as an extremely capable policy advisor in my office. I ask a
lot of Alex. He continues to deliver. I am very grateful, Alex. This role is a chance to work with those opposite
and on the crossbench to achieve outcomes that benefit the people of our State. We do not always agree. Often
we disagree—robustly, fervently, perhaps even furiously. That is the point of this institution. That is our job.
Democracy is our job. Disagreement is the essential ingredient of democracy. Through argument, through debate,
together we fashion laws for the good government of the State. I pay tribute to my opposite number in this role,
the member for Keira. I value our relationship and I am grateful for his cooperation in the smooth running of the
Chamber.
I thank the Premier for her exceptional leadership throughout this exceptional year. I thank all members,
Government, Opposition and crossbench, for their service to the Chamber and the public and I wish them the very
best for the festive season. To our Speaker, the member for Davidson: Your stewardship of the House has been
exceptional. We can be an unruly bunch, but you have been fair. You have been firm. You have been assiduous
in your application of the standing orders. I extend this appreciation to the Deputy Speaker, the Assistant Speaker
and all the Temporary Speakers. To all the officers and staff of the House: Thank you. To Helen Minnican, the
professionalism and flexibility of you and your team have been crucial to the Parliament continuing to operate
and legislate during this once-in-a-century pandemic. We know your dedication to the task and once again thank
you for your service to the people of New South Wales.
I thank those at home, without whose continuing, patient and loving support, this job would be unbearable.
My children, Kate and Matthew, my greatest accomplishments, are a continuing source of delight. Caroline, my
wife—The Lady Cronulla—thank you for standing by me as a constant support and bringing me more happiness
than I deserve. My furry friends at home would be barking mad if I did not mention them too. Merry Christmas,
Ralph and Lucy.
I spoke earlier about how we of opposing political philosophies are able to cooperate for the benefit of
those we represent, that we come to this place, each of us, wanting the best for our communities. The institutions
of parliamentary democracy, Cabinet confidentiality and Cabinet solidarity are a bulwark against unstable
government. All of us in this place know the value of these institutions. Developments this year in one particularly
close ally abroad have drawn a focus on the potential fragility of these institutions, when goodwill is seen as a
weakness and when hyper-partisanship is seen as a strength. I never dreamt I would see the day when the party
divide in the United States would be starker than the differences in Australia. There are lessons for us here in what
we are seeing in the United States now. It gives us something on which to reflect while we are away from this
place of pressure and conflict: the importance of goodwill.
A central message of Christmas is goodwill. One of the most popular Christmas stories is in the
Gospel of Luke 2:8-20, involving the angel visiting the shepherds as they watched their flock by night. The angel
brought news of the birth of the saviour Jesus, who they would find "wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger" in the "city of David". Then the heavenly host appeared and, well, that is when we heard the bit about
"good will towards men", as the King James version puts it. This is an enduring message. It is one we as a group
of people—with the Government on our shoulders, as it were—need to have in mind not just at Christmas but for
every season, every day we bear this responsibility.
This democratic machine we call Parliament may be fuelled by our differences of opinion, but that process
is lubricated by the oils of goodwill. We should all treasure that goodwill and guard it jealously. If we do not, we
face the real prospect that rifts may grow wider, anger may fester and communities may divide. Goodwill, on the
other hand, grows with every time we rely on it to debate and even agree in good faith. When we engender
goodwill, goodwill is returned. It is like a magic Christmas pudding of warm fuzzies. We come here with a duty
to serve. Goodwill will help us keep firm the institutions on which the stability of our society relies. If by
engendering goodwill we can also bring people together, we will have done our bit. I wish all a merry Christmas,
a blessed Chanukah or, if you are more inclined to "air your grievances" this season, a happy Festivus.
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) (17:10:35): I make a contribution to Christmas felicitations. I always find
these things very interesting. We spend a year trying to get seats off one another and bash each other up, and then
we spend a couple of hours wishing each other a merry Christmas. Such is the way in which our democracy is
carried out. I start by recognising and thanking the Leader of the Opposition for her tireless efforts, especially
during what has been a difficult 2020. I do not think anyone could imagine what we faced this time 12 months
ago as we farewelled that parliamentary year. It has been tough in our roles. It has been tough for the Leader of
the Opposition. I thank her and her team for their efforts, particularly during this difficult year.
To the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and member for Swansea: I thank you for your dedication and
hard work and I thank your staff for all they have done. I thank the Opposition Whip, Anna Watson, and the
Deputy Opposition Whip and member for The Entrance, David Mehan. It would be remiss of me not to mention
also the person who makes all of this happen for us in this place: Colleen in the Opposition Whip's office. She
does an outstanding job. She puts up with all of the changes and frustrations, and she does it with a smile on her
face. To Colleen, thank you very much. We understand that politicians are not always the easiest people to work
with.
I thank the Government Whip, the Deputy Whips and you, Mr Speaker. You have done an outstanding job.
This is no easy place for you to adjudicate. To you, the Deputy Speaker, the Assistant Speaker and all of the
Temporary Speakers: Well done. They are difficult jobs, ones that I could never imagine doing, but you do them
with great judgement and skill. On behalf of the team on this side of the Chamber we thank you in all sincerity.
I thank my counterpart, the Attorney General, Leader of the House and member for Cronulla. These roles are
difficult but they work on trust and a build-up of relationship and rapport, and we have that. He has never broken
that and I would like to say I have not either. He mentioned goodwill, and he is right. He has given me a lot of
goodwill and I hope I have paid that back to ensure that this place runs as the community expects its elected
officials to run the Parliament—that is with a focus on the issues that are important to them. I offer my heartfelt
thanks to the Attorney General.
I also want to thank some people who do not always get a mention in these places—maybe that is because
I am a former staffer. I thank Mitch Wright and Matt McLean in the office of the Leader of the Opposition. Mitch
does an enormous amount of parliamentary work, day in, day out, when this place is sitting. Matt looks after the
Health portfolio for the Opposition. These two outstanding individuals make an enormous contribution. They give
up a lot. These are tough jobs, as I think all members can attest to—certainly I can. I want to put on the record my
thanks to those individuals.
To the Clerk, Helen Minnican, and her entire team, including the Table Office and Hansard—all of those
people who make this place work day in, day out—thank you so much. I hope you have enjoyed some days. I am
sure some days you go home and shake your head, but I hope you can continue to make a contribution to
democracy, because without you we cannot do our job. I say that on behalf of the entire Opposition. I thank a lady
who has been cleaning my office for close to a decade now—Irma. She is fantastic and she has been recognised
recently for 25 years of service. I congratulate her and thank her for her work. She always says I keep a very clean
office. I was brought up by my parents to have a clean desk, a clean car and a clean house, so I operate from a
clean office. Apparently it helps you get through the day, but Irma makes it even better. So I thank her very, very
much.
Thanks to all the special constables—a couple of them are from my electorate—for keeping us safe. I thank
the Press Gallery for keeping us honest and I thank the staff of the Department of Parliamentary Services for
keeping this place running. It has been a really tough year for the staff. I pay tribute to our Executive Chef here.
She took up an idea that I and Mr Speaker had about making sure we used our commercial kitchens to provide
good-quality meals for those who are doing it tough. When I last checked in with our Executive Chef, this place
had cooked over 100,000 meals for OzHarvest and those charities that provide people with food during this time.
It is something that I am proud of, and I am sure Mr Speaker is proud of it too. I pay particular tribute to the
Executive Chef today.
I also thank the staff in the office of the Leader of the Opposition. It is a small office and they have a
thankless and tough job. To Stephen Fitzpatrick, Matt McLean—whom I have mentioned—Pia Bruno,
Nicole Chettle, Leon, Rebecca, Ash, Josh, Ed, Morgan, Sravya, Michael, Roland, Jenny and LJ, I say thank you
for being with us and for your dedication to the role. They are tough gigs, but I put on record my sincere thanks.
My electorate office team is a fantastic group of individuals. All of us in this place probably at times underestimate
the work that our electorate offices do, but it is important to recognise the work of our frontline troops—and they
are literally the front line, particularly this year. They have faced a really tough year and I thank my office, led by
Janelle Rimmer, who has been with me on this career since 2011, supported by Melanie Haskew, Lynden Bartrim
and Richard Martin. Thank you very much for all your work.
To my colleagues on my side, I know this has been a challenging year but we have gotten on with what we
needed to do and we have supported our constituents and they have supported us. To my side of this Chamber,
thank you very, very much for your support. This has been a tough role to do in a tough year. I know news has
been difficult when you have not been able to access Parliament, but I thank all my colleagues for the support
they have given me and the way they have handled what has been a challenging time. My colleagues in our shadow
Cabinet have done what they have always done, which is conduct themselves in a hardworking way. That is what
a shadow Cabinet is meant to do, that is the role of Opposition and I will continue to do that. I will continue to get
out to every corner of New South Wales. I hope all my colleagues enjoy some time with their families and loved
ones.
To the Premier, the Deputy Premier, Government and crossbench members, thank you. It has been a really
tough year for you guys as well—I am aware of that. It has been a tough past few months—we are all aware of
that. Politics can be very tough at times, it can be brutal and it can be hard—it can be hard on your families and it
can be hard on your loved ones. I assure you that whilst we may have differences and those differences can
sometimes be expressed very strongly by me—as strongly as anyone—I will always endeavour to play the issue,
not the person. I know that you all do your very, very best in this job—we are all here to do that—and, whilst
there are differences, I put on record my thanks to Government members for the way in which they have assisted
in making my job and the job of the Attorney General, the member for Cronulla, a little easier this year.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge that communities right across New South Wales are going to have
a Christmas like we have never had before. I thank my electorate, the good folk of Keira, who put me in this role.
I have been in this place now for 10 years and this has been without a doubt the toughest 12 months they have
gone through. They have gone through hell, as every other community has, and we are not through this yet; we
are probably almost getting through the health crisis but we are certainly not through the economic crisis.
I acknowledge all those communities, but particularly the community that I represent in the northern part of the
Illawarra.
As members of political parties, we are here because of our rank and file party members. I thank branch
members within my electorate—of course, the mighty Illawarra Young Labor—who do a fantastic job and who
support members throughout our region. To my parliamentary colleagues in the region, the member for
Shellharbour and the member for Wollongong, it is great having two hardworking colleagues in this place who
try to do their best for the region we love and are very proud to represent.
To my family—my wife, Kara, and our sons, Preston and Oliver—thank you for your support and for
enabling me to do this job. All members in this place know that families are conscripts—there are no two ways
about that—and I take this opportunity to say thank you. I wish all members of the House well. I hope you have
a safe and happy Christmas. I hope you come back refreshed to do it all over again. I hope 2021 is a lot better than
2020 for all of you, your families and the communities that we all represent. I look forward to doing it all again
next year.
The SPEAKER (17:21:25): As Speaker, I make a contribution of my own from the chair. As Speaker, it
is a real privilege to preside over this great House. I am especially thankful that we have been able to meet as a
democratic Parliament in a COVID-safe way during the pandemic. It has been a pandemic that has changed every
part of our lives, and I know that an enormous amount of time and effort has gone into keeping our Parliament
and society operating in a COVID-safe way. I especially recognise, as the Premier did, and applaud our health
workers, under the health Minister's leadership, and our essential services workers for their admirable service to
our New South Wales communities in 2020.
While it is tempting to see 2020 somewhat negatively, let us remember the positive things we have
achieved together, despite challenges. Upon becoming Speaker, I outlined a number of ambitions: to embrace
both tradition and modernisation; to grow the level of public engagement; and to encourage parliamentarians to
higher standards of behaviour. Our Parliament has successfully implemented or commenced many initiatives to
deliver on these goals, including the commencement of a new digital Parliament project—a serious
commencement as opposed to the attempts of the past, which were hampered by a lack of finance—and a new
audiovisual project for this Chamber that will seriously lift our technical capability.
While Parliament was closed to the public, our amazing catering team cooked for those in need, as the
member for Keira outlined, and we were able to roll out an ePetitions platform, with the first ePetition having
been debated in this House today. We saw The Bear Pit, a panel discussion, held in the Chamber on International
Parliament Day and livestreamed to the Parliament's Facebook page, as other elements of this Parliament's
proceedings have been increasingly exposed to the public through Facebook. We saw a professional development
program for MPs, with various elements—which has been well received—and I thank all my colleagues for their
support. I think, in the main, they have benefited when they decided to participate voluntarily.
We have seen Thought Leadership events, with industry and community leaders such as the NSW
Australian of the Year Shane Fitzsimmons, who led us admirably through the bushfire crisis earlier in the year.
We have seen the recent launch of EdApp, a mobile phone app that delivers micro lessons on compliance with
ethical standards and other educational pieces. I encourage members, if they have not done so, to have a look at it
when time permits over the coming weeks. My Chief of Staff and I have visited some 75 per cent of the electorate
offices around the State, and that process continues. It has been a valuable and certainly a very useful exercise
from my perspective, as well as an opportunity to convey the appreciation that this Parliament has for those staff
members who work in each of our electorate offices.
Thanks to my own team who have helped achieve all this and so much more: my Chief of Staff, Paul
Blanch; my Deputy Chief of Staff, Ellie Laing; Parliamentary Adviser Georgia Luk; and Executive Officer
Samantha McFarlane. I also thank my Davidson electorate office staff: Koharig Boulghourjian, Sarah Ingram,
Annie Rinaudo, Richard Tilden and Ryan Aivazian. Thank you so much each and every one of you. You work
hard and you do not always get the recognition you deserve. I commend the leadership displayed by our Premier,
Gladys Berejiklian, who has had, in many ways, a difficult year but she continues to serve selflessly the people of
this State. I commend the Deputy Premier, who has also had his challenges but has come through with assistance
and perseverance and represents particularly the rural people of this State so well.
I also commend the performance of their counterparts in their roles—the Leader of the Opposition and the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition—and thank them for their cooperation and support, as I thank all leaders in this
Chamber. I recognise my friend and co-Presiding Officer, the President of the Legislative Council, the Hon. John
Ajaka. I am so grateful to him and his staff for their support and I am pleased that we have such a cooperative and
positive working relationship. I thank my Speaker's Panel for its service, including the Deputy Speaker, Leslie
Williams; the Assistant Speaker, Mark Coure, who is in the Chamber; and the members for Heathcote, for
Wallsend, for North Shore, for Lake Macquarie and for Coffs Harbour. They have all performed sterling jobs as
part of the Speaker's Panel, which I think has also enjoyed itself along the way.
To the Whips, I note that the Chief Government Whip as well as the Chief Opposition Whip are in the
Chamber. Adam Crouch and Anna Watson, thank you. To the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition
Business, Mark Speakman, and Ryan Park and their staff, thank you so much. I always enjoy our exchanges and
our good working relationships. To the Standing Orders and Procedure Committee, thank you for your
consideration and cooperation. I look forward to implementing, hopefully, further reforms in the Legislative
Assembly in due course next year. Now to the Department of the Legislative Assembly, headed by Clerk Helen
Minnican, who recently reached the milestone of 30 years of service to the Parliament. To Helen and her
leadership team of Deputy Clerk Leslie Gönye, Clerk-Assistants Carly Maxwell and Jonathan Elliott, as well as
directors Simon Johnston, John Young, Clara Hawker and Elaine Schofield, thank you. You all do an outstanding
job.
The staff in every electorate office, the Office of the Clerk, the Table Office, House and Procedure, front
desk attendants and committees all go above and beyond in striving to serve our members and the wider public.
Thank you all. I likewise recognise the Chief Executive of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Mark Webb;
his deputy, Julie Langsworth; and directors John Gregor, Rob Nielsen, Mike Price and Helen Gors, in particular.
I also acknowledge all those who work in Human Services, Parliamentary Education, Accounting Services,
Members' Entitlements, IT Services, Parliamentary Reporting (Hansard), the Parliamentary Library and Research
Services, Building Infrastructure and Services, Capital Projects, EO Services, Security, Cleaning and
Parliamentary Catering. I hope I have not left anyone out. Thank you so much on behalf of all of us here. Thank
you for your tremendous skill and your resilience in adapting our parliamentary services to what has become the
new normal in 2020.
To members in closing, it has been a tough year but it should be easier in 2021. May you and your loved
ones have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. I would like to say I will see you back in 2021, but
unfortunately I think we may see you back next week. This is my official ending to the formal part of the year and
I wish you well for the break between whenever we finally rise this year and hopefully what will be a brighter and
successful 2021 for everyone.
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (17:30:27): On what we thought would be the last sitting day for 2020,
I acknowledge and thank the many people who make this place run. Mr Speaker, the member for Davidson,
I congratulate you on the amazing work that you have been doing reforming this Parliament. I also congratulate
you on the digital technology that you have introduced to this Chamber, the oldest Parliament in this nation. I wish
you a wonderful Christmas and thank you for your good humour, your support and for the wonderful way in which
you conduct this Chamber. Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the Leader of the House, the member for Cronulla, it has
been a pleasure working alongside the Leader of the House this year amongst all of these ups and downs that we
have discussed, but I must admit that the biggest shock of 2020 was to find out his real age—60. It must be the
water in Cronulla.
Ms Anna Watson: Is he 60?
Mr ADAM CROUCH: He is. The Leader of the House is 60. As I said, it must be the water in Cronulla.
I thank Alex Gibson from the leader's office, who works so fantastically with my office, and I thank Bran Black
and Taylor Gramoski in the Premier's office. To my shadow, the member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson, we
have worked very well together again this year—she truly is a gazelle, running down the executive corridor. I also
thank her able assistant, Colleen Symington from the Opposition Whip's Office.
I thank the Clerks, who play such an enormous role in making this House function. Their advice on matters
of procedure and practice is invaluable to all of us. I thank the incredible Helen Minnican, the amazing
Carly Maxwell, who is in the Chamber—nobody can stay here until 2.00 a.m. and turn out looking as well the
next day as Carly Maxwell; I do not know how she does it—along with the incredible Simon Johnston, who jumps
on his treadly at 2.00 a.m., rides home and rides back the next morning. What an incredible team. They really
have perfected the art of Clerk-face.
I thank so many staff who look after us in this place. Hansard, how you do it I do not know. You make our
most awkward speeches sound so eloquent. I thank our incredible Chamber attendants—Danny is in the Chamber
this evening—the great team at IT Services, the catering team, the special constables and EO services. I must pay
tribute to the best cleaner in this place, the famous Martyr. I inform the House with much sadness that we will be
saying goodbye to Martyr this week. She is retiring after 30 years of service. I am proud to say that she has looked
after the Whip's Office and I will miss her incredible smiling face and happy voice every morning welcoming me
on my arrival. I am trying to convince Martyr that she needs to move to the beautiful electorate of Terrigal in her
retirement.
Another group of people I thank for their work is the ministerial staff of this Government. All staff members
have a tough job balancing the many demands on their time and their Minister's time. I would like to name all the
staff but I cannot. I particularly mention the following for their work this year: the Premier's Chief of Staff, Neil
Harley; private secretary, the amazing Peta Demery; Michael Evangelidis; Jerome Boutelet; Bryce O'Connor;
Bethany West; the amazing Sally White in Minister Paul Toole's office; Cheryl Gwilliam and Astrid Pedersen in
the Attorney General's office; the wonderful Leonie Lamont and Simon Santow in the health Minister's office;
Isabel Virgona in Minister Stokes' office; the fantastic Priya Pagaddinnimath in Minister Dominello's office; Doug
Walther in Minister Pavey's office; and Luke Sikora and Nick Story from Minister Hancock's office. I thank them
for all their support and level-headedness during a very tough year for Central Coast Council. I also acknowledge
Mitch Clout in Minister Ward's office for his incredible bravery in attending the staff bar on a Thursday evening.
I give a shout-out to one of my local residents Brett Wright who is in the gallery and was acknowledged
for more than 30 years' service. He is now retiring. Brett is a fantastic chap, and a constituent of mine. I wish him
all the very best in his well-deserved retirement. I will miss seeing him at the train stations in the lead-up to the
election. I give a quick shout-out to another local resident, Robert Gilbert. It has been a tough year for Robert and
I hope he gets a chance to relax over Christmas.
The Premier has done an incredible job this year. She never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud to be a
member of her Government. The Premier is a true people's leader. She always put the people of New South Wales
first and it has been a true honour again to serve as her Whip in this place. Finally, a small number of people make
my office in Parliament House and my electorate office in Erina run so smoothly. They are my work family and
I have only three of them. They do a wonderful job and they are: Donna Golightly—a true champion of the people
of the Terrigal electorate; Megan Golightly, my newest member; and the incredible Ben Sheath who runs my life
and my office and does and amazing job.
Being the Government Whip is a unique job. I acknowledge my colleague the member for Cootamundra,
Steph Cooke, the formidable Nationals Whip and her secretary Viv; Lee Evans, the member for Heathcote, my
deputy; and the Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones in the Legislative Council. I also thank all of my Liberal and
Nationals colleagues who mostly do the right thing to ensure the Parliament can run smoothly. I extend a very
special thank you to my darling wife, Jill. It has been a tough year and I hope 2021 is better for you. I wish
everyone a very merry Christmas and a restful and relaxing period.
Ms ANNA WATSON (Shellharbour) (17:36:08): It is once again the time of the year when we get a
chance to acknowledge those in our working life in Parliament and on the outside that assist us in our duties as
members of Parliament. It is a time to reflect and take stock of our blessings. It has been a particularly difficult
year for many in all of our communities and across Australia. It has been a long year and I for one am looking
forward to celebrating 2021 and hope it is a better year for all. I will start by thanking my constituents in
Shellharbour who have put their trust in me to represent them in the New South Wales Parliament. I love my
community and those who live within it. I am in my third term as the member for Shellharbour and I am constantly
grateful that the residents in Shellharbour have continued to support me.
I am very lucky to have such a great team in my electorate office. I acknowledge and thank Greg Golledge,
Sandy Mitrevski, Lou Hogan and Emmerson Burke. They always go above and beyond in their duties and exhibit
the qualities needed by a member of Parliament: They are intelligent, loyal and trustworthy, and they are able to
change tack quickly and effectively as required. I love those traits and I value those traits most in staff and in
people. I thank them for their loyalty, diligence and hard work in the electorate office. I wish them and their
families a very happy Christmas. A special mention to little Miss Olivia Mitrevski, the five-year-old daughter,
Sandy, and the most sassy five-year-old that you will ever meet in your life. She has provided my office in
Shellharbour with the most beautiful artwork that is plastered all over the walls. She is just an amazing little girl.
I acknowledge all our Labor caucus members and wish them and their families a very happy and healthy
Christmas. I know that they have all worked very hard and will certainly enjoy taking a break and spend time with
their families. I thank my Deputy Whip David Meehan for his assistance and wish David and his family all the
best. Adam Crouch is sitting opposite me now looking at me with a big grin on his face. Of course he knows that
I will extend a big thank you to him. We have worked so collaboratively together, particularly over the past 12
months. Adam and I enjoy a really great working relationship, as I do with the member for Heathcote, Mr Lee
Evans, who has just entered the Chamber. It has been a pleasure to work with you guys. I think the three of us run
this place very well along with the member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke who is a thoroughly decent human
being. I wish those in the Government Whip's office, their staff and families all the very best for 2021.
I extend my best wishes also to all Government members and Opposition members. The member for Keira,
Ryan Park, the Opposition leader of the House, does such a great job in his role working closely with me to make
sure all members are consulted and included. Ryan is always away from his wife, Kara, and his sons Preston and
Oliver. His family give up a lot so that Ryan can be in here. Ryan's commitment to his electorate and to this
Parliament is second to none. Many speakers before me have already acknowledged the incredible staff in this
building and I will be no different. I sincerely thank every the worker in the Parliament who work so hard to keep
sitting weeks running smoothly. I thank Ian Delhanty for his humour and honesty. He is an absolute legend. I give
a big shout-out to Ian and all of his staff, April Lowndes, Danny Nelda, Peter Tuziak, Monica and Hayley, the
library staff and Hansard. In catering, Kylie, Gary, Andrew, Mel, Lee, Carlos, Binny and Lubo. Thank you for
feeding us making us he best coffee particularly on those long nights and early mornings.
Of course I thank staff in payroll, facilities, human resources, and Helen and Andrew in information
technology are incredible. Members can go to them at any time of the day or night and they will always help you.
I also give a shout-out to Tass Morifardis who is the go-to guy for everything. If you do not know something you
just call him and if he does not know, he will know where to send you. I extend a great thank you to him. I thank
the maintenance crew and the cleaners. Erma is an absolute gem, as many others have said. She has completed
30 years and I congratulate her and wish her family very well. Her family live in my electorate and they are lovely
people.
Helen Minnican is such a lovely person and the backbone of this Chamber. Carly Maxwell is also sitting
in the Chamber I agree with the member for Terrigal: She always manages to look like she has just stepped out of
Vogue. I think you have got a real cheek doing that, by the way. You do a great job, so thank you for all you do,
Carly. I have seen three Clerks in my time in this place and I have to say that Helen is an absolute shining light.
I have a great respect for her, and I wish her and her family all the very best. I also acknowledge Les, Rohan and
Manuela who have so much patience; I do not know how they do it. When we are all here carrying on with our
shenanigans I do not know what is going through your minds. I often think, "What are these gooses doing?" but
you guys just sit there with so much patience and also provide the assistance that we need. I thank Mark Webb
and all of his team for keeping us informed, particularly through COVID-19. Mark has done an exceptional job
in keeping this place safe and us safe. I must say something about my mate Gareth Ward, the Minister for Families,
Communities and Disability Services. I think I should put a few things to bed.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Now is your chance because he is not here.
Ms ANNA WATSON: We have all heard the rumours and they are simply not true. The member for
Kiama and I are friends. We are mates, and we do have a laugh in this place. It was only a few months ago I was
in Kiama having a coffee with the member for Kiama. We were laughing together in a coffee shop and took some
selfies. People in the cafe just could not believe it. They said, "We thought you two couldn't stand one another."
I do have a lot of respect for Gareth. I think he is a lovely human being and I wish him and his family all the very
best for this Christmas and New Year, and I look forward to working closely with him when we return next years.
Colleen Symington, who is my executive assistant, continues to amaze me with her quick wit, her
perceptions, her loyalty and her tenacity. You just do not mess with Colleen. She can be the loveliest person in
the world, but do not get on her wrong side because she will certainly let you know it. She takes such a professional
approach to her job and her commitment never ceases to astound me. She is so committed to Labor and is a
wonderful person. She is a wonderful councillor on Georges River Council. I want Colleen to know that she is
valued and respected. We are a great team together and I greatly appreciate her friendship. I wish Colleen a
well-earned rest with her two boys and her family over Christmas and New Year.
I acknowledge my union, the mighty United Services Union and its executive and staff who work tirelessly
each and every day for their members. I cannot forget Graeme Kelly, who has been a mate of mine for 25 years.
He is a brilliant General Secretary who leads from the front. He is fierce and fearless and will always fight for his
members.
Last but not least, I thank my family. My husband, Gary, is a man who deserves many medals; his chest
would not be big enough to fit them all. He always looks after me with healthy meals and supports me in everything
I do. He takes the time to listen to me whenever I need him to and he is so patient. Apart from being my husband,
he is truly my best friend and he is always on my side; I probably drive him crazy most of the time. I also
acknowledge our children, Sophia, Johanna, Joseph, Matt and Aarron; we love our kids and they are our whole
world. Finally, I thank all the workers across New South Wales who are working over Christmas and into the
New Year for their work and dedication, especially the public service who deserve a pay increase; I hope the
Government will finally give it to them. I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year—all the
best for 2021.
Mr LEE EVANS (Heathcote) (17:45:36): Christmas felicitations is a tradition that we have in the
New South Wales Parliament. First of all, I acknowledge and thank my wife, Gayle. Without her support, I could
not do my job. Secondly, I thank my second family—my office staff—Anne England, Bella Beattie and
Abbey England. I thank the Speaker's Panel, which includes Mr Jonathan O'Dea, Deputy Speaker Mrs Leslie
Williams, Assistant Speaker Mr Mark Coure, Mrs Felicity Wilson, Ms Sonia Hornery, Mr Gurmesh Singh and
Mr Greg Piper. I thank the Leader of the House, Mark Speakman, and the previous Leader of the House, the
upright member for Bega, the Hon. Andrew Constance, and the Opposition's Leader of the House, Ryan Park.
I thank Adam Crouch of the Whip's Office for a great year. Even though we were not in Parliament much
this year, we have had a lot of good times and a lot of bad times, a lot of tears and a lot of anger, but mostly
laughing. I thank Ms Stephanie Cooke, who added to the mix of the Whip's Office this year. I also acknowledge
Rebecca Cartwright for her work in the Whip's Office this year; Ms Viv Lee, who has taken over Rebecca's role;
and Ben Shearer for his work this year. I thank Anna Watson and Colleen from the Opposition. It is a bit hard to
tell whether they are in opposition because we get on so well and work so well together, which is fantastic. It
keeps the place moving and that is what our jobs are about.
I thank the Premier, the Deputy Premier, all Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries and their executive
staff. I thank parliamentary liaison officers Michael Evangelidis, Jerome Boutelet and Bryce O'Connor. I thank
Clerks Helen, Les, Angie, Ian, Simon, Jack, John and Carly for all their support. I try to have a little bit of fun,
and I am sorry for that. Sometimes I go a little too far when I am in the Speaker's chair—but, let's face it, you
need to have some fun. I thank the staff of the Legislative Assembly, especially Elaine Schofield, Jonathan Elliott,
Bjarne Nortin, Mohini Mehta and Ze Nan Ma.
I thank the Table Office staff and the Hansard team. What can I say about the Hansard team? They are just
absolutely fantastic. I do not want to sound like I am gloating, but I give Hansard staff members a gift every year.
They deserve more than just a gift from all of us. Although everyone says, "Yes, they get paid for it," they do
more than is required. Some nights—like last week when we finished at 2.30 a.m.—they still have work to do
after we all go home. Again, I thank the team very much for the work they do. I hope they have a restful Christmas
before we come back next year.
I thank all the Chamber staff—there must be Chamber staff drinks on—and the library staff, the catering
staff and the cleaning staff. I congratulate all the cleaners for the job they have done throughout COVID. It is not
easy to have so many people wandering around touching things and having to clean and sanitise it all. I thank the
special constables. I know I have probably missed out a couple of hundred people in this felicitations speech, so
I thank everyone and wish everyone a very peaceful and quiet Christmas. This year will probably be a little
different from every other Christmas, but I think next year we will come back bigger and better. I just mention
that parliamentary colleagues are parliamentary colleagues. Even though we have differences of agreement, we
are all in the same boat; we are all in it together. I look forward to seeing everyone next Thursday. Whatever
happens, have a very merry Christmas.
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (17:50:48): I send Christmas greetings to all my constituents and
wish them and their families a restful holiday. It is a great honour to represent the people of The Entrance
electorate, and I thank them all for the trust they have placed in me. This year Mother Nature threw a lot at the
Central Coast. We were affected by fires, which rained ash all over our region during the 2019-2020 bushfire
season. No sooner had we brought that under control than we experienced flooding in February. Now we have
been confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank all the emergency services personnel who gave so much
during the fires. They kept at bay what is estimated to be the largest forest fire in Australian history since European
settlement. Then they worked hard to clean up after the flooding that affected my electorate in February this year.
Now they are helping to fight against the threat of coronavirus. We will get through that if we work together, have
regard for our neighbours and work as a community.
I thank my community for their support over the past 12 months. With their assistance and guidance, they
helped me achieve so much for the community from the Opposition benches. The most obvious expression of that
has been the upgrades at railways stations in my electorate. The Government resisted but, with the community's
support, we got them. The biggest campaign we ran was on the lifts at Tuggerah. We got letter after letter from
the transport Minister saying that we were never going to get the lifts. Well, in this week's budget the first money
allocated to that project was announced, and it is all down to my community and the support they have shown me
on the Central Coast.
The role of Opposition in a parliamentary democracy is a tough one. The Opposition does not have the
resources of the Government and, as Opposition Deputy Whip, I thank my caucus colleagues for their hard work
during the year. Personally, I thank them for their support and I thank Opposition Whip Anna Watson. Our office
works well, but our office would not work at all without the most hardworking member of the Opposition,
Colleen Symington. She keeps us focused and on top of things in this place, and I give her my personal thanks
and the thanks of the whole Labor caucus. It has been an honour working with my Labor colleagues and
representing Labor in this place. The Opposition is well served by the leadership team of Jodi McKay and Yasmin
Catley. I look forward to working with them in a future Labor government. I thank the Labor party members in
The Entrance electorate for their support. I particularly thank Young Labor, its leader Hannah Mercer and her
colleagues who have supported me with campaigning throughout the year.
The staff of Parliament House do a fantastic job. I have said before that, as a socialist, it gives me great
heart to see public servants running things as efficiently as this place runs. I recognise the Clerk of the Legislative
Assembly, Helen Minnican, and her staff; the Department of Parliamentary Services staff; and the library and
catering staff—particularly Mai Le, who regularly brings meals to my room through the day. I also thank Hansard
for turning my mumbles into intelligent speech. It is a job well done.
My marvellous electorate office staff are an extension of Labor's care for our community, and I make
particular mention of my senior electoral officer Catherine Wall, who is a perfect fit for the role. I also thank
Danielle Atherden, Alfat Karnib, Peyton Roberts-Garnsey and Rhys Zorro, who are all focused on doing the best
work they can for my community. I thank the Speaker and his staff, as well as all the "mini Speakers", for their
work. The Speaker has worked hard to improve the operation of the Parliament, something which represents a
great contribution to democracy in this State. I thank my partner, Deanne, for her support over the years. She
listens to my concerns about the community and I appreciate the different point of view that she provides when
helping me deal with problems in my electorate. Over the coming year I want to make sure that more is done
about the privatisation of public housing in my electorate, but until then I wish Government members a merry
Christmas and I look forward to both working with and beating them where possible in the future.
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:56:15): During the last sitting week for 2020, I congratulate both sides
of the House on an interesting, challenging but very rewarding parliamentary year. I wish all members and their
families a restful and enjoyable Christmas period before we continue working for the people of New South Wales
in 2021. This year has been tough. We have faced bushfires, drought and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic,
which has impacted our lives like nothing before. We have learnt a lot this year, and I commend the efforts of
individuals across the State who have shown courage and leadership in these times of crisis.
Firefighters from Riverwood and Mortdale fire stations battled blazes across the State to protect local
communities in areas like Port Macquarie. Local businesses, including Mortdale Wholesalers and the Mortdale
Fruit Box Market & Deli, worked together to provide much-needed food, water and sanitary items to areas like
Batemans Bay and Mogo. I thank all the frontline workers who have worked tirelessly through the pandemic to
keep our community safe and operating smoothly. I particularly thank staff at St George Hospital, who have
shown outstanding dedication to ensure that COVID-19 testing runs both safely and effectively.
I commend the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, for going above and beyond to
keep our community safe during the pandemic. I also acknowledge the State's outstanding Treasurer, the
Hon. Dominic Perrottet, who handed down a fantastic budget on Tuesday that rounded out all his hard work this
year in keeping the economy going and setting it up for the year ahead. I acknowledge the many Ministers who
visited my electorate of Oatley and the community of St George, including the Minister for Police and Emergency
Services, who I believe has visited three times in the past two years.
This has been a fantastic year for infrastructure, with the sporting precinct at Poulton Park at Connells
Point, the soon-to-be-opened new Service NSW centre at Roselands and upgrades to the Mortdale Maintenance
Centre and Gannons Park in Peakhurst all being funded. This is in addition to Penshurst West Public School,
Penshurst Public School, Hurstville Grove Infants School and Hurstville Public School receiving extra investment
from the Government. All of these projects are either on the verge of completion or have already opened. I will
continue to fight for my community to ensure that it has the facilities and infrastructure that will keep people
moving as we build for future generations.
I thank the Speaker and the entire panel of alternate Speakers, including you, Temporary Speaker Evans.
I also thank everyone who works in the Parliament, including the cleaners and caterers, Hansard, the front office
and entitlements staff, the library workers and attendants. I extend my gratitude to the Clerks and the Government
Whips—the member for Terrigal, the member for Heathcote and the member for Cootamundra—as well as the
Opposition Whips. I thank members from both sides of the House, particularly those from the Sutherland shire,
and I wish the member for Kogarah and the member for Rockdale the very best.
I cannot conclude my remarks without acknowledging my electorate staff, Team Coure. I thank the ever-
reliable, outstanding, calm and brilliant Shane—in fact I think that Shane may have written this speech—for all
the late nights that he has put in to keep my team running smoothly. I cannot thank him enough for everything
that he has done over the years. I also thank Justin, Laura and Jared for the incredible job that they have done
every day supporting my constituents and the Parliament. I thank them dearly for the hours that they have put in
behind the scenes work to keep my office running smoothly, and for suffering through cold mornings at local train
stations in the process. While this year it was sad to see the likes of the outstanding Diandra, Charlotte and Anna
go, I have no doubt that these fine young women will go very far in the future.
Finally, I thank my dear wife for all the support that she has given me over the past 10 years. I also thank
our two young children, James, who is six and a half, and baby Sam, who is a year and a half, who always make
me laugh and are growing up way too fast. I could never do the job that I do and could have never achieved what
I have without their help, and for that I am extremely grateful. On behalf of my family I wish everyone a very
merry Christmas and a blessed start to the New Year, as we move away from a year of hardship into a year of
opportunity, 2021.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT (Baulkham Hills—Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (18:01:23):
I for one cannot wait to see the end of 2020, but it would be remiss of me not to give thanks and show gratitude
to the many people who have assisted me in getting through what has been a tough year both professionally and
personally. Of course at the outset I thank my chief of staff, Tanya Raffoul, who has led our team with Churchillian
zeal. Those who know me know that that is the highest compliment I could ever pay to anybody. Tanya has not
only kept me in line but also six commissioners in line, into all of whom she instilled the fear of God.
I thank my unfortunately named deputy chief of staff Rommel Varghese. As a former army officer, I have
great difficulty asking for Rommel to give me advice. We will be changing his name to Monty if I ever return to
the Veterans Affairs portfolio, but he does have a thorough grasp of the brief, and for that I am very grateful.
I thank Dom Bondar, who organises my regional visits. He challenges me. He has proven that you can go 24 hours
without going to the toilet or having a meal because he jams my events into my schedule so tightly, as I am sure
the member for Cootamundra and the member for Riverstone are aware.
I thank Trish, who always has my back. Do members remember the advert for the Energizer Bunny? Well,
I have her working for me now. Her name is Vanessa and she is fantastic. Aster, who is another press secretary,
tells me what to think and how to think it. Do members remember M*A*S*H? I am sure that we were all fans of
it. Well, I was in the army and we had people like my PA, Kylie. We call her Radar O'Reilly because she always
knows what I am about to say or do and where I am about to go. I thank Kim, who always welcomes everybody
who comes into my office with a smile, even those who I detest.
I thank Verity, who makes all my silly problems within the police portfolio go away. I also thank Ivan.
I still do not know exactly what he does, but happy Christmas, mate! I thank Helen, one of the best and most loyal
operatives I have ever met in my 34 years as a member of the Liberal Party. I thank Antonella from my electorate
office, who is a very calming influence. She certainly puts on a very good morning tea when I am in my electorate.
I thank Aaron, who knows more about the mechanics of government than I will ever know. And I thank my driver
Ross, who is an ex-firefighter and knows where all the bodies are buried in the fire brigade. In fact, I suspect that
he was at most of the internments!
I thank my two Parliamentary Secretaries, Mel Gibbons and Mark Taylor, who have stepped up during this
very busy period. Finally, I thank the commissioners and rank-and-file members of the Rural Fire Service; Fire and
Rescue NSW; the SES; the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association; Marine Rescue NSW; Surf Life Saving NSW;
the NSW Police Force and, of course, St John Ambulance. They have done a magnificent job through the
bushfires, drought and COVID-19 pandemic, and are fast becoming the new Anzacs. I thank my Federal
parliamentary colleague Alex Hawke; my local mayor, Michelle Byrne; and my State Electoral Conference
President Samuel Uno for a wonderful year. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to thank three very beautiful
people: Nicole, Lachlan and William. Thank you.
Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra) (18:04:41): Tonight I thank some of the people who have made
2020 memorable for all the right reasons. This year everyone in this Chamber and in every household in the State
has adapted to the impact of a global pandemic the likes of which has not been seen for a century. I thank everyone
who has worked hard to ensure the important democratic processes of Australia's oldest Parliament could continue,
our frontline health and emergency services workers, and everyone who has played their part in managing the
pandemic. It has been another year of dedication from the Speaker, and member for Davidson; the Deputy
Speaker, and member for Port Macquarie; the Assistant Speaker, and member for Oatley; and the Leader of the
House, and member for Cronulla. I acknowledge each of them and acknowledge their hard work in 2020. I also
give a shout-out to Alex Gibson.
This year marks my second as The Nationals Whip. I thank the formidable Government Whip,
Adam Crouch, for being my partner in crime. Sometimes we are known in this place as the Crouchy and Grouchy
show, but it is an absolute honour to serve alongside him. I also thank his offsider Ben Sheath. I thank
Deputy Whip Lee Evans for sharing the long hours in this Chamber and my own party, the NSW Nationals, for
continuing to show its confidence in me with this esteemed position. Our roles have needed to adapt to COVID
restrictions. I particularly acknowledge the cooperation of my colleagues across the aisle: Opposition Whip, and
member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson; and the Deputy Opposition Whip, and member for The Entrance. I also
acknowledge the work of upper House Government Whip, Natasha Maclaren-Jones, and upper House Nationals
Whip, Sam Farraway. I congratulate him on stepping up into that role.
I thank my Liberal and Nationals colleagues for their contributions to debates and for playing their part in
this Government. I thank my Whip's Assistant, Viv Lee, for keeping the Government working on sitting days with
our party meetings and for keeping me fed during the long hours at Parliament. The Clerks of this House—Helen,
Carly, Simon and their teams—have helped me immeasurably this year. I thank them for their advice and
generosity in sharing their knowledge and time. This House does not function without the many staff who make
this building a hive of activity: the IT services; the library staff; Chamber attendants Ian, Danny, Monica, Hayley,
April, Peter and Chris; the catering team; the special constables; and the diligent Hansard team, who ensure the
words spoken in this place will remain long after we have gone. I cannot express how bolstering their kind
greetings have been as we go about our work at all hours of the day and night.
The ministerial staff have adapted to the challenges of this year with gusto. They continue to do their jobs
with professionalism and passion while working from home, helping children with remote learning, managing
pets who are ecstatic they have not left the house, or negotiating kitchen tables turned workspaces with
housemates. I particularly acknowledge the Premier's Chief of Staff, Neil Harley, and the Deputy Premier's Chief
of Staff, Siobhan Hamlin, and their respective teams. They should all be extremely proud of the way they have
taken the trials of devastating bushfires, a global pandemic and ongoing drought in their stride and continued to
work hard for all our communities. I am honoured to serve as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier, and
I thank him for once again leading our party through the challenges and triumphs of this year. Rarely in the century
of service by our party have we seen a greater champion of rural and regional New South Wales.
I simply would not be able to do my job without my teams in Young and Junee or my office manager,
Clare. To my wonderful team, Frances Crowley, Marie Tame and Jenny Littlejohn, who have been with me from
the start, and Kimberley Cavanagh, Cath Sheridan, Emma Brown and Angela Fisher, this has been a tremendous
year and I am so proud of everything that we have achieved together. As we head towards Christmas, I hope
everyone gets the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones in the places they feel most at home. Have
a very merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous new year.
Mr STEPHEN BALI (Blacktown) (18:09:44): This year's Christmas and seasonal felicitations are
different from those of any other years. For most, the end of 2020 cannot come fast enough. We saw bushfires,
drought and COVID, resulting in many people suffering mental anguish and economic hardship either through
unemployment or difficult business trading. The parliamentary staff have made a fantastic effort to keep the
wheels of government turning in these difficult times. I thank the Clerks of this Chamber, Helen and Les, the
Speaker of the House and all the Assistant Speakers. I thank Paul Blanch, who visited Blacktown. I am looking
forward to the upcoming visit by the Speaker, Jonathan O'Dea, when he comes to Blacktown in a couple of weeks'
time.
I thank the table officers, the Chamber support people—particularly Ian and Danny—the Hansard people
and the hundreds of people working throughout Parliament House. I thank my fellow Labor parliamentarians, the
shadow Ministers and the Leader of the Opposition's office staff, who have supported me and helped me out
throughout the year. I give special thanks to Jodi McKay, who has done a fantastic job as leader in these difficult
times. I thank Anna Watson and all the support Whips and give a special call-out to Colleen Symington, who
keeps an active eye on all of us to ensure we are doing whatever we are supposed to be doing.
I give special thanks to my Blacktown electoral staff. They are a wonderful team who deal passionately
with the local challenges that many of our constituents have. Words cannot adequately express my appreciation
of the wonderful effort they all put in. For the record, they include Elizabeth Banks, who is currently on maternity
leave, and Angela Humphries, who is ably standing in for her. I wish Ange all success next year in whatever role
she may have. Wendy Chen, Justine Ndayi, Sabrina Can and Kimberly Campbell job-share the other two positions
and are extremely committed and well coordinated. John Costelloe, Ebony O'Connor and Anthony Carver have
stood in from time to time and their professionalism is a credit to our local area.
I thank all the local Labor branch members and executive members for volunteering their time to ensure
that Labor remains relevant and respected in our local community. I thank my wonderful bride of 26 years, Anne,
for all her hard work and volunteering; and my great son, Stephen Jr, for his very important support. I wish
everybody in this Chamber across the political divide, all employees and everyone involved a wonderful
Christmas. May 2021 bring much joy and success.
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (18:12:45): I have been reflecting on this day four years ago,
when I was at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The profundity of that experience reflects the miracle of
the Christmas season, the humble birth of Jesus, the triumph of good over evil and the true spirit of Christmas in
reflecting on the miracles that can be before us. It is an incredibly important message for us to think through at
the end of 2020, which has been a challenging year for so many people: droughts, bushfires and then the
COVID-19 pandemic. The uplifting message of the Nativity and the Christmas story is being felt by all of us here
in Sydney and across New South Wales because we feel as though we have come through an incredibly
challenging year. We feel as though we have come through it together and we feel that, while there will be more
challenges thrown at us, we can work together to prevail against them.
I am looking forward to this Christmas. I feel that it is going to be a particularly special one for me and my
family and for many families who have found succour from each other in this challenging year. I acknowledge
and thank those who worked so incredibly hard to get us through this year—the frontline workers and the people
who have been doing the heavy lifting to fight this pandemic. They are our police, our health staff, our teachers,
our supermarket staff and particularly our cleaners, when we think about how much we need their support. We
are incredibly fortunate in the important work of the contact tracing teams in NSW Health—those public health
experts who are now heroes. I thank the people of the North Shore. None of us are here without our constituents.
I get a lot of frank and fearless advice from my constituents but also an incredible amount of support and feedback.
This year has been a particularly interesting year again for me, with the arrival of my son Henry just two months
ago. The welcome that he received from my community has been bar none. I thank my community for the support
that they have given me to enable me to do my job while also juggling the glories of a newborn baby.
I thank those who help the Parliament function, the hardworking individuals from the many different
departments and services: the Hansard team; IT; the front desk; the cafe staff; the attendants; the Clerk, Helen
Minnican and her team; security; maintenance and cleaning; everyone who keeps Parliament moving. As I sit on
four parliamentary committees now I thank all of the committee staff, including Elaine Schofield,
Caroline Hopley, Aden Baites, Madeleine Dowd, Ze Nan Ma, Stephanie Mulvey, Elspeth Dyer, Dora Oravecz
and Bjarne Nordin. I also thank my parliamentary colleagues and acknowledge them, particularly the Premier,
who has worked tirelessly this year for the people of New South Wales in the face of the natural disasters and the
pandemic. She has navigated through the pandemic with the support of the health Minister, Brad Hazzard, and
the Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant. I thank all three of them for their leadership and their continuous work
throughout the year.
I mention some colleagues who have given me significant support this year. As I mentioned, bringing a
new baby into Parliament—he was about seven weeks old when I first came back after a brief few weeks away—
took a lot of support from the Speaker and the Whip and their teams. I thank Jonathan O'Dea, his staff member
Georgia and the entire panel of Speakers, as well as the Whip, Adam Crouch, and his staff member Ben for the
changes that they made to enable me to come back in to this place. I acknowledge my electorate office team; my
senior electorate officer, Lisa Forrest; and the team who have worked with me here throughout the year,
Chris McDermott, Tamika Dartnell-Moor—who was stolen from my by Mr Don Harwin, but I wish her well—
Natalie Windle and Niamh Cronin. Thank you for supporting our community and working tirelessly with me,
particularly when I have been in and out of the office with pregnancy and a new baby.
I thank my branch members and my conference who have also risen to the challenge this year trying to
find new ways to engage and provide advice and feedback and work together, the entire North Shore State
Electoral Conference and the branches. Most importantly, I am grateful to have the support of my family. I would
not have been here last week and this week with baby Henry if I did not have my husband, Sam, helping me to
breastfeed and get to speeches, committee meetings and around the Parliament. It is a very interesting challenge
for working parents and we truly are a team. I think it would be very hard to do this job, and probably many others,
without the support of a partner. We definitely approach this job and serving our community as a team.
I acknowledge my two young children, Eleanor and Henry, and my entire family. Thank you all for your
continuing love and support, and merry Christmas.
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield) (18:17:37): It is with pleasure that I extend felicitations for the festive
season. I hope that everyone has a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. It has been a particularly
challenging year for everyone, and I am sure we are all looking forward to spending valuable time with our
families. I thank the Clerks of the Legislative Assembly and all the people who work hard to keep this place going.
I thank the Speaker, Jonathan O'Dea; the Assistant Speaker; the Deputy Speaker; and the Temporary Speakers.
They have a difficult job and we appreciate their contribution. I thank the Government Whip and member for
Terrigal, Adam Crouch, and the Opposition Whip and member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson. We appreciate
their support. A special thank you to our secretary in the Opposition Whip's office, Colleen Symington, for her
support and work throughout the year.
I thank the Leader of the House, the Attorney General and member for Cronulla, Mark Speakman; and for
the Opposition, the member for Keira, my great mate Ryan Park. He does a great job in leadership, guidance and
direction for the House. I thank everyone in the Table Office and the Hansard staff for all the work that they do.
Theirs is a mammoth task and we appreciate their support. I also thank the Legislative Assembly attendants who
look after us in the Chamber. Your patience is much appreciated. I thank all the people in Parliament who keep
the House going: our stalwart security who make sure we are all safe, the cleaners, the dining room staff, the Cafe
Quorum staff and all the chefs and food service crew. The food and service in Parliament House is top standard
and we thank you very much for your efforts in ensuring it is so.
I also pay special thanks to my electorate office staff—my senior electorate officer, Stella Patane;
Jess Daniele; George Barcha; and Katerina Sotiropoulos—for their support for me personally, but more
importantly to the people of Fairfield, who have bestowed upon us the great honour of representation. I also thank
the Leader of the Opposition, Jodi McKay, for her wonderful leadership and guidance. A big thanks also to my
Labor colleagues and shadow Ministers who have been fighting the good fight this year. Well done and I look
forward to doing it all again next year. Thanks also to my backbench colleagues for their work fighting for better
outcomes in their respective communities. I also thank the people of Fairfield for their constant support. Fairfield
is a great place to live and I will continue to do my best for the community. I thank my wife, Melissa, and our
four children for the love and support that they give me in order to do this job. I really appreciate it.
The COVID-19 pandemic was an occurrence the world did not anticipate. It has led to much hardship, loss
of life and a re-evaluation of the way we go about our everyday lives. Several groups of people in our wider
community stood out as everyday heroes and they deserve special thanks. I thank the hospital medics and staff,
nurses, teachers, cleaners, police, bus drivers, emergency service workers, Australia Post delivery drivers,
train drivers and all other transport drivers, and supermarket and retail staff. All of these people in these
professions in some way or another have put the needs of the community first and themselves last to keep
New South Wales going.
We have one of the best records of containment of the coronavirus and it is due to the hard work that these
people put in to make sure our communities were safe. Not only did they have to perform their regular duties;
they also had to change the way they perform these duties for the benefit and safety of others. They sacrificed
time with their families and friends, and worked long hours under extraordinary conditions, often risking their
own safety for the sake of others. There are no other words that can be used to thank our frontline essential
workers. However, I express my gratitude and I am sure I can speak for the rest of New South Wales when I say
their extraordinary efforts have been noticed and we are deeply thankful for their efforts and sacrifice. Thank you.
Before I make my final comments, it would be remiss of me not to thank the Premier of New South Wales,
Gladys Berejiklian, for her efforts this year, starting at the beginning of the year under difficult circumstances, as
well as the Ministers and all colleagues across the Chamber. Christmas is a time of giving. It is a time of peace,
love and joy. This Christmas as a member of this House I wish all people a very merry Christmas and a safe
holiday and new year. To those who do not observe the Christmas tradition, I wish you and your loved ones a safe
and restful holiday season. Felicitations to all. May 2021 bring us much laughter, health and prosperity.
Mrs WENDY TUCKERMAN (Goulburn) (18:22:32): Christmas is my favourite time of the year. It is
a time to reflect on the achievements throughout the last 12 months. It is also a time to be grateful and reflect on
the hard work and be thankful to all those who have helped to make these great things possible. As I have said
many times before, I am truly blessed to represent the wonderful people of the Goulburn electorate. I am extremely
proud to be part of a government that delivers for regional New South Wales. My electorate commitments continue
to be delivered and I am pleased to see their progress to date. To name a few, there is the Moss Vale Bypass, the
Goulburn Aquatic and Leisure Centre redevelopment, the redevelopment of the Goulburn Base Hospital, the
upgrades to the Crookwell District Hospital and the new hall for Yass High School. There are many to mention
and it is wonderful to see them progressing.
A few other milestones for my electorate include $8 million recently announced for the Wombeyan Caves
Road. I know the community there is so grateful after a long battle to try to secure funding. The road will support
a $9.6 million upgrade to Wombeyan Caves tourism. It is fantastic for that area, which was very much affected
by bushfires and then floods this year. The showground stimulus package has brought over $1 million to my
electorate. The contract that has just been announced for the drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility is very
welcome. There is a lot happening in Goulburn and surrounds and I am truly blessed to be representing the
constituents I am honoured to serve.
This year has presented many challenges, including drought, fires and, of course, the pandemic. But I know
the people of New South Wales will bounce back stronger than ever. I thank the emergency services personnel
for their ongoing efforts, as well as their families, who have to endure not seeing them at Christmas. It has been a
very, very tough year and they have been absolutely amazing in the work they have done. Not only in my electorate
but also across the whole State, what a challenging year it has been for our health staff, our teachers and our police
officers. Thank you for your ongoing efforts and your flexibility in what has been a most difficult time.
The Parliament would not be able to function without the support of a number of departments and services
and the people within them. I thank all of them: parliamentary staff, ministerial staff, my five local councils—
with whom I have a great relationship—and the community organisations and groups who contact me and keep
me informed about what is happening on the ground and about their needs and wants. They put their trust in me
and I am so happy to be working on their behalf. I cannot do what I do without the wonderful support of my
electorate team—Alicia, Paige and Cheryl. Their support, dedication and commitment to the people of the
electorate is truly commendable and appreciated.
I know that after the year we have faced the Christmas holidays cannot come quickly enough. Being a
member of the Berejiklian Government truly is a great honour and a privilege. I acknowledge and thank the
Premier, in particular, for all her support, and I thank my parliamentary colleagues for their support and everything
they do for me and for the people of New South Wales. I also thank my very good branch members, who have
supported me throughout the year during what has been a very difficult time.
Finally, I thank my family—my beautiful husband, Michael, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Lette, and
my sons, Tom and Bradley, and their partners. Thank you for your understanding and support throughout the year.
I look forward to having a beautiful big family Christmas with them. I look forward to the year ahead and to
continuing to deliver for the communities of the Goulburn electorate. I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and
I hope you all enjoy a lovely break with quality time with your families.
Dr HUGH McDERMOTT (Prospect) (18:26:27): Christmas is a special time of the year for my family
and me, as it is a time we spend surrounded by our loved ones, family and friends. It is a time when we give thanks
and praise for all the blessings we have received over the past 12 months. This year was extremely difficult for
many in our community. Tragically, many lives and livelihoods were lost as a result of catastrophic bushfires,
severe floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is only right that we honour those lives and keep their loved
ones in our memory as we navigate through this difficult period.
On numerous occasions I have reiterated what an honour and privilege it is to stand in this Chamber and
represent the families living in the electorate of Prospect. I thank all those individuals who have assisted me
throughout this challenging year. To my hardworking electorate staff—David Weston, Annie Wang, Karl Stewart,
Michael Kolokossian and Brooke Unsworth—I thank you for your dedication to our office. It was not easy at
times but together we achieved the best result for the people of Prospect, and will do so again throughout 2021.
I also thank my parliamentary colleagues. Regardless of our political differences, we are all here for one
purpose: to serve the people of New South Wales. I particularly thank you for the care and the support you
provided to me personally during the bushfire season and its aftermath. I will never forget this, nor will members
of my RFS brigade or my family. I thank you for your support and wish you and your families all the best for
2021.
To the dedicated Clerks, the Deputy Clerks and the Hansard team, thank you for your diligence, dedication
and care. To our special constables and NSW Police Force officers, thank you for providing a safe environment
for all of us here at Parliament, regardless of the day or the hour. Your tireless efforts and service are greatly
appreciated. To those working behind the scenes—our dedicated Department of Parliamentary Services staff, IT,
cleaners, maintenance and the kitchen team—thank you for providing a service that cannot be faulted. It is thanks
to you that this Parliament runs as effectively as it does.
Finally, I thank my beautiful family—my wife, Bettina, and our three children, Geneva, Camille and
Olivia. Every action I take and every statement that I make in this place I do to ensure you are proud of me. You
are my greatest motivation. I pray that everyone has a safe holiday, surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.
Merry Christmas and God bless.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I thank the member for Prospect. Merry Christmas to you and to your
family as well.
Dr JOE McGIRR (Wagga Wagga) (18:29:33): On behalf of the Independent members—me, the
member for Lake Macquarie and the member for Sydney—I thank all those who have helped us in our work this
year and wish them, our communities and the State a happy Christmas, a Christmas when I hope we can all spend
time with our loved ones. I know it will be a Christmas when we reflect on the extraordinary events of 2020. It is
a great privilege to represent our communities and we are very thankful to all those who have helped us do that.
In particular, we thank parliamentary staff including Helen Minnican and the parliamentary Clerks; the Table
Office and committee secretariats; the Hansard staff; the catering staff; the library; police and security staff; and
Jack Kerkvleit.
We also thank Mark Webb and the Department of Parliamentary Services staff. Thank you for helping us
to adapt, in the Parliament and in our offices, to the challenges of the year and for the additional support provided
during the fires, the pandemic and the cross-border issues. A special thankyou goes to the cleaners and
maintenance workers in the building—as the Premier said, one of the most important roles in our State Parliament.
And a big shout-out to all the staff in all the electorate offices throughout the State, but especially to those whose
communities have been affected by drought and bushfires
I thank my staff, without whom I could not do the work I do Jennie Meiklejohn, Jody Lindbeck,
Kelly Hewson, Daniela Gooden and Lizzie Paradice, as well as Rachelle Kell and Mario Olsen. I also thank
Steff Wills, who left our office during the year but whose contribution was very much appreciated. Thank you to
the Press Gallery and our local journalists—without you, democracy does not work We also thank our
parliamentary colleagues the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Assistant Speaker and Temporary Speakers and
their staff. In particular, on a personal note, I acknowledge the professional development program that the Speaker
has introduced; it has been astounding.
We particularly thank the Premier, the Deputy Premier, the Ministers of the Government, the Leader of the
Opposition and her team, and our parliamentary colleagues for negotiating this year of crises. We thank the
members of the crossbench, the Leader of the House, the Manager of Opposition Business and the Whips. We
thank departmental staff and the staff of Ministers and shadow Ministers who help us to have the information we
need to do our jobs well. We also thank especially the frontline workers in the State, who in the bushfires and the
pandemic have turned up for us, to protect us, to treat us and to keep us safe, putting their lives on the line.
I particularly thank my Independent colleagues for their support during the year. I acknowledge especially
the families of all MPs for their support. I particularly thank my wife, Kerin Fielding, for her wonderful support
during the past year and always. I also acknowledge our family, Lara and Duncan, Natasha, Dylan and Anna. This
was a special year for our family as we welcomed our first grandchild, Rachel Harriet. Finally, we deeply thank
our communities for their trust in us and for their support through this very tough year. I hope that this year
Christmas will be one when we can thankfully spend precious time with our loved ones while we reflect on the
year that has been, acknowledging the sufferings of our fellow citizens, making sure that we live in solidarity with
them, and living the ideals of peace and goodwill to all.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I thank the member for Wagga Wagga. I wish him and his family and
first grandchild a very merry Christmas as well.
Mr JUSTIN CLANCY (Albury) (18:33:01): COVID barely touched my community with direct illness,
but this year we have certainly felt the impact of the border restrictions on daily life and work. COVID has
certainly taken a hammer to 2020. It has been a year when, cruelly, private events, surgeries, child care and last
farewells have so often required people to tell their close stories to strangers in order to obtain a crossing permit
or exemption from isolation or quarantine through Sydney. Each day we strive to assist with compassion.
I acknowledge that we have not always been able to deliver that which was sought. We are all looking forward to
the opening of the border next Monday, but for now the daily work continues—as I know the staff of Health and
Service NSW understand as well—to get family members where they need to be in times of distress or loss and
to help businesses send employees to where the work is.
In this Advent season, as we prepare for Christmas, I am reminded that this is a time to focus on hope. It
has been said that Christmas is not a story of hope. It is hope. Surely, as we near the end of 2020, the practice of
hope should be on our wish lists. I say the practice of hope because hope, like most good things, does not just sit
on the shelf waiting for us to pick it up. Hope is more elusive. We have to look out for it, and bring our senses
and sensibilities to bear on the task. Our hope might be generously wide for peace, prosperity, community
wellbeing for everyone and for yourself. Hope lifts the spirit and helps us to endure. May this be a time of renewal
in our daily lives, among our friendship groups and in our families.
I have enjoyed much support this year from my colleagues in this place. In particular, I all those who have
picked up the phone to call me to see how we are faring along the border. I welcome your words of comfort and
encouragement. I single out and thank the Premier, the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Finance and Small
Business, and the Minister for Police and Emergency Services who have followed through on the charter of their
roles in government to get down to Albury to see for themselves how the border closure and restrictions were
impacting on residents and businesses. I thank the Speaker, all my parliamentary colleagues, and all who work in
Parliament and in electorate offices across our State. In particular, I thank my electorate office staff.
I thank my family: my wife, Tabitha, and our three children, Xavier, Seamus and Natalie. But, most
importantly, I thank my community for their perseverance through what has been a challenging time. Again,
I hope that this Christmas is a period of hope. My wish for them and for all is hope. This has seen us through a
tumultuous year and will light the way for us in 2021. I wish all a happy Christmas from my family to yours.
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) (18:36:03): Last year we had never heard of words like
"COVID" and "coronavirus". Who knew where Wuhan was? What did "social distancing" mean? What did
lockdown entail? It has been a difficult year, no question. But, as a person who is ever an optimist, I think there
is so much for us to be thankful for. I am thankful that I live in an incredibly beautiful place and I am so very
thankful that I live in a community where people care about each other, look out for each other, and go above and
beyond to support each other. Our local community demonstrated their resilience and their compassion following
the dreadful fires of 2019 that ravaged communities up and down the coast, and in 2020 they continued to show
that same compassion. I thank each and every one of them for the role they have played, no matter how big or
how small, to make sure that we worked alongside each other and were there for each other so everybody felt
supported and cared for during some very difficult times.
Whether you are a frontline worker—a nurse, doctor, police officer, a teacher, a small business owner, a
member of the emergency services, a support worker, a community volunteer—to each of you I extend my
sincerest thanks. Everybody across the breadth of our community has stepped up and that is what makes me so
proud to be the member for Port Macquarie. I wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas, and extend to you my
best wishes for 2021. I thank my parliamentary colleagues across the political divide who have supported me
during the past year. We are all strong, passionate and dedicated representatives of our communities, and I
consider it an honour and a privilege to share my work life with each of you. It has been a challenging year on
many levels but I have been very appreciative of the support I have received. I look forward to working alongside
you all in 2021 and wish you and your families a very merry Christmas.
In my role as Deputy Speaker, I have received tremendous support from the staff across the Parliament,
particularly from the office of the Clerk. To Helen, Simon and Carly and all the team, enjoy your Christmas
holidays and I thank you for your time mentoring and guiding me in this privileged role as Deputy Speaker. To
the Hansard staff, sitting in the chair during many lively debates in this House, I just do not know how they
manage to make what is sometimes said in here translate into what resembles logical commentary in the Hansard.
No doubt you will all be relishing some time away from this place. Best wishes to you and your families. To the
catering staff and the outstanding team in Café Quorum, thank you for your very efficient delivery of coffee each
morning. What would we do without you all? Enjoy your holidays and time with your family and loved ones.
To all the teams across the Parliament—Building Services, library, Table Office, cleaners and the special
constables—thank you especially for watching out over us. To my colleagues on the Speaker's Panel, led by our
wonderful Speaker, thank you for your friendship and professionalism in your roles. We are a great team—and
that includes you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I do not think there is a more supportive group across the Parliament.
We are always willing to assist each other and take the chair when needed. Merry Christmas to you all. I look
forward to working alongside you in 2021.
To my electorate office staff—Terry, Sarah, Brendan, Will and Lesley—it has certainly been a year to
remember and I know I would not have been able to do it without you. You are such passionate, caring and
dedicated people. The people of Port Macquarie are so very fortunate to have you. I look forward to sharing
Christmas celebrations with you all in the weeks ahead. Finally, to my husband, Don, you are just a legend—
always there, always supportive. We have had a year of much reflection, much contemplation and way too many
wines. Now I look forward to some time at home in the holiday season. To all my parliamentary colleagues, I wish
you a very merry Christmas and I look forward to joining you all in this House in 2021.
Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) (18:40:15): What a year it has been. We have heard speaker after speaker
say the same thing—that we have lived through the toughest of times. Last year when we gave our felicitations
nobody would have thought this year we would talk about the horror of 2021. Whether it started with the fires,
floods or COVID-19, we have seen the very best of people in the worst of circumstances. We have seen just how
good we can be when we desperately need it. I think about the times when communities came together to support
those who had lost their homes or loved ones during the fires and it continued during the time of COVID-19.
We have also seen some serious changes to the way we live our lives. When COVID-19 first hit there was
a wave of panic when people did not know what to do. We saw some things that probably did not appeal to our
better selves. Thankfully, we were able to get it together and see, like any time, communities come together. I take
this opportunity to congratulate and thank my community for once again for the hundreds and hundreds of food
parcels they put together, the phone calls to the elderly and for making sure that everybody was okay. It is a year
during which people have done it tough, but suffice to say we are learning to live with what is considered the new
normal. I hope this does not become the new normal and we will be able to get over this period.
It is a great symbol that during this time the Parliament of New South Wales was able to keep running.
After the sittings of the Parliament were truncated for a while we felt it was good to be back. There was a genuine
desire to come back and work with others. It was a year when we stood together. I thank my incredible team.
I have several part-timers. I acknowledge Semaya, Leisel, Targrid, Dillon, Beryl, Ahmed and Chenille who come
in every now and then for their great work. I thank the Speaker and the Speaker's office. I echo the sentiments of
the member for Wagga Wagga: The leadership course has been absolutely fantastic.
I give a shout-out and send a thankyou to my parliamentary colleagues with whom I spar quite often. It
could be the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, the member for Kiama, or the Minister
for Skills and Tertiary Education, the member for Parramatta. There have been opportunities to make things
personal but we have not done so. We have made sure that if we argue, we will argue the point and not the person.
I think that is important to do. I also take a special moment to acknowledge the Minister for Health and Medical
Research and his office. I cannot imagine what a year it has been for him. I had to work with them closely when
COVID-19 came to our area.
On my side, the member for Strathfield and Leader of the Opposition, Ms Jodie McKay, and my
parliamentary colleagues have been fantastic. I will start by acknowledging the Parliament House cleaners. I thank
Urma, especially, for her work. She makes sure that every single day my office looks shipshape. The IT team has
been fantastic, as has catering. We know that a lot of people in catering lost their jobs. The Table Office staff are
always are so pleasant and amazing. The Clerk, Helen, and Simon, Carly and the team are always so helpful and
friendly. I thank the Hansard team for making sense of what we say and the terrible notes we provide. I thank the
library and the special constables.
I finish by thanking the people who put us in this place—those who elect us and make that call for us to be
members of Parliament. I thank my community of Lakemba for the trust they have placed in me and the support
they give me. I thank the ones who give us the most support—our families, our colleagues—and, most importantly,
