I contribute to debate on the David Berry Hospital Amendment (Prohibition of Sale) Bill 2024. I oppose the bill, and I am sure that comes as no surprise. The only member who is talking about the potential sale of the site is the member for Kiama, who introduced the bill. At no point has any member floated the idea that the site would be sold. It is clear who the party of privatisation is. The party of privatisation is made up of members on the other side of the Chamber. In fact, the member for Kiama has a very distinguished track record when it comes to privatisation.
Mr Paul Scully: Hospitals in particular.
Mr NATHAN HAGARTY: Hospitals in particular. Let us go over that. The member for Kiama backed the plan to privatise Shellharbour Hospital and four other State hospitals. He supported the privatisation of Port Kembla, even though he did not say a word about it to members of his electorate prior to the election campaign. Again, the member for Kiama said one thing before the election and another thing after the election just to whip up fear in the community. He supported the privatisation of Port Botany and its 100 per cent lease for 99 years, as well as the privatisation of the Eraring, Mount Piper and Wallerawang power stations.
He supported the privatisations of the Port of Newcastle, Green State Power, Bayswater, Liddell, Hunter Water, Colongra Power Station, Vales Point Power Station, Transgrid, the Kooragang Island Advanced Water Treatment Plant, Home Care NSW, Brown Mountain Hydro Power Station, Cochrane Dam, Ausgrid, the Construction Services Group, NSW Public Works, Pillar Superannuation Administration, Land and Property Information, Endeavour Energy, the Sydney Motorway Corporation, Property Exchange Australia and, let us not forget the biggest one of all, WestConnex—the one that they told us before the election they would not privatise.
Mr Paul Scully: And the State Office Block in Wollongong as well.
Mr NATHAN HAGARTY: And the State Office Block in Wollongong. The member for Kiama has an extensive record of supporting privatisation. By contrast, one of Labor's first actions upon coming to government was to enshrine Sydney Water into the Constitution so that it cannot be sold.
Mr Paul Scully: How did members opposite vote?
Mr NATHAN HAGARTY: They voted against it. We have a clear record of who is for and against privatisation. What are the chances of the Government privatising the hospital? Zero, nought, duck egg—or, for those in Kiama watching at home, doughnut. We know they are very well known for doughnuts down there.
Mr Gareth Ward: In Berry.
Mr NATHAN HAGARTY: In Berry, yes. They are lovely doughnuts. I always pop in. I have been going down there for 40 years. It is a great part of the world, despite the local member. I encourage people to enjoy all the areas of our South Coast, including Bega. It is a great part of the world. But back to the topic of the David Berry Hospital, which was gifted by the Berry family to the Berry community, and it will stay that way. But community consultation is important to ensure that, however that the site is repurposed, it reflects the needs and priorities of the community. As we know demographics change, and people come and go. Therefore, the needs of the community change. The Government has made a commitment to ensure that the community and other key groups will continue to be involved in what the future of that site will look like.
We all know the member for Kiama is committed to privatisation. In fact on 7 August 2024 the Minister for Health, and Minister for Regional Health announced in Parliament that he would introduce legislation to the Parliament to ensure that we engage with the Shoalhaven community first about what the community feels is needed. David Berry Hospital will continue to deliver safe and high-quality patient care to the community until services are relocated to the almost $500 million redeveloped Shoalhaven hospital. In fact, services are being upgraded and expanded in the region. There will be a brand-new hospital and more community services on that site.
We appreciate that local residents and other groups have a vested interest in seeing the site used in a way that benefits the community, because it is a community facility and it should stay in public hands and also because of the historical significance of the site. A "Have your say" survey was open for six weeks and invited the public to answer questions, provide feedback and share their stories, through various formats, on how they would like this important heritage landmark to be used in a way that benefits the community. The Government is undertaking an in-depth analysis of that feedback.
The feedback will inform the second phase of consultation, which will drill down with in-person interviews, focus groups and other sessions scheduled to start in the new year, around March 2025. I am sure the local community is looking forward to that. This is where the member for Kiama could be a constructive member of this Parliament. He could be out there, promoting that, telling the community, "It is in safe hands. We will do some consultation. I encourage you to come down. Here is where it will be." Instead we get fearmongering and an attempt to whip up a conspiracy theory about this place having a "For sale" sign. But the people of New South Wales know there are no "For sale" signs on public assets, because that is how they voted in March 2023. They decided they had had enough of privatisation and that it needed to be ended. They wanted to take off the "For sale" sign and chuck it in the bin. They knew that the Minns Labor Government would put an end to privatisation. There is no clearer example of that than at David Berry Hospital. I will leave it at that. This bill is really a waste of the Parliament's time. We have more important things to talk about, things based in fact and grounded in reality. I will be opposing this bill.
