O-BAHN EXTENSION

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development, representing the Minister for Infrastructure, questions about the O-Bahn extension.

Leave granted.

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH: The Hon. Mark Parnell has highlighted recent regulations that seek to fast-track various forms of development that have been identified as commonwealth nation building program projects. They operate by removing environmental standards and consultation provisions.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH: The amendment to regulation 6A provides that significant tree laws do not apply if the tree is located at a site where it is proposed to undertake a development that has been approved by the state's Coordinator-General for the purposes of the commonwealth nation building program, other than where the site is deemed to be covered by state heritage legislation.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the O-Bahn extension will run down the centre of Hackney Road and Dequetteville Terrace, and I envisage significant concern about the traffic congestion that will result. My questions are:

1. Is the $61 million O-Bahn extension a commonwealth nation building project?

2. Can the minister rule out the possibility that the route used for this O-Bahn extension may be relocated to the edge of the Parklands, thereby threatening significant trees?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:13): Sometimes you get amazed in this place because people will spend all of their time calling for the government to expand public transport and so on, and now that we have the investment from the commonwealth government—and I warmly welcome it—this state has a chance to bring our public transport system up to the level of other capitals.

We have had to do it all on our own. Capital cities like Brisbane, Perth and others have had significant commonwealth assistance in the past. Queensland, under the Whitlam government, and Perth, during the 1990s, and others, all had significant amounts of money to electrify and improve their rail system. We finally have the opportunity and, when we do, we get these sorts of questions.

In relation to the O-Bahn budget proposal (or the Australian infrastructure proposal), it is not my understanding that it is specifically part of the nation building program, but I will check and bring back a response for the honourable member in relation to that part of his question.