STEPHENSON AVENUE EXTENSION
177. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record investment in job-creating road infrastructure such
as the second stage of the Stephenson Avenue extension.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on what the Stephenson Avenue extension will mean for
those in my electorate and the electorate of
Scarborough and outline how it will support local jobs and the local economy?
(2) Can the
minister outline how this government is working with the commonwealth
government to deliver this significant infrastructure project?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
I thank the member for Balcatta for
that question. I also acknowledge the member for Scarborough and the benefits
that this project will bring to both those members' electorates.
(1)–(2) I
remember many years ago—I think it was when the member for Balcatta was
councillor for the City of Stirling—we were in a boardroom. I think the
then Mayor Giovanni Italiano was there, as well, and the CEO, Stuart Jardine.
We were talking about this project and they said to us that the Stephenson
Avenue project was not just a road project, but it was actually all about
supporting the growth of the Stirling civic centre. They wanted that area
around the railway station to become a major commercial and residential
district. They said that although this was an infrastructure and road project,
it would open up those opportunities. Since
that time and since being elected, we have been working with the city and, of
course, with the federal government
to secure the funding to undertake the planning to deliver this, again,
transformational project, this time in Stirling. Of course, this project
will open up the entire area for more development opportunities. There are
discussions about not only the commercial opportunities, but also the
residential opportunities and having more people living closer to the train
station. To help support that, for example, as part of the Stephenson Avenue
project, we are building and expanding the bus interchange, which will increase the capacity from about 18 buses to over
30 buses, again expanding the public transport opportunities. That is coupled with the new Stephenson Avenue
project, which will see, of course, in both stages 1 and 2, Stephenson
Avenue cut through from Scarborough Beach Road to Cedric Street. Stage 1 is
very much completed; for stage 2 we have done the turning of the sod. I again
acknowledge the 50–50 contribution of
the federal government, together with the presence of the Minister for
Infrastructure, Hon Paul Fletcher, last week at the turning of the sod.
This is another example of the
state government taking these projects forward. Every time I go to these projects, meet the councils and the local
community and talk to local members, I think that it is very fulfilling
to know that we are delivering on projects for which they lobbied for decades
that never got any traction. We have been
able to secure the funds, do the work to undertake the planning and now also
develop the land use planning together with the infrastructure. This is
yet another example of a government getting on with the job, delivering jobs
and much-needed new developments and a refresh of infrastructure in many of our
suburbs.