The Liberals remain committed to building Roe 8, while Labor claimed it would scrap the project in favour of the Metronet plan.
Riverton MLA Mike Nahan said building of the Roe 8 extension, expected to cost about $600 million, is the defining traffic congestion issue in southern suburb electorates. ‘The Liberals will build it Labor will not,’ he said.
At a meeting of local Liberal politicians and candidates last week, the group said plans to build Roe 8 from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road remained a priority.
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READ NOW‘We have spent the past four years and $25 million working on the project, options are now with the Environmental Protection Authority and we are expecting an outcome in the next few months,’ Jandakot MLA Joe Francis said.
Earlier this month, Opposition Leader Mark McGowan announced he would scrap Roe 8 extension plans as part of $1 billion in savings for the planned Metronet if elected.
He said Labor also planned to remove the land from the road reserve.
‘WA Labor will remove the Roe 8 extension from the Metropolitan Regional Schem and examine if any land could be sold. However, there are significant parts of this land that have high environmental value and these must be protected.’
Mr Nahan and Mr Francis said the Murdoch site was chosen for the Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA’s largest hospital due to open in 2014, on the basis Roe 8 was built.
‘The most serious issue going forward is the congestion on the roads and intersections around the Murdoch Precinct.
‘It is set to get even worse when the new FSH opens and the only option to relieve the pressure is to ensure that Roe 8 Extension and its associations connections to the hospital are built,’ they said.
Mr McGowan said the Roe 8 plan would destroy the Beeliar Wetlands.