I speak briefly on the Community Improvement Districts Bill 2025. It is a positive, proactive bill about bringing people together in a structured way so they can achieve things that they could not achieve alone but that will benefit everyone, and I am pleased to support it. Community improvement districts [CIDs] will allow businesses to directly fund services, activities and projects that seek to improve their local trading environment and public spaces. That could be through district branding, events, public art and beautification projects, improved public amenity, and security and safety measures. CIDs provide a vehicle for local businesses to work together to make their area better. But that does not just create another group or committee with no resources; it actually includes a mechanism to fund meaningful activities.

I recently received a briefing from Transport for NSW staff who had done some high-level analysis on Brookvale on the northern beaches. Their work indicates that a CID for Brookvale is potentially worth exploring, and I am excited about what that could look like and mean for the northern beaches. I can say to Transport for NSW that, in my time as mayor, I had businesses in Harbord-Freshwater approach me about doing something very similar to this, but we did not have the mechanism to do it and help them effectively as a council, so this could be and will be a positive.

I note that the bill before us is the result of extensive consultation, including on a draft bill in 2024. I am particularly glad to hear the positive feedback from Local Government NSW, which I know has thanked Minister Graham and the New South Wales Government for their approach to consultation throughout the development of the bill. As set out in the bill, consultation with councils will be key to the establishment of any community improvement district. CIDs do not override any council or planning approval powers and, critically, a CID can only be established if the relevant council or councils resolve to support it. That is so important for ensuring that a CID's activities align with a democratically elected council's strategic intent for an area. To be established, CIDs also require support of the local business community through a ballot. Those safeguards will ensure that CIDs will only be established where there is broad support from both the local business community and the council.

Proposed section 13 (2) of the bill prescribes that local councils will have a minimum of 30 days to provide confirmation to the authority of their decision on whether to support the CID. I will be moving one amendment to extend that to 60 days. Community improvement districts are an exciting innovation in urban governance, and I am looking forward to seeing how they make the unique places in our State ever better. I am looking forward to visiting Merrylands too, after hearing the previous member's speech. In my own area of the northern beaches, I know this will be well received. I congratulate the Government and thank it for moving the bill.

Read the full second reading debate here