David Moncrieff
Hughes · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“We're extending paid parental leave to a full six months, giving families more time with their little ones and more support, because, unlike those opposite, we believe in supporting parents as they raise the next generation.”
“Yesterday was 1 July, a day that saw significant reform from the Albanese Labor government implemented. Starting this week, the Labor government is delivering more cost-of-living relief for workers in Hughes.”
“This legislation ensures that Defence and DVA are better equipped to intervene early and effectively when members, veterans and their families are at risk, saving lives before it's too late. The Albanese Labor government's record of investment for Defence and veteran communities is profound.”
“We have already made substantial progress in fixing the mess left to us by the previous government, under which a backlog of 42,000 claims were never even looked at. That wasn't an accidental oversight. It was a predictable outcome from a party that holds the gutting of Public Service jobs and wage suppression as a proud part of its DNA.”
“My community in Hughes is home to a significant veteran community, ranging across the Sutherland Shire around the Holsworthy Barracks and Moorebank, out to the Macarthur region in areas like Macquarie Fields and Glenfield. I'm sure that many know the gut-wrenching feeling of losing a loved one to suicide.”
“These include aspects such as the establishment of a brain injury program, transformation of research into outcomes, support for service members to transition into civilian life, a new agency focused on veteran wellbeing, improvement in the timeliness of information-sharing between Defence and DVA for claims processing, and much more.”
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“That includes $1.5 million to upgrade the school hall at James Meehan High School in Macquarie Fields and $30,000 for building upgrades to support the school breakfast club at Sackville Street Public School. We on this side believe not only that education should be accessible where you live but that it shouldn't put you into lifelong debt. There are 18,226 HELP debtors in Hughes, with about 589 individuals with VET student loans. That's why we've cut student debt by 20 per cent. Our government not only believes in the power of education but we're also acting on it because we believe that young people should be given opportunities to shine and to thrive no matter where they live.”
“Incredible education facilities like this are why the 2026-27 budget is delivering full and fair funding for public schools, with an additional $20 billion in funding over the next 10 years and $50 billion in the decade after that. It's part of our continuation of the government's significant reform agenda, which also includes building a quality, affordable and safe early childhood education and care system; cutting student debt by 20 per cent for three million Australians; and making the repayment system fairer. We're also delivering vital school infrastructure upgrades, including approximately $1.7 million in my electorate of Hughes.”
“We got to see up close Ingleburn High's implementation of the explicit direct instruction framework, which means they clearly tell students what they are learning, why it is important and how to do it step by step. Explicit teaching helps students understand new ideas by breaking them into smaller parts. We got to see students going from broad concept to complex themes in only a few minutes, after repetition and checking for understanding before moving on. It's learning that is student centred and practical delivered at an educational institution that is committed to equity, inclusivity and access and supportive of diverse learning styles and needs.”
“It was a great way to start the day, and I'd catch the bus home. This life-changing access is why Minister Clare and I opened the Macquarie Fields university suburban study hub last year. It was to bring university closer to the young people in our community, because access to education can only change lives if it's accessible. We know that suburban university study hubs make university more accessible. The evidence is they increase the number of people going to uni in areas where they're established. We are now putting these university study hubs in places like Macquarie Fields, bringing university closer to where people live. Just this week, Minister Clare and I got to meet some of the young people of south-western Sydney for whom we're building these opportunities.”
“We know that education is changing lives each day in southern Sydney for the better, and that's why this government is ensuring that education in my community is secured for the future. Almost one in two young people have a university degree today, but not everywhere—not in our outer suburbs. For those living in the outskirts of Sydney, university can feel like something that happens somewhere else. It's how I felt when I finished year 12 as well, and I was very fortunate to have been able to attend a university campus in my community, the southern Sydney, now Sutherland, campus of the University of Wollongong. For me, access to that campus was life changing. I used to walk to university at the time, when I didn't have access to a car and couldn't drive. It took me about an hour and a half.”
