❓ Question regarding the allocation of funds from speed and red-light cameras to road safety initiatives, specifically the Berkshire Road intersection upgrade. The Minister details funding allocations and criticises the member for Forrestfield's involvement.
AnsweredQoN 308Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVES
308. Mr P. ABETZ to the Minister for Transport:
Before I ask my question I would like, on behalf of the
member for Carine, to acknowledge the Karrinyup Rotary Exchange students in the
gallery: Camille Colyn from Belgium, Leona Murakami from Japan and their host
family supervisor, Carolyn Prunster.
I understand that money received from speed and red-light
cameras is now flowing into road safety initiatives such as the upgrade of the
incredibly hazardous Berkshire Road intersection. Can the minister please
advise how Main Roads will utilise this funding to make our metropolitan roads
safer?
308. Mr P. ABETZ to the Minister for Transport:
Before I ask my question I would like, on behalf of the
member for Carine, to acknowledge the Karrinyup Rotary Exchange students in the
gallery: Camille Colyn from Belgium, Leona Murakami from Japan and their host
family supervisor, Carolyn Prunster.
I understand that money received from speed and red-light
cameras is now flowing into road safety initiatives such as the upgrade of the
incredibly hazardous Berkshire Road intersection. Can the minister please
advise how Main Roads will utilise this funding to make our metropolitan roads
safer?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Southern River for the question.
Before I answer, I acknowledge on behalf of the member for South Perth, and for
the third time this week, a group of year 8s from Penrhos College in his
electorate; they must have a large number of year 8s—either that, or
they are enjoying it so much they keep coming back! Secondly, on behalf of the
member for Murray–Wellington, I acknowledge the presence in the public
gallery of students from Harvey Primary School.
It is a very good question, member for Southern River. I have
to acknowledge, before I start, the efforts of the Minister for Police; Road
Safety in securing this incredibly important funding source for road safety in
Western Australia. I think it would be fair to say, Minister for Police, that
it was not always an easy row to hoe, but it was a conclusion and a good
outcome he achieved on behalf of all Western Australians. It means that this
year in metropolitan Perth and across country Western Australia, there will be
around $41.7 million of additional funding available to invest in roads to help
them make them safer. There is $41.7 million of funding to fix intersections
and to fix roads in the country that people have historically run off. It is a
great outcome.
There have already been a number of announcements in this
area. Perhaps I will just touch on a few before I talk about that very, very
important intersection at Berkshire Road and Roe Highway. There is $1.3 million
for Ennis Avenue, Grange Drive and Elanora Drive—I think that is in the
member for Rockingham's electorate; $1.3 million for the intersection
of South Street and Findlay Road, which may be in the member for Bateman's
electorate, but I could be a little bit off with that one; $2.6 million for the
Albany Highway and Liege Street intersection in the City of Canning; $2.1
million for Reid Highway and Malaga Drive in the City of Swan; and some $8
million for Reid Highway and Lord Street, which we have talked about many times
with the member for Swan Hills.
Importantly, the top of the pack so far is the $15 million to
fund the much-needed upgrade of Berkshire Road and Roe Highway out in
Forrestfield. I went out there a couple of weeks ago to announce the money. I
think it would be fair to say that it was welcomed warmly by the Shire of
Kalamunda. I have a photo here from the local paper, the Echo News. On the front page of the Echo News , members can
see the shire president of Kalamunda, Mr Donald McKechnie, and Dylan O'Connor,
the ward councillor who claimed this was the last of the great achievements he
wanted for the people who lived in his ward. I happened to be there, by chance,
as was the member for East Metropolitan Region Hon Alyssa Hayden, who has
worked so hard to deliver this outcome, and the Liberal candidate, Nathan Morton,
who has done a lot to help —
Mr C.J. Barnett :
He's done a good job.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
He has done a great job, Premier, in helping us increase local community
awareness. The one person missing from this is the local member, the member for
Forrestfield. He is not in it, because he did not do anything to help deliver
the outcome.
