Short on details as Buswell starts planning airport rail link
The state government’s unveiling of its preferred route to link Perth Airport to the metro passenger rail network, and concerns over the cost of building in WA prompted the following letters to our website: www.wabusinessnews.com.au
IT’S a pretty useless plan.
This rail link has to go from the city to the airport via Great Eastern Highway/Brearley Avenue, just like you would drive there; then have offshoots to connect to existing rail to service the suburbs.
Tony Smith, Perth
GIVEN the volume of cars parking at the domestic airport for trips to the eastern states or to meet the fly-in, fly-out demand being fuelled by the resources industry in Western Australia -and all associated traffic - it’s vital the government gets this right.
A comprehensive study that combines all the elements into planning the route should be paramount in the minds of all the people responsible to make this project happen, to avoid the failings associated with the Perth Arena project.
The Perth Arena project became bogged down in institutional sustainability problems with cost blowouts, inadequate project management to capture an estimate of the total cost, and strikes by employees on the site at various times.
Considering Perth is gearing up for more tourists, when the Elizabeth Quay and Crown Casino developments are completed, and many people moving here from overseas and interstate, it is crucial to the livability of the metropolitan area and reputation of Perth internationally that tourists can enjoy a train journey from the airport to the centre of town.
The Midland train line (and extension down the reservation along Tonkin Highway) will require spots for trains to be positioned waiting to collect more passengers.
Jason Bouwhuis, Perth
Resistant to change
With regard to the article: ‘Analysis: Nasty surprise for WA building'...
ONE of the biggest impediments to acceptance of modular construction is breaking the stranglehold of the brick-and-tile mentality, and offering value-for-money when comparing to the residential project home builders.
Convincing buyers in Western Australia of the value of modular, lightweight construction solutions and designs is a constant uphill battle in this market.
Andrew Macliver, East Fremantle
I’M sure a local builder could have built a modular home for a similar price.
Western Australians have been brainwashed that double brick construction is the best way to build. While we still choose to pay for the laborious tasks of laying one brick at a time and then covering the walls in render by hand, our homes will always be more expensive than any modular product.
Western Australians don’t like the sound of knocking on a gyprock wall regardless of how good the insulation is; so until one of the big builders starts to market timber-framed homes we will always be more expensive with double brick. Construction costs in Perth over the last few years have been relatively flat.
Jason Dalessio, Perth
HAVING recently researched local versus interstate offerings of pre-fabricated homes, I suggest that the primary driver for the choice of an interstate supplier is the poor choice of designs on offer locally.
Providers in Queensland, NSW and Victoria are way ahead in offering architect-designed ‘alternative’ homes that are energy and space efficient and are not either tacky copies of standard houses or glorified dongas.
Some good examples offering exciting designs, and well organised supply systems are Modscape, Happy Haus and Prebuilt.
Nothing like their designs are available locally. The fact it is substantially cheaper to truck them in then confirms your point on local costs.
Scott Langtry, Bassendean
