Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (12:00): My question is addressed to the Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education. Will the Minister update the House on the Minns Labor Government's investment to rebuild TAFE in New South Wales?

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Bankstown to order for the first time.

Mr STEVE WHAN (Monaro—Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education) (12:00): I thank the member for Campbelltown for his question. I also thank him for his leadership in his community on vocational training. I have to say that, since I have been in this role, people have talked to me about the opportunities they see for expanding vocational training on the Campbelltown TAFE campus. I appreciate the leadership that the member has shown in that. I look forward to working with him in the future on the opportunities to make sure that we are providing the vocational training that is needed in his region. The Government came to office with a clear commitment to rebuild the vocational and training sector in New South Wales and restore TAFE at the heart of that sector.

That is not an easy job because TAFE teachers—as have constantly told me since I have become Minister—feel battered by the previous Government. They feel that the previous Government did not appreciate their efforts, and their morale has sunk as a result. We are working hard to try to rebuild that morale by showing our confidence in TAFE and the vocational and training sector. To that end, in August I was pleased to release the final report of the independent review into the VET sector. That report included 21 recommendations, on top of the seven from the interim report, aimed at improving and rebuilding TAFE and vocational training in New South Wales. We will be delivering a phased response to that report and, by the end of this year, we will have a new TAFE charter that clearly outlines the Government's view of the role of TAFE in our skills sector.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Wahroonga to order for the third time.

Mr STEVE WHAN: We will have a new operating model next year, which will focus on rebuilding links with the community and industry, and addressing the gaps left by the previous Government in its move to the One TAFE system. I am excited to work on some of the recommendations in the VET review, particularly around better planning for vocational training in regional areas. We have this novel idea of going to regional areas and talking to people about where they see their future skills demand will be. That is important to me as a member representing regional New South Wales.

The SPEAKER: All members will come to order.

Mr STEVE WHAN: It is reasonable for country communities to expect that from the Labor Party, which was born in country New South Wales—the representatives of the bush—and is the party that has delivered most of the infrastructure that regional New South Wales has relied on over the years.

[Opposition members interjected.]

"Oh, ho, ho," members opposite say. Labor governments over the last century or so delivered 70 per cent of the irrigation dams linking the electricity network to regional communities. We have represented and delivered for country New South Wales for over 130 years. No wonder that in that process The Nationals are down to their lowest number of members in this place in 99 years.

Mr Greg Warren: Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: I hope members have got it out of their systems. Those who have not will be directed to leave the Chamber. I assume the member for Campbelltown is seeking additional information.

Mr Greg Warren: I seek an extension of time.

The SPEAKER: An additional two minutes is granted. Members will be mindful of the decorum of the House.

Mr STEVE WHAN: Recently I was pleased to join the Premier and Federal Minister Giles to announce one of our key election commitments: the Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. We announced that one at Wetherill Park in the electorate of the member for Prospect. It is an important campus for TAFE. One of the important things about that joint investment between the Minns Labor Government and the Albanese Labor Government is that the skills delivered there will be able to be delivered anywhere—not only in regional New South Wales but also in Australia as well. It is an important model that will help us address the manufacturing needs of our State into the future.

We are also working with the Education Union to reverse the terrible decline in the number of permanent teachers at TAFE that we saw under those opposite. Some 500 people have already been transferred to permanent teaching roles. We currently have an application process open. It has been incredibly enthusiastically received by casual TAFE teachers, who feel that they are eligible to become permanent. That is a really exciting prospect for making sure that the workforce understands the value that we place on them and their teaching skills as we move forward to ensure that we are delivering the skills that New South Wales needs in so many areas—whether it is in aged care and health care; in the building sector, to back up all our work to increase housing; in the digital sector and the sort of work that Minister Dib talked about; or in the steel industry for steel fabricators in the Illawarra. Importantly, we are doing work to make sure that we are engaging with rural and regional communities across New South Wales to deliver the skills they need for the future.