❓ Question regarding the Cook Labor government's investment in Kimberley road infrastructure, particularly the Fitzroy River Bridge. The Minister provides an update and then criticizes the opposition's focus on metropolitan issues.
AnsweredQoN 618Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE —
KIMBERLEY REGION
618. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record $5.3 billion investment in roads in regional Western Australia. Can the minister please update the house on the work
to improve major roads in the Kimberley, including the construction of
the new Fitzroy River Bridge, and can the minister outline this government's
commitment to regional WA compared with that of those opposite?
KIMBERLEY REGION
618. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record $5.3 billion investment in roads in regional Western Australia. Can the minister please update the house on the work
to improve major roads in the Kimberley, including the construction of
the new Fitzroy River Bridge, and can the minister outline this government's
commitment to regional WA compared with that of those opposite?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kimberley for
that question. Of course, a lot of work is being undertaken at the moment to
cross the Kimberley, in particular in relation to the Fitzroy River and the new
bridge that is being built to support the reconnection across the river.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent. In particular, we have seen a major
milestone met over the past week for the Fitzroy River. The seven piers have
been built and we are now constructing the deck over that river. From the
contract commencing in March to being at this point now at which the deck is
being constructed with an incremental launch process is a magnificent
milestone. We have done it through the cooperation of the local community and
industry and through government. We are employing hundreds of workers, including 132 local people being
employed on the project, and $11 million has been spent on Aboriginal owned businesses. The key point I want to make is
that there has been cooperation and coordination across industry ,
whether it be the concrete yards or the steel producers, to get the bridge to
this point. We look forward to further progress being made very soon. As I said,
it is an incremental launch. The first section has been launched and a second
section will be launched through this week.
Of course, we have commenced sealing
Tanami Road, work is underway on Great Northern Highway in particular, and
further works are happening across the Kimberley, including further works at
Cape Leveque Road and other roads in the area.
Members will be appreciative of the
work that has been undertaken, but it is always good to see what the opposition
priority is on these matters. The opposition member in that area who has been
quite critical of the work undertaken in
that area is now very much focused on the city in Cottesloe. Members will want
to know about this, because it is quite interesting. We have seen the Nationals
WA wanting to delve into Liberal Party seats. The National Party wants to chase
densely populated areas, but it seems there is a lockout from the seat of
Cottesloe—a lockout! On Saturday, there is to be a Cottesloe traffic
forum, at which will be the member for Cottesloe, the opposition spokesperson
on Metronet—or opposition spokesperson against Metronet—and Hon Neil Thomson , MLC, shadow Minister for Planning; Transport. As I recall, the Leader
of the Opposition is the shadow spokesperson on transport. What has happened, Leader of the Opposition? Has he lost
the shadow Minister for Transport position? Is there a lockout? What is happening? Not only is the member for
Cottesloe locking out the National Party, he has taken their portfolios, too!
Ms J.J. Shaw: Just like
Scomo!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Good one. Hon
Neil Thomson swore himself in as the shadow Minister for Transport!
I am upset on the Leader of the Opposition's
behalf. I am incensed on his behalf that the member for Cottesloe— who I know said, ''just ignore it''
because I just heard him—is holding a traffic forum in the western
suburbs because of density, but it is the Nationals WA members who are
going after densely populated areas, so we would think that they would want to
be invited. Members, I do not know what is happening! I am incensed and
disappointed on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition that the upper house
member for the Kimberley is coming down to hold a traffic forum in Cottesloe,
pretending to be the opposition's spokesperson for transport. I do not
know what is happening over there. There are six of them; we would think that
they could sort out who is the opposition's spokesperson for transport—I
do not know!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Really? As I said,
I am offended on the Leader of the Opposition's behalf. I will give the
Leader of the Opposition the flyer. I would like to see him turn up and talk
about those traffic issues in the western suburbs and, in particular, make sure
to outshine the Liberal Party member for Kimberley who is pretending to be the
shadow Minister for Transport.
that question. Of course, a lot of work is being undertaken at the moment to
cross the Kimberley, in particular in relation to the Fitzroy River and the new
bridge that is being built to support the reconnection across the river.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent. In particular, we have seen a major
milestone met over the past week for the Fitzroy River. The seven piers have
been built and we are now constructing the deck over that river. From the
contract commencing in March to being at this point now at which the deck is
being constructed with an incremental launch process is a magnificent
milestone. We have done it through the cooperation of the local community and
industry and through government. We are employing hundreds of workers, including 132 local people being
employed on the project, and $11 million has been spent on Aboriginal owned businesses. The key point I want to make is
that there has been cooperation and coordination across industry ,
whether it be the concrete yards or the steel producers, to get the bridge to
this point. We look forward to further progress being made very soon. As I said,
it is an incremental launch. The first section has been launched and a second
section will be launched through this week.
Of course, we have commenced sealing
Tanami Road, work is underway on Great Northern Highway in particular, and
further works are happening across the Kimberley, including further works at
Cape Leveque Road and other roads in the area.
Members will be appreciative of the
work that has been undertaken, but it is always good to see what the opposition
priority is on these matters. The opposition member in that area who has been
quite critical of the work undertaken in
that area is now very much focused on the city in Cottesloe. Members will want
to know about this, because it is quite interesting. We have seen the Nationals
WA wanting to delve into Liberal Party seats. The National Party wants to chase
densely populated areas, but it seems there is a lockout from the seat of
Cottesloe—a lockout! On Saturday, there is to be a Cottesloe traffic
forum, at which will be the member for Cottesloe, the opposition spokesperson
on Metronet—or opposition spokesperson against Metronet—and Hon Neil Thomson , MLC, shadow Minister for Planning; Transport. As I recall, the Leader
of the Opposition is the shadow spokesperson on transport. What has happened, Leader of the Opposition? Has he lost
the shadow Minister for Transport position? Is there a lockout? What is happening? Not only is the member for
Cottesloe locking out the National Party, he has taken their portfolios, too!
Ms J.J. Shaw: Just like
Scomo!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Good one. Hon
Neil Thomson swore himself in as the shadow Minister for Transport!
I am upset on the Leader of the Opposition's
behalf. I am incensed on his behalf that the member for Cottesloe— who I know said, ''just ignore it''
because I just heard him—is holding a traffic forum in the western
suburbs because of density, but it is the Nationals WA members who are
going after densely populated areas, so we would think that they would want to
be invited. Members, I do not know what is happening! I am incensed and
disappointed on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition that the upper house
member for the Kimberley is coming down to hold a traffic forum in Cottesloe,
pretending to be the opposition's spokesperson for transport. I do not
know what is happening over there. There are six of them; we would think that
they could sort out who is the opposition's spokesperson for transport—I
do not know!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Really? As I said,
I am offended on the Leader of the Opposition's behalf. I will give the
Leader of the Opposition the flyer. I would like to see him turn up and talk
about those traffic issues in the western suburbs and, in particular, make sure
to outshine the Liberal Party member for Kimberley who is pretending to be the
shadow Minister for Transport.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.