❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Treasurer on the timeline and cost of the Roe Highway extension. The Treasurer responds that the project's progress is contingent on the EPA's environmental review, making cost estimation currently impossible.
AnsweredQoN 703Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROE
HIGHWAY — EXTENSION
703. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to comments made by the
member for Riverton on 7.30 WA on 5
October that Labor is committed to not building the extension of Roe Highway
and the government is committed to building it, and to the Main Roads WA website
that confirms that the government of Western Australia is committed to the
extension of Roe Highway.
(1) When will work commence on the extension of Roe Highway?
(2) Exactly how much will it cost?
HIGHWAY — EXTENSION
703. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to comments made by the
member for Riverton on 7.30 WA on 5
October that Labor is committed to not building the extension of Roe Highway
and the government is committed to building it, and to the Main Roads WA website
that confirms that the government of Western Australia is committed to the
extension of Roe Highway.
(1) When will work commence on the extension of Roe Highway?
(2) Exactly how much will it cost?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
Roe Highway is a project to which the government committed $25 million to
conduct engineering work and to work through some environmental issues in and
around the extension of the highway from its current termination at the freeway
across to Stock Road. That has now progressed to the point at which the public
environmental review process has been completed, and we are yet to hear back
from the Environmental Protection Authority about the outcome of the PER
process.
Once the outcomes of the PER
process are known, we will be able to accurately estimate the cost of the Roe
Highway extension for this reason: as I understand it, there are some quite
sensitive environmental challenges in moving the point of termination of Roe
Highway west and there are some quite sensitive Aboriginal heritage issues that
also will have to be dealt with. Once we have that advice, and if it is the
case that the EPA is prepared to accept the Roe extension with conditions—I
am sure that there will be conditions—we can understand the true cost
of the engineering solution to deliver those conditions.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
What is the time frame; do you know?
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I do not know; I am sorry. My understanding is that the
public comment period associated with the PER concluded and that the EPA is now
obviously working through its processes.
Mr
E.S. Ripper : Very conveniently; you can keep it out of the debt figures.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Is the member for Belmont insinuating that I should get on
the telephone to the head of the EPA and say, ''Listen, Paul; Troy. Hold
on for a couple of months, Paul.'' Does the member for Belmont think
that is how the EPA works?
Mr
E.S. Ripper : I think it is very convenient for you. You've got a
debt problem and you can keep a major project out of the debt figures.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : It is little wonder little got approved while the member was
in government!
That is where it is at. We have
committed the money, we have worked through the process and we are waiting to
hear back from the EPA.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : You have committed the money?
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : We have committed the $25 million so that we can progress
through to the PER process. When that is completed —
Mr E.S. Ripper :
You should put the money in the books.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Belmont!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
When that is completed, we will understand what will be required.
Mr E.S. Ripper :
You should put the money in the books on the assumption that you will get
approval.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not need to hear commentary from you, member for Riverton, and I do not need to
hear commentary from you, member for Belmont. I formally call you both to order
for the first time today.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am always interested in the view of members of the
opposition about the extension of Roe Highway. Is it something that they
support? Do they support the extension of Roe Highway?
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : I'm waiting for you to answer the question.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The only reason I ask is that I have with me an article from the Fremantle Herald of 4 June 2011 titled ''Roe
fix for Murdoch''. It states —
Melville mayor Russell Aubrey wants to see Roe Highway extended from Kwinana Freeway to
Murdoch Drive to alleviate traffic gridlock from the Fiona Stanley Hospital.
And the plan has the backing of
Labor MPs Ken Travers and Kate Doust,
Mr M. McGowan :
Where's the quote? That's not correct. Where is your
commitment?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am reading it from this newspaper clipping, Leader of the Opposition. If it is
wrong, write to the editor of the Fremantle
Herald . The Labor Party position is that it supports the Roe Highway
extension, just not all of it. That is its position. It is on the public
record; we know what it is. In relation to the government's approach to
Roe, I think I have outlined it in summary.
Roe Highway is a project to which the government committed $25 million to
conduct engineering work and to work through some environmental issues in and
around the extension of the highway from its current termination at the freeway
across to Stock Road. That has now progressed to the point at which the public
environmental review process has been completed, and we are yet to hear back
from the Environmental Protection Authority about the outcome of the PER
process.
Once the outcomes of the PER
process are known, we will be able to accurately estimate the cost of the Roe
Highway extension for this reason: as I understand it, there are some quite
sensitive environmental challenges in moving the point of termination of Roe
Highway west and there are some quite sensitive Aboriginal heritage issues that
also will have to be dealt with. Once we have that advice, and if it is the
case that the EPA is prepared to accept the Roe extension with conditions—I
am sure that there will be conditions—we can understand the true cost
of the engineering solution to deliver those conditions.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
What is the time frame; do you know?
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I do not know; I am sorry. My understanding is that the
public comment period associated with the PER concluded and that the EPA is now
obviously working through its processes.
Mr
E.S. Ripper : Very conveniently; you can keep it out of the debt figures.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Is the member for Belmont insinuating that I should get on
the telephone to the head of the EPA and say, ''Listen, Paul; Troy. Hold
on for a couple of months, Paul.'' Does the member for Belmont think
that is how the EPA works?
Mr
E.S. Ripper : I think it is very convenient for you. You've got a
debt problem and you can keep a major project out of the debt figures.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : It is little wonder little got approved while the member was
in government!
That is where it is at. We have
committed the money, we have worked through the process and we are waiting to
hear back from the EPA.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : You have committed the money?
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : We have committed the $25 million so that we can progress
through to the PER process. When that is completed —
Mr E.S. Ripper :
You should put the money in the books.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Belmont!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
When that is completed, we will understand what will be required.
Mr E.S. Ripper :
You should put the money in the books on the assumption that you will get
approval.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not need to hear commentary from you, member for Riverton, and I do not need to
hear commentary from you, member for Belmont. I formally call you both to order
for the first time today.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am always interested in the view of members of the
opposition about the extension of Roe Highway. Is it something that they
support? Do they support the extension of Roe Highway?
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : I'm waiting for you to answer the question.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The only reason I ask is that I have with me an article from the Fremantle Herald of 4 June 2011 titled ''Roe
fix for Murdoch''. It states —
Melville mayor Russell Aubrey wants to see Roe Highway extended from Kwinana Freeway to
Murdoch Drive to alleviate traffic gridlock from the Fiona Stanley Hospital.
And the plan has the backing of
Labor MPs Ken Travers and Kate Doust,
Mr M. McGowan :
Where's the quote? That's not correct. Where is your
commitment?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am reading it from this newspaper clipping, Leader of the Opposition. If it is
wrong, write to the editor of the Fremantle
Herald . The Labor Party position is that it supports the Roe Highway
extension, just not all of it. That is its position. It is on the public
record; we know what it is. In relation to the government's approach to
Roe, I think I have outlined it in summary.
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