Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to brief the House on the results of my recent South Perth train station survey. After being contacted by constituents about controversial council plans for a train station and accompanying land intensification plan on the South Perth peninsula in my electorate of Swan, I decided to survey affected residents to ask them if they were in favour of or against the proposal. I received a high response rate from the residents and want to provide the House with a summary of those results today.

A majority of the responders were against a South Perth train station. Of those against, the major reason was the City of South Perth's proposal to link the future construction of a station to a density and land intensification plan. Other concerns included the potential for higher crime rates in areas surrounding train stations, congestion and parking issues, and the loss of the sense of a village community lifestyle in South Perth. Some were in favour of a station in principle and said they would use it. However, many of those residents were uncomfortable with elements of the council's density strategy as the means of achieving a station.

As such, on behalf of the community I wrote to the city of South Perth to ask them to consider not proceeding with the plans outlined in the South Perth Train Station Precinct Plan. I have also provided the results to Western Australian Ministers Buswell and Day, who are responsible for transport and planning. My view is that, if we are ever to have a station, it should be built on its own merit with the support of the community, not linked to a density plan. I understand that councillors recently decided not to proceed with the business case for the station until it has undertaken a proper consultation with the community. I think this is a positive step, and I would like to thank all the members of the community who completed my survey.