MAIN Roads WA has sought support from City of Wanneroo for the alignment of the future Whiteman Yanchep Highway through east Wanneroo.
Main Roads has proposed the route for the southern portion of the road, mostly through State Forest between Gnangara Road and Neaves Road.
It also wants to realign Neaves Road into Flynn Drive.
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READ NOWAt this week’s Wanneroo council briefing session, the City’s planning and sustainability director Mark Dickson said staff supported the alignment in its recommendation, which councillors will consider next Tuesday.
However, Mr Dickson said staff recommended the council reiterate that any future rail line go farther west through the east Wanneroo urban area.
He said the 100m wide highway road reserve would ultimately allow for three lanes of traffic each way and the 22m median allowed for a possible future railway line.
Mr Dickson said the City made a submission to the State Government in 2015 suggesting the rail should be aligned through the urban area to make it more accessible.
“The location of railway close to new urban areas is critical,” he said.
According to a council report, the current alignment placed the rail 2km east of the future urban boundary and 4km from the centre of that urban area.
It said Main Roads was including provision for a railway as a possible long-term option, but did not intend to “pre-empt” the outcome of a Department of Planning, Lands and heritage study into the east Wanneroo development.
Mr Dickson said the Neaves Road connection to Flynn Drive would direct traffic off Joondalup Drive, away from residential properties and through the Neerabup industrial area.
“This should significantly improve the industrial area’s exposure,” he said.
Councillors will consider the recommendation to support the Whiteman Yanchep Highway alignment but not support the rail alignment at their December 5 meeting.
The report said the State Government identified the need for another north-south regional road in 2009-10.
It said the latest Neaves Road alignment would go slightly north of the previous suggestion to reduce the impact on Bush Forever sites.
The proposal includes two future east-west links, Ranch Road and Elliot Road, with the latter likely to have an impact on Joyce Road properties in Gnangara.
The report said if the WA Planning Commission agreed to the changes, Main Roads would undertake community consultation but that could be in “several years”.
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