The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure provides an update on the Clarkson railway station construction, highlighting contract details, projected usage, and criticising the previous government's railcar leasing arrangements. The station is expected to be completed by September 2004.

AnsweredQoN 320Legislative Assembly
Asked
13 November 2002
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

Could the minister report to the House on the progress of the extension of the excellent northern suburbs rail service further north to Clarkson? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for the question.  She is very keen to see the extension of the northern suburbs rail completed, and I understand that because a Labor Government is in office she is now confident that the State will once again resume building rail.  I remind members that that process was stopped for the eight years of the conservative Government.  I understand from surveys done by The West Australian that many of the residents in the northern suburbs are very excited also about the possibility of a fast, direct rail link to the fabulous suburbs of Rockingham and Mandurah. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN:  This morning, with the member for Wanneroo, I was very pleased to announce the awarding of the $8.7 million contract for the construction of the Clarkson railway station to Transfield Construction Pty Ltd.  This contract will ensure that all parts of the project - the earthworks, the rail lines, the station and the Nowergup depot - will be ready by September 2004 when we will commence those services.  It will be a fantastic station.  We project that 3 000 new patrons will use the line from the northern end each day.  The Clarkson station will be four kilometres from the Currambine station.  We regret that we will not be able to commence those services until 2004.  Of course, when we got into government, the tender documents for the purchase of the railcars had been sent out.  As I have explained before in this House with great regret, the previous Government was so keen to hide the cost of the acquisition of those railcars that it had locked itself into a leasing arrangement, notwithstanding the fact that, as we revealed yesterday, its own master plan said that that would cost the State an additional $120 million.  We not prepared to impose that extra liability on the people of the State merely to hide the debt.  Another comment I need to make is that once this station is up and running and train services commence, we will have to reconfigure various bus services to Mindarie, Quinns Rocks, Merriwa, Butler and Clarkson.  I know the member for Murdoch is disappointed that we will deprive people of quality time on our buses by getting them onto the rail service, but the people in the northern suburbs, just like the people in the southern suburbs, are looking forward to that opportunity!
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question.  She is very keen to see the extension of the northern suburbs rail completed, and I understand that because a Labor Government is in office she is now confident that the State will once again resume building rail.  I remind members that that process was stopped for the eight years of the conservative Government.  I understand from surveys done by The West Australian that many of the residents in the northern suburbs are very excited also about the possibility of a fast, direct rail link to the fabulous suburbs of Rockingham and Mandurah. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN:  This morning, with the member for Wanneroo, I was very pleased to announce the awarding of the $8.7 million contract for the construction of the Clarkson railway station to Transfield Construction Pty Ltd.  This contract will ensure that all parts of the project - the earthworks, the rail lines, the station and the Nowergup depot - will be ready by September 2004 when we will commence those services.  It will be a fantastic station.  We project that 3 000 new patrons will use the line from the northern end each day.  The Clarkson station will be four kilometres from the Currambine station.  We regret that we will not be able to commence those services until 2004.  Of course, when we got into government, the tender documents for the purchase of the railcars had been sent out.  As I have explained before in this House with great regret, the previous Government was so keen to hide the cost of the acquisition of those railcars that it had locked itself into a leasing arrangement, notwithstanding the fact that, as we revealed yesterday, its own master plan said that that would cost the State an additional $120 million.  We not prepared to impose that extra liability on the people of the State merely to hide the debt.  Another comment I need to make is that once this station is up and running and train services commence, we will have to reconfigure various bus services to Mindarie, Quinns Rocks, Merriwa, Butler and Clarkson.  I know the member for Murdoch is disappointed that we will deprive people of quality time on our buses by getting them onto the rail service, but the people in the northern suburbs, just like the people in the southern suburbs, are looking forward to that opportunity!
