Stuart Ayres - Your Local Member for Penrith

The Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli and Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres today turned the first sod on the new Performing Arts Centre at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School at Emu Plains.

“Until now, while being known as a creative and performing arts high school, staff and students have had to manage with facilities which do not fully support the specialist curriculum,” Mr Piccoli said.

“Now, the school is to get a new Performing Arts Centre which will become a very welcome addition to the school’s facilities.”

The new performing arts facilities will include a movement studio with retractable seating for 250 people; a dance workshop with a retractable door to external space; changing rooms and toilets; a new games court; an office, servery and store rooms; a staff room and a control room.

The project will also deliver car parking and landscaping.

Mr Ayres said he was delighted to be able to make the announcement with the Minister for Education and that he knew how much this would mean to the students and teachers at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School.

“One feature of the project which is especially exciting is a purpose-built recording space, specifically designed to produce professional standard recordings of students work,” Mr Ayres said.

“When it is completed, this venue will enable students from across the region to learn and perform in first class facilities.

“The future for staff and current and future performing arts students at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School is exciting,” Mr Ayres added.

I was pleased to support the team at St George in the Penrith Plaza to help raise funds for their charitable organisation.

The team were providing 'Acts of Happyness' as part of their Happy Hat Day effort. They were carry shopping bags, wrapping gifts and returning shopping trolleys in return for gold coin donations to their cause.

Hospitality students are set to benefit from an improved learning environment following the allocation of $71,000 toward the construction of a cafe training centre, Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres announced today.

"With the continuing promotion of Penrith as a destination for visitors, I am impressed to see the school community at Kingswood High is one with enough vision for the future to see the benefit of providing hands-on learning environments to introduce students from this region to the hospitality industry." Mr Ayres said.

"In putting this application forward Kingswood High have demonstrated that they are a school with an interest in engaging all students in the learning areas of their choice, in striking the right balance between in academic or more practical learning areas."

The cafe training centre will receive $71,000 from the NSW Community Building Partnerships Program, where Members of Parliament work with organisations in their electorates on projects which meet community expectations.

"The cafe training centre involves construction of an outdoor seating area, landscaping works and the installation of a cafe kitchen. It will provide students with a simulated cafe environment where they can acquire an insight into the operational management of local cafes, restaurants and the discipline required to succeed in the hospitality industry," Mr Ayres said. 

"These practical skills will help the students of Kingswood High get that extra-edge as they seek roles in the industry.

"The great lesson from the Community Building Partnerships is that government investments are at their most productive when the people they affect have been directly consulted, and given enough autonomy to spend the resources as efficiently as possible."

Rail commuters now have extra parking, a safer kiss-and-ride zone and more sheltered bike racks as part of the completion of a major upgrade  at Kingswood Train Station.

Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said Kingswood commuters will now benefit from modern, accessible and safer public transport.

 “The existing commuter car park on the southern side of the station has been improved and expanded with 23 new car parking spaces, CCTV surveillance and lighting,” Mr Ayres said.

“The existing kiss-and-ride and taxi zones have been relocated from the Great Western Highway and are now adjacent to the station entrance making it much safer and easier for people to be dropped off. 

“Cyclists can also benefit from new sheltered bike racks on both sides of the station and improved lighting has been installed in the car park on the northern side of the rail line to improve safety for motorists.

“Other work on the northern side of the station was completed late last year and included sign posted kiss-and-ride and taxi zones with new shelters, improvements to bus stops on Park Avenue and footpath upgrades.

“This $3.9 million upgrade to transport facilities at Kingswood will help make catching the train a much more convenient option for customers,” Mr Ayres said.

For further information regarding this project please visit www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects.

 The Arms of Australia Inn Museum will benefit from extensions to the roofing over paved areas after the Nepean District Historical Society put in a successful application to the NSW Government's Community Building Partnership Program, Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said today.

 Mr Ayres met with Rosemary Weaver and members of the society to announce the $12,989 grant toward the museum.

 "The Nepean District Historical Society do a fantastic job with the operation of the Arms of Australia Inn Museum and getting the message out about our region and the significant role Penrith has played in the development of our state." Mr Ayres said.

 "I am proud to have recommended this project for funding to the state government and appreciate the opportunity to make a direct contribution to decisions about state government investments in our area.

 "The Community Building Partnerships have provided an excellent way for organisations to work with their local MPs on identifying priorities for their electorates.

 "I will continue to work with members of the Nepean District Historical Society and other local organisations to find ways to build their capacity to support our community."

Glenbrook's awkward Hare/Mann/Wascoe Street intersection is set to change following a review of traffic flows into the eastern side of Glenbrook after a right-turn restriction was imposed at the intersection of Ross Street and the Great Western Highway last year, Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres said today.

"The Hare/Mann/Wascoe Street intersection is one of the most awkwardly designed traffic configurations in the Penrith electorate. As the second entry-way into the Glenbrook village we owe it to the small businesses and the people who live here to make this configuration as traffic-friendly as possible." Mr Ayres said.

"With the right-turn restrictions at Ross Street currently operating as an effective safety measure it is important that we now look to improving the accessibility of the Glenbrook Village."

"Roads and Maritime Services have outlined two possible treatments for the intersection which would improve traffic flow at this intersection by removing the short-stack of vehicles between Mann Street, Wascoe Street and the Great Western Highway. They include:

• Option 1: The removal of north-south and east-west movements through the intersection. This would be achieved by installing a physical separation linking Wascoe Street east with Mann Street north and Wascoe Street west with Mann Street south.
• Option 2: Removing all connectivity with Mann Street by closing Mann Street at Wascoe Street and providing a cul-de-sac in Mann Street.

"This is an important outcome for the Glenbrook village and ensures that access to the first village centre in the Blue Mountains is as easy as possible both for the local residents and the visitors who provide an important support to the lower mountains economy."

For more information see Roads and Maritime Services Glenbrook Page