Question on Notice regarding the cost of a proposed tunnel for the Southern Rail Link in Perth. The Minister provides a cost estimate of $90 million, factoring in external reviews suggesting potential cost reductions.

AnsweredQoN 205Legislative Assembly
Asked
1 August 2001
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

SOUTHERN RAIL LINK, COST OF WILLIAM STREET TO WELLINGTON STREET TUNNEL
Given that the Premier said during question time yesterday that the Government’s rail link master plan deals with all the engineering issues, can the Minister inform the House of the cost of Labor’s proposed 700-metre tunnel from the south end of William Street to Wellington Street? Ms MacTIERNAN

AnswerView source ↗

I will go through it once again. It is clear from the member for Carine’s question that she is somehow linking this statement to the statement about the master plan. I am trying to provide some context so that some sense can be made of the member for Carine’s question. It is standard practice to do preliminary research work. The Government has done that work, using its engineers and cost estimators, and the Government has had those figures checked by the private sector, which includes engineering companies from New South Wales that are perhaps the most experienced in Australia in tunnel construction. These companies have indicated that the figures that the Government has produced are quite conservative and can be reduced by between $5 million and $10 million. Mr Day: What is the figure now? Ms MacTIERNAN: I am coming to that; be patient. I am trying to answer the preamble to the question as well as the question. That was the process. The Government believes that the construction of the tunnel from William Street will cost around $90 million, and that cost has been factored into the costing that we have produced in respect of this project.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I will go through it once again. It is clear from the member for Carine’s question that she is somehow linking this statement to the statement about the master plan. I am trying to provide some context so that some sense can be made of the member for Carine’s question. It is standard practice to do preliminary research work. The Government has done that work, using its engineers and cost estimators, and the Government has had those figures checked by the private sector, which includes engineering companies from New South Wales that are perhaps the most experienced in Australia in tunnel construction. These companies have indicated that the figures that the Government has produced are quite conservative and can be reduced by between $5 million and $10 million. Mr Day: What is the figure now? Ms MacTIERNAN: I am coming to that; be patient. I am trying to answer the preamble to the question as well as the question. That was the process. The Government believes that the construction of the tunnel from William Street will cost around $90 million, and that cost has been factored into the costing that we have produced in respect of this project.
I will go through it once again. It is clear from the member for Carine’s question that she is somehow linking this statement to the statement about the master plan. I am trying to provide some context so that some sense can be made of the member for Carine’s question. It is standard practice to do preliminary research work. The Government has done that work, using its engineers and cost estimators, and the Government has had those figures checked by the private sector, which includes engineering companies from New South Wales that are perhaps the most experienced in Australia in tunnel construction. These companies have indicated that the figures that the Government has produced are quite conservative and can be reduced by between $5 million and $10 million. Mr Day: What is the figure now? Ms MacTIERNAN: I am coming to that; be patient. I am trying to answer the preamble to the question as well as the question. That was the process. The Government believes that the construction of the tunnel from William Street will cost around $90 million, and that cost has been factored into the costing that we have produced in respect of this project.
Mr Day: What is the figure now? Ms MacTIERNAN: I am coming to that; be patient. I am trying to answer the preamble to the question as well as the question. That was the process. The Government believes that the construction of the tunnel from William Street will cost around $90 million, and that cost has been factored into the costing that we have produced in respect of this project.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I am coming to that; be patient. I am trying to answer the preamble to the question as well as the question. That was the process. The Government believes that the construction of the tunnel from William Street will cost around $90 million, and that cost has been factored into the costing that we have produced in respect of this project.

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