Unveiling of 10-year road expansion and improvement program

20/4/95

Premier Richard Court today unveiled the State's 10-year, $1 billion road expansion and improvement program, describing it as one of the biggest public infrastructure projects in Western Australia's history.

Using the opening of the 1995 'Fix Australia - Fix the Roads' summit in Perth to detail the program, Mr Court said it would help compensate for inadequate Commonwealth road funding.

"It is the most formidable single capital works program to be undertaken by a State Government for decades," the Premier said.

"The road network in WA is the biggest in Australia, and unfortunately it is in serious decline because of the Federal Government's neglect in providing sufficient funds to keep pace with maintenance needs and demand for more roads.

"WA road users pay more than $780 million to the Commonwealth in Federal fuel excise every year, but just $150 million is returned to finance all the State's road needs.

"The economic and social welfare of the State is dependent on a first-class road transport system.

"We have one of the most important resource economies in the world - if we allow that to decline further because of a sick road system, it will have serious social impacts in the future.

"Although WA produces some 25 per cent of the nation's export wealth with less than 10 per cent of the population, the Federal Government refuses to give back to roads more of the money we pass on to Canberra in fuel tax.

"This spending program is needed to save what we have, as well as deliver much-needed extensions of the network in vital areas of the State that would remain forever on the drawing board if left to Commonwealth funding."

Mr Court said the additional road funding program would reduce the road toll and pollution, create up to 4,000 new jobs in the construction phases, open up tourist areas, and improve efficiency and productivity in rural, mining and manufacturing areas.

Funded jointly by annual contributions from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the recent four cents a litre increase on the State levy for petrol, the program would raise about $100 million per year for the next 10 years.

It would fund 43 major projects in the Perth metropolitan area and in rural WA worth $858 million.  A further $103 million would be spent on local road projects, and $51.1 million on bridge improvements, road safety and remote community access roads.

The Premier announced that the Northern City Bypass, incorporating the Burswood Bridge and Northbridge tunnel, would be built under the program at a cost of $335 million.

The project incorporated a new bridge over the Swan River and a fully enclosed tunnel between Fitzgerald and Lord Streets and would be completed in the year 2000.

In addition, rural projects under the additional funding program would cost $430 million.

"The need for another road bridge across the Swan River linking into a northern city bypass was recognised 30 years ago, and the need for that is urgent today," Mr Court said.

"The decision for a tunnel rather than a surface road or a trench was taken to preserve the heritage and social character of Northbridge."

Mr Court said benefits from the project included increased transport efficiencies in the metropolitan area and provision of a new gateway to the city from Perth Airport and better access from the eastern and south-eastern suburbs.

It would also divert through traffic from key city routes such as Riverside Drive, St George's Terrace and Newcastle Street, reducing traffic congestion and pollution.

Main Roads would ask the construction industry to a briefing in a few weeks' time to outline components of the project, and the private sector would be invited to submit tenders for design and construction contracts, which would be awarded early next year.