❓ The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure announces Commonwealth funding for the Ord River bridge, addressing the critical need for flood-proofing the Great Northern Highway and supporting key industries in the Kimberley region.
AnsweredQoN 906Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister advise the House if there has been any further progress on the funding for the Ord River bridge in the Kimberley? Ms MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, and for her continuing advocacy on the unmet need for road infrastructure in her electorate. I am please to advise that the Commonwealth Government confirmed earlier this week that funding would at last be made available for the construction of the much-needed Ord River bridge. As you will know, Mr Speaker, from these question times, for many months we have been urging the commonwealth authorities to match the statements that they have made and to approve the funding for this important project as soon as possible so that the bridge can be built before the onset of the next wet season. This recent approval will now enable Main Roads to proceed to tender immediately and have the contract in place by July. The bridge will be 240 metres long and have 12 spans, and we hope to have it completed by December this year. This bridge will replace the low-level crossing on Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra and will be an important part of flood-proofing the national highway in the Kimberley. This highway serves as a major connection between the fast-growing mining, cattle, horticultural and agricultural industries in the East Kimberley and Halls Creek Shires. For that reason, the many and prolonged closures of the road due to flooding are now reaching an unacceptable level. In our view, the Kimberley portion of the national highway has been neglected in recent years. We have signalled to the federal Government that this upgrade is a top priority for Western Australia. Therefore, it is very pleasing to be able to secure that funding at this time, because it will allow us to use the limited window of opportunity for construction.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, and for her continuing advocacy on the unmet need for road infrastructure in her electorate. I am please to advise that the Commonwealth Government confirmed earlier this week that funding would at last be made available for the construction of the much-needed Ord River bridge. As you will know, Mr Speaker, from these question times, for many months we have been urging the commonwealth authorities to match the statements that they have made and to approve the funding for this important project as soon as possible so that the bridge can be built before the onset of the next wet season. This recent approval will now enable Main Roads to proceed to tender immediately and have the contract in place by July. The bridge will be 240 metres long and have 12 spans, and we hope to have it completed by December this year. This bridge will replace the low-level crossing on Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra and will be an important part of flood-proofing the national highway in the Kimberley. This highway serves as a major connection between the fast-growing mining, cattle, horticultural and agricultural industries in the East Kimberley and Halls Creek Shires. For that reason, the many and prolonged closures of the road due to flooding are now reaching an unacceptable level. In our view, the Kimberley portion of the national highway has been neglected in recent years. We have signalled to the federal Government that this upgrade is a top priority for Western Australia. Therefore, it is very pleasing to be able to secure that funding at this time, because it will allow us to use the limited window of opportunity for construction.
I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, and for her continuing advocacy on the unmet need for road infrastructure in her electorate. I am please to advise that the Commonwealth Government confirmed earlier this week that funding would at last be made available for the construction of the much-needed Ord River bridge. As you will know, Mr Speaker, from these question times, for many months we have been urging the commonwealth authorities to match the statements that they have made and to approve the funding for this important project as soon as possible so that the bridge can be built before the onset of the next wet season. This recent approval will now enable Main Roads to proceed to tender immediately and have the contract in place by July. The bridge will be 240 metres long and have 12 spans, and we hope to have it completed by December this year. This bridge will replace the low-level crossing on Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra and will be an important part of flood-proofing the national highway in the Kimberley. This highway serves as a major connection between the fast-growing mining, cattle, horticultural and agricultural industries in the East Kimberley and Halls Creek Shires. For that reason, the many and prolonged closures of the road due to flooding are now reaching an unacceptable level. In our view, the Kimberley portion of the national highway has been neglected in recent years. We have signalled to the federal Government that this upgrade is a top priority for Western Australia. Therefore, it is very pleasing to be able to secure that funding at this time, because it will allow us to use the limited window of opportunity for construction.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, and for her continuing advocacy on the unmet need for road infrastructure in her electorate. I am please to advise that the Commonwealth Government confirmed earlier this week that funding would at last be made available for the construction of the much-needed Ord River bridge. As you will know, Mr Speaker, from these question times, for many months we have been urging the commonwealth authorities to match the statements that they have made and to approve the funding for this important project as soon as possible so that the bridge can be built before the onset of the next wet season. This recent approval will now enable Main Roads to proceed to tender immediately and have the contract in place by July. The bridge will be 240 metres long and have 12 spans, and we hope to have it completed by December this year. This bridge will replace the low-level crossing on Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra and will be an important part of flood-proofing the national highway in the Kimberley. This highway serves as a major connection between the fast-growing mining, cattle, horticultural and agricultural industries in the East Kimberley and Halls Creek Shires. For that reason, the many and prolonged closures of the road due to flooding are now reaching an unacceptable level. In our view, the Kimberley portion of the national highway has been neglected in recent years. We have signalled to the federal Government that this upgrade is a top priority for Western Australia. Therefore, it is very pleasing to be able to secure that funding at this time, because it will allow us to use the limited window of opportunity for construction.
I thank the member for Kimberley for the question, and for her continuing advocacy on the unmet need for road infrastructure in her electorate. I am please to advise that the Commonwealth Government confirmed earlier this week that funding would at last be made available for the construction of the much-needed Ord River bridge. As you will know, Mr Speaker, from these question times, for many months we have been urging the commonwealth authorities to match the statements that they have made and to approve the funding for this important project as soon as possible so that the bridge can be built before the onset of the next wet season. This recent approval will now enable Main Roads to proceed to tender immediately and have the contract in place by July. The bridge will be 240 metres long and have 12 spans, and we hope to have it completed by December this year. This bridge will replace the low-level crossing on Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra and will be an important part of flood-proofing the national highway in the Kimberley. This highway serves as a major connection between the fast-growing mining, cattle, horticultural and agricultural industries in the East Kimberley and Halls Creek Shires. For that reason, the many and prolonged closures of the road due to flooding are now reaching an unacceptable level. In our view, the Kimberley portion of the national highway has been neglected in recent years. We have signalled to the federal Government that this upgrade is a top priority for Western Australia. Therefore, it is very pleasing to be able to secure that funding at this time, because it will allow us to use the limited window of opportunity for construction.
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