Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I launched my Fight for a Safer Intersection campaign in Forrestfield and my community safer streets survey. The intersection of Hale Road and Woolworths Drive is unique in that, while Hale Road is a significant local road under the jurisdiction of the Shire of Kalamunda, Woolworths Drive is a private driveway into the Forrestfield Forum and the Marketplace shopping centres.

The two roads meet at a T-junction and shoppers and surrounding businesses have described to me time and time again the numerous near misses they experience or see every single day from cars pulling out onto Hale Road from Woolworths Drive. The driver is not the problem; the intersection is. I said last week that it is time to finally make the intersection safer. If you were to visit the shopping centre and to ask shoppers what they thought of that intersection, I have no doubt that they would all share with you a horror story about near misses. It is important to note that I am not apportioning blame to any stakeholder on this matter, but I am saying that it is time to all get together to address the problem before someone is seriously injured. Families and workers should not have to risk their safety when they go down the road to visit the shops to get their lunch, do their weekly family shop, visit the doctor, go to the gym, get dinner for the family, buy new clothes or get a haircut.

Someone said to me recently that they did not think that the intersection is a problem because not many key stakeholders have received official complaints. This is sad because many in Forrestfield have just accepted the dangerous intersection as a daily fact of life. I want the people of Forrestfield and the surrounding suburbs to know that I have heard them. I have heard their complaints and concerns, and I commit myself to fighting for as long as possible to make that intersection safer. I will make sure that the residents of Forrestfield have a loud voice and are heard by those who can make a difference.

Today I am asking residents and shoppers and small business owners to join my fight for a safer intersection. All the residents have to do is visit my office and fill out the survey or look out for it in their letterbox if they live in the surrounding streets. I have also asked local businesses to place a survey on the counter and encourage shoppers to join the fight for a safer shopping experience. People can also visit my website and fill out a survey online. I want to know what they think will make the intersection safer. It is time for their voices to be heard on this very important local issue.

On July, I will be inviting the key stakeholders, including the Shire of Kalamunda and the shopping centre, to come together to review the responses of my community safer streets survey and to set a plan to work toward real safety outcomes for the residents who use the intersection of Hale Road and Woolworths Drive in Forrestfield every single day. This is part of my plan to build a stronger safer local community for Forrestfield, and I welcome suggestions and ideas on how to make the intersection safer.