Legislative Assembly
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BUNDEENA RSL FIRE DAMAGE ........................................................................................................ 426 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE .......................................................................................................... 374, 390 CENTENARY OF FIRST WORLD WAR .............................................................................................. 390 CENTRAL COAST STORM DAMAGE ................................................................................................. 434 CHILD PROTECTION ............................................................................................................................ 394 COMMUNITY SAFETY ......................................................................................................................... 396 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................ 397, 400 CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO BE ACCORDED PRIORITY .................................................. 402 CRIMES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (CHILD SEX OFFENCES) BILL 2015 .............................. 407 CYCLEWAYS ......................................................................................................................................... 374 DO TIME TO STOP YOUTH CRIME .................................................................................................... 433 FORSTER SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB AWARDS............................................................................... 434 HORNSBY HEIGHTS RURAL FIRE BRIGADE .................................................................................. 376 INAUGURAL SPEECHES ...................................................................................................... 378, 413, 422 KING EDWARD PARK, NEWCASTLE ................................................................................................ 428 LAW AND ORDER ......................................................................................................................... 392, 403 LOWER HUNTER HOSPITAL ............................................................................................................... 395 MINISTER FOR WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES ............................................................................ 397 NEWTOWN ELECTORATE .................................................................................................................. 426 NOTICES OF MOTIONS ........................................................................................................................ 374 PANANIA RAILWAY STATION .......................................................................................................... 430 PESTICIDES AMENDMENT BILL 2015 .............................................................................................. 409 PETITIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 401 PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME ......................................................................................... 429 PORT STEPHENS ELECTORATE OYSTER FARMERS ..................................................................... 430 PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ................................................................................. 374, 421, 425 QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................................... 390 REPRESENTATION OF MINISTERS ABSENT DURING QUESTIONS ........................................... 390 ROTARY CLUB OF WINSTON HILLS AWARDS .............................................................................. 432 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ................................................................................................................ 427 SOCIAL AND PUBLIC HOUSING ........................................................................................................ 399 STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES PRIVATISATION ............................................................................ 393 SURF LIFE SAVING ILLAWARRA ...................................................................................................... 431 SUTHERLAND SHIRE RELAY FOR LIFE ........................................................................................... 432 TOLL ROAD RATE INCREASES .......................................................................................................... 390 TRAIN GRAFFITI ................................................................................................................................... 397 TRIBUTE TO KEITH RAYMOND RYDE ............................................................................................. 375 TRIBUTE TO WALLSEND WORLD WAR I SERVICEMEN .............................................................. 421 TWEED HOSPITAL ................................................................................................................................ 425 VISITORS ................................................................................................................................................ 390 WARIALDA SHOW ................................................................................................................................ 375 374 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday 12 May 2015 __________ The Speaker (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 12 noon. The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Notices of Motions General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given. NOTICES OF MOTIONS The SPEAKER: For the benefit of the member for Keira, last week I made a statement in which I said that if members continue to miss out on giving a notice of motion at the beginning of each day I will consider word limits; I have that discretion. I also have a clear precedent by an Opposition member on a fairly lengthy motion, with the support of Government members. That is how I can justify allowing the giving of fairly lengthy notices of motions. If members continue to miss out on giving a notice of motion at the beginning of each day I will consider imposing a word limit. Pursuant to sessional order private members' statements proceeded with. PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS __________ CYCLEWAYS Mr BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH (Coogee) [12.11 p.m.]: Today I will speak about an activity that is close to my heart and important to the people in my electorate of Coogee: cycling and cycleways. As a teenager I spent a lot of time on my bike exploring the electorate of Coogee and its surrounds. Indeed, I remember, probably in the late 1970s, riding around and joining a group of cyclists. We were riding around and ended up in the centre of the city chanting, "What do we want? Cycleways. When do we want them? Now." Mr Mark Coure: Ah, Clover Moore's seat. Mr BRUCE NOTLEY-SMITH: That was more than 30 years ago. Finally, we are starting to see some movement; we will have a dedicated network of cycleways in our city. Cycleways are important to my constituents of Coogee. Coogee's close proximity to the central business district [CBD] means that cycling is an effective, cheap and healthy way of commuting into the CBD. Some people believe that cycling advocates are a bunch of pasty-faced vegans, socialists of the green left who are all treasonably conspiring with Clover Moore to eradicate the car. They might have that view but many people who vote for me and the Liberal Party generally ride bikes and want more cycleways. In recent years cycling has boomed, and that will continue. If restrictions are imposed on car use in the city of Sydney or the CBD it will not be because of bicycles or cyclists. The fact is that an ever-increasing number of cars are competing for exactly the same amount of road space, and that will necessitate restrictions on how we enter the CBD in private motor vehicles. Cycling is one way to address ever-increasing congestion in the CBD, as it improves public transport. Cycling is not for everyone. Cars will remain an essential means of transport for most people beyond the inner city. However, we should be providing for those who want to get on their bikes and commute into the CBD. I always scratch my head when I hear people complain about cyclists in front of them. If they stopped for a moment and visualised those five, six or 10 cyclists ahead of them as being cars instead of people on bikes, they would probably think again. 12 May 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 375 If people who ride into the CBD daily decided to hop into their private motor vehicles we would see a massive increase in congestion. We should realise that motorists—I am one of them—should have more respect for cyclists, if only because they can see that cycling is benefitting them and clearing the road lanes. We have a long way to go in this country and in this city to achieve mutual respect for all road users, whether they be pedestrians, bus drivers, motorists, cyclists, and anybody who uses footpaths, cycleways and roads in the city. We see much better examples of people cohabitating in Europe, in places such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen where cycling is simply part of the culture. They have built up that culture around strict observance of strict road rules for cyclists. They also respect that cyclists have as much right to be there as anybody else. We all need to take a deep breath and not see one another as enemies but as people who can cohabit and