On behalf of the business community of the wider Illawarra Shoalhaven region, Business Illawarra congratulates NSW Labor leader Chris Minns and his colleagues – particularly our regional MPs Ryan Park, Paul Scully and Anna Watson – on their election victory last night.
Business Illawarra has been proud to work closely with government, opposition and independent MPs to deliver great outcomes for our region. The campaign to achieve a commitment to the Picton Road Motorway project is a significant example.
We are looking forward to seeing further benefits of this work come to fruition with the election of a Minns Government – none moreso than the delivery on NSW Labor’s election commitment to undertake a $10 million rail network resilience plan for our region.
The Illawarra has been waiting a very long time for action on our antiquated, unreliable rail network and NSW Labor’s commitment during the election campaign followed many years of advocacy and research undertaken by Business Illawarra on behalf of its members and the wider community.
Otherwise the high priority that NSW Labor put on increasing affordable housing through the campaign has resonated with business owners and operators across the Illawarra, and they will now be looking forward to seeing action from the new government.
Many are struggling to find staff they need to run their businesses amid a workforce shortage that is the result of our inability to produce enough affordable housing to support population and economic growth in our region. We look forward to bringing forward a range of proposed solutions to the incoming government shortly as we release a major report on affordable housing for key workers.
We wish to acknowledge the great work of the outgoing Coalition government led by Dominic Perrottet and thank them for their service to the great state of NSW and the Illawarra in particular.
The Coalition’s work during the COVID lockdowns – and Mr Perrottet’s drive to immediately open the economy once it was safe to do so – was instrumental in ensuring the survival of thousands of Illawarra businesses.
In our region, we have seen the delivery of major upgrades to the M1 Princes Motorway that have transformed travel times, and commitments to key Business Illawarra priorities like the Picton Road Motorway and planning of the Illawarra Sport and Entertainment Precinct.
Finally, we wish to welcome incoming MPs and dedicate ourselves to working closely with them, and pay tribute to outgoing members and thank them for their service to our state.