WA Premier Colin Barnett declines Perth Freight Link forum invite

WA Premier Colin Barnett declines
Perth Freight Link forum invite

source: joe spagnolop perth now

WA Premier Colin Barnett will not speak at a forum on the Perth Freight Link in his Cottesloe electorate.

• INFRASTRUCTURE: Doubts cast over Government’s decision to build Freight Link
• DIVISIONS EMERGE: Perth Freight Link causes cracks in Barnett Government

PREMIER Colin Barnett says he won’t be attending a Perth Freight Link forum in his electorate of Cottesloe on Tuesday night because he spoke at a community forum in North Fremantle.

But an email from his electorate office to Perth lawyer John Hammond suggests there are other reasons for his absence.

“The area in my electorate that is most affected by Perth Freight Link is North Fremantle,” Mr Barnett told PerthNow.

“I spoke at a community forum there, which was attended by more than 200 people and at which all of the issues were canvassed.”

But an email, from Mr Barnett’s electoral office to Mr Hammond — who heads SOS Cottesloe Inc (a residents and ratepayers association) — sent on August 11 paints another picture.

It says: “It was understood that the invitation to Mr Barnett was as local member, to join local speakers, including the Town of Cottesloe, and a local audience and as such he was prepared to attend.

“The material distributed by SOS Cottesloe is now under the banner of Rethink the Link and advertising what appears to be a political debate, mentioning the Premier, The Leader of the Opposition etc and with the main contact being Rethink the Link.

“This being the case, the invitation to take part is declined.”

Liberal sources say Mr Barnett is getting cold feet on proceeding with section two of the PFL, which will see a freight route from Stock Road to the Fremantle Port.

Mr Hammond has hit back at Mr Barnett, saying it was ‘disappointing that the Premier is not attending a meeting held in how own electorate over such an important issue”.

“To say that he is not attending because it appears to be a political debate is difficult to comprehend given the Premier engages in political debate every day as a politician.”

Tuesday night’s forum starts at 6pm at the Cottesloe Civic Centre.

See the original store HERE

Perth Freight Link: Infrastructure Australia casts doubt on WA State Government’s decision

source: perth now

Perth Freight Link: Infrastructure Australia casts doubt on WA State Government’s decision

Perth Freight Link map showing route options.

• UNDER FIRE: Pressure mounts on WA govt over $1.6 billion project
• DIVISIONS EMERGE: Perth Freight Link causes cracks in Barnett Government
• PERTH FREIGHT LINK: Tunnel route option revealed
• HAVE YOUR SAY: Leave your comments below

INFRASTRUCTURE Australia has cast doubt over the State Government’s decision to go ahead with the Perth Freight Link project, revealing that 11 other options to address freight movement problems to Fremantle Port were not subjected to a benefit-cost ratio assessment (BCR). 

In its assessment of the project, Infrastructure Australia said that although it had a “high level of confidence that the proposed solution would deliver net economic benefits” a BCR was completed for only the current option which will see a 5.2km extension of the Roe Highway to Stock Road and a yet-to-be-determined new route from Stock Road to the Fremantle Port.

None of the 12 options included consideration of a new harbour at Kwinana.

read more for JOE SPAGNOLO and Perth Now HERE

Tribunal victory: Labor has document win on Perth Freight Link - Perth Now

source: perth now

Tribunal victory: Labor has document win on
Perth Freight Link

 Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan said the Abbott government demanded more than $2400 for 88 documents.

THERE has been a small victory in the push for the release of documents about the contentious Perth Freight Link project, which Labor claims has a “cone of silence” surrounding it.

Labor backed a Senate motion earlier this week calling on the federal government to table documents relating to the costs and benefits of the $1.6 billion project, but the motion was refused.

Federal Labor MP for Perth Alannah MacTiernan said the Abbott government demanded over $2400 for 88 documents on the grounds that they were “primarily of interest to (me) and not of a general public interest”.

read more from Perth Now HERE

souce: perth now

Freight fight: ‘Two-storey
Stirling Bridge planned’ — opponents 

A DOUBLE-storey bridge is being considered as part of the Perth Freight Link, a group of local residents claims.

