❓ Ms. Shaw asks about upgrades to Great Eastern Highway and their impact on road safety and regional travel. The Minister responds by highlighting the government's investment in regional roads and criticizes the Leader of the Opposition's comments on travel times.
AnsweredQoN 902Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL ROAD
INFRASTRUCTURE
902. Ms J.J.
SHAW to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in job-creating road infrastructure, not
just in Perth but right across regional WA —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo!
Ms J.J. SHAW — including the 7.8 million upgrade to Great Eastern Highway between Walgoolan
and Southern Cross.
(1) Can the minister update the house on these
upgrades and how they will improve road safety in the wheatbelt?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how projects like this are making it easier and
safer for people to travel from the city to the regions?
INFRASTRUCTURE
902. Ms J.J.
SHAW to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in job-creating road infrastructure, not
just in Perth but right across regional WA —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo!
Ms J.J. SHAW — including the 7.8 million upgrade to Great Eastern Highway between Walgoolan
and Southern Cross.
(1) Can the minister update the house on these
upgrades and how they will improve road safety in the wheatbelt?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how projects like this are making it easier and
safer for people to travel from the city to the regions?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and for her commitment to road
safety and road infrastructure in this state.
As all members know, we are spending a record amount on roads in regional WA and across the metropolitan area, with over
$4 billion of investment in roads in Western Australia and over $2 billion
in regional WA. One of the issues that was raised was the condition of Great
Eastern Highway. A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to drive along Great
Eastern Highway and talk to local communities, and councils and shires, about
the issues that are faced in that area.
We have announced a $7.8 million project
that will focus on improving an ageing 11-kilometre section with a new passing
lane, shoulder widening and safety improvements. It will create 55 jobs and
will be completed by the middle of next year. This follows further work that
was undertaken around Carrabin at a cost of $3.7 million. We are continuing to
seek opportunities and working with the commonwealth to seek further funding to
improve road safety and reduce travel times.
All this is about reducing travel
times, improving safety and creating local jobs. One of the best parts of this
job is when we hear the real-life stories about how we are improving people's
lives by reducing travel times and improving
road safety. I love hearing those real-life stories about how people get from
one place to another more quickly. But I was surprised to hear the story
from the Leader of the Opposition about travel times. Even I was surprised to
hear about some of the travel times that the Leader of the Opposition is
currently experiencing out there. In that train-wreck interview, the Leader of
the Opposition talked about the Gateway WA project. She stated —
We built the Gateway Project. Now I don't
know if people actually understand the benefit of that necessarily, but I live
in Scarborough and had to get out to Toodyay the other week � I factored in 50
minutes � and it took me 25 minutes.
It took her 25 minutes to get from
Toodyay to Scarborough.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Somehow she
got from Toodyay to Scarborough via the Gateway project in 25 minutes. I do not
know how that happened, Leader of the Opposition. Why would anyone want to use
the Gateway project to get to Scarborough?
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Yes, so it is
by either helicopter or drone or—I hate to say it—using some of
those driving techniques of the former member
for Vasse potentially. It really is an incredible story, but I like hearing the
real- life stories out there about the real improvements that we are
making—not those fairytales that we hear from the Leader of the
Opposition.
thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and for her commitment to road
safety and road infrastructure in this state.
As all members know, we are spending a record amount on roads in regional WA and across the metropolitan area, with over
$4 billion of investment in roads in Western Australia and over $2 billion
in regional WA. One of the issues that was raised was the condition of Great
Eastern Highway. A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to drive along Great
Eastern Highway and talk to local communities, and councils and shires, about
the issues that are faced in that area.
We have announced a $7.8 million project
that will focus on improving an ageing 11-kilometre section with a new passing
lane, shoulder widening and safety improvements. It will create 55 jobs and
will be completed by the middle of next year. This follows further work that
was undertaken around Carrabin at a cost of $3.7 million. We are continuing to
seek opportunities and working with the commonwealth to seek further funding to
improve road safety and reduce travel times.
All this is about reducing travel
times, improving safety and creating local jobs. One of the best parts of this
job is when we hear the real-life stories about how we are improving people's
lives by reducing travel times and improving
road safety. I love hearing those real-life stories about how people get from
one place to another more quickly. But I was surprised to hear the story
from the Leader of the Opposition about travel times. Even I was surprised to
hear about some of the travel times that the Leader of the Opposition is
currently experiencing out there. In that train-wreck interview, the Leader of
the Opposition talked about the Gateway WA project. She stated —
We built the Gateway Project. Now I don't
know if people actually understand the benefit of that necessarily, but I live
in Scarborough and had to get out to Toodyay the other week � I factored in 50
minutes � and it took me 25 minutes.
It took her 25 minutes to get from
Toodyay to Scarborough.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Somehow she
got from Toodyay to Scarborough via the Gateway project in 25 minutes. I do not
know how that happened, Leader of the Opposition. Why would anyone want to use
the Gateway project to get to Scarborough?
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Yes, so it is
by either helicopter or drone or—I hate to say it—using some of
those driving techniques of the former member
for Vasse potentially. It really is an incredible story, but I like hearing the
real- life stories out there about the real improvements that we are
making—not those fairytales that we hear from the Leader of the
Opposition.
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