{"id":92766,"date":"2022-05-30T03:45:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T03:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=92766"},"modified":"2022-05-30T03:45:06","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T03:45:06","slug":"western-sydney-state-of-the-region-25-may-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/western-sydney-state-of-the-region-25-may-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"WESTERN SYDNEY \u201cSTATE OF THE REGION\u201d 25 May, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

WESTERN SYDNEY \u201cSTATE OF THE REGION\u201d 25 May, 2022<\/span><\/h1>\n

\u201cBig projects, better communities, brilliant opportunities: turning aspiration into opportunity in Western Sydney\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The state of the region in Western Sydney is important – because the fact is, this region is the barometer for opportunity in Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n

And when Western Sydney goes well, Australia goes well.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to be joining you for my first major speech after the federal election.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was a hard fought election \u2013 with a mixed bag of outcomes across the electorate – and real challenges for both major sides of politics.<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to pay tribute to the former PM and his government for their service to our nation at a time of crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you compare Australia to other nations, we have come out the other side much stronger and that is an extraordinary achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

And I look forward to working very constructively with the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government to keep getting good outcomes for our state.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I have always said it doesn\u2019t matter what colour the government is in Canberra, my job always is to fight for the best interests of the people of NSW – and that is what we will continue to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

I believe that our party\u2019s natural constituency is represented right here in the West.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s here that you will find families who are making sacrifices and daring to dream – to earn success for themselves and their communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

This aspirational ethic is driving Western Sydney\u2019s boom.<\/span><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s the same value at the heart of the Liberal party that Robert Menzies founded in the aftermath of another crisis – World War 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aspirational families have a vision – they are not complacent, they are working towards a goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

They want a government with a plan that ensures their hard work translates into real opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

That is now the challenge for the newly elected federal government. And the challenge for state governments is no different.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make no mistake: coming out of the pandemic, we are at a pivotal moment for our state<\/span><\/p>\n

and our nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are still choppy waters to navigate – from extreme events like the recent floods, to cyclical challenges like rising inflation and skills shortages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Governments will be judged on their ability to solve the complex problems of this moment in history, and secure a brighter future for families and communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

That takes a mix of imagination and pragmatism – and that is the essence of our government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in Western Sydney the strain of the pandemic has highlighted a range of challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

But because of the foundations we have built over the past decade – I believe Western Sydney is on track to become Australia\u2019s great success story of the 21st century.<\/span><\/p>\n

So today, as we focus on the state of the region in Western Sydney and its future, I want to talk about three things.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, the foundations we have laid here – particularly in terms of major infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, the next step in our plan – focusing intensively on investing in communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, the kinds of opportunities that we are creating – and will create – for people who live and work in the West.<\/span><\/p>\n

So first, the foundations.<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens next for Western Sydney will rest on what has happened so far, because the best indicator of future success is past performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past 10 years, the transformation has been meteoric.<\/span><\/p>\n

The population has grown by 21 per cent \u2013 twice as fast as the rest of NSW. The region is home to more people than Perth or Adelaide.<\/span><\/p>\n

The number of employed people has grown by 26 per cent – that\u2019s 300,000 jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

To put that in perspective, that\u2019s approximately the number of jobs lost in NSW, and subsequently recovered, at the height of the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are 160,000 more homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

37,000 more students in school – and 70 new and upgraded schools for our kids to learn in.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the region is a hive of industry and innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The number of small and medium businesses has increased from 153,000 in 2016 to more than 191,000 in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a 25 per cent increase in just 5 years – despite the pandemic. This is a region going places – fast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, we know that rapid growth can be a challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

But our Government has faced it head on – and we have planned for it. The first priority was building the missing links.<\/span><\/p>\n

Backbone infrastructure that you need for future growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Complex projects that take a long time to plan and determination to deliver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes I think back to 2011 when I would go out to geological drilling sites for the Metro NorthWest as a new member of parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe in that short space of time, we have gone from just an idea – often promised, never delivered – to a fully functioning, world-class metro line – and it has electrified the Hills.<\/span><\/p>\n

NorthWest Metro is just one of the many mega-projects we have delivered in the West. To name a few:<\/span><\/p>\n