Q & A from our member for Mulgoa Feb 2007

[Mary]

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:18 am

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HOW WILL THIS LABOR GOVERNMENT FIX THE WATER CRISIS? AND, WHY WAS THIS NOT DONE BEFORE IT REACHED THIS POINT?

Dear Mary

In 2005, the Iemma Government commissioned a panel of independent experts to provide advice on how best to meet Sydney’s water supply needs. This advice formed the basis of the NSW Government 2006 Metropolitan Water Plan to secure Sydney’s water supply.

The Metropolitan Water Plan considers a range of solutions to ensure that both short-term conditions, such as the ongoing drought, and longer term conditions, such as Sydney’s increasing population and climate change, are properly addressed.

These solutions include:

· implementing recycling schemes that will increase water reuse to 70 billion litres by 2015;

· installing new pumps to reach deeper into Sydney's dams to use previously inaccessible water;

· subsidising the purchase of rainwater tanks, water efficient washing machines and water saving devices for households;

· harvesting new sources of underground water as the first line of defence against drought; and

· building a desalination plant as an insurance policy, or measure of last resort, if our dam storage system falls to about 30 per cent.

In Western Sydney, the Iemma Government is supporting recycling through the Western Sydney Recycled Water Initiative. This initiative is expected to produce 27 billion litres of recycled water a year for new homes, industry, irrigation and environmental flows by 2015. This will save a significant amount of drinking water from being used where such high quality water is not needed. It is expected that the scheme will be commissioned in 2009. More information about this project can be found at www.sydneywater.com.au.

Rebates are an important component of the Metropolitan Water Plan and residents in the Mulgoa electorate should be congratulated for their water savings efforts to date.

So far more than:

· 7,646 subsidised water saving devices have been installed in homes in the electorate under the Waterfix program, saving 159 million litres of water per year;

· 536 rainwater tank rebates have been paid to Mulgoa residents, saving 21.4 million litres of water per year;

· 5 rainwater tanks have been installed in local schools, saving 730,000 litres of water per year; and

· 477 washing machine rebates have been paid to Mulgoa residents, saving 10.1 million litres of water per year.

If you want more information about water savings the www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au website is a great reference.

WHAT IS THIS GOVERNMENT DOING TO FIX OUR CRIME PROBLEM WHICH SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE?

The most recent crime figures released for our area showed that, in most major categories, crime rates were either falling or were stable.

There is still more to be done – and there is no room for any ‘softly, softly’ approach to crime.

That’s why the Iemma Government is delivering record police numbers and giving the NSW Police Force the resources, support and tough powers they need to keep the community safe.

On 30 January 2007 almost 800 new police officers graduated, ready to hit the ground running across all 80 Local Area Commands.

This is the largest Academy class to graduate into the largest Police Force in this State’s or the Nations history, delivering on a promise made by Morris Iemma.

Locally, we are spending over $10 million on upgrading St Marys Police Station


DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMITMENTS TO FIX THE NORTHERN ROAD?

$15 million has been spent on improving the Northern Road between Littlefields Road and Glenmore Parkway.

I would be happy to work with the Glenmore Park Action Group in indentifying further work that needs to be done.

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO HELP THE RESIDENTS OF GLENMORE PARK?

It has been my pleasure to work closely with local residents on securing improved services for Glenmore Park.

Over the last 12 months, I have worked with the Glenmore Park Action Group to improve traffic flows in and out of Glenmore Park. This included arranging a meeting between the Action Group and the Roads Minister, as well as taking senior RTA officials to Glenmore Park to see the problems first hand.

I am pleased that this work resulted in action, including:

· $300,000 spent extending the turning bay on Mulgoa leading on to the M4;
· Installing ‘No U-Turn’ signs southbound in Mulgoa Road between Glenmore Parkway and Gibbes Street;
· Improved road marking and sign posting; and
· Adjusting the traffic light phasing on Mulgoa Road at the M4 interchange and reviewing the traffic signal coordination between School House Road and Batt Street to maximise traffic efficiency.

I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to work closely in the future with local residents and the Action Group - and making sure Glenmore Park get’s it’s fair share.

OUR ECONOMY IS ON THE BRINK OF A RECESSION WHAT IS THIS GOVERNMENT GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Claims the economy is entering a period of sustained negative economic growth, or even a recession, are incorrect.

NSW’s economic performance has remained solid – but its growth has been slowed by the high interest rate policy of the Howard Government.

Over the last four years, as Minister for Western Sydney, I have worked hard to promote Western Sydney as an attractive place to invest.

The Iemma’s Government’s State Plan will lead to the creation of over 230,000 jobs in the region by 2031. We are committed to providing jobs close to where people live.

An example of this is the Western Sydney Employment Hub covering more than 2,450 hectares at the intersection of the M4 and M7 motorways. It is expected that the Westlink M7 will create 24,000 jobs by 2008.

The Iemma’s Government’s job creation plans contrast sharply with the Opposition – whose sole plan for jobs is to slash 20,000 workers from our public services.

The Opposition should come clean and tell local residents how many jobs they will cut from Penrith’s new State Office block.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST YOU TO RUN THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE MULGOA ELECTORATE?
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?

Election funding in NSW is an open and transparent process.

All candidates are required by law to provide the Electoral Commission with a funding return. This return outlines how much a candidate spent and where the money came from.

These returns are publicly available and can be accessed after the election through the Electoral Commission.

I can assure local residents that NO public money will be spent on my campaign.

Our campaign is funded by the normal round of fund-raising functions and activities with generous support coming from all sectors of our community, for which I am very grateful.
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Diane Beamer MP
Member for Mulgoa
Shop 1 159 Queen Street St Marys
Phone 9833-2913
Fax 9833-4063
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Mary Cook
GPAG Director
Volunteering my services on goodwill towards GPAG through Elvira's Home Office www.homeoffice.piczo.com

The pivot of perfection is charity: he who lives in charity lives in God, because God is charity, as the Apostle says.