15019 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday 12 May 2009 __________ The Speaker (The Hon. George Richard Torbay) took the chair at 1.00 p.m. The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Notices of Motions General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given. PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Question—That private members' statements be noted—proposed. PENRITH RELAY FOR LIFE Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO (Penrith—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.09 p.m.]: As many members of this House and the other place know, the Cancer Council of New South Wales promotes Relay for Life to raise awareness in and educate the community about cancer and to advocate research into cancer. Penrith Relay for Life is an annual event, now in its eighth year. It is growing bigger and better every year. This year the event was held on the weekend of 2 and 3 May 2009. As patron of Penrith Relay for Life, I was proud to see the number of teams that had registered on the website prior to the day. But, as the communities of Penrith and the lower Blue Mountains know, people sign up on the day to participate in this team relay event, which takes place over 24 hours. The new chair of Penrith Relay for Life, Mr Greg Sayers, is a human resources manager from Springwood who lost his partner to breast cancer: Greg is now a single father. His partner had been a good friend of the committee. Julia Parashko, who had been the chair of Penrith Relay for Life for the previous three years, encouraged Greg to become more active and involved with the Relay for Life. So he became chair. The Penrith Relay for Life over its seven years, not including this year, has raised more than $1 million for the Cancer Council of New South Wales. Dr Andrew Penman, who as Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Council of New South Wales, attended the first Penrith Relay for Life all those years ago, was invited back this year to open the event. Dr Ceril Varol, a urologist at Nepean Hospital who works with prostate cancer patients, was the guest speaker. As participants in Relay for Life would know, the first lap is a cancer survivors and their carers walk. It was a great day in Penrith: the sun was shining, and people were out celebrating the survivors and their carers. I also pay tribute to the teams from local high schools. McCarthy Catholic College had 10 teams. A team from Blaxland High School and Cranebrook High School participated for the first time. Not to be outdone, there were teams from York Primary School, the local girl guides and junior girl guides, church groups, local gymnasiums and Penrith City Council. Every year Cheryl McLaughlin, whose team is called Just Us, obtains a temporary liquor licence and sets up a saloon. Over the years she has raised a large amount of money. This morning the website showed a deposit of $3,520 from her saloon. Well done! This year, next to the saloon, was the Wonder Women tent, where high tea was served for a donation of $5. Prostate support groups and breast cancer awareness groups also set up tents. As Penrith Relay for Life is held close to Mothers Day, Bosom Buddies sets up a Mothers Day stall to raise money. Julia Parashko is the captain of the team Family Affair. Julia, who is an ongoing supporter of the Cancer Council of New South Wales, leads a community committee outside the Relay for Life event. Penrith now has a Cancer Council community hub, and Julia undertakes fundraising throughout the year. To date, her website shows a donation of $7,234. Well done! Julia has been a resident of Penrith for the past 20 years. At a recent Penrith Community Cabinet meeting she was awarded a community award for her dedication to 15020 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 12 May 2009 fundraising. Penrith Relay for Life also included a Ceremony of Hope and raffles were held throughout the event. I say a big thank you to the combined Rotary clubs that provided food and drinks for participants and congratulate all those involved in the Penrith Relay for Life. Ms ANGELA D'AMORE (Drummoyne—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.14 p.m.]: I thank the member for Penrith for raising in the Chamber the wonderful event Relay for Life. This 24-hour event has spread throughout New South Wales in our local communities. I commend the Cancer Council of New South Wales, which raises the awareness of cancer by promoting this valuable event in our community. The member for Penrith is a patron of Penrith Relay for Life, which shows the high regard in which she is held in her community. As the member said, 109 teams registered and participated in the event to raise vital funds for the Cancer Council of New South Wales and to educate the community on cancer issues. I commend the committee chair of the Penrith Relay for Life, Greg Sayers, who lost his wife to breast cancer and is now a single father. He has become involved in this event and shares his experiences with others in the community. The event allows us all to bond and share experiences with cancer survivors, carers, supporters and family members. It also allows us to acknowledge the work of oncology staff throughout New South Wales, who provide expertise and care to our loved ones who face cancer. It is pleasing to see the involvement of local schools, such as Blaxland High School and York Primary School, the junior girl guides and Rotary, who are always supportive of local events. I am sure that many members in this Chamber support Relay for Life through their local community. Once again, I thank the member for Penrith for raising this event in the House. NORTH-WESTERN SYDNEY BUS SERVICES Mr RAY WILLIAMS (Hawkesbury) [1.16 p.m.]: The changes to the bus timetable for region 4 have been nothing short of a disgrace. Region 4 covers the Hawkesbury electorate and other areas of north-western Sydney. These changes and the problems they have created are a direct result of the decision by the New South Wales Government some years ago to take control of the private bus industry and implement its own timetable. For decades the private bus industry has been exemplary in its delivery of bus services across New South Wales, in rural and regional areas and many metropolitan areas. The decision by the New South Wales Government to make changes to this industry in an attempt to claw back money from the subsidies paid to this industry for free travel of students to school has failed miserably. Five years ago I predicted publicly that this would be the end of a once great private industry that had become an icon in providing services to local communities. Armageddon, in terms of the private bus industry and the service it once provided, came yesterday morning when hundreds of residents in suburbs such as Dural, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Rouse Hill, Kellyville, Beaumont Hills and Glenhaven were faced with the slashing of up to 20 bus services from Dural to the city. They also were faced with cramming onto the remaining services. Just this morning drivers on The Hillsbus buses had to leave passengers on the side of the road because the buses could not cope with the demand. Drivers have been abused and parents have lost their children at large centres such as Castle Hill because these children, who used to have a direct service to school, now have to catch up to three buses to get to school and back each day. The 620 service to the city from the corner of Old Northern Road and New Line Road no longer operates from that point. It has been moved almost two kilometres down the road to James Henty Drive. Residents now have to drive their cars or walk to this area because the Government simply cannot install a new bus stop directly outside the Hillsbus depot. Further, the 620 service has been slashed from 42 services a day to 29 services a day—a loss of 13 buses in and out of the city. The 642 bus route from Round Corner to the city has been slashed from 31 runs a day to 27 runs in and out of the city—a loss of another four bus routes to the city. Further, this bus route no longer operates after 9.30 a.m., meaning residents of Mountain View retirement village and aged residents who live near Round Corner have no way to get to the city throughout the day to access specialist health care. Local resident Beryl Russel, from Mountain View retirement village, contacted me this morning on this issue. She advised me that she is gathering hundreds of signatures from Mountain View residents. I will gladly table that document in Parliament when it becomes available. I have been inundated with emails and phone calls from hundreds of passengers and parents who cannot believe that north-west Sydney, which is so deprived of public transport, could be treated with such contempt by the Government. This Government is directly responsible for making these changes to the area. One of the most disturbing stories I have heard is from Pauline Frewen. Pauline, a mum in David Road, Castle Hill, has a husband in a wheelchair and a mentally challenged daughter who works in Thornleigh. I rang Pauline 12 May 2009 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 15021 last night after being contacted by the Federal member for the local area, Alex Hawke, who advised me that Pauline had great concerns about the future of her family and their transport needs.