the desire to make a genuine difference. We will be back next year and next year we will continue to be better
and, hopefully, serve as a good example of just what a democracy can be.
Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama—Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services)
(18:44:39): To borrow a phrase, I rise with friendship for all and malice to none.
Ms Anna Watson: That is unusual.
Mr GARETH WARD: I acknowledge the interjection from my wonderful friend the member for
Shellharbour, who knows all too much about malice. I thank everybody in the Chamber and wish everyone a very
merry Christmas and a happier New Year. The year that we have had has been an extraordinary challenge for the
people of our great State, but we have been resilient, strong and determined, and we will get through this. I am
sure 2021 will be a much better year for all of us and our communities. I start by thanking my electorate. You
cannot be a member of Parliament, a Minister or even a Premier without your electorate. I thank the people of the
Kiama electorate, who have been very generous to me. I certainly will continue to work hard for them.
I thank the Premier, who has been an outstanding leader of this State, particularly during these very difficult
times. I also acknowledge the Premier's former chief of staff, Sarah Cruickshank, and current chief of staff, Neil
Harley. I pay tribute to my friends and colleagues Michael Evangelidis, Bryce O'Connor, Taylor Gramoski, Alex
Goodenough and Arminé Nalbandian for their great work. I thank the real Whips, Ben Sheath and Colleen
Symington, for their great work, but I also acknowledge my two wonderful friends the member for Shellharbour
and the member for Terrigal for keeping us all in line.
I pay a very special tribute to the people who have worked so diligently. I am incredibly proud of each and
every one of them and I could not do the job I do without my team. They have all made sacrifices to work for and
with me, and I am so proud of each and every one of them: Loki Ball, Mitch Clout, Jordan Matthews, James
Malin, Alex Briggs, Matthew Barden, Elizabeth Cunneen, Anne King, Adelaide Cuneo, John-Paul Brookes,
Renae Fowler, Jesse Martin, Melissa Jobson, Paulla Turnbull, Anna Watson—the good Anna Watson—
Ben Blackburn, Bryan Fishpool and Mia Watson.
I also acknowledge the whole Department of Communities and Justice, which has made such a huge effort
throughout this period. I think the social services sector has done a brilliant job and we should thank them all for
that, particularly our secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter and deputy secretaries Paul Vevers, Simone Czech and
Simone Walker. I acknowledge my outstanding Parliamentary Secretary Mel Gibbons—the best Parliamentary
Secretary I have ever had. She does a phenomenal job and I thank her. I also thank the Liberal Party. This year is
our party's seventy-fifth year and we celebrate a time when 18 parties came together to form our party. I thank the
members of my party locally and across the State. I thank party president Mark Crocksford and my campaign
director Paul Ell, who both do a great job.
I especially thank Shelley Hancock, my adopted political mother—some would say my evil political
mother—who does a wonderful job, along with her chief of staff Luke Sikora and deputy chief of staff Sean
O'Connor, and of course her band of travelling minstrels. I also thank my mum and dad. I am fortunate enough to
still have my parents, and I am very grateful for their love and support. I also thank my brothers, Arthur and Scott,
and my sister, Belinda, as well as my nephews Ben and Thorin and my nieces Emily, Chloe and Azura. All of
them are a great source of strength to me. All of us gain great strength because our families support us in these
roles. If it were not for the support our families give us, none of us could do the wonderful work in this place.
Finally, I thank my shadow Ministers, in no particular order: Penny Sharpe, the member for Lakemba Jihad
Dib, as well as Julia Finn, Jo Haylen and Ryan Park. We have a wonderful working relationship. I make the
observation that when it comes to this particular portfolio there is not a Liberal thing or a Labor thing to do, there
is just a right thing to do. I thank them for the way they have engaged with me this year to help the vulnerable,
and I am sure that will continue. Merry Christmas and a wonderful and safe New Year to all members, friends
one and all.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: The question is that the House take note of Christmas felicitations.
Motion agreed to.
Business of the House
SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (18:49:27): By leave: I move:
That this House at its rising do adjourn until Tuesday 9 February 2021 at 12.00 noon.
This motion provides that the House does not need to sit on the reserve sitting days of 25 and 26 November. As
members would be aware, earlier the House passed a motion to allow the House to continue this sitting day,
including breaking and resuming on the ringing of a long bell to consider messages from the Legislative Council.
Any resumption of business on the ringing of the long bell, even if it occurs next week, is a continuation of the
current sitting day.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Private Members' Statements
2CONNECT
Mr STEPHEN KAMPER (Rockdale) (18:50:37): I congratulate 2Connect, a fantastic local
not-for-profit organisation in my electorate, and I thank it for its recent Step Up! Links to Learning program and
its fantastic CEO, Ms Valentina Angelovska. I also congratulate Ms Joanne Homsi, 2Connect's general manager,
and the entire project team who have delivered this amazing program, including Mr Paul Deeb, Duong Tran,
Nicole Scobie, Jacqui Zdravkovski and Stuart Langley. I was lucky enough to see how Paul interacted with some
of the children involved in this program, and it was plain to see just how much the students trusted and respected
him.
Without a doubt, this sort of connection between the 2Connect staff and the students is a large part of the
reason this program works so well. The Links to Learning program is funded by the New South Wales Department
of Education and delivered by 2Connect in partnership with several of my local schools. The program delivers
learning support to students in year 6 and above who are from culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous
backgrounds and those facing other disadvantage where those students are assessed as being at risk of disengaging
from learning.
I was lucky enough to join fantastic local principals Ms Pamela Ladd and Mrs Amy Ha at Arncliffe Public
School recently, where students completing the program received certificates for their hard work. These students
were in the program because they lacked confidence in their school work, but at the end of the program that could
not have been further from the truth. Every one of these students got up to speak in public. At their age I would
not have been able to do what they did on the day, and I am here in Parliament speaking quite regularly now.
I was extremely proud of the outcome I saw. It was truly impressive to see just how large an impact the Links to
Learning program had on these students. Having been students who may have had difficulties engaging with
school, it was really exciting to see just how much enthusiasm for learning they had after finishing the program.
Links to Learning works by delivering programs to small groups of students over a period of around
10 weeks. The programs are specifically tailored to each group of students' needs. Creative learning programs are
fostered and encouraged, including in areas such as arts and music, sport and fitness, building self-esteem and
respect, mental health and wellbeing, handling emotions and challenges, and handling racism and bullying. Each
individual program is created in consultation with the student group that will go through it, and I think it is in
large part thanks to this collaborative approach that we are seeing such great results in our local schools.
We know that every child is different, so it should be a no-brainer that there is no one-size-fits-all approach
to dealing with educational challenges. It is this philosophy that serves 2Connect so well. For those participating
in this program, the results are truly astonishing. Last year 372 at-risk students completed the program, and of
those 98 per cent were reported as re-engaging positively with education. On top of that, the students love it, with
97 per cent of those involved reporting the program as being excellent. In politics we think we are doing well if
we can get just over half of the people to support us. Without a doubt, 2Connect is operating much better than we
are.
I also pay tribute to the five schools in my electorate that are engaged in the 2Connect program: Arncliffe
Public School, Rockdale Public School, Athelstane Public School, Brighton-Le-Sands Public School and Bexley
Public School. 2Connect is a partnership, and without the support and dedication of the staff and teachers at these
schools, students would not be able to see the benefits of Links to Learning funding. Links to Learning is funded
by the Department of Education. Without this funding, these results would not be possible. I implore the
Government to continue to support this program and to expand it to more students. I guarantee members opposite
that every dollar invested in the program is returned to the State tenfold through its brilliant results. 2Connect is
a brilliant organisation that delivers amazing programs. I strongly encourage the Government to increase the
funding being offered from Links to Learning so that groups like 2Connect can continue to provide incredible
support to my local area.
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I thank the member for Rockdale for speaking on an outstanding
organisation in 2Connect, which I also visited a couple of weeks ago.
NORTH SHORE ELECTORATE SCHOOLS
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (18:55:40): I recognise that students, teachers and the wider
school community in my electorate of North Shore have done it tough this year but have persevered through it all.
Due to COVID-19, many students and teachers had to adapt to online learning from home and therefore missed
out on many school activities such as sporting carnivals, school fairs, concerts and musicals, as well as being with
their friends. There is no better learning environment than the classroom, and I know that there was a lot of joy
and excitement at North Shore schools when friends were reunited and teachers had their students back in the
classroom.
I especially thank local principals, teachers and staff from across the North Shore, who have all shown
great resilience during this difficult year, as well as students and their families for assisting schools with learning
from home. Although it has been difficult this year, I have still tried to be as involved with as many local schools
as possible. Throughout the year I ran a number of initiatives for students, such as the recently finalised
North Shore Christmas card competition, where students in kindergarten to year 2 from local primary schools
submit wonderful artwork to be adorned on the front of our Christmas cards. I congratulate this year's winner,
Brendan from Middle Harbour Public School, and runners-up Brecken Cullen from St Mary's Catholic Primary
School, Grace Treloar from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School and Lily from North Sydney
Demonstration School. I thank the hundreds of students who submitted their artwork, which brought such joy to
me and my office staff when we looked through them.
Next week I look forward to hosting the North Shore Bear Pit Public Speaking Competition, where
I welcome students into this Chamber to deliver speeches. I am excited to join with these students as I welcome
them into the Parliament in a COVID-safe manner. Every year I also award the North Shore Medal to one student
from each local school who is deemed to have demonstrated excellence in attitude and exhibited a commitment
to the ethos of their school and has been a strong and consistent participant in school and community activities.
I congratulate the recipients so far: Pratham Gupta from Cammeraygal High School and Molly Gallagher from
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College.
The Government is continuing to invest record amounts in public education in New South Wales to ensure
that every child gets the best start in life. After the challenges presented by COVID-19, in 2021 local families and
school staff will see work begin on major upgrades to Mosman High School and North Sydney Demonstration
School. We have worked with the school community to get rid of demountables and co-design state-of-the-art
new buildings that will help deliver the learning needs of students and school staff and meet future growth. The
Government is also progressing with the upgrade to Neutral Bay Public School, whose community has been
working diligently for many years to deal with the incredible challenges of the heritage and space constraints on
the site.
The budget handed down this week saw record investment into public schools. The Government is
investing in 100 extra school-based nurses, hiring more qualified school counsellors to support the mental health
and wellbeing of families and students, and green lighting 1,000 projects for hundreds of eligible public schools
as part of the larger metro renewal project. I thank the Treasurer and the education Minister for the work they do
to ensure these investments are made where they are needed.
I thank the staff from my local school St Aloysius' College, including principals Joe El-Khoury and Mark
Tannock. I also thank Dr Briony Scott and Justine Lind from Wenona School; Dr Timothy Petterson and Nick
Saunders from Shore School; Stephen Webber and Ari Guha from Redlands school; Megan Connors from North
Sydney Girls High School; Robyn Hughes from North Sydney Boys High School and Judy Goodsell from Neutral
Bay Public School. I note that there is a former North Sydney Girls High School student in the Chamber.
Mrs Shelley Hancock: I am here.
Ms FELICITY WILSON: Finally I thank Susan Wyatt from Mosman High School; Nicole Christensen
from Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College; Anna Dickinson from Loreto Kirribilli; Kathy Melky from
Cammeraygal High School; Louise O'Brien from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School; Marion
Walsh-Gay from Beauty Point Public School; Peter Grimes from Mosman Preparatory School; Tony Duncan from
Marist College North Shore; Steve Connelly from Mosman Public School; Julie Caldwell from Sacred Heart
Catholic Primary School; Fiona Davis, who has recently joined North Sydney Demonstration School and will
have her first build underway soon; Laura Barry and Carole Jaye from Middle Harbour Public School; and Angela
Toohey and Elizabeth Stone from Queenwood School for Girls. I thank all the teachers and staff from these local
schools for providing the best education for our kids. I have enjoyed working with them in my time as a member
of Parliament and I look forward to joining them soon and recognising our students at the end of what has been a
challenging year. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
HURSTVILLE TRAFFIC SAFETY
Mr CHRIS MINNS (Kogarah) (19:00:39): I speak on a matter of great importance to the Kogarah
electorate, that is, the safety and traffic arrangements in the suburb of Hurstville. More than a year has passed
since the tragic death of local student Ryan Wang on Forest Road in Hurstville. Out of respect for his parents,
friends and family I will not repeat the awful details of what occurred on that terrible day. In the days and weeks
after the incident our community rallied around a call for improved safety for children going to and from school.
School principals, members of the P&C, students and their parents all called for changes. More than 15,000 people
signed a petition to demand safer streets around schools. The principals and head teachers of Hurstville Public
School, Hurstville Boys High School, Sydney Technical College, Bethany College and St Mary's Star of the Sea
in Hurstville led a campaign on behalf of their students and their communities and came up with a set of road
safety proposals that are necessary to keep students safe.
The key proposal is to create an educational precinct around all the schools, with a permanent 40 kilometre
per hour speed limit. In addition to improved signage and the installation of heavy-duty safety bollards and
barriers, this forms part of the sensible and achievable pedestrian safety plan. Meetings were set up with
representatives of Bayside Council, Georges River Council and the NSW Police Force to discuss their concerns,
and as the local member I was involved in these meetings and had numerous discussions with Government
members. I received a detailed and constructive response on this issue from the member for Miranda in her
capacity as the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads that confirmed that Transport for NSW is looking
into the feasibility of the 40 kilometre an hour school zone. This is welcome news.
Transport for NSW is also working with the Georges River Council on a study of traffic and safety
conditions around the schools, which has unfortunately been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am not
criticising the New South Wales Government or the Georges River Council for their responses, but these studies
need to be completed and the results made public by the end of the year. The time for studies is over. We need
action now on school safety measures so that they are in place for the start of the 2021 school year. I urge the
Minister for Roads and Transport to act. Initial discussions around this dangerous intersection were encouraging,
but the studies need to be concluded so that we can begin the process of making the community safe for our
schoolchildren.
STATE BUDGET AND SOUTH COAST ELECTORATE
Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast—Minister for Local Government) (19:03:40): The
New South Wales budget was handed down this week and South Coast residents have much to celebrate, with
investments being made in transport, health, local facilities and education. I am also pleased with the changes that
have been made to payroll tax and stamp duty, and the announcement of the Out & About voucher scheme. All
of these changes will have a positive impact on my community. South Coast businesses have had a hard year,
with drought, fire and flood causing major losses across the region all before the pandemic reached our shores.
Major payroll tax relief in the budget will enable South Coast businesses to hire more staff and keep their doors
open. The payroll tax rate will be cut from 5.45 per cent to 4.85 per cent for a two-year period, backdated to 1 July
2020, and the threshold will be permanently increased from $1 million to $1.2 million. On average, businesses
liable for payroll tax could save around $34,000 a year over the next two years. This will help South Coast
businesses hire additional staff and give current staff more hours, supporting jobs and boosting our local economy.
In 2017 this Government's decision to increase the threshold from $750,000 to $1 million made an incredible
difference for small and medium businesses and was welcomed in the community. I welcome these further
increases to the threshold. I have always advocated for our Government to decrease taxation as much as it
responsibly can, and I am proud of this reform and of our Government's record.
The newly created $500 million Out & About voucher program, which will give all residents $100 worth
of digital vouchers to use at eateries and on arts and tourism attractions across New South Wales, is further great
news for the residents and businesses of the South Coast. No industry has felt the economic impacts of this horrific
year more than the hospitality, arts and tourism industries, and I have no doubt that many visitors from across the
State will be enticed to stay on the South Coast and enjoy our many wonderful tourist attractions and eateries.
Two $25 vouchers can be used for eating in at venues such as restaurants, cafes, clubs and other food service
venues, with two more $25 vouchers for entertainment and recreation such as at cultural institutions, performing
arts venues, cinemas and amusement parks. I encourage everyone in my electorate to take part in the community
consultation now underway regarding possible changes to the State's stamp duty taxes. The proposed changes will
give people the option to axe stamp duty—and land tax, if applicable—and pay an annual charge instead. Not
only will this reform help young people buy their first home sooner; it will also create greater flexibility for people
looking to move or downsize across their lifetimes.
As mentioned earlier, South Coast residents have much to celebrate, with investments in transport, health,
local facilities and education being delivered right across the electorate. Excitingly, the budget outlines
$671.1 million over the next four years to continue planning and development of further upgrades to the Princes
Highway between Nowra and the Victorian border. The Shoalhaven Hospital redevelopment will commence with
a $4 million allocation in 2020-21, which is part of a $438 million commitment. This financial year $102.5 million
will be invested to continue construction of the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade of the Princes Highway, and
$5.8 million will allow for the continued planning for the Kiama to Bomaderry rail capacity increase. The budget
also commits funds for planning for Jervis Bay Road to Sussex Inlet Road, Jervis Bay Road intersection and the
Milton Ulladulla bypass; funds for the planning of a new school in South Nowra and Worrigee; and funding to
finalise the planning for the relocation of the Budawang School in Milton.
As part of a $3.6 million project, $1.7 million is being invested this financial year to deliver new and
upgraded quality social and affordable housing for Aboriginal communities in Bomaderry, Oaks Flats and Nowra.
A $5.3 million commitment for the Shoalhaven Sustainable Tourism Infrastructure Package is well underway,
with $4.5 million being invested locally this financial year, along with $600,000—as part of a $900,000 project—
for the delivery of the Dunn Lewis multipurpose auditorium. I will always work hard for my community to
advocate for the local infrastructure we need. In the coming days I look forward to announcing the final design
for the Jervis Bay Road intersection with the Princes Highway, which will give locals and tourists alike a reason
to celebrate. A lot has been done, but there is still so much more to do. I look forward to continuing to work for
the South Coast, ensuring these projects and commitments are delivered on time and on budget.
CANTERBURY MULTICULTURAL MENTAL HEALTH ROUNDTABLE
Ms SOPHIE COTSIS (Canterbury) (19:08:19): COVID-19 has shown that mental health is one of the
most concerning issues in New South Wales. The coronavirus pandemic has caused many people in our
community to experience isolation, depression and anxiety. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare stated:
There have been notable rises in the use of crisis lines and mental health services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For
example, calls to Lifeline in the 4 weeks from 10 August to 6 September 2020 were up 15.3% compared with the same time in 2019.
Contacts to Beyond Blue (total of call, web chat and email) were up 38.6% over the same period while contacts (total of call, web
chat, email and circles sessions) to the Kids Helpline were up 24.5%.
Many people in my electorate of Canterbury have contacted me about the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
To discuss these issues, I recently held a Canterbury multicultural mental health roundtable, which was chaired
by my hardworking colleague and shadow Minister for Mental Health, the Hon. Tara Moriarty, MLC. The
roundtable forum was attended by a host of key multicultural organisations and groups that provide mental health
services, as well as other stakeholders in our community. The discussion ranged from issues that are visible across
all sections of society to issues that distinctly affect multicultural communities.
The greatest challenge for organisations has been the lack of funding to provide vital mental health services
in my community. Organisations such as the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, Metro Assist and Muslim
Care indicated they need support to meet the demand for mental health services that they are experiencing. Tonight
I call on the Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth and Women and the Minister for Health and Medical
Research—and I will send them my speech—to carefully consider the requests from those organisations. They
are overwhelmed. They are dealing with a level of demand that they have never experienced and they have not
had any funding. They are not funded, but they also have no additional funding.
The Sydney Women's Counselling Centre, which is based in Campsie just down the road from my
electorate, recently had to turn away more than 200 women in need of help. The centre simply does not have
enough funding to employ enough caseworkers to meet demand—especially bilingual workers. The Chinese
Australian Services Society reported a 50 per cent increase in elder abuse, with some elderly people being forced
to move out of their homes. Again, more funding is needed to respond to this issue. The roundtable also
highlighted the issue of taboo in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Mental health is a taboo subject
that many cultures do not speak about. This has many implications, which can lead to severe cases and even
suicide. While community leaders have begun to open the dialogue and address mental health among their
communities, we are still far from resolving the issue in our multicultural population.
That is why community organisations that carry out targeted outreach in diverse communities are so
important, and it is why targeted funding is so important. The roundtable heard more funding is needed to employ
bilingual workers. Again, I make that request to both the health Minister and the mental health Minister. The
roundtable also heard that online services, which have been useful during COVID-19, are not a complete solution
because older people may have difficulty using technology. Roundtable participants also called for the 20 mental
health sessions now available through Medicare to be made permanent. I thank my colleague the Hon. Tara
Moriarty for listening to the concerns of my community and taking on those issues. I also thank the organisations
that took part in the mental health forum: the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, Settlement Services
International, the Chinese Australian Services Society, the Greek Welfare Centre, the Lebanese Muslim
Association, Muslim Care, the Sydney Women's Counselling Centre, Metro Assist, Barnardos Australia,
psychologist Mina Candalepas, Kogarah Community Services and the City of Canterbury Bankstown.
STATE BUDGET AND GRANVILLE ELECTORATE
Ms JULIA FINN (Granville) (19:13:25): I speak about this week's budget and the impact it will have on
the Granville electorate. This year we have seen a worldwide pandemic and the first recession in 30 years. The
budget had been delayed for a few months to accommodate and respond to that. We needed to see a targeted
economic recovery. Across Australia over one million people lost their jobs and in the suburb of Merrylands in
my electorate the number of people out of work more than doubled between March and May. Merrylands became
the suburb with the fourth highest level of people on JobSeeker benefits anywhere in New South Wales.
Throughout the world, governments have talked about what we need to build back better. What we need to do
here is provide more secure and skilled jobs and we need proper investment in that.
We do not want to become a nation of Uber drivers, living pay cheque to pay cheque, who cannot afford
to get sick. What we need is proper investment in jobs in New South Wales. We have not seen that to the extent
we would like to. Similarly, locally some projects will happen in the Granville electorate, but they fall far short
of what is needed. We are coming up to Christmas and it is very much like receiving a beautifully wrapped pair
of socks: It is okay, they will be useful, but it is certainly not what we need or really wanted. We are getting some
extensions to cycleways, which will be very useful. One will join the cycleway from under the M4 to the cycleway
along Duck River. It will run up to Clyde station, where the cyclists will have to climb the stairs at the station with
their bikes and come down the other side to use the other cycleway. What we want is express trains. We have not
had express trains since the Premier was the Minister for Transport, and she took them away from Granville station
in 2013. Now the South line has all-stations trains. It might be faster to use the cycleway once it is extended than
to catch the train in my electorate.
The other thing my electorate needs most is a new school at Westmead. In this week's budget Westmead
Public School has progressed from the planning stage to an assurance review. This is just another way of saying
there is no funding and no site for another school at Westmead, even though Westmead Public School is well over
capacity with more than 1,500 students. Until the end of last year it was the largest public primary school in the
State. We will get a few new public housing homes, but we will still have a 10-year wait for public housing in the
electorate. The $25 vouchers will be fantastic for people going out to dinner in the short term. But I have spoken
to many restaurants that have been devastated over the past six months. Many of them were unable to apply for
the small business grants. Even if they paid accountants to help them, they found out that they did not qualify for
one reason or another. I know of one who did not qualify. In the previous year she had provided $30,000-worth
of catering during Ramadan. There were no Ramadan iftars this year, which meant that a big part of her annual
income from the restaurant just was not there.
We will still wait to have a Service NSW in Merrylands. There is no commitment on that. There is so much
that we need that we are not getting. We are getting an upgrade to Wentworthville station car park. It will not be
completed this year and is much smaller than what was promised by Labor. I am pleased that we are getting it
because the local Liberal councillors tried to stop it by moving it to another suburb altogether. Thankfully, that is
not happening. We need a lot more in my community and communities across the State. We need a vision and a
commitment to the future—a future where we have safe and secure jobs once again and where we invest in skills
instead of continually undermining TAFE and our public services and privatising everything. We are going to
privatise the last remaining half of WestConnex and NSW Lotteries, at the bottom of the market, which is idiotic.
We should not be making those decisions; we should be looking for opportunities for the future.
BLACKTOWN AND MOUNT DRUITT HOSPITAL
Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) (19:18:31): This year a massive upgrade and expansion of
Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital was completed. Blacktown Hospital was opened in 1965 and the Mount
Druitt Hospital in 1982. To modernise these decades-old facilities and to cope with the rapid growth of population
in Sydney's north-west, both campuses of this joint hospital had been in need of development for years before the
election of the Liberal-Nationals Government in 2011. Former member for Blacktown Paul Gibson repeatedly
spoke in this place and elsewhere criticising the former Labor Government, of which he was a member, for its
neglect of these facilities. Thankfully, the new health Minister, Jillian Skinner, and the cabinet of Barry O'Farrell
recognised the need and in 2012 committed to a major upgrade program for Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital.
The first stage of the expansion included the construction of a new seven-storey clinical services building
at Blacktown Hospital with a new centre for cancer and haematology; new women's health clinics; new pathology
and pharmacy facilities; new inpatient units for cancer, aged care, stroke, rehabilitation, respiratory, cardiology
and coronary care; and a new sub-acute mental health unit called the Melaleuca Unit. An extensive internal
refurbishment of the existing hospital building was undertaken, along with site infrastructure upgrades, and road
and public domain improvements. Since the official opening in April 2014, patients, visitors and staff have been
using the new 400-space multistorey car park with lift access, and an easy one-way traffic flow through the car
park, and a covered walkway.
At Mount Druitt Hospital stage one delivered: expanded oral health facilities; expanded emergency
department facilities, including a new urgent care centre and ambulance bay; aged care and rehabilitation ward
expansion; a welcoming new main entry; and parking area upgrades. The buildings were officially opened in May
2016. With the completion of stage two Blacktown Hospital became a major metropolitan hospital serving the
north-west Sydney region.
This stage included the delivery of the following: a new emergency department with more beds; new
psychiatric emergency care services; a new intensive care unit with more beds; eight new operating theatres with
space for future expansion; new purpose-built wards for maternity, women's health, and newborn care; new
paediatric services with dedicated emergency department facilities, day stay and inpatient facilities; medical
imaging, sterilising and non-clinical support services expansion; contemporary activity-based workspaces for
support staff; and an expanded haemodialysis unit for hospital in-patients. In the second stage the Mount Druitt
Hospital was redeveloped with a new community dialysis centre; a medical imaging unit; a recovery with
peri-operative support refurbishment and an additional operating room; and a drug health expansion with
consulting, counselling and support areas. In addition, existing pre-admission clinics have been relocated to a new
purpose-built facility.
Since the turn of the century Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital has been serving one of the fastest
growing regional populations in New South Wales. With this rapid growth and diversification in the communities,
the demand for health services continues to increase and the redevelopment was needed to meet this increase.
Since June 2012 the staff employed by the Western Sydney Local Health District at Blacktown and Mount Druitt
Hospital has increased by over 30 per cent. This reflects both the delivery of the Liberal-Nationals Government's
promise to a major increase in statewide nursing numbers, as well as the growth of this particular service in a
developing area of Sydney. The expansion of the hospitals has also provided opportunities to students so that they
can gain practical experience and extend their knowledge within their chosen field.
The Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital has developed a close working relationship with Western
Sydney University to establish a clinical school located at Blacktown Hospital to foster the medical students to
prosper so that they may acquire the knowledge and skills they need to work as fully accredited doctors and
specialists. The building project has won 14 awards for design, consultation, arts and culture, and innovation,
including three International Academy for Design & Health, World Congress Academy awards for Best
International Hospital Project under 40,000 square metres. A number of the additional facilities were co-opted
into service earlier than anticipated as part of the health district's response to the COVID pandemic, ensuring that
the hospital could play its part in the outstanding efforts of the health system to keep the people of New South
Wales safe.
The final completion of the upgrade and expansion project in August 2020 represents a major step forward
for the region. In 2020 Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital is a major metropolitan hospital with cutting edge
facilities and more staff than ever before. It is well placed to serve the people of the region for years to come.
I acknowledge the role of health Ministers Jillian Skinner and Brad Hazzard, Premiers O'Farrell, Baird and
Berejiklian and the Cabinet Ministers over those years who have collectively supported the high priority given by
the Liberal-Nationals to providing new health infrastructure across New South Wales. I finish by saying that it
would be worthy and appropriate if the member for Blacktown and the member for Mount Druitt could have said
some of this on the record and acknowledged this massive transformative project in their region. It is a shame that
they have not, but we have still delivered for the people of western Sydney.
CENTRAL COAST MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (19:23:31): I speak about mental health and the care that is necessary on
the Central Coast and some voids that need to be filled and addressed. I am glad the member for Terrigal is in the
Chamber. There has been another suicide of a young person in the LGBTI community whose needs had not been
met by wraparound care. While the Premier said that we need more funds for mental health in our communities,
that has not been delivered in this year's budget. I support the Leader of the Opposition in calling for a royal
commission into mental health so we can hear those people's stories and address the mental health needs across
New South Wales.
I thank the Federal member for Dobell, Emma McBride, the shadow Minister for mental health, who joined
us and some of the great wraparound services provided by various community mental health providers on the
Central Coast at a roundtable on mental health. I acknowledge Mr Anthony Critchley, who is the head of mental
health on the Central Coast and who attended and listened to what a lot of these great services provide across the
community. It spoke loud and clear that we do need collaborative community funding and consultation to wrap
around people living with mental health issues, especially young people and people from diverse communities
across the coast.
I thank everyone involved in the Iris Foundation, which is a very generous philanthropic organisation that
supports various needs across the coast and gives generous support for especially the nine to 14 years age bracket
that is a very underserved market in health focus across our community. It is also underserved when we talk about
the resistance of kids to engage with existing supports. I also acknowledge Bridie Tynam from Neami, who
focuses on community supports and is passionate about collaborative recovery, not just clinical support. Louise
Thompson from Lifeline identified that there was an inadequate supply of bulk-billing psychologists and
psychiatrists on the coast, which many of the other organisations agreed with.
I commend Brisbane Waters Private Hospital, which is looking to identify that gap and setting up a youth
mental health support for under-18s in our community, which will be great. Dr Ash Bowden, who is a legend on
Instagram, champions the power of movement to support mental health. He is encouraging people to get active
across the Central Coast because of the lack of available wraparound resources. I also acknowledge Kim
McLoughry from Regional Youth Support Services [RYSS], who has been working on the coast for years to wrap
around young people and their needs, especially their mental health needs. One hundred and seven young people
who presented to RYSS in the first three months of COVID have experienced homelessness. It is an indication
that alongside mental health support we need homelessness support.
I send a massive shout-out to Kieran Booth, the CEO of the Central Coast Community Council, who has a
great understanding of mental health issues and should be consulted every step of the way in relation to community
supports. Central Coast Primary Care does an amazing job. It has seen a 25 per cent increase in the number of
infants to 12-year-olds in need of clinical supports over the past three months. There is a desperate need for mental
health support in our community. I congratulate Bruce Davis from Coast Community Connections, which has
identified and restructured its funding to get two youth counsellors in our community. Alfredo Zotti is an amazing
person who lives with his own mental health challenges and has now started a research project supporting music
and mental health.
I acknowledge Lester Pearson from Save Our Kids from Suicide, which is another philanthropic
organisation, wrapping around and supporting our young people. The Association of Relatives and Friends of the
Mentally Ill provides wraparound care but has just had its funding ripped out from under it. I cannot emphasise
enough that the young people in our community need additional funding from the State Government to support
their mental health needs. All participants at the roundtable, aside from those representing the Central Coast Local
Health District, agreed that greater funding needs to be provided for local organisations who work in non-clinical
capacities, and for early intervention and prevention. The importance of supporting individuals through
strengthening their families and community networks was also stressed. Greater collaboration and coordination
between organisations is essential for improvement across the sector.
This is about saving the lives of young people under threat of suicide. When the local public high schools
have got eight people who are not calling out for help who are at suicide risk, we need additional help from our
community. I support the Opposition leader's call for mental health support and a royal commission.
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (19:28:41): I thank the member for Gosford for her private member's
statement. I want to acknowledge some of the people she spoke about, people like Kim McLoughry at RYSS.
I am really pleased that this Government has given multiple grants to Kim and her organisation to support young
people, which includes the new facility they are moving into very shortly because they were booted out by council
from their current site. It is because of this Government's funding to organisations like RYSS that they are able to
move into brand-new sites.
I am also really proud that I was able to join with Minister Bronnie Taylor, the mental health Minister, and
with the police, mental health service providers and Dr Anthony Critchley, as the member for Gosford mentioned.
The Central Coast is the very first region that has rolled out the Police, Ambulance, Clinical, Early, Response
[PACER] project. This was a collaboration between the Central Coast Mental Health Unit and our Brisbane
Waters and Tuggerah Lakes police districts because we know that PACER makes a huge difference in early
intervention into mental health incidents with people and place, and we have seen the number of people being
admitted to hospital drop by half through the PACER initiative being delivered on the Central Coast.
ORANGE ELECTORATE
Mr PHILIP DONATO (Orange) (19:29:51): This week marks the fourth anniversary of my election to
represent the good people of the Orange electorate in this place. Prior to my election, Orange had been a safe
Nationals' seat since 1947, and in that time came complacency and, ultimately, neglect. The seat of Orange, made
extremely marginal with a slim victory of just 55 votes at the 2016 by-election, attracted significant government
investment, the scale of which has not been seen whilst represented by a Nationals member. As a candidate for
the seat of Orange, I campaigned to restore political representation to the community, to give my electorate a
voice here in Parliament, and to fight for what the people of the Orange electorate expect and deserve. Politically
fear-induced pork barrelling from a government desperate to retain Nationals' reign over the seat of Orange
produced $380 million in election promises. Since being elected, I have held this Government to account and, in
spite of its reluctance and delays, I have forced it to deliver—albeit through public shaming at times.
In 2016 flooding of the Newell Highway isolated the township of Forbes, and businesses nearly drowned
financially as a result. I have campaigned, and since lobbied this Government, to flood-proof the Newell to protect
Forbes and other communities along the highway from future flooding that will inevitably occur. I am pleased
that my efforts have caused the Government to invest tens of millions of dollars in this preventative and protective
measure. The Cricket Centre of Excellence is a unique sporting facility which I campaigned for to serve Orange
and the broader region in the sporting development of our many talented locals. I am pleased that my efforts
resulted in the bricks and mortar, which are drying as I speak. I look forward to the official opening, which is
imminent. I look forward to joining the acting sport Minister for the opening, at the crease, and I invite him to
deliver once more, this time with a ball in hand, as I face him in the nets to christen the $3.4 million, state-of-the-
art facility.
Orange is now known as a regional medical hub, yet limited parking at the Orange Health Service failed
to complement the service it provided. I campaigned for the extension of the car park, which eventuated in
$1.3 million of investment in an additional 151 much-needed car spaces. When the Deputy Premier was still
denying the existence of drought, I was lobbying for drought assistance measures for the farmers of the Orange
electorate, including freight subsidies. Again, it took embarrassing The Nationals for them to wake up, but the
Government eventually responded by delivering $290 million in freight subsidies to farmers across
drought-affected New South Wales.
When the then roads Minister, Melinda Pavey, knowingly sat on a confidential document which identified
that our then drought-affected farmers had been overcharged $32 million in primary producer concessional
registration fees, I took her to task. Exposing this morally questionable inaction, at a time when many of our
farmers were struggling to buy fodder to keep stock alive, or to even put food on their own tables, resulted in this
Government refunding farmers and further compensating them with a package that included five years' free
primary production vehicle registration.
On behalf of local farmers whose farms fell in a radar blackspot, I lobbied for the installation of Doppler
weather radars to enable farmers to effectively farm with the use of accurate weather information. My lobbying
resulted in the Government announcing its investment of tens of millions in Doppler radars, one of which will
now be installed in the Orange electorate. Inaction of this Government to assist farmers of the Orange electorate,
and broader country New South Wales, prompted me to lobby this Government for the cessation of local land
services rates. The result was the Government implementing the cessation of rates—a saving of $100 million for
farmers across New South Wales.
After arm-wrestling three-quarters of a billion dollars of investment in less than three years, the general
election of 2019 loomed. The Premier swooped in on a fly-in, fly-out visit to Orange, announcing that she would
fund a new sports stadium, for which I had already been lobbying her Government. Her proviso was that it would
be funded if the people of Orange voted for the Nationals' candidate. I will not bore the House with the details,
but, in spite of the attempted vote bribe, I was elected, with nearly 50 per cent of the primary vote, and now the
Premier has commenced paying the $25 million bill for the stadium, with groundwork about to begin. The list
goes on, but it is proof that a marginal electorate being represented by someone who will roll up their sleeves and
go into bat for their community is what actually delivers the dollars and, more importantly, the voice of the
community.
COFFS HARBOUR ELECTORATE AND 2020
Mr GURMESH SINGH (Coffs Harbour) (19:34:27): Around this time last year I received an
unfortunate phone call telling me that I needed to return home because the bushfire crisis in Coffs Harbour was
heating up, so to speak. I remember flying home with a feeling of apprehension and seeing nothing but smoke out
the window of the plane. Landing at the Coffs Harbour airport and not being able to see the sky or very far in front
of me was a scary time. These were very hot and windy days, which are terrible conditions for fires. We had a
very nervous few days. We lost nearly 17 homes in the Coffs Harbour electorate, and many more homes in our
neighbouring electorates of Clarence and Oxley. This was obviously a very emotional time for many people. One
year on, Woolgoolga Rural Fire Service captain Jeff Luke described that day on local radio. He described how
they were not certain that they were going to make it out of those fires. Listening to that one year on certainly
brought back a lot of memories for a lot of people.
Later in the year there were many more bushfires in the Sydney area and especially on the South Coast,
which seemed to get more and more severe as the year went on. It was obviously a very tragic time in
New South Wales. There was a lot of loss of homes and property, especially down the South Coast. When we
moved into January it was still relatively smoky but somewhat calmer than the previous few months had been. In
the middle of February, one of the areas that was hit by the fires was also hit by severe flash flooding. Overnight
the area received hundreds of millimetres of rain. People who had been severely affected by the fires were then
severely affected by a flood in very short succession. After that flood we had the biggest event of the last decade,
the COVID-19 pandemic. We were lucky to have a relatively short lockdown period. During that time I recall
thinking that life had slowed down for a lot of people. There was no traffic on the roads. People walked with their
families or rode bikes and generally changed the way they lived their lives for a short period. People were pretty
scared at the time, as it was quite unknown, but they were also very kind to each other.
We moved quickly onto Anzac Day, which is coincidentally my birthday. Unlike other years, there were
no marches or dawn services. Instead, people commemorated on their driveways. Unfortunately, this year I had
to spend Anzac Day in isolation because the day before I had my very first COVID test. I spent the day locked in
my office alone in the dark, hoping not to infect anyone else in the family. It was not a great way to spend a
birthday. Over the past few months businesses have been struggling but slowly life is returning to normal. I was
flying home from Parliament last week on a wonderful spring mid-afternoon and looking out the window as the
plane was coming to land in Coffs Harbour. I could not help but smile at the very green valleys this year. It really
symbolises the hope we have for 2021. I remember feeling that I was very thankful to be home last week after
having seen that amazing view out of my window. Coffs Harbour is a region with so much potential. I hope we
can fulfil some of the potential while I am serving as the local member. It has been a great honour to serve the
people of Coffs Harbour during this difficult year.
It has been a very challenging 12 months, but the New South Wales Government has handled this crisis
very well. I would like to thank the Premier, the Deputy Premier and the Treasurer for their leadership during this,
let us hope, once-in-a-generation 12-month period. I thank my colleagues and friends for a robust parliamentary
year. I thank the parliamentary staff who do a wonderful job. I thank my electorate office staff, Diane, Craig,
Katie and Cherrill, who go out of their way to help the people of Coffs Harbour. I hope the upcoming holidays
are a time for reflection. I hope that everyone is taking a relaxing break if they can afford to do so. Merry
Christmas. I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.
GREEN SQUARE
Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (19:39:13): Five years ago I warned of the planning failure in Green
Square, Australia's largest urban renewal project, and called for a moratorium on population expansion until
infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure, could catch up. The 2016 census revealed that Green Square,
including the suburbs of Waterloo, Zetland, Rosebery and Beaconsfield, had a population of about 38,000 in just
3.5 square kilometres. In the next decade a further 28,000 people, taking the total to 61,000 people, is planned for
Green Square. That makes its population density far greater than any part of Manhattan or London. This is without
the New South Wales Government's efforts to try to kick out 3,000 public housing tenants from Waterloo and
handing that land over to private developers, which would increase the density even more.
I note that recently the housing Minister was complaining about the Lord Mayor of Sydney and the City
of Sydney and the exercise of their planning function for that area. I place on record that I congratulate the Lord
Mayor and council for the manner in which they are handling the planning process of Waterloo. It is quite
exceptional. I note the Minister has conveyed to the president of Local Government NSW and now president of
the Australian Local Government Association, Councillor Linda Scott, that the Government is considering
walking away from Waterloo because of the council. I say, good, walk away Minister. Give some security of
tenure to my 3,000 public housing tenants. That land should remain in the possession of the public and should
remain for much-needed public housing.
In a report recently released by SGS Economics and Planning, it was forecast that Greater Sydney's
population would rise by a mere 500 people to 5.37 million in the 12 months to next June. That compares to the
consultancy prediction prior to the pandemic for the population to surge by more than 92,000 to 5.49 million
during the same period. That has prompted a statement from the planning Minister. I agree with his statement and
wish to congratulate him on taking the position he has, which is probably a change from my last half a dozen
private members' statements. I have not missed him in respect of some planning decisions.
Mr Stokes observed that there would be more pressure to decentralise from Sydney's main CBD to smaller
centres across the city, noting that Sydney already had an advantage over Melbourne in that Melbourne has only
one centre. He has requested the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment look at zonings and
employment lands to consider making them more flexible and observed that with a flatlining population he expects
demand for apartments to be patchy but an increase in demand for houses, citing people's desire for more space.
I welcome the observations of the planning Minister because the Green Square madness with that sort of
population expansion occurring so rapidly without appropriate infrastructure has been built upon a bubble that
has now been exposed by the population forecast as a folly. All those high-density residential areas have replaced
employment-generating developments that had been located there. Areas of Green Square were the heart of
employment for Sydney. Those employment lands have been ripped out in order for developers to propose greater
population expansion and greater population density. That has now has been shown to be a folly. It is important
that Mr Stokes and the Government proceed down the path and the direction he is mapping out.
STATE BUDGET AND LONDONDERRY ELECTORATE
Ms PRUE CAR (Londonderry) (19:44:17): I make some observations on the recent Liberal State budget
in New South Wales and its impact on the communities that I represent in north-west and western Sydney. For
those in our communities it is simply a budget of broken promises. It leads us to believe that the Liberal
Government, in order to win an election, says one thing in the outer suburbs of Sydney but is nowhere to be seen
on the delivery of those promises. Let us go through some of that failed record. The first is the issue of a high
school in the community of Jordan Springs. I have spoken about that community many times in this Parliament
and the delivery of a public school that we had to fight tooth and nail to get. When it finally opened this year after
so many years of fighting, the school had 325 enrolments in a matter of months.
The Government says that there are 573 predicted enrolments next year and enrolments are predicted to
keep growing to upwards of 1,000 primary students. The Liberal Government then went on to approve another
500 homes in Jordan Springs East, but what is it missing? There is absolutely no commitment to a high school in
that suburb. I do not know what the Government thinks is going to happen once the children pass year 6. They
need to go to a high school, but the budget provides absolutely nothing for a high school in Jordan Springs. There
is no site, no funding and no school. The Government's response to the problem in Jordan Springs and the pressure
on families is four classrooms at Cranebrook High School.
Marsden Park is one of the fastest growing suburbs in New South Wales. By 2036 it will have a population
upwards of 30,000. The Government announced a high school on the eve of the election, but one and a half years
later the school is not funded and no construction has begun. The high school site is ready to go, but families are
waiting for funding and for an answer from the Government about when a high school will be delivered for those
growing communities. Families buy into those communities based on those promises. I am not sure if the
Government understands the sort of investment that people make into their family homes on the promise of the
building of infrastructure, but the school was not funded when the Treasurer announced the State budget. Two
years on from the commitment for a 700-space commuter car park at Schofields station, there is radio silence from
the Government. It said before the election that the car park would be completed by 2020. In fact, Kevin Conolly's
media release stated:
… the multi storey car park will be delivered by the end of 2020.
It is already November 2020 and, last time I checked, work has not even started. That station should be servicing
the entirety of the growth area around Marsden Park, which is land that the Government keeps releasing. But the
Government is nowhere to be seen on the delivery of this multistorey car park. In fact, residents are often telling
me that the only car park the Liberals have built is Richmond Road in peak hour. The hospital at Rouse Hill was
promised before the 2015 election. It was promised again at the 2019 election. Two budgets on, there is no
money—and we wonder why there is so much pressure at Blacktown. Earlier this year, regarding the Liberals'
failures on infrastructure in north-west Sydney, Gladys Berejiklian said:
The residents of the North West should have nothing to worry about …
Seriously? They should have nothing to worry about with schools, which more than ever before are overcrowded,
and the Marsden Park high school site sits empty? They should have nothing to worry about with hospitals, when
after six years of Liberal promises the Rouse Hill hospital is still not built? They should have nothing to worry
about with roads? Try Richmond Road in peak hour! They should have nothing to worry about with rail. Try
getting a car park at Schofields! It is easy for the Premier, who lives 10 minutes from work and the CBD, but
hardworking families have to make the morning commute. The budget fails those families.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse) (19:49:26): We are living in a time of increasing economic
disruption. Natural disasters and the COVID-19 global pandemic are forcing governments and businesses to adapt
at an unprecedented rate. Jobs and industries are being transformed by new technology and the future of
New South Wales depends on us having an innovative economy. The New South Wales Government has a big
role to play in fostering an innovative economy. We are already the nation's leader in "hard" infrastructure
investment. We must match that with an equally ambitious plan to make New South Wales the nation's leader in
"soft" infrastructure: research and development [R&D].
R&D creates the ideas that turn into new industries, jobs, products and services. With that in mind, in
October 2019 the Premier asked me to drive a strategy that would make New South Wales the R&D leader in
Australia and a world-class contributor. Accelerating R&D in New South Wales by turning more ideas into jobs,
industries, products and services will drive our economy and support the New South Wales COVID-19 Recovery
Plan. New South Wales has considerable research strengths, such as advanced manufacturing, quantum computing
and photonics, robotics, aerospace and defence. We have more startups and global top 100 universities than any
jurisdiction.
But we have not taken full advantage of those strengths and have punched below our weight at translating
research into new, commercially viable technologies and products. Added to that is the fact that New South Wales
has achieved a world-beating outcome in balancing the health and economic impacts of COVID. More than ever,
we have a unique opportunity to show that we are open for business and support the next wave of advanced
industries in New South Wales, building on that COVID experience.
To guide the task that the Premier put to me, I appointed an advisory committee of eminent leaders in
innovation, business, government and the tertiary sector, chaired by David Gonski, AC. We committed to
delivering an action plan to the Premier in 2020 to make New South Wales the R&D leader in Australia and a
world-class contributor. The New South Wales Government has a key role to play in fostering R&D
commercialisation through its funding, policies and programs within the broader ecosystem, which spans
universities, startups, industry, research institutes and scale-ups. Through our work we focused on four levers that
the New South Wales Government can use to accelerate R&D.
The first is Government action, or how we can use our role as a participant in the R&D ecosystem through
expenditure, procurement and priorities. The second is attraction, or how we attract and retain the best talent and
investment to New South Wales and grow our R&D ecosystem. The third is collaboration, or how we bring
stakeholders together to leverage their respective strengths and how we can make them share hard and soft
infrastructure, including through our innovation precincts. The fourth is translation, or how we use our startups to
scale up and commercialise research. We held a six-week public consultation from 28 October to 13 December
2019. About 100 submissions were lodged and we conducted over 70 targeted consultations and forums with
stakeholders.
I take this opportunity to thank the advisory council members: Maxine Brenner; Jillian Broadbent, AC;
Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, our chief scientist; Professor Barney Glover, AO; Professor Brigid Heywood;
Catherine Livingstone, AO; Philip Marcus Clark, AO; Professor Mary O'Kane, AC; Daniel Petre, AO; Professor
Michelle Simmons, AO; David Thodey, AO; Jennifer Westacott, AO; Dr Larry Marshall; David Shein; Professor
Paul Wellings, CBE; and Neville Stevens, AO. They generously brought their insights, experience and wisdom
to the task. I also thank my team from the Department of Premier and Cabinet: Amy Brown, Ben Gales, Josie
Khalil, Daniel Van Dyk and Dominic Nguyen. They are an example of public sector excellence in bringing not
only their skills and knowledge to the initiative but also their passion. Following on from a year of work, we
recently submitted our action plan to the Premier for her consideration. We believe that by implementing the
proposals in the action plan New South Wales will be able to realise the enormous job- and industry-creating
potential of R&D. I look forward to that being the case. I commend my private members' statement to the House.
WINGECARRIBEE SHIRE COUNCIL DESTINATION PLAN
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH (Wollondilly) (19:54:00): I express my disappointment at the adoption of
the destination strategy by Wingecarribee Shire Council last week, with the casting vote of Mayor Duncan Gair.
The strategy is not supported by industry, me or the community. The approach taken by the council is heavily
discredited.
In September the wonderful member for Goulburn and I welcomed Minister Hancock's decision to impose
a Performance Improvement Order, also known as an PIO. As a former long-term councillor at Botany council,
who controlled that place for a long time, the member for Heffron would know PIOs well. The member for
Goulburn and I shared the view that the council leadership was dysfunctional and that ratepayers deserved better.
At the time we hoped that the PIO would drive better working relationships, decision-making and outcomes for
the Wingecarribee community in the Southern Highlands. I know that members on the other side of the House
will come down to visit me shortly. Frankly, the conduct that I witnessed last week of some councillors has left
me with little confidence that the PIO has had the desired effect.
Ms Anna Watson: Your shout?
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: Yes, I might buy you a beer at The Royal. The member knows that key
stakeholders addressing the council via Zoom were disconnected mid-sentence and, according to the Southern
Highlands Express, cries from some councillors that meeting procedures were not being followed were denounced
with the response, "I am the mayor!" The member for Heffron probably used that phrase from time to time when
he was the mayor of Botany.
Mr Ron Hoenig: You've got to be humble.
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH: The mayor of Wingecarribee Shire Council was not. It is not the behaviour
that I expect of a council when it is considering an important economic statement of its vision and intent. Prior to
adoption such statements should be the subject of extensive stakeholder consultation and should be supported
overwhelmingly by councillors, industry and ratepayers. For four years the council has not had an economic
development strategy. The last one expired in 2016, which is absolutely disgraceful. The disruption and the impact
of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 has meant that a document that could drive economic recovery and
sustainable economic growth is needed now more than ever. However, it is apparent that the adopted document
is not capable of driving the significant and necessary outcomes because it contains insufficient detail. It has been
described as more of a discussion paper.
According to Mark Bourne, the lead facilitator at the magnificent Southern Highlands Key Stakeholder
Group, "The general feeling within many industry sectors was that it lacked genuine stakeholder collaboration
and was more of a tick-the-box process." Surrounding councils have publicly available economic development
strategies that contain tangible and specific actions. I refer to councils in Kiama, Shellharbour, Wollongong and
to the other council in my electorate of Wollondilly. The documents adopted by those councils set targets in areas
such as job-creation numbers and attempt to link priorities with real actions. That makes a council accountable
for the success or failure of its adopted plan.
I do not blame the consultants whom the council engaged to produce the current document. A consultant
can only be as good as the brief and direction that they receive from their client. The same consultant, Lucid
Economics, also authored the 2020 Wollondilly Economic Development Strategy, which, by contrast, is regarded
by industry as a highly competent document. The Wollondilly strategy document contains priority action areas,
each of which is supported by detailed and specific strategic initiatives. It contains a detailed vision and goal.
Catalyst infrastructure projects are identified as either short- or long-term projects. I urge Wingecarribee Shire
Council to collaborate with industry to create a new, fit-for-purpose strategic document that contains accountable
goals and detailed actions, as the industry is recommending.
TRIBUTE TO BILLIE KINDER
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (19:59:23): I pay tribute to the life of Billie Kinder, who
tragically passed away in 2016 at the age of 12. I commend her mother Danny, father Dave and sister Charlie for
their work in running the not-for-profit charitable institution Flyhighbillie. Sadly, on 29 May 2016 in Pitt Town
Billie was involved in a horse accident. She had achieved amazing things in her life. Billie and her pony Diesel
won the New South Wales State interschool primary show jumping championship in 2015. She also became the
New South Wales State interschool primary champion rider. Being the best in New South Wales is achieved by
few people in life. It requires great qualities and amazing talent to achieve such an outcome. Billie also excelled
academically. Her amazing writing ability was recognised with a high school academic scholarship to Arndell
Anglican College.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Billie. She touched the lives of all she met and her legacy has touched
the lives of those who did not have the pleasure of meeting her, including mine. She is described as having had
an unconditional love for life and everything that it has to offer. She had a beautiful, caring soul and amazing gifts
of kindness, compassion, empathy and insight. Billie had belief and hope for the world, always giving to others
rather than keeping things for herself. Billie is no longer with us but her legacy lives on through the charity
Flyhighbillie that her parents and sister run in her honour. The not-for-profit charity supports and assists children
and young people who are affected by bullying, mental health issues and suicide. It also supports those who are
in palliative care and suffering debilitating illnesses, including medical distress, disability, mental health issues
and grief.
The Flyhighbillie charity is very active in serving its important purpose. It runs and promotes many
initiatives, such as the "b kinder" initiative that seeks to utilise positive, unique, interactive and tangible resources
such as workbooks to reduce mental health, bullying and suicide statistics. The charity also created an annual day
called the "b kinder day", which occurs on 22 June each year to encourage kindness, thoughtfulness and empathy.
The charity encourages and assists schools and everyone else to participate. The day's main activity is to purchase
one of Billie's "b kinder" cards and to write a lovely message to someone one cares about. Over 8,500 "b kinder"
cards were sent around the world in 2019. The charity has many reputable ambassadors and supporters who assist
the charity in their great cause. Our world is a better place due to the contribution Billie made during her 12 brief
years of life and the legacy she provided to the world. I thank and commend Danny, Dave, Charlie and all the
wonderful people who are involved in the charity and its wonderful initiatives. I wish them all the very best for
the future.
Community Recognition Statements
JOHNS RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie) (20:03:06): I recognise Johns River Public School, which
recently celebrated its 150th birthday, having opened on 4 November 1870. Public schools are the heart of small
regional communities and Johns River Public School is no different. The school has had a huge impact and has
been an instrumental part of the local community and of the lives of the students for 150 years. Current students
Ellie O'Neile, Elkie McKay, Shelby Horvat, Phoenix Vanderpoll-Jones, Nathan Gardner, Indi Horvat, Jakob
Cini-Powell, Kaiidin Green and Indigo Vanderpoll, together with teaching principal Murray McGrath and staff
Josh Tomasone, Chloe Fullford, Jade Culbert, Ruth Macnamara, Amanda Murray, Marianne Reeves, Laurie
Gough and Peter Miller, are all part of the rich history of this proud institution. The COVID-19 pandemic has put
birthday celebrations on hold, which has been very disappointing for everyone involved. I look forward to joining
in the celebrations with the school community at a later date. I wish Johns River Public School a happy 150th
birthday. I congratulate the school on reaching that outstanding milestone.
TRISTIN CONDON
Mr GURMESH SINGH (Coffs Harbour) (20:04:18): Coffs Harbour's Tristin Condon was never meant
to walk or talk but now he is a three-time Australian champion. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Tristin has
spent his life defying the odds—and medical experts, for that matter. The 40-year-old, who is studying a graduate
diploma of legal practice at Bond University, claimed indoor rowing titles across the 500 metres, 1 kilometre and
2 kilometre events. It was a virtual competition and Tristin rowed at his Coffs Harbour apartment, which he shares
with his wife and number one supporter, Balinda Condon. His times are in the world's top three, which is even
more remarkable considering he broke ribs and slipped a disc in his back earlier this year after a couple of falls.
His next competition is the Oceania championships on 5 December—a qualifier for the world titles. Rowing has
become a way for Tristin to inspire and find freedom, while also continuing to prove doubters wrong.
I congratulate Tristin and Balinda for what they doing and for what they are achieving in our community.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Ku-ring-gai) (20:05:15): Since the end of World War I Australians have
paused to reflect and pay tribute to our servicemen and women on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the
eleventh month. With this year's Anzac Day commemorations cancelled due to the pandemic, it was particularly
meaningful for the veteran community to see Remembrance Day gatherings take place last week due to the one-off
exemption on outdoor gatherings. I was able to attend the Remembrance Day Service at the Roseville Memorial
Club, along with the member for Davidson, the Hon. Jonathan O'Dea. Although the service was much smaller this
year, it was wonderful to see our community come together to commend the memory of our fallen. I acknowledge
the Roseville Memorial Club and thank President John Whitworth for hosting the ceremony. I pay a special
mention to Lieutenant Colonel Ken Broadhed, Major Mike Askey and World War II Royal Australian Air Force
veteran Tony Adams, who were present. Their stories can never be forgotten. Lest We Forget.
MUSIC SAVED ME PODCAST
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (20:06:15): I congratulate the team behind the brilliant new podcast
Musicians Making a Difference, Music Saved Me. With the challenges of 2020, it is more important than ever to
have open and honest conversations about mental health and how it can impact everyone in our community. The
podcast, brought to us by an amazing Gosford-based team, tackles the importance of music for mental health. It
highlights how mental health struggles can effect anyone, with musicians talking about their experiences with
culture, language, homelessness, grief, loss and sexuality. The podcast is just one of many examples of the Central
Coast community coming together during hard times and working together to support the most vulnerable in our
community. As our young people in Year 12 finish their HSC and graduate into the world, open and honest
conversations about wellbeing are more important than ever. I congratulate the Musicians Making a Difference
team on continuing to open up the conversation about mental health in our community.
JANNALI PUBLIC SCHOOL
Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (20:07:16): I acknowledge the wonderful community at Jannali Public
School. Having celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary just last year, Jannali Public School is committed to
academic excellence and inspiring lifelong learners. Led by principal Karen Andrews, the school and its dedicated
staff provide comprehensive extracurricular programs and regularly hold events such as a recent Maths Day,
League Tag Gala Day and Mini Olympics. Jannali Public School is fortunate to have a strong community
contributing to its students' education. Earlier this month I visited the school to see its recently completed
electronic noticeboard project, funded by a New South Wales Government grant and facilitating the promotion of
school events to parents, students and the wider community. I commend the members of the P&C association
behind projects such as this, including president Julie Robinson, vice-presidents Holly Smith and Janelle Argue,
secretary Cathryn Walker and treasurer Kaylene Pring. I also recognise the wonderful students I met on my visit,
including Lucy and Piper Smith, Christopher and Samantha Litton, Hugo Cullen, Eva King and William Bailey.
I extend my best wishes to the Jannali Public School community.
MEL KING
Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (20:08:27): I congratulate the successful applicant Mel King from the
children's charity, We Care Connect, on being nominated for the 2020 Westfield Local Heroes. Three local leaders
were nominated and voted for by their community. They will be awarded a $10,000 grant each for the affiliated
organisations to continue their work. Mel is a volunteer who spends 20 hours a week putting together packages
of clothing, linen and baby items for caseworkers who help disadvantaged local children. Mel became a childhood
educator, which was a career she loved before she was forced to retire. Now she is able to bring her professional
background to working with caseworkers from the charity. Mel's cheerfulness and dedication is something to
admire and she continuously works outside charity hours to collect and distribute donated items. She always tries
to include special items to meet children's individual needs. It is warming to know that people like Mel go the
extra mile for children and families in need in the community. I congratulate Mel King on her nomination for
supporting and volunteering in the community. Mel is genuine, resilient and respected.
LOUISE HARDMAN
Mr GURMESH SINGH (Coffs Harbour) (20:09:30): Scientist, innovator and waste-free plastics
educator Louise Hardman is the toast of the Coffs Coast. Louise flew the flag for our region as a Local Hero
Nominee in the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year Awards. Some 28 years ago, leading a marine turtle-tagging
and research program, Louise discovered a small green turtle dying a slow, painful death from eating plastics. The
turtle did not survive, but it inspired Louise to tackle plastic waste. She founded Plastic Collective, a social
enterprise to stop plastics entering the oceans. Louise is an expert in grassroots community engagement, the
chemistry of plastics and the circular economy. She invented the "Shruder", a mobile recycling machine that
shreds and extrudes plastic on site, and is now developing Shruder recycling stations for regional communities.
I thank Louise and her team for helping communities transform plastic waste into products for local needs and
generate revenue through selling processed plastic shred. I congratulate Louise on her outstanding endeavours.
VINCE GAUCI
Mr ROY BUTLER (Barwon) (20:10:30): I recognise Mr Vince Gauci, who was born and bred in Broken
Hill. He built an outstanding career in the mining industry, culminating in his role as managing director of
MIM Ltd. On his retirement in 2000, Vince donated his time to an organisation committed to helping Broken Hill
have an economic life after mining. The organisation is known as Foundation Broken Hill. Under Vince's
chairmanship, the foundation has contributed over a million dollars to the local community and has supported
dozens of start-up businesses. Vince was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003, a Legend in Mining award in
2008 and Broken Hill's Citizen of the Year in 2015. This week, after 20 years as chairman, Vince handed the
baton to another successful Broken Hillman, Mr John Lynch. I thank Vince for his passion and enthusiasm to see
Broken Hill and its surrounding regions prosper.
WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse) (20:11:33): I am wearing a purple ribbon today in support of
World Pancreatic Cancer Day and Purple Our World, a charity founded in 2014 by local resident Daniel Goulburn,
OAM, and his family to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is now the third highest cause of
cancer deaths in Australia. Sadly, there is also no early detection test or screening program and the average
survival period of patients after diagnosis is only six months. Today I caught up with one of my local residents
Lucinda Watson in Parliament. We shared a purple cupcake she had baked to raise awareness for Purple Our
World. I thank Lucinda for her efforts, and Daniel and his family, especially his daughter, Jessica, for their strong
advocacy on such an important issue.
TRIBUTE TO JOE VIZZONE
Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (20:12:41): It is with sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Mr Joe
Vizzone, founding partner at Vizzone Ruggero Twigg Lawyers and a giant of the south Sydney community. Joe
passed away on Sunday 1 November at the age of 64. His service to our community was not just limited to his
legal services; he played two seasons for the Rabbitohs and retained a lifelong connection to rugby league, serving
as a director of South Sydney Juniors and a number of their affiliate organisations. He was awarded life
membership of the South Sydney District, Junior Rugby League, the Juniors Group of Clubs, and his beloved
Mascot Jets. He had nearly 50 years of association with the Mascot Juniors, including 20 years of volunteering,
administration and sponsorship, and a term as president. Joe was a sponsor of the Botany Rams, Mascot Netball
Club, and my high old school, JJ Cahill Memorial High School. The success of those organisations over many
years is due in no small part to Joe's generosity, passion and dedication. He was a great mate and a long-term
supporter of mine. He will be greatly missed. I pay my condolences to his family and friends. Vale, Joe Vizzone.
CENTRAL COAST REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (20:12:50): I acknowledge the Remembrance Day services o the
Central Coast. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month Australia stopped and paused for a
moment of silence to mark 75 years since the guns fell silent at the end of World War II, and 102 years since the
end of World War I. The residents of Copacabana came together to mark this moment in a COVID-safe way.
Local Vietnam Veteran Roque Ammal organised the Remembrance Day Service emphasising how
important it is to keep the light burning, remembering how different our lives are now because of those who
sacrificed for us over 100 years ago. Part of the service included 3D dioramas of aircraft, ship and tank models,
put together by 16 Copacabana children. Also on display were photos, medals and other memorabilia of fallen
family members from throughout the community. Wreaths were laid and thousands of ex-service men and women
were remembered for the remarkable sacrifice they have made for society today. Although I was unfortunately
unable to attend, I know it was a moving service for all. Lest we forget.
SAVE OUR SANDS
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (20:14:52): I recognise and commend the advocacy of the Wamberal
locals who have formed the group Save our Sands. It is essential that in conversations regarding the long-term
future of Wamberal Beach, and beaches all up our New South Wales coast, that both the environment and the
broader community are involved and considered. Our beaches are some of our most precious and unique
ecological resources, and ensuring that they are healthy and sustained for future generations is an enormous task.
With the increasing impacts of climate change, it is also an incredibly challenging one. I thank Save our Sands
for providing a space for environmental and community voices to be heard. It seems that the Wamberal task force
has yet to conduct the broad consultation as promised, and this important local community group is yet to be
consulted or provided with the terms of reference. Once again, I thank all involved in Save Our Sands for their
passion to protect our great Central Coast.
RIVERWOOD HORNETS
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (20:15:49): I recently had the pleasure of attending a fantastic afternoon
organised by the Hurstville Rotary Club in support of the Riverwood Hornets. The Riverwood Hornets work in
cooperation with the Australian Air League, which encourages an interest in aviation. The Hornets are particularly
renowned for their marching band who gave an excellent performance on the day and who also attended the
seventy-eighth anniversary Pearl Harbor memorial parade in 2019. This is a fantastic organisation and it was great
to donate towards these members obtaining their Duke of Edinburgh awards. I am also pleased to note that a
number of the Riverwood Hornets have also been recognised at the St George Community Awards. Recipients
include: Andrew Vu, Jason Zhou, Joshua Nguyen, Kong Li, Lee Wood, Raymond Thi, Steven Tran, Thanh Tran,
Timothy Dinh and Zayyan Mahmood. I thank Jan Gartrell and Marion Smith as well as Geoff and Linda Pritchard
for helping organising the afternoon and I thank everyone who donated towards this fantastic cause.
COBAR ROTARY CLUB
Mr ROY BUTLER (Barwon) (20:16:50): The Cobar Rotary Club was presented with the Orana
Volunteers Team of the year award for its work in assisting drought-affected families in the district. The Cobar
Rotary Club has been helping our local communities for the past 54 years. The contribution and tireless efforts of
these amazing volunteers has been truly inspiring. With only eight volunteers, the Cobar Rotary Club was able to
provide truckloads of much-needed fodder, grocery packs and fuel to many remote families during the recent
devastating drought. The volunteers were also exceptional in supporting families and local businesses with
much-needed emotional health support. The amazing support provided by the local businesses has been paramount
during the recent drought and COVID-19 pandemic. I highly commend this tireless band of volunteers for their
achievement and wish them all the best for their future success.
THELMA FLORENCE TAYLOR
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (20:17:42): I wish a very happy birthday to Thelma Florence
Taylor, who turns 102 years young this month. Thelma was born on the 27 November 1918. Our community is
fortunate to have someone who has witnessed or experienced events in history which many of us only read about
or learn in school. This immediately brings to mind the aftermath of World War I, being a newborn when the
Spanish flu affected one-quarter to one-third of the Australian population, the lead-up to and destruction caused
by World War II, the Great Depression, the Vietnam War and now living through COVID-19. We hope Thelma
may share the secret to a long and healthy life—I really want to know that. I wish Thelma the best of health and
happiness ahead.
MACKILLOP CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (20:18:38): Students from Mackillop Catholic College K-12 raised
money for charity at their recent Crazy Sock Day. The students from the school should be praised for an enormous
effort to raise $1,100 towards the Catholic Mission for World Mission Month. This money will help impoverished
communities. This charity works with communities around the world to lift people out of poverty and set them on
a path towards education, employment, food, housing security and general wellbeing. The students should all be
praised for participating and wearing a large array of colourful and creative socks, with not a boring foot in sight.
CENTRAL COAST MIDWIVES

Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (20:19:17): I thank the fantastic group of midwives who have worked
incredibly hard to support families on the Central Coast during this incredibly challenging year. It was been an
honour and an eye-opener to work closely with them as COVID-19 arrived, to ensure safety and communications
provided the utmost protection and wraparound support for women who were giving birth during these
challenging times. I compliment them on the transition to new methods of consulting and supporting new mums
during isolation. I compliment them creativity and innovation in delivering services for expectant mums and their
families despite the challenges and barriers we faced during COVID-19. Their services are fabulous, and Coasties
love them. It is tragic the Government has committed to cutting their wages as frontline workers. As our population
is increasing we will work together to ensure the fantastic midwifery services on the coast are not diminished or
reduced.
COOTAMUNDRA ELECTORATE HIDDEN TREASURES
Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra) (20:20:20): I celebrate just some of the amazing women of the
Cootamundra electorate who go above and beyond to serve their communities and improve the lives of others.
Janice Cattle of Wyalong, Ruth Fritsch, Pat Thomas and Ailsa Sinclair of Temora, Sue Houstein of Gundagai,
Kaye Chapman of Covvra, Jennifer Duddle of Young and Elaine D'Elboux of Koorawatha have all been
recognised on the 2020 Hidden Treasures Honour Roll. Every one of these women volunteer their time to serve
others and are pillars of their communities. From voluntary grief counselling, fundraising to provide services to
those undergoing medical treatment, helping families devastated by bushfires and every imaginable effort in
between, these women are the beating heart of their communities. It is a privilege they call the Cootamundra
electorate home. I congratulate them all on joining this roll of incredible rural women.
COOPER RYAN
Mr ROY BUTLER (Barwon) (20:21:17): I recognise Cooper Ryan from Bourke. The 2020 rugby league
season was anything but a normal run of the mill season. Sporting events were hit hard with COVID-19 restrictions
and the communities felt the strain of not being able to support their local teams. But through all this one young
man was determined to pursue his passion for rugby league. Sixteen-year-old Cooper Ryan from Bourke joined
the Nyngan Tigers under-16s team. The Nyngan team did not have enough players for the season, which meant
having to travel to and from Nyngan each week. Cooper found playing for the Tigers fulfilling as the team started
winning games and made it to the grand final. During this time, he formed life-long bonds on and off the field.
Cooper has been selected in the 2020-21 Far West Academy of Sport under-17s Rugby League Squad, which will
consist of mentoring and specialised coaching. I commend Cooper for his initiative and wish him all the best in
realising his dreams.
TERRIGAL ELECTORATE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (20:22:08): I formally pass on my gratitude and thanks to the eight
residents across my electorate of Terrigal who have successfully completed 50 years of providing a Justice of the
Peace service to our community. These people are: Mr Edwin Doughman, Mr Gregory Beckenham, Mr Peter
Kastelan, Mr William Robertson, Mr Ronald Piltz, Mr Gilbert Slattery, Mr Neil Saunders, Mr Barry Shepherd
and Mrs Lesley Hunter. Traditionally these people would be recognised in New South Wales Parliament to
celebrate their service to our community, but unfortunately this has been postponed. I will have the honour of
presenting their certificate to them and look forward to inviting them to a morning tea in my office to personally
thank them for the service they have provided to our community over the last 50 years. Although being a Justice
of the Peace is not a paid job traditionally, it is still an essential service throughout any community and I commend
the men and women who provide this service. I look forward to celebrating with the people mentioned today and
the many that will follow over the years to come.
LUGARNO PUBLIC SCHOOL
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (20:23:44): I acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the volunteers
at Lugarno Public School who have worked tirelessly through the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the wellbeing
of students. Janette Allardyce-Walker, Leanne Ireland and P&C President Kristy McDonnell have done an
outstanding job in keeping the canteen and uniform shop running during these difficult times. With no parents
allowed on school grounds, the team has continued the operation of the uniform shop online thanks to Ms Ireland's
fantastic information technology skills and Ms Allardyce-Walker's time in the shop where she filled out all of the
orders herself. Ms McDonnell's commitment to the P&C over the past four years has really bought the team
together through simplifying processes and creating initiatives that benefit not only the school but also the entire
community. I am so proud of the leadership displayed by these inspiring women and I am honoured to recognise
their achievements in Parliament and at the 2020 St George Community Awards. I congratulate the ladies. Both
the school and our community are appreciative of their service. I wish them all the best in the future.
PAULINE MANISKAS
Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (20:24:28): I congratulate successful applicant Pauline Maniskas from
the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, Central Coast Branch, on being nominated for the 2020 Westfield
Local Heroes. Three local leaders were nominated and voted for by their community and will be awarded a
$10,000 grant each for their affiliated organisations to continue their work. Pauline is a volunteer secretary of the
association and has dedicated 15 years to helping people experience the restorative effect of the ocean. She is the
first contact for families interested in surfing, giving them confidence to come and try the events. Pauline helps
organise surfing events, sources donations and visits schools to speak about the value of being inclusive. Pauline's
goal is to nurture a sense of inclusion and belonging for those who are less able in the community by providing a
safe and happy environment at surfing events. The Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, Central Coast
branch will use the funds to invest in a beach wheelchair and other equipment such as rash shirts and surfboards.
Congratulations to Pauline on her passionate work in the community and on raising the awareness of surfing and
encouraging inclusiveness around the community.
ROBYN AND CHARLES BERG
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (20:25:30): I was delighted to receive a lovely note handwritten
on personalised stationery from an amazing woman by the name of Robyn Berg, in response to a birthday card
I had sent Robyn for her eightieth birthday. In the letter she described the extraordinary life that she shared with
her late husband, Charles Josef Berg. The contribution that Robyn and Charles Berg made to society is incredible.
Her description of her and her late husband's life was amazing to read and led me online to read more. Robyn was
an associate to a number of judges in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Charles was also a very prominent
figure as an accountant and music administrator.
Charles served as the president of the Musica Viva Society of Australia from 1968 to 1974 and chairman
of Australian Opera from 1974 to 1986. He was made a life member of both organisations for his incredible work.
Charles was admitted in 1940 to 41 as an associate member of the Association of Accountants. He began private
practice after the war and went on to form the company Charles J. Berg & Associates. Charles later became the
Australian representative of the Union Bank of Switzerland. He went on to operate his own private practice from
1980 to 1986 and became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia in 1981. Charles was a
philanthropist and was also a director of many other companies, including Zurich Australian Insurance. I am very
grateful to have discovered these two talented people in Hawkesbury.
CENTRAL COAST LIFELINE
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (20:26:52): I recognise the important work of Lifeline volunteers across
the Central Coast in supporting Coasties and their mental health. On 8 September, two days before World Suicide
Prevention Day, Lifeline Central Coast received 3,326 calls. That represented a devastating record for calls
received by Lifeline, who receive an average of 3,000 critical calls per day. Over 45 per cent of calls are being
received due to the anxiety of COVID-19, with financial stress, joblessness, isolation and uncertainty leading to
a great rise in Lifeline callers. If anyone needs help, Lifeline is available, with new online counselling services
making help more accessible for everyone across the community. If anyone knows someone in need, let them
know that they are not alone. Introducing someone to Lifeline's online and phone services could save a life. Those
in need can call 13 11 14 for 24/7 confidential support. I thank the volunteers at Lifeline for the amazing work
they do in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our community. They are truly making a difference in
our community.
COVID-19 AND BORDER COMMUNITIES
Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra) (20:27:58): I acknowledge the efforts of all of those involved in
managing the closure of the New South Wales-Victorian border and I welcome the news it will reopen on
23 November 2020. Communities along the border, and further away in my own electorate of Cootamundra, have
faced a challenging time navigating the closure, which has not occurred since the Spanish Flu pandemic a century
ago. I particularly thank the NSW Police Force, the Australian Defence Force and Service NSW for their efforts,
and I acknowledge the pressures the closure has had on their resources and people. This has been a difficult time
for our border communities and beyond. I acknowledge those members of the community who have faced
significant upheaval and personal and financial loss and I thank them for their patience. The management of this
pandemic by the Premier and the New South Wales Government should be commended, and I congratulate them
on keeping our State safe.
LES SMITH
Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) (20:28:54): I congratulate successful applicant Les Smith from Berkeley
Vale Rural Fire Brigade on being nominated for the 2020 Westfield Local Heroes. Three local leaders were
nominated and voted for by their community and will be awarded a $10,000 grant each for their affiliated
organisations to continue their work. Les is a much valued and admired volunteer where he currently serves as
deputy captain. He is always there on the front line during emergencies such as fires, floods, storms and car
accidents. The bushfires in 2020 were the worst and most dangerous fires the brigade had ever faced and Les
showed his commitment by putting the community first above his own safety. His contribution and passion for
40 years has been saving lives and property in the community, and now he is dedicated to training up the next
generation of firefighters, passing on his knowledge and acting as a mentor. The Berkeley Vale Rural Fire Brigade
will use the funds to purchase safety and protective gear and firefighting equipment and to complete a safety haven
for the community. Well done to Les Smith on his nomination for being community minded, selfless and
passionate.
KOGARAH COMMUNITY SERVICES
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (20:29:57): The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on all members of
the community, particularly those who are elderly and vulnerable. Today I recognise the hard work demonstrated
by Kogarah Community Services to make these difficult times easier for those in need. During the pandemic the
team has been offering a range of services, including emergency and food assistance services, mental health
support and social wellbeing initiatives to ensure the health and safety of local residents. I particularly mention
Malcolm Long, Cecilia Lu, Rocky Familietti and the entire committee, who all won awards at the 2020 St George
Community Awards for their leadership and commitment during this difficult time. All three individuals won
awards for their individual service and the organisation has won a group award for its overall community
contribution. This is a fantastic achievement and it demonstrates the value of the organisation within the
community and its consistent dedication to improving the lives of others. Well done everyone from Kogarah
Community Services. I look forward to hearing more about the organisation's impressive work in the future.
GIRLS ON THE GREEN
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (20:31:01): I congratulate everyone involved in the recent Girls on the
Green event organised by Naughty Noodle Fun Haus. Exploding with colour, inspiration and community, the
event provided the perfect antidote to the COVID blues. Members from across the community came together to
enjoy a sense of connection and fun, and a great afternoon was had by all. Girls on the Green was a celebration of
the amazing Central Coast women at the forefront of the music scene. Amazing local artists such as Nikki Bennet,
Tessa Thames, Sam Windley, Corrie Hodson and June Richards soothed the ears of all in attendance and provided
an amazing showcase of the cultural brilliance the Central Coast has to offer. Despite the challenges of COVID-19,
the Central Coast arts community continues to bring joy to those across the coast. Support local artists this summer
and get out and enjoy all that the Central Coast arts community has to offer. I also thank the team at Everglades
who worked super hard to ensure the event was an amazing success.
THE JEREMIAH PROJECT
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (20:32:05): I commend a homeless ministry by the name of
The Jeremiah Project on its assistance to those in need in Windsor, Richmond and outside my electorate in
Parramatta. The ministry consists of over 20 amazing volunteers. In addition to providing meals, it also listens to
homeless people, lets them know that they are not alone and helps alleviate the stress and anxiety they may have.
Homeless people are made to feel welcome and not alone, knowing that they can chat to the volunteers and turn
to them to help them get back on their feet. The ministry also welcomes the vulnerable, in need, elderly and anyone
else who would like a meal or just someone to talk to. I thank all the volunteers involved in The Jeremiah Project
for the important work they do and I wish them all the best in the years ahead.
SHARE THE DIGNITY CHARITY
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (20:32:55): I acknowledge the continued work of Share the Dignity, which
is a national charity working to end period poverty in Australia. Every year my office assists in its donation drive
to provide female hygiene products to those in need. I am always honoured to do my part in assisting this fantastic
cause. It is so important that we work towards increasing equitable access to critical hygiene for women of all
circumstances. This is the fifth, possibly sixth, year in a row that I have participated in the Share the Dignity drive
and it is always fantastic to see my electorate get around and behind the drive with so many wonderful donations.
I thank Simon Tolhurst, Rochelle Courtenay, Jennifer Witheriff, Nick Crethar, Matt Smith and Shayne Gilbert for
all of the work they do in maintaining the prosperity and commitment of the organisation. The event has been
particularly important during the recent pandemic with more and more women doing it tough. Well done to
everyone involved. I look forward to participating again next year and I wish them all the best for the year ahead.
NAIDOC WEEK 2020
Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown)—I am pleased to recognise NAIDOC Week 2020, celebrating the
history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The National Aborigines and
Islanders Day Observance Committee [NAIDOC] was formed in 1956 but its history dates back to 1937, when
churches first championed a national day of observance. Today, NAIDOC Week is an important annual week of
celebration. This year's official theme is Always Was, Always Will Be, which recognises that First Nations people
have occupied and cared for the Australian continent for over 65,000 years. I take this opportunity to pay tribute
to the Darug and Eora people, the original inhabitants of the Canterbury Bankstown area, and take this opportunity
to acknowledge the local Indigenous elders and leaders, including Uncle Harry Allie, Aunty Lyn Martin, Aunty
Noeline Briggs-Smith; OAM, and Aunty Aloma Sagigi, and I commend their strong commitment to the local
indigenous community and tremendous contribution to our local community.
BANKSTOWN DISTRICT UNITING CHURCH
Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown)—I was honoured to attend the Bankstown District Uniting Church
on Sunday, 15th November 2020 for the dedication of a new monument and flagpole to honour those who have
given their lives in military service for peace. I would like to acknowledge Bankstown Uniting Church Minister
the Reverend Gaby Kobrossi and the entire Parish Council, as well as the many distinguished guests in attendance
at the ceremony, including Bankstown RSL Sub-branch President Mr Terry Corcoran, Lakemba Mosque Imam
Mohammed Abdul, Bankstown SES Operations Manager Mr Pat Johnson and Bankstown Police Chie Inspector
Mr Colin Moore. The Bankstown District Uniting Church, which forms part of the Uniting Church in Australia –
Synod of NSW and ACT, is a war memorial church and has a long and proud history of providing spiritual services
and pastoral care to a diverse range of people within the Bankstown community, as well as serving as a permanent
tribute to our fallen brave men and women of service. I take this opportunity to recognise the valuable work of
Bankstown District Uniting Church and thank them for their tremendous contribution to our local community.
LIZ BARLOW
Mr STEPHEN KAMPER (Rockdale)—Speaker, I rise to congratulate Liz Barlow for her 25th
anniversary as a Councillor serving the people of St George, first on the former Rockdale Council and now on the
merged Bayside Council. Councillor Barlow is known for being fiercely independent, highly ethical and
accessible by local residents. Councillor Barlow has been a strong advocate for heritage issues in the area, has
consistently served on Council's community nursery for many years, and has been proud to deliver improved
infrastructure in the area in recent years, such as in her support of the Rockdale Library and the Angelo Anestis
Aquatic Centre. Councillor Barlow never shies away from doing what she believes is the right thing to do, even
when it's difficult, and it is undoubtedly why she is so respected across our community. Speaker, I have been
proud to be able to work with Councillor Barlow on many local issues, and look forward to being able to continue
to do so in the future.
PIGGOTT'S PHARMACY
Ms SONIA HORNERY (Wallsend)—It's my pleasure to acknowledge a very successful, and long term
local family business. Piggott's Pharmacy is proudly celebrating 50 years of business. Chris and Shirley Piggott
chose Blackbutt to open their first pharmacy in 1970. Their business grew, purchasing and operating more
pharmacies, while raising their four children, Anthony, Skye, Andrew and Maddi. Chris, an educator, also taught
pharmacy management at Newcastle University for 14 years. The family passed on their pharmacy passion to
Anthony, Skye and Maddi. Anthony and Sky purchased the Blackbutt pharmacy from their parents in 2009, and
added more pharmacy's to Branxton, Hamilton, Hamilton South, Huntlee, Lambton and Merewether. On 7
November 2020, the family came together with Chris, Shirley, their children and grandchildren (with the
exception of Maddi who could not make it due to COVID19 restrictions), to celebrate 50 years of Piggott's
Pharmacy and caring for the community. Thank you Chris and Shirley, Anthony, Skye, Andrew and Sandra, and
Maddi. Your community spirit and quality care speaks for itself. Your sound business growth represents Piggott
ingenuity.
NEISHA MANNING
Ms SONIA HORNERY (Wallsend)—Neisha Manning, a registered midwife, will never forget the first
time she delivered her first baby. After three years studying at the University of Newcastle and four years of work
at Maitland Hospital, Neisha is currently a team leader on the birthing unit at Maitland Hospital and at the Naae-
Wanni Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service, as well as completing her Masters, casually teaching at the
University of Newcastle and coaching a state league netball team. Neisha, is a finalist for the Aboriginal
Nurse/Midwife of the Year category in the 2020 NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards, for
"consistently maintaining the highest standards for all mothers and babies in the provision of quality, safe,
compassionate and culturally appropriate healthcare." These awards are an opportunity to honour nurses and
midwives across NSW who go above and beyond and make a real difference not only within their teams but, most
importantly, to the patients they care for. Thank you, Neisha, and good luck with the awards ceremony.
KATIE NEWCOMBE
Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes)—Mr Speaker, I rise to recognise 20 year old Katie
Newcombe who was recently named Rotary's 2020 Young Inspirational Woman- Health Care Worker. Working
in an aged care facility, Katie has become versed in helping people, she dedicates her spare time to volunteering
with the Harrington SES. Her role in the SES includes documenting and relaying storm and flood intelligence,
and as well as hands on duties such as assisting with property damage, protection, and chainsaw jobs. While
deployed to help the Rural Fire Service during the recent bushfires, her maturity and judgement helped to save
firefighters. When several teams were trapped by fast-developing fires, Katie kept a clear head, and radioed for
help, thereby leading them to safety. Katie was also one of four finalist in the Rotary Emergency Services
Community awards Dorothy Hennessey; OAM Scholarship for volunteers under 25. I again recognise and
congratulate Katie Newcombe for her dedication and hard work assisting the local community.
BULAHDELAH BUSINESS CHAMBER
Mr STEPHEN BROMHEAD (Myall Lakes)—Mr Speaker, I rise to congratulate Bulahdelah Business
Chamber that have been named as one of five finalists for the Local Business chamber award in the 2020 Hunter
Business Awards. It's been a tough year for a lot of businesses locally and across the globe as they faced
unprecedented restrictions due to Covid-19 and it has been with the help of organisations like the Bulahdelah
Business Chamber, that has helped to guide business through the challenges. The Bulahdelah chamber last took
out the award in 2017 and are hoping to take it home again when the winners are announced this Friday. I again
congratulate the Business chamber and wish them luck ahead of the announcement.
GLENFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields)—I want to congratulate students from
Glenfield Public School for taking action and campaigning for road safety improvements around their school. The
students in 5/6G contacted me with their suggestions to improve road safety issues such as speeding vehicles;
illegal U-turns; illegal parking; people crossing the road in an unsafe manner; and drivers arguing in front of
students. A project of their own initiative based on their own solutions. It's fantastic to see that these students are
so passionate about creating a safer environment for their peers, staff and parents at the school. I was impressed
by the ideas students came up with to address the road safety issues as well as their tenacity in contacting me to
help advocate on their behalf. Some of the suggestions by students included speed reduction devices on Waterloo
Place; 'No parking' restrictions; the installation of children's crossings; a 'kiss and ride' zone on Railway Parade;
increased Council ranger activity; and road safety signage. It is heartening to know that some of our youngest
residents are motivated enough to fight for change in their community.
VICTORIA ELLIS AND BRANDON JOYNSON
Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I'd like to congratulate Toronto High School's Victoria Ellis and
Brandon Joynson on their recent election as the school's 2021 School Captains. Victoria is widely respected by
the student body and will no doubt prove to be an effective leader. She has participated in school service from a
young age by making morning announcements on roll call since Year 8 and mentoring Year 7 through the Peer
Support program whilst in Year 10. Brandon is already a strong leader and is well liked by his peers who describe
him as determined, polite and affable with a great sense of humour. He has always had an excellent academic
record and was accelerated in his Biology course, completing his Preliminary and HSC course in this subject one
year earlier than his peers. Young people who take on such responsibility are very likely to go on and be leaders
in other ways, whether it's within their chosen profession, perhaps in public life, business or the public service. I
believe we will see great things from Victoria and Brandon in the future and I wish them well.
PENINSULA RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I'd like to acknowledge the super-human efforts displayed by
Peninsula Rural Fire Brigade during the 2019 – 2020 bushfire season. The brigade's 43 members did not stop
throughout the entire season. They worked gruelling extended shifts, attended a total of 49 call-outs, took part in
multiple strike teams and were deployed to numerous fire events out of their local area. Some members even
sacrificed spending Christmas Day and New Year's Eve with their families to ensure communities were kept safe.
The brigade also assisted with multiple storm clean-up efforts throughout the Central Coast once the fire season
finished. This brigade does so much more than fight fires. Its very presence brings a sense of safety and
reassurance to the Morisset Peninsula community. Before the horror season began, the brigade hosted an
informative public meeting which was attended by 130 people. During that meeting, community members were
educated about the potential dangers of the season ahead and what they needed to do to protect themselves and
their properties. I applaud the Peninsula RFS on their ongoing efforts to keep us safe and thank them for their
selfless dedication shown over many years.
LIFE IN SYDNEY SNAPSHOT
Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer Hill)—I acknowledge the Committee for Sydney's recently released Life in
Sydney snapshot, which amongst other things, reports that the majority of Sydney siders support building new
cycleways. 52% of respondents supported additional cycling lanes in Sydney and 46% stated they would cycle
more if our roads were safer. 58% supported the notion that more school kids should cycle to school. During the
COVID crisis, increasing numbers of people have taken up cycling; recognising it is a COVID-safe, healthy,
cheap, and environmentally friendly way to commute. Research is critical to understanding how the pandemic has
changed the way we travel and how people want to use our city, and that is why the work of the Committee for
Sydney is so important. The Committee for Sydney's goal is to help build the Sydney of tomorrow by finding
innovative solutions to our city's problems, such as planning our city's travel network. Thank you to Gabriel
Metcalf, Eamon Waterford, and all the team at Committee for Sydney for publishing the snapshot and for laying
out a vision of what a future Sydney would look like with active transport at its heart.
INTERNATIONAL DRUG USERS' DAY
Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer Hill)—1 November is International Drug Users' Day. The National Drug
Strategy Household Survey reveals that approximately 3.4 million Australians report having used illicit
substances, however, drug users in our community face ongoing stigma and discrimination. This year,
International Drug Users' Day draws attention to the specific challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Access to harm minimisation, prevention strategies and well-funded treatment programs are crucial in reducing
overdoses and unnecessary deaths, yet access to these critical services is limited. Local organisations continue to
do critical work to support and protect drug users in NSW during the pandemic and beyond, including NUAA,
ACON, the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, DanceWize, Harm Reduction Australia, Australian
Drug Law Reform Foundation, Kirketon Road Centre and Ted Noffs Foundation. It is clear that we need to do
much more to reduce stigma and discrimination and to ensure drug users are treated with dignity within our health
system and within our community.
VIC ALHADEFF
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer)—Today I wish to pay tribute to an outstanding
Jewish Australian, Mr Vic Alhadeff. Mr Alhadeff recently announced that he will be stepping down as Chief
Executive Officer of the Jewish Board of Deputies after 16 years in the job. Mr Alhadeff has distinguished himself
as a principled and upright leader within the broader Jewish community, and has made an invaluable contribution
to public debate in Australia on antisemitism, multiculturalism, religious freedom, the State of Israel, and public
policy in general. I would like to thank Mr Alhadeff for his enormous contribution to the Jewish community, and
to public life in this state. I understand Mr Alhadeff will be continuing in his role for a few months yet until a
replacement is elected early next year. He will then serve as a consultant on the Board of Deputies. I wish Mr
Alhadeff and his wife Nadene all the best as they retire from what has, no doubt, been a demanding but rewarding
full-time role.
DENNIS PETERS
Ms KATE WASHINGTON (Port Stephens)—Speaker, tonight I wish to pay tribute to long term Port
Stephens resident and captain of Raymond Terrace Fire and Rescue, Dennis Peters. Dennis has been serving as a
retained firefighter for 23 years, and captain of Raymond Terrace Fire and Rescue for the past 7 years. For
countless emergencies including HAZMAT situations, structural fires and car fires, Dennis was there. He
responded to calls for help in 2007 when the super storm washed the Pasha Bulker cargo ship onto Nobbys Beach,
he was there again on scene for countless call outs during the 2015 super storm. Dennis and his crew battled a
blaze for over a week in 2013 when bushfires destroyed six homes in Salt Ash. Through his role as captain, Dennis
took special interest in community education, conducting home visits for the elderly and visiting schools to teach
kids about fire safety. Personally, I always enjoyed seeing so many people at his station's open day, especially the
kids grinning with excitement. On behalf of the people of Port Stephens and this Parliament, I wish Dennis and
his family a peaceful retirement, and sincerely thank him for his service to our community.
DEBBIE BOOTH
Ms KATE WASHINGTON (Port Stephens)—Speaker, I rise to recognise Debbie Booth from the Tea
Gardens-Hawks Nest Surf Life Saving Club who was recently awarded the prestigious NSW Surf Life Saving
Volunteer of the Year. Debbie has been involved with Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest Surf Life Saving Club for over
20 years. She joined the club in 1996 as a way to educate her children about the surf, before becoming a club
official and serving as director of education for the Hunter Branch of Surf Life Saving for 13 years. Debbie was
the first woman ever elected President of the Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest Club and then President of the Hunter
Branch of Surf Life Saving. As the recipient of the NSW award, Debbie is now in the running for the Australian
Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence later this year. This year marks the 40th anniversary of women being able
to join Surf Life Saving Clubs as patrol members. Debbie is a wonderful example of the strengths, skills, and
experience that women bring to the Surf Life Saving movement. On behalf of the people of Port Stephens and this
Parliament, I congratulate Debbie Booth, and wish her and her awesome club, a safe season.
SYDNEY AIRFIELD TOUR
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley)—Speaker, I rise to inform the House of a recent tour I had the privilege of
attending. On the 28th of October, I toured Sydney Airport's airfield via minibus. It was fascinating to see the
regular operation of the airport and how knowledgeable and efficient the staff are. Sydney is so lucky to have a
world-class international airport and under the Berejiklian Government, it will soon have a second. This is an
investment into tourism and local jobs, both of which are crucial for our economic rebuild. Unfortunately, Sydney
Airport has suffered quite significantly this year. In 2019, an average of 890 flights would leave Sydney Airport.
This year, that number now sits at only 110. This means Sydney Airport has lost a quarter of its workforce, which
is a true tragedy. It is my hope that with this Government's investment into Western Sydney Airport, we can
recover those jobs and get the industry in NSW back on track. I would like to thank Mitch Dudley for coordinating
the experience. Mitch is a great friend of mine and does an excellent job at Sydney Airport.
45 YEARS OF SBS IN AUSTRALIA
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley)—Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 45th Anniversary of SBS Radio
and the 40th Anniversary of local SBS television here in Australia. SBS has a longstanding legacy within our
community and I applaud their ability to ensure that information is readily available for multicultural and
multilingual Australians. SBS has played a critical role throughout the COVID pandemic in keeping our
community aware and up to date on the latest health advice. In less than a week, they were able to develop the
SBS Multilingual Coronavirus Portal to curate COVID-19 content into one easily accessible portal in 63 different
languages. It is this ability to look out for others and bring our community together that has made SBS a
cornerstone of local media for the past 45 years. In this time they have covered numerous global events including
the September 11 attacks, the recent climate protests and countless federal elections. I congratulate the SBS
network on all of their achievements and commitment to the Australian public over the past 45 years and I wish
them many more years of success moving forward.
BLACKSMITHS PUBLIC SCHOOL
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea)—Speaker, I rise to congratulate Blacksmiths Public School on
winning the Overall Primary School category of the 2020 Lake Macquarie School Environment Awards.
Blacksmiths Public School won the award for its work in adopting environmentally sustainable actions including
monitoring water usage, mulching gardens and the installation of timers on all watering systems. Relieving
Principal Mr Luke Mcllvenie described the school's commitment to raising environmental awareness with students
stating 'At Blacksmiths Public School, we focus on sustainability and understanding for our school community.
School environmental leaders facilitate and foster student involvement with daily activities and processes that
ensure the school is helping the environment'. Our schools play an important role in promoting a positive approach
to improving and protecting our local environment, Blacksmiths Public Schools work in this area has been a credit
to all its staff. I congratulate all the staff and students of Blacksmiths Public School for these efforts and being
recognised at the 2020 Lake Macquarie School Environment Awards.
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea)—Speaker, I rise to congratulate St Mary's Catholic College on
winning the Overall High School category of the 2020 Lake Macquarie School Environment Awards. St Mary's
Catholic College won the award for its efforts in energy saving, waste reduction and improving the natural
environment. Science teacher Katrina Piper described importance to students of developing the tools to create
lifelong learning and global change stating 'Students are very aware of the environmental crisis that our planet
faces. Participating in the Environmental Awards encourages them to be involved and make a difference from the
ground up'. Our schools play an important role in helping equip students with the skills to help protect our local
environment, St Mary's Catholic College work in this area has been a credit to all its staff. I congratulate all the
staff and students of St Mary's Catholic College for their efforts and being recognised at the 2020 Lake Macquarie
School Environment Awards.
JENNY GLEDHILL — COOMEALLA

