What is your name, political party and electorate?
My name is Dominic Perrottet, I’m proud to have been the Liberal Member for Epping for the past four years and I’m running for re-election as the Liberal Party candidate for Epping.
Tell us about your background both personally and professionally
I live in the Epping electorate with my beautiful wife Helen and our children.
I was lucky to grow up locally – I went to school at Redfield College in Dural and Oakhill College in Castle Hill, before studying Commerce/Law at Sydney University.
I was drawn to politics because I want NSW to be the best place for families to live and thrive.
It was a great honour to be elected to parliament in 2011, and to have played a part ever since in ensuring our local communities and the whole state are stronger now, and for generations to come.
My most important job, however, is as a husband and father.
What are some things you love about your electorate?
There’s so much to love about Epping. We have areas of outstanding natural beauty, like Byles Creek just down the road from me in Beecroft, and some really significant heritage sites. Add in the excellent local businesses, cafes and shops we have all throughout the Epping electorate, that bring our area to life. The end result is a great place to live, work and raise a family.
I love meeting people and hearing their stories. The people I talk to come from many different backgrounds and have different life experiences – but together we all form part of the same community. COVID was tough for so many people – but one benefit was that it gave us renewed appreciation of our community. To have a fresh insight into how we can turn to each other in time of need is invaluable.
Epping has the great benefits of suburban life – but we are also just minutes from anywhere thanks to our great public transport links: just 25 minutes from the CBD. And especially now that we’ve got the Metro, you can hop on and be in Chatswood in 13 minutes, or Tallawong in 23 minutes.
Because of electoral boundary redistributions, the Epping electorate is changing substantially. It’ll be sad to say goodbye to my constituents in Cherrybrook and West Pennant Hills, but I’ve really enjoyed getting out and about in the new areas of the electorate: North Rocks, Oatlands, Telopea and Dundas Valley, as well as a lot more of Carlingford.
What do you believe are the 3 main issues affecting your electorate and why?
I know that pressure on household budgets is worrying for most people. With global inflation pushing up prices, my government is doing everything it can do to ease the pressure for working families.
Another key challenge is the increased growth in our area – we need to ensure that local infrastructure continues to be delivered to keep up with the pace of change.
Finally, housing affordability is an issue that gets raised with me everywhere I go. Our First Buyer Home Choice policy will make it easier for people to get the keys to their own home and get on the housing ladder.
What are the 3 key things you plan to achieve if elected?
We’re already taking action to help household budgets and I know that a little bit of help to ease the pressure can make a big difference.
One example I really want to highlight is the Back to School Voucher: $150 for each school child to cut the cost of getting your kids back in the classroom. And we’re also helping families save with:
- $500 Before and After School Care
- $100 Active Kids
- $100 Creative Kids
- $100 First Lap Vouchers
- Up to $4,220 per year in Preschool Fee Relief
I will continue to invest in key infrastructure projects. At the 2019 election I promised a new school in Epping and I’m so excited that Ngarala Public School has opened its doors on day one, term one this year. The Liberal Government I lead will deliver a major upgrade to Carlingford West and Cumberland High public schools, as well as other upgrades to schools across the electorate.
I look forward to delivering later this year a brand new Service NSW centre in North Rocks Shopping Centre which will make it easier for locals to access important NSW Government services and transactions, including vehicle registration, Working with Children Checks, Seniors Card applications, trades licences, driver licences and driver testing.
In Dundas Valley I will deliver a new ambulance station which means more frontline staff and better services in our local community. This investment is part of a record $1.76 billion over the next 4 years and will see more than 2,000 extra staff and 30 new ambulance stations across NSW.
What about your long term vision for the area?
I want to make sure that Epping continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.
That means continuing to build on the benefits that Epping has from being so closely connected to the CBD and Parramatta. And it means ensuring that people have access to the local infrastructure they need: schools and childcare, emergency services and healthcare.
It also means protecting the existing way of life we have in our quiet leafy suburbs. As local MP, I have consistently opposed high-rise residential developments, and I will fight to protect our local heritage sites. I want to ensure that the area maintains its community feel, with a network of local schools, shops, and neighbourhoods.
Other Comments
I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the past four years in Epping, including delivering the Northwest Metro, with stations at Epping and Cherrybrook; Ngarala Public School, a brand-new school in the heart of Epping; the Beecroft Station upgrade; school upgrades at Epping Public and Carlingford Public; the NorthConnex tunnel, which has taken thousands of trucks off Pennant Hills Road; and removing demountables from Epping West Public School.
Our state faces challenging economic conditions ahead, with high inflation, rising interest rates and the threat of a global recession. If we don’t make the right decisions, families and businesses face an even more difficult and uncertain economic future.
Now more than ever, NSW needs a government with a real plan for our state – and the leadership, financial discipline, and experience to deliver it.
- Website: www.domperrottet.com.au
- Phone: 9877 0266
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Address: Suite 303, Level 3, 51 Rawson Street, Epping
