ASSEMBLY] of People on Its Waiting Lists Compared to Our System

1086 [ASSEMBLY] of people on its waiting lists compared to our system. We do a very good job in comparison. Through our Keystart loans scheme for new home owners we provide about $40m a month. The American system provides about $20m a year for new home owners. We are streets ahead. When those involved in the American public housing system look at our system and I tell them about our New Living program, they are extremely envious. Homeswest provides 1 200 new housing units a year. The American system provides zero. They do not build new houses because they do not have the funds. Most of the funding for the American public housing system comes from the Federal Government. The system there does not have the independence which we have to go out and develop new properties, to be involved in the marketplace and to generate funds. When those involved in the American system look at the funds we are able to generate through Homeswest and the housing we are able to provide, they cannot believe that we have such good opportunities. When it comes to the crunch and I have to spend the money on the New Living program, on the 1 200 new housing units a year and on upgrading all of the Homeswest properties to a reasonable standard, Homeswest must generate funds to do it. When it comes to a property such as the one we are discussing, we are really left with no choice. The member must recall that the property was provided initially as a land swap in place of the money that was owed by the developers of the velodrome in Midland. Mr Thomas: It was acquired by the Government for $10 000 some 20 years ago. It was poor quality farmland. Dr HAMES: Whatever the case may be, we now have a property worth a lot of money that could be used for residential development. That is what we are stuck with. We have gone out to tender on that property. We have had six tenderers, most of whom want to purchase the property and develop it. There is a 10 per cent requirement for public open space. The best course of action for those residents to follow is, when the development goes through the planning process with the local council, for the council to do some sort of deal, possibly retaining that 10 per cent as bushland rather than it being developed as parkland and perhaps increased density could be achieved in some areas by a swap which would allow 20 or 30 per cent to be bushland instead of housing. Another alternative is for the council to buy a small portion of the land to be retained as bushland. I have done everything possible and there is nothing more I can do. The matter has now gone to tender and a decision will be made in the near future. The residents will need to maximise the opportunities available to them. EDDYSTONE AVENUE, HEATHRIDGE - BRIDGE Grievance MR BAKER (Joondalup) [4.54 pm]: My grievance is directed to the Minister for Local Government in his capacity as the minister representing the Minister for Transport. It relates to the need for a bridge at Eddystone Avenue, Heathridge, crossing over the Mitchell Freeway extension road reserve. As many members are well aware, the Government has already announced that the Mitchell Freeway will be extended north from its present termination at Ocean Reef Road all the way through to Hodges Drive, Joondalup. The distance of the extension is some 2.6 kilometres. It has been proposed for a number of years that this bridge be built, for many reasons. I will address those later. The point is that the community has an expectation that the bridge will be built. It has always been included in Main Roads WA's master plan for the Mitchell Freeway extension, whether north to Hodges Drive, to Currambine, Quinns Rock or wherever. In fact, in many street directories members will notice a dotted line appears between the current termination of Eddystone Avenue all the way across the freeway reserve to Joondalup Drive. The issue has become very timely indeed because I understand that in the last week of September Main Roads will be calling for tenders for the construction of the proposed extension of the Mitchell Freeway to Hodges Drive. It is important to ensure that the tender includes a request for a quotation for the construction work associated with this bridge. However, I have been told that at this stage that will not be the case. Many members will be well aware that in January last year Main Roads confirmed that at long last it had managed to secure funding from the Federal Government to pay for the construction of the freeway extension. The funding of $25m was to be paid over four years, commencing at the start of the last financial year. It stands to reason therefore that at least one instalment has already been made towards the total construction cost. It is also the case that Hodges Drive, which is the proposed northern termination point for the freeway extension, is already in the process of being upgraded. I understand that the City of Joondalup is footing the bill for that upgrade, which is almost complete. I understand the primary reason Main Roads has not included the bridge in the tender specifications which will be issued later this month is that basically no money is available for the bridge. I find that somewhat surprising because surely when the Government approached the Federal Government for funding for the Mitchell Freeway extension, [Wednesday, 9 September 1998] 1087 it would have made it clear that the Eddystone Avenue bridge was an integral part of the proposal. Beyond that, I understand that the cost of constructing the bridge is estimated to be in the vicinity of $3m to $4m on the basis of a dual lane bridge over the freeway reserve. Once again, my concern is that if this bridge is not included in the tender specifications, the construction of the bridge will be put on the backburner indefinitely. Being realistic, we will never see it come to fruition. I also understand Main Roads has recently conducted traffic studies in the area. As a result of those studies it does not believe there is a need for this bridge until the year 2010. I dispute that. I believe there is a need for the bridge today, as I speak. All the suburbs in the south western corridor of the north west metropolitan area are well developed. A small parcel of land at Whitford remains to be developed which will involve perhaps another 400 or 500 houses. That area has been well developed. The number of vehicles in the area has peaked. It is very timely for this bridge to be constructed. The bridge is also needed to provide an additional access point into the Joondalup central business district and business park areas, particularly for those people who live in the suburbs of Beldon, Craigie, Mullaloo, Kallaroo and Duncraig. If money is the issue, there may be a way around the problem. I understand that, as part and parcel of the freeway extension, Main Roads must buy from LandCorp large tracts of land adjacent to the freeway reserve. As a result I understand that LandCorp will be paid approximately $2m. I cannot see why LandCorp could not be directed to contribute the money it realises from the sale of the blocks towards the cost of construction of the bridge. A cynic might say that it is merely an internal accounting entry and that it is all government money and government land. Another compromise option that perhaps might be explored is to publish two separate tenders; one relating to the freeway extension excluding the Eddystone Avenue bridge and another for the extension coupled with the bridge. In that way, when the funds become available, I hope sooner rather than later, the bridge could proceed forthwith. My concern is that if the freeway is extended and years down the track it is decided to construct the bridge, it will cause a great deal of interference to vehicles travelling along the Mitchell Freeway and also, of course, to the northern suburbs rail line. The delays caused by the need to construct a bridge over peak hour traffic would be a disaster. The bridge is an integral link in the strategic road network in the Joondalup area. There is a very strong community expectation that construction will proceed. The bridge construction and its associated traffic flows into the Joondalup CBD area would also assist in enhancing the ongoing development of Joondalup as a regional city centre. It will no doubt attract more demand for goods and services in the area and in due course provide more employment for the children of northern suburbs residents. My concern is that time is of the essence. I understand that the tender specifications are to be published in the last week of September. To put it succinctly, if we miss out this time, we will miss the boat for all time and the bridge will become a plan that never came to fruition. MR OMODEI (Warren-Blackwood - Minister for Local Government) [5.00 pm]: As the acting minister, I have been provided with some notes by the Minister for Transport on the request for construction of a bridge on Eddystone Avenue across the Mitchell Freeway. It never ceases to amaze me that the member for Joondalup is so persistent in his requests for projects for his electorate, particularly extensions to freeways and road infrastructure and services for his community.

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