Shadow Minister for Better Public Services, Sophie Cotsis MP, has joined Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong MP, in calling on the Liberal Government to fulfil its election promise to deliver a Service NSW Centre in Edmondson Park in Sydney’s south west as a matter of priority.
Edmondson Park straddles the Liverpool and Campbelltown Local Government Areas, and is one of Sydney’s fastest growing communities. Around 6000 new homes are earmarked for the suburb, with more than 1000 households – around 2,273 people – already calling the suburb home.
The town centre is due for completion in 2023 and includes 1900 new homes and apartments. New dwellings continue to be built daily, with people pouring into the area – a direct result of the Liberal Government’s overdevelopment agenda.
Despite the suburb’s enormous growth and the Liberal Government’s election commitment, the Berejiklian Liberal Government is yet to provide a Service NSW Centre in Edmondson Park. Meanwhile, the Liberal Government continues to collect millions of dollars in stamp duty, dubbed the ‘rivers of gold’.
If the Liberal Government fails to fulfil its promise to deliver a Service NSW Centre for Edmondson Park it will add to a string of failures by the Berejiklian Liberal Government to match growth with infrastructure investment.
The Edmondson Park community is already angry and frustrated over the Liberal Government’s failure to deliver its promised 700 new car parking spaces at Edmondson Park Station. Due to the car parking crisis, commuters are resorting to drastic measures such as risking fines by parking illegally.
Families moving to the suburb are also up in arms about the Liberal Government’s failure to deliver a public primary school or public high school to cater for the suburb’s massive growth.
To make matters worse, the local community is still reeling from the Liberal Government’s closure of the Ingleburn and Campbelltown Motor Registry Offices in 2015. Currently, the nearest Service NSW centres are located at Gregory Hills and Liverpool – around 20 minutes away by car or further on public transport.
At the 2019 State Election, the Liberal Government promised to open 14 new Service NSW centres. The centres are to include four mobile buses and 10 permanent locations to be rolled out across Sydney over the next three years.
Shadow Minister for Better Public Services, Sophie Cotsis MP, said the Berejiklian Liberal Government was yet to deliver a key election promise for the people of Edmondson Park, a growth area that is in desperate need of infrastructure and services.
“If the Government was serious about its ‘one stop-shop’ Service NSW model and serious about better public services it would have delivered on its promise already.
“Growing communities such as Edmondson Park should not have to wait to access vital face-to-face government services. The Berejiklian Liberal Government continues to push online services, leaving those with no access to the internet or a computer isolated and disadvantaged,” Ms Cotsis said.
“I will continue to pressure the Berejiklian Liberal Government to deliver a Service NSW Centre for Edmondson Park as a matter of priority.”
Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong MP, said Edmondson Park had borne the brunt of the Liberal Government’s overdevelopment agenda.
“Yet here is a suburb that desperately needs vital infrastructure and services to support that growth and has been consistently ignored by the Liberal Government,” said Mr Chanthivong.
“Edmondson Park has a train station, it has a commercial precinct and it has a fast growing population, making it an ideal location for a new Service NSW Centre.
“The Berejiklian Liberal Government’s pockets are full with millions of dollars in stamp duty, yet our community is forced to go begging,” Mr Chanthivong added.
“Where are the extra car parking spaces at Edmondson Park Station, so desperately needed and promised by the Berejiklian Liberal Government? Where is the new public primary and high school to cater for the suburb’s enormous growth?
“When will the Berejiklian Liberal Government fulfil its promise to deliver a new Service NSW Centre at Edmondson Park?
“The Liberal Government’s string of failures in Edmondson Park shows their utter contempt for our growing community. All our local community wants is a fair go and our fair share.”
