Get Involved - Parliament

North Shore Electorate

Published on: August 2023

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-133173

North Shore Electorate

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (18:26:14):I take this opportunity to recognise the support of my local community of North Shore this year and recommit to them my endeavours to ensure that I represent them in this place. I feel incredibly privileged to represent the people of North Shore in this place. I always work to ensure that their voices are heard on the issues that matter to us. While earlier this year we had a change of government, what has not changed is our community's expectation to represent them to the very best of our abilities. I am truly blessed to live in such a wonderful community. It supports me as their local MP—a working mum MP even—and I am honoured that they have put their trust in me to continue serving North Shore here in the oldest parliament in Australia. Over the past six years, I have worked and listened to the local community and I deeply appreciate the community responding to that with their support.

I take this opportunity to thank the many incredible volunteers who spent countless hours ensuring that we kept North Shore blue—whether it was handing out flyers at transport stops and weekend markets, manning booths at prepoll or on election day. I cannot express my thanks to the many hundreds of people who came in to support me in our community. I thank those who were on my campaign committee and who were with me every step of the way on the campaign: Ted Wziontek, Georgia Lovell, Greg and Mary Blainey, Jess Kean, Jo Howe, Lachlan Clark, Trent Zimmerman, Chris Puplick and Chris McDermott. Thank you for your hard work and support over many months—it is truly appreciated. Over the past six years my community can be proud of the record investment that we have delivered together.

Three of our local schools received funding for major upgrades—Mosman High School, North Sydney Demonstration School and Neutral Bay Public School. Excitingly, students will bein the new building at Mosman High School from the beginning of term 3. I got to go in there and check it out. It is truly astounding. That is exactly the type of investment we should make in public education. It should be the pinnacle of our education system. The Neutral Bay Public School's demolition has kicked off with the new build there and the North Sydney Demonstration School is very close to opening its doors to its new build as well. These are all investments that the entire community can be very proud of.

We have seen major public transport investment with the game‑changing Sydney Metro, with two stations nearly completing their builds at Victoria Cross station in North Sydney and Crows Neststation. What was just a couple of years ago the single largest underground cavern in Australia, Victoria Cross has now been completely transformed into an underground railway station.

This is also transforming the ground plane in North Sydney.

We committed to and are delivering a second harbour crossing with the Western Harbour Tunnel, as well as upgrading the Warringah Freeway to ensure smoother travel into the city and the west. As part of the Western Harbour Tunnel project, we have been able to plan a complete transformation of Berrys Bay. This is an incredible waterfront precinct which has been locked away from community hands because of a failed development deal well over a decade ago. Now the dilapidated harbour foreshore will be back in the community's hands. Work will commence on the park shortly, to be opened next year.

During the election I outlined several priorities that my community have shown me that they care about, including a major upgrade of North Sydney Oval and delivering a world-class high line in Lavender Bay. I was proud to stand alongside the then Premier, Dom Perrottet, as we committed, as the then Government, to transform the disused rail corridor at Lavender Bay into a high line that would rival those of New York and Paris. Our commitment was in response to a long-running resident campaign, spearheaded by the Sydney Harbour HighLine Association and Councillor Ian Mutton. Our vision for this high line will see more than three kilometres of walking track stretching from Waverton to Luna Park with sweeping views over Sydney Harbour. I look forward to working with our local community and the Labor candidate for North Shore to secure this commitment with this Labor Government.

We also committed to making North Sydney Oval the home of women's sport in New South Wales, with a commitment to provide $11 million to transform the oval into a premier sports venue. The iconic oval is special to everyone in my local community and visitors alike. We want to make sure that we continue to grow female sports participation, and this project will ensure that women and girls have a modern and fit-for-purpose venue to watch their sporting heroes in action, as well as allowing access to local grassroots clubs. I have been seeking a commitment from the new Government to provide funding for this iconic space and working alongside all sporting codes that call North Sydney Oval home to achieve this. I note the role that North Sydney Oval is playing in the current FIFA Women's World Cup as a viewing site, bringing our community together as a live site. Once again, I thank my community of North Shore for putting their trust in me again. I love this community. It is where I am raising my children and where I have chosen to make my home and future. I will endeavour to continue delivering for our local area and ensuring that we hold this Labor Government to account so we do not get left behind.