Rethink Perth Freight Link claims Transport Minister Dean Nalder on Wednesday told a business function that making the Stirling Bridge in Fremantle double storey was an option to separate trucks and cars.

“Once it hits North Fremantle, it could fold over with an upper level and lower level, with trucks on the lower level,” group spokeswoman Grainne O’Donovan said.

read the whole story HERE

Perth Freight Link: Federal Senate refuses to release key documents - Perth Now

source: joe spagnolop - perth now

Perth Freight Link: Federal Senate
refuses to release key documents 

• CONCERNS: Divisions emerge within WA Government on Perth Freight Link
• JOE SPAGNOLO: Dean Nalder’s fraught link

THE Federal Government has refused to release key documents relating to the controversial $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link project.

The WA Greens wanted the Federal Government to release traffic modelling as well as cost benefits information for the project which is being vehemently opposed by several electorates, including the Premier’s Cottesloe seat.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder told the WA Parliament on Tuesday that the documents, which included the Infrastructure Australia Board evaluation of the project, could not be released because they were commercial in confidence.

Read more HERE and HERE  

Divisions emerge within Barnett Government on Perth Freight Link

source - joe spagnolop perth now

Divisions emerge within Barnett Government
on Perth Freight Link

 

DEEP divisions are emerging within the Barnett Government over the $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link, with a senior minister now questioning the project. 

The Sunday Times has learnt Planning Minister John Day raised concerns about section two of the PFL at a Cabinet meeting three weeks ago.

Under the plan, the second phase will see a freight route built from Stock Road to Stirling Hwy in Fremantle, before being linked to Fremantle Port. Sources say Mr Day asked why the State was sinking $650 million into a freight road for Fremantle Port when a new container port at Kwinana would be needed in the near future.

read more of this story HERE

 

Perth Freight Link: Economic benefit ‘massive’, WA transport minister Dean Nalder tells business lunch

source: joe spagnolo perth now

Perth Freight Link:
Economic benefit ‘massive’, WA transport minister Dean Nalder tells business lunch

Transport Minister Dean Nalder has defended the Perth Freight Link at a business lunch in Perth. 

Source: News Corp Australia

TRANSPORT Minister Dean Nalder has used a speech at a business luncheon to defend his government’s decision to build the $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link, saying the project was warranted despite future plans to develop a new port at Kwinana. 
 
Mr Nalder, speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia gathering in Perth, said it was wrong to suggest the link — which would move trucks from the industrial areas of Kewdale and Welshpool to Fremantle Port — would become a white elephant once a new port at Kwinana was built.

He said eventually, the Fremantle Port could become a high density residential-commercial area housing 20,000 people.

continue reading more of this story HERE

Coffee with Colin: WA Premier Colin Barnett denies misleading voters on MAX light rail

source: perth now

Coffee with Colin: WA Premier Colin Barnett denies misleading voters on MAX light rail

 

PREMIER Colin Barnett denies he misled voters in the lead up to the 2013 election, saying MAX light rail remains the government’s transport solution of choice. 

The Sunday Times and PerthNow revealed on Sunday an Infrastructure Australia report told the Transport Department in 2012 buses were the “best” option for the route.

But in an interview with PerthNow for Coffee with Colin, Mr Barnett said claims he had deceived voters were wrong.

read what Barnett has to say HERE

COFFEE WITH COLIN - PERTHNOW

source - perthnow

COFFEE WITH COLIN

Your chance to vote on the questions PerthNow will ask Premier Colin Barnett

3 PERTH FREIGHT LINK QUESTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VOTING

COFFEE with Colin is back. PerthNow readers have their chance to vote on the questions to put to Premier Colin Barnett in the latest installment of Coffee with Colin. The Premier will sit down with reporter Kara Vickery on Wednesday morning to answer the 10 questions readers most want answered.

go HERE to vote

WA-based author Ben Elton lashes Perth Freight Link - Perth Now

source: Perth Now

WA-based author Ben Elton lashes Perth Freight Link

THE Perth Freight Link is a “crazy scheme” that would be disastrous for tens of thousands of people and turn Fremantle into a “vast car park”, warns Ben Elton.

Read the whole Story HERE