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STIRLING Mayor Giovanni Italiano has asked the Federal Government for $64 million to fund the Stirling City Centre project which features the extension of Stephenson Avenue. Cr Italiano also announced another “City Deal” for a proposed “sleek” light rail network.
The proposed light rail network is a 24km route from Curtin University via the Perth CBD running through to Scarborough Beach.
For the light rail network to be built, a flyover to take Stephenson Avenue north from its intersection with Scarborough Beach Road to the Mitchell Freeway using a route through marsh south-east of the Ikea building, needs to be constructed.
This construction is to reduce congestion and divert traffic from Scarborough Beach Road to allow for the future light rail from Glendalough Station to Scarborough Beach.
Stage 1 of the project costs $134 million – $10 million will be funded by Westfield and $60 million by the State Government over five years.
Cr Italiano said the “City Deals” would provide 82,000 jobs, $16 billion of private investment, house more than 63,000 new residents and ease traffic congestion.
“I think it is something desperately needed here at the City of Stirling,” he said.
“With the development of Scarborough Beach, it is going to bring in tourists and we need to get the tourists in and out of Scarborough Beach.
“At the moment, two million people visit the vicinity of Scarborough and we are looking at doubling that.”
Cr Italiano said if Federal funding was provided for the Stephenson Avenue extension, construction would take two years.
“We here at the City of the Stirling are shovel-ready for this Stephenson Avenue project,” he said.
“The State Government are ready for us to project manage it.”
Curtin University sustainability Professor Peter Newman said the deal would provide new infrastructure, two new city centres and an increase urban development.
“The GST has not done well so let’s get some big bags from Canberra who are all here this week,” he said.
“Curtin wants to create a knowledge-orientated city centre – $7 billion they want to put into it.
“It is an economic development mechanism and the two best new centres in Perth are Stirling City Centre and Curtin University, both of which are wanting to have major development with a lot of new jobs but they need to be linked by a light rail.
“Light rail enables you to do development quite densely around the station and you do not need to build a whole lot of parking.”
Dr Newman said the light rail could be built by the private sector in Australia and overseas within three to four years.
“The community wants a light rail and they want their centres as well,” he said.
“The Federal Government need to back it…they essentially provide a concessional loan and that opportunity is then there to enable the investors to come in and be quite confident that they can get into it.
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