The region’s four re-elected Labor MPs will continue to work as a bloc for the betterment of the Central Coast as they have done for the past eight years in Opposition.
MPs Liesl Tesch (Gosford), David Harris (Wyong), David Mehan (The Entrance) and Yasmin Catley (Swansea) were all resoundingly re-elected on March 25 as NSW Labor swept to government.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch is determined to put teachers and nurses at the top of the agenda for the first term of the new Minns Labor State Government.
“I’m ecstatic to be re-elected but the extent to which we won statewide has come as a surprise,” Tesch said on March 26.
She said the new government’s first priority would be the state’s nurses and teachers, echoing new Premier Chris Minns’ declaration in his acceptance speech that it was “time to look after those who looked after us” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know nurses and teachers who have said they would quit if Labor didn’t win the election; it’s heartbreaking,” Tesch said.
“As a teacher I know education is the greatest gift we can give to our children and to our society and too many top teachers have been leaving the profession.
“We have to attract new teachers.”
The first step in that process would be working to lift the freeze on the wage cap for both teachers and nurses, she said.
Tesch said fixing the ailing health system would be a “long haul”.
“There will be financial support for anyone studying in the health sector and a huge recruitment push as we phase in 1,200 new nurses in the coming term,” she said.
The new government will introduce one-to-three nurse-to-patient ratios in all public hospital emergency departments, but extending the ratio to wards would take time, Tesch said.
“We have to phase the ratios in gradually because right now there just aren’t enough staff and morale is low,” she said.
Tesch said her other priorities would include getting Gosford waterfront up and running, which would again take time.
She will also concentrate on delivering pre-election pledges of a rejuvenation for Pelican Park at Woy Woy and a specialised housing project for those suffering from mental health difficulties in the region.
“I will work with community groups towards a linear park in Dardanelles Ave at Umina Beach and against over-development on the Peninsula,” she said.
She said smaller moves would include reinstating a koala commitment for the Pearl Beach Arboretum, which was promised by the former Federal Government but never delivered, recruiting 100 more National Parks and Wildlife rangers across the state, including more First Nations rangers, funding commitments to Landcare across the region and increasing the Coast’s national parks by small pockets.
Member for Wyong David Harris said the huge shift to Labor showed people were ready for a change after 12 years of Liberal leadership.
“Our policies are resonating in the community – putting people first, particularly frontline workers,” he said.
“My analysis of where the (former) government went wrong is that instead of sitting down and listening to people’s concerns and trying to address them it put its total focus on infrastructure.
“Infrastructure is important but having nice big hospitals isn’t enough- you have to staff them.
“I’ve had (reports of) people going to hospital being treated fantastically but that nexus from the carpark through emergency (has been a problem).
“We have been losing great practitioners to other states because we’re no longer competitive.”
Harris said he thought the chaos surrounding Central Coast Council also played a part in the vote.
“People were never consulted on the amalgamation (of the former Gosford and Wyong councils),” he said.
“Services have been cut, rates have gone up and many Council staff were made redundant.
“We’ve always said merging the councils was the wrong thing to do.”
Harris said the Council’s financial disaster occurred largely because the amalgamation wasn’t properly supported by the Government.
“People want their say (going forward),” he said.
“When the new Council is elected in 2024, those councillors will have a decision to make about going to the people to see what they want to do regarding a de-merger.”
Harris said the new Labor Government would follow through on the previous government’s commitments on hospital and major road upgrades.
“We will push forward with those because they are important, but we’ll make some changes,” he said.
“For example, I’d like to see bus priority lanes.”
Harris said a Minister for the Central Coast would be appointed by new Premier Chris Minns and he was hopeful of being appointed, given his work as Shadow Minister for the region while Labor was in Opposition.
He said voters should see promised funding starting to flow through when the new Government’s first budget was released, probably in July or August.
“The people of the Central Coast have kept their confidence in Labor MPs – we have to repay that confidence,” he said.
“There will be no honeymoon period; it will be down to business as we start working on delivering for the people of the Coast.”
Member for The Entrance David Mehan said his first priority would be “getting on top of” improvements to Long Jetty Health Care Centre.
“We want to see the enhanced services the community wants,” he said.
“There has been a commitment of $1.6M for a return of services and I want to follow through on that.”
Mehan said Labor MPs on the Coast were “a great team”.
“We work closely together as a group and have presented a united voice – the main thing is to continue that,” he said.
Mehan said there was a strong community desire for a de-merge of Central Coast Council.
“The service levels are no better and we’re paying more money,” he said.
Mehan said he would also focus on delivery of a $40M pledge for design work on the missing link of the Gosford bypass project and increased road and footpath funding for Council.
“I also want to keep on top of Tuggerah Lakes and The Entrance channel so we are better prepared for floods,” he said.
Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley, whose electorate covers many suburbs in the north of the Central Coast, said her continued focus would be on delivering for the people.
“People matter and I think they have felt left behind,” she said.
“We need to make sure (there is) confidence again in the health system and the education system.
“Transferring 10,000 casual teaching staff to permanent positions will be a start.”
Catley said transport was also critical for the region.
“We will definitely be looking at the rail line between the Hunter and Sydney to get some faster routes,” she said.
Catley said the new Government’s cap on road tolls would also be a huge benefit to the region’s residents, with many having no choice but to drive to Sydney.
“We plan on working with all levels of government – we already work closely with our Federal MPs and when we have our new Central Coast councillors we will work with them,” she said.
Catley said while she was “a bit sceptical” when the Six Cities plan was introduced, she was now confident commissioners would work for better objectives for our region.
Terry Collins