The federal and state governments have confirmed plans for a $1.6 billion upgrade of Perth’s road freight network, including an extension of Roe Highway and the introduction of a toll for trucks as a lure for private sector co-investment.
The federal and state governments have confirmed plans for a $1.6 billion upgrade of Perth’s road freight network, including an extension of Roe Highway and the introduction of a toll for trucks as a lure for private sector co-investment.
The government sector will provide about 72 per cent of funding for the planned Perth Freight Link, with Canberra providing about $925 million and Western Australia about $230 million.
The balance of about $445 million is to come from the private sector, though details are yet to be finalised.
The federal funding will be in the Abbott government’s budget, to be released on Tuesday.
The Perth Freight Link will involve a five-kilometre western extension of Roe Hwy from its current ending at Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road in Coolbellup (click graphic below to enlarge).
The second component will be an upgrade of Stock Road, Leach Highway, High Street and Stirling Highway as far as Marmion Street, in East Fremantle.
This section will involve road widening, intersection improvements and removal of traffic lights to enable free-flowing heavy vehicle movements.
Work is due to start in mid-2015 and be completed by the end of the decade, subject to completing environmental approvals for the contentious Roe Highway extension (see below).
The weekend announcement contrasts with earlier comments by Premier Colin Barnett on the Roe Highway extension.
“I can't see that being done in this term (of government), but it will be built," Mr Barnett said last October.
The Perth Freight Link project is designed to improve traffic flows between Fremantle port and the Kewdale area, while reducing truck movements on most parts of Leach Highway.
The federal government says it is designed to “ultimately provide a traffic light free standard connection from near Perth airport to the port of Fremantle precinct”.
It has estimated the upgraded roads will cut 16 minutes off travel times between Reid Highway and Fremantle port.
Trucks will still need to navigate multiple traffic lights around the Fremantle traffic bridge and in North Fremantle, however.
In a joint statement, the federal and state governments said they were “working together to unlock private sector expertise and attract private sector capital to help fund the Perth Freight Link project”.
“The project will involve a user charge for trucks only (not private cars), to ensure we achieve the significant benefits for heavy vehicle users in terms of productivity improvements and business cost reductions and to facilitate that private sector investment into the project,” the statement said.
The truck toll will be relatively easy to enforce, as the government plans to extend the existing ban on trucks greater than 19 metres in length from using the alternative Leach Highway route.
The economic benefit of the Perth Freight Link has been estimated to be $5.20 for every dollar invested.
About 65,000 vehicles per day will be removed from the surrounding road network by 2021 after the upgrade is completed.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the freight link was “an important piece of economic infrastructure for WA”.
“There is absolutely no doubt that this project, which we will deliver in close cooperation with Colin Barnett and his team, will deliver significant social and economic benefits,” Senator Cormann said.
“This project will ease congestion on local roads and highways, improve road safety and drive stronger economic growth and job creation in Western Australia.”
In September last year, WA’s Environmental Protection Authority recommended conditional approval for the Roe Highway extension, which has attracted strong community protests over several years.
EPA chairman Paul Vogel said at the time that innovative strategies to avoid, minimise and mitigate environmental impacts had been fundamentally important in the assessment.
“The EPA recognises that this project has had a long history,” Dr Vogel said.
“The proposal attracted more than 3,200 public submissions during the public review period and all the issues raised were considered by the EPA.”
Recommended conditions included a package of offsets including restoration works, wetland acquisition and at least 234 hectares of Carnaby’s Cockatoo and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo foraging habitat.
Specific measures proposed by Main Roads included relocation of the original Bibra Drive interchange to Murdoch Drive and the construction of a 120-metre bridge over Roe Swamp to reduce fragmentation impacts to wetlands, fauna and vegetation.
“This has set a new standard for major road projects in this type of sensitive environment,” Dr Vogel said.
WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob will make a final decision on the approval.
