Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I start my speech, I will make a suggestion about the new amalgamated party in Queensland. It will obviously be looking for a name. The member for Herbert might like to take back that it could be called the ‘I’m a Little Mushroom Party’, based on current events.

For some time in this place, I have been calling on the federal government to address the desperate need for federal funds to upgrade the stretch of Great Eastern Highway between Kooyong Road in my electorate and the Perth airport. This section of the Great Eastern Highway carries some 55,000 vehicles per day and is the main road link between Perth, the airport and the eastern states. It is a vital lifeline for residents of Perth and interstate businesses alike. I am convinced that this stretch of highway should be designated part of the national highway for federal funding purposes so that improvements can be made. It should, at the very least, be recognised as a road of national significance.

This section of the Great Eastern Highway forms part of the eastern gateway to Perth. It currently comprises four lanes, with numerous intersections and direct access from abutting properties. The traffic volume is such that congestion is a problem and road users experience lengthy delays. The road condition is very poor over a significant portion of its length and many of the major intersections along this route have crash rates that require attention. Businesses along the highway have long complained about the pitiful state of the road and access problems to their premises. The entire stretch of road is also visually unattractive and certainly belies the beauty of Perth city, 10 kilometres down the road.

I am pleased to report that following representations from me and the state member for Belmont, Eric Ripper, earlier this year, the state government agreed to carry out an analysis of the requirements for works to be undertaken on this section of the Great Eastern Highway to assist in prioritising funding for these works. In the most recent state budget, a further $150,000 was allocated to this study. I am encouraged by the state government’s recognition of the problems faced by motorists and business owners along the highway and, in particular, Minister Alannah MacTiernan’s acknowledgement of the problem.

Politics aside, this project requires the commitment and teamwork of all three spheres of government: local, state and federal. Minister MacTiernan has pledged to work cooperatively with the federal government on a fifty-fifty funding basis. I understand that the federal government has intimated that it may help fund the project once costs are established. Obviously I will be working with the federal government on that particular initiative and will be trying to bring it to account to come up with its half of the money when we know how much it will cost to conduct the work.

I have been advised that by the end of the June I will be provided with an upgrade cost estimate and possible stages of improvements. We need to know that very accurately these days, because the federal government has often shirked its responsibilities in funding when it has said that the state has not really known how much the work would initially cost. Once the initial findings of the report have been released, I will be pursing the Commonwealth government to ensure that it delivers on its own financial obligations to this project.