High Street, Fremantle - proposed upgrade

Submitted by Louise Sales on Tue, 21/06/2011 - 15:20

Question Without Notice No. 435 asked in the Legislative Council on 21 June 2011 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Parliament: 38 Session: 1

Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Transport:

I refer to the proposed upgrade of the High Street–Stirling Highway intersection in Fremantle.

(1) Will the minister confirm that the alignment of the proposed High Street upgrade has not yet been finalised?

(2) When is the alignment expected to be finalised?

(3) Why has Main Roads recently acquired a property on Forrest Street if the alignment of the upgrade has not yet been finalised?

(4) Why has Main Roads advised Holland Street residents that Main Roads is progressing with option 4 and expressed an interest in buying property there if the plans have not been finalised?

(5) Is one of the design criteria that trucks are to travel at 70 kilometres an hour, and what is the rationale for this?

Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1)–(2) The Department of Transport has been managing the planning for the High Street upgrade, and this study and an alignment are expected to be finalised soon after the consultation with the stakeholders is complete. More detailed planning work will need to be completed following the agreement on a preferred alignment option.

(3) In 2010, Main Roads received a development application for a property abutting Forrest Street, which involved the construction of a house. At the time, all options being considered by the Department of Transport for the upgrade of High Street impacted on the property, so Main Roads made a decision to acquire the affected property on hardship grounds.

(4) Main Roads has not advised Holland Street residents that the government is interested in buying property.

(5) The design criteria for all traffic, including trucks, allows for a posted speed of 60 kilometres an hour, which requires that a design speed of 70 kilometres an hour be adopted to meet the design requirements of Austroads and Main Roads.