POPULAR WORDS

The Western Australian (WA) government had committed $88 million to construct stage one of the Southern Transport Corridor. Premier Dr Geoff Gallop says the construction of the transport corridor will provide the basis of the future development of the port city of Geraldton. "The Southern Transport Corridor will provide a solid infrastructure framework for the development of Geraldton and ultimately, the mid-west," he says. "It will improve access and efficiency for the transport industry, improve the access and competitiveness of the Geraldton Port and make the roads safer. "Just as importantly, the project will enable the existing railway line to be removed from the city foreshore so that the Geraldton town centre will have the full advantage of its biggest natural asset - the ocean." Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan says that, under the government's funding and construction timetable, the rail component and road works west of the new North-West Coastal Highway roundabout will be completed by the end of 2005. Road works east of the new North-West Coastal Highway roundabout will be included in stage two of the project. MacTiernan says the $10 million allocated in 2001/02 and 2002/03 will be used for land acquisitions, obtaining environmental approvals, preparing tender documents and finalising design work. The remainder of the funding for the construction of the road and rail will be provided over the final three years of the project. The Minister says modifications to the road network in the vicinity of Geraldton Port will be included in stage one. Central to these port precinct road works will be the construction of an east-west link road providing a new direct connection to the port. The road will be built over the railway line to ensure greater safety for drivers and ensuring access to Fisherman's Wharf and the West End. MacTiernan says the previous government's failure to allocate funds for the rail component of the corridor, coupled with the importance of removing the railway line from the foreshore, has made it necessary to defer the road works east of the North-West Coastal Highway. She says the government is working on a proposal to have the funding for stage two in place at the conclusion of the construction of stage one.