❓ Question regarding the benefits of the state government's $28 million investment in cycling infrastructure and feedback received. The Minister's response details increased cycling rates, planned projects, and includes a mix of relevant information and political commentary.
AnsweredQoN 214Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE
214. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the
minister's recent announcement on the unprecedented state government
spending of $28 million on cycling infrastructure over the next two years.
Could the minister please advise the house of the benefits that this will
deliver to Western Australians and also of any feedback that he has received on
this announcement?
214. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the
minister's recent announcement on the unprecedented state government
spending of $28 million on cycling infrastructure over the next two years.
Could the minister please advise the house of the benefits that this will
deliver to Western Australians and also of any feedback that he has received on
this announcement?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for South Perth for the question and his keen interest in cycling. I have been
to cafes in the member's electorate; it is lycra heaven down there at
Atomic Cafe and the like.
Mr A.P. O'Gorman : I hope you weren't wearing lycra!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I have worn my lycra out cycling, but we
had best not go there!
Cycling is an
increasingly important mode of transport, as we all know.
Several members
interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is very interesting.
In the last 10 or 15
years the population of Perth has increased by about 50 per cent and cycling
has increased by a factor of five; that is, by 500 per cent. Over 300 000
people a month now cycle around Perth. In fact, I was in the member for Albany's
electorate last week and I met the Albany Bicycle Users Group. That group of
people was thoroughly unimpressed with the member's capacity to deliver
anything for them! They were absolutely and thoroughly unimpressed with the
member for Albany's capacity; but I will go back to Albany to see what
we can do with some of this money to help out and to help ABUG get along,
despite the member's incompetence.
There are 16 000
cycling trips to and from the CBD every day.
Point of Order
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Mr Speaker, I believe the minister has just
cast an imputation on the member for Albany. I ask you to direct him to
withdraw.
The SPEAKER : Minister, please continue.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Incompetence is a way of life for the
member for Albany!
That is why recently
the government released the ''Western Australian Bicycle Network Plan
2012–2020''. It is a thorough blueprint for the future of
cycling in the metropolitan area and around regional Western Australia. It is
important to understand the funding that has historically gone into cycling.
The funding that goes into cycling every year has historically been $2.6 million,
and $900 000 of that goes into investing in principal shared paths—the
major paths that run along the railway lines and the freeways radiating out of
the city. That $900 000 enables us to build about one kilometre a year; and
that is going backwards fast. An amount of $1 million goes to metropolitan
local governments to invest in local cycling infrastructure and about $700 000
into regional local governments.
A couple of weekends
ago the government announced a massive boost in funding to $28 million over the
next two years for cycling infrastructure. What will that enable? That will
enable metropolitan regional councils like the Gosnells city council, member
for Gosnells, to invest twice as much in local cycling projects. It will enable
regional local governments like the City of Albany, member for Albany, to
invest additional money in local cycling infrastructure; and it will mean that
we will have almost $20 million to invest in principal shared paths over the
next couple of years. The priorities are to finish the link between
Bassendean and Midland—work has already commenced on that link—and
to build a cycling link between the Shenton Park station and Loch Street
somewhere down there in the far-flung western suburbs. Planning is also
underway to upgrade cycling infrastructure along the freeways and down to
Fremantle. That is on top of the $7 million that the government announced in
the congestion package to help with cycling infrastructure along Roe Street and
Riverside Drive.
I thank the member for South Perth for asking about public
feedback. I get a lot of emails in my job, though not always as positive as
those relating to cycling infrastructure.
Mr P.B. Watson : Do
you get any emails from Skywest?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
do. I will quickly read from an email that I have here. It states —
Dear Minister
My husband and I are committed
cyclists and we applaud the Government's commitment to improve cycling
infrastructure with the provision of funding to install Principal Shared Paths
through the metropolitan area.
This initiative will not only
improve the environment by reducing motor traffic but enable the health of
Perth residents to improve by enabling more people to enjoy the benefits of
cycling safely.
On behalf of all our cycling
friend we applaud this initiative and THANK YOU.
We have received dozens of similar emails from appreciative
people.
I will close by reflecting on the comments of the opposition
on the cycling plan. I know that the shadow Minister for Transport likes to
cycle. I have seen him on his bike. I notice that his knuckles still drag on
the ground. When we released the bike plan, he said that the announcement
contained no funding —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
This is a very lengthy answer that is now going beyond what was asked.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am almost done. The shadow minister said that the announcement contained no
funding and no immediate action. He said —
''The Barnett Governments
record on investment in cycling infrastructure is abysmal,''
When we announced the fivefold increase in funding, well
beyond what the plan asked for, the shadow minister gave a very well thought
out response. He said that the funding was ''a bandaid measure''.
