City of Cockburn councillors backed a recommendation from councillor Steve Portelli calling for the City to stop advertisements and media campaigns thanking the new Government for the bridge pledge.
Part of the City’s advertising campaign included re-skinning seven billboards, at a total cost of $4485, with the message: “Thank you WA Labor for funding Armadale Road Bridge”.
The message relates to Labor’s pre-election promise to halt Roe 8 and divert funding to the $166 million flyover joining Armadale Road to North Lake Road if it won government.
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READ NOWCr Portelli’s recommendation was backed 6-2 by elected members.
With City chief executive Stephen Cain revealing the boards had run their cycle and were due to be replaced anyway, Cr Portelli said the motion was “more symbolic than anything”.
“I wanted to expand on my motion and reasoning but got bureaucracy thrown at me,” he said.
“A watered down motion eventually got through, which was better than nothing. We need to stay away from politics and ingratiating ourselves to any party.”
Mr Cain previously argued the signs were simply a reminder to the Government it had a promise to keep.
Questioned about funding for the bridge during public question time, Mayor Logan Howlett said he spoke with Transport Minister Rita Saffioti on April 12.
“(The State Government is) having discussions with the Federal Government and Infrastructure Australia in terms of the reallocation of funds from the Roe 8 project to other projects the State Government highlighted during its (State Election) campaign,” he said.
“We’re waiting to hear further information as a result of those meetings that are ongoing.”