Get Involved - Parliament

Transport Infrastructure

Published on: June 2025

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-154611

Transport Infrastructure

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (15:02:35):

My question is directed to Minister for Roads. The Minister's media release last week referred to Liberal-Nationals Government mega projects as "vanity mega projects". Which metros and motorways was the Minister referring to?

Mr Chris Minns:

The northern beaches tunnel.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (MaitlandMinister for Roads, and Minister for Regional Transport) (15:03:07):

— I thank the Premier. He has answered the question straight off the bat. I will take—

Mr Adam Crouch:

What do the two Independents think?

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

Sorry, I did not hear that.

The SPEAKER:

It was a rhetorical interjection. The Minister does not need to answer it.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

I thank the member for North Shore for her question. The Premier was right on the money. The previous Government undertook so many projects without proper planning and with massive blowouts. It spent over $20 billion on transport projects—

Opposition members interjected.

[]

Are you proud? Is that it, Mr Speaker? Are they proud of those blowouts?

The SPEAKER:

The member for Epping will cease interjecting. The Minister will direct her answer through the Chair. I call the member for Wahroonga to order for the first time.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

This is exactly the problem. Those opposite do not understand the problem with their infrastructure. Their projects were vanity projects, all situated in their electorates and costing $10 billion.

Mr Mark Speakman:

Which ones?

The SPEAKER:

The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

Northern beaches. It was a $10 billion project, while the people in Western Sydney were carrying the load of housing for decades. The member for Wollondilly had no toilets in half her electorate because those opposite would not spend any money on infrastructure in growing communities.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Hawkesbury to order for the first time.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

The member for Hawkesbury—the member for imaginary infrastructure—said, "We're going to build a hospital at Rouse Hill. We're going to build a school." But they did not. They said that they would build roads, but who funded the Pitt Town bypass that they failed to fund? This Government did, for $100 million. Members opposite should just say thank you. Their projects were just flushing money down—

Mr Mark Speakman:

Point of order: I refer to Standing Order 129, direct relevance. The Minister was asked which projects she was referring to. If the Minister does not think they should have been built, she should say so. She should name them.

The SPEAKER:

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. He is correct about the question, but the Minister identified one project. She has been directly relevant, even if the Leader of the Opposition does not like the answer.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

For the slow members opposite, who obviously do not get it, the northern beaches tunnel was costed at $10 billion, while the rest of the State—Western Sydney, the regions and even former Government backbench members—called for investment in roads. Imagine if the previous Government had invested in Wrights Road in Port Macquarie. Imagine if it had done Houston Mitchell Drive.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Terrigal to order for the first time. I call the member for Miranda to order for the second time.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

Imagine if it had done any of those things. Those projects would have saved lives. Instead, all members opposite delivered while in government were blowouts and failures. They could not cost a project to save their lives. They are a disgrace.