❓ Premier McGowan responds to a question about the Ellenbrook rail line route, clarifying it runs through the Marshall Road lands, not Whiteman Park itself, citing a previous government document to support the chosen route and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 760Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELLENBROOK RAIL LINE —
WHITEMAN PARK
760. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
Did
the Minister for Transport notify the Premier of her intention to run the
Ellenbrook rail line through Whiteman Park?
WHITEMAN PARK
760. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
Did
the Minister for Transport notify the Premier of her intention to run the
Ellenbrook rail line through Whiteman Park?
AnswerView source ↗
Just prior to answering that
question, on behalf of the member for Baldivis I also acknowledge the students
from South Coast Baptist College who are in the gallery today; welcome to those
students from Rockingham.
The premise of the question is
actually incorrect. The Ellenbrook rail line runs through what is known as the
Marshall Road lands, which abut Whiteman Park. I have here a document —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member for
Vasse might want to do some research. I have here a document titled —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call
you to order for the first time. Show a bit of respect to the chamber, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have here a copy
of the ''Final Whiteman Park Strategic Plan 2017–2021'',
which was issued in January 2017 by the former government, when I think Hon
Donna Faragher was the relevant minister. It refers to the Marshall Road lands,
and states —
The Marshall Road lands are
considered non-essential to the operation and integrity of Whiteman Park.
Listen to this —
Any development on the Marshall Road
lands must complement and support the core Whiteman Park land, incorporating
developments that will act as an integrator as well as a buffer between the Park
and the suburban development to the south.
The land uses identified include —
� development of a cemetery �
�
� development of areas for youth attractions �
�
� development of regional sporting fields �
All
those sorts of things. It also refers to developments that complement and
support the core Whiteman Park land. I would have thought that public
transport transporting people to Whiteman Park would be sympathetic and supportive. I would have thought that would be
obvious to anyone with enough brains to blow their hat off if they were
dynamite. I would have thought that was obvious. That is the previous
government's plan—the Marshall Road lands. There they
are, at the bottom of Whiteman Park, abutting it. As the document says, it is a
buffer for all those purposes.
What is clear from the media event on the weekend that the
Liberal Party clearly organised is that it does not support the Ellenbrook rail
line.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Here we are,
rectifying a wrong of the opposition's eight and a half years in
office, when it promised it time and again. We are rectifying a wrong, and even
from beyond its political demise at the last election, the opposition is trying
to stymie the rail line to Ellenbrook. We are trying to organise—in
fact, we are putting in place—a rail line that will provide thousands
of jobs and an important connection for the people of the north eastern suburbs
through to the city and the Midland line. That is what we are doing. All the
opposition does is go out there and whinge and carp, and come up with frankly
preposterous arguments, as proven by the document the Liberal Party released
when it was in government.
question, on behalf of the member for Baldivis I also acknowledge the students
from South Coast Baptist College who are in the gallery today; welcome to those
students from Rockingham.
The premise of the question is
actually incorrect. The Ellenbrook rail line runs through what is known as the
Marshall Road lands, which abut Whiteman Park. I have here a document —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member for
Vasse might want to do some research. I have here a document titled —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call
you to order for the first time. Show a bit of respect to the chamber, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have here a copy
of the ''Final Whiteman Park Strategic Plan 2017–2021'',
which was issued in January 2017 by the former government, when I think Hon
Donna Faragher was the relevant minister. It refers to the Marshall Road lands,
and states —
The Marshall Road lands are
considered non-essential to the operation and integrity of Whiteman Park.
Listen to this —
Any development on the Marshall Road
lands must complement and support the core Whiteman Park land, incorporating
developments that will act as an integrator as well as a buffer between the Park
and the suburban development to the south.
The land uses identified include —
� development of a cemetery �
�
� development of areas for youth attractions �
�
� development of regional sporting fields �
All
those sorts of things. It also refers to developments that complement and
support the core Whiteman Park land. I would have thought that public
transport transporting people to Whiteman Park would be sympathetic and supportive. I would have thought that would be
obvious to anyone with enough brains to blow their hat off if they were
dynamite. I would have thought that was obvious. That is the previous
government's plan—the Marshall Road lands. There they
are, at the bottom of Whiteman Park, abutting it. As the document says, it is a
buffer for all those purposes.
What is clear from the media event on the weekend that the
Liberal Party clearly organised is that it does not support the Ellenbrook rail
line.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Here we are,
rectifying a wrong of the opposition's eight and a half years in
office, when it promised it time and again. We are rectifying a wrong, and even
from beyond its political demise at the last election, the opposition is trying
to stymie the rail line to Ellenbrook. We are trying to organise—in
fact, we are putting in place—a rail line that will provide thousands
of jobs and an important connection for the people of the north eastern suburbs
through to the city and the Midland line. That is what we are doing. All the
opposition does is go out there and whinge and carp, and come up with frankly
preposterous arguments, as proven by the document the Liberal Party released
when it was in government.
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