Tonight I speak about the Middleton Drive extension, a project that has become symbolic of a broader problem facing Liverpool: essential local infrastructure taking far too long to be delivered while costs continue to escalate. The Middleton Drive extension is a 100‑metre stretch of unbuilt road. But, for the people of Middleton Grange, it is one of the most important missing pieces of local infrastructure in their community. Today residents of the Parkbridge Estate effectively have one way in and one way out, and that access relies entirely on a single bridge across a local water channel. Every day they and their fellow residents of Middleton Grange experience congestion entering and leaving their suburb.

But this is about far more than traffic. The surrounding area includes significant bushland, including the corridor surrounding the bridge. If that bridge were ever closed because of flooding, an accident, structural damage or a bushfire, residents would be cut off from the rest of the community. That is not a hypothetical concern. Earlier this year, I wrote to Liverpool City Council after residents contacted my office about widening cracks and the deteriorating condition of the bridge. Long-term residents told me they could not recall any significant maintenance ever being carried out, and they were understandably concerned about its condition. That is precisely why the Middleton Drive extension matters. It is not simply another road project; it is about providing a second point of access for thousands of residents, improving the resilience of the local road network, reducing congestion and ensuring that emergency services can reach the community and the community can get out when every second matters.

In 2022 the Federal member for Werriwa, Anne Stanley, secured a $6 million commitment from the Albanese Government towards delivering this important project. Together with developer contributions, the project had a budget of $9 million and residents had every reason to believe that construction would finally begin. Four years later, residents are sadly still waiting. Council has now confirmed that planning and detailed design have finally been completed. Yet the project now has a massive funding shortfall. Council estimates the remaining planning and construction costs at $17.28 million, leaving a funding gap of almost $10 million. Members should think about that for a moment and do the sums. A project involving approximately 100 metres of road is now estimated at just under $18 million. That is about $173,000 for every metre of road.

Unfortunately, Middleton Drive is not an isolated example in my electorate. The Liverpool City Council revealed a massive funding shortfall in the tens of millions of dollars for the Edmondson Avenue upgrade. The Carnes Hill Aquatic and Recreational Centre has been scaled back, with the promised 50‑metre pool de-scoped after cost blowouts almost doubled the price tag. Just last month, council reduced its capital works program by $40 million. Time and again, projects are announced, expectations are raised, years pass, costs escalate, funding falls short, timelines blow out and communities are left waiting again and again.

South-west Sydney, where my electorate is, is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Infrastructure delivery should be accelerating to meet that growth, not falling behind. That is exactly why the Federal and State governments are getting on with the job. Work is now underway on the Fifteenth Avenue upgrade, one of the largest road projects in Western Sydney. The project was brought forward in this year's budget, with construction commencing in the coming months—a year earlier than originally planned. Importantly, for the people of Middleton Grange, work has also commenced on upgrades along Cowpasture Road between Fifteenth Avenue and the M7, which is one of the main ways out of the suburb. The project will add an additional traffic lane approaching the M7 and improve traffic flow for thousands of local motorists every day.

These are exactly the types of investments growing communities need. But local infrastructure matters as much as major State and Federal infrastructure. For the people of Middleton Grange, this is not about a business case or a budget spreadsheet; it is about ensuring that families are not reliant on a single bridge to access their homes. It is about reducing congestion every day and providing a second route if the existing bridge is ever blocked by an accident, damaged, flooded or threatened by bushfire. The people of Middleton Grange are not asking for anything extraordinary. They are asking for basic infrastructure, a safer community and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that they are not dependent on a single ageing bridge to get in and out of their neighbourhood. It is time for Liverpool City Council to stop making excuses, get the basics right and finally deliver for the people of Middleton Grange.