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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 603 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 20 August 2020 by Mr I.C. Blayney

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

GERALDTON HEAVY VEHICLE BYPASS

603. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Transport:

I have a supplementary question. Given the importance of this decision to the Geraldton community and the level of concern about the choice of route 1 in the community, when does the minister think we will get an announcement?

Ms R. SAFFIOTI replied:

Mr Speaker —

Mr M. McGowan: What is your view?

Mr I.C. Blayney: I do not support route 1.

Mr M. McGowan: What do you support?

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Whatever the mayor tells him to!

Let us go through it —

Several members interjected.

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Whatever the mayor tells him to!

The SPEAKER: Members!

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: One wannabe candidate and one who is the current candidate.

As I said, it is far too premature to launch this sort of political campaign. The other shires are very keen to work with the state government, as they always have been. I remember meeting with a number of them saying that it is difficult. Determining these types of routes is probably one of the toughest decisions a transport minister has to make. We need to ensure that some of the objectives about freight efficiency are met and that landowners and all the communities along the way respect it. As I said, there are always debates.

Main Roads has been working on this very diligently. Its report landed in my office on Monday. By that stage, there was a Facebook comment attacking us for our decision! That was even before the report landed in my office. Launching political campaigns before we have had the time to consider all the different factors, and for me to consult with relevant stakeholders, is not the right thing to do. That is why under eight and a half years of the previous government it never built anything. All it did was launch political campaigns and it did not work to get the right outcome!

Dr A.D. Buti interjected.

The SPEAKER: Birthday boy, I call you to order for the first time! Members, I am on my feet. Member for Armadale, I call you to order.