Mr A.J. Waddell : I
was there, though, wasn't I? You wouldn't let me be in the
photograph.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
We will talk about that in a second, my friend. You were there, all right.
The member for Forrestfield has done two things. He wrote a
letter and asked us what we were going to do in the next 30 years to fix the
intersection. The answer is we are fixing it now. He went out there with the
Leader of the Opposition and announced money to fund it, although of course
that money has already been allocated to another road project. He went out
there and promised to spend the same dollar twice to fix his problem road. The
member for Forrestfield was there. I am pleased he raised the issue; I was not
going to. The member for Forrestfield was there with his new ALP political
fixer, a chap by the name by Luke Walladge—I could be wrong and I am
sure he would correct me. We pulled up in a car and we went to have our photo
taken. Mr Walladge—the puppet master and puppeteer—was there
and the member for Forrestfield followed directions. We tried to get a photo
taken, and he snuck up behind us. He crept around. Luke Walladge was pointing,
telling him where to go and stand. He said, ''Get over there and get in
the photo! Quick!'' The member for Forrestfield crept along the side of
the Roe Highway and he popped up at the back of the photo, but we spotted him.
So we moved. Mr Luke Walladge grabbed him and got him and said, ''Get
back in that photo!'' The hired ALP muscle is in the seat, I think, for
three days a week helping the member for Forrestfield recover from his shoddy
performance over the last four years as an MP. I hope Mr Walladge is good. In
the end, we did not want the member for Forrestfield in the photo, and the
media did not want him in the photo, so we crossed the road and had the photo
taken on the other side of the road.
That Mr Walladge is a smart character. I will tell members
one thing about Mr Walladge. The member for Forrestfield had better be careful
of Mr Walladge. Mr Walladge was the individual —
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Sometimes looking at the Speaker might help, member for Mandurah. You have a
fine voice, but on this occasion I will formally call you to order for the
first time, not because you are responding in the way you are but simply
because I am on my feet and you continued to speak. Minister for Transport, I
am sure to a certain extent you might expect this reaction. I am going to
basically provide you with an opportunity at this point. If you wish to address
the question you have been asked and provide some relevant information, I will
enable you to do that. But if you continue to provide information that I might
consider irrelevant to the question, I will sit you down.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
As I was about to say, that $15 million upgrade is most welcome by the people
of Forrestfield, by the shire president and by the ward councillor. The member
for Forrestfield was not in the photo because he has done nothing to advance
the cause of the upgrade of this intersection. Mr Walladge nearly got in the
photo. I was just going to close by giving a warning about Mr Walladge. The
member should go and ask Sharryn Jackson who gave the media all the information
about her position in government. It was Luke Walladge. If I were the member
for Forrestfield, I would be very careful what documents I left lying around my
office.
Before I answer, I acknowledge on behalf of the member for South Perth, and for
the third time this week, a group of year 8s from Penrhos College in his
electorate; they must have a large number of year 8s—either that, or
they are enjoying it so much they keep coming back! Secondly, on behalf of the
member for Murray–Wellington, I acknowledge the presence in the public
gallery of students from Harvey Primary School.
It is a very good question, member for Southern River. I have
to acknowledge, before I start, the efforts of the Minister for Police; Road
Safety in securing this incredibly important funding source for road safety in
Western Australia. I think it would be fair to say, Minister for Police, that
it was not always an easy row to hoe, but it was a conclusion and a good
outcome he achieved on behalf of all Western Australians. It means that this
year in metropolitan Perth and across country Western Australia, there will be
around $41.7 million of additional funding available to invest in roads to help
them make them safer. There is $41.7 million of funding to fix intersections
and to fix roads in the country that people have historically run off. It is a
great outcome.
There have already been a number of announcements in this
area. Perhaps I will just touch on a few before I talk about that very, very
important intersection at Berkshire Road and Roe Highway. There is $1.3 million
for Ennis Avenue, Grange Drive and Elanora Drive—I think that is in the
member for Rockingham's electorate; $1.3 million for the intersection
of South Street and Findlay Road, which may be in the member for Bateman's
electorate, but I could be a little bit off with that one; $2.6 million for the
Albany Highway and Liege Street intersection in the City of Canning; $2.1
million for Reid Highway and Malaga Drive in the City of Swan; and some $8
million for Reid Highway and Lord Street, which we have talked about many times
with the member for Swan Hills.
