BUPA CARE SERVICES
Page: 18952
The Hon. TONY CATANZARITI: My question without notice is addressed to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on one of the latest economic investments in New South Wales?
The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: Before I give my answer I feel I have an obligation to give a listening discretion warning similar to those displayed prior to some television programs,. I advise the Coalition that my answer contains frequent good economic news. It is good news for the New South Wales economy. Earlier I talked about the better than expected result for the 2008-09 New South Wales budget—much to the sadness of the Coalition—despite the worst economic conditions in almost a century. I want to tell members about the latest investment in our great State.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: Tell us about all the errors of fact in the Budget Speech.
The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition should listen to my answer. I know he does not like to hear what I have to say. He is anti-investment and he talks down the State economy. Today I can inform the House about an almost $140 million expansion by international healthcare organisation Bupa Care Services. Over the next three years Bupa Care Services will invest almost $140 million in six separate new nursing homes across New South Wales, creating more than 660 direct aged care jobs, as well as hundreds of construction-related jobs during the construction of those six facilities. This is another example of the green shoots of recovery emerging in the New South Wales economy.
The number one priority of the Government is supporting jobs. That is why I announced in the budget a $62.9 billion infrastructure program over the next four years, which will support about 160,000 jobs. It is great to see organisations like Bupa Care Services investing and expanding in New South Wales. Recently I met with senior management of Bupa, Paul Gregersen, Peter Forsberg and Stephen Druce, to encourage them to invest in New South Wales. As I said, as well as the healthcare jobs that will be created, many construction jobs will be created. The investment and expansion in New South Wales by organisations such as Bupa is a vote of confidence in the recovery of the New South Wales economy.
Bupa is an international healthcare organisation that began in London in 1947. It entered the Australian market in December 2007. It operates aged care facilities in the United Kingdom, Spain and New Zealand. It is the second-largest private aged care provider in Australia, with 47 facilities across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. This expansion is not surprising because Australia has one of the longest life expectancies of any country in the English-speaking world. It is all good news for the economy. Further information has come to my attention just now. As I told members earlier, according to the Housing Industry Association, new house sales in New South Wales for the month of September increased by 8.9 per cent compared with new house sales in August 2009. The Treasury analysis, which is literally hot off the presses, has found that New South Wales house sales were up 22.6 per cent compared with house sales in September 2008. This is more good news—more green shoots—showing the recovery of the New South Wales economy.