As we near the end of the parliamentary year, this is an opportune time to reflect on what a fantastic year it has been for the people of Leppington. Last year was a very special year as they had a dedicated State member of Parliament for the first time in their history, and things have only gotten better from there. This year has certainly been a year of progress, and I will touch on some of the things that have happened over the past 12 months. Education has been a big one, as I have reflected on in this House on a number of occasions. After 12 years of neglect by the previous Liberal-Nationals Government and the housing growth during that time, there is not a single public high school in Austral, Leppington and Denham Court. But I am on the job, as is the Minns Labor Government, and we are working hard to deliver.
Last week we announced that on day one of term 1 in the 2027 school year Leppington High School will open. Concept designs have gone out for public display, and we will have a community consultation session next door at Leppington Public School in early December. That is not all. The Minns Labor Government is investing in education across the Leppington electorate. Next door at Leppington Public School, we have invested $90 million to upgrade a school that has grown exponentially over the past few years, where we are also planning one of five preschools across the electorate. Greenway Park, Kearns, Robert Townson and Eschol Park will get the other four preschools. We are getting what is effectively a pre-K to 12 education precinct in the town centre, where parents can drop off their kids of any age, cross the road to the train station and then be on their way to work.
People in Leppington care deeply about education, and we are certainly delivering on that. It is not just Leppington High School and Leppington Public School. We are investing $90 million at Austral as well, and we are also investing at Dalmeny and Greenway Park, as set out in today's media release. We are getting on with the job on education. Our growing community is being developed on what was once the outskirts of Sydney. There are rural roads with no curbs or gutters, so we have to upgrade them. None is more important to me than Fifteenth Avenue, which I have worked hard on previously as a councillor and now as a member of Parliament. I am pleased to see the $50 million that I secured in the 2023-24 budget as part of my election campaign is starting to take shape.
The traffic boffins have been doing analysis and assessments, and they have worked out that one of the most effective ways to ease some of the traffic congestion on Fifteenth Avenue is by putting an extra lane on Cowpasture Road. Those who are familiar with the area will know that it goes from three lanes to two lanes where the KFC is—anyone who loves their Zinger burgers will know where that is. Work will start early next year to put in an extra lane all the way to the M7. We will see some much-needed traffic congestion on Cowpasture Road, Hoxton Park Road and—an important road in this State—Fifteenth Avenue, which I know has the attention of the roads Minister and the Premier.
It is not just roads; it is not just education. Open space and parks are a big issue for many of the people living in or moving to Leppington. We have a lot of young families and a lot of new housing. Anyone who has been to some of the new housing areas will know that they are on smaller lots. The backyards are a bit smaller, and there is not much of an area for people to play and kick a ball. That is why we have decided that we cannot wait for Liverpool council any longer and are investing $4½ million in Leppington Park. It is 7.6 hectares of open space that will have cycle paths, play spaces, basketball courts, a youth hub and barbeque facilities. That is another project that will start early next year, and I am sure that we will see plenty of families in the area for many years to come.
That is just a taste. As we get to the halfway point, it will not just be announcements and concept designs. We will see shovels in the ground and ribbons being cut. I look forward to the next two years as the member for Leppington as I deliver on my commitments for my amazing community. Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
