Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (17:53): I speak in support of the motion of the member for Blacktown and reject the amendments of the member for Hornsby. One of the things that this public interest debate seeks to do is reflect our Government's commitment at the election to rebalance population growth around infrastructure. The effect of not doing that can be seen more in Camden than anywhere else in New South Wales. Camden was the fastest growing local government area in not only 2018-19 but also 2021-22. In 2016 there were 78,218 people in Camden. In 2021 that rose to 119,000. Camden Council estimates that by 2026 Camden will increase by over 63,000 people to 183,000 people, which is an annual average growth rate of 8.83 per cent. So, personally, I find the idea that we are suffering from nimbyism a little offensive.
We have done more than our fair share. We have taken hectares and hectares of land. The former Coalition Government was quite happy to submit Camden, what was previously the market garden of Sydney, to development. There are now houses as far as the eye can see in suburbs like Oran Park, Gregory Hills, Gledswood Hills and Leppington. The idea that the Coalition supported that development with infrastructure building is, to be honest, a bit of a joke. I have two stations within half an hour of my electorate: Campbelltown train station, which is 20 minutes away, and Leppington train station, which the Carr Labor Government planned, designed and funded. So in the 12 years that the former Coalition Government was in power, the amount of rail and public transport infrastructure it built to support the development in Camden was exactly zero. That means not only do we have no train stations but we have—
Mr Tim James: Roads? Schools?
Mrs SALLY QUINNELL: Not in Camden. We did not get any schools in that time.
Mr Tim James: Roads?
Mrs SALLY QUINNELL: Don't worry. I will get to roads. That has caused every single person in Camden to have to drive. Fifty per cent of workers drive to work every day. That has meant that people need to be organised as to where they live and prepared to pay the tolls on those roads. I commuted this morning. I left home at 6.30 a.m. and it took me two and a half hours to get here. That is just not doable on any given day. My commute to work today was longer than we are advised to drive in one sitting. We also have a problem with the idea of consultation that the member for Hornsby mentioned. At one point there was so much development in the area that the people of Camden did not know which suburb was which because there were so many new suburbs being developed at once. Our local paramedics and police force needed to resort to using Google Maps because their system for finding homes was not keeping up with the development. A man died in Oran Park because the paramedics could not get to his house fast enough, as his street did not exist in their system.
The member for Drummoyne said that the Coalition's approach was slow and measured and close to infrastructure. I love that idea. I can tell you that is just not the case in Camden. We have had unbelievable levels of growth, and we do not have the infrastructure to support it. That is why I am wholeheartedly behind the Transport Oriented Development Program. It will create development and housing around the transport that people need so that they can live within walking distance of their supermarkets, restaurants and open space, and still use public transport to get where they need to go. That is a well-understood model. If members are not sure how it cannot work, I suggest they come and see everyone on the roads of Camden.