Mrs HELEN DALTON (Murray)—It is my privilege to recognise Jenny Gledhill of Coomealla. Jenny
was a co-founder of the Sunraysia Cancer Support Group initiated in 1980. Since that inception, Jenny has been
an Executive member and is the current Chair. In 2006 the organisation applied for seed funding through Cancer
Australia, to set up a shopfront, known as Sunraysia Cancer Resource which had to become sustainable within
three years of operation. Since 2007 the Sunraysia Cancer Resource has supported more than 3,000 families with
the centre operating with volunteer and paid staff to assist families effected by cancer. Through Jenny and her
team's efforts, Sunraysia Cancer Resources is a well-respected organisation within the community and is the
beneficiary of community and corporate donations. As a former nurse, a carer of a child with cancer and remote
home and community care provider, Jenny retired gracefully from her working life last year at the age of 70 but
continues her passionate voluntary role and involvement with the Sunraysia Cancer Resources Jenny's dedication
to the Sunraysia Cancer Resources and Commealla community is greatly appreciated.
BARRY FRANCIS
Dr JOE McGIRR (Wagga Wagga)—Barry Francis was not only a familiar face to people in Wagga
Wagga, but his guitar performances regularly brightened the day of the city's residents and visitors alike. Mr
Francis, a dedicated Rotarian, regularly busked around Wagga Wagga's CBD. These street performances not only
helped him to raise $17,000 for charity, but led to him releasing a CD entitled Songs of the Street. The former
Royal Australian Air Force teacher, who first arrived in Wagga in 1994 on a posting, passed away on November
1, aged 73, after a long battle with heart problems. cis was a local president of Rotary from 2011-2012, received
a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2012 and a sapphire pin in 2016. A keen rugby union player, he began with Easts in
Brisbane from age 29, playing into his late 30s. Mr Francis was the much-loved husband of Chris, and father and
father in-law of Matthew, and Kate and Adriaan Steyn and a devoted 'Poppy' to Bryant and Lorelei. I would like
to extend my sympathies to Mr Francis's family and friends. A jaunt down Wagga Wagga's Baylis Street will not
be the same without Mr Francis.
POMINGALARNA RESERVE
Dr JOE McGIRR (Wagga Wagga)—The people of Wagga Wagga are looking forward to being told to
"get on your bike". Earlier this month a sod-turning ceremony marked the official start of construction on Wagga
Wagga's new $9.2 million multi-sport cycling complex at Pomingalarna Reserve. The project is funded through a
$7 million grant from the NSW Government and $2.2 million from Wagga Wagga City Council. Work is due to
begin in earnest early next year. The complex will cater for competitive and recreational cyclists and feature a
criterium track, jump and pump tracks, cycling education area, velodrome and supporting infrastructure. It has the
potential to make Wagga Wagga the best regional venue for elite cycling events. The success of the program is
due, in large part, to the hard work of many in the community. Five of the cycling groups based in Wagga Wagga
formed a combined working group to join with Council and plan this project. Wagga Wagga's Wiradjuri and First
Nations women have also worked hard to ensure the development is respectful and representative of
Pomingalarna's significance to Wiradjuri cultural heritage. I commend these groups for their hard work and
dedication.
FATHER JOSH MIECHELS
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield)—I take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of Father Josh
Miechels of the Emmanuel Community and assistant priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Fairfield on the
establishment of his podcast series The Furnace. Father Josh recorded the first of his free daily homilies on 24th
March at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when churches closed. Through The Furnace, Father Josh is
reaching his listeners with daily homilies that encourage and inspire, in podcasts that last five minutes or less.
These homilies were essential during the COVID-19 lockdown period when fear and uncertainty dominated, and
when people were in need of a connection with the Church through scripture and prayer. What began as a
lockdown experiment has flourished into a ritual for many people - a powerful daily experience which, while
short, can be enough to inject some positivity into the day. I commend Father Josh on this inspiring project and
his missionary work in general, which has touched so many in such a short period of time.
VVIP CLEANING SERVICES LAUNCH
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield)—I recently had the great honour of attending the grand opening of local
business VVIP Cleaning Services Limited, joined by my colleague Hugh McDermott MP, State Member for
Prospect. A local company, VVIP Cleaning Australia is a residential and commercial cleaning service which
caters to schools and businesses throughout NSW. We were lucky enough to be treated to a tour of the store and
the equipment used by the VVIP Cleaning Australia team by director Mr Anmar Desho. It is clear that the team
have committed to using quality products to deliver quality cleaning services. We all know how vital these types
of services have been invaluable to the community since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
commitment of VVIP Cleaning Services Australia to providing their services to our local area will go a long way
towards keeping our community COVID-safe. I would like to offer my congratulations to Mr Anmar Desho and
the team at VVIP Cleaning Australia and wish them all the best in the future of their business.
PENRITH VALLEY SPORTS FOUNDATION AWARDS
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney)—I
congratulate the local award recipients from across 11 categories for their contribution to sport who were
recognised at the recent Penrith Valley Sports Foundation Annual Awards evening held at Emu Sports Club. Ray
Dukes – Jim Anderson Memorial Award; Trish Conner – Sports Administration Award; Erik Horrie – All Abilities
Award; Tim Bailey – Coach of the Year; Robert Ferrier – Volunteer of the Year; Penrith District Netball 13 Years
Stage Age Titles Team – Team of the Year Award comprising of team members Isabella Degei, Jayla Dicker,
Matoisha Kalepo, Faith Luai, Sophia Meehan, Brooke Ryan, Jessica Ryan, Hayley Price, Jessica Stevens, Angel
Tagaloamatua, Jada Taylor and Head Coach: Julie Opie, Assistant Coach: Emma Thornton, Manager: Megan
Oakes and Primary Care: Priscilla Quinlan; Luciana Macedo – Masters Athlete Award; Amanda Houison –
Referee/Umpire Award; Sophie Wilson – Rising Star Award; Patrick Beach – Junior Sportstar of the Year; Taylah
Tsitsikrinos – Senior Sportstar of the Year. I wish all exceptional recipients who are excelling in their chosen field
all the very best and look forward to hearing of their future achievements.
MIA ARMITAGE
Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina)—Today, I congratulate Mia Armitage and BayFM 99.9 on winning the
Excellence in Journalism category at the 2020 Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Community
Radio Awards for their report, "Living in Paradise". While the Northern Rivers' laidback lifestyle, natural wonders
and great weather justify the term "paradise", Mia's reportage reveals it has a dark side – an epidemic of
homelessness. Accompanying the region's growing appeal as a mass tourism destination is a spike in short-term
holiday letting that has led to a chronic shortage of homes for residents to rent. The cost of buying or renting has
soared. Byron Shire is said to have 20 per cent of the State's homeless population. Housing stress across the
Northern Rivers is acute. Mia spoke to those most badly affected by the shortage in affordable housing, including
mothers with young children, as well as people working hard to create positive solutions and genuine affordable,
long term housing. It is the third time Mia has won an award for radio documentaries, evidence of the high
standards of BayFM journalism, and the relevance and significance of their work.
BANGALOW HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina)—Today, I congratulate the members of the Bangalow Historical
Society, and in particular, hard-working President Trisha Bleakley, for excellent work as custodians of the town's
European history. The Society has for 20 years overseen the Bangalow Heritage House Museum and Café, fielding
a team of volunteers who have maintained the building and its contents and facilitated its development into a
tourist attraction and a haven for locals and visitors alike. Sitting amid the tranquil and environmentally
educational Parklands, the Museum offers friendly and welcoming service and good food, as well as access to the
heritage town's fascinating history. The Society is aiming to broaden its mission of bringing the past into the
present with a series of art exhibitions, creating opportunities for local emerging artists to gain exposure for their
work. Ever-resourceful, the team is inviting sponsors to "buy" doors which will be configured in various
combinations around the museum and which will be used to hang artwork. The museum encapsulates the best
kind of country hospitality and tourist attraction and I cannot praise highly enough the energy and dedication of
the Society's members.
COMMEMORATING HMAS SYDNEY II
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore)—Today I acknowledge the 79th anniversary of the sinking of
HMAS Sydney II on 19 November 1941. This morning I laid a wreath at the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony
and Commemorative Memorial Service in memory of those who perished. HMAS Sydney II served primarily in
the Mediterranean from June 1940 and within hours of Italy's war declaration, the British Fleet sailed on its first
patrol sweep in the early hours of 11 June. The war in the Mediterranean had erupted swiftly and for the young
Australian sailors on board it was a sobering introduction to war at sea in the northern hemisphere. HMAS Sydney
II took part in numerous engagements, including the Battle of Calabria, and the Battle of Cape Spada where it
took on two Italian cruisers, firing over 956 rounds of 6-inch shells at the enemy. The German raider HSK
Kormoran sank the Sydney on 19 November 1941 after it was fatally hit by a torpedo and of Sydney's total
complement of 42 officers and 603 ratings, none survived. Thank you to the HMAS Sydney Association for
organising this service, particularly Barry Brooks and Brian Yeo.
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore)—Speaker, November 8 to 14 marks Perinatal Mental Health
Week, a chance to raise awareness nationally of perinatal mental health and support those expectant and new
parents experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety. One in five new mums and one in ten new dads will
experience perinatal depression and anxiety, and unfortunately, the stigma around mental health, especially in
parenting, still exists. Organisations such as Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, PANDA, and the Gidget
Foundation support women and their families who are suffering from perinatal anxiety or depression. I would like
to acknowledge Arabella Gibson from the Gidget Foundation, which is located in North Sydney in my electorate,
and all the dedicated health professionals, parents, friends, family members, and supporters, all of whom share a
passion for raising awareness of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety. The experience of perinatal depression and
anxiety is even tougher during these uncertain global times, and it is so important that organisations such as
PANDA and the Gidget Foundation are able to connect and support new and expectant parents. Raising awareness
this week helps decrease the stigma, and provides support to get the right help that will lead to a faster recovery.
CARLY AND HANNAH ROBINSON
Mr LEE EVANS (Heathcote)—I wish to acknowledge two of my constituents, Carly and Hannah
Robinson of Engadine. Last week Hannah was awarded the BJP Physical Culture 2020 State Champion. I
congratulate Hannah on this exceptional achievement and wish her all the best in her future competitions and
endeavours. Carly, Hannah's mum, teaches Physical Culture at BJP Sylvania and this week she came second in
the second in the Senior Ladies State BJP championship. I also wish to congratulate Carly outstanding
accomplishment. With over 130 clubs, BJP Physical Culture is Australia's longest running and premier Physical
Culture organisation. Founded over 127 years ago as the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture, BJP has
proudly inspired generations of Australians to exercise both body and mind through this remarkable sport. BJP
Physical Culture is for members aged 3-73 making it a sport for everyone. Once again, congratulations to Hannah
and Carly on their success- they truly are a mother-daughter powerhouse!
AUNT PRISCILLA WIGHTMAN
Ms JANELLE SAFFIN (Lismore)—LAST WEEK, we celebrated NAIDOC week. The theme, "Always
Was, Always Will Be", deeply resonates with our community as we recognise that First Nations people have
occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. This annual celebration is important as we
acknowledge the role, contribution and achievements of our First Nations people. In the spirit of NAIDOC week,
I pay tribute to an extraordinary Aboriginal woman, who I have known for many years, Aunt Priscilla Wightman.
Aunt Priscilla is a passionate advocate for the Aboriginal community through her role as an elder and advisory
board member of the Lismore – Grandmothers Against Removal [GMAR]. The Lismore GMAR is a grassroots
group, led by Aboriginal grandmothers, mothers and families, fighting against the forced removal of First Nation
children from their families, communities, and culture. As a supporter, I applaud their ongoing advocacy. Aunt
Priscilla is a proud Yulaaray/Bigambul woman, who has lived in Lismore for more than 30 years. Following the
step of her friend, teacher and mentor, the late Aunt Dorothy Gordon, she is studying the Diploma in Ministry and
Theology course at the Wontulp-Bi-Buya College. I thank Aunt Priscilla for her tireless work and commitment.
KENYA HEALTH MURWILLUMBAH
Ms JANELLE SAFFIN (Lismore)—Having been involved in humanitarian projects in Timor-Leste and
Myanmar, I am proud to see a local community organisation, Kenya Health, delivering much-needed health
services for young children and women in Kenya. I am pleased to learn that it also offers services to anyone who
presents themselves at its clinics. Founded by the late Lyle Burgoyne, a highly respected registered nurse and
midwife from Murwillumbah, Kenya Health supports the communities in Nakuru and remote villages, such as
Pokot, Kisee and Transmara, by providing medicine, medical treatment and health education. As free medical
service is unavailable in Kenya, I know that the services provided by Kenya Health, which include a fully qualified
local nurse and midwife, Rosemary, and two on-the-ground staff members, are much appreciated and welcomed.
I also acknowledge important medical, clinics, hospice and infrastructure projects, initiated by Kenya Health,
which are working together and designed to achieve sustainable and long-term results. I take this opportunity to
recognise the many volunteers, who have helped Kenya Health delivers its services, and thank the board members,
Harold and Maree Hardy, Jen Burgoyne, Judy Leahy, Hannah Burgoyne, Ivan Leahy, Ann Prendergast and
Lynelle Burgoyne, for their ongoing work and commitment.
CASTLE HILL PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Castle Hill)—I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the Castle Hill
Public School Parents and Citizens Association for their continued dedication to the students of Castle Hill. Every
year the P&C organises the annual Mother's and Father's Day stalls, as well as the Gala Day BBQ, the ever
successful Open Air Movie Night and the Welcome Morning Tea for new families, alongside operating the
canteen and uniform shop. Furthermore, the P&C contribute many one-off purchases, in recent years these being
landscaped front gardens, red shade sails above the play area, interactive whiteboards, laptops, iPads, and the bus
and kiss & drop shelter. It was recently my pleasure to announce $9,384 worth of funding for the upgrade of the
canteen, including for the fridge, oven and hot drink machine, required as the intake of students to the school
continues to rise. This was a part of the $300,000 provided to my electorate in the 2020 round of the Community
Building Partnership Grants. I would like to thank the executive for all their hard work over recent years, including
Katherine Mullen, Liga Hegner, Mamoud Payam, Conrad van Dort, Erica Miller, Andrew Olennick, Mel, Sonya,
Mandy LaFaber, Oxana Brizhineva and Chris Kirk.
RECOGNISING ROB KATZ
Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Castle Hill)—I would like to take this opportunity to recognise Rob Katz, who
yesterday was awarded the Sport NSW Community Coach of the Year Award. Rob, alongside his wife Kerrye
have been the Head Coaches of Budokan Judo Club in Castle Hill for over 20 years, and have Judo experience as
both coaches and athletes beyond that. Budokan's athletes have always had great success on the mat, with recent
results being of particular note, winning 11 gold medals at the 2019 Australian Judo Championships. As well as
this, Rob's sons Josh and Nathan competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and are on track to compete in Tokyo in
2021. I have long had the pleasure of knowing Rob and everyone at the Club, and can personally vouch for his
dedication and professionalism, as well as his pure passion for the sport, which results in a community oriented
club that also knows how to win at the most elite level. Accordingly, I had the honour of recently presenting Rob
with a NSW Community Service Award. Congratulations again Rob, it is well deserved, and I wish Budokan all
the best for the future, and wish Nathan and Josh all the best for Tokyo.
NURSES IN THE CHARLESTOWN ELECTORATE
Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown)—Saturday 14 November was World Diabetes Day. The theme
of this year's Day was "Nurses Make the Difference". Nurses are often the first interaction for someone diagnosed
with diabetes, helping them to learn how to manage the condition, and nursing staff play an important role in
recognising the importance of diabetes management in hospitals can shorten a patient's stay and reduce the risks
of complications. The contributions of nurses goes far beyond the management of diabetes, of course. Nurses are
the backbone of our health system. They are on the frontlines of patient care, ensuring that sick and injured people
have the support they need to get better. Nursing is a crucial, difficult job, and I applaud all Charlestown Electorate
nurses for their work. They are often under-appreciated, underpaid and forced to juggle more than they should
because of staffing issues—but they show up every day and care for the sick and injured. At some point in our
lives, all of us have been touched by the professionalism, skill and generosity of our nurses. I once again thank
them for their work.
SCOUTING
Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown)—I have long been a supporter of Scouting, and I would like to
acknowledge the ways in which Scouts NSW and local Scouting groups in the Charlestown Electorate have risen
to the extraordinary challenges of COVID-19. Scouting is so important for the growth of young people and the
development of resilience and life skills. The Resilience Survey, commissioned by Scouts Australia, has found
that young people involved in Scouts have an overall better life satisfaction that their peers; are more likely to feel
good about themselves; are more likely to trust others; are more likely to feel they make a positive contribution
to their community; are more like to forgive themselves if they make a mistake; and are less likely to report feeling
tired or having little energy. The report also found that Scouts are more likely to report positive mental and
physical health. At a time when so many young people feel disconnected from their communities and are
experiencing a great deal of pressure, Scouting is a productive outlet which builds resilience for life. I applaud
Scouts Australia, Scouts NSW and our local Scouting chapters, as well as all the Scouts and volunteers who
support them.
MICK REID
Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast—Minister for Local Government)—Mick Reid has retired
as Governor of the South Coast Correctional Centre after more than 30 years of service in the NSW Police Force.
Commencing in 1984 at Long Bay Correctional Facility's Training Complex, a lot has changed about the role and
how inmates are treated and rehabilitated.
As you can imagine, the role has seen a vast array of trials, both physically and mentally, with Mick having
dealt with a range of challenges including riots and assaults. In a big change of pace, Mick now plans to finish
building his home and to travel Australia with his wife. I thank Mick for his years serving our local community
and wish him and his family all the best for their future plans.
VINCENTIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast—Minister for Local Government)—Once again the
students of Vincentia High School have excelled at Wakakirri - Australia's largest performing arts event for
schools, who won the national Story Award for Best Social/Current Affair Story, and were nominees for Story of
the Year. This tremendous success comes after having won both the Best Indigenous Australian Story Award and
the Secondary Reconciliation Story Award judged by Reconciliation Australia last year. A Wakakirri story-dance
is a performance by a group of students that theatrically tells a story utilising the combined arts of dancing, acting
and movement. Each year hundreds of schools across Australia create Story-Dances for Wakakirri that reflect
students' thoughts, ideas and aspirations. This year the performance by Vincentia High explored racism and how
we can improve race relations through their dance "Racism is Learned". Established 28 years ago, the Wakakirri
Challenge usually takes place in theatres, however the 2020 festival was updated to an online-only format to
ensure COVID safety. Well done Vincentia High, it is wonderful to see success among students of the South
Coast.
VIC ALHADEFF
Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Energy and Environment)—Today I would like to
acknowledge Vic Alhadeff who is stepping down after 16 years as CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
Vic will be finishing his full time duties early next year and will take on a part time consultancy role in the
organisation. Prior to taking on the role as CEO Vic spent 18 years at the Australian Jewish News where he
reported on some of the world's biggest stories from the Gulf War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Vic has also
served as chair of Multicultural NSW and as spokesperson for the Keep Safe Coalition. During this time he
campaign successfully for legislative to outlaw incitement to violence on the basis of race, religion, gender and
sexual orientation. Vic has made an extraordinary contribution to our state. His work to support a more diverse,
inclusive and tolerant society is unrivalled. Thank you Vic for dedication, hard work and passion for the people
of New South Wales
ST PAUL THE APOSTLE PRIMARY SCHOOL'S MARGARET AYLWARD AWARDS 2020
Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills)—I recognise the recipients of the Margaret Aylward Awards from
St Paul the Apostle Primary School at Winston Hills in the Seven Hills Electorate. On 27 October, the school's
year groups separately gathered to for liturgies to celebrate school values and the winners of the awards. Sister
Brenda and Sister Pauline sent their best wishes and congratulations to the students who were acknowledged by
a vote from their peers on which classmate best demonstrates empathy, commitment, leadership, integrity and
faith. These are the values inspired by Margaret Aylward and the Holy Faith Sisters. Well done to the following
students for their award: kindergarten's Ariana F; Amelie S from year 1; Kayla A from year 2; Imogen G from
year 3; Alannah C from year 4 and Michael R from year 5. I commend these outstanding students on their
leadership in the school and the wider community. It is a big achievement to be recognised by your peers and
thank you for demonstrating integrity and empathy at St Paul's.
SEVEN HILLS NORTH PUBLIC SCHOOL STAFF
Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills)—Recently, I have received calls and correspondence from parents
of Seven Hills North Public School regarding the incredible, on-going efforts during the pandemic of the school's
staff. Rain, hail or shine the teachers and staff of Seven Hills North Public have assisted with getting students in
and out of parents and carers cars and helping at the bus stop every day. The school has a terrific reputation in the
local area and across the Blacktown district learning community. I want to acknowledge teachers: Sandy Abu-
Duhou; Jacquelyn Barudzija; Kendal Baxter; Georgia Blanch; Christine Dundas; Laura Golcman; Janet Goodman;
Alicia Hinds; Kristen Kilpatrick; Elena McCann; Tracey McDonald; Lynda McKewen; Robyn Mossfield;
Ashleigh Ricketts; Leonie Sargeant; Sue Sinai; Agnes Singh; and Julie Suleiman. I also want to thank the school's
administration team of Louise Mear and Bronwyn Connell and teacher's aides Nancy Youssef and Bernie
Shannon. I thank principal Renai Diamond for her tremendous leadership of Seven Hills North Public School.
WAMBO COAL SINGLETON HALL OF FAME
Mr MICHAEL JOHNSEN (Upper Hunter)—I would like to congratulate the additional six inductees
who were recently inducted into the Wambo Coal Singleton Hall of Fame. The Wambo Coal Singleton Hall of
Fame was established in 2009 in partnership between the Singleton Council & Peabody Wambo Coal to recognise
people who have a strong association with Singleton and who have attained prominence at a State, National or
International level in their field of endeavour. Congratulations to the following inductees: Gregory Lancaster for
his success at sport, Gerard McMillan for his service to the Community, the Late Ken Neely for his service to the
community, the Late Charlie Shearer for his contribution to business, industry and tourism, The Hon. George
Souris AM, for his contribution to Public Service, Singleton PCYC for their contribution to the Singleton
community. Again congratulations to all inductees and I thank them for their outstanding contribution to the
community of Singleton and the Upper Hunter.
LILLIAN MAY BALDWIN & PENRITH RSL SUB-BRANCH
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney)—I
congratulate Lillian May Baldwin who celebrated her 100th birthday on August 16 2020. Lillian and her husband,
Arthur were both active members in the Norlane RSL in Geelong VIC. Following Arthurs passing, Lillian
relocated to NSW where she has lived in the Penrith area for the past 30 years and has been active with the City
of Penrith RSL Sub-branch. In addition to her 3 daughters, Lillian has 7 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
This year the City of Penrith RSL Sub-branch [Sub-branch] also celebrates its 100th birthday and as the exact
date of its formation is not known they chose Lillian's birthday to celebrate both these momentous occasions. The
Sub-branch was formed in 1919 and the first official Charter was awarded in 1920. The Sub-branch held a small
celebration with Lillian in attendance for the official cake cutting. I understand Lillian was thrilled to have her
birthday chosen as the Sub-branches day of commemoration. Congratulations to Lillian and the City of Penrith
RSL Sub-Branch.
BINGARRA UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE
Mr ADAM MARSHALL (Northern Tablelands—Minister for Agriculture and Western New South
Wales)—I recognise the Bingara U3A, University of the Third Age, as an example of what a small community
can achieve. President Linda McDouall chaired the Annual General Meeting and shared a very full report about
their productive year in spite of the restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the courses offered
over last year's. A variety of courses from Pilates to Armchair Travel or Garden Tips to Wildlife First Aid
contributes to U3A's popularity. Adding to its success is low-cost and free venues offered by the Northern Inland
Community College, St Mary's, the Living Classroom, and the Gwydir Health Hub. I congratulate President Linda
McDouall for her commitment to the U3A project which has had an enriching impact on the well-being of
Bingara's senior citizens and to local presenters, Dimity McMurtrie who presented Armchair Travel, Ros Moulton
who ran I am Calling you from Telstra and Bev Matthews with Line Dancing. I commend the volunteers who
have contributed to U3A for their commitment to community and the relevance of their efforts.
INVERELL MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB
Mr ADAM MARSHALL (Northern Tablelands—Minister for Agriculture and Western New South
Wales)—I recognise the Inverell Mountain Bike Club as a major sporting association in the Northern Tablelands
and their determination to present their tenth "Copeton 6 Hour" mountain bike event in spite of the limitations
that COVID presented this year. Publicity Officer Michelle Rees said that entries had doubled over last year's.
The Northern Tablelands encourages sport and this family oriented event provides the setting for vigorous and
fun competition. The organisational skills it took to accommodate competitors and visitors from all over the North
West is an notable commitment. I congratulate fierce competitors Alwyn Miller with first place and Michael
Sherwood for a close second. Brad and Jodi Newman took out first place in the mixed pairs category and Peter
Horwood and Zac Sunderland won the male pairs category. I commend the Inverell Mountain Bike Club and the
members associated with this year's successful "Copeton 6 Hour" event for their contribution to sport and healthy
living.
NARRANDERA HIGH SCHOOL
Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra)—Speaker, I wish to congratulate Narrandera High School who
have recently been praised in a report handed down by an independent panel for excelling in areas of learning
culture, wellbeing, data skills and use, learning and development as well as educational leadership and school
resources. Once in a five year cycle the School undergoes an external validation of their school's self-assessment
of progress by an independent panel made up of people from outside its own network. The panel made comment
about the School's outstanding focus on building a positive learning culture, individualised leaning and
intervention and having a clear culture of School improvement which was backed by significant improvements in
student learning growth, increasing enrolments and quality teaching practice. Well done to Narrandera High
School on achieving these outstanding results. Keep up the great work!
HORNSBY KU-RING-GAI & HILLS DISTRICT CRICKET COACHES ASSOCIATION
Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Energy and Environment)—I would like to acknowledge
the 10th anniversary of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai & Hills District Cricket Coaches Association. The association,
where I serve as a Patron, supports all the wonderful cricket coaches who work with teams in our local area. It
was the dream of Mark Rushton, Bruce Wood and Mike Langford to set up a coaching centre of excellence that
would help recruit junior coaches and support those already in the role. 10 years on and they have helped
accredited over 100 coaches, organised 3 overseas trips, assisted in the annual Ross Turner Cup and Glenn
Hourigan Cup and seen 2,840 children through their school holiday clinics. I would like to congratulate Life
Members, President Bruce Wood and Head Coach Rod Hokin, who have held these positions for 10 years. Along
with the current committee, many who have served for close to 10 years, Daniel Wood, Nick Miller, Life member
Josh Miller and Denise Anderson, who also serves as Patron. I am joined as patron by the wonderful Tom
Richmond; OAM and Mark Rushton who are also both life members and Ross Turner. Congratulations to the
HK&HDCCA for your service to cricket and our community.
CLARENCE VALLEY SPORTS AWARDS
Mr CHRISTOPHER GULAPTIS (Clarence)—I rise to offer my congratulations to the winners of the
2020 Clarence Valley Sports Awards held on Saturday night at the Grafton District Services Club with host Mike
Rabbitt. Congratulations to: Senior Sportsperson para athlete Mitch Christiansen; Masters Sports Award cyclist
Laurelea Moss; Junior Male Sportsperson Hayden Ensbey for his achievements in cricket and rugby league; Junior
Female Sportsperson and People's Choice Award Andrea Thomson for her achievements in swimming and
Physical Culture; Holly Butcher Memorial Volunteer of the Year Tim Ryan for his commitment to several Lower
Clarence sporting groups and organisations; Club of the Year Harwood Cricket Club; Team of the Year the
Grafton Tigers AFL Seniors; Coach of the Year was Campbell from the Grafton Tigers AFL Club; Ernie Muller
Award for Contribution to Sport in the Lower Clarence went to Matt Farrell a sports administrator who gives his
time to a number of sports in the Lower Clarence area; Max Godbee Award for Contribution to Sport went to Ken
Maughan for almost 60 years with the Grafton Rowing Club; Sports Contributor of the Year was Don Freeman
reporting on the Yamba Men's Bowling Club; Contributing Sports Photographer of the Year went to Gary Nichols.
ORANGE TROUT ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY
Mr PHILIP DONATO (Orange)—I wish to recognise the Orange Trout Acclimatisation Society, which
first formed as the Orange Fishing Club in 1930. In 1932 the club was renamed the Orange Trout Acclimatisation
Society, which accurately reflected their colonising of local waterways with trout fingerlings to support their
ongoing traditions and sport of fly fishing. The Society have enjoyed a strong membership, attested by its 90
continuous years of meeting, which now involves a yearly camping trip on the Macquarie River, where the social
aspect of the Society is celebrated. Many of the current members have been actively involved in the Orange Trout
Acclimatisation Society for several decades, and I wish to recognise Barry Darley, Glen Cumberland and Rodney
Tonkin, each of whom have been members for 50 continuous years. Fly-casting skills have been fostered within
the Society, and members Glen Cumberland and Kevin Laughton have each represented Australia at the World
Fly-casting Championships. Fly-caster development remains important to the Society, and member Glen
Cumberland is credited with exceptional instructional attributes, benefiting old and new members alike. The
Society continue their traditions of acclimatisation, stocking trout, cod and yellowbelly in local waterways to
support ecology and their traditional sport. Congratulations on your 90th anniversary.
WORLD FISHERIES DAY
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland)—I wish to recognise the Orange Trout Acclimatisation Society,
which first formed as the Orange Fishing Club in 1930. In 1932 the club was renamed the Orange Trout
Acclimatisation Society, which accurately reflected their colonising of local waterways with trout fingerlings to
support their ongoing traditions and sport of fly fishing. The Society have enjoyed a strong membership, attested
by its 90 continuous years of meeting, which now involves a yearly camping trip on the Macquarie River, where
the social aspect of the Society is celebrated. Many of the current members have been actively involved in the
Orange Trout Acclimatisation Society for several decades, and I wish to recognise Barry Darley, Glen
Cumberland and Rodney Tonkin, each of whom have been members for 50 continuous years. Fly-casting skills
have been fostered within the Society, and members Glen Cumberland and Kevin Laughton have each represented
Australia at the World Fly-casting Championships. Fly-caster development remains important to the Society, and
member Glen Cumberland is credited with exceptional instructional attributes, benefiting old and new members
alike. The Society continue their traditions of acclimatisation, stocking trout, cod and yellowbelly in local
waterways to support ecology and their traditional sport. Congratulations on your 90th anniversary.
TRANSPORT
Mr PETER SIDGREAVES (Camden)—The NSW 2020-21 budget will deliver almost $160 million in
transport infrastructure for the Camden community as part of a wider $72.2 billion for public transport and roads
spending. Over $54 million has been allocated to continue the construction of a multi-storey car park at
Leppington Station to deliver up to 1,000 additional car park spaces. The upgrade of The Northern Road between
Peter Brock Drive and Mersey Road will be undertaken thanks to an allocation of over $41 million. Close to $24
million has been allocated to complete the upgrade of Bringelly Road between King Street and The Northern
Road whilst over $20 million will ensure that the upgrade of The Northern Road between Mersey Road and Eaton
Road can be completed. Work on the Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 upgrade will be accelerated whilst
connectivity between Camden Bypass and the Spring Farm Parkway Stage 1 to provide access to the Hume
Motorway and Menangle Road will be investigated with a further $2 million. These fantastic outcomes will
completely transform the ways Camden residents move around our community.
CAMDEN COUNCIL GARDEN COMPETITION 2020
Mr PETER SIDGREAVES (Camden)—The annual 2020 Camden Council Garden Competition
recognises individuals and organisations within Camden who produce stunning garden displays which brighten
up the area. This year was highly competitive but I am pleased to recognise the care and effort of Beryl Rofe who
was named Grand Champion at this year's competition. Aside from taking out the top spot at the competition,
Beryl's gardening endeavours also saw her place first in the Senior Citizen Garden category and the Large
Residential garden category. It is a testament to the time and care she puts into her garden and I offer my
congratulations on a wonderful win and a spectacular garden.
BALMAIN ELECTORATE TEAM
Mr JAMIE PARKER (Balmain)—Today, on the last day of NSW Parliament for 2020, I would like to
acknowledge the community that supports and empowers my work in the Balmain Electorate. As the Member for
Balmain, I am so grateful to have the support of residents, business owners and local organisations who are all
behind our vision for a brighter future. This includes my caring, passionate, and hardworking electorate office
staff: Eleanor Nurse, Ned Cutcher, Parissa Zand, David Lewis and Craig Channells. My thanks to them for their
tireless work over this year. I would like to also recognise the dedicated local Greens members who shape my
work, the 25,424 community members who have supported our petitions, submission guides, public meetings and
community campaigns in 2020 as well as the 143 volunteers who have made every campaign possible. If I've
learnt one thing it's that individuals don't change the world - communities do. It has been my great privilege to
represent our community as a Greens Member of Parliament for the past 9 years and I look forward to continuing
our work in the years to come.
NATIONAL AG DAY
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland)—It was lovely to meet with President of the NSW Farmers, James
Jackson and Kathy Rankin today on the eve of National Ag Day. This is an important opportunity to celebrate
agriculture across NSW, particularly after the difficult years of drought, bushfires, floods, trade disruptions and
COVID-19. But it is important to remember not just the resilience of the agriculture sector which pumps $16
billion into our economy each year in NSW, but COVID reminds us of the need to have a thriving agriculture
industry in an international world. I hope that everyone will take the time to remember the hard work of our
farmers and their families across the state, and ensure whenever they go to the supermarket, green grocers, or buy
some clothes, that they remember to choose the fibre and food produced by some of the world's best! Thank you
farmers!
WINDGAP
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee)—On Monday 16 November, I had the pleasure of visiting the
Windgap Foundation's Eastlakes site, where they host two of their fantastic day programs, and to meet their new
acting CEO, Ms Joanne D'Arcy. The Windgap Foundation is a non for profit organisation that was started over
65 years ago to provide education to children with intellectual disabilities. They provide programs that support
independence, empowerment, learning and development, and aim to raise community awareness as to the needs
and aspirations of children with intellectual disabilities. This was the second time that I had visited Windgap,
having visited their Head Office last year, and I each time I have been extremely impressed by the quality of their
work. I would like to wish Joanne the best of luck in her new role as Acting CEO, and I would like to thank all of
the staff at Windgap for their work, and their advocacy.
WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY
Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee)—The 19th of November is World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate among all major cancers. If you are diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer in Australia today, you have just a 9.8% chance of surviving. The best chemotherapy available only
prolongs life by an average of 16 weeks. Last year, my father passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. We know that
in the future, Pancreatic cancer doesn't need to be sentence in the future, and I wish to take this opportunity to
thank all those working hard on both early diagnosis and a cure. I wish to acknowledge the amazing work of
Associate Professor Phoebe Phillips who leads the Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Group at UNSW
Medicine. The work being done by Professor Phillips and her team is getting us closer to a treatment and hopefully
a cure. I also want to acknowledge the fantastic work being done by Purple Our World to improve the terrible
statistics around pancreatic cancer. This World Pancreatic Cancer Day, Purple Our World has two requests: that
you wear some purple and learn the symptoms: Lower Back Pain; Stomach Pain; Yellowing of eyes and skin;
Unexplained weight loss.
JUNE KILLINGTON
Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford)—I would like to recognise the fabulous local June Killington in the NSW
Parliament. June is a powerhouse success story and a fantastic example of what a positive mindset can achieve in
our community. As a Pacific Link resident in Woy Woy, June was frustrated looking at graffiti on the wall of a
privately owned establishment opposite where she lives. Taking matters into her own hands she approached me
to see if there was anything we could do. We sat together and brainstormed, invited people who had written to me
expressing an interest in such a beautification and place making project, and June set to work! I congratulate June
on her dogged commitment to track down the owners of the property and seek permission to paint a mural. Local
professional artists are now on board - yay & thank you Ange and Naomi! We have quotes ready, links with other
local organisations, a grant application is on the way and community fundraising has started. Thanks so much
June – keep the energy high and we are right beside you! And watch out Woy Woy this is going to be spectacular
and there will be more to come!
KILLARA STATION UPGRADE
Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson)—The North Shore rail network is an important community asset
for many of my constituents in Davidson electorate. I would like to acknowledge and thank the many local
residents who signed a petition and completed a survey about accessibility upgrades for Roseville and Killara
railway stations in 2018. Work on the Roseville station upgrade is currently underway, with the lift and other
improvements soon to go into service. Residents are now delighted by the good news that the NSW Government
has also approved an accessibility upgrade for Killara station. The residents previously surveyed, indicated
concerns about the difficult access to Killara station for people with mobility problems and parents with prams.
The details of the station upgrade are in the planning stage but are likely to include lifts to Culworth and Werona
Avenues, family accessible and ambulant toilet facilities, 'Kiss & Ride' facilities, accessible parking spaces, CCTV
and lighting improvements, as well as footpath upgrades. This is great news for patrons of Killara station and
means all the stations in my Davidson electorate will now be properly accessible.
WOLLONDILLY CONSTITUENTS
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH (Wollondilly)—Today is the last official sitting day in the parliamentary
calendar. Reflecting over the past twelve months my electorate of Wollondilly has endured drought, flood,
bushfire and more recently, a pandemic. My electorate did not despair and did not give up. They have shown true
resilience and each and every one of my constituents are worthy of recognition. In the New Year, I am sure that
the community values that bounded us and keep us strong will continue to guide us on the road to success and
prosperity. The announcements earlier this week by Treasurer Perrottet certainly fill me with optimism that we
have the tools and support to achieve these outcomes. I wish everyone in my electorate of Wollondilly, my staff
and my colleagues in this place, and the other one, a very happy and holy Christmas. Bring on 2021.
CATARACT SCOUT PARK
Mr NATHANIEL SMITH (Wollondilly)—I was delighted recently to have the opportunity to inspect
the accommodation improvements underway at Cataract Scout Park, located near Appin, in my electorate of
Wollondilly. Over the years the 163-hectare park has hosted four Australian Jamborees and the 16th World
Jamboree in 1987-88. Its facilities are impressive and include camp sites, bunk accommodation, and activities
such as water slides, ropes courses, hiking, orienteering and an obstacle course. I was particularly blown away by
the 15,000-person open-air concert arena and was excited by its potential for the entire community. I understand
that Scouts NSW has exciting new plans for the use of the site which are currently the subject of discussions with
Minister Stokes and his department. I am very supportive of these plans which will better future-proof the site as
a community asset. I am also impressed by the way Scouts NSW has reacted and adapted to the new COVID
environment. I thank Jane Siebum, Brett Clarke, and Paul Sheppard for showing me around their wonderful
community resource. Moreover, I would like to particularly thank 1st Appin Scout Group Leader Stephen
Chapman who also joined us. Scouting simply would not be possible without the dedication of volunteers like
Stephen.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE BLACKTOWN CITY AWARDS
Dr HUGH McDERMOTT (Prospect)—On 7th November 2020, the St John Ambulance Blacktown City
Division held their annual Award Ceremony recognising the hard work and commitment of the adult and youth
Cadet Divisions. I would like to congratulate the following individuals. Lorna Jenkins, Silver Medal of the Order
for 12 years service, Kyla Young and Maria Camilleri, Bar to the Medal for 15 years service and Emily Hutchings
and Anica Sampson for receiving the Grand Prior's Badge and the Cadet Shield Award. Further, I would like to
congratulate, Tara Ewards for receiving the Award for 3 years service, David Lam, Award for 5 years service,
Terry Short, Nick Minter, Nicole Slarke and Mahalakshmi Rathinavelu for receiving their First Responder
Qualifications, and John Larson, Bill Bennett, David Lam and Rhys David for receiving the NSW Government
Fire Citations and the St John Fires Certificate of Merit. It was great to take part in the celebrations and present
the awards to the dedicated volunteers. I would particularly like to extend my thanks to Keith Avery,
Superintendent, St John Ambulance Blacktown City Division and to our local cadets for all their hard work.
THANK YOU VIC ALHADEFF
Dr HUGH McDERMOTT (Prospect)—The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies represents over 55 Jewish
community organisations and has served the Jewish community since its establishment in 1945. For the last 16
years, the organisation has been led by Vic Alhadeff, Chief Executive Officer who has worked tirelessly advancing
the Jewish community's concerns and interests. Last week, Mr Alhadeff notified the community he would be
stepping down as the CEO of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies in 2021. On 11th November, I joined my NSW
Labor Opposition colleagues, in honouring Mr Alhadeff's hard work and dedication to his community during a
morning tea at Parliament House. Mr Alhadeff served as an editor at the Australian Jewish News, Chair of
Multicultural NSW and as a spokesperson for the Keep NSW Safe Coalition. Throughout his career, Mr Alhadeff
has continuously fought against racial and religious discrimination in our society whilst advocating for a more
tolerant and accepting Australia. I thank Mr Alhadeff for his strong leadership and commitment to advancing
Australian values. He will be greatly missed by our community. I sincerely wish Vic and Nadene Alhadeff all the
best for the future.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS FOR RFS CAPTAINS
Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson)—I congratulate Andrew Wilson, Captain of the Killara Rural Fire
Brigade, and Mark Stevenson, Captain of the Belrose Fire Brigade, for being nominated for NSW Government
Community Service Awards. Mark Stevenson was elected Captain of the Belrose RFS in 2005. Over the
2019/2020 fire season, Mark helped to organise and participate in strike team deployments spanning the whole
state, including the Blue Mountains and Taree. His 23 years of service have been characterised by an unswerving
devotion to the RFS. Andrew Wilson joined the RFS in 2008 and took on the role of Captain for Killara in 2019.
Andrew led the brigade through the last fire season, which saw members deployed from Queensland to the
Victorian border. He was also crew leader on Killara 1, the first tanker on the scene at the Turramurra fires last
year. I commend Mark, Andrew, and their crews in the Belrose and Killara Fire Brigades, for their tireless service
to communities across NSW and will present the awards later this year.
BRIAN HUTCHISON – 43 YEARS OF SERVICE FUNERAL INDUSTRY
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie)—I rise to congratulate an icon of the funeral industry,
Brian Hutchison for a remarkable career spanning 43 years of service in the sector. Described as a compassionate
and kind-hearted man by his clients, Brian has literally been the backbone for those bereaving of a loved one, over
a milestone 43 years. During this time Brian has cared for over 16,000 families and was on call 24 hours a days,
7 days a week to support those through the difficult days of losing someone close. Brian was 27-years-old when
he first commenced his career in the funeral industry after purchasing Wood & Wood Funeral Directors in Lithgow
in 1977. Two years later Brian sold the business and journeyed with his family to the coastal community of Port
Macquarie where he established Brian Hutchison-Hastings District Funeral & Cremation Services. In 2004, Brian
received the prestigious Master Funeral Director award for his 20 years of service in all aspects of the industry.
Twice a President of the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie West, and twice a Paul Harris Fellow, Brian undoubtedly
displays traits of "Service Above Self". Congratulations Brian and best wishes.
ICAS RESULTS 2020
Mrs LESLIE WILLIAMS (Port Macquarie)—Today I acknowledge the St Columba Anglican School
students who competed in the International Competition and Assessment for Schools [ICAS] in the core subjects
of English, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Digital Technologies. Coordinated by the University of New
South Wales, the ICAS is an annual competition which recognises academic excellence through higher-order
thinking and problem solving, open to students from Years 2 to 12. High Distinctions were Year 3 Mathematics
Benjamin Acland, Year 3 English Kristen Hii and Year 4 Science Riley Hill. Distinction results were achieved by
Year 2 Mathematics, English and Science Iris Cheng, Year 2 Mathematics and English Jaanavhi Saravanan, Year
3 Mathematics and Science Kristen Hii, Year 2 English Marlise Uljee, Year 3 Science Samuel Buttle, Year 3
Mathematics, Michael Kamel, Year 2 English Jesse Waba, Year 4 Mathematics and English Riley Hill, Year 3
Science and English Benjamin Acland, Year 3 Science Alexander Pollitt, Year 5 Mathematics and English Charlie
Finnecy, Year 3 English Milton Finnecy, Year 5 Science and Mathematics Lucy King, Year 6 Science Nicholas
Runge, Year 5 Mathematics Ryan Partridge, Year 5 English Seth Maggs, Year 6 English, Grace Bylsma, Year 6
English Rikin Gowda and Year 6 English Finneas Vicars. Congratulations.
ROTARY CLUB OF GRANVILLE

