A Shorten Labor Government will invest $170 million in duplicating Armadale Road, the construction of North Lake Road Bridge and fixing some of Western Australia’s most notorious intersections on Denny Avenue, Kelmscott.
This is the first step in Labor’s plan for productivity enhancing infrastructure that will deliver hundreds of jobs and make life easier for tens of thousands of families and businesses.
Today’s announcement includes:
- $145 million for Community Connect South – the duplication of Armadale Road and construction of North Lake Road Bridge. This project will open up the south eastern corridor of Perth, removing congestion, improving travel times and improving access to the new suburbs of Piara Waters, Harrisdale, Hilbert, Haynes, Banjup and Forrestdale. This important project will support the growth of business parks and shopping centres in the area which in turn will support and grow local jobs. The total cost of this project is estimated at $290 million.
- Labor will also commit $25 million to upgrade Denny Avenue and its intersections with Streich Avenue, Albany Highway and the rail crossing. Recent growth in the Kelmscott area has seen this 200 metre stretch of road become increasingly hazardous. Since 2010, 18,000 new residents have settled in the City of Armadale which puts increased pressure on this rail crossing and intersection. In the past six months, there have been many serious accidents, including one fatality. A preliminary estimate of the cost of this project is around $50 million and further detailed design and planning work will be required.
These investments announced today are a much-needed down payment to create more local jobs, more liveable suburbs and more productive communities, right here in the West.
Combined economic modelling by the Cities of Armadale and Cockburn indicate Community Connect South will create 1,705 jobs (1,008 direct and 698 indirect) during the construction phase. This will inject over $600 million to the local economy.
Under Labor, I’m pleased that the efforts of people like Don Randall to make Denny Avenue safer won’t be in vain. All three intersections on this stretch of road were in the top 10 worst local road intersections for accidents in the city according to Main Roads crash data from 2009 to 2013.
This has to stop – we need better infrastructure and safer roads. Only a Labor Government will deliver this.
All three intersections on this stretch of road were in the top 10 worst local road intersections for accidents in the city according to main roads crash data from 2009 to 2013.
Our investment will ensure Denny Avenue is safer and less congested, better serving local schools, industrial districts, and the growing communities.
Labor’s contributions to major projects such as the Armadale Road upgrade will always be contingent on a positive Infrastructure Australia assessment. An initial assessment of these projects indicates a positive cost-benefit to the community, based on time saved through reduced traffic and jobs created in Western Australia.
Today’s announcements follow years of neglect under the state and federal Liberal Governments.
Colin Barnett’s Liberals have squandered the benefits of the mining boom, delivering the State’s first deficit in 13 years.
Tony Abbott’s Liberals have done nothing to help create jobs in WA either with deep cuts hitting business and consumer confidence.
Unemployment is rising – up 1.8 per cent to 6.4 per cent since the election – now above the national average (6.3 per cent).
A total of 94,400 Western Australians out of work, accounting for one in four of all Australians that have joined the unemployment queues since the Abbott Government was elected.
Today’s announcement is a first step. Labor will announce further initiatives to support local WA jobs in coming weeks.
SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT – 02 6277 4053
KIMBERLEY GARDINER – 0427 230 685
FURTHER INFORMATION
Duplication of Armadale Road and construction of North Lake Road Bridge – estimated project cost $290 million (Federal contribution $145 million)
- The Armadale Rd project will provide a duplicated connection between the city centres at Armadale and Cockburn, starting near Anstey Road in the east to Verde Road in Cockburn. It will connect the fast-growing Armadale district to the Kwinana Freeway corridor. Armadale Road traverse links the two southern radial public transport corridors and provides access to other major arterial roads (Kwinana Freeway, the Tonkin, South West and Albany highways) and public transport and facilities at Armadale, Murdoch, Garden City and Fremantle.
- The full duplication will facilitate connection of the rapidly growing Armadale community to jobs opportunities in Cockburn.
- The duplication will facilitate access to the new suburbs of Piara Waters, Harrisdale, Hilbert, Haynes, Banjup and Forrestdale.
- The second element is a bridge over the Kwinana Freeway that links Armadale Road with North Lake Road, and includes freeway connections and distributors. The bridge will enable traffic to bypass the already congested Cockburn Central area, which has seen population increase by 50 per cent in nine years. The bridge, coupled with the Armadale Road duplication, will address poor connectivity between Cockburn central and the employment centres along the so-called Enterprise Arc, and facilitate new enterprise development and jobs in the corridor.
- This project, along with the bridge, has the strong and united support of the cities of Armadale and Cockburn, via their Community Connect South initiative.
DENNY AVENUE BLACKSPOT – ESTIMATED COST $50 MILLION (FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION $25 MILLION)
- Denny Avenue is the main access route for traffic crossing the rail line with feeder roads from the Kelmscott Industrial area, Champion Lakes and two high schools and three primary schools all converging at this point.
- Traffic congestion at the rail line and Albany Highway intersections with Denny Avenue has been a serious concern for many years. Since 2010 18,000 new residents have settled in the City of Armadale which puts increased pressure on this rail crossing and intersection.
- It has been the site of numerous serious accidents, including at least one fatality.
- A new connection tunnel will fix the traffic congestion around Kelmscott on Denny Avenue – the project will include an underpass from Davis Road connecting to Third Avenue.
- The road has received a number of small blackspot funding grants ($898,800 in 2014/15 alone) – but never fixing the overall problem.
- All three intersections on the 190-metre long stretch of road were in the top 10 worst local road intersections for accidents in the city according to main roads crash data from 2009 to 2013.
- Over a five-year period 108 crashes totalling $6.1 million in damage and 24 casualties occurred at the Streich Avenue and Railway Avenue intersections around the level crossing.
- State Labor MP Dr Tony Buti and former Federal Liberal MP Don Randall ran a joint campaign to fix this blackspot. Tony Buti’s petition was launched this year and has 1,000 responses to date.
