Provisions in the budget include 10 new Service NSW Centres, including one for Merrylands, which Minister for Customer Service, Victor Dominello, said were being added in Sydney’s growth suburbs to ensure more people had access to a conveniently located outlet.
However Ms Voltz accused the coalition of taking the NSW State economy “towards a record $39 billion of debt, despite selling $70 billion of public assets and presiding over the biggest property boom in a generation”.
She says the Government’s failure to manage the state’s budget for the economic slowdown, is putting long promised infrastructure, such as the new high school at Sydney Olympic Park, at risk.
“While the school appears as a line item, the lack of any funding or a start and completion date for the school means local residents in some of Sydney’s newest suburbs will be waiting years for construction to even begin,” she said.
“And despite just days ago pledging ‘no new taxes’, Mr Perrottet is doing just that – slugging every household with a new $100 tax on their insurance bill.”
Ms Voltz said the Auburn electorate also had the second highest rates of both homelessness and unemployment in the state, and the budget also failed to address hospital waiting times which are at record highs, congestion in Granville South and Auburn caused by new tolls on the M4 and dangerous intersections at Wentworth Point.
“Nor was there any detail on the election promise to return express trains to Granville Station,” she said.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the budget delivers on a promise to provide greater opportunities and quality of life for all citizens across NSW, no matter where they live or their personal circumstances.
“Only through a strong budget are we able to provide cost of living relief to households, invest unprecedented amounts in infrastructure and services, and support the most vulnerable in our community,” the Premier said.
No funds for jobs, homeless in west
A LACK of funding in the State budget to help address homelessness, unemployment and hospital waiting times, has left State MP for Auburn, Lynda Voltz, less than impressed.