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

I rise to update the House on an infrastructure project in the electorate of Swan. I was pleased to recently join with the federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Jamie Briggs; the member for Hasluck, Ken Wyatt; and my state government colleagues the Minister for Transport, Dean Nalder, and the member for Belmont, Glenys Godfrey, to announce how this coalition government's efforts to support Perth's infrastructure gateway are not only progressing but are now six months ahead of schedule.

The Swan electorate, and in particular the Kewdale-Welshpool industrial hub, will significantly capitalise from the federal and Western Australian governments' largest ever road infrastructure investment in my home state, particularly through the key local road modifications in Kewdale to accommodate the Leach Highway upgrade. Overall, the Australian government has committed $676 million, and the WA state government has committed $310 million under the Gateway WA project, to alleviate congestion for Perth's road users.

I am also very pleased to inform the House that just last month the project surpassed its 60 per cent completion phase, with final completion now projected to be mid-2016. This project will also go hand-in-hand with my previously successful campaign to see the Great Eastern Highway, which runs through the electorate of Swan, upgraded. This was a very important project for Perth's metropolitan region, as our highway acts as our main thoroughfare from the Perth Airport to the CBD, and is also their gateway to the city. As the former member for Swan yourself, Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sure you understand the value, and now enjoy travelling on the Great Eastern Highway upgrade as you head over to Canberra.

We are a government that ensures its policies and projects are correctly funded and correctly managed, and in the case of the Gateway WA project I am therefore pleased to update members that not only is this project six months ahead of schedule, it is also ahead of budget—something I am sure those opposite still dream of accomplishing in just one instance. This is due to a range of factors across the whole project, including favourable site conditions, no major disruptions, innovations in construction, effective project management and effective traffic management. With the support of the federal government, this has allowed the state government to shift $45 million in funding across to its Roe and Berkshire interchange project, increasing the amount of interchanges now being built to six. The scope of the Gateway WA project includes the construction and upgrade of five main interchanges, widening Tonkin Highway to six lanes between the Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway and upgrading Leach Highway between Tonkin Highway and Orrong Road to the expressway standard.

Last year, important construction milestones were also achieved, including the first bridge-beam installation for the Tonkin Highway-Leach Highway interchange. Those members who have visited Perth will know that for the past decade traffic congestion around Perth Airport and these industrial hubs has been a key issue for local residents trying to get from A to B—let alone for businesses who are trying to develop an effective productivity model.

Members on this side of the House would also know that having an effective productivity model can make or break a business in today's harsh economic climate. That is why projects such as these are so important. They assist a range of industries to remain competitive, both domestically and internationally, when applicable. This is particularly important for Western Australia's freight industry, which is largely based in Kewdale and Welshpool in my electorate of Swan. For industries such as these, traffic congestion can mean less productivity and therefore less profit.

That is why I am also pleased to inform the House that in conjunction with the Gateway WA project, which is now 60 per cent complete, this coalition government and the WA state liberal government are also rolling out the $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link project through the metropolitan network to Perth's other industrial hub located at Fremantle Ports.

Although alleviating traffic congestion has been the key focus of this project, it is also important to note the level of support it is directly providing for Western Australian businesses. To date, the Gateway WA project alone has created more than 1,300 construction jobs, while the majority of works have been undertaken by more than 600 Western Australian businesses. The government has awarded contracts worth approximately $400 million and has engaged suppliers for the provision of goods worth approximately $24 million, creating a much needed boost to the Western Australian economy.

This would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of these 1,300 Western Australian contractors. I congratulate them for their efforts in ensuring this project is of a first-class standard, with safety always in mind for workers and road users. I look forward to witnessing the Gateway WA and Perth Freight Link projects coming to fruition over the coming years and to the positive effects they will have on the Perth metropolitan region, particularly for the residents and businesses in my electorate of Swan.