“Education changes lives every single day. It enables people from all walks of society to live the lives that they want and follow the dreams that can seem unthinkable without it. In my community in southern Sydney, we see it changing lives each day—not just in English and maths but across a wide range of areas important to development of young lives. At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to see Alfords Point Public School perform Seussical . Not just the music class but the whole school, from kindergarten to six, were involved in performing this amazing piece. It's an opportunity they wouldn't have had without access to the incredible public schools we have in southern Sydney.”
“It's central to keeping our communities connected, and I'm so grateful for the tireless work of the volunteers who make our community stronger every single day.”
“Considering that this team is a brand new one in the first grade competition, after almost five decades, for the Yarrawarrah Tigers, I was astonished at how much the community turned out to support the local club. The Tigers have also done amazing work from going from having no female teams to having significant female representation. It was a potent reminder of how much clubs like these bring our communities together, and I'm so grateful to the committee, including Beth Barclay and Tyler Gibbons, for all the efforts put into getting this club to thrive. Our grassroots community sports clubs are such an important part of our community in the shire. Sporting culture goes far beyond the scoreboard.”
“It was a real privilege to be able to give out medals to the successful Titans and to congratulate them for their efforts. It was fantastic to hear some of the players speak at the presentation as very graceful winners. Thank you to Bosco FC president Tim Myers, vice president Jackie O'Riordan and Titans president George Lazarou and organiser Che Webster for putting this incredible event together and bringing so much value to not just members of the communities with disability but the broader sporting community in the Sutherland Shire. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining the Yarrawarrah Tigers at Tigertown as they hosted an A-grade clash against the reigning premiers, the Gymea Gorillas. The field was absolutely packed.”
“The games have a similar format to Sutherland Shire football, with the younger players through to full-field for the senior teams. Bosco has been conducting an annual day playing the Titans since before my time playing for Bosco FC many years ago, and I can still remember the fun and unique experience that playing against the Titans brought. The rain held off for the most part, and the day was such an exciting, enjoyable and fulfilling one where all members of the football community could be celebrated in a fun and slightly competitive atmosphere. Bosco teams put in a significant effort, but, unfortunately for Bosco, it wasn't their day, and the mighty Titans were able to maintain their hold on the cup for another year.”
“The science minister, Senator Ayres, and the member for Barton and I also had the opportunity to tour the workshop and see firsthand the world-class work these apprentices do that is so critical to Australian industry, manufacturing and medicine. I'd like to thank ANSTO and the AMWU team for having us along to these exciting facilities and to meet these talented apprentices starting work under this new model. I was proud to attend some significant sporting events in our community in recent weeks, one of which was the annual Bosco FC versus Titans day on the 23 May 2026. The Titans are a team in the Sutherland Shire Football Association aimed at including kids with disabilities in mainstream sport and to have a lot of fun at the same time.”
“The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union have been working with ANSTO to bring new apprentices in house, providing stronger supports and removing a lack of certainty that prevented some apprentices from finishing their qualifications. Where apprentices were previously engaged through a group training organisation, they will now be directly employed by ANSTO. The first apprentice under this new model will graduate next month and has already secured a permanent role at ANSTO. This is a critical change that will help rebuild Australian skills in precision design and fabrication, stemming from right here in Hughes.”
“This facility, right in the middle of Hughes, will be a source of new jobs, stronger industries and more resilient supply chains for our future. While physical infrastructure and facilities are important, we need a skilled workforce with strong competencies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to leverage the opportunities that lie beneath our feet. Our government understands how critical a skilled and confident workforce is to Australia's future prosperity, and that's why we're investing in fee-free TAFE and knocking down barriers that prevent young people getting the skills they need. It was fantastic to meet newly permanent apprentices at ANSTO a few weeks ago and celebrate their onboarding from agency contractors to full-time staff.”
