Mr Barnett attended a Business Armadale morning tea on Friday at Araluen, followed by a tour of the City.
Mr Zelones used the informal visit as an opportunity to highlight the need for Government infrastructure.
‘The Armadale City centre is a designated strategic metropolitan centre in the State Government’s Metropolitan Plan and is the heart of retail, commerce, governance and services of a future population of 250,000 by 2050.
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READ NOW‘As a Strategic Regional Centre, Armadale, unlike other centres such as Joondalup and Swan, has been largely left to develop without state or federal investment over recent years.
Mr Zelones said there was a critical need to upgrade the Armadale court facilities to not only to meet the demand for justice, but to allow the redevelopment of the civic precinct.
‘Land opportunities for expansion of both police and justice facilities within the Armadale CBD are dwindling and clearly these services should be provided in the regional centre,’ he said.
‘Servicing the City’s fast growing population, before the effects of reform are even considered, means the City also needs the courthouse resolved quickly to enable us to plan for adequate Civic facilities in the City Centre.
‘The opportunity of a land swap to facilitate the new courthouse and police station cannot remain open much longer as the City has to urgently re-address its own accommodation needs, with several other options now pressing if the courthouse is to remain.
‘We have also urged the Premier to bring forward the completion of Armadale Road as a dual carriageway.
‘Residential growth, increased traffic and congestion at Cockburn Central make the road dangerous and frustrating.’