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Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [9.15 p.m.]: I rise to speak about the Manly community's response to the budget that was handed down this week. Needless to say, there is significant disappointment. A key principle of any Government should be a sense of governing for all. Unfortunately with this budget there is a very real concern that not only has Manly been forgotten but also that neglect is pointed and has gone on for too long. There is deep emotional distress, quite rightly, at the way Manly has been ignored across all the key issues. Some funding has been provided. There is a little bit for the Manly Wharf upgrade and a little for Northern Beaches TAFE. There is a small amount for the psychogeriatric unit at Manly hospital, which looks like a re-announcement, and the funding for the Brookvale bus depot is definitely a re-announcement.
The key priorities have been overlooked. I refer to The Spit corridor. We spend a lot of time in this Chamber on this very issue and, indeed, my predecessor spoke about it. Nothing has been done. In 2002 the Government committed to addressing congestion in some way, shape or form, but still nothing has happened. In the State Plan The Spit is identified as one of the State's seven major routes. According to the Government, peak hour travel speeds have remained similar since 1995-96 despite traffic increasing by 26 per cent. My question to the Minister for Roads and this Government is: Where do they get the figures? Are they misinformed or are they ignoring the evidence?
The Minister for Transport is simply out of touch. He said that the peak hour bus from Dee Why takes 35 minutes to get to the city. I challenge the Minister for Transport, and indeed every Minister in the Iemma Government, to come to Dee Why with me and catch a bus in peak hour. I will give them a bottle of Grange for every minute under 35 minutes it takes to get to the city. It will be considerably more than 35 minutes. Public transport is starved of resources and commuters have no option but to drive to work. We need more bendy buses to service peak periods—the E70—and the reinstatement of the 141 bus that was cancelled two years ago. In relation to the ferries, we await the Government's response to the Walker inquiry, but even things like improved customer service are not included in the budget. We need SMS alerts but $250,000 has been spent on stage 2 of an intranet upgrade for Sydney Ferries. I know they need to communicate but surely customers have to come first.
Action on the Northern Beaches hospital has been slow, slow, slow. An amount of $2.8 million has been allocated for planning, but that is only 0.7 per cent of the purported $400 million the Government said it would need to build this hospital. Deadline after deadline has been missed and the Northern Beaches Health Service Plan, which was due to go to Cabinet late last year, still has not materialised.
Brookvale Oval is an interesting matter. Constituents have written to me expressing concerns and they have been ignored year after year. However, I have to make an acknowledgement. I had a call from Grant Mayer, the CEO of Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Rugby League Club, just before coming into the Chamber and I understand the Iemma Government has today committed $6 million to Brookvale Oval. The Speaker proudly wore their jersey in the days leading up to the grand final. This is a win for the community. I need to acknowledge Kerry Sibraa, who played a significant role in this, as did Julie, and Grant Mayer has been relentless, as have Max Delmege and Scott Penn. The whole team has put in a huge effort and the Government has responded to the community and this group of people. I congratulate all of them on this achievement. It is a good result.
Last year $70 million was allocated for Manly and Curl Curl lagoons. We must speed up the allocation of that money strategically to resolve huge pollution issues at both those lagoons. The Government said that Seaforth TAFE is no longer viable as an educational facility. I want to know why that facility has lain idle for nine years. It is negligent to ignore the growing demographics of young families and children in that location. In 10 years time, once that site is no longer available, people in that area will be asking where their next high school and technical college will be located. I do not believe it is too much to ask the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Education and Training to keep the Seaforth TAFE site in public hands and reserved for public education.
The last issue I wish to raise relates to Bear Cottage—one of the most tremendous facilities in this State. Bear Cottage, this State's only children's hospice, costs $1.5 million each year and does not receive one cent in government funding. I have asked the Minister for Health—and I will continue to do so—to visit this special place and to see the impact it has on the lives of these kids and their families. For too long Manly has been ignored. We have had some wins but we could do with a lot more.
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