New MP up for challenge of Riverstone
by Maryann Callaghan
He ’ s a self-confessed adrenalin junkie with a background in photojournalism , public relations , broadcasting , web and news publishing . A ‘ creative ’ with a passion for high-energy rally photography , riding dirt bikes and hot cars , this well-travelled and interesting man just happens to be our new State Member for Riverstone .
Mr Warren Kirby won the tightly contested seat of Riverstone for the Labor Party with a 9.9 per cent swing in what was a safe Liberal seat . The two-party preferred preference count was 53.7 per cent for Mr Kirby ALP versus 46.3 per cent for Mohit Kumar LIB . The seat was previously held by the Liberals with a margin of 6.2 per cent .
Owner of The Good Egg Studio - the biggest cyclorama full-egg shaped film and television studio in metro Sydney - the community-minded Mr Kirby has intrinsic connections within the district .
He grew up in Schofields , raised his family in Riverstone , and now lives in Quakers Hill .
Mr Kirby ’ s a member and associate vice-president of the North West Business Chamber and vice-president of the Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre , so he ’ s been a long-time campaigner for better infrastructure and services for a district whose population has grown exponentially out of proportion through mass housing development with no supporting infrastructure .
He was definitely a conundrum to interview because he ’ s not what you expect of a politician – for one , Mr Kirby made sense , and two he wasn ’ t jaded like career politicians . In fact , Mr Kirby admitted he never entertained the idea of being one .
“ Honestly I never had the time to think about politics ,” said Mr Kirby , who joined the Labor Party in a nod to federal MP Michelle Rowland whose office had worked to untangle an NBN connectivity mess for the constituent ’ s business .
“ I spent my entire career in the shadows behind a camera in the background rather than being the news . When asked by the Party if I ’ d consider running I said I don ’ t think I could and I don ’ t think I want to , but the seed was planted .”
What got him over the line to run for parliament was the fact clients couldn ’ t get cars and trucks out to his business . He said it took longer for them to travel from the M7 offramp at Marsden Park to the Riverstone railway level crossing than it did for clients to travel across from the Eastern Suburbs to that M7 junction .
“ I essentially became an MP through my association with the Chamber … so many times I ’ ve walked out of meetings shaking my head . Now I can make a real difference for the north west … I ’ m quite excited to bring the pendulum back to the people instead of it being with those people [ developers ] who just want to make a profit .”
He said Riverstone was in crisis . The cause a combination of policy and
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funding , with the Liberals giving none of the funding and taking none of the blame over the 12 years .
“ The area needs a bucket load of money because there is nowhere near enough infrastructure or facilities capable of sustaining population projections .”
The many meetings prepolitician Kirby attended as a business
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New Riverstone MP Warren Kirby . |
Mr Kirby said the area had been ‘ set up to lose ’ through the negligence of the previous Liberal government .
“ I can ’ t wave a wand and fix it , but I can advocate and discuss and ask ministers how to kickstart projects . A good government starts with a good local representative . Strong local representatives transcend politics and put the focus on what ’ s needed .
“ Riverstone electorate is in crisis . It ’ s the quintessential example of what can get ignored in
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representative centred around Riverstone ’ s long-standing issues – no hospital , stalling of the jobs ’ precinct , congested road network , lack of bus and public transport , T1 railway line servicing all stops with no fast city trains , overpopulated schools , few parks or sports fields .
“ If we turn paddocks into housing we must bring in the infrastructure to support it . We bring families here and yet we can ’ t accept students in our area ,” he said .
“ Riverbank after school care has 472 students – that ’ s the size of a whole school , not a care facility that should take around one hundred students . Its high school enrolment is well past twice its capacity .”
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an entire region . “ I want to turn that ship around to have a basic level of infrastructure required for the amount of the population coming in .
“ The way I look at being an MP is that I had 60,000 people vote and say they wanted me to be their voice and I take that responsibility very seriously . I have four years to make foundational changes and I ’ ll use every day of the four years to maximise it .”
Mr Kirby ’ s office is in Stanhope Village , in the same location vacated by retiring MP Kevin Conolly .
It is open Monday to Friday , 9am to 5pm . Phone 8883 3499 .
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12 ISSUE 95 // MAY 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT