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Freo Port glass half full

Jon BassettWestern Suburbs Weekly

"Selling the port does fit in with our position that if you sell it you have the opportunity to build a new outer harbour in Kwinana, and therefore you don't need the $1.65 billion Perth Freight Link," Curtin University sustainability professor Peter Newman said.

Leasing the port for 49 years at the southern end of Premier Colin Barnett's electorate was analysed as being influenced by Federal Government pressure to sell assets in the face of ballooning State Government debt and deficits.

However, Curtin University adjunct professor David Black said Mr Barnett had to ensure his Government kept its ability to put conditions so the port's buyer contributed to any new container facility.

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"But the experience of selling country railways is that ability could be extremely limited," Prof Black said.

Planning for the long-awaited $25.4 million western suburb police hub previously mooted for Claremont has $5.6 million in 2017-18 and $8.9 million in 2018-19 in Budget forward estimates.

Police Minister Lisa Harvey's spokesman said the hub was being evaluated by WA Police in its metropolitan operating model, including keeping the former detectives office on Stirling Highway, Claremont.

Main Roads will continue planning and designing for a realigned Curtin Avenue, for which the Government has allocated $40 million from 2016 to 2019, including the option of extending Wellington Street under the Fremantle railway line and closing the Victoria Street level crossing.

"As Curtin Avenue is a local government road, the funding does not appear as a separate capital works line item within the Budget papers, but is included in the delivery of services," a Main Roads spokeswoman said.

Funding for the Swan and Canning rivers' Healthy Rivers Action Plan has $5.1 million in 2015-16 and $5.2 million a year later, but $3.1 million in the subsequent two years.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob said this reflected using a one-off $3 million from the 2014-15 Budget for the riverbank repairs over three years, including $350,000 for a river wall west of the Narrows Bridge.