Steve Walker September 2015. To: Committee Secretary. Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport PO Box 6100 Parliament House. Canberra ACT 2600 RE: Perth Freight Link inquiry. Hi. As a South Of River (SOR) person who has lived within the Perth’s southern suburbs through the `80s, `90s, 2000s, I am angry that there still is a continuing disconnection of the core southern suburbs from the coast, and Fremantle Port. Perth Freight Link provides for connection to Fremantle Port. I’m here for WA, Perth, and the southern suburbs. I am advocating for Perth Freight Link in capital city Perth’s interests, the State’s and National interest. The critics against Commonwealth funding for Perth Freight Link, are not acting in the best interests of Perth, WA, and Australia. We should be cheering its Commonwealth funding, not trying to cancel the funding. History has shown WA that we don’t get limited Federal monies back when they are lost/refused. Western Australia is also sick of being ripped off by Commonwealth Governments, therefore we deserve funding for extending the key freight route Roe Highway all the way to Fremantle Port. Perth Freight Link has a multitude of benefits for Perth, WA, and Australia. These sort of transport projects are getting commonwealth funded all over Australia in mainland capital cities. 1 It is a win for public transport. I will discuss the fantastic Public Transit Implications that Perth Freight Link can present to south metropolitan Perth. Especially on Leach Highway, South Street, Canning Highway, which are all major public transit corridors for the southern suburbs. But first I will explain your terms of reference: the decision making process, the information relied upon, the importance of transparency, evaluation of options, and discuss important key relevant factors. 2 The Decision Making Process: In the `90s the WA State Government spoke to the Commonwealth /Federal Government for funding for Roe Highway, including connecting it to Stirling Hwy Fremantle. Late in the decade, the Howard Coalition Federal Government indicated support, yet told the State Government it would have to wait a few years (Note: The Federal Government had just taken office after 13 years of opposition). In 2000 there was an announcement of Commonwealth Funding for Roe Highway as a Nationally significant road project, with funds to arrive for construction in mid -2001. Full Commonwealth funding was promised for construction from Welshpool to Fremantle. Between 2001 –2006, Stages 3, 4, 5, 6 were built. Commonwealth funding were still available for the final two stages, yet the WA State Gallop Government (2001–2006), and Carpenter State Government (2006 –2008) wrongly ignored these federal funds for political reasons. Prime Minister Howard and Federal Treasurer Costello still had these federal funds available right upto October 2007. October 2007 New Prime Minister Mr Kevin Rudd, and New Federal Treasurer Mr Swan take the Roe WA commonwealth funding as a cost savings to their federal budget, and continue on to overspend the national budget. The new Nationals-Liberal partnership State Government of September 2008, asked for these funds, yet were told they were gone. The Rudd, Gillard, and Rudd again Commonwealth Governments would not listen to the WA State Government (2008-2013). Instead they listened to the WA State Opposition party, WA State Labor, for what road and infrastructure projects should be permitted to be Commonwealth funded. The WA State Opposition political strategy was the method being applied through the Commonwealth Government (2007 –2013). This interference hampered the WA State Government. The WA State Government had to adapt to the whims of these Federal Governments, therefore key projects were left waiting. Since late 2013 when the new Federal Coalition Government took office, they have re- recognised Roe Highway as a nationally significant transport project, and allocated Commonwealth funding to complete the project –Linking Fremantle Port to Roe Highway. Western Australian Transport agencies have worked on planning, and designs for decades in regards to Roe Highway, and Fremantle Port including the river bridges. The current WA Liberal –Nationals partnership State Government has been working on extending Roe Highway since taking office in September 2008. Many Members of Parliament (MPs) in the current State Government were advocating & planning for Roe Highway two decades ago. In May 2014 the Commonwealth Government announces the $1.6 billon Perth Freight Link. I am not surprised the new Federal Government has renamed and majority funded the Roe Hwy extension & connection to Fremantle Port. 3 Perth and Western Australia have been under financial pressure during the 2000s due to population increases, and a vast number of citizens who continually demand for more State funding to Education sites, Health sites. Let alone the cost of maintaining and building roads across the entire Western Australian region. Without Commonwealth funding, Roe Highway builds will continue