Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed more than $300 million to rail projects in Perth and Fremantle ahead of Tuesday night’s Budget and the forthcoming federal election.
With treasurer Josh Frydenberg set to deliver the 2018/19 Budget on Tuesday night in Canberra, Morrison visited Perth over the weekend to announce a $1.6 billion roads and rail package would be included in the forward estimates.
Included in the funding announcement is $207.5 million to help remove three level crossings on the Armadale line, $115 million towards a new Fremantle Traffic Bridge (which would include road and rail track), $10 million towards building Lakelands station, and $16 million for more parking at Mandurah station.
“The upcoming Budget will continue the Liberal Nationals Government’s firm commitment to ensuring Western Australia gets its fair share of infrastructure funding now and into the future,” Morrison said.
“These are not just numbers,” finance minister Mathias Cormann added. “These are commitments to a better quality of life for our commuters who will be able to spend more time with their families, while also delivering a stronger economy through more efficient freight and transport links and less tragedy on our roads on the back of safer road infrastructure.”
The Coalition said work is also continuing on a Perth City Deal, which they said would focus on securing the wider benefits of Metronet, and to ensure there is a shared long-term vision to effectively address the future growth of the city.
Morrison’s visit came a fortnight after Labor leader Bill Shorten also flew west, to pledge $150 million to build the Morley-Ellenbrook line and $50 million for a new railcar manufacturing facility, as part of the state’s Metronet urban rail program.
WA’s Labor Government welcomed the Coalition’s funding commitments, but described the decision as a “final quarter effort on transport”.
“Before the McGowan Government took office, Western Australia was mired by weak Federal-State relations and lacked a coherent transport plan,” state transport minister Rita Saffioti said.
“The previous government simply did not do the work to get the projects funded. Under the McGowan Government, Western Australia has a strong plan for Metronet and roads, and we’ve successfully leveraged more Commonwealth funding as a result.”