Hon. Samantha Rowe questions a $1 million cost blowout for the Kenwick Train Station upgrade, while the parliamentary secretary defends the government's investment in public transport and attributes the cost increase to escalation and market rates.

AnsweredQoN 174Legislative Council
Asked
12 March 2014
Portfolio
Transport

QuestionView source ↗

KENWICK TRAIN STATION — UPGRADE
174. Hon SAMANTHA ROWE to the
parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Transport:
In January 2013 the then Minister
for Transport announced a $6.5 million upgrade to Kenwick train station. In
February 2014 the then minister announced that the project would cost WA
taxpayers $7.5 million. Can the government confirm the $1 million cost blowout,
and, if so, the reasons for it?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question.
The Liberal–National
government makes no apologies for improving the quality of public transport
provided in the East Metropolitan Region. Since the election of the Liberal–National
government in 2008, bus services have increased significantly with an
unprecedented level of service–kilometre growth; the largest train
station car parking upgrade program has been completed; and a new train line
connecting Forrestfield to the CBD will be delivered.
The member may also be interested to
know that the Kenwick station upgrade will deliver new shelters, disability
compliance, better lighting and closed-circuit television. This project follows
upgrades at Queens Park, Maddington and Beckenham, with a total investment of
$24.6 million on the Armadale line.
The basis for the variation in
project cost is between the initial estimate and the actual tender price. The
final project cost is a result of escalation since the initial cost estimation
and the award at current market rates.

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