Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (22:23): The Minns Labor Government has completed significant levee repair works to help safeguard Morpeth and the surrounding community from flooding. Crews have now fully rebuilt a section of the Morpeth levee, part of the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme, after major flooding significantly eroded the infrastructure in 2021‑22. The site is now stronger than ever thanks to funding from the New South Wales Government to carry out emergency repairs and permanent restoration works to the damaged sections of the scheme. The complex restoration involved using multiple barges along the Hunter River carrying 48-tonne long‑reach excavators to place more than 25,000 tonnes of rock along a 280-metre stretch of riverbank. Crews used innovative technology to position larger rocks sized 60 centimetres to one metre underwater to strengthen the levee's foundation, and then place smaller rocks sized 40 to 70 centimetres along the upper embankment to reinforce the integrity of the levee.

With the permanent repairs now complete, council can reopen Brisbane Fields Road without the load limit restrictions that have been in place since emergency stabilisation works were first carried out. That has been a real challenge for the communities in the area. I have had many conversations with those residents over a long time. Garbage trucks and cattle trucks could not get access to properties along the levee. Morpeth levee is one of 14 locations in the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme that is damaged due to previous flooding, and the New South Wales Government continues to repair works on these sites. The Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme is a lifeline for local communities, starting in Newcastle and stretching to the Upper Hunter. It safeguards more than a quarter of a million people and their properties from flooding events. It was solidified in 1955 after the terrible Maitland floods and is worth in the order of a billion dollars. It is good to see investment into its restoration. The region is flood-prone and the scheme's network of levees, floodgates and spillways gives the community confidence that they can weather the next storm. That is why we have committed to repairing it.

I note the presence of the former water Minister in the Chamber. I have had many long conversations with him about this, and also with the member for Upper Hunter. It is an important asset for our community. The 2022 floods across the State highlighted the importance of that network of flood levees. I thank the former Minister for his work, but we have built better infrastructure. We can all agree that something is better than nothing. This work is important, and there is more work to be done. The 2022 events saw three significant breaches. At the Maitland showground there was an emergency fix during the floods, there was work done at Horseshoe Bend and Raworth, and now there is this work. To this day people in my community are still struggling to get help with flood recovery. Some have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of flood activity in and around their properties. We must look after those assets and continue with their ongoing maintenance. I know some work had been done under the former Government, and we need to push on with that because it is important for planning for our community.

The number of houses will continue to grow in Maitland. That is important because there is a huge housing shortage in our area, with a 1 per cent or less rental vacancy rate. I acknowledge the planning Minister, who is doing a fantastic job. Maitland is doing its fair share. We are probably one of the stand-out councils contributing to meeting housing need. This Government is in the best place, with such a cohesive ministry and a great relationship between Minister Scully and Minister Jackson, to put that resilience piece at the forefront of housing and make sure that we are building more houses in the right places. Where we have critical infrastructure such as levees that can keep houses safe, we must make sure that they are well maintained into the future.