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

Welcome to the chamber, Mr Deputy Speaker Hastie! I rise today to update the House and my constituents on an important matter in my electorate of Swan. Between 2010 and 2015, the very busy intersection on Archer Street and Orrong Road in Carlisle saw 117 car accidents, and was subsequently ranked the 84th worst intersection in the state of Western Australia for number of crashes. These crashes came at a cost of $4.6 million. I am pleased to say work is expected to start on upgrading the intersection of Orrong Road with Archer Street, as well as the intersection of Orrong Road with Alexander Road, next month. This work was made possible by a $1.85 million grant from the Australian government's Black Spot Program. The great thing about our Black Spot Program is that anyone from state and territory governments, local councils, community groups and associations to road user groups and individuals can nominate a blackspot for funding. This program is specific to the commitment of reducing crashes on Australian roads. By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, this program reduces the risk of crashes. This program makes an important contribution in reducing the national road toll under the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.

This project, as I said before, has been funded by the coalition government and aims to improve safety and traffic flow. The actual scope of the project is quite large, so I will go through it briefly. This project will include the widening of Orrong Road southbound from three to four lanes to provide a double-right turn into Archer Street, and I am sure that any of my constituents who have been stuck at those lights before will agree with me that this will be a huge benefit. Secondly, the project will relocate the pedestrian crossing at Archer Street to allow for a staggered and safer crossing for pedestrians crossing Orrong Road. As Orrong Road is used as a main thoroughfare, particularly for those vehicles travelling to the Welshpool industrial area, a 5.5 metre mast arm for Orrong Road will be installed to improve visibility of traffic signals for heavy vehicles. Other parts of the project include extending the right-turn pocket from Orrong Road into Alexander Road, and upgrading other pedestrian crossing facilities to include a pedestrian phase, as well as upgrading street lighting. I understand this project is expected to complete in six weeks after it commences in April. I am looking forward to seeing it completed, and seeing the benefits that it will bring to my electorate of Swan and to the people who live there and travel on its roads.

Before I finish, I want to mention some of the other blackspots that gained funding in the same 2016-17 round. The Alexander Road and Fisher Street intersection in Belmont was granted $95,000 to install a median island, and several intersections along Canning Highway in South Perth have been funded to extend median strips along there to help improve safety and traffic flow. This is about the coalition getting on with government, and looking after the constituents of Swan and of Western Australia with funding for road safety.