Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney
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PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 1 – PREMIER AND FINANCE Wednesday, 10 March 2021 Examination of proposed expenditure for the portfolio area JOBS, INVESTMENT, TOURISM AND WESTERN SYDNEY UNCORRECTED The Committee met at 09:30 MEMBERS The Hon. Tara Moriarty (Chair) The Hon. Robert Borsak (Deputy Chair) Ms Abigail Boyd The Hon. Wes Fang Mr Justin Field The Hon. Ben Franklin The Hon. Rose Jackson The Hon. Trevor Khan The Hon. Mark Latham The Hon. Daniel Mookhey The Hon. Peter Primrose Mr David Shoebridge PRESENT The Hon. Stuart Ayres, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney CORRECTIONS TO TRANSCRIPT OF COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS Corrections should be marked on a photocopy of the proof and forwarded to: Budget Estimates secretariat Room 812 Parliament House Macquarie Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Wednesday, 10 March 2021 Legislative Council Page 1 UNCORRECTED The CHAIR: Welcome to the public hearing for the inquiry into budget estimates 2020-2021 initial hearings. Before I commence, I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. I would also like to pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging of the Eora nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginals present. I welcome Minister Ayres and accompanying officials to this hearing. Today the Committee will examine the proposed expenditure for the portfolios of Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney. Today's hearing is open to the public and is being broadcast live via the Parliament's website. In accordance with the broadcasting guidelines, while members of the media may film or record Committee members and witnesses, people in the public gallery should not be the primary focus of any filming or photography. I would also remind media representatives that you must take responsibility for what you publish about the Committee's proceedings. The guidelines for the broadcast of proceedings are available from the secretariat. All witnesses in budget estimates have a right to procedural fairness according to the procedural fairness resolution adopted by the House in 2018. There may be some questions that a witness could only answer if they had more time or with certain documents to hand. In those circumstances, witnesses are advised that they can take a question on notice and provide an answer within 21 days. Minister Ayres, I remind you and the officers accompanying you that you are free to pass notes and refer directly to your advisers seated at the table behind you. Any messages from advisers or members' staff seated in the public gallery should be delivered through the Committee secretariat. We expect that transcripts of this hearing will be available on the web from tomorrow morning. Finally, could everyone please turn their mobile phones to silent for the duration of the hearing. Witnesses need to be sworn in before giving evidence. Minister Ayres, I remind you that you do not need to be sworn as you have already sworn an oath to your office as a member of Parliament. I remind Ms Curtain and Mr Draper that you do not need to be sworn as you have been sworn in at an earlier budget estimates hearing before this Committee. PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 1 – PREMIER AND FINANCE Wednesday, 10 March 2021 Legislative Council Page 2 UNCORRECTED STEVE COX, Chief Executive Officer, Destination NSW, affirmed and examined SARAH HILL, Chief Executive Officer, Western Parkland City Authority, sworn and examined KIM CURTAIN, Deputy Secretary, Jobs, Investment and Tourism, NSW Treasury, on former affirmation SIMON DRAPER, Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure NSW, on former affirmation The CHAIR: Today's hearing will be conducted from 9.30 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. with the Minister and from 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. with the departmental witnesses, with questions from Opposition and crossbench members only. If required, an additional 15 minutes is allocated at the end of each session for Government questions. As there is no provision for any witnesses to make an opening statement before the Committee commences questioning, we will begin with questions from the Opposition. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Thank you, Chair. Greetings to you, Minister, and greetings to your officials as well. Thank you for joining us this morning. Mr STUART AYRES: It is good to be here. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: I am sure it is. Minister, did you tell the transport department to acquire 26 hectares of land to build a train station at Orchard Hills? Mr STUART AYRES: Sorry, say that to me again. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Did you tell the transport department to acquire 26 hectares of land at Orchard Hills for the purposes of a train station and other developments? Mr STUART AYRES: No. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: When did you first learn that the transport department was embarking on that course of action? Mr STUART AYRES: When it published the documentation that was made public as part of the consultation process around the delivery of that project. I think it was in an environmental impact statement. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Why were you not consulted about that prior to the transport department publishing it? Mr STUART AYRES: Sydney Metro is delivering that project. I think it is important that everyone gets access to the same information, so I do not actually have a problem with that. I have no issue with them being able to go through their process of public consultation. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Is any of that land being used for the Western Sydney Parklands? Mr STUART AYRES: For the Western Sydney Parklands? The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Yes. Mr STUART AYRES: Any land acquired by Sydney Metro would be for the purposes of delivering a transport project. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Are you in discussions with Sydney Metro about transferring any of that land to the Western Sydney Parklands after the conclusion of the construction of that station? Mr STUART AYRES: To the authority? The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Yes, sorry. Mr STUART AYRES: No. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: So, as the western Sydney Minister, you are telling us that the first you learnt about this was when you read it in a newspaper. Is that effectively what you said? Mr STUART AYRES: No, I said when the publications for the community consultation documents were published online and released publicly. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Sorry, so the first time you heard about it was when it was published online, not in a newspaper? Mr STUART AYRES: That is correct. PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE NO. 1 – PREMIER AND FINANCE Wednesday, 10 March 2021 Legislative Council Page 3 UNCORRECTED The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: It never occurred to you perhaps to pick up the phone to the Minister and go, "Hey, why are we acquiring 26 hectares of land?" Mr STUART AYRES: No. I think it is fair to say that the Sydney Metro is delivering a transport project that links the St Marys area or the T1 western line with the aerotropolis core. It is a critical State infrastructure project. It is critical for the long-term prosperity of western Sydney. We had announced publicly where train stations were going to go. When we made that public, off the back of that the appropriate community consultation documentation was released. You do this so that you remove the risk around property speculation. That documentation going out publicly and transparently I think is a good process. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Did it ever occur to you to ask why the Sydney Metro authority was acquiring 26 hectares in Orchard Hills but only acquiring 1.5 hectares in Westmead? Mr STUART AYRES: It may have occurred to me had I seen the documentation before it was made public, but I do not see any reason why I would have been shown that documentation. This is Sydney Metro delivering a project. The Hon. ROSE JACKSON: Does it occur to you as odd now that you know that fact—that 26 hectares of land is being acquired at Orchard Hills and a considerably smaller amount is being acquired at Westmead? Now you are aware of that, are you bothered by that? Mr STUART AYRES: Sydney Metro has indicated why they are purchasing that land. They say it is for the construction of the project. It includes construction compounds. It includes a lot of things that are required for the delivery of that project. It is not far from tunnel portals. But Sydney Metro has to be able to justify the use of that land. The just terms compensation Act, which I am sure many people around this table are familiar with, says that land can be acquired for public purpose, and as long as Sydney Metro is using that Act appropriately, they have to justify why they are using more land than what has been used in other locations. But I think that is something that Sydney Metro has to be able to justify. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: Minister, you are aware that this is creating tremendous anxiety and uproar in the community of Orchard Hills? Mr STUART AYRES: I am absolutely aware of that. I have spoken to many of the local residents. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: And you are aware that is because these people, who have worked very hard to buy their land, are about to lose it in a compulsory acquisition? Are you aware that that is their concern? Mr STUART AYRES: Yes, I think everyone is very aware that their land is being compulsory acquired, yes. The Hon. DANIEL MOOKHEY: And you are aware that none of them feel like they have been treated fairly by Sydney Metro? Mr STUART AYRES: Are you saying that they would like more money? The Hon.