❓ Question regarding asbestos discovery at the Stephenson Avenue extension project, timeline, financial impact, and response time. The Minister's answer provides background on the project, acknowledges the asbestos issue, and outlines safety measures.
AnsweredQoN 412Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STEPHENSON AVENUE EXTENSION — ASBESTOS
412. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Stephenson Avenue
extension project and the recent discovery of asbestos, which the Construction,
Forestry, Mining and Energy Union claimed to have reported to Main Roads Western
Australia in February.
(1) Can the minister provide an
updated timeline for this project?
(2) What will be the financial
impact of this delay and additional works for Western Australian taxpayers?
(3) Why did it
take so long for Main Roads to act to shut the project down, four months after
the apparent report of asbestos?
412. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Stephenson Avenue
extension project and the recent discovery of asbestos, which the Construction,
Forestry, Mining and Energy Union claimed to have reported to Main Roads Western
Australia in February.
(1) Can the minister provide an
updated timeline for this project?
(2) What will be the financial
impact of this delay and additional works for Western Australian taxpayers?
(3) Why did it
take so long for Main Roads to act to shut the project down, four months after
the apparent report of asbestos?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the question. The
Stephenson Avenue project was very much the number one priority of the
City of Stirling for many, many years. I remember going there in opposition and
the city saying it had been trying to get Colin Barnett and his team to commit
to this project because it would completely transform the Stirling city centre
and open up hectares of new land for housing development. That is why we committed to the project. It is a big project.
As part of the overall project, we also committed to expanding the bus
interchange. That bus interchange, I think, will go from 16 stops to 33 stops,
so we are more than doubling the size of the interchange. We very much believe
that the Stirling city centre will become an increasingly
important place for both commercial activity and homes, given its proximity to
the Perth city centre and the coast. Of course, there will be the brand new
Stephenson Avenue linkage and the bus interchange.
As members know, the place of the
project was a landfill site. A lot of work was initially done on tests throughout the area on what existed underneath. As
a result, extensive piling was undertaken at the project area and areas
around it where we have heavy machinery. It is a complex area. There was a tip
with uncontrolled landfill for decades. I think it stopped being used for
landfill over 40 years ago. Initial assessments were done and initial
observations about asbestos being there were made. Since that time, we
understand that there has been some asbestos—all the final testing is
still being done—and we have instituted
a number of measures, including onsite monitors. We also have teams down there
to make sure the work practices on this area are safe and we will
continue to work through that. Meetings are being held between Main Roads and
the relevant contractor to make sure that occupational health and safety,
workers' safety and community safety are priorities. On Friday, Main
Roads informed the union, the community and the council about the expected
asbestos on site, and as a result it is working through that. There are
measures in place. As we know, asbestos is throughout many places in the
community, and that is why we have rules and regulations. When suspected
asbestos is identified, we go through all the rigorous processes.
Stephenson Avenue project was very much the number one priority of the
City of Stirling for many, many years. I remember going there in opposition and
the city saying it had been trying to get Colin Barnett and his team to commit
to this project because it would completely transform the Stirling city centre
and open up hectares of new land for housing development. That is why we committed to the project. It is a big project.
As part of the overall project, we also committed to expanding the bus
interchange. That bus interchange, I think, will go from 16 stops to 33 stops,
so we are more than doubling the size of the interchange. We very much believe
that the Stirling city centre will become an increasingly
important place for both commercial activity and homes, given its proximity to
the Perth city centre and the coast. Of course, there will be the brand new
Stephenson Avenue linkage and the bus interchange.
As members know, the place of the
project was a landfill site. A lot of work was initially done on tests throughout the area on what existed underneath. As
a result, extensive piling was undertaken at the project area and areas
around it where we have heavy machinery. It is a complex area. There was a tip
with uncontrolled landfill for decades. I think it stopped being used for
landfill over 40 years ago. Initial assessments were done and initial
observations about asbestos being there were made. Since that time, we
understand that there has been some asbestos—all the final testing is
still being done—and we have instituted
a number of measures, including onsite monitors. We also have teams down there
to make sure the work practices on this area are safe and we will
continue to work through that. Meetings are being held between Main Roads and
the relevant contractor to make sure that occupational health and safety,
workers' safety and community safety are priorities. On Friday, Main
Roads informed the union, the community and the council about the expected
asbestos on site, and as a result it is working through that. There are
measures in place. As we know, asbestos is throughout many places in the
community, and that is why we have rules and regulations. When suspected
asbestos is identified, we go through all the rigorous processes.
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