NSW Labor are calling on the government to increase support services and resources provided to the Cumberland LGA to assist in combating the toll COVID-19 is taking on the western Sydney community.
This week marks one month since NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian first announced the Cumberland LGA as an area of great concern.
NSW Labor believes areas such as Merrylands and Guildford, which have been consistently called out as suburbs of concern, are not receiving its fair and equitable share of resources.
As a result the party is calling on the State Government to coordinate faster testing, increase support for contact tracing, open a permanent vaccination hub, re-introduce venue alerts and provide economic support for west and south-western Sydney recovery.
NSW Labor will also hold a virtual summit with west and south-western Sydney business and community leaders to discuss what is needed to help people and business get back on their feet once lockdown and restrictions are lifted.
Granville MP Julia Finn said two per cent of her constituents currently have an active COVID-19 infection.
She said she believes the Cumberland community is being left behind.
“It feels as if there is a storm across NSW, which is impacting everyone, but the government has not taken the time to notice that our community is flooding and we need more support,” she said.
“We need a commitment from the government to get more support and more resources out here, to get individuals and small businesses through a really testing time.”
Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park said: “it is extremely concerning to see the disproportionate impact COVID-19 is having on western Sydney, and yet they are not being provided the resources to match this.
“Contact tracing, venue alerts and a local vaccination hub could be the difference between this community keeping their head above water or having to deal with more cases.”
This post was produced by our newsroom.