❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Treasurer about the cost, budget inclusion, and debt impact of several road projects. The Treasurer outlines the staged approval process and emphasizes the government's commitment to addressing congestion.
AnsweredQoN 118Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD PROJECTS — NET STATE DEBT
118. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the congestion crisis on Perth's roads and
the government's announced projects, specifically light rail to
Mirrabooka, an upgrade to Thomas and Loftus Streets as a result of the extra
lane in the Graham Farmer Freeway tunnel, Roe Highway stage 8 and a floating
Orrong Road.
(1) Can the Treasurer confirm that the total cost of these
projects will exceed $2.5 billion?
(2) When will they appear in the state budget?
(3) What impact will funding these projects have on net state
debt?
118. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the congestion crisis on Perth's roads and
the government's announced projects, specifically light rail to
Mirrabooka, an upgrade to Thomas and Loftus Streets as a result of the extra
lane in the Graham Farmer Freeway tunnel, Roe Highway stage 8 and a floating
Orrong Road.
(1) Can the Treasurer confirm that the total cost of these
projects will exceed $2.5 billion?
(2) When will they appear in the state budget?
(3) What impact will funding these projects have on net state
debt?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
The member has heard already—I will not repeat them—the
submissions made by the Minister for Transport about what has already been
spent.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
That wasn't the question.
Mr C.C. PORTER : I
know; I am coming to the question, member.
The point is that an enormous amount of the state government's
resources and taxpayers' money is being directed at alleviating what is
clearly a problem in a city in which the population is growing very rapidly.
Some estimates of that population growth are between 1 000 and 1 300 people a
week. That is a very challenging set of circumstances.
The member listed a range of projects that are being
considered by the government and will be considered in the subject of budgetary
analysis. They are not in the budgets at the moment; they do not appear as line
items. If I use Roe Highway stage 8 as one example, this is how the process for
a project like Roe stage 8 works. Yes, the concept plans are there. There is a
government commitment to that project. It goes through rigorous analysis by the
Department of Environment and Conservation and environmental authorities. I
understand that analysis is due later this year. Once we, as government, are
informed that project is environmentally viable and can be built without damaging
the wetlands around Bibra Lake and it is through the appeal process, we will
give the green light to go through the budget process, but not before that
point. That seems, to this government at least, to be the appropriate process.
Similar staged processes apply to all the projects that the member mentioned.
The fact is that each project will be considered in its own budgetary cycle,
one by one, when all the preliminary work is done. That is what happened under
the previous government and that is what happens under this government. All
those projects that the member mentioned have to be considered in the context
of the fact that this government is spending a massive amount of money on
easing congestion for road users in Western Australia. By virtue of all those
projects that the member mentioned, which will all be considered in due course
according to appropriate procedure through the budget cycle, there will be more
expenditure to come.
The member has heard already—I will not repeat them—the
submissions made by the Minister for Transport about what has already been
spent.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
That wasn't the question.
Mr C.C. PORTER : I
know; I am coming to the question, member.
The point is that an enormous amount of the state government's
resources and taxpayers' money is being directed at alleviating what is
clearly a problem in a city in which the population is growing very rapidly.
Some estimates of that population growth are between 1 000 and 1 300 people a
week. That is a very challenging set of circumstances.
The member listed a range of projects that are being
considered by the government and will be considered in the subject of budgetary
analysis. They are not in the budgets at the moment; they do not appear as line
items. If I use Roe Highway stage 8 as one example, this is how the process for
a project like Roe stage 8 works. Yes, the concept plans are there. There is a
government commitment to that project. It goes through rigorous analysis by the
Department of Environment and Conservation and environmental authorities. I
understand that analysis is due later this year. Once we, as government, are
informed that project is environmentally viable and can be built without damaging
the wetlands around Bibra Lake and it is through the appeal process, we will
give the green light to go through the budget process, but not before that
point. That seems, to this government at least, to be the appropriate process.
Similar staged processes apply to all the projects that the member mentioned.
The fact is that each project will be considered in its own budgetary cycle,
one by one, when all the preliminary work is done. That is what happened under
the previous government and that is what happens under this government. All
those projects that the member mentioned have to be considered in the context
of the fact that this government is spending a massive amount of money on
easing congestion for road users in Western Australia. By virtue of all those
projects that the member mentioned, which will all be considered in due course
according to appropriate procedure through the budget cycle, there will be more
expenditure to come.
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