A new Service NSW shop opened its doors in Woy Woy on August 2, replacing a shopping centre kiosk. The opening comes four years after the State Government closed the Woy Woy RMS office in the face of community protest.
Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch has welcomed the opening of the Service NSW Centre. This is a major win for the community, Ms Tesch said. Fifteen thousand locals signed a petition. There were debates in the Parliament, and it was only the community commitment that made this happen.
The RMS office should never have been removed in the first place and (its removal) was a serious betrayal to the local community. Ms Tesch said the centre would be a step up for locals looking to complete vital State Government transactions with more than 1000 additional services available to Peninsula locals who have been forced to travel to Gosford or Erina for assistance.
She said she had been calling for a full service centre on the Peninsula since her election at the 2017 by-election. It was important to keep a human face for government services when dealing with the community, she said. So much is going online these days, but we’ve got an older population here on the Peninsula. Making them rely on a fully digital service is just not fair, especially if things go wrong, she said.
There is still more work to do as the hub doesn’t accept cash at this stage. We will keep the pressure on and let the Minister know how important it is that we don’t exclude parts of our community who rely on cash payments.
The centre in Deepwater Plaza will employ 10 full-time staff members and a Cost of Living Advisor, who will provide advice on how to save money and access additional government support and subsidies.
SOURCE: Media release, 31 Jul 2019 Member for Gosford, Ms Liesl Tesch