Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (15:56:50): I acknowledge the 10,000 signature petition relating to the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link. Firstly I acknowledge the 10,000 people who have signed this petition, voicing their concerns that the Government has left them and their communities in the dark about this major infrastructure project. I commend the organisers of this petition, many of whom are watching now. Some 10,000 signatures were collected from the Premier's own electorate. As the scientist Margaret Mead puts it:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
The Opposition supports the sensible job-creating opportunities associated with the Western Harbour Tunnel, especially at a time of economic crisis and record unemployment in New South Wales. We are standing here today—not to oppose the project at this stage—but to condemn the Government on the lack of transparency and community consultation to date.
It is currently almost impossible to come to an informed position on this project as so little is known about what impacts it will have on the people closest to it. Thousands of local people have deep concerns about what the impacts of the Western Harbour Tunnel will be on their local community. We are here to voice the concerns of local communities that feel the Government and the Premier are ignoring them. In addition, we have serious concerns about the Beaches Link, specifically a questionable business case that the Government has fought tooth and nail to keep secret despite Parliament's best efforts to ensure transparency—a key tenet of democracy.
Nobody disputes that improving transportation infrastructure is critical to this State. However, for infrastructure to work and be fit for purpose the community must be consulted about the initial concept, during the development process and during construction. The lack of transparency and community consultation is alarming. The systemic lack of transparency and this Government's pattern of secrecy is even more alarming. Why is transparency so important with this and other major infrastructure projects? It is because the people of New South Wales deserve to know how their taxes are being spent and to ensure it is not wasted. This project is costing the taxpayer at least $14 billion—that is, $14 billion for 14 kilometres or $1 billion per kilometre. For $1 billion per kilometre this project deserves the fine toothcomb treatment, ensuring it is worth every cent for the people most impacted by it.
The Berejiklian Government has a long track record of ruining homes with WestConnex and livelihoods with the CBD and South East Light Rail. The Government needs to do better with this project. It needs to engage with the community. Unfortunately, lack of transparency and obsolete community consultation appear to be the norm. As the member for Coogee I continue to see firsthand how the community is completely ignored by this Government. My community has experienced the repercussions of infrastructure being built without community consultation. The Government's modus operandi is to act under the cloak of darkness—without any transparency or scrutiny—because it knows the public will take issue with its rushed, ill-designed and ill-fitted projects. We saw this during the planning and construction of the CBD and South East Light Rail.
In 2017 The Australian reported the transport Minister had tried to drop this project entirely. The article explained that the Minister described it as a "dog of a project". The article also revealed that the project had to be continued because the contract was signed in such a rush that every alteration would cost the Government five times more than it should have.
Since being elected, my office has received thousands of complaints about light rail during its construction, testing and now during its operation, but the secrecy of this Government continues. Only last week I received the results of a Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 request into the Government's plan to cut 16 bus services from the eastern suburbs. The request for information was rejected "because current commuters may be disgruntled if they believe their service is being cancelled". Yes, the community will be disgruntled, as will our bus drivers if their services are cancelled and there is less work. The Government's arrogance is astounding if it thinks the community does not have a right to know. The community has a right to know if such significant and operant changes are coming so they can do something about it and prevent those things from occurring. Ignorance might be bliss for this Government, but it means misery for the people of New South Wales whom it claims to represent.