“There has never been a more important time for building science capacity, and the Albanese Labor government is developing science capacity and expanding Australia's rare-earth processing capabilities in southern Sydney. I was proud to join the resources minister, the member for Brand, a few weeks ago to open new facilities at ANSTO in Lucas Heights that will help unlock new opportunities for our critical minerals industry, like processing clay hosted rare earth deposits and a new high-purity quartz production—a crucial input for semiconductors, solar panels, telecommunications and medical and defence equipment. These value-adding capabilities deliver practical solutions aligned with the federal government's Critical Minerals Strategy.”
“On the other side of the chamber we have a group of people that did not believe that we had an issue with housing. They didn't have a housing minister for most of the time they were in office. That is in stark contrast to what we have on this side of the House, where we are making once-in-a-generation reforms to our housing market to get young people into a home of their own. Those opposite voted against tax cuts for young working Australians. They haven't supported pay rises. This is a consistent measure of their support for young Australians, and it shows what they believe in. They now have an opportunity to get behind our tax cuts for working Australians. They have an opportunity to show what side of history they want to be on, and that is an opportunity that they should not pass up.”
“This Monday, 8 June, is a public holiday in New South Wales, which will mean a bit of well-earned time off for so many young workers across the state, and well-earned penalty rates for those that are working. And those that are working will know that they have an Albanese Labor government in Australia that is backing them and workers like them on penalty rates, backing them on pay rises and backing them on tax cuts. They also have a Labor government that is backing them to get a home of their own. From reforming our tax system to give them a fairer crack at getting a roof over their heads to boosting supply through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we're helping young people into the market through the Help to Buy scheme and we're giving them opportunities through our five per cent deposits.”
“This is an important moment for the coalition. Australians are watching. They will remember who stood on their side and who stood against them. They will remember who backed a tax reform that is backing new supply into the Australian market and is standing against the status quo that is not working for young people. Those opposite now have an opportunity to decide where their priorities are and what the future of the coalition looks like.”
“Our government have spent the last four years putting forward measures to ease cost-of-living pressures on Australians and, each time, we have reached out to those opposite in support of the national interest to offer them the chance to support Australians and, each time, what have they done? They have turned their backs. They have voted against tax cuts. They have voted against cheaper medicines. They have blocked housing investment. We on this side of the chamber have undertaken this incredible once-in-a-generation tax reform. We've introduced the working Australian tax offset. We've introduced a $1,000 instant tax deduction, which the ATO estimates will amount to $380 million in compliance cost savings. We're limiting negative gearing to new builds, where it will boost supply, from 1 July 2027.”
“This is a government that's strengthening Medicare with free urgent care clinics as a permanent part of Medicare and a record funding boost to public hospitals. It's making more life-changing medicines cheaper. This is a government responding to an uncertain world, making sure Australia is prepared for what comes next by investing to buy more fuel and fertiliser now and growing our national reserves of fuel and diesel to 50 days. Those opposite now have the opportunity to support these measures and get behind a government that is listening to the Australian people and delivering ambitious reform, or they can take the opportunity to vote against Australians in the name of a desperate attempt to cling on to fleeting power. What will they do? It is hard to know. But one of the best predictors of future behaviour is past behaviour.”
“But Australians have told us that the biggest impact on their cost of living has been housing. International economic pressures have only made the cost-of-living pressures associated with housing more acute and more urgent. This is a government that listens, and this is a government capable of adaptation. This is a government that puts housing at the forefront, with the most ambitious housing agenda in generations: $47 billion to build more homes, back first home buyers and help renters get a better deal. This is a government reducing tax for 13 million workers, providing tax relief and tax reform to make our economy work in the interests of more Australians, of businesses and of future generations.”
“While we've been out listening to Australians about the cost-of-living challenges facing them, those opposite have been cowering in fear at the rise of One Nation and the prospect that their 1950s-style politics just might not be relevant to 2026 Australia. Now, we on this side of the chamber—without our heads buried in the sand—do take note of the economic circumstances facing the world and the economic circumstances facing this country. And we have seen the dramatic impact that the conflict in Iran is having on Australians here at home. We know that these impacts are not short term. Even if the war ends tomorrow, there will be serious long-term impacts on our economy from this conflict. We on this side have been hearing about the cost-of-living pressures facing Australians—including fuel, groceries and health.”