Ms JULIA FINN (Granville)—A huge congratulations to The Rotary Club of Granville on receiving the
Rotary District 9675 Best Public Relation & Marketing award for the year 2019-2020. You have done an
incredible job to deserve this award for a second time in the past 3 years. In particular I would like to recognise
and congratulate Part-Presidents Tony Calear and Bharathi Rengarajan, and Secretary Renga Rajan of The Rotary
Club for all the hard work they have put into the Rotary to date. Activities that the club participates in which
makes a difference in our community includes their mentoring programs and professional development programs,
fundraising for various crucial causes, community support and so much more. Each member of the team has been
extremely dedicated and passionate to achieve the best outcomes for the club as well as the community as a whole.
Together we can create a legacy that will continue to push our community in Granville forward. Congratulations
once again!
HOLSWORTHY CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy)—Mr Speaker, the 2020 Holsworthy Christmas Card
competition came to a close at the beginning of the month. It is one of the highlights of my year – looking through
the artwork of children who have put so much passion into drawings and paintings. After many wonderful and
creative entries from students, right across the Holsworthy Electorate, I have been able to choose the design that
will now be on my Christmas Card for this year. I would like to congratulate Joshua, who is a first grade student
at Wattle Grove Public school, whose artwork was selected as the winner of my competition. His artwork featured
Santa in some very traditional Australian clothing – board shorts and thongs. The thing I loved most about Joshua's
artwork was the happiness and joy that it exudes – I know that it will bring cheer to the many people and
organisations I send my Christmas card too. Mr Speaker, I would once again like to congratulate Joshua on
winning my Christmas Card Competition and thank him for providing such an amazing piece of artwork.
NOWRA-BOMADERRY JETS
Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama—Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services)—I
congratulate the mighty Nowra-Bomaderry Jets who recently defeated the Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs 19-16 in the
South Coast Group Seven Rugby League Reserve Grade Grand Final at Centenary Field in Albion Park on
Saturday 24th October 2020. Congratulations to the President of the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets Mark Berry, Captain
of Reserve Grade Jack Atfield and Man of the Match Clyde Parsons. Rhys Fagerlund and Kurt Quinlan also had
great games on the way to the Jets just holding on in the final three minutes to secure their maiden reserve grade
Premiership in Group Seven. The Nowra-Bomaderry Jets are holding their 2020 Presentation Night on Saturday
28th November at the Bomaderry Bowling Club and it promises to be a terrific celebration with all players,
partners and sponsors. Rugby League has a huge following across the Illawarra and South Coast. And a big
congratulations to the mighty Jets!
HIDDEN TREASURE MRS CHERYL PEARCE
Mr GARETH WARD (Kiama—Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services)—I
congratulate Cheryl Pearce of Kiama who has been recognised on the 2020 Rural Women's Hidden Treasures
Honour Roll. Cheryl Pearce is very deserving to be included on this prestigious honour roll for her many years of
involvement with Kiama CWA Day Branch. Cheryl has volunteered her time to organise the annual Rainbow
Fashion Parade with the Country Women's Association, Kiama Day Branch. When the Kiama Day Branch of
CWA was formed in 1938, it was the only branch between Wollongong and Nowra. Cheryl has served as President
of CWA Kiama Day Branch for many years now and has been responsible for organising many events and
activities which have benefited our local Kiama community. I am absolutely delighted to see that Cheryl's
distinguished community service has been duly recognised and honoured.
[Temporary Speaker (Mr Gurmesh Singh) left the chair pursuant to resolution at 20:34 Thursday 19 November
2020.]
____________
__________
Friday 27 November 2020
[Continuation of sitting of Thursday 19 November 2020.]
[The bells having been rung, the House resumed at 14:00 with the Speaker in the chair.]
The SPEAKER: Members, I note that we are resuming following the long bell, which means we are
continuing the previous day's sitting of Parliament.
Documents
AUDITOR-GENERAL
Reports
The SPEAKER: In accordance with section 13 of the Annual Reports (Departments) Act 1985,
I announce receipt of the following reports:
(1) Financial Audit Report entitled Internal controls and governance 2020, dated 24 November 2020.
(2) Financial Audit Report entitled Education 2020, dated 26 November 2020.
(3) Performance Audit Report entitled Waste levy and grants for waste infrastructure, dated 26 November 2020.
I order that the reports be printed.

