Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown): The number one infrastructure priority for the Charlestown electorate is Hillsborough Road.

It is one of the busiest roads in the Hunter region. It is a vital link between Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and it is a major choke point for our local road network. At peak hour, traffic on Hillsborough Road slows to a standstill.

Hillsborough residents face interminable waits trying to exit their suburb, and thousands of hours are lost every year, and that is time that people could spend at work or at home with their loved ones. As the local area continues to grow, in particular, the population growth that is occurring on the western side of Lake Macquarie, Hillsborough Road becomes more congested and the need for upgrades becomes more desperate.

Accidents are commonplace and near misses are a fact of life for those who use the road. In 2016 one accident resulted in the tragic loss of a young woman. Fifteen-year-old Jade Frith was crossing the road on her way to swimming training when she was hit by a car. Her death prompted widespread calls from the community for upgrades to the road and a petition has been tabled in this place in respect of the upgrades to Hillsborough Road. But those calls have been ignored.

I have raised this issue time and again. I have given notices of motion, asked questions on notice, given speeches, presented a 10,000‑signature petition and written to the Minister. What action has the Government taken?

In 2013 there was $500,000 for planning and pre‑construction. In 2015 there was $4 million for more planning and pre‑construction. Then there was silence until in 2018, after meeting with local activist and Hillsborough resident Michael Nolan and his residents action group, I called for funding for action on Hillsborough Road in the 2018‑19 budget. There was nothing.

I called for action in the 2019‑20 and 2020‑21 budgets. There was still nothing. And then, finally, the Government seemed to pay attention. There was $2.9 million for continued planning in the 2021-22 budget. To be honest, after not hearing much, there was a lot of relief in my local area. "Finally," we thought, "we're actually going to get something done."

In the most recent budget, there is another $1.2 million for planning—not for works to commence—and that is about it. Given all of that, I ask: What will it take before we see works commence on Hillsborough Road?

After so many years of campaigning and of trying to manage with a road that is no longer fit for purpose, people are well and truly ready to see shovels in the ground. Wendy, who lives in Hillsborough, has been campaigning for works to begin at Hillsborough Road for many years. She told me:

There has been so much planning for Hillsborough Rd over the years they have to keep reviewing the planning to remember what they're up to with it. It's terrible, money for the work was given such a long time ago and Transport for New South Wales are still planning.

The people of the Charlestown electorate and beyond are sick and tired of the Government spending big on flashy projects in certain parts of Sydney—projects which cannot keep to a schedule or a budget—while continuously ignoring the much‑needed upgrades to Hillsborough Road. This is particularly egregious in a pre‑election, cash‑splash budget promising everything under the sun, promises which many in my community are concerned are hollow.

The budget once again fails to deliver the sort of bread‑and‑butter infrastructure that improves communities over the longer term. After nearly 12 years in office, it is probably too late to hope that this Government will take seriously the job of listening to the clear voices of my community.

After more than a decade of inaction and wilful ignorance on the issue of Hillsborough Road, it is hard not to think about all the opportunities that have already been lost. It is high time that there were shovels in the ground on Hillsborough Road, but this Government has proved that it is simply not capable of delivering.

Private Members Statement to NSW Parliament, 11 August 2022