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Article: Greens hound Buswell over WA light rail

Started by ozbob, February 07, 2013, 13:31:20 PM

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ozbob

From the Couriermail click here!

Greens hound Buswell over WA light rail

Quote
Greens hound Buswell over WA light rail
From: AAP February 07, 2013 1:23PM

A GREENS' bid to have the federal government disclose West Australian government attempts to secure Commonwealth funding for a light rail system has failed.

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam moved to have the documents made public after WA Treasurer Troy Buswell this week indicated the Liberal's light rail plan for Perth may not be part of its state election campaign package.

"It was extraordinary to see the major parties unite to keep this information a secret," Senator Ludlam said.

Mr Buswell has so far refused to reveal the estimated cost of the light rail plan because the Liberals only officially started campaigning for the March 9 election on Wednesday.

Labor got the jump on January 28 when it announced its ambitious $3.8 billion Metronet plan which the Liberals say will cost roughly double that amount.

"I'm sure that if the light rail plan is part of our election package that we will be providing the costing for it," Mr Buswell told reporters on Tuesday.

Asked if he meant to say "if", Mr Buswell replied: "That's what I said."

Senator Ludlam said West Australians had a right to know whether the state government was serious about light rail.

"The treasurer refuses to reveal costings for the coalition's purported light rail plan and has recently attempted to distance himself from the proposal," he said.

"The WA government's Infrastructure Australia submission must be made public.

"The people of WA have a right to know what they're voting for."

Half baked projects, have long term consequences ...
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colinw

WA Today -> Buswell unveils light rail plan for Perth

QuoteThe West Australian Liberal party's highly anticipated light rail plan will cost $1.8 billion and move 25,000 commuters a day.

Transport minister Troy Buswell unveiled the 22 kilometre tram network on Monday, saying it would reduce congestion and take Perth's public transport system "into a new era".

He says he's confident the total cost estimate is accurate.

On Sunday Liberals leader Colin Barnett joined Mr Buswell to launch plans for their airport rail link.

Under the light rail plan, trams will run from Polytechnic West Balga Campus, along Alexander Drive in Dianella and Fitzgerald Street in North Perth into the city before branching west along Thomas Street in Nedlands to Queen Elizabeth 2 Medical Centre.

Click here to see a map of the light rail network

Mr Buswell told reporters the Metro Area Express, first announced in September last year, would move about 25,000 people a day.

He says construction will start in 2016 and be completed in 2018.

"Light rail has been assessed as the most suitable option in these areas as it can move many more people in one lane than any number of buses and cars," Mr Buswell said.

Heavy rail was not a suitable option as it would need to be built in a tunnel for much of the proposed route and the land available would not be sufficient.

During peak times, trams would run every five minutes, carry three times as many people as a bus and be powered by electricity, he said.

The announcement comes after the WA Labor opposition kicked-off its election campaign with its ambitious Metronet rail plan, which the party expects will cost $3.8 billion.

The Liberals have mocked the scheme, saying it is more likely to cost $6.4 billion.

Jonno

Ah What it must be like to have all political parties trying to out to each others public transport plans.  Meanwhile back in Brisbane the silence is Deafening!!

colinw

Quote from: Jonno on February 13, 2013, 00:33:48 AM
Ah What it must be like to have all political parties trying to out to each others public transport plans.  Meanwhile back in Brisbane the silence is Deafening!!

The QLD Government & BCC merely reflect the attitudes of society here.  We are in a small & irrelevant minority, the vast majority couldn't give a damn about public transport or transport issues other than "more roads".

We like to blame the Government, but that is BS.  It us US - OUR WHOLE SOCIETY that is broken.

Mind you I prefer the situation in QLD to oppositions promoting pie in the sky uncosted dribble like Metronet.

somebody

Quote from: colinw on February 13, 2013, 09:45:02 AM
Quote from: Jonno on February 13, 2013, 00:33:48 AM
Ah What it must be like to have all political parties trying to out to each others public transport plans.  Meanwhile back in Brisbane the silence is Deafening!!

The QLD Government & BCC merely reflect the attitudes of society here.  We are in a small & irrelevant minority, the vast majority couldn't give a damn about public transport or transport issues other than "more roads".

We like to blame the Government, but that is BS.  It us US - OUR WHOLE SOCIETY that is broken.

Mind you I prefer the situation in QLD to oppositions promoting pie in the sky uncosted dribble like Metronet.
And it's not much different in NSW I would say.  Major difference there is driving into the CBD in peak hour is generally considered certifiable.

colinw

WA Today => Metronet is a 'funding black hole': Buswell

QuotePublic Transport Authority costings for West Australian Labor's Metronet rail plan show the party can't be trusted to fund and deliver major infrastructure projects, Treasurer Troy Buswell says.

The long-awaited costings, obtained by the governing Liberal Party and revealed on Friday, indicated the opposition's rail plan for Perth would cost $6.389 billion, much higher than $3.8 billion estimated by Labor.

Mr Buswell described the shortfall as a "massive funding black hole" that proved Labor's "inability to add up".

The main reasons the project would cost far more than Labor predicted related to engineering issues around the airport, where the water table is high, and an upgrade of the existing rail link from Bayswater to the city deemed necessary by the Liberals.
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"Bayswater simply can't carry the capacity they are proposing," Mr Buswell told reporters on Friday.

As for the airport part of the rail plan, he said it was "not just a matter of digging a trench".

The biggest problem with the airport link, however, was the planned station being at least 1km from the airport terminal, Mr Buswell said.

He also said Labor's plan to build a new AFL stadium at Kitchener Park in Subiaco, instead of at Burswood as planned by the Liberals, was another infrastructure project that the opposition could not be trusted to deliver.

The stadium plan was announced on Thursday as part of more than $1 billion in savings Labor hopes to achieve to help pay for Metronet.

"They can't pay for it and it won't work," Mr Buswell said.

"When it comes to the stadium, you simply can't believe them."

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