❓ The Minister acknowledges concerns about the Goldfields Highway, highlighting the government's commitment to local Aboriginal employment and training in road projects, potentially affecting project timelines. The Minister defends the project's progress by emphasizing community engagement and long-term benefits.
AnsweredQoN 227Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOLDFIELDS HIGHWAY
227. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the unsealed and unsafe
condition of the Goldfields Highway between Wiluna and Meekatharra and a local
petition that has garnered nearly 700 signatures calling for action.
(1) When will the
community see the delivery of all works associated with the $16 million
committed by the former coalition government to start sealing this vital
transport link?
(2) Why was the
time frame associated with this important project pushed out again?
227. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the unsealed and unsafe
condition of the Goldfields Highway between Wiluna and Meekatharra and a local
petition that has garnered nearly 700 signatures calling for action.
(1) When will the
community see the delivery of all works associated with the $16 million
committed by the former coalition government to start sealing this vital
transport link?
(2) Why was the
time frame associated with this important project pushed out again?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for this question.
(1)–(2) This
is an interesting project because the Wiluna–Meekatharra road had not
been considered for any upgrades under the
previous government. In government, one of the key things we are doing in
relation to all our projects, particularly those that are being delivered
in areas of significant Aboriginal disadvantage and unemployment, is employing
young and local people on that road delivery. I remember going up there a few
years ago when we committed $5 million for the first section of the resealing.
Together with the commonwealth government, we have committed further funds. We
partnered with a TAFE in Wiluna at that
point to employ and train local Aboriginal people on the roads. For some of
those projects, this means that projects are not delivered as quickly as
they would be if we had a big tier 1 contractor come in and deliver the road,
but then we would not have local Aboriginal employment and training. The
feedback I got from the local Aboriginal people is that they absolutely want to
be part of both the delivery and the maintenance
of the road. I remember talking to some of the people who were employed in that
road project . They said, ''This is our road. We want to be part
of building it and maintaining it into the future.'' It was one of those
times when I was out there and knew that the way we were doing those projects
was actually going to make a difference. We
are training local people and employing them in the future to maintain the road. We continually work with the local community to see how we can drive
local training opportunities and deliver this road to make sure that local
people are both engaged and empowered in both road construction and road
maintenance.
member for this question.
(1)–(2) This
is an interesting project because the Wiluna–Meekatharra road had not
been considered for any upgrades under the
previous government. In government, one of the key things we are doing in
relation to all our projects, particularly those that are being delivered
in areas of significant Aboriginal disadvantage and unemployment, is employing
young and local people on that road delivery. I remember going up there a few
years ago when we committed $5 million for the first section of the resealing.
Together with the commonwealth government, we have committed further funds. We
partnered with a TAFE in Wiluna at that
point to employ and train local Aboriginal people on the roads. For some of
those projects, this means that projects are not delivered as quickly as
they would be if we had a big tier 1 contractor come in and deliver the road,
but then we would not have local Aboriginal employment and training. The
feedback I got from the local Aboriginal people is that they absolutely want to
be part of both the delivery and the maintenance
of the road. I remember talking to some of the people who were employed in that
road project . They said, ''This is our road. We want to be part
of building it and maintaining it into the future.'' It was one of those
times when I was out there and knew that the way we were doing those projects
was actually going to make a difference. We
are training local people and employing them in the future to maintain the road. We continually work with the local community to see how we can drive
local training opportunities and deliver this road to make sure that local
people are both engaged and empowered in both road construction and road
maintenance.
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