DONGARA–GERALDTON
BYPASS ROUTE
983. Mr
I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the significant impact this proposed bypass will have on the Walkaway
community, will the minister commit to meeting with the impacted families ahead
of the 2021 state election?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
There will be no decision on the
alignment before the consultation finishes. The consultation finishes on 31
March. Before any decision is made, I commit to meeting with the community.
That will be after the first round of consultation,
and before any decision is made. If the member wants to make this part of his
election platform instead of helping and working with people, and if he
wants to make them scared, he can do that, but there is an opportunity for the
member for Geraldton to work with the community and put forward some more
options and alternatives—to actually work. If the member for Geraldton
wants to tell the hundred landowners along Brand Highway what he would do to
their land with his suggestion, he can do that, but he cannot just say that we
should do this or do that. There is no decision. There will be a discussion and
community consultation. There is a corridor. If we can improve things and make sure that the route alignment minimises any
impact and takes into account all the concerns, of course we will do
that. The member should stop being lazy. I have seen the comments —
Mr I.C. Blayney: I am not
lazy!
Several members interjected.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI: Work with the
community, put forward some viable suggestions and we will listen to the
member.