Ordinary Meeting of Council 30 June 2010 4.1 PROPOSED RECLASSIFICATION OF GNANGARA ROAD FROM A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROAD TO A STATE ROAD (Various Wards) (Executive) KEY ISSUES • The Member for West Swan, Ms Rita Saffioti MLA, has written seeking the City's support to have Gnangara Road reclassified from a Local Government road to a State road. • Gnangara Road provides a strategic east-west link across the northern metropolitan area. The traffic volume is approximately 25,000 vehicles per day and is rapidly increasing. The road needs to be upgraded to a dual carriageway as soon as possible. • The City has lobbied State and Federal Governments for some time in an endeavour to have Gnangara Road upgraded. It is recommended that Council support the request to have Gnangara Road reclassified from a Local Government road to a State road and prepare a submission to Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) on this matter. BACKGROUND The Member for West Swan, Ms Rita Saffioti MLA, has written seeking the City's support to have Gnangara Road reclassified from a Local Government road to a State road. Gnangara Road is classified as an "Other Regional Road" in the Metropolitan Region Scheme. It serves as a link through Great Northern Highway, the proposed Perth- Darwin National Highway, Ellenbrook Regional Centre, Wangara and Neerabup industrial areas, the Mitchell Freeway and the Joondalup Regional Centre. At present Reid Highway is the only main road connecting the two regional centres of Joondalup and Ellenbrook. The next major road to the north which serves a similar function is Gnangara Road while Neaves Road is a further 20km to the north. East- west road access in this area has been deliberately restricted as such roads traverse the environmentally sensitive Gnangara Mound. Gnangara Road is a two lane road with a sealed width of 7m with 1m sealed shoulders. The road was carrying almost 25,000 vehicles per day during the most recent traffic count in 2009. A road of this type should be a four lane dual carriageway once traffic volumes exceed 15,000 vehicles per day. Traffic volumes have increased significantly in recent years due to urban growth in and around Ellenbrook and Aveley. This growth is expected to continue as further urban development occurs in the Urban Growth Corridor. Page 1 Ordinary Meeting of Council 30 June 2010 The cost to upgrade the road to a four lane dual carriageway has been estimated at approximately $24 million. The City has lobbied State and Federal Governments for some time in an endeavour to have Gnangara Road upgraded. REPORT Gnangara Road which is partly in the City of Swan and partly in the City of Wanneroo is highly congested during peak periods. The increase in residential population throughout the Gnangara Road corridor and the increase in commercial vehicles using this road indicates there is a strong need to make considerable improvements to the road. Staff believe that the request to support the road becoming a State road is reasonable, although the matter would require further evaluation by MRWA, who would undertake a road classification review. If the reclassification was approved it would result in MRWA taking over responsibility from the City for management of the road, including maintenance and upgrading. The Member for West Swan has requested the City of Swan to work in conjunction with the City of Wanneroo on this matter. Staff understand that the City of Wanneroo will support the request for the road becoming a State road. It is recommended that the City prepare a submission to MRWA requesting Gnangara Road be reclassified to a State road. ATTACHMENTS Nil STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS This work is in accordance with the City's priority area of Planning for Land Use and Infrastructure. STATUTORY ENVIRONMENT The City is obliged to manage the road while it remains a Local Government road. In the event that it became a main road then responsibility would pass to the State Government. Page 2 Ordinary Meeting of Council 30 June 2010 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS There will be some staff time involved in preparing the submission to Main Roads. However, in the event that it is successful, it will save the City considerable money in road upgrade and maintenance costs. RECOMMENDATION That the Council resolve to: 1) Support the request to have Gnangara Road reclassified from a Local Government road to a State road and prepare a submission to Main Roads Western Australia on this matter. 2) Write to the Member for West Swan and the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Wanneroo and advise them accordingly. CARRIED Page 3 Ordinary Meeting of Council 30 June 2010 Page 4 .