Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter has unveiled a massively expanded public transport system as the centrepiece of the State Government’s
Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter has unveiled a massively expanded public transport system as the centrepiece of the State Government’s future vision for Perth.
Carpenter told the Labor Party State Conference the visionary blueprint would make Australia’s best public transport system even better.
“This is a big vision which lays out a massive infrastructure plan for our growing city,” he said.
“We have doubled the size of the urban rail network in seven years so the Government has a track record in delivering on these significant projects.
“Good government is about planning for the long term. Not the next election but the next generation.”
The Premier said the comprehensive plan would be delivered in stages over at least two decades and would include:
- extending the northern suburbs railway to Butler, Brighton, Alkimos and, ultimately, to Yanchep;
- developing a mass transit service for more than 120,000 people in the north-east metropolitan area not serviced by the Joondalup and Midland railway lines;
- a new dedicated link for Ellenbrook, connected to Perth via the existing Midland line;
- a dedicated public transport service to a remodelled Perth airport, with co-located terminals;
- extension of the Armadale line to serve new residential developments in and around Byford;
- new stations at South Perth and other points along the southern suburbs line;
- new east-west linkages connecting major hospitals, universities, airport and retail centres in one seamless, integrated system; and
- a high-speed train service from Perth to Bunbury.
The Premier said Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan would establish a project team to draw together ideas already being worked on, and develop a detailed plan for public transport.
“This will mean we can take opportunities as they arise and in the meantime can avoid decisions that would make it harder to deliver these projects in the future,” Carpenter said.
“Critically, this plan responds to climate change and means more and more Western Australians will have a genuine option of not using cars.
“If a family has two cars, it might need only one and still be able to conveniently, safely and affordably get to work, shops, sport and access medical care.
“In some cases, light rail may be the best solution and other routes could be serviced by innovative electric-powered articulated vehicles known as ‘auto-trams’.”
MacTiernan said she had asked the project team to report to government by July 1 next year.
The Premier said while the plan would pull together planning work which was already under way in various agencies, the project team would invite submissions from the public.
“The State Government is focused on working hard to build a better future for Western Australians,” Carpenter said.