“I'm absolutely delighted that those opposite have chosen a very interesting topic for the MPI today: plans for toxic taxes taken to the last election. And I'm glad, because such a topic would usually seem to indicate that those opposite have had time to reflect on the deeply damaging decision that they made last year to not only vote against a tax cut for every taxpayer in the country but also to go to an election promising Australians that they'd raise taxes if they formed a government. I hope that they have taken that time to reflect, and I hope that they won't make the same mistake again. Unfortunately, at the moment, it doesn't seem like it.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How does the Albanese Labor government's budget strengthen Australia's fuel security? How does this compare with previous policies on fuel security?”
“I also want to acknowledge that, for those of the Islamic faith, Ramadan recently came to an end with the marking of Eid al-Fitr, and I had the pleasure of joining members of the Bangladeshi Australian community in Macarthur to mark the holy occasion. I wish Eid Mubarak and Happy Easter to people of faith right across our community.”
“We get the development, but we don't get the roads or the infrastructure, and the roads get clogged. I've been joined by Zeli Munjiza, who is running in the by-election and has been out in the community talking to residents about what matters to them and what they expect from their council. Prepoll opens on 11 April, including at locations like Wattle Grove, so I urge South Ward residents to make their vote count. I want to acknowledge that this is a holy time for many communities across southern Sydney. It is Holy Week, and tomorrow is Holy Thursday. I want to acknowledge all the Christian groups in southern Sydney celebrating Easter this weekend.”
“Thank you so much to Sam, Ahmad, the Eagles and Rotary for supporting this cause but also for your efforts to bring the community together. Thank you, and thank you to our many pharmacists for all you do for our community. I also want to remind residents of South Ward of Liverpool City Council that there is a by-election on 18 April. For Hughes residents, South Ward includes the suburbs of Moorebank, Wattle Grove, Holsworthy, Hammondville, Voyager Point and Pleasure Point and a sliver of Casula. Voting is compulsory, so please don't forget to vote and avoid a fine. I've been holding mobile offices in Moorebank and Wattle Grove over the last few weeks, and council issues certainly come up a lot with residents. Residents certainly feel that our part of the Liverpool LGA is overlooked.”
“Thursday 26 March, last week, was Thank Your Pharmacist Day. Local pharmacies are so much more than small businesses. They play such a significant role in the health of local communities, not just in medicine distribution but in maintaining the wellbeing of residents right across our communities. It is unparalleled. I want to acknowledge Ahmad and Sam Sleitini from the Cincotta discount pharmacy in Macquarie Fields for the enormous role that they play in that community. Last week, they showed how much they give back to the community by hosting a World's Greatest Shave at the pharmacy. Sam once again went under the razor to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. It was great to have the support of the Ingleburn rotary club and the Ingleburn Eagles as they raised funds for this important cause.”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. How is the Albanese government holding social media companies to account, and how are other countries responding to our world-leading action to prevent social media harm?”
“This should be a shared priority across the parliament. I note the member for Wright has said we should be wary of the rush. My community can't wait for reliability of fuel price. Those opposite need to get on board and support a real measure that will make a tangible difference in the lives of Australians who are paying for fuel. The Albanese Labor government's priorities are clear. We're addressing inflation, we're supporting productivity and we're protecting Australians through global uncertainty. Those opposite need to get on board for the sake of Australians right across the country. Ensuring fairer petrol prices and stronger enforcement is essential to the task of looking after Australians in a time of international uncertainty.”