Bills
APPROPRIATION BILL 2020
PAYROLL BILL 2020
Returned
The SPEAKER: I report receipt of messages from the Legislative Council returning the bills without
amendment.
ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BILL 2020
Returned
The SPEAKER: I report receipt of messages from the Legislative Council returning the bills with
amendments. I order that consideration of the Legislative Council's amendments be set down as an order of the
day for a later hour.
Motions
SUSPENSION OF STANDING AND SESSIONAL ORDERS
Mr MARK SPEAKMAN: I move:
That standing and sessional orders be suspended to permit a further 30 minutes of community recognition statements this day
following the consideration of messages from the Legislative Council regarding Government business.
Motion agreed to.

Bills
Schedule of amendments referred to in message of 24 November 2020
No. 1 GRNS No. 1 [c2020-268B]
Page 3, proposed Part 2, heading, line 1. Insert "and Independent Commission Against Corruption" after "Legislature".
No. 2 GRNS No. 2 [c2020-268B]
Page 3, proposed Part 2. Insert after the table after line 5—
4A Appropriation for services of Independent Commission Against Corruption
This Act appropriates the sum of $7,300,000 to the Independent Commission Against Corruption
out of the Consolidated Fund for the following services of the Independent Commission Against
Corruption for the year 2020–21—
(a) services relating to reporting to Parliament,
(b) services relating to responding to demands from Parliament.
No. 3 PHON No. 1 [69C]
At end of page 5, insert new Part 5:
1. The NSW Treasurer shall consult with the presiding officers and party leaders (including a representative nominated
by each of the Greens and the Animal Justice Party) of the NSW Legislative Council to establish new annual budgets
for the Legislative Council and the Department of Parliamentary Services for the year 2021-22 by 30 April 2021.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer) (14:05:3): I move:

