The Conundrum that is Parramatta

For newly elected members of parliament, their defining moment is their maiden speech. They do not rise to answer a question or to contribute to a debate; this is about them and the people they represent. Parramatta's newly elected reprehensive, Geoff Lee, has made an insightful speech to start his parliamentary career.

Mr Lee said, in part, "Anyone who has visited the seat of Parramatta knows of its beauty and bounty,"

"However, today I am not going to talk about the beauty and bounty of Parramatta but about the conundrum that is Parramatta.

Mr Lee pointed out that the Sydney CBD was near capacity and that the future lies to the west..

"There is the need to integrate the Parramatta CBD with that of Sydney's CBD, which will entail decentralising business activities and services," he said.

"Sydney doesn't know what to do with Parramatta. From the first days of colonisation, Parramatta was set up as the capital. However, it became obvious that Sydney Cove was the hub of commercial activity.

"The conundrum still exists."

 For this Chamber Mr. Lee's most telling point was his determination to engage with the community.

 "I am going to enlist the support of the people of the seat. They are the ones that are at the coalface and know how best to deal with the issues."