❓ The Premier outlines the McGowan Labor government's plan to fast-track major infrastructure projects to support the WA economy and save construction jobs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting specific projects and local company involvement.
AnsweredQoN 253Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
MAJOR PROJECTS — CONSTRUCTION JOBS
253. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
I refer to the impact of COVID-19 on
the Western Australian economy. Can the Premier outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government's decision to fast-track major projects across
the state will not only support the WA economy, but also help save local
construction jobs?
MAJOR PROJECTS — CONSTRUCTION JOBS
253. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
I refer to the impact of COVID-19 on
the Western Australian economy. Can the Premier outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government's decision to fast-track major projects across
the state will not only support the WA economy, but also help save local
construction jobs?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Belmont for the question. Construction of major
infrastructure projects is going to be a major part of Western Australia's
recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This government already has a record
number of transport projects underway and a record number of projects in the
pipeline. By the end of this year, we will have six Metronet projects underway.
It is a range and scale of rail building never seen before in Western Australia. We are working hard to get the remaining
contracts signed and underway sooner than was planned. We are fast- tracking
the tendering process on about 11 large-scale road projects in city and
regional Western Australia worth about $2.3 billion that will create 13 000
jobs, including the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, which has 4 500 jobs attached to it;
the Mitchell Freeway extension to Romeo Road, which has1 200 jobs; the Albany
ring-road, which has 1 000 jobs; and the Tonkin Highway gap project, which will
create 3 000 jobs. This morning, with the Minister for Transport, we announced
the preferred proponent to deliver the gap project. The Tonkin gap alliance
comprises five Australian companies, most of
which are based in Western Australia, including BMD, Georgiou, WA Limestone, BG&E and GHD. The project will also fix a major bottleneck on Tonkin Highway
between Morley and Redcliffe and upgrade a stretch of road between Collier Road
and Dunreath Drive to a three-lane freeway-standard road. It has been talked
about forever; now it is happening. There will be a new bridge over the Swan
River as part of the project, and new interchanges at Guildford Road and Great
Eastern Highway.
The alliance will also deliver
critical enabling works for the Morley–Ellenbrook line, including the
dive structures at Bayswater and Malaga to enable the rail line to enter and exit
the middle of Tonkin Highway. It will replace the Broun Avenue flyover. The
contract for the Tonkin gap project is expected to be awarded in June, with
work to get underway in the second half of this year.
We
are also supporting local companies to be in the best position possible to
tender for and get work on major projects . Our railcar manufacturing
facility is delivering $64 million worth of local contracts for local
companies. This morning, with the transport minister, we visited Eilbeck Cranes
in Bassendean, which is designing and fabricating four overhead gantry cranes
that will be used at the Bellevue, or the Midland, facility to build the new
rail carriages. The cranes will lift the rail carriages around inside the major
shed that is being built. Vector Lifting in Cockburn is delivering $3.8 million
of work to build the bogie turntables and lifting jack. Vossloh in Kewdale is
delivering $11 million of work to design and manufacture the turnouts, and Firm
Construction in Perth has $46 million of work to build the major manufacturing
facility.
The government is doing all it can
to bring forward major infrastructure to support the economy as we emerge from
COVID-19. Getting projects underway is what we are about. We are also
supporting local businesses through the Western Australian Jobs Act and the local capability fund. We are determined to get as much work
as possible into our state.
thank the member for Belmont for the question. Construction of major
infrastructure projects is going to be a major part of Western Australia's
recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This government already has a record
number of transport projects underway and a record number of projects in the
pipeline. By the end of this year, we will have six Metronet projects underway.
It is a range and scale of rail building never seen before in Western Australia. We are working hard to get the remaining
contracts signed and underway sooner than was planned. We are fast- tracking
the tendering process on about 11 large-scale road projects in city and
regional Western Australia worth about $2.3 billion that will create 13 000
jobs, including the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, which has 4 500 jobs attached to it;
the Mitchell Freeway extension to Romeo Road, which has1 200 jobs; the Albany
ring-road, which has 1 000 jobs; and the Tonkin Highway gap project, which will
create 3 000 jobs. This morning, with the Minister for Transport, we announced
the preferred proponent to deliver the gap project. The Tonkin gap alliance
comprises five Australian companies, most of
which are based in Western Australia, including BMD, Georgiou, WA Limestone, BG&E and GHD. The project will also fix a major bottleneck on Tonkin Highway
between Morley and Redcliffe and upgrade a stretch of road between Collier Road
and Dunreath Drive to a three-lane freeway-standard road. It has been talked
about forever; now it is happening. There will be a new bridge over the Swan
River as part of the project, and new interchanges at Guildford Road and Great
Eastern Highway.
The alliance will also deliver
critical enabling works for the Morley–Ellenbrook line, including the
dive structures at Bayswater and Malaga to enable the rail line to enter and exit
the middle of Tonkin Highway. It will replace the Broun Avenue flyover. The
contract for the Tonkin gap project is expected to be awarded in June, with
work to get underway in the second half of this year.
We
are also supporting local companies to be in the best position possible to
tender for and get work on major projects . Our railcar manufacturing
facility is delivering $64 million worth of local contracts for local
companies. This morning, with the transport minister, we visited Eilbeck Cranes
in Bassendean, which is designing and fabricating four overhead gantry cranes
that will be used at the Bellevue, or the Midland, facility to build the new
rail carriages. The cranes will lift the rail carriages around inside the major
shed that is being built. Vector Lifting in Cockburn is delivering $3.8 million
of work to build the bogie turntables and lifting jack. Vossloh in Kewdale is
delivering $11 million of work to design and manufacture the turnouts, and Firm
Construction in Perth has $46 million of work to build the major manufacturing
facility.
The government is doing all it can
to bring forward major infrastructure to support the economy as we emerge from
COVID-19. Getting projects underway is what we are about. We are also
supporting local businesses through the Western Australian Jobs Act and the local capability fund. We are determined to get as much work
as possible into our state.
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