MITCHELL ELECTORATE

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:57): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I wish you well in your retirement, sir. I think the end of the year is a good time for reflection, and for me I guess it is natural now to look back on my first term as a member of parliament and reflect on a few achievements and learnings along the way. When I was growing up, if someone had told me that I would one day be standing in this place as an elected member of parliament, I would never have believed them.

Growing up in Mitchell Park, with the Tonsley train line and Mitsubishi forming the backdrop of my childhood, my greatest aspirations were to follow in my dad's footsteps and work in vehicle manufacturing. It was an aspiration I was very proud to achieve, but I never dreamed it would lead me here. For a Mitchell Park lad and a Mitsubishi worker like me to make it here to the House of Assembly is a testimony that Australia is still a place where opportunities are available for all, no matter how humble their origins might be. Having a parliament that is as diverse as the communities we represent is something to be very proud of.

As a father of a young family I know the importance of schools in our communities, because I know how central they are to my family and our day-to-day lives. They are so much more than a place where our kids learn reading, writing and arithmetic; so it is a privilege to support the activities undertaken by the 11 public, private and independent schools in the Mitchell area. I have always believed that by working cooperatively you get much more done. Bringing people together to negotiate and work through solutions is a skill I owe to my Mitsubishi days. It served me well in the following case.

I was contacted by local residents who were outraged by the disruptions that would be created by the school's plan to open up a gate through to a narrow cul-de-sac at the rear of its campus for parents to use to as a pickup and drop-off point for students. Through a big team effort, some careful asset planning and the maintenance of fairly cool heads, Sunrise Christian School, Marion local residents, the department for transport, and the City of Marion all worked together to create a brilliant solution to resolve the problem without changing the amenity of the surrounding streets. I am extremely proud when I drive past today that what I thought might be a practical solution has become a reality.

As all of you in this place know, when elected to parliament, I was determined to get the traffic nightmare that is the Oaklands crossing firmly back on our infrastructure agenda. After languishing in a pool of empty promises for the past 40 years, it was time to develop a plan to fix the crossing once and for all. In September 2012, the Department of Transport released a comprehensive planning study which proposed grade separation by use of a rail overpass at Oaklands crossing to ease traffic congestion long term.

I welcome the plan study which gives us a well thought out, thorough and structured solution to the ongoing problem, and I will continue banging on and on about the Oaklands crossing until we can secure the funding for this important project. The people of Mitchell know how passionate I am about this issue. I will never give up. There are many more things on my to-do list still to be achieved. As a local who grew up in the area, who has lived in the area all of my life and whose children are now growing up in the area, I want the very best for our community. I will continue to work my hardest and do my very best to deliver a real, practical result for the people of Mitchell.

While I have time, my heart goes out to all those Holden workers and I sincerely hope that, in the very near future, their heartache and their painful wait will be over and the federal government will commit and provide funding to the automotive industry and secure their jobs and the jobs of those who rely on the automotive industry. Whilst I still have time I also want to pay tribute to my wonderful staff, Cathy Perry and Lisa McIntosh, for their wonderful work in the last three and a bit years. They are a wonderful team and I cannot thank them enough.

To the retiring members, it is sad to see you go. You have been mentors. You have been wonderful friends and I wish you well in your retirement. I hope that one day we can all get together again and have another drink. To the president of the Old Scholars Club, Mr Ivan Venning, I wish you well, sir. We look forward to a meeting of the Old Scholars—sorry, the Old Scullers Club—in this place as part of the Parliamentary Wine Club. That is it from me; thank you.