❓ Question regarding City of Perth's criticism of the Southern Rail Link proposal, contrasted with Mandurah's support. Minister's response highlights Perth's own light rail plans along a similar route, suggesting hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 192Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOUTHERN RAIL LINK, CITY OF PERTH
The City of Perth has criticised the minister for the Government’s proposal to re-route the southern railway up the centre of the Kwinana Freeway, over the Narrows Bridge and across the river foreshore - unlike the City of Mandurah, which roundly congratulates the Government’s decision. Is this criticism consistent with the Perth City Council’s planning approach? Ms MacTIERNAN
The City of Perth has criticised the minister for the Government’s proposal to re-route the southern railway up the centre of the Kwinana Freeway, over the Narrows Bridge and across the river foreshore - unlike the City of Mandurah, which roundly congratulates the Government’s decision. Is this criticism consistent with the Perth City Council’s planning approach? Ms MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
The City of Perth said that it had some difficulty with the Government’s announcement. Some cynics think that might be because it had just signed a $45-million contract to build a car park. Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said that he did not like the idea and that a rail link over spaghetti junction somehow or other would ruin the aesthetics of the foreshore. He said that it would have a massive impact on the city and would be an aesthetic and environmental disaster. He went on to say that people in government departments have blinkered viewpoints of their own little interests and forget the big picture. I have a great deal of time for the Lord Mayor, but on this issue he might not have fully apprised the public of the truth about what the City of Perth had in mind. I have here a letter dated 18 July, which was a couple of days after the Government made the announcement, from Mr Max Hipkins, the Director of Planning. With that letter, he enclosed a map of the light rail routes on which he had been working. He stated that the assumption was that light rail could be accommodated within the bus lane on the Narrows Bridge. He attached a map of all the incredible light rail routes that were being planned by the City of Perth. It seems that the City of Perth had a plan to run a rail service from Bentley, through the heart of Kensington and South Perth, and then, God spare us, over the Narrows Bridge and along that same sacred foreshore down which the Gallop Labor Government is also proposing to put a railway line. A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: The City of Perth said that it had some difficulty with the Government’s announcement. Some cynics think that might be because it had just signed a $45-million contract to build a car park. Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said that he did not like the idea and that a rail link over spaghetti junction somehow or other would ruin the aesthetics of the foreshore. He said that it would have a massive impact on the city and would be an aesthetic and environmental disaster. He went on to say that people in government departments have blinkered viewpoints of their own little interests and forget the big picture. I have a great deal of time for the Lord Mayor, but on this issue he might not have fully apprised the public of the truth about what the City of Perth had in mind. I have here a letter dated 18 July, which was a couple of days after the Government made the announcement, from Mr Max Hipkins, the Director of Planning. With that letter, he enclosed a map of the light rail routes on which he had been working. He stated that the assumption was that light rail could be accommodated within the bus lane on the Narrows Bridge. He attached a map of all the incredible light rail routes that were being planned by the City of Perth. It seems that the City of Perth had a plan to run a rail service from Bentley, through the heart of Kensington and South Perth, and then, God spare us, over the Narrows Bridge and along that same sacred foreshore down which the Gallop Labor Government is also proposing to put a railway line. A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
The City of Perth said that it had some difficulty with the Government’s announcement. Some cynics think that might be because it had just signed a $45-million contract to build a car park. Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said that he did not like the idea and that a rail link over spaghetti junction somehow or other would ruin the aesthetics of the foreshore. He said that it would have a massive impact on the city and would be an aesthetic and environmental disaster. He went on to say that people in government departments have blinkered viewpoints of their own little interests and forget the big picture. I have a great deal of time for the Lord Mayor, but on this issue he might not have fully apprised the public of the truth about what the City of Perth had in mind. I have here a letter dated 18 July, which was a couple of days after the Government made the announcement, from Mr Max Hipkins, the Director of Planning. With that letter, he enclosed a map of the light rail routes on which he had been working. He stated that the assumption was that light rail could be accommodated within the bus lane on the Narrows Bridge. He attached a map of all the incredible light rail routes that were being planned by the City of Perth. It seems that the City of Perth had a plan to run a rail service from Bentley, through the heart of Kensington and South Perth, and then, God spare us, over the Narrows Bridge and along that same sacred foreshore down which the Gallop Labor Government is also proposing to put a railway line. A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: The City of Perth said that it had some difficulty with the Government’s announcement. Some cynics think that might be because it had just signed a $45-million contract to build a car park. Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said that he did not like the idea and that a rail link over spaghetti junction somehow or other would ruin the aesthetics of the foreshore. He said that it would have a massive impact on the city and would be an aesthetic and environmental disaster. He went on to say that people in government departments have blinkered viewpoints of their own little interests and forget the big picture. I have a great deal of time for the Lord Mayor, but on this issue he might not have fully apprised the public of the truth about what the City of Perth had in mind. I have here a letter dated 18 July, which was a couple of days after the Government made the announcement, from Mr Max Hipkins, the Director of Planning. With that letter, he enclosed a map of the light rail routes on which he had been working. He stated that the assumption was that light rail could be accommodated within the bus lane on the Narrows Bridge. He attached a map of all the incredible light rail routes that were being planned by the City of Perth. It seems that the City of Perth had a plan to run a rail service from Bentley, through the heart of Kensington and South Perth, and then, God spare us, over the Narrows Bridge and along that same sacred foreshore down which the Gallop Labor Government is also proposing to put a railway line. A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
The City of Perth said that it had some difficulty with the Government’s announcement. Some cynics think that might be because it had just signed a $45-million contract to build a car park. Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said that he did not like the idea and that a rail link over spaghetti junction somehow or other would ruin the aesthetics of the foreshore. He said that it would have a massive impact on the city and would be an aesthetic and environmental disaster. He went on to say that people in government departments have blinkered viewpoints of their own little interests and forget the big picture. I have a great deal of time for the Lord Mayor, but on this issue he might not have fully apprised the public of the truth about what the City of Perth had in mind. I have here a letter dated 18 July, which was a couple of days after the Government made the announcement, from Mr Max Hipkins, the Director of Planning. With that letter, he enclosed a map of the light rail routes on which he had been working. He stated that the assumption was that light rail could be accommodated within the bus lane on the Narrows Bridge. He attached a map of all the incredible light rail routes that were being planned by the City of Perth. It seems that the City of Perth had a plan to run a rail service from Bentley, through the heart of Kensington and South Perth, and then, God spare us, over the Narrows Bridge and along that same sacred foreshore down which the Gallop Labor Government is also proposing to put a railway line. A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
A light rail system has a mast and gantry configuration that is not unlike that which the Government is proposing to use with its rail system. It is interesting that we now know that what we perhaps have had from the City of Perth are some crocodile tears, because it was proposing to do much the same sort of thing that the Government has been talking about. No doubt that is because it makes absolutely good planning sense to bring a rail line over the centre of the freeway right into the heart of the city.
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