Private Members Statement

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) (18:37:23) — Undoubtedly the effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic will be felt by all of us for many decades ahead in every aspect of our lives, be it personal or professional.

Life as we knew it before COVID‑19 has gone to the history books.

Social distancing is now the norm. Handshakes and hugs, at least for the moment, are gone. Hand sanitiser is now an essential everyday item to be accessible at all times or, as the marketing jingo goes, "Don't leave home without it".

Working from home—WFH—is now an everyday acronym.

Tap and go has replaced cash for many, and contactless trade exchanges or deliveries are now expected terms on goods purchases on the internet. The list is endless.

The tragic loss of loved ones as a result of the pandemic will mean some Australians' lives can never be the same again.

 The terms "challenging" and "unprecedented" have consistently been used to describe life during the pandemic. Both terms are very apt. But just as applicable are the words innovative, resourceful, flexible and adaptable.

One of the most startling and obvious examples of the innovative that has emerged from the pandemic has been the requirement for many to work from home.

The speed at which Australians and businesses across the nation took up working from home was simply quite astonishing.

Almost overnight hundreds of thousands of Australians transitioned from working in an office block to working from the living room.Almost overnight Australians discovered the ease of technologies such as Zoom meetings, Microsoft teams or Google meets.

Of course not everyone could work from home and we owe a debt of gratitude to those frontline workers who, by necessity, had to go to work each and every day—treating the sick at our hospitals, delivering our food and taking care of our young and old. Many frontline workers' jobs required constant interaction and closer physical proximity.

The importance of the emergence of working from home during the pandemic cannot be overemphasised. Thankfully, restrictions imposed during the pandemic are gradually easing and, as a result, more businesses and offices are opening up.

But the challenges of getting to work safely on public transport still remain, especially for many in my local area and surrounding suburbs, where commuting has been a repeated daily grind. For workers who are often required to work in major CBDs such as Sydney, or Parramatta or North Sydney, this can be especially problematic.

One innovative solution is the one that I have to commend my good friend the member for Wollongong for, working from a regional location.

My "Work in Ingleburn Strategy" would require—and request—the New South Wales State Government to lease vacant office space in Ingleburn, enabling public sector workers who live in the local area to work in a closer location and avoid having to increase the public health risk through commuting on public transport.

An Ingleburn Satellite Office—or ISO—could be an ideal base for public sector workers. Now is the time to support people as they transition out of "iso" or "self‑isolation", to a new ISO—the Ingleburn Satellite Office.

By working from Ingleburn, public sector workers could avoid the long commute to work and avoid the social distancing requirements on our public transport system.

Ingleburn is ideally suited for this purpose: office space exists, the Ingleburn CBD is already home to many government services, the suburb is well placed between both Campbelltown and Liverpool and the CBD is easily accessible. And, of course, the Ingleburn community is a welcoming and warm one.

The Work in Ingleburn Strategy provides a win-win. It is a win for workers, a win for public health, a win for the local economy and a win for easing congestion on our packed roads and public transport.

The Transport Minister telling people to drive to work is not a solution. It is a bit of a cop-out. Walking or cycling to work are viable options if you live close enough to work, but for many in my electorate and those surrounding areas they can only dream of such options.

A post‑pandemic environment requires us all to think differently. It requires all of us to do things differently. If we are truly all in this together then it is about time that this Liberal Government gave our community its fair share.

Unprecedented times require innovative and unprecedented responses. In recent times our nation and State have proved to be world leaders in responding to the crisis.

I commend the Work in Ingleburn Strategy to the Government and look forward to the Premier's positive response to my letter.