“We are temporarily amending fuel standards to increase supply. We are working with the ACCC to ensure fuel can move to where it's needed most while strengthening price monitoring and transparency. We are engaging internationally to protect Australia's fuel supply chains in an increasingly uncertain global environment. In addition to that, we've appointed the Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator, Anthea Harris, to ensure fuel is getting to where it's needed most. Recent global events have added pressure to fuel markets. Australia cannot control global volatility, but we can control how strongly we protect consumers at home. These bills strengthen accountability, reinforce deterrence and ensure that the consequences for wrongdoing reflect the harm caused to real people and real businesses.”
“These bills build on reforms already delivered by the Albanese Labor government. Penalties were increased to $50 million. The ACCC was given stronger powers, including petrol price monitoring and the ability to issue on-the-spot fines. Those changes strengthen oversight. This legislation ensures enforcement remains effective and credible as markets evolve. For the fuel sector, that credibility is critical. Petrol is an essential cost. Trades rely on it. Small business relies on it. Families rely on it. Strong enforcement helps ensure fair conduct across the market. These bills build on practical action taken by this government to maintain supply and security and to improve fuel accessibility. We are boosting supply by releasing 20 per cent of the baseline minimum stockholding obligation for petrol and diesel.”
“What they expect, however, is honesty, transparency and fair conduct from companies operating in Australia—and we agree. That expectation is reasonable, and it's exactly what these bills reinforce. For my community, petrol isn't an optional extra; it's how people get to work, run their businesses and keep family life moving. When prices jump without clear reason, people feel it straightaway. We know that fuel prices are susceptible to international prices. We know we can't control the international price of oil. But these bills make one thing clear: international conflict is not an excuse to rip off Australians. If petrol companies mislead customers or rip off people, the penalties will be serious. We're backing strong rules, real enforcement and fair prices at the pump because Australians deserve a fair go.”
“But what the Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026 does is ensure that the bad actors who are seeking to make a quick buck off the volatility that international conflict has brought to 2026 are held accountable for their responsibilities. When petrol prices move, households feel it immediately. When prices spike without explanation, people notice. When people suspect they are being taken advantage of, trust in the system erodes quickly. This legislation is about restoring and protecting that trust. These bills speak directly to the everyday experience of people in my electorate in southern Sydney. Global instability has created volatility in oil and fuel markets. My community understands that international events can affect prices here at home.”
“Fuel keeps my community moving. In suburbs like Menai, Hammondville, Woronora Heights, Macquarie Links, Bangor, Alfords Point and Bonnet Bay, there is no train station. In suburbs like that, the car is essential. Families rely on the supply of fuel from petrol stations to live their lives, to take the kids to soccer training, to pick up their groceries for dinner, to check in on their elderly parents. It's part of getting to work early in the morning and picking up the kids in the afternoon. It keeps small businesses moving and allows us to stay connected to services and our community, when they are often some distance away. Fuel companies know this, and there are so many patriotic Australians in the fuel sector who take that responsibility seriously.”
“What residents tell me they need from government is straightforward: GPs who can bulk-bill, medicines people can afford, a pathway to homeownership that does not require a deposit the size of a small inheritance, an education system that comes to you rather than expecting you to travel long distances, world-class scientific infrastructure that is properly funded and protected, roads that work, schools that are fully resourced. These appropriation bills deliver on these things as funded operational programs that are already making a difference in the lives of people across Hughes and across the country. I commend the bill to the House.”
“The project is now in the procurement and design phase, with expressions of interest already issued for the process, equipment and associated infrastructure. This is a major capital investment in Hughes, with high-skilled jobs on the Lucas Heights campus, sustaining growth for decades and Australian sovereign capability to manufacture the nuclear medicines that give people like Will McDonald a fighting chance. I want to acknowledge the workforce at Lucas Heights—scientists, engineers, technicians and support staff who are our neighbours and who do the work of genuine national significance. Our community in southern Sydney has always worked hard, and it's great to see that the federal Albanese Labor government is finally returning that investment.”