Importantly, the top of the pack so far is the $15 million to
fund the much-needed upgrade of Berkshire Road and Roe Highway out in
Forrestfield. I went out there a couple of weeks ago to announce the money. I
think it would be fair to say that it was welcomed warmly by the Shire of
Kalamunda. I have a photo here from the local paper, the Echo News. On the front page of the Echo News , members can
see the shire president of Kalamunda, Mr Donald McKechnie, and Dylan O'Connor,
the ward councillor who claimed this was the last of the great achievements he
wanted for the people who lived in his ward. I happened to be there, by chance,
as was the member for East Metropolitan Region Hon Alyssa Hayden, who has
worked so hard to deliver this outcome, and the Liberal candidate, Nathan Morton,
who has done a lot to help —
Mr C.J. Barnett :
He's done a good job.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
He has done a great job, Premier, in helping us increase local community
awareness. The one person missing from this is the local member, the member for
Forrestfield. He is not in it, because he did not do anything to help deliver
the outcome.
Mr A.J. Waddell : I
was there, though, wasn't I? You wouldn't let me be in the
photograph.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
We will talk about that in a second, my friend. You were there, all right.
The member for Forrestfield has done two things. He wrote a
letter and asked us what we were going to do in the next 30 years to fix the
intersection. The answer is we are fixing it now. He went out there with the
Leader of the Opposition and announced money to fund it, although of course
that money has already been allocated to another road project. He went out
there and promised to spend the same dollar twice to fix his problem road. The
member for Forrestfield was there. I am pleased he raised the issue; I was not
going to. The member for Forrestfield was there with his new ALP political
fixer, a chap by the name by Luke Walladge—I could be wrong and I am
sure he would correct me. We pulled up in a car and we went to have our photo
taken. Mr Walladge—the puppet master and puppeteer—was there
and the member for Forrestfield followed directions. We tried to get a photo
taken, and he snuck up behind us. He crept around. Luke Walladge was pointing,
telling him where to go and stand. He said, ''Get over there and get in
the photo! Quick!'' The member for Forrestfield crept along the side of
the Roe Highway and he popped up at the back of the photo, but we spotted him.
So we moved. Mr Luke Walladge grabbed him and got him and said, ''Get
back in that photo!'' The hired ALP muscle is in the seat, I think, for
three days a week helping the member for Forrestfield recover from his shoddy
performance over the last four years as an MP. I hope Mr Walladge is good. In
the end, we did not want the member for Forrestfield in the photo, and the
media did not want him in the photo, so we crossed the road and had the photo
taken on the other side of the road.
That Mr Walladge is a smart character. I will tell members
one thing about Mr Walladge. The member for Forrestfield had better be careful
of Mr Walladge. Mr Walladge was the individual —
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Sometimes looking at the Speaker might help, member for Mandurah. You have a
fine voice, but on this occasion I will formally call you to order for the
first time, not because you are responding in the way you are but simply
because I am on my feet and you continued to speak. Minister for Transport, I
am sure to a certain extent you might expect this reaction. I am going to
basically provide you with an opportunity at this point. If you wish to address
the question you have been asked and provide some relevant information, I will
enable you to do that. But if you continue to provide information that I might
consider irrelevant to the question, I will sit you down.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
As I was about to say, that $15 million upgrade is most welcome by the people
of Forrestfield, by the shire president and by the ward councillor. The member
for Forrestfield was not in the photo because he has done nothing to advance
the cause of the upgrade of this intersection. Mr Walladge nearly got in the
photo. I was just going to close by giving a warning about Mr Walladge. The
member should go and ask Sharryn Jackson who gave the media all the information
about her position in government. It was Luke Walladge. If I were the member
for Forrestfield, I would be very careful what documents I left lying around my
office.
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