ROAD SAFETY —
SOUTH WESTERN HIGHWAY — BUNBURY
716. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Transport:
I
have a supplementary question. Will the minister commit to ensuring that
funding is available for those engineering works in the budget as a priority to
improve the configuration of those dangerous intersections and turnoffs between
Hynes Road and Martin Pelusey Road, where there have been several deadly road
incidents in the past?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
As
I said, this review is happening now. Not only did the member for Murray–Wellington
raise this issue with me, but it was also raised with me after my
presentation to the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Western Australia
conference last Saturday. All the announcements will be made in the budget. In
relation to additional funds in that area, that is subject to the independent
review to see what improvements are required at key intersections and any other road safety improvements. As we have
always said, regional road safety is our biggest transport priority.
That is why we went to the commonwealth government and worked on developing a business
case to get $100 million this financial
year. Today I think we will reveal the amount of money that will be spent and
where it will be spent across WA. We are spending record amounts. We want to
continue to work in regional WA in particular to improve road safety.
I do not want to make this too much
of a political answer, but I do want to say that the previous government did
underinvest in regional road safety.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I want to say that the pent-up demand to improve
our roads in regional WA is enormous. We have embarked on a number of
programs and big projects, like the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and the Albany
ring-road, projects that have been waiting for many years. All that being said,
I am continually focused on making sure that we invest in regional WA to again
improve road safety and save lives.