to be delayed. Yet the effects of congestion, time delays, economic costs, road crashes, continue to impact this city and State. The Information relied upon by State and Commonwealth governments informing the decision to fund: Geographically, Western Australia is surrounded on three sides by the ocean. Therefore the ocean has continually provided a key source of transport: to/from Western Australia, and to/from Australia. Western Australia has several ports around the coastline. The capital city of Perth contains around 2 million citizens, which is 80% of the State population. Its port is Fremantle port. It is the busiest and the most key port for the State and its citizens. Roe Highway is the dedicated freight link for Perth metropolitan. It passes by the major airport, large industrial areas of Kewdale, Welshpool, Forrestfield, Kenwick, Maddington, Canning Vale, Jandakot. The proposed extension of Roe Highway will take it further west to Bibra Lake industrial area. Considering the current plans of Perth Freight Link: Therefore we have the Fremantle Port at one end, the Airport at the other end. With a series of key large industrial areas between them. It is common sense to fund a dedicated road transport project between them. Without the Perth Freight Link project, heavy vehicles, industrial vehicles, and commercial vehicles will continue to deal with road congestion, delays, traffic lights, cyclists, driveways, and pedestrians. As I understand it, ~17% of Fremantle area traffic is heavy vehicles, that leaves the majority as private vehicles. Why aren’t we making decisions for the majority? The ‘majority’ want to be connected to the coast. Plus they want to be free flowing connection to the Fremantle river bridges, whether from the north or south. If PFL is not built, road transport problems will not be solved for the south metro area of Perth. Perth’s transport major congestion and limitations will still exist, and continue to get worse, particularly west of the Kwinana Freeway. For the good of the 2 million WA state capital metropolitan residents, we need a southern safety link. Transit times, fuel savings, and less road crashes save the community immensely. 4 Transparency of decision making in relation to infrastructure decisions. The Western Australian State Governments of the `90s, and 2008 onwards have been very open in stating this road project, and explaining the merits of it. Considering there will be an imposed heavy vehicle user charge (toll) on this road, there needs to be confidential discussions from the Federal/State Governments with the private sector TO ENSURE the WA State Government gets the best financial deal for the construction. Otherwise the WA State Government and Federal Government will get ripped off by a greedy private company that benefits from an unfair advantage in negotiations. September 2013, Liberal National Coalition Federal Government takes office. The WA State Government went to them and asked to get Commonwealth transport funding shifted to projects that are more priority. Build Roe Highway first. A new/current Federal Coalition Government should put transport funding where they choose. Western Australia has waited enough for WA State Labor Political Party to stop dictating the Transport projects and plans. The result(2004–2013) has been negative for southern metro areas and Fremantle Port. Evaluation of options in the Perth freight task. WA State Governments and State Transport agencies have been evaluating options for decades. There has always been a constant: Fremantle Port, and how to link to/from. The South Metro Connect Report (2011, 2012.) addressed all negative impacts associated with Roe Highway Stage 8. It clearly stated that the Bibra Lake region was degraded farm land. The key to the success of Perth Freight Link is the ability of it to lure road traffic departing Fremantle traffic bridges and Fremantle CBD destined for Kwinana Fwy, down the PFL route. That Kwinana Freeway bound traffic must be enticed down Stirling Highway and connected to Roe Hwy. Finally in 2015 there is new efforts to replan this link, possibly south of Stirling Hwy, Possibly under Fremantle Golf course. I am glad that by May 2015 there has been additional investigations to determine if tunnelling from south Stirling Hwy is feasible and a better, safer connection for the road link. 5 Related matters: PFL will improve public transport in the core southern suburbs, west/east. Number One reason how, is by removing the cross town east to west, and west to east traffic from the major public transit corridors. I live in the southern suburbs, and have thought of public transit & improvements constantly for the last 3 decades. The critics, whether MPs or Senators do not understand the southern suburbs. The core southern suburbs have three high volume public transit corridors in Canning Hwy, Leach Hwy, and South Street. Passenger numbers on bus routes are high. These corridors are well placed for Light Rail Transit from the Kwinana Freeway westward, but only if PFL is built.