Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Local governments in my region are seeking to engage with the federal government on key infrastructure projects and strategic cooperation initiatives. The Cities of Joondalup, Stirling, and Wanneroo, led by Mayor Troy Pickard, Mayor Tracey Roberts, and Mayor Giovanni Italiano respectively, are organising a joint federal lobbying delegation visit to Canberra, aptly named the Tri-Cities Alliance, to meet with government ministers and Western Australian members and senators between 25 and 27 November 2014.

Delegations of local governments to Canberra at a regional level are an effective method of strategically positioning regions. This is particularly relevant as these cities combined represent an estimated population of 570,000 currently, growing to a projected population of 750,000 residents by 2031.

On that note, I am pleased to inform the chamber that the Mitchell Freeway extension project in my electorate, from Burns Beach Road to Hester Avenue, a distance of approximately six kilometres, was approved under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, last month—in September. Federal approval brings the long awaited project a step closer and is an example of federal, state and local tiers of government working together to achieve outcomes for the community.

I commend the Western Australian government for allocating approximately $315 million in state funding for the freeway extension in the state budget. The project is scheduled to commence in 2015 and be completed by late 2017. The extension also involves extending Neerabup Road from Connolly Drive to Wanneroo Road, in order to provide a direct connection with the realigned section of Flynn Drive, which is currently under construction and nearing completion. There are also plans by the City of Wanneroo, within the same timeframe, to widen Connolly Drive to a dual carriageway from Neerabup Road to Lukin Drive to ease traffic congestion.

When complete in late 2017, the upgrade to the road network will significantly improve transport linkages between the northern coastal suburbs and employment opportunities in the emerging Neerabup Industrial Area, as well as the Joondalup regional city centre, with a transport corridor all the way down to the capital city of Perth and beyond. The City of Wanneroo is seeking state and federal funding to widen Wanneroo Road to a dual carriageway between Joondalup Drive and Menchetti Road. It would make practical sense, from a construction and logistics point of view, to complete the widening of Wanneroo Road in conjunction with the extension of Neerabup Road and the Mitchell Freeway extensive.