‘Wilful deception’: McGurk
Melville mayor Russell Aubrey has taken a swipe at premier Colin Barnett for refusing to construct the Roe 8 extension in this term of government.
Mr Aubrey says the decision condemns his rapidly growing city to more grinding congestion.
“We have lobbied the state government for a number of years to get a commitment from them to build this important piece of infrastructure and in doing so have repeatedly highlighted the consequences of not building this link road,” he said in a written statement.
“Delaying the construction of the Roe highway extension is a major loss for residents whose local roads are increasingly being used as alternatives to already heavily congested main roads.”
He notes Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch is estimated to require 85,000-plus emergency transfers every year when it opens late 2014—or 10 ambulance visits every hour of every day.
The premier says he remains committed to building the 6.8km extension through the Beeliar wetlands to link the Kwinana Freeway with Stock Road but doesn’t have the $500–$700million needed till at least 2017—well after the next election.
Fremantle Labor MP Simone McGurk is no fan of Roe 8 but notes the decision not to build it is the latest in a string of broken election promises by the premier. She says voters who’d supported the Liberals believing Roe 8 would be built had been hoodwinked.
“Breaking explicit election commitments seems standard under this government,” she says.
“But it is a disgrace and the government and individual MPs should be brought to book for their wilful deception of the electorate on this issue.”
by CARMELO AMALFI and STEVE GRANT
The wilderness society is not happy with the roe highway cutting directly through unique and rare wetlands, the gov. should have considered this in the initial planning stage but now have to retrace their steps somewhat with the Roe highway.