❓ The Premier provides an update on Metronet projects, particularly the Morley-Ellenbrook line, contrasting the current government's progress with past Liberal Party promises. He also outlines future public transport expansion plans, including a potential expansion of ferry services.
AnsweredQoN 108Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
108. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's significant expansion of affordable public transport
services across the state.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on the delivery
of key Metronet projects, including the Morley–Ellenbrook train
line?
(2) Can the
Premier inform the house what planning this government is undertaking for
future expansion of our public transport system?
108. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's significant expansion of affordable public transport
services across the state.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on the delivery
of key Metronet projects, including the Morley–Ellenbrook train
line?
(2) Can the
Premier inform the house what planning this government is undertaking for
future expansion of our public transport system?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for the question. Let me pose one to all members assembled:
Do members recall the Liberal Party promising to build the Ellenbrook rail line
in 2008? Do they remember that? I think we do. For eight and a half years they
came up with every excuse. They included, ''It was never a core promise'',
''We did not mean to promise it'', ''The rail line is not
needed until 2035'', and ''We will provide a bus instead.''
Of course, we all remember the Metro Area Express.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Thank you, member for Cannington.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members!
Mr R.H. COOK : For those who do not recall, here is a bit of
MAX merchandise—a USB stick—that they produced at the time. As we all know, the Liberal
government lied to the people of Ellenbrook, not only once but again in 2013 .
When the WA Labor government was elected in 2017, we started from scratch to
right the wrong. The ghosts of broken Liberal Party promises have haunted the
Minister for Transport for many years, as she works tirelessly to make up for all the bad things that members
opposite did to those people. As the transport minister and local member ,
she has driven the Morley–Ellenbrook line project with an all-consuming
passion.
A week ago, I drove to
Ellenbrook and saw the great new Ellenbrook train station. Before my eyes,
Metronet came to life. When the people of Ellenbrook are eventually
connected through the Metronet system, they will have a 30-minute commute into
the city—a similar commute to mine from the Wellard train station. It
is a sign that Metronet is steaming ahead towards completion and the work is
starting to come to fruition. In the south east, we also have the Byford rail
extension that continues to make huge progress, and the Armadale line level
crossing removals and viaduct construction
is going ahead at a pace. The Thornlie–Cockburn Link will soon form
Perth's first east–west cross line connection, and the
new Bayswater station is now open and becoming a worldclass junction of the
Midland, airport and Morley–Ellenbrook Metronet lines.
This is not remarkable; we are simply doing what we said we
would do. We did not, like the Liberal Party, lie to the people of Western Australia.
As Metronet steams along, we are now looking to apply its success in other
parts of the network. We are seeing an incredible activation of the Swan River.
We have seen successful ferry systems in other states and we have watched the
growing popularity of our existing route between Perth and South Perth. In
fact, January was our busiest ever month for the ferry service, with nearly 110
000 boardings compared with just 49 000 in January 2022, but we have never
fully cracked the code for expanding beyond that one ferry route in Perth. As
our city continues to grow and improve, we are now giving a rethink to an
expanded system for not only commuters, but also tourists and locals as another
way to enjoy the city. We have already heard that people are getting excited
about the prospect of a shortcut between Applecross and Matilda Bay, then a short
walk to the University of Western Australia
or Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, or a leisurely ride connecting the
Raffles Hotel to Optus Stadium. There are a lot of options to consider
and we will be finalising the business case for the proposal very soon.
The government remains focused on its long-term vision of
transforming public transport in Western Australia. It is not about us and it
is not about media stunts; it is about doing what is right for WA. We are on
the cusp of an enormous economic and social transformation of our state and
city, and we will have more choice than ever. There will be more choice in
housing, more choice in transport, more choice of jobs, more choice of entertainment
and so much more, and we will have the schools and hospitals necessary to match
this growth. Under my government, we will continue to be the powerhouse of the
national economy.
I thank the member for the question. Let me pose one to all members assembled:
Do members recall the Liberal Party promising to build the Ellenbrook rail line
in 2008? Do they remember that? I think we do. For eight and a half years they
came up with every excuse. They included, ''It was never a core promise'',
''We did not mean to promise it'', ''The rail line is not
needed until 2035'', and ''We will provide a bus instead.''
Of course, we all remember the Metro Area Express.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Thank you, member for Cannington.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members!
Mr R.H. COOK : For those who do not recall, here is a bit of
MAX merchandise—a USB stick—that they produced at the time. As we all know, the Liberal
government lied to the people of Ellenbrook, not only once but again in 2013 .
When the WA Labor government was elected in 2017, we started from scratch to
right the wrong. The ghosts of broken Liberal Party promises have haunted the
Minister for Transport for many years, as she works tirelessly to make up for all the bad things that members
opposite did to those people. As the transport minister and local member ,
she has driven the Morley–Ellenbrook line project with an all-consuming
passion.
A week ago, I drove to
Ellenbrook and saw the great new Ellenbrook train station. Before my eyes,
Metronet came to life. When the people of Ellenbrook are eventually
connected through the Metronet system, they will have a 30-minute commute into
the city—a similar commute to mine from the Wellard train station. It
is a sign that Metronet is steaming ahead towards completion and the work is
starting to come to fruition. In the south east, we also have the Byford rail
extension that continues to make huge progress, and the Armadale line level
crossing removals and viaduct construction
is going ahead at a pace. The Thornlie–Cockburn Link will soon form
Perth's first east–west cross line connection, and the
new Bayswater station is now open and becoming a worldclass junction of the
Midland, airport and Morley–Ellenbrook Metronet lines.
This is not remarkable; we are simply doing what we said we
would do. We did not, like the Liberal Party, lie to the people of Western Australia.
As Metronet steams along, we are now looking to apply its success in other
parts of the network. We are seeing an incredible activation of the Swan River.
We have seen successful ferry systems in other states and we have watched the
growing popularity of our existing route between Perth and South Perth. In
fact, January was our busiest ever month for the ferry service, with nearly 110
000 boardings compared with just 49 000 in January 2022, but we have never
fully cracked the code for expanding beyond that one ferry route in Perth. As
our city continues to grow and improve, we are now giving a rethink to an
expanded system for not only commuters, but also tourists and locals as another
way to enjoy the city. We have already heard that people are getting excited
about the prospect of a shortcut between Applecross and Matilda Bay, then a short
walk to the University of Western Australia
or Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, or a leisurely ride connecting the
Raffles Hotel to Optus Stadium. There are a lot of options to consider
and we will be finalising the business case for the proposal very soon.
The government remains focused on its long-term vision of
transforming public transport in Western Australia. It is not about us and it
is not about media stunts; it is about doing what is right for WA. We are on
the cusp of an enormous economic and social transformation of our state and
city, and we will have more choice than ever. There will be more choice in
housing, more choice in transport, more choice of jobs, more choice of entertainment
and so much more, and we will have the schools and hospitals necessary to match
this growth. Under my government, we will continue to be the powerhouse of the
national economy.
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