Member for Kiama Gareth Ward says that while Parliament has resumed, the government is still asleep at the wheel, with cost-of-living pressures rising, industrial chaos on our rail system and no promised election commitments on Illawarra infrastructure even close to being delivered.

“Housing approvals are at 12-year lows, rents are up nearly 10 per cent, hospital wait times are the worst in 14 years and business insolvencies are up almost 40 per cent,” says Mr Ward.

“Local Homelessness services were lied to about promised funding to help keep doors open, the government refuses to build a helipad at the new Shellharbour Hospital in spite of the old site having one … and not a single of Labor’s promised election commitments will start this parliamentary term.

“We have drivers on driverless trains, the new Intercity Fleet sitting idle at Waterfall rather than servicing the South Coast Line, constant delays due to never-ending track work, signalling and whatever other excuse Sydney Trains can come up with, cuts to projects like the Toolijooa Passing Loop and cuts to speed zones instead of real investments in making local roads safer.”

“This Government continues to talk about housing growth but never talks about enabling infrastructure. From Badagarang to Tullimbar, we have massive growth but not comparable investments in schools and roads to support these growing communities.

Mr Ward says the Minns Labor Government “is letting down the people of our region and I’ll be using Parliament this year to wake this government up to the fact that regional NSW deserves its fair share”.