❓ Opposition questions the Premier on delays to promised rail line construction. Premier defends the government's progress, highlighting the scale of the projects and federal funding secured, while criticizing the opposition's past inaction.
AnsweredQoN 990Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RAIL LINES —
COMMENCEMENT
990. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to evidence provided by the
commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional
Development in Senate estimates last week. Given the election promise that
Yanchep, Thornlie–Cockburn and Ellenbrook rail lines would commence
construction this year, can the Premier confirm that the commencement of these
lines have blown out significantly, and, in the case of the Ellenbrook rail
line, the business case has not even been finalised?
COMMENCEMENT
990. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to evidence provided by the
commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional
Development in Senate estimates last week. Given the election promise that
Yanchep, Thornlie–Cockburn and Ellenbrook rail lines would commence
construction this year, can the Premier confirm that the commencement of these
lines have blown out significantly, and, in the case of the Ellenbrook rail
line, the business case has not even been finalised?
AnswerView source ↗
The government intends to start work
on our commitments later this year and early next year. That is the plan that
we are working to. Clearly, we had a very ambitious agenda when we came to
office, and I will run members through it: the extension to Yanchep; the
Thornlie–Cockburn link, the first time ever for an east–west
link in the rail network; and the Morley–Ellenbrook line. I am a little
surprised at the chutzpah of the opposition to even mention Morley–Ellenbrook.
The member has a hide as thick as a rhinoceros to even ask that question. We
also have the extension to Byford, the small extension to Midland and the
railcar manufacturing facility to be built in Western Australia, which, as we
announced recently, will be at Bellevue and starting shortly. We also have a range of station upgrades and underground links
occurring across the metropolitan region. Obviously, when a government comes to office and no work has been done, we need to do the work to make it
happen. The opposition thinks a party comes to office and goes out there with a
shovel and a wheelbarrow and just starts building a railway the next day. That
is not exactly how it happens.
The great thing is that we are
building rail. We work cooperatively with the federal government to get it to
fund, to a significant degree, the rail lines we are building in Western Australia.
I know the state Liberal Party hates that.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : The member might
groan, but the fact that he is groaning I think shows that the Liberal Party hates it. We have received a significant
contribution from the commonwealth towards rail. The Minister for Transport is not here, but the plan is that we will get the railways underway later this
year or early next year.
on our commitments later this year and early next year. That is the plan that
we are working to. Clearly, we had a very ambitious agenda when we came to
office, and I will run members through it: the extension to Yanchep; the
Thornlie–Cockburn link, the first time ever for an east–west
link in the rail network; and the Morley–Ellenbrook line. I am a little
surprised at the chutzpah of the opposition to even mention Morley–Ellenbrook.
The member has a hide as thick as a rhinoceros to even ask that question. We
also have the extension to Byford, the small extension to Midland and the
railcar manufacturing facility to be built in Western Australia, which, as we
announced recently, will be at Bellevue and starting shortly. We also have a range of station upgrades and underground links
occurring across the metropolitan region. Obviously, when a government comes to office and no work has been done, we need to do the work to make it
happen. The opposition thinks a party comes to office and goes out there with a
shovel and a wheelbarrow and just starts building a railway the next day. That
is not exactly how it happens.
The great thing is that we are
building rail. We work cooperatively with the federal government to get it to
fund, to a significant degree, the rail lines we are building in Western Australia.
I know the state Liberal Party hates that.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : The member might
groan, but the fact that he is groaning I think shows that the Liberal Party hates it. We have received a significant
contribution from the commonwealth towards rail. The Minister for Transport is not here, but the plan is that we will get the railways underway later this
year or early next year.
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