There is a village in my electorate called Medlow Bath. It is, for the most part, a sleepy little hamlet with a close-knit community who care deeply about the place they call home. In December 2022 the former New South Wales Government decided, in its infinite wisdom, to sign contracts as part of the Great Western Highway upgrade program to expedite unnecessary works through Medlow Bath. There are several reasons why that move needs to be highlighted but, most significantly, it points to the ill‑conceived, politically motivated agenda of the former Government, which displayed a complete lack of understanding and care for the specific needs of the residents of Medlow Bath.

There is some background to this story that is important to know. The former New South Wales Government dangled a carrot in front of the communities of Blackheath and Mount Victoria, promising a tunnel that it said, if built, would solve all their traffic congestion issues. There are three main problems with that promise. Firstly, there was no business case to support that grand plan. Secondly, there continue to be justifiable concerns relating to the environmental impacts of such a major infrastructure project on our World Heritage national park. Thirdly, the funding needed to bring that multibillion-dollar vision to fruition did not exist. It is pertinent to make reference to these aspects of the former Government's tactics because it brought us to where we are today. There are two townships feeling angered, frustrated and dismayed because what was sold to them as a silver bullet is not able, in the foreseeable future, to be realised. They now bear the bruises that are the direct result of an irresponsible pledge and an unfunded assurance that a solution was at hand, when it was not.

Let me now swing back to Medlow Bath and the situation that exists for residents there today. I mentioned the signing of contracts a few months out from a State election by a government that had no idea if it was going to be re-elected for another term. In fact, I would go so far as to say that some members of the former Government felt pretty confident that their winning streak was up. The works in Medlow, and indeed through the Hartley Valley—make no mistake—were designed as preparatory works for the elusive Great Western Highway tunnel. I am not certain if the signing of those contracts was a strategy to win a few more votes, a last-ditch attempt to convince those with a vested interest that, come hell or high water, that tunnel was going to be built, or if it was a move based solely on spite, knowing that any incoming government would essentially be wedged into continuing works that many locals believe are not needed and, even more so, should not be taking priority—not when the former Government left an eye-watering budget black hole to repair, and not when there are communities across the State that need the money more.

Interestingly, the member for Bathurst piped up in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald towards the end of last year, saying that a road to nowhere is being built. Why then did he push for the signing of contracts to commence roadworks designed to support an unfunded tunnel? The piecemeal approach by the former Government has been a problem with the Katoomba to Lithgow upgrades from the start, and I am tired of the blame being piled onto the current State and Federal governments when, in fact, it rests squarely on the shoulders of those that came before. The National Party's political fortunes are built on lies. Every election it promises a version of this fantasy expressway and tunnel that it never plans to deliver.

I acknowledge the Medlow Bath community for their incredible advocacy and their commitment to demanding better outcomes for their village. Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to get to know members of the Medlow Bath Residents Association: Deb and Russell Brown, Jen Tierney, Andrew Ford, Stephen Caswell, Shane Porteous and Carlene Martin. They epitomise the very meaning of community spirit, and the love they feel for their home of Medlow Bath is evidenced by their unwavering activism. I also mention Noël and Warwick Smith, Kathleen Wansey, Tara Schmidt, Matthew Stokes, Steve Purdy and Jodie Hummerston, who I recently met with to hear the airing of substantial concerns. I know the situation in Medlow is torturous for many residents. Driving through there right now is confronting. It looks barren and it is difficult to imagine how that beautiful little hamlet will recover. Some would argue that this is the by-product of progress, but for others—I guess they just do not see the need to spend all that money on things that were not broken in the first place.

There have been some positive changes amidst all the challenges faced by Medlow residents in terms of processes and communication with the department overseeing the project. I do not mean for one moment to suggest that those changes nullify the myriad concerns raised and the impacts felt by the community, but I am relieved that at least now, under the instructions of a new Minister, we have a direct line of communication to the department and, as a consequence, a far more compassionate and proactive response. Right now, Medlow residents are living with inescapable, seemingly omnipresent noise, dust and disruption. I know that what they are experiencing can be profoundly upsetting and unsettling. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the residents of Medlow Bath and for the resilience they continue to show through an incredibly tough time. I will continue to support them and the reasonable expectations they hold that their wellbeing, homes, local culture and the history and amenity of their village are the priority as the project unfolds.