❓ Dr. Pettitt questions Minister Saffioti regarding the Lloyd Street Bridge project, focusing on funding discrepancies, traffic justifications, environmental impact, and the availability of supporting documentation. The questions suggest concerns about the project's cost, design, and environmental consequences.
⏳ Awaiting AnswerQoN 585Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) On 14 December
2021, Minister Saffioti wrote to Mayor Lucas, City of Swan, stating that “whilst
the latest cost estimate for the bridge is significantly above budget [$40
million], the State is committed to ensuring that this long awaited bridge is
built as part of the Great Eastern Highway Bypass project and to ensure there
is sufficient funding for it.” (ref: 72-36485).
In the 22 December 2021 Echo newspaper article, Future
of Lloyd Street Bridge in Limbo , Minister Saffioti
is quoted: “If the council would like a complete redesign, I would be happy
to hand back responsibility for this project to the City of Swan…….[allowing]
the City to go back to scratch, secure additional funding and go through the
approval process.” I ask: (a) can the Minister please explain why there is sufficient State funding to
build this bridge, even though it is already over budget, but only if the
bridge is built to the current Main Roads concept design; (b) can
the Minister please explain why that same additional funding is not available
to build an alternative bridge that is supported by the community, and why
funding for a bridge could be rescinded because the community want an
alternative design; and (c) is
the Minister aware this places pressure on the City of Swan to make decisions
on the bridge based predominantly on financial constraints? (2) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “The bridge represents
a ‘missing link’ in the Lloyd Street connection, which has been constructed progressively
over the past decade.” And “The new bridge will be an important
strategic link in the future road network and is expected to take pressure off
other existing north-south routes including Roe Highway, Military Road and
Bushmead Road.” I ask: (a) can
the Minister please explain why a north-south, industrial, heavy-traffic
freight highway through the town centre of Midland is necessary, when an
existing bridge is already in place 900 metres upstream on Roe Highway; and (b) can the Minister please demonstrate what alternative investments that were considered that would reduce congestion and divert cars from town centres? (3) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “Traffic modelling
undertaken in 2013 indicated significant growth in future years.” At the City of Swan Agenda Forum Meeting on
23 February 2022, the City confirmed it had asked the State for a traffic
modelling report produced by Jacobs engineers twice since September 2021 but it
still had not been provided to them. I ask: (a) is
the Jacobs traffic modelling report available: (i) if
yes to (3)(a), could the Minister please table the report; and (ii) if
no to (3)(a), could the Minister please explain why the Jacobs traffic modelling
report is not available and confirm when it will be made available; and (b) can
the Minister please confirm if the Jacobs traffic report is the same as the
2013 modelling referenced by Main Roads, and if so, why it is sufficient to
rely on traffic modelling that is almost 10 years out of date to justify
building this bridge? (4) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “Economic analysis
indicated that the bridge over the Helena River is the best option to provide
this additional north-south route.” Can
the Minister please table the economic analysis referred to by Main Roads for
review? (5) I
refer to the proposed Lloyd Street Bridge and I ask, can the Minister
please explain why it is necessary to infill one of the last freshwater
wetlands in the Perth metro area, and a registered Aboriginal heritage site, to
build this specific bridge design at a time when Western Australia is facing a
drying climate, reduced rainfall, reduced soil moisture and increasing
freshwater pressures?
2021, Minister Saffioti wrote to Mayor Lucas, City of Swan, stating that “whilst
the latest cost estimate for the bridge is significantly above budget [$40
million], the State is committed to ensuring that this long awaited bridge is
built as part of the Great Eastern Highway Bypass project and to ensure there
is sufficient funding for it.” (ref: 72-36485).
In the 22 December 2021 Echo newspaper article, Future
of Lloyd Street Bridge in Limbo , Minister Saffioti
is quoted: “If the council would like a complete redesign, I would be happy
to hand back responsibility for this project to the City of Swan…….[allowing]
the City to go back to scratch, secure additional funding and go through the
approval process.” I ask: (a) can the Minister please explain why there is sufficient State funding to
build this bridge, even though it is already over budget, but only if the
bridge is built to the current Main Roads concept design; (b) can
the Minister please explain why that same additional funding is not available
to build an alternative bridge that is supported by the community, and why
funding for a bridge could be rescinded because the community want an
alternative design; and (c) is
the Minister aware this places pressure on the City of Swan to make decisions
on the bridge based predominantly on financial constraints? (2) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “The bridge represents
a ‘missing link’ in the Lloyd Street connection, which has been constructed progressively
over the past decade.” And “The new bridge will be an important
strategic link in the future road network and is expected to take pressure off
other existing north-south routes including Roe Highway, Military Road and
Bushmead Road.” I ask: (a) can
the Minister please explain why a north-south, industrial, heavy-traffic
freight highway through the town centre of Midland is necessary, when an
existing bridge is already in place 900 metres upstream on Roe Highway; and (b) can the Minister please demonstrate what alternative investments that were considered that would reduce congestion and divert cars from town centres? (3) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “Traffic modelling
undertaken in 2013 indicated significant growth in future years.” At the City of Swan Agenda Forum Meeting on
23 February 2022, the City confirmed it had asked the State for a traffic
modelling report produced by Jacobs engineers twice since September 2021 but it
still had not been provided to them. I ask: (a) is
the Jacobs traffic modelling report available: (i) if
yes to (3)(a), could the Minister please table the report; and (ii) if
no to (3)(a), could the Minister please explain why the Jacobs traffic modelling
report is not available and confirm when it will be made available; and (b) can
the Minister please confirm if the Jacobs traffic report is the same as the
2013 modelling referenced by Main Roads, and if so, why it is sufficient to
rely on traffic modelling that is almost 10 years out of date to justify
building this bridge? (4) In September 2021,
Main Roads released a public update that said, “Economic analysis
indicated that the bridge over the Helena River is the best option to provide
this additional north-south route.” Can
the Minister please table the economic analysis referred to by Main Roads for
review? (5) I
refer to the proposed Lloyd Street Bridge and I ask, can the Minister
please explain why it is necessary to infill one of the last freshwater
wetlands in the Perth metro area, and a registered Aboriginal heritage site, to
build this specific bridge design at a time when Western Australia is facing a
drying climate, reduced rainfall, reduced soil moisture and increasing
freshwater pressures?
AnswerView source ↗
⏳
This question is awaiting a response from the Minister.
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