Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has called on the Federal Government to commit serious funding if it wants the McGowan Government to deliver Lakelands Station through METRONET.
The State Government has remained open to building Lakelands Station on the Mandurah Line if the Federal Government puts forward the funds to build it. This follows the previous Liberal National Government failing to deliver a new station for Lakelands or Karnup.
Other transport infrastructure projects across Western Australia and other states have attracted a standard 80 per cent contribution from the Federal Government, however, only a fraction ($10 million) of the total cost of Lakelands Station ($75 million) was allocated in the Federal Budget.
Federal Member for Canning announced a further $25 million during the election campaign, which is still less than 50 per cent of the total estimated cost from METRONET.
Despite the changes to GST share, the Federal Government’s contribution to Western Australia’s general government funding is still forecast to be the lowest of any State in the country over the next four years.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“The Federal Member for Canning has promised a lot but delivered very little when it comes to Lakelands Station.
“If he expects the McGowan Government to deliver his unfunded commitment through METRONET, then he needs to get his government to come up at least 80 per cent of the total cost of the station.
“Federal members in all other parts of Western Australia and other states have managed to attract a fair contribution from the Federal Government for infrastructure projects.
“If the Liberal Party were actually serious about building Lakelands Station, they would have put forward significant funds to construct it long ago.”
As stated by Mandurah MLA David Templeman:
“My electorate knows that the only government to deliver rail to Mandurah is a Labor government. The Liberal Party’s historic aversion to rail services for Mandurah continues to drag out the process of getting a new station built in Lakelands.
“We’ve heard a few announcements from the Liberal Party about funding Lakelands but they still haven’t come up with the funding despite a federal election campaign based on delivering big infrastructure congestion busting projects.
“Instead, WA taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for the Member for Canning’s unfunded commitment.
“I want the Lakelands station to be delivered by the McGowan Government’s METRONET, and I urge Mr Hastie to fund this project the same as every other infrastructure project in this State.”
