After a long campaign led by parents, support groups and the area's political representatives, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a centre would be established in the region to meet overwhelming demand but she provided no construction timetable.

Recent Centrelink statistics showed that more than half of all autistic children in NSW live within a 40kilometre radius of Liverpool, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that affected families seek affordable housing available in outer suburban areas because of the costs associated with the disorders. The centre, one of six to be built across the country, will provide vital early intervention programs involving teachers, psychologists, an occupational therapist and a speech pathologist to help children develop social and cognitive skills.

Werriwa MP Chris Hayes said the centre would also focus on research and training, to achieve a better understanding of autism and develop best-practice services.

``It will enable the government to test the effectiveness of the autism-specific child care,'' he said.

``Raising a child with autism can be extremely difficult and few people understand the challenges parents and carers face.''