THE City of Wanneroo says the state government’s transport plan for Perth is too ‘city-centric’ and instead the plan needs focus on northern growth.
City of Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts said the draft Perth Transport Plan needed to provide clearer timeframes for a rail link to Yanchep and the Mitchell Fwy extension.
Cr Roberts also said a detailed staging plan was needed to support northern population growth and local job creation.
She said a continued focus on the Perth CBD and inner suburbs would only reinforce a reliance on employment within or close to the centre of Perth.
“If the government is serious about addressing traffic congestion its transport plan has to align with the Western Australian Planning Commission’s vision for the whole of the metropolitan area,’’ she said.
“For Wanneroo this means recognising the role of transport infrastructure in supporting the development of Yanchep strategic metropolitan centre and creating jobs in designated activity centres in the north west corridor.
“This transport plan must factor in strategic decisions for earlier infrastructure in outer metropolitan areas to stimulate economic activity.
“The early delivery of rail to Yanchep – with stations at Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep – and the Mitchell Fwy extension to Romeo Rd will provide crucial access to future strategic employment centres and stimulate local economic development opportunities.
“Clear and consistent timeframes are critical for the city to meet the state government’s employment self-sufficiency target of 60 per cent or 96,000 local jobs by 2031.
“The city’s response calls for the timing of the rail extension to be reinstated as 2020, otherwise we will see more car-based development that forces our rapidly growing population to spend even more time on the road.’’
Transport Minister Bill Marmion said the Transport @ 3.5 Million sets the vision for a generational change to Perth’s transport network. Mr Marmion said the Transport Portfolio had been working closely with the WAPC and the Department of Planning to ensure transport modelling aligns with sub regional structure plans in the Perth and Peel @ 3.5 million land use plan.
“The structure plans look at where people will live and work when the population reaches 3.5 million and outlines a workable transport system so that people and freight can keep moving as the city grows,’’ he said.
“The rail extension to Yanchep is being considered as part of the plan.’’
Mr Marmion encouraged the City of Wanneroo and other groups and individuals in the community to take the opportunity to have their say on what they wanted the city to look like, and would welcome a submission from the City of Wanneroo.
He said the City of Wanneroo was serviced by 28 regular Transperth bus services that operated 1767 trips on a standard weekday and also 10 dedicated school special services.
“The area is also serviced by the $221 million extension of the Joondalup Line to Butler which was completed in 2014.
“Butler Station is connected to a shared cycling and pedestrian path, features parking for dozens of bikes and has more than 930 car bays.
“This public transport is complemented by the $236m Mitchell Fwy extension from Burns Beach Rd to Hester Ave, due for completion by March 2017.
“The rail project which costs around $300m will happen by early to mid-2020.’’
But WA Labor Transport and Planning spokeswoman Rita Saffioti said the Liberal’s draft Transport Plan did not acknowledge the significant population growth in many growth corridors, such as the Yanchep corridor.
“WA Labor believes the suburbs must be a priority in investment – for both roads and public transport spending,’’ she said.
“The Barnett Government, through its plan, only believes that a rail line to Yanchep should be built by 2031 – WA Labor believes this is too long to wait.
“The Yanchep rail line is a stage one priority of WA Labor’s Metronet plan.
“We will release the timeframe for construction for the Yanchep line early next year, but it will be well before the 2031 timeframe the government has released.”
