Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (17:40): My priority is fighting for the infrastructure and essential services that my community deserves. I have spoken before in this Chamber about the severe lack of infrastructure and services in my electorate and the surrounding region. Today I speak about the need for an additional ambulance station. The former Coalition Government did not invest in south‑west Sydney. During its 12 years in office, it failed to open the schools, healthcare facilities and public transport required for residents of the area. Houses were built without any planning in place for the services people rely on. It was privatisation by stealth—something the former Government was obsessed with. The Camden electorate, along with the local government area, is one of the fastest growing in Greater Sydney, but is home to only one ambulance station, located in the Camden township. Campbelltown ambulances also service my electorate.

The growing population and lack of existing health infrastructure means an additional ambulance station is needed now more than ever, with increasing demand being put on Campbelltown Hospital. It is already under immense pressure. Greater development in the northern suburbs of the Camden local government area in anticipation of the new Western Sydney airport will further increase the population of the region and the pressure on existing infrastructure and essential services. Adequate services must be provided for the people who will live in these newly developed areas. I am pleased with the progress the Minns Labor Government has made in addressing the lack of investment in essential services by the previous Government. One year is not enough time to fully address the neglect of our region over the previous 12 years, but it is a start. Despite this progress, my point still stands: the people of Camden and south‑western Sydney deserve a new ambulance station to be built in the heart of the region to serve the needs of our community.

Healthcare infrastructure is one of the many challenges of our community. Campbelltown Hospital, the nearest major hospital, serves a vast area and a significant population, leading to existing wards and the emergency department often being near or at capacity. Staff are often overworked due to patient demands. A new hospital will help shoulder some of the existing load serviced by Campbelltown and Liverpool hospitals, while catering to new communities within the aerotropolis and surrounding regions. However, without adequate ambulance stations, response times will only worsen in my community. I am confident that the Minns Labor Government and the Minister for Health will ensure that vital health infrastructure is available for communities, so that they have access to the health care they deserve. Data from the Bureau of Health Information shows P1 urgent response times in Camden are some of the lowest in the Greater Sydney region, with 42.7 per cent of urgent responses arriving within 15 minutes compared with the Greater Sydney average of nearly 50 per cent.

An additional ambulance station would mean quicker response times and improved emergency health care for anyone requiring an ambulance. Patient demand is growing in the Camden region and across south‑western Sydney. There will be further growth as new developments increase the population of the area. When speaking with members of my community, a lack of health infrastructure is one of the top issues brought to my attention. Residents understand the need for new infrastructure after years of neglect in south‑west Sydney. An additional ambulance station is desperately needed in my electorate to service the ever‑growing population of the region, to reduce response times and provide the world‑class healthcare system that everyone deserves.

I am pleased that the Minns Labor Government is building the essential services the community rely on. This campaign will continue until we secure an additional ambulance station in our region. I thank our paramedics for the vital work they do every day. Being a paramedic is an unforgiving and stressful job, and we cannot do without them serving our communities.