A WIN Entertainment Centre upgrade, work on Unanderra station and the Wollongong Hospital "ghost ward" are on Paul Scully's budget wishlist.
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The Wollongong MP took to the floor of NSW Parliament on Wednesday to claim any drop in the forthcoming state surplus - due to Coronavirus and stamp duty - would not be "enough for the government to hide behind in getting things done in areas such as the Illawarra".
Top of Mr Scully's list was bringing forward the funding for the Unanderra station lifts to the next budget, due to be brought down in June.
"At the moment we do not even have any date as to when the community consultation on the review of environmental factors might occur," Mr Scully said.
"We were originally told early 2020 and, more recently, were told maybe the end of March."
Mr Scully also wanted to see $1 million in the budget to restore Wollongong Hospital's "ghost ward", which would add 25 beds.
He said, in the context of billion-dollar budget blowouts in government projects like Sydney's light rail, metro line and WestConnex, $1 million wasn't too much to ask for.
This year's budget also needed to make room for an upgrade of the dilapidated WIN Entertainment Centre.
Built 22 years ago, Mr Scully told parliament the upgrade was "well overdue".
"Twenty-two years for that sort of facility is well and truly beyond its life and it is certainly in need of an upgrade," he said.
Mr Scully added that there would be economic flow-on effects from an upgraded centre, which could draw more events and conferences to the region.
To help connectivity and the growth of the Illawarra, Mr Scully also called for upgrades to Picton Road and the South Coast rail line.
"As Infrastructure Australia, Infrastructure NSW and others have said, if the Illawarra is isolated because it does not have those transport links available it will be an absolute curb on growth," Mr Scully said.