❓ Mr. Michael questions the Minister for Transport on how Infrastructure Australia's audit validates the government's road investment and the impact of the cancelled Roe 8 and 9 project on congestion. The Minister responds by highlighting improvements in congestion rankings since the previous government's plans and criticizes the opposition's proposed solutions.
AnsweredQoN 609Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA —
AUDIT — ROADS
609. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Minister for Transport:
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how Infrastructure Australia's latest
audit has validated this government's record investment in improving
traffic flow across the city's most congested roads?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house what the report shows about the congestion crisis
that would be caused by Roe 8 and 9, particularly throughout the western
suburbs?
AUDIT — ROADS
609. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Minister for Transport:
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how Infrastructure Australia's latest
audit has validated this government's record investment in improving
traffic flow across the city's most congested roads?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house what the report shows about the congestion crisis
that would be caused by Roe 8 and 9, particularly throughout the western
suburbs?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Balcatta.
(1)–(2) I want to talk about the comparison between the
2015 audit and the 2019 audit. Let us go to 2015. IA looked at the
agenda of the previous government, and this is what it found: it found that we
would have a congestion crisis under the plans of the previous government and
that by 2031, seven out of the 10 most congested
road corridors would be in Western Australia, compared with the rest of the
nation. That was under the opposition's plan. It identified priority
areas. What was the previous government doing to address those priority areas?
Nothing. Since the last election, we have redirected funds from the Perth Freight
Link to projects such as the Mitchell Freeway widening, the Kwinana Freeway
widening, the Wanneroo Road duplication and interchanges, the Marmion Avenue
duplication in the northern suburbs, and the new High Street upgrade. As a result
—
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members, this is interesting news. I want to hear it.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The 2019
report outlines that we will no longer have any of the top 10 most congested
projects across the nation by 2031. Relatively, it shows an improvement.
Population is a factor, and I acknowledge that, but it also shows that our
increased investment in road and rail spending is another key driver for the
change. Importantly, the report outlines on page 113 that although the 2015
assessment included the Roe Highway extension, this one does not, yet we have
seen an improvement across the network. In relation to the top 10 —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The top 10
most congested roads do not include the projects that the opposition is
obsessed with. The report outlines one thing that I think the opposition needs
to fully comprehend and understand, particularly the member for Cottesloe, who
came along to my principal shared path opening yesterday in Cottesloe. He
wandered in! In relation to the issue of Curtin Avenue, the report says that
the Marmion Avenue–West Coast Highway–Curtin Avenue corridor is
under some stress. Under the opposition's plan for Roe 8 and 9, that
would get a lot worse. If the opposition keeps that port there forever, for
infinity, it will have to duplicate Curtin Avenue, because we cannot have Roe 8
and 9 without Curtin Avenue. We all understand that.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
right!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Members opposite
cannot take a bit of the equation, as they do. They come in here; they are happy
to go and bulldoze houses in other people's electorates, but their plan
will involve the duplication of Curtin Avenue through the western suburbs. That
is the opposition's plan, and it will have to spell that out to its
constituents because it cannot keep that port going forever without that
project.
(1)–(2) I want to talk about the comparison between the
2015 audit and the 2019 audit. Let us go to 2015. IA looked at the
agenda of the previous government, and this is what it found: it found that we
would have a congestion crisis under the plans of the previous government and
that by 2031, seven out of the 10 most congested
road corridors would be in Western Australia, compared with the rest of the
nation. That was under the opposition's plan. It identified priority
areas. What was the previous government doing to address those priority areas?
Nothing. Since the last election, we have redirected funds from the Perth Freight
Link to projects such as the Mitchell Freeway widening, the Kwinana Freeway
widening, the Wanneroo Road duplication and interchanges, the Marmion Avenue
duplication in the northern suburbs, and the new High Street upgrade. As a result
—
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members, this is interesting news. I want to hear it.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The 2019
report outlines that we will no longer have any of the top 10 most congested
projects across the nation by 2031. Relatively, it shows an improvement.
Population is a factor, and I acknowledge that, but it also shows that our
increased investment in road and rail spending is another key driver for the
change. Importantly, the report outlines on page 113 that although the 2015
assessment included the Roe Highway extension, this one does not, yet we have
seen an improvement across the network. In relation to the top 10 —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The top 10
most congested roads do not include the projects that the opposition is
obsessed with. The report outlines one thing that I think the opposition needs
to fully comprehend and understand, particularly the member for Cottesloe, who
came along to my principal shared path opening yesterday in Cottesloe. He
wandered in! In relation to the issue of Curtin Avenue, the report says that
the Marmion Avenue–West Coast Highway–Curtin Avenue corridor is
under some stress. Under the opposition's plan for Roe 8 and 9, that
would get a lot worse. If the opposition keeps that port there forever, for
infinity, it will have to duplicate Curtin Avenue, because we cannot have Roe 8
and 9 without Curtin Avenue. We all understand that.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
right!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Members opposite
cannot take a bit of the equation, as they do. They come in here; they are happy
to go and bulldoze houses in other people's electorates, but their plan
will involve the duplication of Curtin Avenue through the western suburbs. That
is the opposition's plan, and it will have to spell that out to its
constituents because it cannot keep that port going forever without that
project.
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