Labor pledge is one sixth of what WA needs to fix its roads

30 October 2007

The RAC has welcomed Federal Labor's $590million commitment to roads but has said the allocation was only one fifth of what Western Australia needed to address the serious issue of safety on all WA's national roads.

RAC executive manager member advocacy David Moir said the funding focused on two areas -  the Perth - Bunbury Highway and the Great Eastern Highway around the airport, but what was really needed was a commitment by both parties to fix the neglected, second-rate roads in WA, especially those in regional areas.

"Our road safety record in regional areas is akin to a third world country - this is where motorists are being killed and this is where funding can make a big difference," he said.

Mr Moir said the RAC was surprised that Labor was planning to commit Federal funding to State Roads. Both pledges by the Labor party yesterday included sections of road that were not part of the AusLink network.

"The $130million pledge to build the Mandurah Entrance Road and the $180million pledge to widen the link between the Graham Farmer Freeway and the airport are not part of the Auslink road network and were therefore not part of the RAC's priority list," Mr Moir said.  

"There are more important sections of road that need to be fixed including sections of the Great Eastern and Great Northern Highways."  

The RAC said other metropolitan roads that needed attention in the State were sections of the Leach and Tonkin Highways and Kwinana Freeway.

"WA contributes a massive one third to Australia's export income and Mr Ferguson's proposed allocation does not reflect WA's major contribution to Australia's economy," said Mr Moir.

"For many years now Western Australia has been grossly under funded when it comes to Federal investment in our road infrastructure. We want a road network that reflects the impact WA has on Australia's wealth.

The RAC also wants to see an investment in the North West Coastal Highway north of Geraldton to open up the major economic route between Perth and Karratha as well as a $500million commitment to the Perth Outer Harbour in Kwinana- the construction of a link to a new harbour to facilitate export trade and to improve transport efficiency and road safety.

Mr Moir said that even though WA had more than a fifth of the Auslink road network, it currently received about one tenth of the funding pot.

"We currently receive only 11 per cent of federal road funding but Western Australia has 22 per cent of all Australia's AusLink road network," said Mr Moir.