Last week marked the final week of Parliament for the year. I’m pleased that this year, there have been bi-partisan efforts to address some of the more complex issues in our community, such as housing affordability, rental reforms and ensuring that there are some protections against the creation of deepfake material without consent.  

Unfortunately, the Government has used some of their time for this final week to give time to a bill which attempts to put into law expanded gun rights in NSW. I don’t believe that this is a priority for the community. If anything, we should be looking to strengthen community safety for our families and children.

As always, my priority in Parliament is fighting for the people living in Epping, making life easier and better for families and supporting our small business to create prosperity in our suburbs. 

You can read my speeches from this year's Parliament here or watch them here.

Upgrades to Carlingford West Public School and Cumberland High School

I know that many families move to this area because of the excellent school opportunities that are on offer. As our suburbs grow, we need our schools to be able to keep up with that growth.  

I’m pleased to announce that the upgrades that commenced under the former Government in 2021 and 2022 to Carlingford West and Cumberland High School have been completed. This means less demountables and more state-of-the-art facilities for our students to learn in. The upgrades to Carlingford West Public School include 56 permanent classrooms, 14 new learning commons and multi-purpose spaces, a new library and a new school hall. At Cumberland, 26 new permanent classrooms have been built as well as, 7 workshops, 3 learning commons, 3 new multi-purpose spaces, a new library and much more.

Investment in our public schools is crucial to ensure that the best educational opportunities are afforded to our children.

I will continue to fight to secure future funding for other schools in our suburbs.   

You can read the entire Sydney Morning Herald article here.

Epping Train Station Lift

The lifts at Epping Train Station routinely break down and this significantly impacts those who require the elevator to access the train station. People with mobility challenges, people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and those travelling with luggage require the lift to access the station, without which some can physically not get to the train at all. It is a basic ask to have a working elevator for public transport access and a consistently broken-down lift is simply not good enough. 

I have been fighting in Parliament and calling on the NSW Government to immediately replace the lift, rather than reply on temporary fixes that are clearly ineffective. I know any call on the Government to act is bolstered by community support. This is why I am asking affected residents to sign my petition, to show the Government that there is a demand for a new lift and the people of Epping will no longer accept temporary repairs. If you want to see new lifts at Epping Train Station, please sign my petition and call on the Government to act.  

You can also hear me speak on the Lift on the radio here.  

Council makes progress on Dence Park

I previously provided an update on Dence Park. Since then, Parramatta Councillors have considered a new report from Parramatta Council. Based on reports, Council is now considering using part of the funding set aside to re-open the pool and make it operational for up to another 10 years. Future long term aquatic sites would then be considered elsewhere in Epping. Dence Park would then be proposed to transform to other sporting facilities or return to its natural state. This proposed plan will be considered at a Council meeting on 8 December. If you are passionate about the pool, you should consider attending the Council meeting to have your say.

I want to see the pool re-open to the community so on balance this appears to be a move in the right direction. I also want to make sure that Epping retains a pool into the long term and we as a community can continue to work through options with the Council over the short to medium term.

P&C Forum

I recently hosted my first forum with P&C’s from Epping schools, in collaboration with the P&C Federation. The event was a great opportunity for parents to share ideas, discuss issues and collaborate on new initiatives. It also allowed me to gain better insight into any problem’s facing P&C’s and chat directly with parents on how to resolve or address them. You can hear directly from the parents that attended the event here. I will be hosting more of these forums in the future so please keep an eye out on my social media (Facebook) (Instagram) for any P&C updates. 

Streetlights 

I know from living in the community like you, that one of the features that can make our suburbs more liveable is good street lighting.  

I need your help in identifying areas where lighting could be improved. This is largely a Council responsibility, but I can advocate on the communities' behalf. I’ve already had some success with Parramatta Council agreeing to install additional street lighting on Midson Rd. It is expected to be installed in 2026/27 by Ausgrid.  

If you know of a location or street that requires additional lighting, you can make a request here.

Epping Public School Gets a new Playground!

Epping Public School students have a new playground. This new play equipment looks amazing. I know as a Mum to a Kindergarten child, that play is so important, even into the school years, so this new equipment will really add to the primary school experience at Epping Public. I got a chance to speak to some of the students about the upgrade and they were really looking forward to being able to use the equipment.

This upgrade was supported by a grant I provided under the Community Building Partnership Program. A new round of this funding will be open early in 2026. If you know of an organisation in the Epping electorate that could benefit from new equipment, space or even a vehicle, please get them to check out: Community Building Partnership | NSW Government

Kind Regards,

Monica Tudehope MP
Member for Epping