POLITICS
Delivering schools
for our growing
WSROC councils welcome permanent $ 60 toll cap with Michelle Rowland MP Federal Member for Greenway
Every Australian child deserves a world class education, and that means having access to a great public school close to home. Our community in North West Sydney has grown rapidly, but for too long education infrastructure has lagged behind. Families shouldn’ t have to travel across suburbs just to access a classroom.
That is now changing. Working together, the Minns and Albanese Labor Governments are delivering the new and upgraded schools and preschools our community in Greenway needs and deserves.
Construction is underway on a new public preschool for Blacktown and Lalor Park, co-located at Lynwood Park Public School. This will help bring down costs for families, expand access to early learning and give local children the best start in life.
In Box Hill, demountable classrooms are now being installed at the temporary public high school site on George Street, which will be ready to welcome Year 7 students from Day 1, Term 1 this year. This temporary school means children can study close to home while the permanent
community
campus is built at Terry Road, which is due to open Day 1, Term 1 2028.
In the Gables, a brand-new primary school and preschool for around 1,000 students is under construction and is set to open Day 1, Term 1 2027.
Work is progressing on a major new public high school for Schofields and Tallawong at Guntawong Road. On track to open in 2027, the school will boast more than 50 classrooms, specialist workshops and space for around 1,000 students.
Upgrades at Rouse Hill High are advancing too, with ground works complete and construction underway on a new two-storey teaching facility complete with modern classrooms and science labs.
These projects reflect a broader effort to rebuild public education after a decade of neglect. The Albanese Government has committed an extra $ 4.8 billion to fully fund NSW public schools, while the Minns Government has delivered the biggest teacher pay rise in a generation, cutting class merges and teacher vacancies dramatically.
Access to quality education is a basic expectation, not a luxury, and I’ ll keep working to ensure every child in Greenway can attend a great local school.
Western Sydney councils have welcomed the announcement by the NSW Government of a permanent $ 60 weekly motorway toll cap for motorists.
President of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils( WSROC), Councillor Brad Bunting said:“ WSROC and councils have been advocating for a fairer NSW tolling system for over 10 years. This included calls for a network toll cap to minimise cost-of-living pressures on our communities.
“ Western Sydney residents are more greatly impacted by motorway tolls than those in other parts of Sydney because we travel further and longer to access work and have fewer viable public transport options.
“ Close to 30 per cent – or about 328,000 – of our workers have to commute outside the region due to a lack of local jobs,” said Clr Bunting.
“ Making the $ 60 weekly toll cap permanent will be a huge cost-of-living relief to hundreds of thousands of people in our more car-reliant areas of Western Sydney.”
Since the toll cap was introduced in January 2024, $ 211.4 million has been returned to drivers, including in the Western Sydney suburbs of Blacktown, Baulkham Hills, Auburn, Bankstown,
Merrylands, Marsden Park, Castle Hill, Quakers Hill, Kellyville and Lakemba.
“ More than 680,000 claims have been made under the $ 60 cap,” said Councillor Bunting.
“ In the Blacktown LGA alone, more than $ 3.5 million has been paid out to 9,400 drivers, closely followed by Baulkham Hills, where $ 3.2 million has been paid out.
“ WSROC’ s campaign for a fairer NSW tolling system commenced in 2015 and has spanned four NSW Premiers, and three state inquiries.
“ WSROC has been successful in driving changes including rego rebates, pricing reviews, and the establishment of Motorways NSW.
“ In 2024, the NSW Government finally delivered on a $ 60 weekly toll cap to reduce costs for motorists. That the toll cap is now permanent is a great win for Western Sydney,” said Clr Bunting.
WSROC continues to call for:
• A fairer tolling system.
• Clarity and transparency of tolls.
• Different charges depending on people’ s circumstances e. g. distance.
• More road revenue invested in Western Sydney’ s public transport network
HAPPY
AUSTRALIA DAY
26 JANUARY
PO Box 8525, Blacktown NSW 2148( 02) 9671 4780 @ mrowlandmp
Michelle Rowland MP
Level 1, Suite 101C, 130 Main Street, Blacktown
Michelle. Rowland. MP @ aph. gov. au michellerowland. com. au
Authorised by Michelle Rowland MP, Australian Labor Party, Level 1, Suite 101C, 130 Main Street, Blacktown NSW
18 ISSUE 127 // JANUARY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT