INVESTMENT IN STEPHENSON AVENUE EXTENSION

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $64 million towards the construction of the Stephenson avenue extension and a new freeway interchange – critical road infrastructure that will reduce time in traffic and deliver hundreds jobs for WA locals.

 

Labor’s investment will create jobs in the short-term, and lead to the creation of a major commercial, housing and retail hub in the long-term – transforming the City of Stirling.

 

The Stirling City Centre and neighbouring Herdsman Glendalough area is the largest business precinct outside the Perth CBD, with around 40,000 people employed in the area.

 

But investment in road infrastructure is desperately needed for future growth – with traffic currently forced through smaller, congested roads. It’s estimated that almost 6,500 cars per hour pass through Scarborough Beach Road or Ellen Stirling Boulevard.

 

The project will see Stephenson Avenue north extended over Mitchell Freeway to Cedric Street. It will also include a new freeway interchange, new shared paths and better linkages to Westfield Shopping Centre, Osborne Park Industrial Area and Stirling City Centre.

 

The extension forms part of the first stage of the City of Stirling’s urban regeneration project – the largest of its type in Australia – a project will boost economic growth by attracting more businesses and jobs to the area. It will also connect the heart of the City to Scarborough Beach.

 

An important outcome of the Stephenson Avenue project will be opening up new land to create new homes and businesses close to public transport – a key aim of the METRONET vision.

 

Labor’s $64 million investment builds on an existing $60 million commitment from the McGowan Labor Government, and is part of Labor’s $1.6 billion Fair Share for WA Fund that was announced to bring WA's GST share up to the equivalent of a 70 cent floor.

The City of Stirling and the McGowan Government has been fighting for this $64 million in funding to get the project started – but Turnbull hasn’t committed a dollar. Without this funding, the project can’t happen.

 

Turnbull simply doesn’t care about Western Australia. WA does not get its fair share from Canberra and Turnbull is failing to do anything to address concerns about GST relativities.

 

Instead of giving multinationals and millionaires big tax handouts, Labor is prioritising more infrastructure and more jobs for WA, that will make a real difference to the lives of West Australians now and in the future.