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

As we enter the recovery phase following the coronavirus crisis, my vision for greater Joondalup is to see our community, located in the northern suburbs of Perth, grow into a more vibrant regional city, with a thriving local economy and amenity for residents through strong federal investment in health, education, infrastructure and telecommunications. Since being elected to government in 2013, our community is undergoing transformation.

The population of the City of Joondalup is projected to grow from 163,000 residents currently to a population of 190,000 by 2050. In our city centre, there are many vacant sites suitable for medium density, mixed use, commercial and residential development to support this growth. Construction activity remains strong, with the value of residential building permits approved in the past financial year amounting to $223 million, while the value of commercial building permits approved during the same period totalled $158 million. By adopting a more pro-development stance at all levels of government more construction projects will be approved through the planning process, providing a steady source of work for local builders, subcontractors and tradespersons, keeping our workforce in employment for many years to come. The future prosperity of our city depends on development.

One of the hallmarks of our city is accessibility and connectivity, provided by the Northern Suburbs Railway and an efficient road network linking our suburbs with other key centres of employment and amenity. Joondalup has the potential to service surrounding centres of economic development such as the Neerabup Industrial Area, Wangara and the coastal suburbs stretching to Alkimos, Yanchep and beyond, all linked by continued federal investment in road and rail infrastructure.

Linking Whitfords Avenue with a realigned Gnangara Road will improve access to employment and services in the Wangara industrial and commercial area for local commuters. This critical east-west route through the heartland of the Moore electorate will complement other key links between the Joondalup and Wanneroo communities currently under construction at Joondalup Drive and Ocean Reef Road. It is a project which requires the joint cooperation of the City of Wanneroo and Main Roads WA. Local landowners have plans to invest in the construction of new commercial buildings along the realigned Gnangara Road frontage, with national tenants ready to establish stores creating local jobs.

Currently, the main employment sectors in Joondalup are retail, health, education and tourism. The workforce in the City of Joondalup is currently estimated at 91,525 workers, of which 46,042 are local residents. In fact, 51 per cent of the Joondalup residential population lives and works in the local area, with 58.4 per cent of local residents working full-time. An estimated 13,201 businesses operate within the City of Joondalup, generating gross regional product of $6.48 billion. The largest industry in the City of Joondalup is healthcare and social assistance, representing the largest local employer with 10,949 jobs, or 17.8 per cent of the workforce. This is followed by education and training in second place at 14.6 per cent of the workforce, and retail trade, our third-largest source of employment, at 10.7 per cent.

I'm working with the local business community to implement a comprehensive destination marketing strategy to promote Joondalup to interstate and international visitors to boost our local economy. Last financial year, there were over 2.7 million visitors to the City of Joondalup, with a total of $766.4 million in visitor spending. Only 5.48 per cent of total tourists into Perth visit the Joondalup region, and 48.9 per cent of tourists visiting Joondalup are international visitors staying overnight. Together, federal, state and local governments have a role to play in the promotion of Joondalup as a destination.