❓ Mr Blayney (Nationals) questions the Minister for Transport on the delay in finalising the Geraldton heavy vehicle bypass planning study. The Minister (Labor) deflects, highlighting the government's investment in regional roads and criticising the previous Nationals government's record.
AnsweredQoN 483Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GERALDTON HEAVY VEHICLE BYPASS
483. Mr
I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Transport:
I
note the minister's comments in the Midwest Times this morning
about the proposed Geraldton heavy vehicle bypass.
The
minister has continually said that the planning study for the bypass is
expected to be completed in coming weeks . Why will the minister not make
this a priority and put a hard date on her preferred route, given that the
community has been expecting a decision since January?
483. Mr
I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Transport:
I
note the minister's comments in the Midwest Times this morning
about the proposed Geraldton heavy vehicle bypass.
The
minister has continually said that the planning study for the bypass is
expected to be completed in coming weeks . Why will the minister not make
this a priority and put a hard date on her preferred route, given that the
community has been expecting a decision since January?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for that
question. We will be releasing some information in the coming weeks. It has
been an extensive and exhaustive process, consulting and trying to determine
the appropriate route. We are very committed to
regional WA and regional road spending, as the member would be aware. We are
very keen to continue to request funding from the commonwealth, receive
funding from the commonwealth and deliver road projects throughout regional WA.
We are delivering more than the coalition government ever did when it was in
government. In fact, the member may not be aware, because he was not a member
of the party at the time, but when the Nationals WA was in government, it said that it should not spend too much money on
roads, and that royalties for regions should not be used for road spending. It is interesting, now that the member
for Geraldton is a member of the Nationals WA —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What did the
member for Moore do to fix the safety issues on Indian Ocean Drive? What have
we done? We have spent a record amount on Indian Ocean Drive.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party—shh!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Did the member for
Moore secure funding for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road? No, the National Party
did not. Did the National Party secure funding for the Albany Ring Road? No.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Did the
National Party secure funding for improvements to the South Coast Highway? No. Did the National Party secure funding for the
Karratha–Tom Price Road? No. Did the National Party secure record funding
—
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : — for
regional road safety funding in WA? No. The National Party did not do any of
that in eight and a half years in government, but it is now asking me to hurry
the process, which I know is very important, but we want to make sure we get
the consultation right on this very, very important issue. We have already
allocated and spent funds through Geraldton,
and will continue to spend a record amount of funding in regional WA on roads .
Therefore, would the National Party just accept the fact that we are spending
probably —
Ms M.J. Davies : All these
months you've been promising—six months.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I know you want to get on my list, so now you are on it. I call
you to order for the first time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : As far as I can
tell, the National Party was in government for eight and a half years and never
sorted it out. The National Party has to accept that we are spending more on
regional roads than it did.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the second time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : They are very
angry on this issue because they know that Hon Brendon Grylls said that RFR
should not be spent on roads and on saving lives in regional Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister,
through the Chair.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Mr Speaker,
as a representative for the Albany area, you know that the previous government
did not allocate a cent to the Albany ring-road, but we are getting on with the
job.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! Do you want to go home early?
question. We will be releasing some information in the coming weeks. It has
been an extensive and exhaustive process, consulting and trying to determine
the appropriate route. We are very committed to
regional WA and regional road spending, as the member would be aware. We are
very keen to continue to request funding from the commonwealth, receive
funding from the commonwealth and deliver road projects throughout regional WA.
We are delivering more than the coalition government ever did when it was in
government. In fact, the member may not be aware, because he was not a member
of the party at the time, but when the Nationals WA was in government, it said that it should not spend too much money on
roads, and that royalties for regions should not be used for road spending. It is interesting, now that the member
for Geraldton is a member of the Nationals WA —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What did the
member for Moore do to fix the safety issues on Indian Ocean Drive? What have
we done? We have spent a record amount on Indian Ocean Drive.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party—shh!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Did the member for
Moore secure funding for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road? No, the National Party
did not. Did the National Party secure funding for the Albany Ring Road? No.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Did the
National Party secure funding for improvements to the South Coast Highway? No. Did the National Party secure funding for the
Karratha–Tom Price Road? No. Did the National Party secure record funding
—
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : — for
regional road safety funding in WA? No. The National Party did not do any of
that in eight and a half years in government, but it is now asking me to hurry
the process, which I know is very important, but we want to make sure we get
the consultation right on this very, very important issue. We have already
allocated and spent funds through Geraldton,
and will continue to spend a record amount of funding in regional WA on roads .
Therefore, would the National Party just accept the fact that we are spending
probably —
Ms M.J. Davies : All these
months you've been promising—six months.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I know you want to get on my list, so now you are on it. I call
you to order for the first time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : As far as I can
tell, the National Party was in government for eight and a half years and never
sorted it out. The National Party has to accept that we are spending more on
regional roads than it did.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the second time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : They are very
angry on this issue because they know that Hon Brendon Grylls said that RFR
should not be spent on roads and on saving lives in regional Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister,
through the Chair.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Mr Speaker,
as a representative for the Albany area, you know that the previous government
did not allocate a cent to the Albany ring-road, but we are getting on with the
job.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! Do you want to go home early?
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