❓ Question regarding delays to the Merredin train station accessibility upgrade, originally scheduled for completion in April 2022. The Minister blames privatization of rail lines by the Nationals WA for the delays.
AnsweredQoN 149Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MERREDIN TRAIN STATION — ACCESSIBILITY
149. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
announcement made back in November 2021 that funding would be provided to
deliver a raised safe access platform at Merredin railway station to be
completed by April 2022.
(1) Why has work not commenced on a
project that should have been completed nearly 12 months ago?
(2) Given that the tender is due to expire in May
2023, is there any risk that the work will need to be re-tendered and
blow out the completion time any further?
149. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
announcement made back in November 2021 that funding would be provided to
deliver a raised safe access platform at Merredin railway station to be
completed by April 2022.
(1) Why has work not commenced on a
project that should have been completed nearly 12 months ago?
(2) Given that the tender is due to expire in May
2023, is there any risk that the work will need to be re-tendered and
blow out the completion time any further?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for the question.
(1)–(2) One of the key issues has been the negotiations
between the tenderer and Arc Infrastructure, because you know what? The
Nationals WA sold the rail lines throughout regional WA. One of the issues has
been the inability of the two parties to reach agreement on access to the
works. I will tell the member this: around Western
Australia, sometimes it is a bit tricky to negotiate with a third party to
upgrade works to benefit the community because you privatised the rail lines,
and then you shut them down! That is one of the key reasons those works were
not delivered at the time we expected. We will continue to drive to
deliver improvements in this area—again, improvements that even under
eight and a half years of royalties for regions, while you were doing bumper
stickers, you could not deliver basic infrastructure upgrades at rail lines.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : I will wait for
silence. I note that this is the last question, and I give the call to the
member for Central Wheatbelt for a supplementary question.
member for the question.
(1)–(2) One of the key issues has been the negotiations
between the tenderer and Arc Infrastructure, because you know what? The
Nationals WA sold the rail lines throughout regional WA. One of the issues has
been the inability of the two parties to reach agreement on access to the
works. I will tell the member this: around Western
Australia, sometimes it is a bit tricky to negotiate with a third party to
upgrade works to benefit the community because you privatised the rail lines,
and then you shut them down! That is one of the key reasons those works were
not delivered at the time we expected. We will continue to drive to
deliver improvements in this area—again, improvements that even under
eight and a half years of royalties for regions, while you were doing bumper
stickers, you could not deliver basic infrastructure upgrades at rail lines.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : I will wait for
silence. I note that this is the last question, and I give the call to the
member for Central Wheatbelt for a supplementary question.
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