Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Local economic development within Moore continues to be one of my priorities for my electorate, even more so now as we restore and rebuild the economy from COVID-19, creating skilled jobs for our residents locally. There are many opportunities to partner with local government in promoting the City of Joondalup both as a destination and regional CBD. We have the opportunity to foster strategic economic development in order to attract a range of modern high-technology industries to the northern suburbs of Perth, to establish the operations in the Joondalup city centre in close proximity to leading higher education facilities located in the Joondalup Learning Precinct. Industries such as advanced manufacturing, research and development, medical technology, software development and cybersecurity would support a skilled workforce and be a perfect fit for the Joondalup city centre.

Joondalup is more than just a retail and hospitality precinct. It has the potential to develop into an advanced technological centre and compete with the best in the world in terms of innovation. The digital economy presents enormous opportunities for our workforce. Currently there are a number of vacant sites which are suitable for constructing buildings and facilities suitable to accommodate these advanced industries. With a strong cybersecurity research centre based at Edith Cowan University and the Western Australian Police Academy located on the adjoining campus, Joondalup has the ability to become a leader in cyber law enforcement operations of the future. This would be conducive to a federal government agency decentralising and relocating its operations to Joondalup to create a high-tech law enforcement and cybersecurity precinct.

As a local government, the City of Joondalup plays a proactive role in attracting modern and advanced industries to invest and establish operations in our area, through the work of its economic development unit led by Nashid Chowdhury. We look forward to the upcoming planned visit by the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts to discuss the potential to advance City Deals and federal support for our regional city. Furthermore, the proximity of Joondalup city centre to the Neerabup Industrial Area—less than 10 kilometres away—allows it to evolve into a service hub for a vast commercial and industrial area of 1,000 hectares, supporting up to 20,000 jobs when fully developed. Businesses in Joondalup have the opportunity to provide professional banking and financial services required by firms in Neerabup as well as catering for the retail and hospitality needs.

The federal government has recently delivered essential road infrastructure such as the extension of the Mitchell Freeway, the widening of Wanneroo Road and grade-separated bridges at the intersection of Joondalup Drive and Ocean Reef Road to improve connectivity between Joondalup and the Neerabup Industrial Area. There are two priority major road projects which I am campaigning to secure funding for this election. The first is the opportunity to improve connectivity with the Wangara commercial and industrial area by connecting Whitfords Avenue and the realigned Gnangara Road. The Western Australian Liberal Party committed $10 million towards this vital project during the last state election. Unfortunately this fell on deaf ears, with the McGowan Labor government committing no funds.

Connecting the residential suburbs of Moore with the vast industrial powerhouse of Wangara will be the catalyst for further economic development within the City of Joondalup as local residents are able to commute more easily to work, and businesses based in the Joondalup area are able to provide goods and services to customers in the Wangara commercial industrial area. Secondly, the grade separation of the Reid Highway with a bridge at the intersection of Erindale Road will help connect Moore to the commercial industrial areas of Balcatta, Malaga and beyond via the Tonkin Highway and the NorthLink project. This will remove a major point of traffic congestion and promote economic development. Attracting advanced industries to Joondalup to build a strong local economy which supports highly skilled jobs for local residents remains one of the main priorities for my electorate.

House adjourned at 20:00