That the House agree to/disagree with the Legislative Council amendments Nos 1, 2 and 3 be disagreed to and that, pursuant to
section 5A of the Constitution Act 1902, the bill without the Legislative Council amendments be forthwith presented to the Governor
for assent.
Mr Paul Lynch: Point of order: Mr Speaker, my point of order is that that motion is out of order and
should be ruled out of order by you. It is directly contrary to Standing Order 224, which is the standing order that
sets out how upper House amendments are to be dealt with when they come to the Legislative Assembly. The
Government is attempting to avoid the traditional way of dealing with Legislative Council amendments by relying
upon section 5A of the State Constitution Act. If this bill fell within the parameters of section 5A, the motion
would be entirely unobjectionable. However, the reality is that it cannot be covered by section 5A. Section 5A
applies to "any Bill appropriating revenue or moneys for the ordinary annual services of the Government".
There are two problems with this motion. The first is that the bill is not about revenue for the Government.
It is revenue for the Parliament. Unless someone has wiped out the doctrine of the separation of powers overnight,
this bill cannot be caught by section 5A. In addition to that, the inclusion of the amendments means that it is no
longer simply done on an annual basis. The amendments refer to a single one-off payment to the ICAC. That is
not being done on an annual basis. On those two grounds the motion should be ruled out of order. Section 5A
simply does not cover the bill in relation to which amendments are before the House.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: To the point of order: I respectfully disagree. I table an opinion dated
7 March 1992 by the then Solicitor-General, Keith Mason, QC, and an opinion dated 20 November 2020 by
Solicitor-General M. G. Sexton, SC.
The SPEAKER: I am happy to hear further from the member for Liverpool.
Mr Paul Lynch: I simply make the point that, however interesting the advice may be, it well and truly
predates today's date and predates the bill that is before the House. It cannot possibly deal directly with the bill
before the House because it predates the bill.
The SPEAKER: Does any member wish to make further comments in relation to the point of order that
has been taken or the points that have been made?
Mr Mark Speakman: To the point of order: The 1992 opinion from Mr Mason deals with appropriations
that relate to parliamentary expenditure and the Solicitor-General in 2020 expresses agreement with that opinion.
The SPEAKER: I have read both opinions. While they have not been enunciated in the context of the
Chamber, I am aware of their content. The issue in relation to section 5A raised by the member for Liverpool is
one that is far from settled. The advices that I have seen do not support his opinion, but I acknowledge that the
matter has not been settled and therefore I will leave it to the House to decide. In other words, I will not uphold
the point of order. If the House wants to move in some form to the contrary, the House may do so; but, in the
absence of that, I will allow the Treasurer to continue.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Last Tuesday I handed down the 2021 New South Wales budget.
The budget reflects the Government's determination to keep the people of New South Wales safe from the threat
of a global pandemic, to support those who have been most affected by the trials and tribulations of 2021,
to stimulate our State's economic recovery and to set up New South Wales for a stronger future. For the past
12 months the Government has worked without pause to respond to the crisis before us. The Government has
listened carefully to the people of New South Wales and responded accordingly. Some members of Parliament
who are not on the Government benches have worked constructively with us; others have been less constructive.
But government is formed in New South Wales by the party or parties with an elected majority in the
Legislative Assembly. By virtue of the 2019 election, the people of the State elected the Liberals and
The Nationals to govern.
In the Westminster system one of the most fundamental functions of government is to determine how
public funds will be appropriated to deliver public services for the people. That is the prerogative of the
Government alone, not the Parliament at large, and it is enshrined in our State's Constitution, the Constitution
Act 1902. The convention is sometimes referred to as the financial initiative of the Crown and it is given effect to
by sections 5, 5A and 46 of the Constitution Act. For the purposes of the motion, section 5A of the Constitution
Act provides that where the Legislative Council rejects, fails to pass, or returns with suggested amendments,
which the Legislative Assembly does not agree to, any bill passed by the Legislative Assembly that is a bill for
the appropriation of revenue or moneys for the ordinary annual services of the Government, the Legislative
Assembly can direct that the bill be presented to the Governor with or without amendments. The Legislative
Council has the power to suggest amendments; it does not have the power to amend the budget.
The advice that I have tabled from the present Solicitor General, affirming the advice of a previous Solicitor
General, confirms that the bill before the House is a bill of the kind referred to in section 5A. The Legislative
Council has purported to amend the bill. The Government does not agree to any amendments and has no intention
of weakening the integrity of the Westminster system in New South Wales by subjecting the will of the people to
the whim of minority political parties in the other place. The Greens and One Nation do not write the budget; the
Government does. In accordance with section 5A of the Constitution Act 1902, the Government will, therefore,
present the bill to the Governor for royal assent without the Legislative Council's amendments. That course of
action is appropriate, not only because it affirms the financial initiative of the Crown, which is embodied in section
46 of the Constitution Act, but also because the motion is appropriate because the attempted amendment to the
bill by the Legislative Council is unlawful. Section 5 of the Constitution Act expressly states:
… all Bills for appropriating any part of the public revenue … shall originate in the Legislative Assembly.
No such bill can originate in the other place and that includes any purported amendment originating in the
Legislative Council for the appropriation of funds. The purported appropriation of $7.3 million is clearly an
appropriation originating in the Legislative Council and is, therefore, unlawful.
Mr Ryan Park: So you remember?
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Yes, and we disagree with the amendment. Furthermore, section 5A
expressly provides a mechanism for the Legislative Council to suggest amendments, but to not make amendments
to bills for the ordinary annual services of the Government, including the bills before the House. In summary,
sections 5, 5A and 46 of the Constitution Act make it clear that the Legislative Council has absolutely no power
to amend the bill and this House has no power to consent to the Legislative Council's unlawful amendments.
This year's budget was delayed by five months because of the pandemic. The Appropriation Bill 2020 and the
Payroll Tax Amendment Bill 2020 have passed both Houses and will be sent to the Governor for royal assent
today. The Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020 has already passed the Legislative Assembly without the
Legislative Council's proposed amendments. The upper House has an important place in the Constitution,
including to suggest changes, but it does not have the power to amend the budget. The motion will enable the
Government to get on with the job of delivering the services our people rely on at this critical time. I commend
the motion to the House.
Ms JODI McKAY (Strathfield) (14:14): I contribute to debate on the amendments to the Appropriation
(Parliament) Bill 2020. As members of the House know, the bill proposes an additional $7.3 million to be allocated
to fund the Independent Commission Against Corruption [ICAC]. That is much-needed funding. It is a one-off
funding to our most important integrity agency. From the very beginning, I am shocked and very concerned that
the Premier and the Treasurer will reject that additional funding. In fact, the Premier is not even in the House
today while members are debating such an important amendment to the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020.
I am also incredibly shocked and concerned that the Government intends to bypass the Parliament and go straight
to the Governor for assent on the budget. It is extraordinary and unprecedented. That is what the Government
does. It is a Government cover-up, which it has done time and time again. Now the Government is ignoring the
will of the upper House, which passed those amendments with significant support, and that is how the Parliament
should work.
Mr Dominic Perrottet: You don't write the budget.
Ms JODI McKAY: No. That is how the Parliament should work. You need the concurrence of both
Houses and now you are bypassing the will of the Parliament.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer has had an opportunity to contribute to debate.
Ms JODI McKAY: That goes against the will of the public interest in every single way. It goes against
the clear community expectations that ICAC have the resources it needs to investigate every issue that is brought
before it. Over the past 30 years we have seen many big changes in New South Wales, but the sustained policy
of building up institutions to drive corruption out of our State's political culture and public life has been one of
the biggest. At the beginning of the 1990s New South Wales came to a consensus on fighting corruption across
the political divide. That consensus meant that our politicians, police, judiciary and public service had to be above
reproach when it came to the question of corruption. That consensus led to the establishment of the ICAC and the
Police Integrity Commission to investigate and root out corruption across our State. That consensus underpinned
our State's entry into the modern era. It renewed public confidence in our democracy, government, the Police
Force and legal system. It made our State a better place.
That consensus, which was achieved painstakingly in the 1990s, must not be allowed to disintegrate.
That is what the Government is doing today by refusing to debate the amendment, which seeks to increase the
funding in a one-off capacity for the Independent Commission Against Corruption. We must champion the
independence of those integrity agencies. That independence must be fiercely guarded, and it is the responsibility
of the Parliament, both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Council, to do that. Those agencies must have
the appropriate resources to shine a light in the dark places that exist in the State. The integrity of our democracy
and our politics depends on that. The integrity agencies are our democracy's shield. The ICAC, the Law
Enforcement Conduct Commission [LECC], the NSW Electoral Commission and the NSW Ombudsman must be
independent of the government of the day. But, as members know, those agencies are funded in exactly the same
way as every other agency in government: directly by the government of the day, which approves or denies
funding for those integrity agencies.
In recent times the Auditor-General has found that the current approach threatens the independence of
those integrity agencies because they have to go cap in hand to the Government when they need more resources
to do the work that we expect them to do. In the current model it is the only avenue for those agencies to seek
additional funding. It is an unacceptable situation that the Premier and the Department of Premier and Cabinet,
which might very well be the subject of an ICAC investigation, has the ability to say no to that increased funding.
Members would be aware of the situation in New South Wales in which the Premier has appeared before the
Independent Commission Against Corruption and also has the ability to say no to its funding. The Auditor-General
recommended an independent funding model for our integrity agencies, including the ICAC, which has to address
that very serious threat to its independence. The model is based on accountability, transparency and independence.
It recognises the role of the Parliament, which the Government now seeks to circumvent.
In the case of the ICAC, which has a mandate to investigate government corruption, including corrupt
conduct of politicians, decisions about annual appropriations could be made by people who are involved or could
be the subject of an ICAC investigation. That is what is of concern to those of us on this side of the House. The
ICAC's corruption investigations are resource intensive because corruption is a secret activity and those people
who engage in it have every interest in making sure they are not found out. In looking into the funding of our
integrity agencies, the upper House Public Accountability Committee was advised that the ICAC's annual
appropriations have been below the level of inflation for most of the 30 years since ICAC was established.
If the ICAC's appropriation had kept pace with inflation, the commission's appropriation for 2019-20 would
be at least $7.2 million more than what is currently provided. That is why Labor and the crossbench in the upper
House supported funding an extra $7.3 million to the ICAC. We support this amendment to the Appropriation
Bill because ICAC should have the funding it deserves. ICAC should have the funding to be able to do what is
required of it because the community expects it, we expect it, and the Parliament should support it. The
commission itself has said that it needs this money to do its work properly. It needs to be funded at arm's length
from the government of the day because the commission is not guaranteed to get the resources it needs from
government when it asks for it. Between the 2008-09 and 2019-20 financial years, the commission applied for
increases and recurrent funding in seven of those 12 years. They were fully successful on only two of those
occasions, and partly successful on only one occasion. The ICAC's applications were rejected on the other
occasions.
There are real consequences when governments reject the ICAC's request for additional funding:
Corruption goes uninvestigated, a lack of resources places the ICAC in an untenable position of having to pick
and choose what it investigates and what is before it, public money gets used for private purposes, public assets
are appropriated for private gain, and public confidence in our democracy is left diminished. Our integrity agencies
are the front line of defence against corruption in New South Wales. They must have the resources to investigate
corruption whenever and wherever it arises. Many in this place know I have had my own experience with the
ICAC. It was my own experience—
Mr David Elliott: Another one pending.
Ms JODI McKAY: Yeah. Many in this place know I have had my own experience with the ICAC. I will
never forget the experience of facing the Independent Commission Against Corruption. It is not something I would
wish on anyone. It cost me personally and professionally, but I do not regret what I did in exposing corruption
within my own party and within the party of those opposite. I would do it again because this Government and
Parliament must be beyond reproach. Corruption needs to be exposed. We need to shine a light into those dark
places. The people who investigate it need the resources to be able to do that.
I wish I could say that the cross-party consensus on fighting corruption in our State still holds. Under this
Liberal-Nationals Government that consensus no longer exists. I wish I could say that the standards of integrity
that we as members of this Parliament are meant to abide by in public life have become more rigorous as the years
have gone by, but I cannot because those standards have been in sharp decline ever since this Government came
to power. This is laid bare before the ICAC itself.
The public now knows about the former member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire and his improper use
of his office to try to enrich himself. The public now knows that the Premier knew about Mr Maguire's business
dealings of property developers and did nothing about it. She knew about his receipt of commissions and payments
from property developers. She knew for many years and failed to disclose it to the Independent Commission
Against Corruption. She failed to do what is legally required of her as a member of the Parliament. The public
now knows—
Mr Mark Speakman: Point of order: My point of order relates to Standing Order 73.
The SPEAKER: I need further clarification in terms of your objection.
Mr Mark Speakman: If imputations are going to be made about the Premier they should be done by way
of substantive motion.
The SPEAKER: I will be mindful in listening further, but I do not think Standing Order 73 is satisfied.
I ask the Leader of the Opposition to be careful of that.
Ms JODI McKAY: It is to be expected that those opposite would seek to shut me down when I mention
the corruption inquiry that the Premier is involved in. This is important in the context of this amendment because
it is about funding for the Independent Commission Against Corruption. It is highly relevant because the Premier
is involved in an ICAC hearing and because the Premier is the person who says yes or no to funding the ICAC.
The public now knows that Mr Maguire told the Premier openly about his receipt of commissions and payments
and that the Premier congratulated him. They know that Mr Maguire was lobbying the Premier's office and the
offices of other Ministers and MPs on behalf of property developers. None of this was reported to ICAC, so is it
any surprise that when the Government allocates funding to ICAC it diminishes its ability to conduct its inquiries?
This is the standard of integrity that the Premier has herself set. If this is the standard which exists at the top of
the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Government and in the Office of the Premier, imagine how bad things
are elsewhere.
Mr Mark Speakman: Point of order: The Leader of the Opposition is contravening Standing Order 73.
It is a personal reflection on the Premier and it is disorderly.
The SPEAKER: The comments made to date I am regarding as not breaching Standing Order 73 but they
are coming close. When talking about government in a general sense and the Premier heading a government there
is a more leeway than attacking an individual person. I am giving the Leader of the Opposition some leeway,
perhaps, but I am listening intently.
Ms JODI McKAY: This is obviously about using up my time to respond to the amendments to the bill.
I could go on and on about the involvement of these MPs in corrupt activity, but if the Parliament only needs one
reason—
Mr Mark Speakman: Point of order: That is outrageous.
The SPEAKER: I will uphold the point of order—
Mr Mark Speakman: It is outrageous to have the Leader of the Opposition wagging her finger at
members on the Government bench, saying that they are involved in corruption. The Opposition leader should
withdraw that comment. That is a disgrace.
The SPEAKER: Are you taking a point of order under Standing Order 73 or is it a request that the words
be withdrawn?
Mr Mark Speakman: Both.
The SPEAKER: The comment is out of order under Standing Order 73, and the Leader of the Opposition
has been asked to withdraw it.
Ms JODI McKAY: I will not withdraw it.
Mr Mark Speakman: I cannot force the member to withdraw.
Ms JODI McKAY: The message from the other place is a sensible one. It comes with the support of
24 Legislative Council members and only the Liberals and The Nationals voted against it. The ICAC reports to
the Parliament, and the Parliament has a right to consider its budget. This is an unusual step but an important step,
because clearly there is work to do for the Independent Commission Against Corruption. For the Premier to cut
additional funding presents a major issue and a conflict of interest.
At this time there are investigations into Daryl Maguire, John Sidoti, the grants allocation and the Camellia
land deal and what does the Government do? It goes against the will of the other House to shut down an
amendment to the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill to support and resource the Independent Commission Against
Corruption. I am worried that the Liberal-Nationals Government is taking us back to the bad old days before we
had cross-party consensus on fighting corruption. It cannot be allowed to happen and the ICAC is our shield
against it. It must have the resources it needs to protect our democracy and our public institutions. Its funding
must be at arm's length from government to ensure its independence. The decision made by the Government is
disgraceful. It goes against the will of the upper House and sets a dangerous precedent. [Time expired.]
The SPEAKER: I clarify that the Treasurer and the Leader of the Opposition have unlimited amounts of
speaking time in 15-minute lots. Other members have a maximum of three lots of five minutes. I call the member
for Balmain.
Mr JAMIE PARKER (Balmain) (14:29): I appreciate the opportunity to address the Appropriation
(Parliament) Bill 2020. First of all, I acknowledge the work of all those in the upper House, including Mr David
Shoebridge, who proposed the amendments to ensure that ICAC is funded adequately. It is incredibly
disappointing that, despite all the reports and correspondence from ICAC and the resolution of the parliamentary
ICAC committee, we have not seen it receive funding that is independent of the Executive and nor have we seen
its funding even match the level of inflation. It is important to note that, while the Government is hiding behind a
whole gang of lawyers and legal advice, it could make the decision right now to give ICAC the funding that it has
indicated is so important.
It is important for the Government, because the Government has had a challenging time. It is remarkable
that in the past week the Premier has said that pork-barrelling of $250 million of public money is okay. It is
extraordinary that this week the Premier has breached the Government's own COVID-19 self-isolation rules.
Pages of shredded documents have now been revealed. A problem is emerging within the Government. It can take
a positive, proactive step and cut out any disputation around the matter of ICAC. How can it do that? It can simply
listen to the issues that the chief commissioner and the ICAC have raised many times in submissions and meetings
with the parliamentary ICAC committee.
I draw the House's attention to the evidence that was provided to the Legislative Council in the
parliamentary inquiry conducted by the Public Accountability Committee. Obviously, members can read the two
submissions that ICAC made, one of which the members of that committee have seen and reviewed in great detail.
They highlight the concerns that ICAC has around its funding. I go specifically to the committee's report, which
states:
The ICAC's evidence to the committee suggested that corruption investigations are resource‑ intensive, given that corruption is a
secret activity and that the perpetrators have every interest in obstructing detection. Further, the Chief Commissioner told the
committee that: 'New and sophisticated forms of corruption have emerged over the past decade or so and left unchecked, it will
continue to spread'. Nevertheless, despite the resource‑ intensive nature of the ICAC's investigatory role, the committee was advised
that ICAC's annual appropriations have been below the level of inflation for most of the 30 years since ICAC was established. The
ICAC has calculated that if appropriation funding had kept pace with inflation, the Commission's appropriation for 2019‑ 20 would
be at least $7.2 million more than is currently being provided.
There are tens of billions of dollars in the State budget, yet the Government cannot find $7.2 million to ensure
that the ICAC's funding keeps pace with inflation. That is too hard and too difficult. But other money can be spent,
like the $250 million that the Premier admitted was basically pork-barrelling. We can spend that but not find
$7.2 million for the ICAC. That is very disappointing. Even if the Treasurer and the legal opinion are right,
I believe he should accept the suggestion from the upper House and amend this bill to include this funding. That
would resolve the issues around the ICAC in terms of its funding level. The next important step about the
independence of ICAC and its funding being at arms-length from the Executive is critical. The chief commissioner
again stated in the committee's report that ICAC's appropriations over many years have been:
… insufficient for the Commission as an independent agency to undertake the work under its statutory charter in a given year.
The ICAC is calling for support from the Parliament, which is deaf to those requests. That is why I acknowledge
the work of the upper House and of members in this Parliament to work together collaboratively in areas where,
quite frankly, we generally do not in order to make sure we can fund the ICAC. I acknowledge all those in the
community who say that, if the ICAC needs more money, it should have every single cent it requires to fight
corruption effectively. I understand the Government believes the amendments should not go forward. We have a
solution to amend the bill to give ICAC the adequate funding that is required. We want to make sure that ICAC
stands as a strong anti-corruption fighter. This is another important step to guarantee not only adequate funding
for ICAC but also, critically, funding that is independent of the Executive so we do not have these problems in
the future and we can ensure ICAC has every single cent it needs.
Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) (14:34): I support the Legislative Council amendments. As a preliminary
point, I note that the Treasurer had some fun claiming that the upper House amendments were illegal because of
section 5 of the State Constitution Act. That section does not bear that interpretation. It says that bills for
appropriation must start in this place. That happened with the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020, the
amendments to which we are currently debating. Certainly on the face of the section as one reads it, it does not
prohibit making amendments. I also note as a preliminary point that the substantive legal advice upon which the
Government relies is many years old and clearly cannot take into account precisely what is before the House now.
The second advice is a two-pager. The member for Heffron pointed it out to me. That is slightly brief for matters
of such complexity and significance.
Having said that, these amendments restore to ICAC the funding it would have received if the original
budget had been increased in line with the consumer price index. It is a catch-up. It puts ICAC where it should
have been. It does not deal with issues of complexity in current corruption or recurrent funding. It simply puts it
back to where it should be. There is no serious dispute that funding for ICAC is adequate. It is laughable to suggest
that it is. At the opening of the inquiry into Operation Keppel, it was conceded that the person of interest's
misdemeanours—and, arguably, crimes—could not be investigated properly. The inquiry dealt with only a small
part of what Daryl Maguire had done. It did not have the resources to investigate the rest.
Operation Dasha still has not produced a report. Sidoti's matter has been hanging around forever. These
are signs of a lack of resources and money going to the ICAC. Its requests for an increase in recurrent funding
have been continually rejected from the 2008-09 to 2019-20 financial years. This has been talked about at some
length. In those 12 annual budget cycles there were seven requests for recurrent funding. Only two were fully
successful. Four were rejected and one was only partially successful. The interesting thing about the amendments
moved by the upper House is that they were moved by a member of The Greens, supported by the Christian
Democratic Party, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, One Nation and everybody else. Everybody in that
Chamber supported it and thought it was a good idea except for the Government.
The Government's fear is that, if the ICAC does its work, it will not be the Government. That is what it
motivating the Government's position on ICAC. If the funding had been provided, there would be less need for
supplementation. ICAC going to the Government and asking for extra money in between budget cycles has to be
entirely wrong in principle. Nothing is appropriate about that and it is entirely the wrong way to do things. If the
money referred to in the amendments had been paid, we would have avoided some of that. I am happy to concede
that moving amendments to legislation is not an ideal way to get more money for ICAC. But there is no other
option. This Government has had before it for some time the absolute need for a new funding model for ICAC. It
was raised by the ICAC inspector in his 2018-19 annual report and by ICAC a number of times. Its own
parliamentary committee recommended it, as did special reports under section 75 earlier this year.
Because the Government has done nothing about the need for a new independent model to fund ICAC, we
get amendments like this. The price that it pays for its indolence and its lack of interest in getting a proper funding
model is amendments like this, supported by everyone in the upper House bar the Government. It is interesting
that the mover of the amendments in the upper House talked about ICAC and other investigative agencies being
a fourth arm of our governance structure. I do not think you can go that far, but John Keane talked about monitory
democracy, where things are monitored to a much greater degree than they ever were before. I think that is not a
bad description of where contemporary Western societies are at. But that cannot work unless those monitoring
agencies are funded properly.
It is absolutely clear that ICAC has not been properly funded. The amendments before the House are an
attempt to try to fix that because the Government will not do it—because it will not get its own funding all sorted
out. That is why we come to a position where amendments like this are carried. Frankly, members cannot
underestimate the malice that this Government has towards ICAC. When Megan Latham investigated some of its
MPs the response of this lot was very simple: It sacked her. Constructive dismissal, defenestration—they threw
her out the window because she had the temerity to do her job. That is what really motivates this Government.
That is why they hate ICAC. That is why they will not fund it properly. [Time expired.]
Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (14:39): I, too, wish to speak in support of the Legislative Council
amendments to the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020. In so doing, I advise the House that I have
communicated with my Independent colleagues, the member for Sydney and the member for Wagga Wagga, and
they concur with the position that I take here today. It is a shame that members are here today dealing with an
amendment to the Appropriations (Parliament) Bill 2020 that would seek a one-off adjustment to the funding of
the ICAC that would bring it into line, according to the ICAC, with where it should be based on CPI adjustments
over the years. The reality is that we should have addressed this before with the very necessary systemic change
that would have reset the bar on the funding for the four integrity agencies and provided a proper mechanism for
an arm's-length allocation of funding, away from the elected body and particularly from the Government.
Of course, there was a review of this funding arrangement by the Auditor-General of New South Wales,
which was triggered by the Hon. Don Harwin when he wrote and requested that in November 2019. That report,
which I have discussed with the Auditor-General in my role as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, made a
number of recommendations that I believe are very sensible, but it did not come up with a prescription for the
Government. It raised the issue and showed where there were deficiencies in the current model—ones that I think
undermine the credibility of the funding arrangements for those integrity agencies. I believe the most important
line was very early in the report, which states:
The current approach to determining annual funding for the integrity agencies presents threats to their independent status.
It is an unacceptable position for the Government to not address that in the most sincere way, in not only a
bipartisan but multipartisan way. We need to address it. I believe that one sentence succinctly sets the challenge
for the Government to address what should have been the situation for funding such organisations as part of their
establishment. The previous sentence came from a letter that I drafted and which was sent under the letterhead of
the three Independent members to the Premier of New South Wales on 21 October, the day after that report was
handed down. I do not intend to cast any aspersions on the intentions of the Government or the Premier. The
Premier has actually spoken to me about this and her intention to address this early next year. I believe that is
absolutely imperative.
These amendments from the upper House are clearly going to fail here in this Chamber today, no matter
the depth of righteous arguments that might come forward from members on this side of the Chamber today who
support them. But I say to the Government that the most important thing is to address this. It is not just about the
operation per se; it is about the perception. The public of New South Wales needs to have belief in the integrity
of the process of the integrity agencies, particularly the Independent Commission Against Corruption. On that
basis, I intend to support the Legislative Council amendment by Mr David Shoebridge. However, in my view it
is not the appropriate way of addressing this. We need to go back to the start, redraw the line of the funding of
these integrity agencies and set an independent process away from the direct remit or authority of the Executive
Government.
Mr RON HOENIG (Heffron) (14:44): The amendments from the Legislative Council raise two very
fundamental and significant issues that are effectively being buried. The first relates to the doctrine of separation
of powers, or the separation between the Legislature and the Executive Government, and the function of the
parliamentary appropriations bill. The second relates to whether we do in fact have statutory independence in this
State, or whether it is in name only and just a plaything of the government of the day. In relation to the separation
of powers, if members are to follow the mode of reasoning from Speaker Guildesborough in 1380—and without
being offensive, Mr Speaker, I wish we had Speakers of that quality in the New South Wales legislatures—then
the funding of Parliament—
The SPEAKER: I do take that as exceptional and I ask you to withdraw it.
Mr RON HOENIG: I withdraw it. I did not intend it to be so. The days in which the Crown—or, these
days, the Executive Government—was accountable to the Parliament for its expenditure and for the Parliament to
control its own expenditure to ensure the Executive is accountable are long gone in New South Wales.
The parliamentary appropriations bills are buried with the budget bills and have been for decades. For the
Government of the day to produce a legal advice of two pages from the Solicitor General on what is going to be
a deadlock between the Houses of a significant constitutional issue and the interpretation of section 5A of the
Constitution—a two-page advice from Michael Sexton quoting Keith Mason, whose advice is predicated upon
evidence about the Executive Government's responsibility for the maintenance of the physical staffing needs of
the Legislature—those days are long gone. The Executive Government is not responsible for the staffing of the
Legislature. The entire issue is placed upon a wrong premise. I would have thought that there would at least have
been some fundamental legal precedent or some detailed advice presented to this House about whether or not the
other place can, in fact, amend the parliamentary appropriations bill. I maintain that it certainly can, because it is
not part of the annual ordinary services of Government.
In terms of the funding of the integrity agencies, or the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the
reality of the situation is that these organisations are in name only. They are well and truly controlled by Ministers
being able to starve them for funds. ICAC did something unusual—not for it, but for a statutory authority—
in going public about its lack of funding. The response from the Government of the day was to send in the
Auditor-General of New South Wales to have a look at it. It added in all the integrity agencies so that it did not
seem to be vindictive to ICAC. Surprisingly, the report of the Auditor-General came back indicating that these
integrity organisations were well and truly accountable for public funds. In fact, most statutory organisations
would be delighted to receive a report from the Auditor-General that the integrity agencies actually receive.
The Auditor-General made recommendations that these organisations have some measure of independence. I have
got to say that the Auditor-General's recommendations were not so far-reaching; they were effectively trying to
provide a mechanism for these organisations and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to be
accountable to the Parliament through the parliamentary oversight committee, in which they are intended to be.
The reality is that if you allow these integrity agencies and these statutory independent bodies to be subject
to direct day-to-day funding by Ministers of the day then you do not have independence. That is virtually direct
control through the allocation of funding. The member for Liverpool is right: There are problems with the way in
which the funds are allocated in the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020, but a strong message is being sent to
the House that the Treasurer must do something about funding of the integrity agencies.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (14:49): I support the Legislative Council amendments to the
Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2020 and express genuine concern about the way that they are being handled.
I echo and support the comments by the member for Balmain, who, members know, has been closely watching
the way that the ICAC works. He has watched as more and more members on both sides of this House have found
themselves before the Independent Commission Against Corruption. It is important to realise that what occurred
in the upper House is not some last-minute stunt in the week before the end of the parliamentary sitting year; it
has been a long-term request to the Government and the Premier to provide ICAC with the level of funding
necessary to provide oversight.
The amendment was brought by my The Greens colleagues in the other place because of the failure of the
Government, and indeed of the Treasurer and the Premier, to provide the funding that had been requested on
multiple occasions. It is not a surprise. In the context of the amendments that we are dealing with here, it is
important for us to remember that former Government members are currently under investigation by ICAC. We
have heard just this week that the idea of public accountability for spending of public funds has gone out the
window, with the Premier basically staring down questions about decisions around some of those grants and
saying that she thinks that it is completely okay to engage in pork-barrelling.
Mr Jamie Parker: It is not illegal.
Ms JENNY LEONG: Exactly. It is not illegal so it is fine to do. We hear the level of arrogance of this
Government. We just heard it from the New South Wales Treasurer in response to the member for Liverpool. We
heard him say, "Well, it's our budget". That is the level of arrogance in this place. I have a message for the
Treasurer from the people of New South Wales: It is not actually his budget.
Mr Dominic Perrottet: It's the Government's budget. It is not the crossbench's.
Ms JENNY LEONG: It is actually the budget of the people of New South Wales.
Mr Dominic Perrottet: We write the budget.
Ms JENNY LEONG: It is the people of New South Wales who elected you, me, the member for Balmain
and the member for Liverpool.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will remain silent. The member for Newtown will direct her
comments through the Chair.
Ms JENNY LEONG: It is the budget of the people of New South Wales. It is arrogant of the Liberals
and The Nationals to have the Treasurer heckle the member for Liverpool by saying that it is their budget. It is
not. It is the Treasurer's responsibility to hand down a budget for the people of New South Wales and they are
saying he is not delivering in their interests.
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will have the opportunity to speak further.
Ms JENNY LEONG: There is a clear reason why they are saying that: The Premier said in the past 24
or 48 hours that she is delivering things to win elections and allocates funds on the basis of where her seats are.
That is a disgrace. The Elders sitting in public housing in Redfern are now being told by the Premier and this
Government that they will not deliver because they did not vote for a Liberal Premier.
Mr Mark Speakman: Point of order: my point of order relates to relevance. This has nothing to do with
the debate on the amendments that the Legislative Council has sent down.
The SPEAKER: I am happy to hear further from the member for Newtown at this stage.
Ms JENNY LEONG: The only way that the people of New South Wales can ensure that the Premier and
the Treasurer act in their interests is by having oversight bodies like the ICAC. The Independent Commission
Against Corruption ensures that those allocating money do their jobs and act in the interests of the people rather
than running side hustles out of their office, as we have seen from former Government members in recent times.
They must deliver for the people. That is not happening at the moment if the Premier is willing to publicly admit
that she is okay with the idea of the Government pork-barrelling. Today the Government is rejecting the
$7.3 million that the Independent Commission Against Corruption needs to do its work. The only way to ensure
that the Government does not go bad and do things wrong is by ensuring that corruption does not infect our
democracy. The Independent Commission Against Corruption is the oversight body to do that. Our democracy is
corrupted if we do not allow that body to do its work fund it well. It is a shame on the Treasurer and the Premier
for not supporting the amendments.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer) (14:54): I will address some concerns that have
been raised and the incorrect statements that have been made by those opposite. The Leader of the Opposition
was talking about the use of part 5A of the Constitution Act being unprecedented. It is not unprecedented. It was
used by the Labor Government in 1996. Secondly, this is clearly a stunt. The Labor amendment deals with only
ICAC. However, the Auditor-General's report goes to four integrity agencies: the ICAC, the Law Enforcement
Conduct Commission [LECC], the Electoral Commission and the Ombudsman.
Mr Jamie Parker: You can fund them too.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: Those opposite did not move that. If that was intended to be more than a
stunt, they would have proposed a broad amendment, but they have not. The Premier has said very clearly that
the Government has an open mind about a new funding model for integrity agencies. We have also committed to
having a Government position on the Auditor-General's report in 2021. Despite all the commentary about funding
for the ICAC, I have been advised by the Treasury that in the preparation of the budget the Government provided
it with the funding that had been requested. It is not for the upper House or the Opposition to play games with the
budget, and that is exactly what they have done. They have no power in the upper House, through the crossbench
and the Opposition, to make amendments to the budget. They have never had the power and thank goodness they
do not have the power. They cannot make amendments and they should learn their place.
The SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
The House divided.
Ayes ................... 20
Noes ................... 14
Majority.............. 6
AYES
Conolly, K Henskens, A Sidgreaves, P
Coure, M Johnsen, M Speakman, M
Crouch, A (teller) Kean, M Stokes, R
Davies, T Lee, G Taylor, M
Elliott, D Perrottet, D Upton, G
Gibbons, M (teller) Preston, R Wilson, F
Griffin, J Provest, G
NOES
Aitchison, J Lynch, P Piper, G
Butler, R McDermott, H Scully, P
Chanthivong, A Mehan, D (teller) Smith, T
Hoenig, R O'Neill, M (teller) Voltz, L
Leong, J Parker, J
PAIRS
Anderson, K Atalla, E
Ayres, S Bali, S
Barilaro, J Barr, C
Berejiklian, G Car, P
Bromhead, S Catley, Y
Clancy, J McKay, J
Constance, A Cotsis, S
Cooke, S Crakanthorp, T
Dominello, V Dib, J
Evans, L Doyle, T
Gulaptis, C Finn, J
PAIRS
Hancock, S Harris, D
Hazzard, B Harrison, J
Lindsay, W Daley, M
Marshall, A Haylen, J
Pavey, M Hornery, S
Petinos, E Kamper, S
Roberts, A Lalich, N
Saunders, D Mihailuk, T
Sidoti, J Minns, C
Singh, G Park, R
Smith, N Saffin, J
Toole, P Tesch, L
Tuckerman, W Warren, G
Ward, G Washington, K
Williams, L Watson, A
Williams, R Zangari, G
Motion agreed to.

That a message be sent to the Legislative Council advising it of the Legislative Assembly's disagreement with amendments Nos 1, 2
and 3 and that, pursuant to section 5A of the Constitution Act 1902, the Legislative Assembly proposes to forthwith present the bill
without the Legislative Council's amendments to the Governor for assent.
Motion agreed to.

ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BILL 2020
Schedule of amendment referred to in message of 25 November 2020.
No. 1 GRNS No. 2 [c2020-260G]
Page 2, clause 3. Insert after line 23—
(1A) The following objects also apply to Parts 4–6—
(a) to increase employment and income opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in New South Wales, and
(b) to promote consultation and negotiation with the traditional Aboriginal owners of land
on which generation, storage and network infrastructure is proposed to be constructed or
operated under this Act.
No. 2 GRNS No. 1 [c2020-263E]
Page 2. Insert after line 25—
3A Consultation and negotiation with local Aboriginal communities
(1) The Minister is to issue guidelines about consultation and negotiation with the local Aboriginal
community in relation to relevant projects for the purposes of increasing employment and income
opportunities for the local Aboriginal community.
(2) The Minister is to take the guidelines into account when exercising the Minister's functions under
Part 5, Division 2.
(3) To give effect to the guidelines, the Minister may impose a condition on a direction under section
31 or an authorisation under section 35(2).
(4) The consumer trustee is to take the guidelines into account when exercising the consumer trustee's
functions under Part 6, Divisions 3 and 4.
(5) To give effect to the guidelines, the consumer trustee may—
(a) include, in a recommendation to the Minister under section 30(1)(a), a recommendation
that a condition be imposed on the Minister's direction, and
(b) impose a condition on an authorisation under section 30(1)(b).
(6) The guidelines are to be published on the Department's website.
(7) In this section—

local Aboriginal community includes—
(a) an Aboriginal person who has native title rights and interests, within the meaning of the
Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth, in relation to the land to which the relevant
project relates, and
(b) the Local Aboriginal Land Council for the area to which the relevant project relates, and
(c) other Aboriginal persons prescribed by the regulations.
relevant project means—
(a) a REZ network infrastructure project or priority transmission infrastructure project, and
(b) an infrastructure project to which an LTES agreement applies.
Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Energy and Environment) (15:04:0): I move:

