Where’s Barry O’Farrell? That’s the question on many people’s lips in Ku-ring-gai.

Since stepping down as NSW premier 10 months ago, Mr O’Farrell raised issues about his electorate in parliament just five times.

Hansard recorded the Ku-ring-gai MP speaking just 19 times, while neighbouring Davidson MP Jonathan O’Dea — who is recontesting his seat — spoke 83 times and made more than 20 mentions of groups and initiatives in his electorate.

CANDIDATE FOR O’FARRELL SEAT PROMISES TO WORK FOR COMMUNITY

Mr O’Farrell tweeted from just nine local events since October 1 last year, most recently at a school on December 17.

Community groups with hundreds of members in Ku-ring-gai said their local MP was “just not satisfactory”.

media_camera Protesters outside Barry O'Farrell's electoral office concerned over proposed planning reforms.

Two issues have dominated the electorate; the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code, which was meant to cut the risk of bushfires near homes, but has seen hundreds of trees felled across the north shore; and the placement of ventilation stacks for the NorthConnex project linking the M2 and M1 motorways under Pennant Hills Rd.

Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment president Kathy Cowley said since Mr O’Farrell had “faded out” he had not engaged with her group.

“He didn’t answer an invitation to a public meeting (of about 100 people) in May 2014,” she said.

“The 10/50 code has been one of the most devastating changes to legislation we have seen in more than 20 years. We’re really hoping we are going to get better representation, being such a safe Liberal seat we don’t get the quality of representation that marginal seats get.”

media_camera Protesters outside Barry O'Farrell's office in Wahroonga against plans to allow native forest vegetation to be burnt for electricity generation.

President of the environmental group STEP Jill Green said she had not seen Mr O’Farrell.

“He is actually a member of our group but he never comes to our talks,” she said.

Wahroonga GP Elizabeth Johnson, who set up CAPS Community Against Polluting Stacks, said 2014 was a bad year for Mr O’Farrell.

“His memory was problematic on several fronts, but most of all he forget that his job was to serve and protect those that had been so loyal in voting him in,” Dr Johnson said.

“Why did he support filtration for the Lane Cove tunnel, but think unfiltered stacks, significantly closer to houses, on a significantly longer tunnel, with a significantly higher proportion of diesel trucks, was okay for his own electorate?

media_camera Opening Ceremony of a new building at Killara High School with Minister Adrian Piccoli, School principal Jane Dennett, Davidson MP Jonathan O'Dea and Ku-ring-gai MP Barry O'Farrell on November 5, 2014.

Mr O’Farrell said upgrades to Killara High School, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Gordon station, the NorthConnex link and a site for a new school at Lindfield were testimony of the Liberal Party’s commitment to the area.

media_camera Barry O'Farrell addresses the crowd at Turramurra North Public School centenary on October 24, 2014.

“One of the bonuses of the past year has been the opportunities it provided for me to step up my program of visits to schools, organisations and events,” he said.

“Working with the community, I’ve tackled issues as diverse as hazard reduction in our local national parks through to the needs of people with a disability.”

Mr O’Farrell declined to address the issue of complaints from constituents and community groups about a lack of representation on issues recently.

HANSARD RECORD

Barry O’Farrell’s parliamentary record in the 10 months before and after stepping down as premier in April 2014:

Before: 171 speeches

After: 19 speeches (four “Dorothy Dixer” questions; five local issues (none about the 10/50 code) and 11 speeches on general topics or legislation.