That is not a bandaid. This is a bandaid. This graph clearly shows this beyond
any shadow of a doubt. The big chunky bits at one end are Liberal investments;
the little skinny bits down the other end are called ''Labor in
government''. No wonder the cyclists are happy because this government's
funding is the sort of investment that they need to build twenty-first century
cycling infrastructure in the metropolitan area.
for South Perth for the question and his keen interest in cycling. I have been
to cafes in the member's electorate; it is lycra heaven down there at
Atomic Cafe and the like.
Mr A.P. O'Gorman : I hope you weren't wearing lycra!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I have worn my lycra out cycling, but we
had best not go there!
Cycling is an
increasingly important mode of transport, as we all know.
Several members
interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That is very interesting.
In the last 10 or 15
years the population of Perth has increased by about 50 per cent and cycling
has increased by a factor of five; that is, by 500 per cent. Over 300 000
people a month now cycle around Perth. In fact, I was in the member for Albany's
electorate last week and I met the Albany Bicycle Users Group. That group of
people was thoroughly unimpressed with the member's capacity to deliver
anything for them! They were absolutely and thoroughly unimpressed with the
member for Albany's capacity; but I will go back to Albany to see what
we can do with some of this money to help out and to help ABUG get along,
despite the member's incompetence.
There are 16 000
cycling trips to and from the CBD every day.
Point of Order
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Mr Speaker, I believe the minister has just
cast an imputation on the member for Albany. I ask you to direct him to
withdraw.
The SPEAKER : Minister, please continue.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Incompetence is a way of life for the
member for Albany!
That is why recently
the government released the ''Western Australian Bicycle Network Plan
2012–2020''. It is a thorough blueprint for the future of
cycling in the metropolitan area and around regional Western Australia. It is
important to understand the funding that has historically gone into cycling.
The funding that goes into cycling every year has historically been $2.6 million,
and $900 000 of that goes into investing in principal shared paths—the
major paths that run along the railway lines and the freeways radiating out of
the city. That $900 000 enables us to build about one kilometre a year; and
that is going backwards fast. An amount of $1 million goes to metropolitan
local governments to invest in local cycling infrastructure and about $700 000
into regional local governments.
A couple of weekends
ago the government announced a massive boost in funding to $28 million over the
next two years for cycling infrastructure. What will that enable? That will
enable metropolitan regional councils like the Gosnells city council, member
for Gosnells, to invest twice as much in local cycling projects. It will enable
regional local governments like the City of Albany, member for Albany, to
invest additional money in local cycling infrastructure; and it will mean that
we will have almost $20 million to invest in principal shared paths over the
next couple of years. The priorities are to finish the link between
Bassendean and Midland—work has already commenced on that link—and
to build a cycling link between the Shenton Park station and Loch Street
somewhere down there in the far-flung western suburbs. Planning is also
underway to upgrade cycling infrastructure along the freeways and down to
Fremantle. That is on top of the $7 million that the government announced in
the congestion package to help with cycling infrastructure along Roe Street and
Riverside Drive.
I thank the member for South Perth for asking about public
feedback. I get a lot of emails in my job, though not always as positive as
those relating to cycling infrastructure.
Mr P.B. Watson : Do
you get any emails from Skywest?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
do. I will quickly read from an email that I have here. It states —
Dear Minister
My husband and I are committed
cyclists and we applaud the Government's commitment to improve cycling
infrastructure with the provision of funding to install Principal Shared Paths
through the metropolitan area.
This initiative will not only
improve the environment by reducing motor traffic but enable the health of
Perth residents to improve by enabling more people to enjoy the benefits of
cycling safely.
On behalf of all our cycling
friend we applaud this initiative and THANK YOU.
We have received dozens of similar emails from appreciative
people.
I will close by reflecting on the comments of the opposition
on the cycling plan. I know that the shadow Minister for Transport likes to
cycle. I have seen him on his bike. I notice that his knuckles still drag on
the ground. When we released the bike plan, he said that the announcement
contained no funding —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS :
This is a very lengthy answer that is now going beyond what was asked.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am almost done. The shadow minister said that the announcement contained no
funding and no immediate action. He said —
''The Barnett Governments
record on investment in cycling infrastructure is abysmal,''
When we announced the fivefold increase in funding, well
beyond what the plan asked for, the shadow minister gave a very well thought
out response. He said that the funding was ''a bandaid measure''.
That is not a bandaid. This is a bandaid. This graph clearly shows this beyond
any shadow of a doubt. The big chunky bits at one end are Liberal investments;
the little skinny bits down the other end are called ''Labor in
government''. No wonder the cyclists are happy because this government's
funding is the sort of investment that they need to build twenty-first century
cycling infrastructure in the metropolitan area.
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