I acknowledge a very special occasion for my community. The long-awaited and hard-fought-for upgrade of Heathcote Road will be officially opened this weekend. People in my electorate looking to travel east need to use that key road. After years of advocacy, I am so excited that they can look forward to a much smoother journey. Before the launch, the Transport for NSW Heathcote Road Bridge Walk for Cancer will take place in honour of the late Alison Megarrity, the former member for Menai. Fittingly, this weekend marks three years since Alison's life was cruelly cut short by the scourge of cancer. Delivered in partnership with Cancer Council NSW, the event will see members of the community walk together across the newly upgraded Heathcote Road bridge. That infrastructure project connects so many parts of south-west Sydney, including Liverpool, Wattle Grove, Hammondville and Holsworthy, out towards Heathcote.

I am extraordinarily proud and grateful that the bridge will be dedicated as the Alison Megarrity Bridge. It is a fitting tribute to a woman whose public life was dedicated to improving the lives of people across those suburbs. As some members in this place would know well, Alison Megarrity served as the member for Menai from 1999 to 2011, and before that as a Liverpool city councillor. She was the model local member. She was known across our region as a tireless advocate who was practical, warm and deeply committed to her community. In this place, she served as Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, and Natural Resources; later the Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Attorney General, and Minister for the Environment and for the Arts; and, finally, as Assistant Speaker of this House. She brought the same energy and empathy to her local work, fighting for infrastructure, services and investment in our growing communities in south-west Sydney.

Many in Liverpool remember her as someone who never hesitated to take up the fight for her constituents, even if it meant standing up to her own colleagues. She was a true local champion in every sense. Comments on social media from Pamela Browning and Marilyn Griffiths demonstrate that the collective memory of Alison's achievements, in delivering so much for her community, remains fresh even today. Some of those achievements include two Holsworthy commuter carparks; bridges across Williams Creek and Deadmans Creek; the Alfords Point Bridge duplication; the Woronora River Bridge; the Bangor Bypass; the Moorebank Avenue overpass; Wattle Grove Public School; redevelopments of Chipping Norton Public School and Alfords Point Public School; and upgrades to Governor Macquarie Drive and Heathcote Road. That is an impressive list of achievements and a testament to her tenacity.

Many former Ministers have remembered her frequently walking the corridors during parliamentary sitting weeks, making the case for each of those projects and more, sharing stories from our community and securing investment like nobody else could. Rather famously, former Premier Bob Carr once said to her, "Alison, I can't look at you without thinking of the Bangor Bypass". She did not rest until her community got the investment it deserved. Alison made the decision to retire in the lead-up to the 2011 State election because her family needed her. But she continued to work hard until her last day in office, wanting to ensure that whoever succeeded her had a solid foundation. Part of that involved ensuring that the initial design work and business case for the much‑needed upgrade to Heathcote Road were funded in the 2010-11 budget.

After I was preselected as the Labor candidate for Holsworthy in 2015, Alison worked extensively with me to ensure that the upgrade became a priority, and it did. During both the 2015 and 2019 campaigns, Alison took photos, strategised, helped write media releases and roped in constituents to secure bipartisan funding for the complete project of $188 million across both State and Federal governments. The Heathcote Road Bridge Walk for Cancer honours both Alison's memory and her legacy of service. It connects her passion for community infrastructure with a cause that touches every Australian family: the fight against cancer. Through the event, Transport for NSW and Cancer Council NSW are not only raising vital funds for cancer research and support but also celebrating the enduring impact of public service done with heart. If there is a phrase that captured the essence of Alison to a tee, it is that one.

I am proud to see so many people—including past and present members of Parliaments, local Labor Party branch members and people in the community who remember Alison fondly—come together for such a meaningful purpose, walking not just in remembrance but in hope for better health outcomes, stronger community ties and the kind of compassionate leadership that Alison Megarrity embodied throughout her life. I pay tribute to Alison's husband, Robert; her sons, Glyn and Liam; her extended family and friends; and her former colleagues. I commend the organisers, the volunteers and all the participants in the Heathcote Road Bridge Walk for Cancer for carrying her legacy forward. I hope many will join me on the walk or contribute to that important cause, just as Alison supported her fellow community members.