❓ Ms Saffioti questions the Minister for Transport regarding conflicting statements about the priority of the Thornlie rail line project. The Minister avoids a direct answer, highlighting broader transport priorities and project timelines.
AnsweredQoN 616Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT — PRIORITY PROJECTS
616. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to a statement recently made
by Helen Morton regarding the Thornlie rail line, and specifically her
statement that this line will be the next rail project after the Forrestfield–airport
line is complete, and to the minister's answer to the media, after he
released his transport plan, that the Morley tunnel was the minister's
next priority project.
(1) Is Helen
Morton correct that the next priority project of this government is the
Thornlie rail line?
(2) If Helen
Morton is not correct, why are members of the minister's government
openly promising that this rail line will be the next one?
616. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the Minister for
Transport:
I refer to a statement recently made
by Helen Morton regarding the Thornlie rail line, and specifically her
statement that this line will be the next rail project after the Forrestfield–airport
line is complete, and to the minister's answer to the media, after he
released his transport plan, that the Morley tunnel was the minister's
next priority project.
(1) Is Helen
Morton correct that the next priority project of this government is the
Thornlie rail line?
(2) If Helen
Morton is not correct, why are members of the minister's government
openly promising that this rail line will be the next one?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Pretty
much every day of the week I get lobbied by just about every member in this
house, on both sides, about what they view as their priorities with regard to
transport in Western Australia. I can assure members that every shire and every
city I visit across Western Australia has their top 10 list of priorities when
it comes to transport. Every time I sit down with a member from my house, they
bombard me. I can tell members that when I am in Busselton next month I know
that the honourable member down there will harass me about the dualling of
Bussell Highway. It happens every time I go near the town. These things occur
right across. We have always said that the Mandurah–Thornlie line has
been an important line. In fact, it was under the Court government that the
infrastructure was put in to ensure that —
Point of Order
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Mr Speaker, the
question was specifically: will the Thornlie rail line be the next priority, as
the minister's colleague said?
Questions without Notice Resumed
The
SPEAKER : Thank you. I want to hear from the minister.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I really appreciate the point of order because I can reiterate
that it was the Court government that put in the infrastructure so that the
connection for the Mandurah–Thornlie or the Cockburn–Thornlie
line could be built. This is an important project. It has always been seen as an important project. As I said, and as the
Premier has also said, the next major piece of public transport infrastructure
to consider will be a mass transit or a public transport solution to the
northern suburbs.
In my commentary, I was talking about the need. I have always clarified
that the northern line will require some planning, and I said this in the media
presentation. There is no point in taking one little bit without the whole
context. I said the advice that I received from the department is that because
we are looking at taking it underneath, there will be at least two years'
worth of planning work for the geotechnical works and so forth to be
undertaken. We know that the undergrounding through to the Forrestfield–Airport
Link—I know the member for Forrestfield, and the member for Belmont,
will delight in seeing the construction start towards the end of this year—will
take until 2020 before it is completed. These are not projects that can occur
overnight.
The Cockburn–Thornlie line is a much smaller, simpler, easier
project to undertake. We have said that getting going with the northern
solution is the number one priority. But that does not mean that during the
process—which could take five or six years—another one cannot
occur at the same time or during that. That reiterates what the Treasurer has said
about this project. He is another advocate for the Cockburn–Thornlie
line who harasses me regularly about it. These projects will occur. We are
continuing to develop right across Western Australia great infrastructure
projects for Western Australia. We can stand proud on our record of what we
have delivered. We can give people great confidence, as I walked through the
other day, about what we are delivering.
much every day of the week I get lobbied by just about every member in this
house, on both sides, about what they view as their priorities with regard to
transport in Western Australia. I can assure members that every shire and every
city I visit across Western Australia has their top 10 list of priorities when
it comes to transport. Every time I sit down with a member from my house, they
bombard me. I can tell members that when I am in Busselton next month I know
that the honourable member down there will harass me about the dualling of
Bussell Highway. It happens every time I go near the town. These things occur
right across. We have always said that the Mandurah–Thornlie line has
been an important line. In fact, it was under the Court government that the
infrastructure was put in to ensure that —
Point of Order
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Mr Speaker, the
question was specifically: will the Thornlie rail line be the next priority, as
the minister's colleague said?
Questions without Notice Resumed
The
SPEAKER : Thank you. I want to hear from the minister.
Mr
D.C. NALDER : I really appreciate the point of order because I can reiterate
that it was the Court government that put in the infrastructure so that the
connection for the Mandurah–Thornlie or the Cockburn–Thornlie
line could be built. This is an important project. It has always been seen as an important project. As I said, and as the
Premier has also said, the next major piece of public transport infrastructure
to consider will be a mass transit or a public transport solution to the
northern suburbs.
In my commentary, I was talking about the need. I have always clarified
that the northern line will require some planning, and I said this in the media
presentation. There is no point in taking one little bit without the whole
context. I said the advice that I received from the department is that because
we are looking at taking it underneath, there will be at least two years'
worth of planning work for the geotechnical works and so forth to be
undertaken. We know that the undergrounding through to the Forrestfield–Airport
Link—I know the member for Forrestfield, and the member for Belmont,
will delight in seeing the construction start towards the end of this year—will
take until 2020 before it is completed. These are not projects that can occur
overnight.
The Cockburn–Thornlie line is a much smaller, simpler, easier
project to undertake. We have said that getting going with the northern
solution is the number one priority. But that does not mean that during the
process—which could take five or six years—another one cannot
occur at the same time or during that. That reiterates what the Treasurer has said
about this project. He is another advocate for the Cockburn–Thornlie
line who harasses me regularly about it. These projects will occur. We are
continuing to develop right across Western Australia great infrastructure
projects for Western Australia. We can stand proud on our record of what we
have delivered. We can give people great confidence, as I walked through the
other day, about what we are delivering.
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