❓ The Minister for Transport updates the house on the government's efforts to bring road maintenance jobs back in-house at Main Roads WA, including in Manjimup, highlighting job creation and reversing privatisation efforts.
AnsweredQoN 759Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MAIN ROADS —
MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS
759. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the efforts of the
McGowan Labor government to create jobs and drive economic opportunities across
regional Western Australia, as well as its commitment to bring services that
were privatised by the Liberals and Nationals back into public hands. Can the
minister update the house on the government's efforts to bring road
maintenance jobs back in-house at Main Roads Western Australia, including in
Manjimup?
MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS
759. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the efforts of the
McGowan Labor government to create jobs and drive economic opportunities across
regional Western Australia, as well as its commitment to bring services that
were privatised by the Liberals and Nationals back into public hands. Can the
minister update the house on the government's efforts to bring road
maintenance jobs back in-house at Main Roads Western Australia, including in
Manjimup?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for that question. Of course, as
was noted yesterday in this place, many of us got to spend Sunday and
Monday in her electorate. What a great time we had! We also saw firsthand the
strong advocacy and representation this member is giving to those regional
communities.
We all know that the previous
Liberal–National government was very much focused on privatising,
outsourcing and losing regional jobs. That was the focus of the Liberals and
Nationals in government. One of the decisions we have made is to bring Main
Roads network contracts back in-house, which will create 660 permanent jobs,
with 490 of those in regional WA. It will mean better pay and conditions for
the workers. It will mean increased access to leave. Of course, it will mean
that the government can be far better and far more efficient in delivering
services across the state. So far, we have
brought 41 workers back into Main Roads in the wheatbelt, and 50 workers
through the midwest and Gascoyne. Members will be happy to know that
next year will be a big one, with workers coming back in-house in the
goldfields, the Pilbara, the great southern and the south west, as well as
throughout the metropolitan area. That will be huge for those communities.
Of
course, Manjimup will now get a new Main Roads office right in the middle of
town. This new Main Roads office will accommodate 20 employees,
including a project manager; network inspection and operations personnel;
maintenance, safety and environmental officers; and business support officers.
The new Rose Street office will be central and workers will be able to access
all the great cafes and other activities happening in town. We will make sure
that Main Roads is back in the centre of those regional communities. We all saw
on Monday and Sunday how these towns and communities have so much opportunity
and are under so much pressure. More and more people want to live there. We can look at the significant economic activity
that is happening around the area and, of course , the produce that
continues to come from that town. We know that Manjimup and surrounding towns
will continue to grow, and we really want to support that. We are so pleased to
be reversing the privatisation that happened under the Liberal–National
government—the sacking of regional workers that happened under its
watch. We are now bringing permanent employees back to our regional towns.
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for that question. Of course, as
was noted yesterday in this place, many of us got to spend Sunday and
Monday in her electorate. What a great time we had! We also saw firsthand the
strong advocacy and representation this member is giving to those regional
communities.
We all know that the previous
Liberal–National government was very much focused on privatising,
outsourcing and losing regional jobs. That was the focus of the Liberals and
Nationals in government. One of the decisions we have made is to bring Main
Roads network contracts back in-house, which will create 660 permanent jobs,
with 490 of those in regional WA. It will mean better pay and conditions for
the workers. It will mean increased access to leave. Of course, it will mean
that the government can be far better and far more efficient in delivering
services across the state. So far, we have
brought 41 workers back into Main Roads in the wheatbelt, and 50 workers
through the midwest and Gascoyne. Members will be happy to know that
next year will be a big one, with workers coming back in-house in the
goldfields, the Pilbara, the great southern and the south west, as well as
throughout the metropolitan area. That will be huge for those communities.
Of
course, Manjimup will now get a new Main Roads office right in the middle of
town. This new Main Roads office will accommodate 20 employees,
including a project manager; network inspection and operations personnel;
maintenance, safety and environmental officers; and business support officers.
The new Rose Street office will be central and workers will be able to access
all the great cafes and other activities happening in town. We will make sure
that Main Roads is back in the centre of those regional communities. We all saw
on Monday and Sunday how these towns and communities have so much opportunity
and are under so much pressure. More and more people want to live there. We can look at the significant economic activity
that is happening around the area and, of course , the produce that
continues to come from that town. We know that Manjimup and surrounding towns
will continue to grow, and we really want to support that. We are so pleased to
be reversing the privatisation that happened under the Liberal–National
government—the sacking of regional workers that happened under its
watch. We are now bringing permanent employees back to our regional towns.
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