“I had the privilege of meeting Will, alongside representatives of nuclear medicine Australia, and, when I sat with Will and the team from nuclear medicine Australia, the conversation was heartfelt and real about the benefits of the nuclear medicines like those produced by ANSTO. It was about a man who's alive and working, raising a young family, because of the nuclear medicines that this country produces. This government is investing in the construction of a new medicine manufacturing facility at ANSTO's Lucas Heights campus, purpose built to produce and distribute nuclear medicine products to hospitals and medical clinics right across Australia. The new facility will replace the ageing building 23, which has been operating since 1959 and is approaching the end of its working life.”
“He's continued presenting the news throughout his treatment, undergoing hormone therapy and chemotherapy, all while advocating for men to prioritise their health and for the medical research that, in his words, will keep him alive. Will's story really struck me because Will's story is not unique. Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australian men. One in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and the treatments that give men like Will the best possible chance of surviving it—the diagnostic imaging, the targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies, the nuclear medicine procedures that detect cancer spread before symptoms even appear—rely on radioisotopes manufactured at ANSTO's Lucas Heights campus right in the heart of Hughes.”
“Between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of nuclear medicine isotopes used in Australia come from the Lucas Heights campus. On average, each person in Australia will require at least two nuclear medicine procedures during their lifetime. That means, statistically, everyone in this chamber and virtually every constituent across Hughes will one day depend on what is produced at that site—Australians like Will McDonald, who is a Channel 9 news presenter based in Adelaide. At 42 years old, fit and active, he went to his GP expecting to hear about a hip injury. He was told instead that he had stage 4 prostate cancer, which had already spread from his prostate to his hip, with no other symptoms. He was given a frank diagnosis—he would never be cured, only ever in remission.”
“The government is on track to deliver more than 55,000 social and affordable homes and support more than 100,000 Australians into homeownership. For the young people in Hughes who grew up in these suburbs and are watching themselves be priced out of them in real time, this is what this government is working to change. There are many qualities that make Hughes genuinely unique in this parliament, but one of the most notable is that it's the only community in Australia with a nuclear reactor. ANSTO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, has its headquarters and main research facilities in Lucas Heights in Sutherland Shire, in the heart of my electorate. Each week, ANSTO produces approximately 12,000 patient doses of nuclear medicine, sent to around 250 hospitals and medical centres across Australia and the region.”
“House ownership has also drifted out of reach for a generation of young Australians, and the former government's record on this is critical to understanding exactly how we got to where we are and why we are facing the challenges that we are now facing as a country—nine years in office and only 373 social and affordable homes built nationally. That's years and years of neglect. We can contrast this with the work of the Albanese Labor government, of the single largest investment in housing since World War II, the Housing Australia Future Fund, the Help to Buy scheme, the five per cent deposit guarantee, the 45 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance and the ban on foreign buyers purchasing existing dwellings. These are functioning mechanisms backed by appropriations like these.”
“Nearly 96 per cent of Australians are now within a 20-minute drive of a registered Medicare bulk-billing practice. More and more practices that were mixed billing are converting to fully bulk-billing every single week. On medicines, the change that came into effect on 1 January this year is one of the most direct cost-of-living measures this government has delivered. The maximum co-payment for a PBS script is now $25 for general patients, the lowest it's been since 2004. For concession card holders, it's frozen at $7.70. For those in my community managing chronic conditions on tight budgets, that difference adds up across a year in a way that is really making a difference to their bottom line.”
“Practices were charging higher and higher out-of-pocket fees, and too many families were having to make calculations and ask the question: 'Can I go to the doctor, or can it wait?' Health doesn't wait—health can't wait. More importantly, health shouldn't wait. This government inherited that decline, and this government is reversing it. The Albanese Labor government's $8.5 billion investment in Medicare is the single-largest investment in Medicare since it was created. The latest data tells the story, and it's crystal clear. With 22 clinics now bulk-billing, the majority of clinics in Hughes can now display a little sign with those two beautiful, alliterative words: bulk-billing. We have seen the largest quarterly jump in bulk-billing in 20 years outside of COVID, and this has happened because of what we're doing.”