That the Legislative Council amendments be agreed to.
I am proud to be speaking to this historic bill. I note that two amendments from The Greens were agreed to by the
Legislative Council. The first amends the objects of the bill to include an object aimed at increasing employment
and income opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in New South Wales and promoting
consultation and negotiation with local Aboriginal communities. The second requires the Minister as part of
consulting and negotiating with Aboriginal communities to publish guidelines that provide a framework for this
consultation and negotiation. These amendments are an appropriate way to ensure the infrastructure that will be
developed under this bill is done so in a manner that will respect our First Nations people. They improve a bill
that will deliver major benefits to the State, such as jobs in the bush and clean, affordable and reliable electricity
for the people of New South Wales. I commend the amendments to the House.
Mr PAUL SCULLY (Wollongong) (15:05:3): I indicate that Labor supports the amendments agreed to
in the other place. The bill has been vastly improved since its introduction a little over a week ago. Most of the
improvement was done in this Chamber, despite the many hours of consideration of the bill in the other place.
The amendments that have been proposed and passed there are welcome additions to it. Labor sought by
amendments to make the bill better than it was. We wanted legislative requirements with respect to procurement
because we wanted to make sure that we squeeze every possible job out of changing our energy generation mix.
We wanted to see those who will bear the brunt of this change in our coalmining communities supported because
we do not want any community left behind. We want the Illawarra, the Hunter and the Central Coast to be
supported because we do not want them left behind. But, more importantly, we want them to share in the possible
jobs dividend of this legislation in the future.
The substance of the amendments was not in the original bill. However, thanks to the good work across
the political divide on this, most parties came together to improve the bill. Labor does not believe that it is enough
for New South Wales to simply aspire to be a renewable energy superpower; Labor wants New South Wales to
be a jobs superpower as well. We believe that the amendments seek to achieve that. Quite literally, the
amendments put steel in the backbone of this legislation. Labor did not think it was sufficient to assert that there
would be procurement mandates by way of media release. We wanted a legal basis for them to be implemented.
I can report, and as the Minister knows, already in the Illawarra there have been discussions between the labour
movement—the impacted unions—BlueScope and the business community, academics from the university and
high school students about how to maximise the benefits from the bill. Through Recharge Illawarra—and I thank
Arthur Rorris for his efforts in bringing that together in conjunction with Mr David Shoebridge in the Legislative
Council and me—we are readying ourselves for the opportunity.
The Labor Opposition will be carefully watching the implementation of this bill. We have agreed to a
number of things but that does not mean that we will not be watching like hawks the progress and how the
provisions of this bill are implemented. We want to see steel and other procurement provisions delivered on time
and in full. We want to see jobs supported and created on time and in full. We want to see the much-promised
cuts to electricity bills delivered on time and in full—unlike the last lot of promises of the Government to decrease
electricity bills that actually led to bill increases for households. In acknowledging the multipartisan effort that
has made the bill a better bill than it was originally, I particularly acknowledge the work of my colleague the
shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the other place, the Hon. Adam Searle, as well as Labor
Legislative Council members who participated day and night to get the bill to this point.
I acknowledge the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Yasmin Catley, and my colleagues in the
Legislative Assembly for working through a series of amendments to make the bill better than what it was.
I acknowledge the energy Minister and his staff for the way they approached that effort as well. It was important,
as Labor set out to do at the beginning, to end the central division in what has become known as the energy wars,
which have lasted for more than a decade in New South Wales, even though that cannot be addressed nationally.
We have done that to a large extent, but Opposition members will watch incredibly closely how that is done
because Labor does not want to see any community left behind. We want to squeeze every possible job out of that
generation revolution, along with the associated jobs up and down the supply chain, long into the future.
I commend the amendments to the House.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (15:10): The Greens support the amendments to the Electricity
Infrastructure Investment Bill 2020. I acknowledge that my Greens colleague the member for Ballina is in the
Chamber. I will address the amendment from the Legislative Council that inserts into the legislation the
requirement for consultation and negotiation with local Aboriginal communities. It is crucial to recognise that
very often we look at vast parts of land in this State as empty land; that is, land on which big renewable energy
projects could be built. It is important to remember that it is not actually empty land; it is Aboriginal land. It is
absolutely crucial that we recognise the ownership of that land. There must be respect for country. Members must
recognise that any projects or work that is happening in that space must be done in consultation and negotiation
with local Aboriginal communities. I acknowledge my Greens colleague Mr David Shoebridge in the other place
for moving that amendment and for the consultation that he undertook with the Blak Greens and other Aboriginal
communities across the State to ensure that the amendment was put through.
I acknowledge the willingness of the energy Minister to collaborate with members of the Labor Party,
The Greens and other crossbench members to ensure that all members could support that massive shift. It was
a massive shift to put aside the divisive politics around climate action, coal and renewables and instead identify
the ways in which we all must act. There is strong support in the Parliament and in this place for all members to
act. There is an overwhelming cry from the community to get on with the job of acting on this. I credit the Minister
for that. I also put on record and commend the constructive work of and collaboration between the
Liberal Nationals Government, the Labor Party, The Greens and the Independents. Personally, it means a lot to
see a scenario where the divisive and dangerous views of One Nation have been sidelined in this Parliament.
One Nation is only given power in this place if members choose not to work collaboratively. Members should all
agree—even John Howard and I agreed on it once upon a time—that One Nation should be put last and should
have no place in our democratic system with its racist and divisive views.
It is wonderful to see that piece of legislation go through Parliament. I pay credit to the members of the
Government, the Opposition, The Greens and the crossbench who have been willing to collaborate and work
together to sideline what was a very dangerous and toxic contribution from One Nation. We heard the death throes
in the other place. They went on for hours and hours. That was someone suffering from true relevance deprivation
disorder. If that is what is required, then all solidarity and support to our upper House colleagues. But members
must put up with that to deliver good, collaborative work. Members must not cave into racist parties like
One Nation. It is a good win for the climate, it is a good win for society and it is a good win for our community.
It is important to remember that there is no environmental justice without racial justice. The Greens amendment
that requires consultation with Aboriginal communities delivers on that, as does the sidelining of One Nation in
the upper House. I congratulate everyone involved.
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:14): I welcome what the bill means for my community on the
Central Coast. The Parliament has shown what it can do when it adopts a bipartisan approach to an issue that has
bedevilled the country for the past score years. Today members have shown that we can chart a path to renewable
energy in a bipartisan manner. The Minister must be given all credit for achieving that. He would not have done
it without members of the Opposition. I acknowledge the work of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Yasmin
Catley, and the member for Wollongong, for the amendments to the bill that they brought on behalf of Labor. I
will briefly touch on the bill and what it means for my constituents on the Central Coast.
The renewable energies board will now have trade union representatives. Under section 9 of the bill the
renewable energies board will establish a jobs advocate. The jobs advocate will report, advise and encourage
workforce development, employment, education and training in the energy sector in a number of areas, including
the Central Coast of New South Wales. The bill that leaves this House is different from the bill that was presented
to the House. It now establishes a renewable energy zone in the Hunter and Central Coast. A message has been
sent to my constituents and to all of the people on the Central Coast to say that the bipartisan bill, with amendments
from the Labor Opposition, will provide job security for the workforce of the Central Coast. They will have a part
in the renewable energy future of the country. We should welcome that. I thank the Minister for the approach he
has adopted in formulating and moving the bill through the House. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Energy and Environment) (15:16): In reply: I thank the
member for Wollongong, the member for Newtown and the member for The Entrance for their contributions to
debate on the bill. For nearly two decades our country has struggled through the climate wars. On one side there
were those who were focused on protecting our environment and our way of life by reducing emissions, while on
the other side there were those who were focused on protecting our economy and our prosperity. The bill provides
a way to end those wars, not by inflicting defeat on one side or the other, but by delivering both sides a historic
victory that not only protects our environment but also our economy. It delivers affordable and reliable electricity,
and drives jobs and investment into the bush.
Members are only here today because the technology and the economics are finally in a position for us to
deliver on all those goals while compromising on none. Members are only here today because of the work and
commitment of each and every person in the public service, in my office, at KPMG, the National Australia Bank
and Aurora Energy. They have given so much of their time, and all of their intellectual heft and expertise to deliver
the best possible policy for the people of New South Wales. Working in the public service is not just a job for
James Hay, Chloe Hicks, Teresa Hislop and Liam Ryan: It is a commitment to building a better country. I thank
them for their dedication and hard work in delivering that transformative policy. In my ministerial office I am
supported by some of the most brilliant and capable individuals one would find anywhere in public life.
In particular I thank Christian Dunk and Ava Hancock for their tireless efforts to get here. Ava is a brilliant
lawyer and an incredibly gifted intellectual. This is the first of many achievements that she will have in her long
and successful career. That team is led by the most outstanding individual that I have ever worked with, my chief
of staff, Ben Coles. Ben is nothing short of outstanding. He is a remarkable talent who has the most important
ingredients for success: vision, ambition and an intellect unmatched by anyone. This would not have happened
without him. I thank Ben very much for that. We are also here today because of the committed approach of each
and every member in this Parliament to support the bill. I thank our great Premier. She is the greatest leader
currently in our nation. I thank the outstanding Deputy Premier. The bill would not be going through today without
the leadership of John Barilaro and the National Party. I thank the Treasurer, Rob Stokes, Melinda Pavey, Stuart
Ayres, Adam Marshall, Dugald Saunders and Michael Johnsen in this place. I thank the Hon. Don Harwin, the
Hon. Damien Tudehope and the Hon. Taylor Martin in the other place, and every member of the Coalition who
contributed to this debate. I thank crossbench members Dr Joe McGirr, Greg Piper and Alex Greenwich. I
acknowledge and thank The Greens in both Houses, particularly the leadership of Mr David Shoebridge.
I thank the Opposition for its leadership, support and hard work. The member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley,
is an exceptional person and I thank her for all her efforts. I acknowledge member for Wollongong, Paul Scully,
who represents a community that has served our country so well for many generations by providing energy.
Thanks to his hard work, that will continue for many years to come. I thank one of the smartest people in the
Parliament, the Hon. Adam Searle in the other House, for his outstanding and constructive contribution to this
bill. I thank my friend and mentor, the Hon. Ben Franklin, for his historic parliamentary performance, shepherding
the bill through more than 30 hours of consecutive debate in the upper House and defeating all 249 amendments.
Let me finish on this point: The world is taking action to reduce its emissions. We are transitioning to a
low-carbon global economy. That creates huge opportunities for our State and our country. We have just decided
the role our State is going to play in this future, and the place we want to take in the world. In passing this bill the
Parliament has sent an emphatic statement that we embrace the future and that our best days still lie ahead of us.
Let the word go forth from this vote that this State is going to take its place with the leaders of the world in taking
our planet towards a more prosperous and cleaner future; a future where our kids have greater opportunities than
any generation that has come before them. It is a future that we are privileged to be helping to shape. I commend
the bill to the House.
The SPEAKER: The question is that the Legislative Council's amendments be agreed to.
Motion agreed to.
Community Recognition Statements
JENNY FARRELL AND GARRY BEST
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (15:22): The Central Coast is lucky to have so many wonderful
volunteer firefighters working to protect our community. Today I acknowledge two fantastic firefighters in
particular, Jenny Farrell and Garry Best. Jenny Farrell is the senior deputy captain at Matcham-Holgate Brigade
and Garry Best is the deputy captain at Empire Bay Brigade. Between the two of them, they have serviced the
Central Coast for over 65 years. I had the opportunity this week to present Jenny and Garry with community
service medals, thanking them for their outstanding work during the past bushfire season. Jenny is an experienced
firefighter and incident management specialist with more than 45 years of service in the field. Jenny's expertise
and commitment during the 2019-2020 bushfire season was outstanding, contributing to operations locally and
across the State. Garry is an experienced firefighter with 19 years of experience. During the 2019-2020 fire season
Garry assisted with a number of out-of-area firefighting deployments. I acknowledge their wonderful contribution
and congratulate them on these awards.
BAY FM
Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina) (15:23): I congratulate community-owned radio station Bay FM on the
occasion of its thirtieth birthday. Community broadcasting is a vital part of the Australian media landscape, and
Bay FM is no exception. Some 15,000 listeners tune into Bay FM every day, with peak audiences during breakfast,
and morning and afternoon drive time. Listeners can choose from a diverse range of programs from local issues
to arts and culture, Indigenous programs and Spanish programs, easy listening, local new talent and alternative
rock music. Every aspect of the station is run by dedicated volunteers. I remember with great fondness my own
radio show on Bay FM in the late nineties, Modern Primitive. The quality of volunteer broadcasters and loyalty
of the community subscribers who own the station has not wavered in 30 years. I congratulate founding members
Gayle Cue and Nancy Jo Falcone, the management team, long-time presenters such as Nyck Jeanes, and all the
Bay FM family on giving our community a world-class radio experience every day of the year.
DAVIDSON ELECTORATE COMMUNITY BUILDING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) (15:24): The popular Community Building Partnership program
of the New South Wales Government promotes various local community infrastructure projects, delivering
positive social, environmental and recreational outcomes. I acknowledge the successful projects from the recent
program in my local area, including high-tech solar power systems, an environmentally friendly sustainable
playground and a child-safe gate for pram access into a preschool. Davidson's largest single successful grant of
$56,254 has been allocated to the Scouts to build a new disabled ramp, concrete the carpark and repair the hall
roof in Roseville. Other recipients include: St Ives Football Club, North Shore District Softball Association,
Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney, Belrose Public School, East Lindfield Guide Hall, Gordon Guide Hall,
Cerebral Palsy Alliance, All Saints' Air Force Memorial Church, West Lindfield, St Stephen's Belrose
Kindergarten, Lindfield District Cricket Club, Belrose Tennis Club, Sir Eric Woodward, Memorial School in
St Ives, Christian Assembly of Sydney in Roseville, Gordon District Cricket Club, Roseville Lawn Tennis Club
and Lindfield East Public School. Community infrastructure is crucial and this program continues to be recognised
in my local community.
MAITLAND BUSINESS CHAMBER
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:26): I congratulate the Maitland Business Chamber on its
Movember luncheon, which was held today at Mansfield House. Local rugby league legend and ambassador for
Hunter Prostate Cancer Alliance Michael Hagan and CEO of the Newcastle Jets Lawrie McKinna were the guest
speakers, raising funds in support of Movember and the East Maitland Men's Shed. I urge anyone who has not
donated to Movember to do so as there are only a few days left. The Maitland Business Chamber is a proactive,
inclusive and innovative chamber. I thank president Shane Hamilton of SJH Communications, vice president
Michael Maffey of Four Walls Commercial and treasurer Louise Lennox of Dynamize Accounting.
I thank executive members, including Andrew Mason of Uaine Candles, Melissa King of Kurl Web,
Andrew Vile of Vile & Vile Solicitors, Helen Oswald of Magnetic Shots, lain MacDonald of Maitland Junior
Football Club, Melanie Power of melaniepower.com, Melanie Thornton of SOAR Business Development,
Sachin Joshi of Simplifying Business, and Randeep Singh of Tranter Lawyers. I thank the executive assistant and
member liaison officer, Kate Meyn-Shrimpton. I congratulate the chamber on being announced as a finalist in the
Hunter Business Awards 2020.
CONNELLS POINT ROVERS FOOTBALL CLUB
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (14:27): I inform the House of the election of a new executive of Connells
Point Rovers Football Club. I acknowledge the wonderful work of Stephen Matthews and Adam Horne, who are
president and vice president of Connells Point Rovers Football Club. In particular, I acknowledge the work of
Stephen and the entire executive over the past 10-plus years. Stephen leaves the executive of Connells Point
Rovers Football Club having been a fundamentally important part of the club over the years. I acknowledge his
hard work in obtaining council and State Government funding for the reconstruction of the fields at Poulton Park,
including the new synthetic field that was opened earlier this year. On behalf of all members of the House,
I acknowledge the wonderful work of Stephen Matthews.
THE SOCIAL OUTFIT
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (15:27): I draw the attention of the House to The Social Outfit
traineeship program, which employs young people from refugee and migrant communities to learn retail skills
and confidence in a supported environment. The Social Outfit is an ethical fashion brand and community
organisation that supports migrant communities through employment and training in their retail store, traineeship
programs, sewing technician programs and design. The paid traineeships run for six months and are designed to
transition young people who often have no work experience in Australia to external paid employment. On
Wednesday evening I spoke on King Street at the graduation of the latest group of trainees, including Nasima,
Shrishti, Haya, and Keziah. I congratulate these wonderful and powerful women. I wish them all the best for their
futures. Credit for their incredible work in managing and supporting this life-changing program goes to retail
trainer Natalie Shehata, community coordinator Parwin Paqawi, CEO Camilla Schippa and Kate Clugston for
their amazing work.
KINGS LANGLEY ATHLETICS CENTRE
Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills) (15:29): A month ago the mighty Kings Langley Little Athletics
Centre began its 2020-21 season at Morgan Power Reserve. The club registered 200 athletes for the season and
will accept more enrolments as the season progresses. I thank Daniel Giffney for his outstanding dedication to the
club over so many years and congratulate him on his appointment as Kings Langley Little Athletics president in
recent months. I also note that his wife, Helen, is an incredible supporter of Daniel and the club as a whole. I make
special mention of Maddison Said and her family, who run the club's canteen after the club could not secure
enough volunteers. I acknowledge the club's committee of vice president Ken Poole, treasurer Clint Dickson,
registrar Helen Budd, Duke Wolfgramm, Doug Jack, Nerida Duncum and Cristy Dickson. I look forward to
attending events at this year's Kings Langley Little Athletics Centre to see its new equipment in use, which was
purchased with New South Wales Government and Commonwealth grants.
TRIBUTE TO DIEGO MARADONA
Mr PAUL SCULLY (Wollongong) (15:29): I place on the record the genuine outpouring of sadness
within the football and Argentinian communities of Wollongong at the passing of Diego Maradona—a player who
was for many the very personification of football both here and around the world. Always controversial and never
far from the news, Maradona's talents as a player made him both feared and revered around the globe. As one
local football tragic, Daniel Hastings, said, he was "mad as a cut snake, controversial as hell, but the greatest to
have played the most played game". I think that sums up the views of many people. Despite football's loss, many
people have enjoyed rewatching some of his great moments on the pitch. Of his more than 300 goals scored during
his career, two stand out the most. The Hand of God and the Goal of the Century were two goals scored within
minutes of each other. Many take them to epitomise the two sides of this spectacular player. Those who watched
him still marvel at his skill and I urge those up-and-coming players to take the time to be inspired by his play.
LIVERPOOL FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY RADIO
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (15:30): In breaking news, Liverpool Fairfield Community
Radio is being provided $6,580 by the New South Wales Government to go towards helping it purchase and install
a new antenna and cabling. 2GLF was set up in 1983, but more recently it has unfortunately been getting some
dead spots in high-density areas and has found that some of the new high-rise buildings being built do not help
with its transmissions. It needed to upgrade its antenna and broadcasting equipment. 2GLF have given so much
to our community. Because of this, I wrote to the Premier to see if any funding was available to support it. Happily,
she has been able to help provide this. I particularly thank Chris Sparrow and Carol North-Samardzic for keeping
me up to date with what is happening at the station, and for their passion and dedication to local broadcasting.
I know that this funding will go a long way in helping to support 2GLF and, importantly, help it ensure our local
and very multicultural community is still connected during COVID-19.
DR GEORGE MILLER
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:31): I acknowledge Dr George Miller, who is a general
practice specialist who has practiced in Killarney Vale and The Entrance for over 30 years. He has decided to
retire. He graduated from Sydney University in 1975 and went on to do further study for general practice in family
medicine, including obstetrics, gynaecology, anaesthetics and paediatrics, before settling on the Central Coast in
1984. He is married with three sons and many grandchildren. Dr Miller has been closely involved in developing
support networks for local GPs and promoting the critical work of palliative care in our region. His commitment
to palliative care is illustrated by his service on the board of the Central Coast Palliative Care Volunteer
Foundation. He has cared for over five generations of the same family. I wish Dr Miller well in his retirement and
know that his patients will be feeling lost without his care. However, it is time for him to enjoy more time with
his family and all that our community offers. I thank Dr Miller for his service to the Central Coast community.
NORTH SHORE BEAR PIT PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (15:32): It has been an exciting day today in the Parliament
because I welcomed students from across my local primary schools for the 2020 annual North Shore Bear Pit
Public Speaking Competition. I was excited to host this event, particularly given the challenging year that we and
all our students have had. This year the calibre of the speeches was outstanding, which is a true testament to the
teaching and staff at our local schools. I congratulate Kevin Qu, who spoke on "If I were in charge, the rule I would
make would be", and the stage 2 runner-up Julian Chowdury-Jones, whose topic was "How I faced my fears".
I congratulate our stage 3 winner, Soraya Christian-Hare, who spoke eloquently on the topic of "Young people
should be seen and heard", and our stage 3 runner-up, Philippe Michel Anquetil, on his topic "My family story".
I congratulate all the finalists who competed: Dara Minogue and Siofra McAweeny from Blessed Sacrament,
Monty Douglass and Dean Lowe from Middle Harbour Public School, Jack Haggman and Soraya from Mosman
Public School, Oliver Chubb and Julian from Mosman Preparatory, and Kevin and Philippe from St Aloysius.
I congratulate them and also thank our judges, including Mr Speaker.
IAN JOSEPH KIM
Ms LYNDA VOLTZ (Auburn) (15:34): I take this opportunity to congratulate a young budding artist in
our local community, Ian Joseph Kim. Ian is nine years old. He is in year 4 at Lidcombe Public School. The Art
Gallery of NSW has named Ian the winner of the 9 to12 years age category of the Young Archies for his wonderful
portrait of his father, titled My Dad's brush. With over 1,800 entries from across the State, Ian's portrait was
awarded on merit and originality by two judges. Ian's portrait will be displayed on exhibition at the Art Gallery of
NSW until 10 January 2021. I congratulate Ian on this wonderful achievement and I wish him every success on a
promising career in art. I also extend my best wishes to his family, who are extremely proud of his achievements.
GREAT SOUTHERN NIGHTS
Mr PETER SIDGREAVES (Camden) (15:34): The music scene got a much-needed boost on
5 November as Great Southern Nights invited people to kickstart tourism and visit some of the great gigs being
put on right across New South Wales. It was a pleasure to have been able to have venues all around the Macarthur
region host some of these fantastic events. I particularly recognise the Gregory Hills Hotel, which played host to
two Great Southern Nights gigs. Michael Duchesne and Luke Koteras both played at the Gregory Hills Hotel and
were amongst a number of gigs in the Macarthur area that brought out crowds and residents to support local music.
The feedback has been outstanding. I again commend Gregory Hills Hotel for playing such a vital part in
kickstarting the recovery of local music and tourism.
REWIRE YOUTH MAGAZINE
Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina) (15:35): I congratulate Rewire Youth Magazine, which is being
launched in the Northern Rivers this week. The magazine is created by young people for young people in our area
and features their art, opinions and ideas. It is a collaborative project managed by director of Byron Youth Theatre,
Lisa Apostolides, with the creative team of Anoushka Blake, Lae-Ella Sinniah, and Emily Wilson as well as
SAE Institute graphic design students, Jodi Havill and Kirsty Martin, and their head of department at SAE, Donna
Crotty. We know that this year has been shocking for young people in the Northern Rivers during the COVID-19
pandemic. They have had their schooling and studies interrupted and part-time jobs lost, experienced extended
periods of isolation from friends and grandparents and had so many rites of passage cancelled and postponed.
Rewire magazine reflects back at young people in our community their thoughts, hopes, dreams and artwork.
I commend all of the team at Rewire Youth Magazine. I cannot wait to read it.
HAWKESBURY ELECTORATE SMALL BUSINESSES
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (15:36): I thank and commend the small businesses in
Hawkesbury for their resilience during what has been a tough time, with the COVID-19 pandemic having followed
drought, flood and the disastrous bushfires. Their commitment and drive during these times of adversity is what
makes our community function and assists us all in overcoming tough times. I always enjoy visiting and having a
chat with the business owners and staff who run the small businesses in Hawkesbury. In my recent visit to South
Windsor, I caught up with Nina at her fabulous shop, Nina's Preloved Goods, on George Street. Nina has a real
can-do attitude and her business is providing goods that are totally in demand at this time of the year. I thank all
small business owners and their employees in Hawkesbury for their tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit.
MORPETH POLICE POP-UP
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:37): I congratulate the NSW Police on their ongoing initiatives
to engage and improve community policing in Maitland and the wider Port Stephens Hunter Police district. Local
district commander superintendent Chad Gillies and his team of officers hosted a pop-up community event in
Morpeth on 7 November to meet with and talk to local residents about any concerns that they might have. I note
also that Maitland Mayor Loretta Baker and councillors Robert Aitchison and Mitchell Griffin attended this as
well. It was a really good opportunity for residents to raise their concerns. This is an ongoing program, with similar
pop-up sessions going on regularly around the district, to encourage communication in our community. It was
Woodberry and Beresford's turn on 13 November. This is a really positive and proactive program being run by
the Port Stephens Hunter Police District and ensures the police become aware of local issues as they emerge in
our community.
TERRY KEARNS
Domestic Violence) (15:38): I congratulate Terry Kearn of Caringbah who is celebrating his sixtieth year
working for the New South Wales Government in the coming weeks. On 10 December 1960, aged 14, Terry began
work at the then Department of Motor Transport. Terry is now a Senior Traffic Control Officer. One of Terry's
most notable encounters was with Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee,
in 2000, when he visited Sydney to assess the bid for the 2000 Olympics. Terry explained SCATS [Sydney
Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System] and how the control centre was able to effectively manage traffic flow to
ensure Mr Samaranch did not stop at a red light. Terry has witnessed the development of transport infrastructure
over the past 60 years, including seeing 365 traffic signals become over 4,500. He has seen every freeway and
traffic tunnel built and all but one tollway. Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Terry and presenting him an
award for his 50 years of service as a NSW Justice of the Peace. I thank Terry for his dedication to his work and
his contribution to the people of New South Wales in over 60 years of continual service.
RAISE FOUNDATION
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) (15:39): I draw the attention of this Parliament to the Raise Youth
Frontiers mentoring program at Fort Street High School. Raise Foundation is a charity organisation operated by
volunteers and donations that implements mentoring programs in public secondary programs in Australia. Raise
has operated the Youth Frontiers program at Fort Street High School since 2015. The program matches trained
adult mentors with mentees in years 8 and 9 whom their teachers feel might benefit from it. On Monday I spoke
at the graduation for the latest cohort of mentors and mentees at Fort Street. The mentees all spoke about the
massive confidence boost the program provided to them, and many of them were able to speak in front of a crowd
for the first time. The mentors also noted how much they looked forward to the program every week. I thank Fort
Street High School head of wellbeing Penelope Starr and Raise program counsellor Nicole McEncroe as well as
the Raise team for its dedication to supporting the next generation of young people.
GANNONS PARK, PEAKHURST
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (15:40): The latest stage of the multimillion-dollar upgrade works at
Gannons Park, Peakhurst, were unveiled recently by Minister Rob Stokes, the Federal member for Banks,
David Coleman, the Mayor of Georges River Council, Kevin Greene, and me. The works include the installation
of drainage and irrigation, the resurfacing of eight sporting fields, the construction of five cricket wickets and a
large new sports amenities building. The works also include the completion of stage two of the Gannons Park
water quality improvement stormwater harvesting scheme, which will provide over 26 million litres of treated
stormwater each year for irrigating the sporting fields. The former Boggywell Creek has been diverted from an
underground stormwater pipe and reinstated as a creek. The harvest water flows through the constructed wetlands
and bioretention systems. This process helps to provide a clean water resource for irrigation for sporting fields,
reducing the use of potable water. The scheme has significantly enhanced the biodiversity inhabitant value for the
park through the creation of wetlands, a bioretention system and storage ponds. I thank all levels of government,
including Georges River Council, for the construction of this upgrade.
MARIA PYROS
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:41): I acknowledge my constituent Maria Pyros for her strong
community advocacy in The Entrance electorate. Maria has been instrumental in helping people with disabilities
and the elderly as well as primary school students and parents with prams who are seeking improved pedestrian
safety in the Killarney Vale area. Maria has been leading a community campaign with a petition calling on Central
Coast Council to complete a footpath on one of the busiest main roads in the area, Brooke Avenue. On behalf of
the community, I thank Maria for tirelessly pursuing and obtaining signatures on the petition. I hope that council
will now complete the footpath to assist those who navigate this dangerous stretch of road on a daily basis.
EAST HILLS ELECTORATE CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION
Ms WENDY LINDSAY (East Hills) (15:42): I was thrilled with the outstanding artistic quality of the
hundreds of entries from local East Hills primary school students who entered my Christmas card competition this
year. It certainly made the selection process extremely difficult. There were cards sending virtual hugs, holding
Zoom meetings with Santa, COVID-safe elves, finger-painted reindeer, Christmas angels, Santas stuck in
chimneys, scenes of snowmen—lots with sparkly glitter, which I love—kookaburras, plenty of koalas, and happy
beach and family scenes. Apart from the running theme of COVID-19, the majority of the rest of the designs were
Australian themed. The winning design was drawn by 12-year-old Chelsea Song, who attends Picnic Point Public
School. Chelsea's design was reminiscent of our coat of arms, with an emu and kangaroo decorating a Christmas
tree. As the competition was so fierce, this year I had four runners up: Abigail Pachuau from Padstow Park Public
School, Lily Nguyen from Georges Hall Public School, Ruby Smith from Panania Public School and Ayah Helwe
from Picnic Point Public School. I congratulate them all and thank everyone who entered. I wish everyone in the
East Hills electorate a very merry Aussie Christmas.
JOHN O'BRIEN
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:43): I acknowledge John O'Brien of Jurox, a veterinary
medical supply service that specialises in devices and medications in my electorate of Maitland at Rutherford.
The firm employs some 160 full-time staff. Along with Kate O'Mara, the director of special projects at Regional
Development Australia, and Meryl Swanson, the shadow assistant defence Minister, and member for Patterson,
the other week I was lucky to have a really good look through this amazing facility. It is such advanced
manufacturing. The firm is at the cutting edge in Australia for providing much-needed assistance to farmers.
We saw an intra-uterine device that will help in cattle breeding and lead to better outcomes in animal welfare for
all animals, eliminating bobby calves being produced. The firm's packaging, development and research is second
to none. I thank the firm so much for the opportunity to see its wares.
CENTRAL COAST AMBULANCES
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (15:44): I am pleased to confirm for the House that 89 new ambulances
have been rolled out across the State as part of the Government's response to COVID-19. This week I had the
great honour of announcing that 14 of those 89 new class one ambulances will come to the Central Coast by
December. Providing state-of-the-art equipment and resources is one of the best things the New South Wales
Government can do to support paramedics responding to emergencies in our community. Bateau Bay, Doyalson,
Ettalong, Hamlyn Terrace, Hawkesbury, Morisset, Point Clare and Toukley will all benefit from the $17 million
investment—from one end of the Central Coast to the other. This week I had the pleasure of visiting Point Clare
ambulance station this week to announce the new fleet. While there I had the chance to catch up with zone manager
Joel Dezuna—an outstanding representative of the ambulance community—to talk about the fleet and how the
improvements with this new fleet will benefit not just the community but the incredible paramedics who work
there. It is evident that these new state-of-the-art ambulances will be great support for our paramedics as they
continue to provide world-class care and save lives.
EAST MAITLAND RSL SUB-BRANCH
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:45): Last Saturday I had the incredible honour of attending
the coffee day at East Maitland RSL sub-Branch. Every two weeks it holds this coffee day from 9.00 a.m. to
12.00 p.m. It is a really good opportunity for RSL members and families to get together and have a chat without
all the formality of their normal meetings. I was very pleased to see all of the additions and improvements the
club has made to its hall and its welfare and counselling room. Today I acknowledge the leadership of its president,
Steve Grimmer. Unfortunately, he is going to be doing a posting overseas in December, so he will be lost to
Maitland for some time, but hopefully he will come back. I also acknowledge Neil Cromarty, the Maitland war
memorial and rest park land manager. The work that these two people have done, continuing the great work of
the RSL and supporting our veterans, is second to none. I congratulate them on their achievements.
CITY OF LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (15:46): I congratulate the City of Liverpool and District
Historical Society on the official opening of its new museum. The recently opened Havard Room is named after
local historians Ward and Olive Havard, who were also integral in the formation of the society, and is located on
the third level of Liverpool City Library. To coincide with the opening, the historical society is presenting its main
ongoing exhibition entitled The History of Liverpool in 60 Objects, along with two other exhibits entitled
New Arrivals and What has the Smart Phone Done for Us. I congratulate Mr Glen op den Brouw, the president of
the City of Liverpool and District Historical Society, and all of its members on this fantastic achievement and
milestone. I know they were looking for space for some time and I am glad that Liverpool City Council finally
found some, after many years of the society being in the very dark and appropriately named room, The Bunker.
I look forward to catching up with them all soon and to checking out their new space.
JOANNA LEE AND MONA WU
Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (15:47): I congratulate two students from North Sydney Girls
High School, Joanna Lee and Mona Wu, who have been selected for the 2021 ARTEXPRESS exhibition. Many
members in this place know that the annual ARTEXPRESS exhibition features an outstanding selection of student
artworks and features the art-making component of their HSC examination. This exhibition encompasses a broad
range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, drawings, painting and sculpture. We know that
many of our year 12 students have had to manage the majority of their studies from home this year, particularly
during the first half of the school year, so it is a testament to Joanna and Mona to have delivered such a high
standard of work. Joanna Lee's body of work, entitled Imprints, will be showcased at the Armory at Sydney
Olympic Park, and Mona Wu's body of work, entitled Gathering Dust, will be on virtual exhibition at the Art
Gallery of New South Wales. I congratulate these students on this impressive result for the HSC works in visual
arts.
GLENN AND CLARE WISEMAN
Mr ROB STOKES (Pittwater—Minister for Planning and Public Spaces) (15:48): I recognise the
wonderful work of Glenn and Clare Wiseman, pastors of the Link Church at Narrabeen, and the wonderful
volunteers who they work with in distributing food to those in need in the Pittwater community. As with all
communities, it has been hard-hit by the pandemic. I also acknowledge the incredible work they do in the broader
community. I thank the Premier, who personally came to Narrabeen to visit the church to thank the Wisemans and
issue them with a community service award for their work.
Mr ADAM CROUCH: I seek the concurrence of the House to extend community recognition statements
until 4.00 p.m.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): I rule that we shall run until 4.00 p.m.
DENNIS FAMILY AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:49): The sweet smell of success is again wafting from the
Dennis family agricultural farm as they are successfully diversifying into flower growing. The flowers have been
added to their regular and heirloom vegetables being sold at the Slow Food Earth Markets, which are held
fortnightly on a Thursday at The Levee Central Maitland. It is a good example of the innovations being undertaken
in our rural sector to level out the varied weather, market and economic conditions that are faced by farmers.
Matthew and Sue Dennis diversified into flowers to add another income stream from their land, between and in
addition to the vegetable crops grown on their Pitnacree plot. So far they are growing hardy varieties such as
sunflowers and zinnias and it is going down a treat with their customers. The addition of flowers to the markets
is adding a new dimension to the regular event for growers and customers. It is great to see the people of Maitland
given another opportunity to buy local, particularly as many of the flowers in our shops are now flown in from
overseas.
STATE BUDGET AND CAMDEN ELECTORATE
Mr PETER SIDGREAVES (Camden) (15:50): The New South Wales 2020-21 budget will deliver
almost $160 million in transport infrastructure for the Camden community as part of a wider $72.2 billion for
public transport and road spending. Over $54 million has been allocated to continue the construction of a
multistorey car park at Leppington Station that will deliver up to 1,000 additional car spaces. The upgrade of The
Northern Road between Peter Brock Drive and Mersey Road will be undertaken thanks to an allocation of
$41 million. Close to $24 million has been allocated to complete the upgrade of Bringelly Road between King
Street and The Northern Road, whilst over $20 million will ensure that the upgrade of The Northern Road between
Mersey Road and Eaton Road can be completed. Work on stage one of the Spring Farm Parkway upgrade will be
accelerated. Connectivity between Camden Bypass and the Spring Farm Parkway stage one to provide access to
the Hume Motorway and Menangle Road will be investigated with a further $2 million. Those fantastic outcomes
will completely transform the way that Camden residents move around our community.
RAIL, TRAM, AND BUS UNION
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:51): I acknowledge the members of the Rail, Tram and Bus
Union [RTBU]. This morning they took industrial action because of their strong fears for the safety of the intercity
trains that are soon to be introduced on the Central Coast line. I acknowledge in particular the state secretary of
the RTBU, Alex Claassens, for his leadership on this issue. The members of that union on the Central Coast and
in my electorate have expressed to me their concern that not having a guard will reduce the safety of the new
trains for people using the rail network. They are concerned that without a guard the train driver will not have
sufficient facility to observe passengers on the many curved platforms of our electorate, which may reduce overall
safety. I hope that they are able to resolve their differences with the Government in the interests of the safety of
our rail network.
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE AND RELATED INDUSTRIES DAY
Ms ROBYN PRESTON (Hawkesbury) (15:52): On 20 November 2020 it was National Agriculture and
Related Industries Day, also known as National Ag Day, when we celebrate our awesome farmers and those in
related industries. I am so proud to live in the food bowl of Sydney. Beautiful Hawkesbury provides a plethora of
fresh produce for families, eateries, hospitals and clubs locally as well as around New South Wales and overseas.
Our farmers and those in related industries have had a really tough time with droughts, floods, bushfires and the
COVID-19 pandemic. They have shown the true Hawkesbury spirit and have remained resilient throughout. I take
this opportunity to thank and commend our hardworking Hawkesbury farmers. The Hawkesbury community is
grateful for the commitment, sacrifice and risk that they take in what is such an important industry to our
community and beyond. I wish farmers and those in related industries all the very best.
KURNELL MEN'S SHED
Domestic Violence) (15:53): Last Saturday I had the pleasure of visiting the open day at the Kurnell Men's Shed.
Michael Cooper and his crew moved in at the beginning of the year and the Men's Shed has been operative since
September. It attracts men not only from the suburb of Kurnell but further afield in other parts of the Sutherland
Shire. Like other men's sheds it provides a great opportunity for men to improve their mental health and wellbeing
through sharing skills, making things and simply having a chat. The men's shed at Kurnell is quite a spacious
premise, with a room for woodworking for people with much better craftsman's skills than I could ever dream to
have, and a breakout area for a chat and a game of pool. It is a great addition to Kurnell. I commend Michael
Cooper and his team for their initiative.
THE SHEPHERD CENTRE
Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (15:54): The Shepherd Centre does some amazing work in the
Holsworthy electorate—and indeed right across the State. The work that it does in helping children and babies
who are born deaf or hearing impaired is simply life-changing. I was glad to hear that it will receive a $2.5 million
contribution from the New South Wales Government towards its new centre of excellence in Campbelltown. This
is a project that I have been advocating for alongside the Shepherd Centre for some time because of the benefits
that it will bring in supporting children with hearing loss in south-western Sydney. Having a new centre of
excellence in Campbelltown will ease the burden on other services and reduce travel times for families who access
them. I particularly thank Dr Jim Hungerford, CEO of the Shepherd Centre, for his vision in having this new
centre established, and the Minister for Health and Medical Research for his support of this idea. I once again
congratulate the Shepherd Centre and cannot wait to see this project progress in the future.
THE ENTRANCE STATE ELECTORAL COUNCIL
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) (15:55): I acknowledge The Entrance State Electoral Council of
the Australian Labor Party, and in particular president Bill Thompson and secretary Kyle MacGregor. They are a
great support to me. The Entrance State Electoral Council of the Australian Labor Party has a very long tradition
of supporting and acting in the interests of the party in the difficult environment of a marginal electorate where
Labor does not always hold the seat. They do great work supporting me. I acknowledge them and all of the
branches in my electorate: The Entrance Day Branch, the Tumbi Umbi Branch and the Ourimbah-Narara Valley
Branch. I wish them all the very best for their endeavours in the future.
CENTRAL COAST RURAL FIRE SERVICE
Mr ADAM CROUCH (Terrigal) (15:56): The Central Coast can feel so much better protected after the
official handover of four new fire trucks to our region. Those are being delivered to Ourimbah, Wadalba, Awaba
and Killcare-Wagstaffe. I was delighted to join the Minister for Police and Emergency Services this week when
we officially handed over the keys, in company with the amazing Superintendent Viki Campbell. It was great to
hand over the ownership of the trucks to those wonderful brigades. The tankers, collectively worth more than
$720,000, will enable those brigades to strengthen their firefighting efforts and give an even greater level of fire
protection to the local community on the Central Coast. The vehicles have been delivered as part of the
Government's record investment into RFS. It was absolutely fantastic to meet with the representatives from each
of those brigades, hearing stories from their previous jobs and experiences. It was great to catch up with my locals
from Killcare and Wagstaffe who brought in the brand new truck. They were absolutely delighted and quite
amazed with the new technology on that vehicle.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Greg Piper): With the indulgence of the members who remain in the
Chamber, I add to that and acknowledge the Government's investment in that important equipment for our Rural
Fire Service volunteers. I acknowledge that brigades from all around the Central Coast—and indeed around the
State—are on standby for what could be a very torrid time this weekend. I wish them all the best. Hopefully
communities across New South Wales are not subjected to the kind of disaster that they suffered earlier this year.
It would appear that we have exhausted the number of community recognition statements. I once again
seek an indulgence to note the significance of the end of this extraordinary parliamentary year. I acknowledge the
fantastic work of all of those who have been at the front line of dealing with COVID-19, which has impacted our
communities so much. Here in this Parliament, I acknowledge my elected colleagues. I acknowledge the Clerk
and his team, and the long-suffering Hansard people. I thank them all for what they have done for the Parliament
this year. I know that there are not that many members listening, but I hope that they have a restful time with their
families and friends, and come back refreshed next year.
The House adjourned, pursuant to resolution, at 16:01 until
Tuesday 4 February 2021.

Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith's Private Member's Speech in Parliament November 19, 2020

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Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith's Private Member's Speech in Parliament November 19, 2020

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Thursday, 19 November 2020 Legislative Assembly- PROOF Page 1

Motion agreed to.

Ms MELANIE GIBBONS (Holsworthy) (10:13:12): I move:

GOVERNMENT SECTOR EMPLOYMENT AMENDMENT (TELEWORKING) BILL 2020

She also said:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Clerk will stop the clock.

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

Motion agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Mr Tim Crakanthorp: Shame!

CENTRAL COAST MIDWIVES

JENNY GLEDHILL — COOMEALLA

PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH WEEK

VINCENTIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

ROTARY CLUB OF GRANVILLE

I order that the reports be printed.

Motion agreed to.

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Epping—Treasurer) (14:05:3): I move:

Motion agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

(7) In this section—

Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby—Minister for Energy and Environment) (15:04:0): I move:

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