Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In last night's budget the Abbott government continued its refusal to invest in public transport. The misallocation of $925 million in the budget for the Perth Freight Link is proof that the refusal to contribute to urban rail projects does not free up money for rail but results in the state government walking away from rail projects as they chase the federal dollars. The Perth Freight Link is a highly contentious $1.6 billion project, building roads to a port which will reach capacity in the next five years and which will have to be replaced with a relocated facility—for which this project is suboptimal. Needless to say, it has not been submitted to Infrastructure Australia for assessment.

It was not a project committed to by either the state or federal government during the 2013 election campaign, but MAX Light Rail in Perth was a key promise of the Barnett government. It was a project aimed at reshaping the inner city, allowing for more urban density. Mr Barnett says he now cannot afford it—but they found $650 million to fund their share of the Perth Freight Link when federal road dollars beckoned.

There is a serious appetite for more rail in Perth. Congestion is growing, and the public agrees with planners that road projects alone are not working to solve this problem. The Abbott government is proposing— (Time expired)