“Nearly half of all young Australians have a degree, but in Macquarie Fields it's only around 29 per cent. The evidence shows that, where there are study hubs, university participation goes up. As a former student of a suburban campus of the University of Wollongong, I know how much of a difference local campuses, like the new site in Liverpool, make to students who live nearby. It makes university less disruptive to lifestyle, meaning that students can work and meet life obligations without university attendance and study creating too much disruption for them. The cost and accessibility of health care is also one of the most pressing cost-of-living pressures for families and individuals in my community. For years, seeing a doctor was becoming more difficult. Bulk-billing rates across our community were in decline.”
“It's something that people have been hearing about for a long time, and I'm so glad that the Albanese Labor government is finally taking action and investing in a project that increases reliable and efficient access to the Moorebank Intermodal terminal and aligns with the Transport for NSW Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Road Access Strategy, or MITRA. This government is also ensuring that education is accessible in my community. That's why last year this government opened the Macquarie Fields suburban university study hub, and it's why last week Minister Clare opened the new campus of the University of Wollongong at Liverpool. The suburban university study hub at Macquarie Fields is part of the Albanese government's $66.9 million investment to more than double the number of university study hubs across the country.”
“I'm very proud that our government is delivering this and I'm very proud that we're investing $190 million in a key piece of infrastructure for south-western Sydney. It's not the only roads investment that this federal government is making in south-western Sydney. It's in addition to the $50 million that the federal government allocated towards the final business case for the project to support businesses that rely on Cambridge Avenue in Glenfield. This is a project that has been neglected for far too long. The Glenfield Causeway is something that is brought up frequently whenever I am engaging with the community in the south-west.”
“When you look across the network, from the M7 to the M5, WestConnex and the M4, this intersection is such an obvious choke point for a growing region of Sydney. For those opposite to have overlooked it for so long shows their absolute contempt for those who live in south-west Sydney. South-west Sydney is the gateway to Sydney. It's the engine room of the economy. We've got the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct and we've got the new airport coming in. The idea that we would avoid investing in this key infrastructure is beyond belief. We've got trucks that can't get off the road safely, and this is something those opposite knew about when they were in power. Obviously, they didn't want to invest in building a new railway line from south-west Sydney to the new airport, but to not invest in roads just goes against all sensibility and logic.”
“It's being delivered through a strong partnership between the Albanese and Minns Labor governments, each committing $190 million as part of the broader Western Sydney infrastructure blitz. Those opposite claim to represent people in industries that require them to move around on our motorways. I can recall Tony Abbott, whose contempt for public transport is well documented, famously saying that every man in his car is a king, as if that was an excuse for not investing in public transport across Australia, especially in Western Sydney. I note that today we have taken significant steps to ensure that we are properly delivering for the trucking industry, in ways that those opposite never did.”
“It also removes the dangerous weave on the M5 between Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway, improving safety and traffic flows for drivers entering and exiting the motorway. A new underpass at Moorebank Avenue will directly connect the M5 westbound to the Hume Highway, and the intersection between the M5 and Moorebank Avenue will be fully upgraded. This matters because the existing bridge currently sees more than 2,500 trucks a day moving from the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct terminal onto the Sydney motorway network, with truck numbers only set to increase as new sections come online. This project gives motorists the confidence that the road network is finally catching up with demand.”
“This includes utility work on Powerhouse Road, drainage and earthworks in Helles Park, Georges River embankment enabling work and non-intrusive survey work. Anyone who uses the M5 around Moorebank knows exactly the problem that occurs in the area. In the afternoon peak, traffic is banked up as cars and trucks enter westbound at Moorebank Avenue and try to merge with traffic already on the motorway attempting to exit the highway. It's why the Albanese and Minns governments are getting on with delivering the critical infrastructure Western Sydney needs. The project includes a new three-lane toll-free bridge over the Georges River and the train lines at Liverpool, dramatically improving the connection between the M5 Motorway, Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway.”