NSW Liberals fails Wollongong end of year 'to do' list

14 December 2022

As most workplaces head into the festive season with work completed, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has failed to deliver on its 2022 ‘to do’ list for the Illawarra, Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully said today.

“We have come to expect a lot of big talk, followed by little action, from a succession of Liberal Ministers on what they intended to do.

“As Elvis once sang, “A little less conversation, a little more action, please.”

Mr Scully said that the Government heads towards to end of the year failing to make good on the delivery of the:

Declaration of an Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ)
Announcement of funding grants for the 2022 round of Port Kembla Community Investment Fund (PKCIF)
Mandating local content use for renewable infrastructure projects
Repairing Dix’s Wharf and Kanahooka jetty, and
Trialling the use of e-scooters in Wollongong.

All of these had been promised to be introduced or completed between the middle and end of this year.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government never can match any support for the ambition that the Illawarra region has for itself.

“We have a great future to contribute to Australia’s low emissions and generating renewable energy and jobs.

“We just don’t have the support of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

“We need to see the draft declaration of the Illawarra REZ so we can unlock $43 billion worth of renewable energy investment in wind, solar, pumped hydro, and hydrogen projects across the region and create jobs.

“We should be using high quality Australian produced steel – made right here in the Illawarra – on these renewable energy projects.

“We need to stop importing wind turbine towers into Port Kembla from overseas and start making these things right here, right now”, Mr Scully said.

He said the Port Kembla community needs to see its projects funded through the PKCIF and Wollongong could be contributing to active transport and productivity by trialling e-scooters.

“And because of the endless delays in the introduction of an e-scooter trial, promised to begin on 1 July, anyone who gets an e-scooter for Christmas and rides it in public risks fines starting at $120.

“Local residents and tourists should be able to use Dix’s Wharf and Kanahooka jetty for fishing and recreation at Lake Illawarra after both were supposed to be repaired by the end of June.

“I don’t know whether it is incompetence, or wilful ignorance, but either way, the Illawarra deserves better from the NSW Government,” Mr Scully said.