I thank the member for the question.  She is very keen to see the extension of the northern suburbs rail completed, and I understand that because a Labor Government is in office she is now confident that the State will once again resume building rail.  I remind members that that process was stopped for the eight years of the conservative Government.  I understand from surveys done by The West Australian that many of the residents in the northern suburbs are very excited also about the possibility of a fast, direct rail link to the fabulous suburbs of Rockingham and Mandurah. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN:  This morning, with the member for Wanneroo, I was very pleased to announce the awarding of the $8.7 million contract for the construction of the Clarkson railway station to Transfield Construction Pty Ltd.  This contract will ensure that all parts of the project - the earthworks, the rail lines, the station and the Nowergup depot - will be ready by September 2004 when we will commence those services.  It will be a fantastic station.  We project that 3 000 new patrons will use the line from the northern end each day.  The Clarkson station will be four kilometres from the Currambine station.  We regret that we will not be able to commence those services until 2004.  Of course, when we got into government, the tender documents for the purchase of the railcars had been sent out.  As I have explained before in this House with great regret, the previous Government was so keen to hide the cost of the acquisition of those railcars that it had locked itself into a leasing arrangement, notwithstanding the fact that, as we revealed yesterday, its own master plan said that that would cost the State an additional $120 million.  We not prepared to impose that extra liability on the people of the State merely to hide the debt.  Another comment I need to make is that once this station is up and running and train services commence, we will have to reconfigure various bus services to Mindarie, Quinns Rocks, Merriwa, Butler and Clarkson.  I know the member for Murdoch is disappointed that we will deprive people of quality time on our buses by getting them onto the rail service, but the people in the northern suburbs, just like the people in the southern suburbs, are looking forward to that opportunity!
Mr M.F. Board interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN:  This morning, with the member for Wanneroo, I was very pleased to announce the awarding of the $8.7 million contract for the construction of the Clarkson railway station to Transfield Construction Pty Ltd.  This contract will ensure that all parts of the project - the earthworks, the rail lines, the station and the Nowergup depot - will be ready by September 2004 when we will commence those services.  It will be a fantastic station.  We project that 3 000 new patrons will use the line from the northern end each day.  The Clarkson station will be four kilometres from the Currambine station.  We regret that we will not be able to commence those services until 2004.  Of course, when we got into government, the tender documents for the purchase of the railcars had been sent out.  As I have explained before in this House with great regret, the previous Government was so keen to hide the cost of the acquisition of those railcars that it had locked itself into a leasing arrangement, notwithstanding the fact that, as we revealed yesterday, its own master plan said that that would cost the State an additional $120 million.  We not prepared to impose that extra liability on the people of the State merely to hide the debt.  Another comment I need to make is that once this station is up and running and train services commence, we will have to reconfigure various bus services to Mindarie, Quinns Rocks, Merriwa, Butler and Clarkson.  I know the member for Murdoch is disappointed that we will deprive people of quality time on our buses by getting them onto the rail service, but the people in the northern suburbs, just like the people in the southern suburbs, are looking forward to that opportunity!
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN:  This morning, with the member for Wanneroo, I was very pleased to announce the awarding of the $8.7 million contract for the construction of the Clarkson railway station to Transfield Construction Pty Ltd.  This contract will ensure that all parts of the project - the earthworks, the rail lines, the station and the Nowergup depot - will be ready by September 2004 when we will commence those services.  It will be a fantastic station.  We project that 3 000 new patrons will use the line from the northern end each day.  The Clarkson station will be four kilometres from the Currambine station.  We regret that we will not be able to commence those services until 2004.  Of course, when we got into government, the tender documents for the purchase of the railcars had been sent out.  As I have explained before in this House with great regret, the previous Government was so keen to hide the cost of the acquisition of those railcars that it had locked itself into a leasing arrangement, notwithstanding the fact that, as we revealed yesterday, its own master plan said that that would cost the State an additional $120 million.  We not prepared to impose that extra liability on the people of the State merely to hide the debt.  Another comment I need to make is that once this station is up and running and train services commence, we will have to reconfigure various bus services to Mindarie, Quinns Rocks, Merriwa, Butler and Clarkson.  I know the member for Murdoch is disappointed that we will deprive people of quality time on our buses by getting them onto the rail service, but the people in the northern suburbs, just like the people in the southern suburbs, are looking forward to that opportunity!

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