Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take the opportunity to report to the House and to the residents of my electorate on the Manning Road on-ramp. Residents of the area know that the Kwinana Freeway and Manning Road on-ramp is a critical piece of road infrastructure in South Perth. In 2016, the federal Liberal government made a commitment to the residents of the area to invest the necessary resources to construct the southbound on-ramp, along with a merge lane and other works that would tackle congestion in the area. I'm pleased to report that the work is underway and on track for completion this year. The contribution of the federal Liberal government is 80 per cent of the $35 million project cost, and work required to relocate power and light poles in surrounding streets is progressing, as are the roadworks to build the on-ramp.

It's fabulous to be able to tell the residents that they are now less than a year away from being able to use this new route to travel south on the Kwinana Freeway from Manning Road. While there continue to be road closures in the area to allow for work to be completed, the WA department of main roads advises that the project will be completed in September this year. This is a great outcome for the residents of Swan and surrounding areas, as this particular on-ramp had been on the books since the 1980s. It reflects on the engagement and advocacy of local residents and community groups, and the local MLA, Mr John McGrath, who I would like to particularly thank for his strong support for the project.

It has to be noted, though, that this project—you might not believe it, Mr Deputy Speaker Zimmerman—was opposed by federal Labor. Labor senators in this building stood up in this parliament to speak against this important piece of local infrastructure. Under Labor, the residents of Swan, and indeed people all across Australia, would be missing out on important infrastructure investment. This project is just one part of federal Liberal's record of $100 billion of investment in transport infrastructure. This level of investment is only possible when the government carefully manages the finances of the nation—something those opposite are incapable of doing. The federal Liberal government is committed to delivering on this project and the congestion-busting infrastructure required to get people home earlier and safer, and I look forward to updating the House on this project as it proceeds.