Page 2277 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
around West Basin, City Hill and along Constitution Avenue, thus delivering high rates of return on the public investment, significant benefits to existing businesses within the CBD and, importantly, a more compact and less car dependent city. This development is the equivalent of three new suburbs in a greenfield estate. Providing a more cosmopolitan city with the offer of more attractive urban lifestyles will help retain wealth, and attract and retain skilled workers.
In ambition and scope, this can be compared with the major waterfront projects in other Australian cities such as Barangaroo in Sydney, Docklands in Melbourne, Southbank in Brisbane and the Perth waterfront. We seek to learn from those projects in other Australian cities and importantly also from progressive international cities such as San Francisco, Boston, Portland, Barcelona, Seoul and Toronto. They have all rejuvenated their city centres by reducing the dominance of private car transport and improving public transport services. In many cases, they have even demolished or moved underground their inner-city motorways to allow improved access to their waterfronts.
So the key to connecting city to the lake is how we treat Parkes Way. I think everyone agrees that it is a major barrier that disconnects the city from its waterfront and from our main city parks. To overcome this it is proposed to construct Parkes Way as a split-level boulevard allowing the free-flowing traffic at the lower level and to have local city streets at the surface level. A new CBD stadium as part of this project adds substantially to the life of the city.
Unlike the existing underutilised drive-in/drive-out facilities, a multipurpose venue in the CBD will enable concerts, exhibitions and other recreation and wellbeing activities to thrive. It is close to all of the other attractions in the city centre. It is accessible to all and it will be supported by enhanced public transport. A new stadium anchoring one end of City Walk will bring life to an area that is currently lifeless outside business hours.
Similarly, the National Convention Centre needs renewal in order to continue to attract new and larger conventions to the city. We need to consider whether a significant expansion and improvement of the existing facility or a new facility on a new site in the CBD is appropriate in the next few years. Most importantly, we need to support projects that will support jobs growth during the construction phase and ongoing into the future.
I will use some of my remaining time to address the specific issues in the shadow treasurer’s motion. Firstly, Mr Smyth is wrong. The public service has not been cut. It in fact increases. Let me be clear: there are no involuntary redundancies in this budget—
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, members! Members of the opposition are becoming too disorderly. It is making it difficult for the Treasurer to address his comments.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video