Bradfield Oration: Luke Foley tells PM ‘Don’t dither sailing cruise ships to Garden Island’
EXCLUSIVE: Opposition Leader Luke Foley is training his sights on the Prime Minister in his bid to get a cruise ship terminal built on Garden Island.
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OPPOSITION Leader Luke Foley is training his sights on the Prime Minister in his bid to get a cruise ship terminal built on Garden Island.
Mr Foley said yesterday that one of the first things he would do if elected Premier would be to fly to Canberra and buttonhole Malcolm Turnbull about the proposals, which would unlock billions in tourist dollars.
“The fact the government has dithered on developing a strategy for cruise ships tells you that opportunities have been wasted,” he said.
“This is something I talk to Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese about, they are very aware of the issue. We have to harness our natural advantages and the most natural advantage we have is the geography of the place — Sydney Harbour is iconic around the world.”
It is just one of a string of critical issues raised during The Daily Telegraph’s Bradfield campaign that have won the ringing endorsement of the Labor leader.
He said an important issue was to “get cracking” on building the new airport at Badgerys Creek as soon as possible, ensuring a surrounding “aerotropolis” of booming businesses grow around it.
“My concern is that the federal minister is focused on building the airport itself — and that is good — but we also need a focus on cashing in on the opportunities to establish and relocate businesses around the Badgerys area,” Mr Foley said.
He said that meant making it a fully running airport from day one rather than viewing it as a secondary airport like Avalon in Victoria.
“It should not be seen as Sydney’s second airport but Western Sydney’s first airport,” Mr Foley said. “I have called for it to be exempted from restrictive air services agreements. We want to give the new airport the opportunity to succeed and reach its potential and not hold it back. That’s why transport connections are vital.”
Positioning himself as the next premier of NSW, Mr Foley said his Cabinet would maintain the current Berejiklian government’s $73 billion spend on infrastructure. But priorities would change.
“Our top transport priority is the Western Metro — a new rail line between Parramatta and the city, because the existing Western Line is at full capacity,” he said.
Mr Foley said the “looming crisis” in Western Sydney’s transport far outweighed the current government’s plan for a “northern beaches mega-tunnel” that would serve just 300,000 people. His “relentless” focus on Western Sydney also led him to endorse the revamp of ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park ahead of Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.
“What we say is that the stadium in the geographic heart of Sydney has to come first,” Mr Foley said.
“If we don’t do that we could lose grand finals to Suncorp in Brisbane. “I have lived here all my life and I love this city. I want it to reach its potential.”