State Government to delete Fremantle Eastern Bypass

19/11/03 The State Government has today gazetted the MRS amendment deleting the controversial Fremantle Eastern Bypass, following a recommendation from the Western Australian Planning Commission.

19/11/03
The State Government has today gazetted the MRS amendment deleting the controversial Fremantle Eastern Bypass, following a recommendation from the Western Australian Planning Commission.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the WAPC had made an important decision for the future of Perth, setting the State on a new path for dealing with freight and transport demand.
"The Planning Commission considered all submissions and made its decision on the merit of the arguments," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Many of the concerns raised in the submissions would not have been resolved by the FEB and need more creative solutions."
The major reasons for the WAPC making its decision to delete the FEB include:

  • the commission noted that simply to build more roads was not Perth's, (or any other major city's) solution to managing growth in transport demand and a fundamental change was required in land use and transport planning to encourage alternative solutions;
  • the Outer Harbour at Fremantle would play an increasingly more important role as the Inner Harbour reaches its capacity over the next 10 years or so;
  • at this time traffic numbers at the north eastern end of the south-west corridor would have stabilised and demand will move towards the south-west as development occurs in the coastal region south of Fremantle;
  • investment needed to be directed towards future transport needs servicing the Outer Harbour, the Fremantle Rockingham Industrial Area, Kwinana and Naval Base;
  • the commission noted that the road network west of the Kwinana Freeway would still have adequate capacity over the next 25 years;
  • even if the FEB was built, Leach Highway and other major roads in the region would remain busy roads and the issues raised in public submissions such as road safety, levels of service and noise would need to be dealt with in any case.
"In making its recommendation, the commission has set a challenging agenda for Government relating to traffic management, safety and planning in the South-West region," Ms MacTiernan said.
"No longer can WA continue with the 'predict and provide' model and allocate scarce revenue towards building more and more roads in the metropolitan area."
The Government's alternative approach uses a wide range of measures including better planning, better interfaces between transport modes, improving existing transport networks, reducing demand from private cars and improving public transport.
The Freight Network Review, which brought together the community, industry and Government over 2001-2002 devised better ways of moving freight in the metropolitan area resulting in the Six Point Plan.
The studies associated with the Six Point Plan confirmed that:
  • the Roe Highway needs to be extended to the Kwinana Freeway;
  • more freight needs to be put on rail;
  • inland container terminals need to be built;
  • better logistics are needed;
  • a plan needed for the Outer Harbour at Kwinana; and
  • existing roads need to be improved.
The community are seeking real solutions and the Government has committed funds from the sale of land reserved for the Fremantle Eastern Bypass towards six point plan initiatives.

"This decision sets the State on a new path for dealing with our transport systems and networks," Ms MacTiernan said.
The Minister said the deletion of the FEB had been a long-term commitment of the State Government.
"The State Government will work with the community and industry to implement real transport solutions," she said.
Minister's office: 9213 6400