❓ Question regarding the McGowan Labor government's investment in regional road infrastructure and its impact on local businesses and jobs, with a comparison to the previous government's approach. The Minister outlines significant spending and project details.
AnsweredQoN 323Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE — REGIONS
323. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Transport:
Before I start, I acknowledge our
emergency services volunteers on Wear Orange Wednesday and thank them for their
service in our community.
A member interjected.
Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE : I am very orange today, yes!
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in the state budget for regional road
infrastructure across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on what this government's investment in
regional road projects, such as the Pinjarra heavy haulage deviation and Tanami
Road, will mean for local businesses and local jobs?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's investment compares
with the way regional communities were treated by the Nationals WA and
Liberals?
323. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Transport:
Before I start, I acknowledge our
emergency services volunteers on Wear Orange Wednesday and thank them for their
service in our community.
A member interjected.
Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE : I am very orange today, yes!
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in the state budget for regional road
infrastructure across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on what this government's investment in
regional road projects, such as the Pinjarra heavy haulage deviation and Tanami
Road, will mean for local businesses and local jobs?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's investment compares
with the way regional communities were treated by the Nationals WA and
Liberals?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Murray–Wellington for that question and her
commitment to regional road safety and spending.
(1)–(2) Members
will be surprised to hear that there is another record level of spending on
regional roads in this year's budget. There is $5.6 billion to improve
and renew our regional road infrastructure. Importantly, there are some very
significant projects in this budget. They not only help local residents and, of
course, improve road safety, but also are about increasing economic activity
and supporting the many resources projects that we have throughout regional WA,
and the many prospective resources projects we have in regional WA. Of course,
they are all growing the economy, creating regional jobs and supporting our
export performance.
There is $500 million for the Tanami
Road to the Western Australian border—again, a transformational project
that will further support the resources industry, and the potash industry in
particular. It is very, very good —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What is
wrong? The potash industry, of course, was raised yesterday in this place —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is funny
that when you actually talk to people in industry about their priorities, they
raise the fact that they appreciate a state government that is working to get
the infrastructure in place to support their developments. Without this type of
infrastructure, it does not matter about the royalty rates, because they cannot actually get the product to port. The key
point in all these projects, the number one priority, is working through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and
Innovation and the ministers responsible to actually get the infrastructure in place. This $500 million commitment for the Tanami Road, in particular, is
essential for supporting the industry in that area. Again, when I talk to
everyone around the state about all these resources projects, it is about what
we are doing in our ports. That is why we have invested in Geraldton port, that
is why we are doing Lumsden Point, that is why we are expanding Broome port,
and that is why we have record infrastructure spending on roads.
With regard to the member for
Murray–Wellington's area, we have made a commitment to the
Pinjarra heavy haulage deviation, which will allow us to do stages 1 and 2. I appreciated
the feedback and community interaction on this project when we initially funded
stage 1, but there is a need to fund both stages 1 and 2 so that we can do the
entire project and not have some of the local community access issues. As a result,
we have been working very hard to get that project funded, and I am very happy
to have it funded.
Of course there are other key
projects, including improvements in the Yilgarn area. There is $120 million for
road upgrades to the Great Eastern Highway between Moorine Rock and Mt Holland.
Again, that is supporting lithium development
in that area. With regard to the Great Northern Highway, we are looking at how
we can support trucks and make sure that we get rid of one-lane bridges.
In respect of the secondary freight roads through the midwest and south west,
again, we are making sure that we can get our grain to port very efficiently.
As I understand it, the grain price has jumped dramatically over the past few
days, so we want to make sure that we can get that grain to port as quickly as
possible to maximise that price. As members can see, there is record road
infrastructure spending that is supporting jobs and supporting regional
economies.
With regard to the last question,
we have a lot of catch-up to do because, remember, it was the National Party
that said, ''We don't believe in spending RFR funding on roads.''
It did not commit to regional road funding. We have so much to catch up on as a
result —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Oh, my
goodness. Finally got one! It was a bit quiet, but I finally got one!
There is $5.6 billion, and we have
the Deputy Leader of the Nationals WA complaining about it. Regional WA has
never seen this amount of road spending. We are bringing back local jobs,
because the National Party privatised it,
remember? It was the National Party that privatised those Main Roads jobs.
There is more regional road spending and we are bringing back road jobs
for regional Western Australians in our regional communities.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
thank the member for Murray–Wellington for that question and her
commitment to regional road safety and spending.
(1)–(2) Members
will be surprised to hear that there is another record level of spending on
regional roads in this year's budget. There is $5.6 billion to improve
and renew our regional road infrastructure. Importantly, there are some very
significant projects in this budget. They not only help local residents and, of
course, improve road safety, but also are about increasing economic activity
and supporting the many resources projects that we have throughout regional WA,
and the many prospective resources projects we have in regional WA. Of course,
they are all growing the economy, creating regional jobs and supporting our
export performance.
There is $500 million for the Tanami
Road to the Western Australian border—again, a transformational project
that will further support the resources industry, and the potash industry in
particular. It is very, very good —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What is
wrong? The potash industry, of course, was raised yesterday in this place —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is funny
that when you actually talk to people in industry about their priorities, they
raise the fact that they appreciate a state government that is working to get
the infrastructure in place to support their developments. Without this type of
infrastructure, it does not matter about the royalty rates, because they cannot actually get the product to port. The key
point in all these projects, the number one priority, is working through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and
Innovation and the ministers responsible to actually get the infrastructure in place. This $500 million commitment for the Tanami Road, in particular, is
essential for supporting the industry in that area. Again, when I talk to
everyone around the state about all these resources projects, it is about what
we are doing in our ports. That is why we have invested in Geraldton port, that
is why we are doing Lumsden Point, that is why we are expanding Broome port,
and that is why we have record infrastructure spending on roads.
With regard to the member for
Murray–Wellington's area, we have made a commitment to the
Pinjarra heavy haulage deviation, which will allow us to do stages 1 and 2. I appreciated
the feedback and community interaction on this project when we initially funded
stage 1, but there is a need to fund both stages 1 and 2 so that we can do the
entire project and not have some of the local community access issues. As a result,
we have been working very hard to get that project funded, and I am very happy
to have it funded.
Of course there are other key
projects, including improvements in the Yilgarn area. There is $120 million for
road upgrades to the Great Eastern Highway between Moorine Rock and Mt Holland.
Again, that is supporting lithium development
in that area. With regard to the Great Northern Highway, we are looking at how
we can support trucks and make sure that we get rid of one-lane bridges.
In respect of the secondary freight roads through the midwest and south west,
again, we are making sure that we can get our grain to port very efficiently.
As I understand it, the grain price has jumped dramatically over the past few
days, so we want to make sure that we can get that grain to port as quickly as
possible to maximise that price. As members can see, there is record road
infrastructure spending that is supporting jobs and supporting regional
economies.
With regard to the last question,
we have a lot of catch-up to do because, remember, it was the National Party
that said, ''We don't believe in spending RFR funding on roads.''
It did not commit to regional road funding. We have so much to catch up on as a
result —
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Oh, my
goodness. Finally got one! It was a bit quiet, but I finally got one!
There is $5.6 billion, and we have
the Deputy Leader of the Nationals WA complaining about it. Regional WA has
never seen this amount of road spending. We are bringing back local jobs,
because the National Party privatised it,
remember? It was the National Party that privatised those Main Roads jobs.
There is more regional road spending and we are bringing back road jobs
for regional Western Australians in our regional communities.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
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